81: Chapter 81 Spinning Tops

On the arena stage, Yun Nian had just finished several rounds of intense combat. Her clothes were soaked with sweat, her chest heaved slightly, and her breathing was somewhat unstable. Even the palm gripping her longsword felt a bit numb.

But when she saw a man wearing the Daoist robes of Songyun Temple leap onto the stage, she instantly suppressed all her fatigue. A cold light flashed in her eyes, and her whole body tensed as she raised her vigilance to the maximum.

Yun Nian's gaze was icy, and she didn't waste a single word. Her foot stomped heavily on the ground as a sharp sword intent unfolded, sweeping toward the opposing Songyun Temple Disciple.

However, the grey-robed man opposite her remained indifferent, a hint of contempt playing on his face.

Facing Yun Nian's violent offensive, he kept his right hand behind his back. Though his left hand held a long saber, it remained sheathed.

His footwork was agile and elegant, like a leisurely stroll in a courtyard. He dodged calmly amidst the impenetrable shadows of the sword, occasionally raising his sheathed saber to parry.

After dozens of Moves, Yun Nian's breathing became increasingly erratic. Her forehead was covered in cold sweat, and her movements gradually slowed down.

The man, it seemed, had grown tired of playing. After parrying another of Yun Nian's attacks, a cold light flashed in his eyes. He suddenly exerted force with his left hand, lightly flipping his wrist.

A thick, heavy force swept toward Yun Nian along her longsword. She was unable to maintain her grip, and the sword was knocked aside.

In the next second, the man raised his right foot and kicked Yun Nian hard in the abdomen!

“Bang!”

With a muffled thud, Yun Nian felt as if she had been hit by a giant boulder, and she staggered backward uncontrollably.

Her footsteps faltered as she retreated over a dozen steps, her Qi and blood churning within her. Finally, unable to hold on any longer, she fell heavily backward, rolling several times before coming to a pathetic stop at the edge of the arena.

The man slowly withdrew his right foot, his expression cold as he walked step by step toward the collapsed Yun Nian.

Stopping before her, he looked down at the disheveled Yun Nian from a height, a smile curling at the corners of his mouth as his piercing voice rang out.

“Hmph, relying on a bit of beauty and actually dreaming of joining the ranks of the Prodigies?”

“If Luoxia Valley only has useless trash with flashy but superficial skills like you, I think it's better to disband early to avoid embarrassing yourselves here!”

With these words, he not only belittled Yun Nian's years of hard work as worthless but also insulted the entire Luoxia Valley.

Lying on the ground, Yun Nian bit her lower lip, her eyes churning with intense humiliation and anger. She braced her hands against the ground, struggling to stand up.

But she had been severely injured just now; her entire skeleton felt as if it were falling apart. No matter how she struggled, she could only slightly lift her body and was completely unable to stand.

Seeing her struggle, the mockery on the man's face intensified.

“Hmph, Songyun Temple will be taking over Luoxia Valley's market town.”

As his voice fell, he raised his right foot again and kicked Yun Nian off the arena.

“Bang!”

Yun Nian's body fell onto the plaza like a rag doll. She could no longer hold back a mouthful of blood, which sprayed out on the spot.

This scene, falling into the eyes of the spectating Cultivators, instantly caused an uproar.

“So strong, this person is definitely at the fourth-rank Late Stage!”

“Songyun Temple is just a mid-tier power, yet they can produce a fourth-rank Late Stage Prodigy. This year's competition is truly a den of hidden dragons and crouching tigers!”

“Too ruthless, to strike a female Disciple with such heavy hands.”

Below the arena, Jing Rong and Yuan Chong's faces were pale. They rushed forward, carefully helping the wounded Yun Nian up.

Looking at her face, which was as white as paper, the two were both angry and anxious. However, knowing their own strength was insufficient, they could only clench their fists tightly, their eyes filled with frustration and rage.

On the Luoxia Valley Viewing Platform, Sect Master Shen Yurong's surrounding aura suddenly turned cold. Her bone-chilling gaze locked onto Daoist Guishan on the opposite Songyun Temple platform from across the distance.

Daoist Guishan, however, sat calmly in his chair, took a light sip from his teacup, and even offered Sect Master Shen Yurong a faint smile.

On the arena, the man looked down at the three below, a mocking smile curling on his lips as he prepared to speak again.

But at the moment he opened his mouth, a figure soared up from the crowd, landed on the arena, and blocked his path.

The youth wore the attire of Luoxia Valley. He had an upright posture and an indifferent face. His aura was restrained, but his pitch-black eyes held a trace of unshakeable chill.

It was Lin Qing.

Seeing Lin Qing take the stage, the grey-robed man was momentarily stunned. Then, as if remembering something, the curve of his mouth did not recede as he spoke contemptuously.

“You must be Lin Qing, right? What, did you think you were actually someone just because you luckily defeated an ordinary fourth-rank Middle Stage?”

Lin Qing looked up, his calm gaze landing on him as he spoke slowly:

“You really like to talk?”

After saying that, without waiting for the man to respond, Lin Qing's figure flashed as he charged straight at him.

“Such speed!”

The man cried out in his heart. He didn't dare hesitate, reaching with his right hand for the long saber in his left, intending to draw it from its sheath.

But just as his right hand touched the hilt, a black shadow appeared before his eyes.

Lin Qing raised his right foot and kicked the man's right hand, which was gripping the hilt, with great force.

“Crack!”

The slight sound of a bone fracturing rang out. The man felt a piercing pain in his right hand as an irresistible, powerful force traveled from his hand to the saber, and then from the saber to his left hand.

Not only was he unable to hold the saber, but his entire body was spun around by the kick. A fear originating from the depths of his Soul swept through his body.

Too strong!

The strength of the Lin Qing before him far exceeded his imagination; the two were completely different levels of competitors.

“I...”

The man wanted to open his mouth to surrender, but just as he opened it, a palm appeared before his eyes.

“Slap!”

A crisp, loud slapping sound exploded on the arena, instantly drawing the attention of the hundreds of thousands of spectators in the venue.

Everyone's gazes snapped toward this arena.

Then, they witnessed a scene that made their jaws drop.

On the stage, for every rotation the man made, Lin Qing would give him a slap.

“Slap! Slap! Slap! Slap!”

The crisp sounds of slapping were continuous, and the man's body spun faster and faster.

The originally noisy and boiling venue fell completely silent at this moment.

Not only did the hundreds of thousands of spectators hold their breath and widen their eyes, but even the Prodigies dueling on the other arenas stopped their Moves one after another and turned their gazes over.

Everyone stared blankly as Lin Qing whipped the man like a spinning top on the arena.

A moment later, sensing that the man had lost consciousness, Lin Qing withdrew his palm. Deprived of the continuous slapping force, the man's spinning body rotated uncontrollably a dozen more times before finally collapsing onto the arena.

By now, the man's entire right face was a bloody mess, not a single tooth remained in his mouth, and even his aura had weakened to the extreme.

This was pure numerical suppression; just by slapping him, Lin Qing had nearly killed the man.

After confirming the man could no longer participate in subsequent matches, Lin Qing raised his foot and kicked him, just as the man had done to Yun Nian.

“Bang!”

The man's body was kicked off the arena like a rag doll, falling heavily onto the plaza.

Nearby, several Songyun Temple Disciples rushed forward, hurriedly carrying away the unconscious man. They kept their heads down the entire time, not even having the courage to glance at Lin Qing.

On the arena, Lin Qing stood quietly. His clothes were neat and his breathing was steady, as if he had just done something insignificant.

The entire venue remained dead silent.

Unlike before, after this battle ended, the scene was still pin-drop quiet. Everyone subconsciously swallowed their saliva.

So brutal!

Lin Qing didn't care about the crowd's gazes; he didn't plan to continue defending the stage.

Presumably, the man just now was an outside help planted in Songyun Temple by the Qiushan Sect. As a mid-tier power, Songyun Temple should have its own fourth-rank Middle Stage Disciples participating.

Standing high indeed allowed one to see far.

Lin Qing stood quietly on the arena, scanning the dense crowd of participants on the plaza, continuing his search for the remaining Songyun Temple Disciples.

The surrounding Disciples, feeling Lin Qing's scanning gaze, all subconsciously lowered their heads, fearing they would draw his attention.

Just then, from the distant arena where Yan Jinghong was located, a voice called out.

“Lin Qing!”

“Your strength is indeed decent, but don't be too arrogant! You'd better pray that you don't run into me in the second round of the competition!”

Yan Jinghong stood on his arena, long saber in hand, his gaze locked onto Lin Qing's figure with intense hatred.

That was it!

The man from earlier was originally from the Qiushan Sect, so it was natural for him to be acquainted with Yan Jinghong. Thinking back carefully, the man's face even bore some resemblance to Yan Jinghong's.

Lin Qing turned his head to look at Yan Jinghong on the distant arena. Then, with a shift of his feet, his figure leapt up, and with a few bounds, he landed on the arena where Yan Jinghong was standing.

Lin Qing looked up at the stunned Yan Jinghong opposite him:

“No need to wait for the second round.”

“I'm here now.”