87: Chapter 87 Another Instant Kill

Hundreds of thousands of spectators held their breath, staring at the arena without blinking, not even daring to breathe loudly.

Under the focus of tens of thousands of gazes, Lin Qing climbed the giant arena with a calm expression and composed steps, standing on one side.

Almost at the same time.

Third Prince Duan Chengyu's Aura surged, the terrifying pressure of the Fourth Rank Peak spreading wildly. His figure flickered, and like an emperor descending, he flew onto the arena and stood opposite Lin Qing.

On the arena, the atmosphere instantly became oppressive, and the air seemed to solidify.

Everyone below the stage stared intently at the two figures on the arena, anticipating the start of this fierce battle between Dragon and tiger.

To everyone's surprise, the two did not make a move immediately.

Third Prince Duan Chengyu stood in place, sizing up Lin Qing with an arrogant gaze, and said:

"Lin Qing, you are quite good. You have extraordinary talent and amazing potential."

"Do not be discouraged after you lose in a moment."

"Come find me directly after the match. I will arrange things for you and provide you with cultivation resources. In my spare time, I can even personally guide your cultivation."

"With your talent, following me will lead to a limitless future."

He spoke these words nonchalantly, yet they carried an unquestionable arrogance.

It was as if giving Lin Qing a chance to follow him was a blessing Lin Qing had earned through eight lifetimes.

Sixth Princess Princess Duan Qingwan's brow furrowed slightly, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes.

In her view, Lin Qing's strength was not necessarily weaker than Third Prince Duan Chengyu's. If the two fought, the outcome would be fifty-fifty—a match between equals.

But she never expected Third Prince Duan Chengyu to be confident to such an extent, assuming his victory before the fight even began, and even starting to recruit Lin Qing for after his defeat.

Nearby, Sun Shaoping couldn't help but let out a "pfft" and burst into laughter upon hearing Third Prince Duan Chengyu's ridiculously confident words, his whole body shaking involuntarily.

Others didn't know Lin Qing's true strength, but he had a rough idea. If he could walk out from the depths of the Hundred Thousand Mountains, wouldn't dealing with a mere Fourth Rank Peak Third Prince Duan Chengyu be as easy as pie?

Where on earth did this Third Prince get his confidence?

But except for a few people, most of the spectators couldn't see things so clearly.

"This Lin Qing is truly lucky to be favored by the Third Prince!"

"Going from an ordinary mid-tier power straight into the strongest power in the Great Qi, with a promise of full cultivation support."

On the arena, Lin Qing listened to Third Prince Duan Chengyu's self-important speech. Even as indifferent as he was, he couldn't help but frown now, several black lines seemingly appearing on his forehead.

Lin Qing didn't care about his status as the Third Prince and retorted directly:

"Are you here to be a comedian?"

These words gave the Third Prince no Face at all, leaving Third Prince Duan Chengyu stunned in place.

The arrogant smile on Third Prince Duan Chengyu's Face instantly froze, and his expression darkened at a visible rate, turning ashen.

As a prince of the Great Qi, he held a noble status. Wherever he went, people flocked to flatter and please him. No one had ever dared to speak to him like this.

Anger and killing intent instantly surged in Third Prince Duan Chengyu's eyes, and he let out a heavy cold snort:

"Humph! Sharp-tongued! It seems you don't yet understand the gap between the Fourth Rank Late Stage and the Fourth Rank Peak!"

"Since you don't know what's good for you, I'll show you whether I'm here to be a comedian or not!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Third Prince Duan Chengyu attacked.

He gripped his right hand tightly, and the longsword at his waist instantly unsheathed. He activated his footwork and sword technique simultaneously, both of which were Heaven-Grade Martial Arts.

To reclaim his Face, Third Prince Duan Chengyu decided to go all out; he wanted to defeat Lin Qing in a single move.

In the eyes of the spectators, Third Prince Duan Chengyu's figure only flickered slightly before he instantly vanished, crossing several yards like a teleportation to appear before Lin Qing.

The golden longsword in his hand, carrying the sharp Fourth Rank Peak Aura and the piercing whistle of broken air, stabbed directly toward Lin Qing's heart.

"Such speed! Such a powerful strike!"

"As expected of the Third Prince! Is this the power of Heaven-Grade Martial Arts?!"

Exclamations instantly rang out below the stage. Some marveled at the power and speed of Third Prince Duan Chengyu's strike, while others were filled with worry, fearing Lin Qing wouldn't be able to withstand it.

Third Prince Duan Chengyu truly deserved his title as the strongest Prodigy of this generation; no other contestant on the field could have blocked this strike.

Unfortunately, that did not include Lin Qing. A strike that others saw as a sure kill was nothing special in Lin Qing's eyes.

Facing the sharp longsword aimed at his heart, Lin Qing simply tilted his body slightly and dodged it effortlessly. The longsword brushed past his clothes without even touching a corner.

Amidst the horrified gazes of the crowd, Lin Qing raised his right hand and grabbed Third Prince Duan Chengyu's right wrist, which was holding the sword.

The next second.

The cold killing intent on Third Prince Duan Chengyu's Face instantly froze, replaced by the same expression Yan Jinghong had once worn—one of terror and disbelief.

He could clearly feel that his right hand was firmly fixed in place, and the longsword in his hand was frozen in mid-air, unable to advance another inch.

Third Prince Duan Chengyu looked up at the calm Lin Qing before him in disbelief, his lips trembling, unable to say a word.

Lin Qing looked into his trembling pupils and said calmly:

"The Fourth Rank Late Stage and the Fourth Rank Peak don't seem to have much of a difference."

Then, Lin Qing exerted force with his right hand and gave Third Prince Duan Chengyu a light toss.

Third Prince Duan Chengyu's tall frame was flung by Lin Qing like a meteor, shooting out toward the area beyond the arena.

It was too fast; Third Prince Duan Chengyu didn't even have time to adjust his posture in the air.

A loud "boom" echoed.

Third Prince Duan Chengyu's body slammed heavily onto the plaza outside the arena, smashing out a huge crater, with debris flying and dust filling the air.

From drawing the sword, attacking, being locked, tossed, to crashing down.

The entire process took no more than three breaths of time.

The fierce battle everyone had anticipated did not happen; the match just ended like that.

The venue instantly fell into a dead silence, so quiet that a needle drop could be heard.

Everyone's eyes widened as they looked at Lin Qing, who still stood in place on the arena, and then at the unconscious Third Prince Duan Chengyu on the plaza, their minds completely blank.

Instant kill.

Another instant kill.

The last one he instantly killed was Yan Jinghong of the Fourth Rank Late Stage. And this time, against Third Prince Duan Chengyu of the Fourth Rank Peak, he still won with a single-move instant kill.

Just how... strong is this Lin Qing?!

In an instant, countless Divine Thoughts descended upon Lin Qing like a tide, attempting to probe Lin Qing's background.

Their investigation soon yielded results: Lin Qing was indeed only at the Fourth Rank Late Stage.

Except for one person.

Fang Chao, disguised among the ordinary spectators.

Fang Chao also sent out his Divine Thought, letting it descend upon Lin Qing.

With countless Divine Thoughts intertwined above the arena at this moment, his Divine Thought blended in, leaving him with no worry about being exposed.

Compared to these ordinary Fifth and Sixth Rankers of the Qi Kingdom, Fang Chao's methods were obviously far more profound.

As an Inner Sect Disciple of the Xuanye Demon Court, and one who could lead a team to execute missions, he was naturally an elite figure. It could be said that as long as he didn't perish prematurely, the probability of him ascending to the Seventh Rank in the future was extremely high.

Although the King of Qi on the high platform had also Cultivated at the Chuyun Immortal Sect, he had only been an ordinary Disciple. Decades had passed, and he was currently only at the Sixth Rank level.

When he used to go out on missions, he was merely the one being led, so he naturally couldn't be compared to Fang Chao.

Among the sky full of Divine Thoughts, only Fang Chao saw a hint of something unusual in Lin Qing's seemingly unremarkable body.

Sitting in the audience, Fang Chao looked at the calm Lin Qing on the arena, a playful smile curling at the corner of his mouth.

"As I thought, the Spirit Realm!"