19: Chapter 19: The Gauntlet Battle, Xu Ruyu's Silent Title Defense

Zhou Meng panted heavily as he looked at Xu Ruyu across from him. Though the latter was covered in dust and had bruised arms, his eyes remained clear, leaving Zhou Meng with nothing but a sense of powerlessness. He hadn't even truly struck a corner of his opponent's clothes.

"Zhou Meng of Group A, Number 3, failed to defeat Xu Ruyu within half an incense stick's time. Eliminated."

The third, the fourth, the fifth...

The gauntlet continued.

The candidates who took the stage each had their own strengths.

There were Sword Cultivators with agile movement, their sword light falling like rain to cover Xu Ruyu's vital points; there were those skilled in Talismans, unleashing a relentless barrage of fireballs, ice spikes, and wind blades; and there were those who Cultivated strange arts, creating layers of illusions to bewilder the mind.

Xu Ruyu remained consistently at an absolute disadvantage.

He had almost no decent counterattacks; all his movements revolved around 'dodging' and 'parrying' (using less vital parts of his body to absorb the shockwaves).

His appearance grew increasingly wretched. His robes were reduced to rags, his body was covered in black and blue bruises, and blood leaked from the corners of his mouth due to internal tremors. His breathing was frighteningly heavy.

However, a bone-chilling fact, like a cold tide, gradually flooded the hearts of everyone present.

No matter how fierce, how exquisite, or how unexpected the opponent's offensive was...

Xu Ruyu never once fell.

He wasn't knocked off the stage.

He hadn't even... suffered a single 'heavy blow' in any real sense!

All his injuries were superficial or minor internal tremors.

Those seemingly lethal attacks always missed by a hair's breadth.

Those carefully designed killing moves were always neutralized by his various bizarre and irrational, awkward postures.

His movements lacked any sense of beauty; one could even call them ugly.

There was no radiance of spiritual power, no sign of Divine Ability.

Yet, somehow, they just couldn't hit him!

They couldn't knock him down!

The initial excitement had long since vanished.

Below the stage, the remaining candidates' faces grew paler one by one, their eyes filled with increasing horror.

As they watched the figure 'struggling to hold on' atop the stage, they could no longer feel even a hint of contempt. Instead, it was replaced by a thickening dread and despair.

What the hell kind of monster is this?!

He knows no combat techniques and has no spiritual power, but this survivability... isn't it too perverse?!

It's been over a dozen people in a row!

A gauntlet!

Even if he were made of iron, he should have been hammered flat by now, right? But he... aside from looking more pathetic, his aura shows no obvious signs of fading? How is this possible?!

On the high platform, several Grand Elders who had been resting with their eyes closed had quietly opened them at some point.

Their gazes fell on Xu Ruyu like physical weight, filled with scrutiny, doubt, and an undisguisable touch of astonishment.

"This boy..." the grey-robed Elder said in a low voice, stroking his beard. "His movement has no pattern, and his spiritual power fluctuations are almost non-existent, but this instinct for evasion... is nearly that of a Prodigy."

"It's more than just instinct." Another cold-faced Elder had a sharp gaze. "Look at his aura.

After enduring such a gauntlet, though his breathing is ragged, his aura has never dispersed. His Foundation is so solid it far exceeds his peers.

And his body—having endured so many shockwaves from attacks, he only has superficial flesh wounds? This Physique..."

"Could it really be some unknown special Physique? One related to 'self-preservation' and 'endurance'?" someone guessed.

"No wonder the Sect Master..." Granny Jingxu spoke slowly, her gaze shifting to Xiao Nianyin, who sat calmly in the main seat. A flash of realization and complexity crossed her eyes. "So that's how it is. We all thought the Sect Master acted on... a whim, or had other motives.

Now it seems the Sect Master likely saw this boy's extraordinary nature long ago."

"He appears to be in a wretched state, but in reality, he stands on invincible ground," the grey-robed Elder sighed. "He has certainly interpreted this so-called 'self-preservation ability' to the fullest.

No matter your thousand techniques or ten thousand Divine Abilities, I shall simply... well, roll and crawl, and you just won't hit me."

These words carried a hint of strange humor, but no one could laugh.

Because it was the truth—a truth that shocked even these well-traveled Elders.

Below the stage, the Disciples of the Hehuan Sect were also dumbfounded.

Their initial disdain and contempt had long since vanished. Now, their gazes toward Xu Ruyu were filled with disbelief and a faint sense of awe.

"My god... how on earth is he doing it?"

"This can no longer be explained by luck..."

"Could he actually be a hidden expert? Is he pretending to be a pig to eat the tiger?"

"Doesn't look like it... look at his movements, he really doesn't know any combat techniques. But this instinct for dodging... it's terrifying!"

"I finally understand why the Sect Master took him as a Disciple... he's practically an unkillable cockroach! In the future, when going out on missions, with him in front to draw fire..."

The sound of discussions buzzed, forming a sharp contrast to the deathly silence and despair among the candidates.

Finally, another person walked off the stage dejectedly, declaring defeat.

Elder Li looked at the register, his voice sounding somewhat numb: "Next, Group B, Number 17, Han Li."

The cold-faced youth in blue who had previously spoken out to question Xiao Nianyin now had an exceptionally ugly expression.

He looked at Xu Ruyu on the stage—who looked as if he might fall apart at any moment yet stood there bizarrely—and his hand holding his sword trembled slightly.

It wasn't fear, but a sense of bewilderment from having his convictions shattered.

He had bitterly cultivated the Way of the Sword for over ten years and considered his swordsmanship superior among his peers.

But facing such a 'trash' who had no patterns and only knew how to dodge, did he really have the confidence to defeat him within half an incense stick's time? The failures of those before him were like heavy hammers pounding on his self-confidence.

He took a deep breath, forcibly suppressed the unease in his heart, and stepped onto the stage.

The longsword in his hand was unsheathed, letting out a clear Dragon's cry. The sword light was like water, radiating a bone-chilling cold.

"Xu Ruyu," Han Li's voice was somewhat dry, "You are... very good. But my sword will show no mercy."

Xu Ruyu wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and struggled to stand straight (though he was still a bit shaky). Looking at the obviously extraordinary longsword in the other's hand, he grinned, revealing a smile that looked worse than crying: "Please... please guide me, Senior Brother Han."

His voice was hoarse, but deep in his eyes, that strange glint of focus seemed even brighter than before.

Deep within his body, where no one could perceive it, that vast Saint Realm Foundation was being stimulated by the continuous external pressure. It was undergoing an indescribable Fusion and adaptation with Xu Ruyu's own survival instincts at an extremely slow and hidden pace.

The gauntlet continued.

But everyone knew in their hearts that this match, which was originally thought to be a 'free win,' had turned into a bizarre coronation ceremony for that wretched youth.