Zhao Wuxu shouted explosively, his foot stamped, and his vast True Qi surged out like a flood. Enveloped by True Qi, his long knife swiftly slashed out, immediately creating a strong gust of wind around him. A peak Eighth Level cultivation erupted instantaneously.
All the onlooking disciples were wide-eyed. Even though this slash wasn't directed at them, they could still feel the enormous pressure.
"The disciples of the Divine Intent Sect are truly full of hidden talents."
Prince Tai was slightly surprised. He hadn't expected that even a disciple like Zhao Wuxu, who seemed to appear out of nowhere, would possess strength that could directly rival the Four Great Genius Disciples, and he was so young too.
Although the Divine Intent Sect had suffered a heavy blow and its strength had plummeted, the foundations of their disciples were still intact.
"Haha, Prince Tai, you flatter him," Ye Nantian said with a grin. "This Zhao Wuxu is Qianmo Ke's disciple; his talent is second only to the Four Great Genius Disciples. Ling Chen's meridians were crippled and his strength plummeted. It seems quite appropriate for Zhao Wuxu to take his place."
Faced with Zhao Wuxu's full-power onslaught, Ling Chen also stopped. A sneer touched his lips as his True Qi also began to slowly surge, and a sharp, imposing aura abruptly spread out.
"A Sixth Realm Martial Warrior!"
"No, he's already at the Seventh Realm! How is that possible?"
The disciples below the stage gasped in unison. As soon as Ling Chen's True Qi burst out, the surrounding disciples immediately understood his true realm of cultivation. In just three short months, to go from a cripple with no cultivation to a Seventh Realm martial warrior—such speed was simply terrifying!
Admiration filled the eyes of many disciples. Ling Chen was Ling Chen; such tribulations could not break him. The foremost genius of the Martial World—he truly lived up to his name.
"This boy has advanced again."
Qin Shan, the head of the Black Market, smiled slightly.
"This child has his father's air about him."
The usually reticent Zi Yun True Immortal also spoke, expressing his praise for Ling Chen.
"Humph, it's too early to draw conclusions. So what if his improvement is fast? There's still a whole level of cultivation difference between them," Ye Nantian's face turned grim from the immediate rebuttal, and he said darkly.
"When geniuses clash, cultivation level alone never dictates the outcome," Zi Yun True Immortal said coldly.
"Alright, you two, stop arguing. The victor will soon be clear." Seeing the ongoing dispute between them, Prince Tai played the peacemaker.
「At this time, on the martial arts platform, the two men had begun their duel.」
Before Zhao Wuxu's blade edge reached Ling Chen, it was parried by Ling Chen's sword scabbard. In the next moment, Zhao Wuxu switched his grip on the knife, and his right hand actually shot out in a punch.
Facing Zhao Wuxu's surprise knife attack, Ling Chen held his sword in his left hand, his right forming a fist. Like a thunderbolt, a punch containing immense power suddenly blasted out.
Fool, daring to compete in strength with me.
Zhao Wuxu secretly rejoiced. He knew his Martial Arts Cultivation was a level higher than Ling Chen's. In such a situation, a head-on clash of strength clearly gave him an absolute advantage.
Attacking my strength with his weakness—if that isn't foolish, what is?
BOOM!
The two fists, enveloped in True Qi, finally collided head-on. Then, the two terrifying hidden strengths within them instantly erupted.
"Huh?"
However, the moment his fist truly collided with Ling Chen's, Zhao Wuxu's expression changed. He could already feel the heart-stopping power radiating from Ling Chen's fist.
This power was actually far stronger than his!
"Impossible!"
An unprecedented shock and anger filled Zhao Wuxu. In the next instant, a sharp pain shot through his fist. A muffled grunt escaped him, blood immediately trickled from the corner of his mouth, and his figure was sent stumbling back wretchedly, retreating a full ten steps.
Ling Chen stood his ground, unmoving.
"Zhao Wuxu lost in terms of strength!"
A disciple of the Divine Intent Sect exclaimed in shock.
"This kid has such great strength."
Yun Tianhe's gaze also turned slightly grave. Logically, in this kind of head-on clash, Ling Chen should definitely not be Zhao Wuxu's match. For the current situation to occur, it meant Ling Chen must have put considerable effort into his physical strength, or else he had consumed some Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures that increased strength.
"Such immense Barbarian Power! I was careless; you tricked me."
Zhao Wuxu shook his somewhat numb arm, his gaze turning dark. This fellow is too scheming, actually hiding his strength to lure me into a trap!
"Against you, I have no need for tricks," Ling Chen replied indifferently.
"You!"
Zhao Wuxu laughed through his anger. "Very well. I originally didn't want to make your defeat too unsightly. Now, I've changed my mind."
A flicker of madness shone in Zhao Wuxu's eyes. He let out a low growl and once again lunged violently at Ling Chen. His footwork moved in concert with his blade technique, swift as a thunderclap, leaving an afterimage where he stood.
"Blood Shadow Mad Blade!"
Zhao Wuxu roared, wielding his long knife with dazzling skill, making it seem as if two Zhao Wuxus were attacking Ling Chen simultaneously.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
Facing the frenzied attacks from what seemed like two Zhao Wuxus, Ling Chen stood rooted to the spot like a wooden stake, his legs unmoving, his long sword continuously striking out.
Each time he struck, the sound of metal clashing rang out, sending sparks flying through the air.
In a mere moment, Ling Chen and Zhao Wuxu had exchanged fifteen blows.
"These two are too formidable," one of the disciples below the platform couldn't help but exclaim.
"Indeed, his blade is without shadow, his sword like a rainbow. They trade blows back and forth; it's hard to determine the victor."
"This is the confrontation between genius disciples. But I admire Ling Chen more. If he recovered his peak period cultivation, Zhao Wuxu would be no match for him at all."
"You can't say that. The past is the past, now is now. A true hero doesn't boast of past glories. The two situations aren't comparable."
The disciples all voiced their opinions, a clamor of discussion erupting.
"Senior Brother Yun, it looks like you'll have to take action yourself," a disciple whispered beside Yun Tianhe.
"No rush."
On the surface, Yun Tianhe appeared perfectly calm, but inwardly, killing intent surged. Ling Chen cannot be allowed to live.
"Ling Chen, fall before me!"
Zhao Wuxu, unable to secure victory after a prolonged fight, grew exceptionally irate. He pushed his True Qi to its absolute limit, and his blade technique suddenly became hurried and desperate, like a cornered dog making a frantic leap.
The one who will be defeated is probably you.
A glint shone in Ling Chen's eyes. Zhao Wuxu had been holding his own, but this rush immediately exposed a flaw. When experts clash, a single oversight can often decide victory or defeat. How could Ling Chen possibly miss such an opening presented before him?
"Hidden Dragon in the Abyss!"
Ling Chen's eyes suddenly sharpened. His sword speed abruptly doubled, like a white rainbow streaking across the sun. His sword qi transformed into a flow of white light, piercing through the Void.
Zhao Wuxu's face changed drastically, and he immediately retreated.
But it was too late.
Ling Chen's sword was faster than his reaction. The Sword Light pierced directly through Zhao Wuxu's chest, and blood instantly sprayed out.
Zhao Wuxu was sent flying by a powerful force, tumbling off the martial arts platform.
The plaza fell into deafening silence. Apart from the faint sound of Ling Chen returning his long sword to its scabbard, not another sound could be heard.
Ignoring the many shocked gazes around him, Ling Chen turned and slowly walked away. But before leaving, he paused, glanced at Zhao Wuxu, and said coldly, "A brain is an important thing. To be used as a tool by others without even knowing it... you wouldn't even know how you died if it happened at someone else's hand. Consider yourself lucky this time."
This strike from Ling Chen seemed vicious, but in reality, he had held back considerably. The Sword Light had struck slightly off-center from the heart, and he had deliberately avoided vital organs and meridians. Zhao Wuxu looked heavily injured, but it was, in fact, only a light wound.
Hearing this, Zhao Wuxu couldn't help but freeze on the spot, his heart filled with unbearable shame and indignation. But at the same time, he was also reflecting on Ling Chen's words. What the latter said was not without reason.
It was only then that the numerous disciples of the Divine Intent Sect regained their senses. A sudden clamor arose.
"The Ling Chen we knew is back!"
"This battle re-establishes Senior Brother Ling Chen's authority and affirms his unchallengeable position!"
"This is the true demeanor of the Martial World's foremost genius! Just when we all thought he had fallen like a meteor, he has risen once more, again radiating a dazzling brilliance!"
"This is the moment of the king's return; we should cheer for him!"
Many disciples had completely changed their opinion of Ling Chen. If before, their feelings toward Ling Chen were mostly sympathy or contempt, now, they were admiration and shame.
Zhao Wuxu was already very strong, but without a doubt, Ling Chen was stronger. The difference displayed in their final exchange was already very clear. If Ling Chen had harbored killing intent just now, Zhao Wuxu would already be a cold corpse.
One must realize, Zhao Wuxu, with his strength at the peak of the Eighth Level, was already an expert among the Divine Intent Sect disciples, second only to the Four Great Genius Disciples. Yet, in front of Ling Chen, he still seemed so powerless.