Shi Potian spoke in a deep, gruff voice, his smugness almost overflowing. "Xiao Han, that's enough. Your paltry tricks aren't even worthy of tickling me."
Xiao Han's chest rose and fell slightly, his breathing was a little rapid, and beads of sweat from his forehead slid down his cheeks, splashing onto his clothes and spreading a small dark patch.
He did not respond immediately; a certain hidden power within him, guided by his will, was slowly awakening from its slumber.
It was a feeling completely different from what he had used before, gentle yet carrying a nascent domineering power.
"Oh?" Xiao Han finally spoke, his voice rising slightly at the end, carrying a hint of something unspeakable.
In an instant, a faint blue halo rippled outwards from him, its range not wide, barely encompassing the small area of about ten meters in which the two of them were located.
There was no grand gesture, no dazzling spectacle; it simply unfolded naturally.
The Chaos Green Lotus Martial Soul, that azure lotus that seemed to exist only in his spiritual sea, was now swaying gently, and a strange rhythm was emanating from the opening and closing of its petals.
The rock armor covering Shi Potian's body, that thick layer of earthy yellow energy, was originally connected to the earth's energy veins beneath his feet, forming an inseparable and indestructible whole.
But the moment the pale blue halo touched him, he felt his whole body freeze.
It wasn't a strong impact, nor a sharp sting, but rather a... indescribable sense of detachment.
It was as if his proud rocky body, connected to Mother Earth, had been gently smoothed over by something, and then loosened a little bit.
The heaviness of the rock remains, but its texture, so hard it's almost despairing, seems to have subtly changed, no longer so pure.
"What... what the hell is this?!" Shi Potian finally lost his composure, his voice filled with surprise and doubt.
He could feel his proud earth-elemental energy being eroded by an inexplicable force—no, it was more like it was being...purified?
This feeling is so eerie!
Now!
Xiao Han took a deep breath, as if that breath had drawn upon the last reserves deep within his dantian.
The Eternal Night Monarch's shadow power no longer pursues stealthy infiltration, but has transformed into the deepest, most profound essence.
He pushed the destructive intent of "Annihilation Divine Fist" to its extreme.
Even the newly awakened Chaos Green Lotus sent forth a wisp of strange vitality and purifying power, silently wrapping around the fist.
"Annihilation... Erosion..."
Xiao Han shouted in a low voice, which was a little hoarse, but his whole body shot upwards like a cannonball!
"Open it for me...!"
This punch was unremarkable, barely generating any wind.
Shi Potian only felt a blur before his eyes, and the fist was already imprinted on his rock armor.
The fist was aimed at Shi Potian's lower left rib, a spot where his rock armor was relatively weak after being attacked by the "Annihilation Divine Fist" and "Green Lotus Sword Song" in succession, and which was also slightly weakened by the [Chaos Life-Breath Domain]!
"Snap!"
A faint but clear cracking sound rang out, but it exploded like thunder in the ears of everyone in the noisy martial arts arena!
Shi Potian's indestructible rock armor finally developed a noticeable crack under Xiao Han's ultimate punch, which combined multiple forces! The crack spread rapidly like a spider web!
"No... impossible!" A look of horror flashed in Shi Potian's eyes. He wanted to mobilize the power of the earth to repair it, but found that the cyan domain power was like a leech, slowing down his energy circulation.
"Bang!"
The next instant, the violent Annihilation force of the fist and the power of shadow erosion erupted completely!
Shi Potian's rock armor on his left side exploded with a bang, sending hard rock fragments flying everywhere. His massive body was struck as if by a battering ram, and he let out a painful groan, staggering back several steps, each step leaving a deep footprint on the hard arena floor.
A trickle of blood oozed from the corner of his mouth.
Xiao Han, having landed a successful blow, did not stop. His figure followed closely, and taking advantage of the moment when Shi Potian's defense was broken and his aura was unstable, he pounced on him, his fists raining down like raindrops, each punch precisely striking the previously torn wound.
"Bang bang!"
Shi Potian was struggling to stay afloat, and new cracks kept appearing on his petrified body, while the earthy yellow energy light dimmed rapidly.
Finally, Xiao Han delivered a palm strike imbued with the purifying power of the Chaos Green Lotus, slicing into Shi Potian's neck, which was now unprotected by his rock armor.
Shi Potian's massive body stiffened abruptly, the light in his eyes quickly faded, and his enormous rock body began to crumble inch by inch, reverting to human form. He collapsed softly to the ground, unconscious.
"Huff... Huff..." Xiao Han was breathing heavily, his face was pale, and his spiritual energy was almost completely exhausted. This battle was more difficult to win than any of the previous ones.
The referee was stunned for a moment before reacting. He quickly stepped forward to check and then loudly announced, "Xiao Han wins this match and advances to the semi-finals!"
The entire venue was initially deathly silent, then erupted in Lei Ming applause and cheers!
"He won! Xiao Han won again!"
"Incredible! He actually broke through Shi Potian's 'Body of Mount Tai'!"
"What is that final cyan domain? It feels so mysterious!"
"This Xiao Han is simply a monster! Just where are his limits?"
The way the Core Sequence trainees looked at Xiao Han had completely changed. From initial disdain and skepticism, to later solemnity and apprehension, and now... awe!
By defeating Shi Potian, a defensive expert in the Core Sequence, Xiao Han solidified his top position in the Core Sequence through a hard-fought battle, and officially announced to the entire Imperial Capital Academy that he had entered the ranks of the academy's top geniuses!
A satisfied smile appeared on Lin Qingxia's lips. This little guy always managed to surprise her.
Xiao Han took a few deep breaths to calm his surging blood and qi, nodded slightly to the audience below the stage, and calmly walked off the stage.
The semi-finals! He did it!
The battles to come will only be more difficult, but he is fearless. He knows that every hard-won victory is a stepping stone to a higher peak.
Xiao Han defeated Shi Potian and successfully advanced to the top four of the Academy Grand Competition!
This battle was like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, creating ripples everywhere. The entire Imperial Capital Academy, and even the various forces following the event through live broadcasts, were shaken.
"A dark horse! A complete dark horse!"
"Third Level of the Martial Master Realm (a suppressed level in everyone's eyes) directly confronted Shi Potian, Seventh Level Peak of the Martial Master Realm, and even won! Just what kind of monster is this Xiao Han?"
"That cyan domain, and that final punch that broke through the defense—it was absolutely stunning!"
"Twin SSS+ Martial Souls, truly living up to their reputation!"
In just a few days, Xiao Han's name went from a slightly well-known freshman to the most dazzling new star in this competition. His previous victories against Lei Ming, Chen Feng, and even Luo Bing were brought up again and placed alongside his victory over Shi Potian in this duel, making him seem even more unfathomable.
Countless eyes were fixed on him, some in amazement, some in awe, some in envy, and some in curiosity.
Xiao Han himself, however, had no time to pay attention to the noise outside. After stepping off the arena, he politely declined Lin Qingxia's suggestion to celebrate together, and also declined the concerned greetings from Xia Yubing and others, and went straight back to his private training room.