Upstream Against the Current (Fourth Update)

Upon hearing Lin Zhen's words, a commotion immediately arose around them.

"Has Lin Zhen gone mad? The difference in strength is so huge, what's the point of even fighting?"

"Foolish, utterly foolish! Knowing they are no match, they still go on. A wise man would not do that."

"Sigh! It's over. I thought Lin Zhen and the others were going to rise to prominence, but Boss Zhou just moved a finger and completely suppressed them. From now on, they Ketu won't have a chance to rise again."

"It's also because Lin Zhen and his group are too outstanding, and Boss Zhou is worried that it will affect his position."

"What?! Didn't you hear what Boss Zhou just said? Lin Zhen's girlfriend has caught the eye of Little Overlord. This is Little Overlord's idea to completely suppress Lin Zhen and make his girlfriend give up."

"No way, the Little Overlord would actually do this for a woman?"

"Hmph! You don't know this. That's no ordinary woman. Not only is she incredibly beautiful, but she's also the God Sect Saintess, holding a supreme position. Whoever marries her will be truly blessed!"

The chaotic noises around them also affected several members of Lin Zhen's team. Lou Qingfeng was the first to speak up, "Boss Lin, it seems pointless to continue this battle, doesn't it?"

Zhao Xiaoman nodded. "We're definitely going to lose, but I'll listen to Big Brother Lin."

Lin Zhen looked at Jiang Huai and Li Changying, "What do you think?"

Jiang Huai shrugged. "You're the boss, so I'll listen to you, but I don't think it's necessary."

Li Changying let out a long breath. "I'm not trying to belittle us, but we have absolutely no chance of winning against the Sky Dome Four Gods. We can't even win a single match, including you, Boss Lin."

Seeing the somewhat demoralized team, Lin Zhen stood up. "You're all right, we really can't win, but I think we have to fight this battle."

"Why?" Several people asked Lin Zhen at the same time.

"The logic is simple. We can't stay here forever and stagnate. If we want to move forward, we'll have to fight the Sky Dome Four Gods sooner or later. If we don't even have the courage to fight now, it will leave us with a psychological shadow in the future, making us think that we can never be their match. With such a mindset, how can we talk about pursuing the martial arts?"

The group looked at each other, their faces initially showing shame, but then their expressions hardened.

Lin Zhen suddenly turned around and pointed at the Sky Dome Four Gods: "They! They are our target. Defeating them is our motivation. Today, let's see how strong they really are!"

"Great! Big Brother Lin, you're absolutely right, let's fight them!" Zhao Xiaoman was the first to speak up in support.

Li Changying's dark face flushed slightly. "I'm still lacking. Boss Lin, you're right. You can't be afraid when facing a strong enemy, or you'll stop progressing."

Jiang Huai clasped his hands in a fist salute to Lin Zhen: "An idol is an idol indeed, I've learned a lot!"

Lou Qingfeng's expression hardened. "Damn it! Let's do it! I'm not afraid of losing. As long as I don't die, I'll start over!"

At this moment, Tong Huan asked Lin Zhen and the others to announce their order of appearance. Lin Zhen and the others quickly decided that Lin Zhen would be the first to appear, followed by Jiang Huai, Li Changying, Lou Qingfeng, and Zhao Xiaoman.

Lin Zhen was the first to step onto the stage. Jiang Huai and the others below still had a glimmer of hope in their hearts. The opposing team also had five people. In addition to the Sky Dome Four Gods, the captain was still Captain Wang. Although he was still the captain, he was actually a puppet. If Lin Zhen encountered him, he should be able to win a match.

However, things didn't go as planned. The first person to appear on the other side was Dong Shencai!

Li Changying's expression immediately changed. "Oh no, Dong Shencai is the number one expert among the Sky Dome Four Gods. Boss Lin in danger now. We must not lose too badly!"

Zhao Xiaoman immediately tensed up upon hearing this. "Is this woman the number one expert? But when the Sky Dome Four Gods came last time, I didn't see him make a move!"

"That's because she simply doesn't bother to make a move, since the other three are enough to take us down without her having to do anything. Maybe she didn't get a chance to shine last time, so she's taking the lead this time. Is she planning to take us down in just three matches?"

"Big Brother Lin, be careful!" Zhao Xiaoman shouted from below.

Lin Zhen nodded to him and stepped onto the arena.

Dong Shencai stood there, watching Lin Zhen walk up step by step. When Lin Zhen reached her, she looked Lin Zhen up and down for a while, then smiled and said, "She's alright, but she's far from being a match for Su Mingyue."

Whether you're a good match or not isn't up to you to decide.

"Lin Zhen, the reason I came first is because of you. I guessed you would be the first to come up, so I came to teach you a lesson and let you know how huge the gap is between you and the Tyrant. Martial artists are all about strength. Without strength, you shouldn't even dream of someone you can never reach."

"So you think you're guaranteed to win?"

"Victory is certain, but victory alone is not enough. Lin Zhen, one minute! If you can last one minute against me, I'll consider you someone special; otherwise, give up on me forever!"

Dong Shencai raised a finger and looked at Lin Zhen with disdain.

Lin Zhen took a deep breath. He understood very well that this was a psychological tactic, belittling you to nothing. When you act impulsively, you can't fully exert your strength. Dong Shencai may seem to despise him, but he actually values him.

Lin Zhen raised his hand, and Bright Silver Spear appeared in his grasp. "No matter who you are, since we've stepped onto the arena, we're enemies. Enough with the nonsense, let's begin!"

"Go ahead and make your move. You can't even touch me, little brother." Dong Shencai's tone became increasingly contemptuous.

"Really? Then let's give it a try!"

Lin Zhen sprang forward, charging towards Dong Shencai with his Long Spear, unleashing Rainstorm!

As the Bright Silver Spear spear flashed, countless spear rays completely enveloped Dong Shencai.

"All show and no substance!" Dong Shencai said, and suddenly a Long Sword appeared. The simple sword strike was incredibly sharp, and the countless spear shadows disappeared instantly. People saw that it was Lin Zhen's Long Spear that was held in front of him, barely blocking Dong Shencai's sword strike.

"Not bad, let's do it again!" Dong Shencai still didn't move.

"Long River!" Lin Zhen remained unmoved even after his spear was broken, his Long Spear tumbling and waves crashing into the sky!

Dong Shencai took Lin Zhen's sword head-on and was about to make a sarcastic remark when Lin Zhen's second wave of attacks arrived.

After blocking the second wave, the third wave crashed down, endlessly, like the rising tide at sea.

"How arrogant! Let's see how many of my ' Long River' strikes you can withstand!"

As Lin Zhen's killing intent surged, his Dantian Qi erupted, and his aura rose like a giant wave, reaching a height of over ten meters, crashing down from the sky.

By the seventeenth wave, Dong Shencai finally changed.

"This kid's Spear Art is impressive. If I keep defending, I might really embarrass myself. But I guess this is where it ends!"

Suddenly Dong Shencai moved, drawing his second Long Sword. Wielding two swords, he actually managed to find a flaw in Lin Zhen's Long River and charged forward swiftly!

The next scene was a clash of sword light and spear shadows, with sparks flying out like Mars, lasting for a full ten seconds, with each of them striking thousands of times.

As the light and shadow faded, Dong Shencai withdrew, carrying his two swords on his back.

Lin Zhen had a huge, bloody wound on his shoulder.

"Lin Zhen, your defense is strong, which surprised me, but that's all. Only thirty seconds have passed. Do you think you still have a chance?"

Lin Zhen completely ignored the cut on her shoulder and instead sneered, "That's not necessarily true. You didn't gain much advantage either."

As he spoke, Lin Zhen beckoned to Dong Shencai, and suddenly a spurt of blood spurted from the other man's earlobe.

"Ah! When did this happen?!" Dong Shencai covered her ears in disbelief. When did Lin Zhen hit her here?

"Just now, but the battle was too intense, and the wound was so small that you didn't feel it. Dong Shencai, as a woman, you should act like a woman. Seeing that you are too tough, I'll pierce your ear so you can wear earrings in the future. You don't need to thank me; it's all what I should do."

Lin Zhen's chest heaved, but he thought to himself that this woman was indeed formidable. Compressed Sixfold Dantian Qi was something he couldn't currently contend with. In terms of both strength and speed, this woman had actually surpassed him. Although he could temporarily resist by Immovable as a Mountain, he was bound to fail in the end.

This small hole was obtained by Lin Zhen at the cost of serious injury; otherwise, he wouldn't have even had the chance to injure Dong Shencai.

A chuckle rippled through the audience; it was all because Dong Shencai had spoken too confidently, and now he was making a fool of himself.

"Lin Zhen! You've angered me, so prepare to face my wrath!"

The small hole created by the Gold Qi miraculously disappeared. Dong Shencai's face turned as cold as ice. He stopped pretending and instead focused his eyes, launching a Mental Impact at Lin Zhen!

"Ah!"

"Ah!"

The two of them tilted their heads back almost simultaneously. Lin Zhen was caught off guard, while Dong Shencai did not expect the backlash to be so strong. They both felt dizzy at almost the same time!

However, at the same time, Dong Shencai reacted and a look of horror appeared in his eyes, but his movements were not slow at all. He pointed at Lin Zhen and a white aura was released. The temperature in the air dropped sharply, and an Ice Blade blade appeared out of thin air and slashed at Lin Zhen!

Whoosh!

Before the blade even arrived, Lin Zhen's hair was already covered in a layer of frost, and the Ice Blade, enveloped in white Freezing Qi, was terrifyingly cold!

"No wonder this woman was so cold; she actually absorbed Star Crystal with a cold attribute. This is troublesome!"

Lin Zhen barely dodged the Ice Blade, but his body was covered in a layer of white, and then a second Ice Blade appeared!

"Lin Zhen, don't try to struggle in vain. Within the range of my Ice Blade, the Freezing Qi will penetrate your bones and freeze you into an ice sculpture within thirty seconds. How can you resist then!"

Lin Zhen's body was protected by a Mental Power shield, but it was shattered in an instant by the Ice Blade. The Ice Blade was incredibly powerful.

With a whoosh, three more Ice Blade appeared, carrying bursts of Freezing Qi, attacking from all directions!

Today I'm adding a second chapter, this time to thank the readers for their 60 monthly votes. I'll also be repaying the donations later.