Refreshing New Dao Patterns

At first, Lin Shuguang merely equipped the Dao Patterns of Dark Prison, then easily slew three Ox Demons in succession.

As for the fourth Ox Demon, its realm had already risen to the Second Heaven of the Core Realm. Thus, he simply removed Dark Prison and equipped the Sky-Breaking Axe instead.

That was why he slew the fourth Ox Demon in one breath.

The reason Su Beichen was so shocked was that the weapon in Lin Shuguang's hand was actually a saber.

"Wasn't he a disciple of Baojian Sect? Didn't he use sword techniques when he fought me before?"

"This guy has actually never displayed his true abilities!"

Su Beichen's mentality collapsed on the spot. It was the furious embarrassment of someone who had poured his heart out only to feed it to a dog.

"This guy!"

"Just you wait. I'll defeat you myself!"

On the arena.

The fifth Ox Demon was released. The instant it appeared, it unleashed an overwhelmingly vicious and baleful aura.

Lin Shuguang's heart sank.

By rights, he should have been facing an Ox Demon of the Third Heaven, nowhere near one like this... At the very least, this was the Fourth Heaven!

Was it unintentional, or deliberate?

In the waiting area, Su Beichen also frowned slightly, seemingly believing that someone was deliberately tripping Lin Shuguang up. He then snorted coldly to show his disdain.

It was not only Su Beichen. Anyone with some strength present could sense the power of the Ox Demon Lin Shuguang was facing.

Naturally, discussions broke out.

"Did this Ox Demon come to the wrong place?"

"This arena can only handle an Ox Demon of the Third Heaven at most. For one of the Fourth Heaven to suddenly appear, something must be wrong."

As for Luo Zixu, he had initially sneered at the fact that Lin Shuguang would not be able to achieve a perfect score, but even he felt his heart jolt because of this matter.

"By rights, there absolutely shouldn't be any mistake in releasing the wrong Ox Demon. Yet Lin Shuguang just happened to encounter one. His identity is rather special. Could his identity as the Holy Son have been exposed?"

Seeing Lin Shuguang targeted was hardly a cause for celebration.

Luo Zixu was worried that someone above might be trying to target Baojian Sect!

"The arrangements for the State Selection all come from Jade Void Palace. They have never deliberately targeted anyone like this before. Could this be a signal?" Luo Zixu's heart leaped.

On the viewing platform, Yun Yangcheng, the elder leading Baojian Sect's delegation, had in fact been closely observing Lin Shuguang's movements all along. He had not had much contact with Lin Shuguang, but it seemed that Elder Qu from the sect treated him rather well.

Considering Lin Shuguang's performance, it made sense that Elder Qu favored him.

However, Yun Yangcheng was still somewhat hesitant about Lin Shuguang's realm. This Core Realm always gave him an indistinct, ambiguous feeling.

Naturally, he did not know that Lin Shuguang had switched Dao Patterns during the competition.

When he noticed the fifth Ox Demon appear, his expression sank. He looked toward Elder Wang of Jade Void Palace, cupped his fists, and asked, "Elder Wang, I'm afraid this is inappropriate. My Baojian Sect disciple is only in the Profound Connection Realm. Even if this is the fifth round, there's no need to use a vicious beast of the Fourth Heaven. The other participating disciples are only facing the Third Heaven. This seems rather unfair."

Wang Yuanzhi was a dignified True Fate Realm expert. He certainly would not act against a mere Profound Connection Realm cultivator, so he was naturally unaware of the situation.

He turned his head toward the Inspector beside him.

The Inspector bowed slightly. "We only just received the news as well. That Ox Demon broke through during the match. It's already too late to replace it."

This exchange temporarily suspended the battle on Lin Shuguang's arena.

Wang Yuanzhi turned his head toward Yun Yangcheng. "The sudden change is understandable. I can make the decision for him: so long as he can hold on for the time it takes an incense stick to burn, he will be considered to have passed this round. Elder Yun, what do you think?"

Yun Yangcheng's expression remained calm, making his thoughts impossible to read. He nodded slightly. "Then we'll do as Elder Wang says."

The news traveled directly from the high platform to the arena.

"Do you have any objections?" The middle-aged man looked at Lin Shuguang coldly.

Lin Shuguang seemed not to know the meaning of nervousness and said indifferently, "No."

The middle-aged man raised his hand. "Release it."

The Ox Demon that had just been stopped charged out again. Its roar shook the heavens, and the iron chain behind it lashed against the walls with a clatter. Sparks flew, making many of the young disciples present break out in chills from head to toe.

The aura of the Fourth Heaven swept across the entire venue.

Su Beichen frowned at the sight. He had also heard Wang Yuanzhi's "golden words" and could not help looking toward Lin Shuguang. "The reputation of Baojian Sect isn't exactly a favorable phrase in Jade Void Palace. An Ox Demon of the Fourth Heaven isn't easy to deal with. Wang Yuanzhi is probably using you to knock Baojian Sect down a peg or two. Lin Shuguang, you'd better be careful. Otherwise, I'll lose a good sparring partner..."

The Ox Demon was tall and powerfully built, with especially muscular arms. Its pair of pitch-black horns, streaked with golden patterns, looked extremely sharp.

Its green-glowing eyes fixed tightly on Lin Shuguang.

When the ropes and chains around its body finally loosened, the Ox Demon charged forward with a savage expression. In an instant, black claw shadows tore across the sky.

Lin Shuguang secretly drew a breath.

An Ox Demon of the Fourth Heaven was completely different from one in the initial Core Realm. The latter's understanding of martial arts was relatively one-sided. As one advanced through the Core Realm, one's meridians, flesh, and blood could nourish vital energy on their own. Both spiritual will and qi-blood would gradually cast off impurities.

He had not even been confident of defeating a Baojian Sect disciple of the Third Heaven, so he naturally had no certainty in his heart when facing this Ox Demon of the Fourth Heaven.

The Ox Demon charged.

In an instant, mind and spirit became one.

Lin Shuguang was still equipped with the Dao Patterns of the Sky-Breaking Axe. At this moment, he erupted with unimaginable power.

Boom!

Saber Light suddenly flared.

A thunderous rumble surged forth and exploded like rolling thunder.

Draw and Slash!

In an instant, two figures—one large and one small, both carrying an air of invincibility—crossed the arena and collided amid howling gales.

Seeing Lin Shuguang actually charge toward that enormous Ox Demon, many disciples cried out in alarm.

"Has he gone mad?"

"He actually wants to resist an Ox Demon of the Fourth Heaven with his flesh and blood? What wishful thinking."

Su Beichen narrowed his eyes, seemingly trying to see through the billowing smoke and dust to get a clearer view of the arena.

Faintly, a figure like a Giant Demon barreled forward with an aura resembling landslides and roaring seas.

Su Beichen could not make out whether that black shadow was Lin Shuguang or... the Ox Demon.

Clang!

Lin Shuguang slashed down with his saber, but the Ox Demon blocked it with its claw, forcing Lin Shuguang back three consecutive steps.

"Fortunately, it was my clone that broke through, feeding its power back into my cultivation and raising my attributes. Otherwise, this Ox Demon would be even harder to handle... Its strength is far greater than mine, but it's slightly slower. Its qi-blood is also unstable. It must have just broken through, so its realm hasn't stabilized yet. That's my opportunity."

"I have a chance... to kill it!"

Lin Shuguang made his decision in an instant.

For an ordinary person to challenge a vicious beast of the Fourth Heaven of the Core Realm across so many levels, it was inevitable that they would become nervous. They would be lucky to display half their strength.

But Lin Shuguang was different.

His rise had been built on slaughter. He had climbed up by stepping over countless corpses, so not only was he unafraid, his essence, energy, and spirit were instead highly concentrated, allowing his erupted strength to rise another level.

The Ox Demon roared again and pounced. Lin Shuguang neither retreated nor dodged, instead executing a fierce Draw and Slash.

No one knew when it had begun, but quite a few people around them had turned their eyes toward Lin Shuguang's arena.

"Is that kid really in the Profound Connection Realm?"

"From his martial arts, they don't seem fully formed. He probably hasn't broken through to the Core Realm..."

"Perhaps he cultivated some special Path-Entering Technique. Earlier, he dealt with the Ox Demon of the initial Core Realm rather easily."

"This fellow must be hiding some kind of trump card. His attacks are extremely vicious. He definitely isn't a kindhearted person."

"When did Baojian Sect take in someone like this?"

"What? Baojian Sect? He's actually a disciple of Baojian Sect, but isn't he using a saber?"

"Oh, right. I really didn't notice that before."

More and more people began noticing that the weapon in Lin Shuguang's hand was not Baojian Sect's sword.

Under those strange gazes, Lin Shuguang and the Ox Demon continued their entanglement without the slightest sign of stopping.

After all, the Ox Demon was a vicious beast of the Fourth Heaven of the Core Realm. Its qi-blood was abundant, so it was understandable that it would not deplete quickly.

But what about Lin Shuguang?

He was merely a disciple who seemed to have just entered the Core Realm, yet he had persisted until now without showing the slightest sign of heavy panting.

Was this really what a newcomer should look like?

The Ox Demon's claw passed dangerously close to Lin Shuguang's throat. It nearly tore his throat apart, and the sight tugged fiercely at the hearts of the many watching disciples.

What a close call.

Lin Shuguang's reaction was extremely fast, driven even more by an extraordinary combat instinct. Dodging that claw had already consumed a great deal of mental energy.

Yet Lin Shuguang actually split his attention, twisting around to slash across the Ox Demon's waist and abdomen.

The saber parted its coarse, thick fur, and the sound of flesh tearing flashed by in an instant.

The Ox Demon howled in pain, shocking everyone.

"He actually wounded the Ox Demon!"

"He really did it!"

"Using his mind in multiple ways at once—this Baojian Sect disciple is truly strange..."

The Ox Demon clutched its waist and abdomen as fresh blood poured out.

However... for the Ox Demon's enormous body, such an injury seemed neither painful nor significant.

Instead, it enraged the Ox Demon even further.

It roared, and a berserk wave of air swept toward every direction.

Lin Shuguang's expression remained blank. He shouted a low, "Kill!" then bent his body and charged again.

Amid explosive booms, the two bodies crossed once more.

Lin Shuguang knew that he was fundamentally no match for the Ox Demon in strength. Thus, relying on his speed, he engaged it repeatedly, occasionally using his own body as bait and continuously leaving wounds on the Ox Demon.

In the blink of an eye, the time it took an incense stick to burn had passed.

Several holes had appeared in Lin Shuguang's clothes, leaving him looking rather battered. He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and thought, This beast's strength is truly tremendous. If my body-refining technique hadn't reached such a profound level, my internal organs would probably have already been shattered by the impacts.

As for the Ox Demon, it had no fewer than eleven or twelve injuries of varying sizes. It was drenched in blood and gasping for breath.

"The time is up. You have already wo—" The middle-aged man from Jade Void Palace, responsible for overseeing the examination, had just spoken to remind Lin Shuguang that he had won.

But by coincidence, Lin Shuguang had encountered a rare opportunity to temper his martial arts. He pretended not to hear. Before the middle-aged man could finish speaking, he fiercely raised his saber and charged again.

The middle-aged man frowned, turned his head, and looked troubled as he glanced toward the high platform.

Wang Yuanzhi's face was calm, and his thoughts were impossible to discern.

The middle-aged man did not dare speculate recklessly. He could only stand to one side, secretly cursing Lin Shuguang for doing nothing but cause him trouble.

Puff! Another slash.

Lin Shuguang's eyes and hands were swift. Following the wounds on the Ox Demon's body, he swept his saber across them, instantly widening the injuries by several inches.

As blood sprayed, the Ox Demon's twin fists struck Lin Shuguang like fire and thunder.

Lin Shuguang grunted.

He traded injury for injury.

In the eyes of outsiders, Lin Shuguang's action was truly risky.

He clearly did not need to continue challenging it.

He had already reached the perfect-score standard set by Elder Wang of Jade Void Palace. Why continue the match? Wasn't he merely making trouble for himself?

Seeing Lin Shuguang injured, some felt sympathy, while others sneered at him with disdain.

Luo Zixu frowned. "What is this guy plotting now?"

Then Luo Zixu's eyes lit up. "I thought before that he was a martial arts fanatic. Sure enough! Though when it comes to being a martial arts fanatic, I'm still more fanatical. Yes, that's right!"

Yet no one knew that Lin Shuguang was currently locked in a life-and-death battle with the Ox Demon.

On the Attribute Panel before him, an additional line of small text had appeared.

Beast God Soul: After equipping it, Strength increases by 50,000 points, Constitution increases by 50,000 points, Agility increases by 10,000 points, and Mental Power increases by 10,000 points. Vicious Beast Affinity increases by 9.9 times.

Lin Shuguang's spirit jolted.

Beast God Soul!!!

The explosive increases to Strength and Constitution were what attracted Lin Shuguang most.

If he equipped the Beast God Soul, he would hold an absolute advantage in strength. At the very least, he would not be in such a sorry state when fighting the Ox Demon before him.

But the drawbacks were obvious as well.

Removing the Sky-Breaking Axe meant that his other attributes would weaken.

Ultimately, his foundation was still too thin.

Just as the others had guessed, Lin Shuguang's current realm was awkward, to say the least.

Without equipping Dao Patterns, he had not yet reached the Core Realm.

Only after equipping Dao Patterns could he display cultivation at the Path-Entering Realm.

"Core Realm means entering the Path... I'm still lacking a little essence, energy, and spirit. In the end, Baojian Sect's cultivation resources are too weak. Otherwise, I could have improved one more time."

Lin Shuguang gathered his thoughts and began entangling himself with the Ox Demon once more.

The other arenas had already progressed to their seventh or eighth contestants, while Lin Shuguang still had not left the arena. The middle-aged man was both exasperated and astonished.

"What exactly was this guy raised on? How can he still endure this long?"

A full five incense sticks of time passed, yet the battle between Lin Shuguang and the Ox Demon showed no signs of weakening. Both man and beast were already panting heavily.

But neither was willing to stop.

The middle-aged man remained silent for a long while. In the end, he still took action, dragging the Ox Demon back into its cage. "You've already won this round. All right, get down. The later matches still have to continue. Don't delay everyone else's matches. Besides, save some strength. Otherwise, you won't have an easy time at the Demon Mountain round."

Lin Shuguang panted heavily.

The Gray Seal of the Beast God Soul had already vanished by more than half. It was probably because the Ox Demon had sensed death, triggering its instinct.

Otherwise, the battle between them would not have been so brutal.

Lin Shuguang's clothes were in tatters, and his body was covered in blood that could not be distinguished as his own or the Ox Demon's. Under the respectful gazes of the crowd, he returned to the waiting area.

Not just anyone could challenge an Ox Demon of the intermediate Core Realm across a level.

Even fewer could hack such a powerful Ox Demon until it was covered in wounds and on the verge of collapse.

Such a subversive scene completely shattered everyone's understanding of Lin Shuguang.

This fellow is not to be trifled with!

"Hey, take this Blood Strengthening Pill and hurry up and swallow it."

A hand reached out beside Lin Shuguang—it was Su Beichen.

The boy was kindly concerned about Lin Shuguang, yet he deliberately put on an aloof, icy act.

Lin Shuguang glanced at the pill. "Is it poisonous?"

Su Beichen was furious. "How can you not tell good intentions from bad?"

Before he could finish, his hand suddenly felt empty.

Lin Shuguang's calm voice sounded by his ear. "Thanks."

Su Beichen froze.

Then, once again pretending to be aloof, he turned away and looked elsewhere...