New Dao Patterns, Refresh

Lin Shuguang initially only equipped the Dark Prison's pattern lines and effortlessly killed three Ox Demons in a row.

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

Thus, when he killed the fourth Ox Demon, he did it in one smooth burst.

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

"Isn't he a disciple of the Baojian Sect? Didn't he use swordsmanship when he fought me before?"

"This guy has been hiding his true skill all along!"

Su Beichen's mentality nearly collapsed on the spot, with a kind of furious embarrassment like all his feelings had been fed to a dog.

"This bastard!"

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

On the arena.

The fifth Ox Demon was released, and the moment it appeared, it exuded an overwhelming murderous aura.

Lin Shuguang's heart sank.

Logically, he should be facing an Ox Demon from the Third Heaven, nowhere near this one... at least the Fourth Heaven!

Was it intentional or accidental?

In the waiting area, Su Beichen also frowned slightly, as if he sensed someone was deliberately causing trouble, then snorted coldly to show his disdain.

Not to mention Su Beichen, anyone present with some strength could detect how powerful the Ox Demon Lin Shuguang was now facing was.

Inevitably, people began to murmur.

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

"This arena is supposed to be for Third Heaven Ox Demons at most. Suddenly a Fourth Heaven one pops up—something's definitely off."

As for Luo Zixu, he first sneered that Lin Shuguang wouldn't get full marks, but then his heart skipped a beat because of this incident.

"Logically, there's no way they'd release the wrong Ox Demon, yet Lin Shuguang ran into it. His identity is special—could his status as Holy Son have been leaked?"

Lin Shuguang being targeted wasn't exactly a cause for celebration.

Luo Zixu was worried that someone up top wanted to target the Baojian Sect!

"The State Selection's schedule is all handled by the Jade Void Palace. They've never been this deliberately targeted before. Could this be a signal?" Luo Zixu's heart jumped.

On the viewing platform, Elder Yun Yangcheng, the Baojian Sect's leading elder, had actually been closely watching Lin Shuguang's movements. He didn't know Lin Shuguang well, but it seemed Elder Qu from the sect took special care of him.

Seeing Lin Shuguang's performance now, it made sense that Elder Qu thought highly of this kid.

But he was still uncertain about Lin Shuguang's realm—this Core Realm always gave him a vague, ambiguous feeling.

He naturally didn't know that Lin Shuguang had switched pattern lines during the match.

Now, noticing the fifth Ox Demon that appeared, his face darkened. He looked toward Elder Wang of the Jade Void Palace, cupped his hands, and asked, "Elder Wang, this move is hardly appropriate, isn't it? My Baojian Sect's disciple is only at the Profound Connection Realm. Even if it's the fifth round, there's no need to use a Fourth Heaven beast like this. The other participating disciples are only at the Third Heaven—this seems rather biased."

Wang Yuanzhi, honored as a True Fate Realm expert, certainly wouldn't make a move against a mere Profound Connection Realm disciple, so he naturally had no knowledge of this.

He turned his head to look at the Inspector beside him.

The Inspector bowed slightly. "I just received word. That Ox Demon broke through on the spot. It's already too late to replace it."

This exchange temporarily put Lin Shuguang's match on hold.

Wang Yuanzhi turned to Yun Yangcheng. "An unexpected situation is understandable. This Seat can make a decision for him. As long as he can hold out for the time it takes one incense stick to burn, this round will count as passed. What does Elder Yun think?"

Yun Yangcheng's expression was calm, revealing no thoughts at all. He nodded slightly. "Then let it be as Elder Wang says."

The message was relayed from the high platform to the arena.

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

Lin Shuguang, as if he didn't know the word nervous, said flatly, "No."

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

The Ox Demon that had just been held back charged out again, its roar shaking the heavens. The iron chains behind it clattered and whipped against the walls, sparks exploding and sending chills down the spines of many young disciples present.

The Fourth Heaven's aura swept across the entire arena.

This scene made Su Beichen frown. He had also heard Wang Yuanzhi's "golden words" and couldn't help looking at Lin Shuguang. "The Baojian Sect's reputation isn't exactly good words in the Jade Void Palace. A Fourth Heaven Ox Demon isn't easy to deal with. Wang Yuanzhi is probably using you to knock the Baojian Sect down a peg too. Lin Shuguang, you'd better be careful, or I'll lose a good sparring partner..."

The Ox Demon was tall and burly, its arms especially developed, with a pair of pitch-black horns etched with golden patterns that looked extremely sharp.

Its green-glowing eyes locked onto Lin Shuguang.

When the chains on its body were fully released, the Ox Demon charged ferociously, black claw shadows streaking across the air.

Lin Shuguang quietly gathered his breath.

A Fourth Heaven Ox Demon wasn't like the early Core Realm ones with a relatively one-sided understanding of martial arts. The higher the Core Realm, the more the meridians and flesh could spontaneously nourish blood energy. Both mental will and blood qi gradually shed impurities.

He wasn't even confident he could defeat a Third Heaven Baojian Sect disciple, so now, facing a Fourth Heaven Ox Demon, he had no confidence either.

The Ox Demon charged.

In an instant, his mind and spirit became one.

Lin Shuguang was still equipped with the Sky-Breaking Axe pattern, and at this moment, it erupted with unimaginable power.

"Boom"

The saber light flashed.

A rumbling sound exploded like rolling thunder.

Draw and Slash!

In an instant, two figures—one large, one small, both exuding an air of invincibility—crossed the arena, colliding with a howling gale.

Seeing Lin Shuguang actually charging at that massive Ox Demon, many disciples let out cries of surprise.

"Is he insane?"

"To think he'd use his flesh and blood to fight a Fourth Heaven Ox Demon—pure wishful thinking."

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

Vaguely, a giant demon-like figure rampaged with the force of a mountain collapse and a tidal wave.

Su Beichen couldn't tell whether that dark silhouette was Lin Shuguang or... the Ox Demon.

"Chi"

Lin Shuguang slashed with his blade, but the Ox Demon's claw blocked it, sending him stumbling back three steps.

"It's a good thing the clone's breakthrough fed back into my cultivation, boosting my stats—otherwise, this Ox Demon would be even harder to deal with... Its strength far surpasses mine, but its speed is a hair slower, and its blood energy is unstable. It must have just broken through, so its realm isn't steady yet—this is my chance."

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

Lin Shuguang made his decision in an instant.

For an ordinary person, jumping so many levels to challenge a Core Realm Fourth Heaven beast would inevitably bring tension, cutting their combat effectiveness by more than half.

But Lin Shuguang was different.

His entire rise had been built on slaughter, on stepping over countless corpses to climb higher. So instead of fear, his spirit and focus were razor-sharp, his strength erupting even fiercer.

The Ox Demon roared and lunged again. Lin Shuguang neither retreated nor dodged, but resolutely drew and slashed.

At some point, many around had turned their gazes toward Lin Shuguang's arena.

"This kid is at the Mystic Entry stage?"

"His martial path doesn't seem fully formed—he probably hasn't broken into the Core Realm..."

"Maybe he's cultivated some special Path-Entering Technique. He took down that early Core Realm Ox Demon pretty easily before."

"This kid might be hiding—

some trick. The way he attacks is vicious—he's no good-natured sort."

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

"What? The Baojian Sect? He's actually a disciple of the Baojian Sect? But isn't he using a saber?"

"Yeah, right—I didn't notice that before."

More and more people began to notice the weapon in Lin Shuguang's hand—it wasn't the Baojian Sect's sword.

Under those strange stares, the struggle between Lin Shuguang and the Ox Demon showed no sign of stopping.

The Ox Demon was, after all, a Core Realm Fourth Heaven beast, with abundant blood energy—it was understandable that it wouldn't tire out quickly.

But what about Lin Shuguang?

A disciple barely suspected to have just entered the Core Realm, yet he'd held on this long without even a hint of panting.

Was this what a freshman was supposed to be like?

The Ox Demon's claw scraped dangerously close to Lin Shuguang's throat, nearly crushing it. That sight struck the hearts of many watching disciples.

A sharp clench.

Close call.

Lin Shuguang's reaction was incredibly fast—more than that, it was an uncanny battle instinct. Just dodging that claw had already drained his focus.

And yet, Lin Shuguang still managed to multitask, turning his blade to slice across the Ox Demon's flank.

The sound of flesh and blood tearing through thick hide came and went in an instant.

The Ox Demon screamed, and the crowd's hearts jumped.

"He actually wounded the Ox Demon!"

"He did it!"

"Fighting with divided attention—this Baojian Sect disciple is really strange..."

The Ox Demon clutched its flank, blood seeping out.

But... for the Ox Demon's massive body, such a wound seemed trivial.

Instead, it only enraged the beast further.

Roaring, the violent airwaves blasted in all directions.

Lin Shuguang's expression was blank as he barked a low "Kill," then arched his body and charged again in a burst.

With a thunderous explosion.

The two figures crossed paths once more.

Lin Shuguang knew full well he was no match for the Ox Demon in raw strength, so he relied on his speed, tangling it in repeated skirmishes, occasionally using himself as bait to keep carving wounds into the Ox Demon's body.

In the blink of an eye, a full incense stick's time had passed.

Lin Shuguang's clothes now had several holes torn in them, making him look somewhat ragged. He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, silently cursing that beast's sheer power—if his fleshly body cultivation technique hadn't reached such a profound level, his internal organs would probably have been shattered to pieces by now.

As for the Ox Demon, it had sustained no fewer than eleven or twelve injuries of varying severity, blood dripping freely as it panted heavily.

"The time is up, you have won." The middle-aged examiner from Jade Void Palace had just started to announce Lin Shuguang's victory.

But Lin Shuguang, seizing this rare opportunity to hone his martial skills, pretended not to hear. Before the man could finish speaking, he brazenly raised his blade and charged again.

The middle-aged man frowned, turned his head, and looked toward the high platform with some difficulty.

Wang Yuanzhi's face was calm, revealing nothing of his thoughts.

The man didn't dare to speculate rashly, so he simply stood to the side, inwardly annoyed that Lin Shuguang was causing him trouble.

"Pfft"—another slash. Lin Shuguang's eyes were sharp and his hands quick; he sliced along the Ox Demon's existing wounds, instantly widening them by several degrees.

As blood sprayed.

The Ox Demon's fists hammered into Lin Shuguang's body like thunder and lightning.

Lin Shuguang let out a muffled grunt.

Trading wound for wound.

To outsiders, Lin Shuguang's move was a reckless gamble.

He had no need to keep challenging like this.

He had clearly already met the full-score standard set by Elder Wang of Jade Void Palace, so why continue the match? Wasn't he just asking for trouble?

Seeing Lin Shuguang injured, some felt sympathy, while others sneered with cold contempt.

Luo Zixu frowned. "What is this guy up to now?"

But then his eyes lit up. "I thought before that he was a martial maniac—and I was right! Still, when it comes to being a martial maniac, I'm still crazier. Mm, that's right!"

Yet no one knew that in the midst of this life-and-death battle with the Ox Demon, a single line of small text had appeared on Lin Shuguang's attribute panel.

Beast God Soul: When equipped, Strength attribute increases by 50,000 points, Constitution attribute increases by 50,000 points, Agility attribute increases by 10,000 points, Spirit attribute increases by 10,000 points. Beast affinity increases by 9.9 times.

Lin Shuguang's spirit jolted.

Beast God Soul!!!

The massive boost to Strength and Constitution was what drew Lin Shuguang the most.

If he equipped the Beast God Soul, he would hold absolute dominance in terms of power—at least enough to face this Ox Demon without being so battered.

But the drawback was obvious.

Removing the Sky-Breaking Axe meant his other attributes would also decrease.

In the end, his foundation was still too thin.

As others had guessed, Lin Shuguang's current realm was an awkward one.

Without equipping Dao patterns, he hadn't even reached the Core Realm.

Only when he equipped Dao patterns could he unleash the power of the Dao-Entry Realm.

"Core Realm means Dao Entry... I'm still lacking in spirit, energy, and essence. The Baojian Sect's cultivation resources are ultimately too meager, or else I could have advanced once more."

Lin Shuguang collected his thoughts and resumed his tangled battle with the Ox Demon.

The other arenas had already progressed to the seventh or eighth participating disciple, yet Lin Shuguang still hadn't stepped down. The middle-aged man watched, both exasperated and puzzled.

"What the hell did this kid eat growing up, to last this long?"

A full five incense sticks' time passed, and the fight between Lin Shuguang and the Ox Demon showed no sign of weakening. Both man and beast were panting heavily.

But neither was willing to stop.

The middle-aged man was silent for a long time before finally stepping in, grabbing the Ox Demon and shoving it back into its cage. "You've won this round. Now get down. The matches still need to continue—don't hold up the others. Also, save some strength, or you won't make it through Demon Mountain."

Lin Shuguang gasped for breath.

The Gray Seal of the Beast God Soul had mostly faded, likely because the Ox Demon sensed death and triggered its instinct.

Otherwise, the two wouldn't have fought so brutally.

Lin Shuguang's clothes were tattered, and his body was covered in blood—some his, some the Ox Demon's—as he returned to the waiting area under the awed gazes of the crowd.

Going beyond his level to fight a mid-stage Core Realm Ox Demon wasn't something just anyone could do.

And even fewer could leave such a powerful Ox Demon battered and nearly broken.

Such a subversive scene wildly shattered everyone's perception of Lin Shuguang.

This kid—not to be trifled with.

"Hey, take this Blood Strengthening Pill. Take it quickly."

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

This guy cared about Lin Shuguang, yet still put on an aloof front.

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

Su Beichen snapped, "Can't you tell good from bad?"

Before he finished, his hand was empty.

Lin Shuguang's calm voice came from beside him. "Thanks."

Su Beichen froze.

Then he turned away, putting on his aloof act again, looking elsewhere...