The uproar subsided for a time, but the war drums sounded once more.
When the referee's resonant voice rang across the Training Ground—"Next match: Su Yu versus Lin Mo!"—the entire spectator stand fell silent.
Thousands of gazes shot toward opposite ends of the arena like arrows.
Su Yu wore a blue robe and ascended the steps at an unhurried pace. His hem swayed gently as he walked, yet, strangely, he stirred not even the faintest breeze.
His expression was calm, his dark eyes unfathomable. The stillness in them made people's hearts inexplicably tighten.
Across from him, Lin Mo leaped onto the arena and landed lightly, a confident smile playing at the corner of his mouth.
He casually rolled his right wrist, then beckoned Su Yu with the fingers of his left hand. His eyes glinted with the mocking amusement of a hunter regarding his prey.
Lin Mo, Qi Refining Eighth Layer Peak, had mastered the Demon Subduing Fist Style!
They said he had once shattered a thousand-pound boulder with a single punch!
The spectators murmured among themselves. Almost no one favored Su Yu, who was only at Qi Refining Level 7.
Even those who had grown resentful of the Lin Family over what had happened earlier could only sigh inwardly: I hope that boy doesn't get hurt too badly...
In the Su Family's section, Su Yun's brows were drawn tight.
As the strongest of the Su Family's younger generation, he knew just how strong Lin Mo was.
The Demon Subduing Fist was peerlessly fierce. Even he couldn't be sure of winning against it.
Brother Mo, teach him a good lesson for me!
Lin Xuan shouted from the Lin Family's section, his pale face flushed with excitement.
Lin Tian stood with his arms folded, a cold, confident smile on his lips.
You've only got yourself to blame for provoking someone you shouldn't have.
Lin Mo rolled his wrists, his knuckles popping like firecrackers.
What happened to Su Yan? No, you'll end up even worse...
Before the words had even left his mouth, a sudden gale swept across the arena!
Whoosh—
A streak of blue Sword Light slashed down like lightning, moving so fast it left afterimages in the air.
Lin Mo's pupils contracted. In his haste, golden light rose over both his fists. "Adamantine Demon Subduing!"
The crash of metal striking stone rang out. Lin Mo staggered back seven steps, and a deep sword mark had appeared on his gauntlets.
He looked up in disbelief, only to see Su Yu holding his sword at an angle, a substantial blue sword force swirling around him.
Sword Light poured down like a waterfall, blue radiance filling the sky.
Su Yu's sword force flowed without end. Before Wind Sweeps Clouds had run its course, Sudden Storm was already upon Lin Mo, transforming in an instant into Swift as Wind, Fast as Lightning.
The three sword techniques flowed like clouds and water. Wherever the blade passed, the air itself shrieked sharply.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Lin Mo retreated step by step, fresh wounds appearing all over him.
Each strike precisely avoided his vitals, yet the pain cut to the bone.
The Lin Family's famed genius was now aghast. The Demon Subduing Fist Style he had once prided himself on was child's play before Su Yu.
"Adamantine Wrathful Gaze!"
Lin Mo suddenly roared. Golden light surged around him, at last forcing Su Yu back for a moment.
But before he could catch his breath, nine Cloud Patterns blossomed in the air.
Cloud Rise!
Cloud Vortex!
Cloud Scatter!
Eighteen Sword Shadows descended like a net from heaven, and Lin Mo's hastily raised defense crumbled in an instant.
Blood sprayed as he crashed heavily onto the edge of the arena.
The entire venue fell utterly silent.
Everyone was stunned by the crushing display of strength.
Su Yu was clearly only at Qi Refining Level 7, yet he had toyed with Lin Mo, who was at Qi Refining Eighth Layer Peak, as if he were in the palm of his hand.
More frightening still, the ease with which Su Yu had fought made it obvious he hadn't yet shown his full strength.
This...
In the stands, Su Tianheng clapped his hands and laughed, his eyes gleaming.
To master the Flowing Cloud Sword Style in a month—such talent hadn't been seen in the Su Family for a hundred years.
Good! Good!
Su Tianheng praised him twice, joy rippling through even the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes.
His gaze swept over the blue figure on the arena, then shifted to Su Yan, whose face was bruised and swollen in the contestants' seats. He sighed inwardly: If Tianxing were here to see Yu'er's talent, I wonder how pleased he would be...
Lin Zhentian's face was so dark it seemed water might drip from it.
He stared fixedly at the blue figure on the arena, his knuckles turning white. Su Yu must be eliminated!
Lu Yue stroked his long beard, his deep gaze fixed on the blue figure on the arena.
With the eye of an Outer Sect elder of the Yunlan Sect, he could naturally see how precise every one of Su Yu's strikes was.
Wherever the sword went, it made his opponent suffer unbearably, yet it avoided every vital point with perfect precision.
Such exquisite control of sword force, such effortless composure—this was rare even among the Outer Sect Disciples of the Yunlan Sect.
This boy is no ordinary talent...
Lu Yue murmured to himself.
This seemingly ordinary Su Family disciple had displayed astonishing swordsmanship despite being only at Qi Refining Level 7.
More remarkable still, though he had the upper hand in every way, he had remained calm and restrained throughout. Such a temperament was truly striking.
"I sur—"
Lin Mo struggled to concede, but before he could finish the word, a streak of sword shadow lashed across his face.
His left cheek swelled up at once.
"Wai—"
Another strike caught him on the right cheek.
The spectators murmured among themselves:
What's Lin Mo saying?
Sounds like he's shouting something?
As expected of a Lin Family genius. He's got real backbone!
In the Su Family's section, Su Mei smiled radiantly, her eyes sparkling.
Su Yun, meanwhile, wore a complicated expression. He was happy for his family, yet saddened to see the title of Number One Genius he had spent years cultivating slip away.
Su Yan's swollen face was mottled purple and blue, blood still wet at the corner of his mouth. Yet he stubbornly kept his eyes wide open, staring fixedly at Su Yu on the arena.
Bro... Brother Yu...
He mumbled indistinctly.
Every word Su Yan uttered tugged at the wounds on his face, yet he stubbornly repeated, "Good... good... good... hit him!"
In the Lin Family's ranks, Lin Xuan was ashen-faced, trembling all over.
Killing intent churned in Lin Tian's eyes, and the aura around him began to waver.
A quarter of an hour later, when the referee announced the match was over, Lin Mo had been beaten into a pig's head and was unconscious.
Su Yu stood with his sword put away, his robes fluttering. Even his breathing remained steady.
"Su Yu wins!"
At the referee's announcement, Su Yu glanced coolly at the Lin Family's section, his gaze finally settling on Lin Tian.
That look seemed to say:
You're next.
Before you continue