Xie Yue wiped the dust from the corner of his mouth in the distance, then forced down the pain in his chest and picked up the Moon Blade from the ground.
He stared fixedly in Lin Yuan's direction, his eyes filled with resentment.
"Don't get too smug!"
"We were careless just now and fell victim to your Strange Aura!"
Yan's face flushed red, the veins on his forehead bulging as he roared in utter frustration.
Xie Yue dragged his heavy steps over to Yan, and the two stood shoulder to shoulder.
Soul Power surged violently through their bodies once more, and the light of their Martial Souls reignited.
"Again! This time, we won't hold back!"
Looking at the two stubborn fools before him, a trace of impatience flashed in Lin Yuan's eyes.
He had never wanted to waste time on a pointless fight.
"If you want to see the difference for yourselves, then I'll grant your wish."
Lin Yuan spoke indifferently.
The instant his words fell, he stopped holding back.
The Nine-Nether Slaughter God's Domain, which had been suppressed all this time, fully unfurled.
Boom!
The light across the Martial Arts Arena was completely snuffed out.
Purple-black light erupted from Lin Yuan like a volcano, surging wildly from his body and shooting straight into the sky.
In an instant, this space became a true Asura hell.
The air filled with a thick, overpowering stench of blood.
A bone-piercing killing intent, sharp as tangible blades, mercilessly sliced at Yan and Xie Yue's exposed skin.
Amid the roiling Purple-black Divine Power, countless twisted, wailing apparitions flickered into view.
They were ferocious Ghostly Apparitions, as if they had just crawled out of the deepest pits of hell, their faces twisted beyond belief.
The Ghostly Apparitions lunged at Yan and Xie Yue with claws bared, binding their limbs and necks tightly.
Shrill screams echoed wildly in their ears, tearing at their fragile mental defenses.
An irresistible threat of death truly and utterly enveloped them.
At a single thought from Lin Yuan, these terrifying Ghostly Apparitions could tear them to pieces at any moment.
Crushed by this power on an absolute level, the pitiful scraps of pride and self-respect in their hearts were ground to dust in an instant.
They finally realized what kind of monster they were facing.
Their earlier claims of being geniuses were nothing but a colossal joke before this power.
Their opponent didn't need to obtain a single Soul Ring.
This terrifying Domain, whose name they couldn't even guess, was more than enough to sweep all before him.
He wasn't merely a genius. He was a peerless prodigy who had shattered every convention and rule.
Overwhelming terror finally broke through their mental defenses.
"Don't! Don't kill us!"
Yan could no longer hold on. His legs gave way, and once again, he fell heavily to his knees with a thump.
This time, he hadn't been beaten to his knees. He had been brought down completely by the terror of death.
Xie Yue wasn't faring any better; the Moon Blade fell from his hand once again.
"We admit defeat!"
"Lin Yuan, stop! We really admit defeat!"
They shouted desperately, their faces as pale as paper, completely bloodless.
Cold sweat dripped from their foreheads like raindrops, and even their breathing came in ragged gasps of relief at having survived.
Hearing their pig-like cries for mercy, Lin Yuan's expression remained as calm as still water.
With a thought, he drew the released Slaughter Divine Power back into his meridians.
The purple-black canopy above the Martial Arts Arena quickly receded, vanishing without a trace like the tide.
The shrill Ghostly Apparitions also faded away into the air.
A breeze drifted by, and the warm afterglow of the setting sun once again spilled across the broad bluestone slabs.
The terrifying pressure weighing down on Yan and Xie Yue vanished completely.
They gulped down great breaths of fresh air, their chests heaving violently.
They looked as if they had been fished out of water; their clothes were drenched with cold sweat and clung tightly to their skin.
The sparring match was over.
Lin Yuan didn't spare them another glance.
To him, this tedious farce should have ended long ago. He still had to return and contemplate the fusion of Destruction and Life Divine Power.
He turned and walked steadily away, intending to leave the Martial Arts Arena.
Watching Lin Yuan's departing figure,
Yan and Xie Yue, sprawled on the ground, slowly came to their senses.
After their immense shock, the two sank into a long silence.
On Douluo Continent, the strong preyed on the weak. That was the only truth.
They recalled Lin Yuan's theories about atavism and Devour in the Guidance Room, then thought of the battle they had just fought—a one-sided slaughter by any measure.
A clear thought began to grow wildly in both their minds.
Only by following a prodigy like him might they truly reach the pinnacle of power.
If they kept being frogs at the bottom of a well, smugly clinging to their meager talents, they would never witness such a breathtaking sight—the Great Dao itself shattered to pieces.
Before absolute power, dignity was worth less than a penny.
"..."
Yan and Xie Yue exchanged a glance.
No needless words were needed. Thanks to the understanding they had built over years of fighting side by side, they read the same decision in each other's eyes.
They sprang to their feet.
Without even brushing the dust off themselves, they dashed after Lin Yuan, stumbling as they ran.
The two hurried forward and directly blocked Lin Yuan's path.
Lin Yuan stopped and frowned slightly.
Seeing the two panting boys in front of him, he assumed that even after taking a beating, they were still dissatisfied.
"What is it?"
Lin Yuan's voice was cold.
"If you're still not satisfied and want another fight, I'm ready whenever you are."
He stood where he was. Though his body was still young, the invisible aura of superiority around him was suffocating.
At his words, Yan and Xie Yue hurriedly waved their hands, their faces paling even further with fright.
The next moment,
the two performed an astonishingly synchronized action in front of Lin Yuan.
Thump! Thump!
Yan and Xie Yue dropped to one knee in unison, knocking them heavily against the bluestone slabs.
They lowered their once-proud heads and clasped their hands, their voices filled with unprecedented reverence and fervor.
Yan spoke:
"We're convinced!"
"Completely convinced!"
Xie Yue immediately added loudly:
"You're far stronger than us—so strong that we aren't even on the same level!"
"The title of genius means nothing in front of you!"
The two lifted their heads and stared at Lin Yuan with burning eyes.
Yan swallowed.
"From now on, you're our big brother!"
"The younger generation of Spirit Hall will follow your lead!"
Xie Yue nodded firmly as well, his tone utterly earnest.
"Take us in as your underlings!"
"From now on, wherever you point, we'll go, without batting an eye!"
This sudden turn of events
left even the usually composed Lin Yuan momentarily stunned.
He lowered his gaze, studying the two sincere-looking boys kneeling before him.
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