Among the inner sect disciples.
A cold, sinister gaze fixed on Su Yun atop the arena.
It belonged to Lin Hao, the direct disciple who had harbored resentment toward Su Yun.
At that moment, Lin Hao's face was full of disbelief, and his heart sank.
How was this possible?!
In just three months!
He had gone from a newcomer who'd only just joined the sect to the eighth level of Qi Refining!
That rate of cultivation was so monstrous it was downright outrageous!
A shadow passed through Lin Hao's eyes as he sneered inwardly.
"So what if he broke through quickly?"
"Trying to force a seedling to grow will only leave its roots shallow!"
"Eighth-level Qi Refining might look impressive, but it's all show."
"There are dozens of ninth-level disciples in this tournament alone."
"More than half of them are in the middle or late stages of the ninth level, seasoned disciples who've reached its peak."
"You're just a newcomer who rushed to the eighth level, with no real combat experience."
"Daring to show off on the arena is just asking to be humiliated."
"I want to see how many rounds you can last."
In Lin Hao's eyes, Su Yun's participation in the tournament was bound to end in public disgrace.
Just as the whole venue was in an uproar and everyone was talking excitedly.
The presiding elder spoke again.
"Arena Nine. Wang Hui, take the stage!"
From the passage on the far side of the arena.
A tall figure strode out, displaying the cultivation of the ninth level of Qi Refining!
The moment his cultivation was revealed.
The entire venue erupted for a second time!
The wave of gasps was even more intense than before!
"It's a ninth-level disciple!"
"He drew a ninth-level powerhouse in the very first round!"
"It's over! Completely over!"
"The gap between the eighth and ninth levels is a chasm!"
"A newcomer's first tournament, and he gets a hellish start!"
"Will the Sect Master's direct disciple really be eliminated in the first round? That'd be so embarrassing!"
"He just amazed everyone, and now he's about to be exposed for what he really is?"
Everyone's eyes instantly locked onto Arena Nine.
Several thousand spectators held their breath.
The din of discussion gradually died away.
Everyone waited to see the result.
On the arena.
Su Yun stood on the left with his hands behind his back, his expression calm.
On the right, Wang Hui stood tall, spiritual power slowly circulating through his body.
At the middle stage of the ninth level of Qi Refining, he was unquestionably among the top echelon of the more than four hundred outer sect contestants.
He had roamed the outer mountains for years, slain ferocious beasts, and fought dozens of battles against other people. His combat experience was exceptionally rich.
As far as he was concerned, this match was a sure win.
Wang Hui looked at Su Yun, his thoughts racing.
No matter how much people hyped him up, he was still just a newcomer who'd joined the sect three months ago.
It was true that he'd made the heaven-defying leap from drawing qi into his body to the eighth level of Qi Refining in three months. But the drawbacks were just as obvious.
A hastily gained cultivation level meant shallow foundations.
His spiritual power's refinement, his meridians' capacity, his experience in life-or-death combat—he was lacking in every regard.
Put simply, he was just a pretty display piece, fit to be put on a pedestal.
So what if he had a Heavenly Spirit Root?
Cultivation wasn't just about piling up levels. In the end, it came down to real combat.
At the thought, Wang Hui's desire burned ever hotter.
Defeat Su Yun!
The thought took root and grew wildly.
If he could defeat this Heavenly Spirit Root who had drawn everyone's attention, he'd instantly make a name for himself throughout the Azure Cloud Sect.
Defeating a genius was worth a hundred times more than beating an ordinary ninth-level disciple.
For years to come, he could boast about it and make it the story of a lifetime.
At the edge of the high platform, the presiding elder glanced at them both and spoke in a low voice.
"Both sides, take your positions."
"Begin!"
The words had barely left his mouth when Wang Hui's spiritual power burst forth. He didn't bother testing the waters; he unleashed ninety percent of his strength at once.
His fingers formed a spell, spiritual power gathering at his fingertips.
Azure light suddenly took shape. Dozens of razor-sharp wind blades hovered in the air, their howling gusts ripping through the atmosphere.
"Wind Splitting Blade!"
With a low shout, dozens of wind blades whistled through the air, swarming toward Su Yun from all directions and sealing off every avenue of escape.
A wave of gasps instantly swept through the crowd below.
"He's going all out with a powerful move right from the start? Wang Hui's ruthless!"
"Is he trying to end the match in one second?"
At the center of the arena.
Facing the oncoming storm of wind blades, Su Yun curled his lips into a smile and casually raised a hand.
The boundless spiritual power within him surged at his will, gathering in front of him in an instant.
A perfectly clear, circular barrier of spiritual power abruptly took shape.
Simple and unadorned—the most basic spiritual power shield.
The next moment.
The dense swarm of wind blades slammed into the transparent barrier.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
A series of explosions rang out one after another.
The azure blades tore and battered the surface of the spirit shield, blasts of light bursting everywhere.
When the attack ended, the shield remained unharmed. The wind blades hadn't even touched the hem of Su Yun's clothes.
The entire venue fell silent.
Wang Hui's pupils contracted sharply, and for the first time, he felt a foreboding stir in his heart.
Impossible!
His wind technique, powered by ninety percent of his spiritual strength, should have been enough to force even someone at the ninth level's peak to use a powerful move.
Yet it couldn't even break through a basic spiritual power shield?
There was no time to think. Wang Hui gritted his teeth and stopped holding back.
"I want to see how long that shield of yours can last!"
He formed seals with both hands, pouring out every last bit of spiritual power in his body.
All ten parts of his spiritual power unleashed!
Wind blades, Wind Spike, Wind Prison—three wind techniques took shape in quick succession.
One attack followed another, a gale sweeping across the entire arena.
One fierce technique after another crashed relentlessly against the spirit shield.
Violent waves of spiritual power blasted outward, pocking the stone platform with countless shallow craters.
Everyone could see the raging storm of spiritual power filling the arena.
Yet that simple, transparent shield still stood firm as ever.
From beginning to end, it hadn't warped or trembled in the slightest.
All that frenzied power sank into the sea without a trace.
Su Yun looked relaxed. He even casually rolled his wrist, then glanced through the shield at Wang Hui's livid face and teased him.
"Junior Brother Wang, that's not enough."
"Show me your strongest attack, or this match will be too boring."
The words struck Wang Hui's pride like a needle.
His face flushed as shame and anger surged through him.
He slapped his storage pouch with his left hand.
A palm-sized azure jade flute shot out and hovered in the air.
A mid-grade magical artifact—the Azure Wind Flute!
It was his trump card, an offensive artifact he'd acquired with several years' worth of savings.
He pressed his lips to the jade flute and frantically poured spiritual power into it.
A low, piercing flute note suddenly rang across the arena.
An invisible wind field spread out in an instant, countless fine strands of wind coalescing into a long, slender wind spear.
The spear was solid throughout, glowing with intensely concentrated azure light. Carrying a terrifying force that seemed capable of crushing everything, it pointed straight at Su Yun!
"Let's see how you block this!"
This was the strongest attack he could unleash at present. With all ten parts of his spiritual power and the artifact's might behind it, even a disciple at the peak of the ninth level wouldn't dare take it head-on.
The disciples below instantly held their breath, their hearts in their throats.
The winner would be decided by this one strike!
The wind spear tore through the air, reaching the shield in the blink of an eye.
A thunderous explosion rocked the entire venue!
Dazzling azure light covered most of Arena Nine, and clouds of dust billowed up, blocking everyone's view.
A few breaths later.
The dust slowly settled.
The clear, transparent shield of spiritual power still hovered in front of Su Yun.
Its surface was spotless, without a single crack.