Lin Zisheng's Extreme Arrogance

Looking at Ren Dong, who was putting on such an extreme display of arrogance before him, Ye Lin was left speechless.

"I have already given you a chance. Since you insist, I shall make my move."

Seeing that Ye Lin remained motionless, Ren Dong pressed his right index and middle fingers together to form a sword gesture and slashed toward Ye Lin.

Instantly, a scorching, peerless sword light surged toward Ye Lin.

Seeing this, Ye Lin thought to himself.

"Demon Shadow No Trace."

In a split second, Ye Lin's figure dissolved into a blur before the eyes of the disciples. With a few quick steps, he arrived behind Ren Dong and threw a punch at his back.

Ren Dong had no time to react; his entire body was sent flying off the arena by Ye Lin's punch, blood gushing uncontrollably from his mouth.

Ye Lin had only used thirty percent of his strength for this strike to ensure he didn't kill the man; had he used his full force, Ren Dong might already be dead.

"How... how is this possible? Pfft."

Lying on the ground, Ren Dong spat out a large mouthful of blood and passed out.

At this moment, the entire arena erupted in an uproar.

Ren Dong was the recognized number one among the Inner Sect disciples, especially his Great River Sword—even those at the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage had to avoid its edge when he unleashed it.

Defeated... so quickly?

"Hmm? Not bad, this is interesting."

High above, the beautiful woman looked at Ye Lin with a faint smile on her face.

Beside her, the old man stroked his beard, his eyes flickering incessantly.

"Ren Dong versus Ye Lin. Ye Lin is the victor."

The Ninth Elder shouted from above.

"It's confirmed, Junior Brother Ye must be at the Foundation Establishment Realm—oh wait, Senior Brother Ye."

"How is Senior Brother Ye so formidable? Isn't he just too beastly?"

The disciples below cheered one after another.

"This is going to be difficult, Foundation Establishment Early Stage, tsk tsk tsk."

Beside Lin Zisheng, a chubby disciple grinned from ear to ear.

Lin Zisheng, however, wore a grim expression. He hadn't seen him for a month, so how had he already reached the Foundation Establishment Realm?

"So what if he's at the Foundation Establishment Realm? I can still slaughter you like a dog."

Lin Zisheng sneered inwardly. He had forged a Third-Grade Dao Platform; this Ye Lin, at best, probably only had a second-grade one.

What did the Foundation Establishment Realm matter? Beneath a Third-Grade Dao Platform, all were merely ants—this was the confidence that belonged to Lin Zisheng.

The battles proceeded bit by bit. When the second round of drawing lots arrived, Ye Lin drew a bye. There was no helping it; with only five people left, it was normal for someone to sit out.

Half an hour later, only three people remained: Ye Lin, Lin Zisheng, and Li Miaoling.

"Junior Sister, step down. You are no match for me."

On the stage, Lin Zisheng looked at Li Miaoling before him, a trace of adoration flashing through his eyes before he spoke gently.

"Since that is the case, Senior Brother, then I shall step down."

Li Miaoling gave a sweet smile and flew off the arena.

"Since the direct disciple Li Miaoling has conceded, the final match will be between direct disciple Lin Zisheng and Inner Sect disciple Ye Lin."

The Ninth Elder shouted, and Ye Lin stepped onto the arena.

As the saying goes, enemies are especially jealous when they meet. A strange aura emanated from the stage, and the air was thick with the scent of gunpowder.

"What's going on? These two seem to have some deep-seated grudge."

"I can feel the intense hostility between them even from down here. This fight is bound to be spectacular."

The disciples beneath the arena whispered among themselves.

"So what if you've stepped into the Foundation Establishment Realm? You have no idea of the gap between those in the Foundation Establishment Realm."

Lin Zisheng slowly drew the long sword from his back, a cold sneer plastered on his face.

"Then I shall have to ask for your guidance, Senior Brother."

Ye Lin said in a deep voice.

At that moment, Lin Zisheng's sword-drawing speed accelerated abruptly. Before the disciples below could even see clearly, a scorching, peerless sword light slashed toward Ye Lin.

"Sword Slashes Heaven and Earth."

"Seven Kill Fist, kill!"

Ye Lin's eyes narrowed slightly. He formed a fist with his right hand, no longer hiding his Foundation Establishment aura, and slammed it into the sword light.

A deafening boom echoed out. The once-menacing sword light was shattered instantly by Ye Lin's punch. Ye Lin retreated three steps, standing firmly on the arena, while Lin Zisheng had not moved an inch.

"To be able to take my sword strike, you are quite impressive."

Seeing this, Lin Zisheng was slightly surprised; an ordinary Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator would never be able to withstand this strike.

"Hiss, so strong. Especially that punch from Senior Brother Ye just now—if it had landed on me, I might have already dropped dead."

Below the stage, an Inner Sect disciple in the Foundation Establishment Realm spoke with a grave expression. Upon hearing this, the surrounding disciples all gasped in unison.

If even a Foundation Establishment senior brother said as much, wouldn't they be blown to pieces by a single punch?

Interesting. You didn't use your full strength. What kind of secrets do you have?

At this moment, the beautiful woman watching the battle from the sky looked at Ye Lin, a deep sense of interest stirring within her. She then extended a fair, delicate finger and pointed, causing a beam of light to cover the entire arena.

From the outside, it was impossible to see anything clearly.

As a Golden Core cultivator, she could see the truth at a glance: Ye Lin hadn't used his full strength at all—or rather, he hadn't even brought out half of his power.

What exactly was this person holding back for?

The two people at the center of the arena also sensed the change.

"Someone has taken action to shroud the arena?"

Ye Lin looked around and saw an earthy-yellow light appearing at the edges of the stage. This light could block perception, meaning the arena had been isolated by some powerful expert using great magic.

Just as I intended.

At this, a smile appeared on Ye Lin's face. He had too many secrets to risk exposing them, but now, he could unleash his power without worry.

Since someone had shielded the arena, it meant the person who acted had no ill will toward him.

Moreover, this light curtain was definitely not something a Foundation Establishment cultivator could manifest; the person who acted was most likely that mysterious Tenth Elder.

"Seven Kill Fist, kill!"

Ye Lin let out a cold snort and threw a punch toward Lin Zisheng.

"Sword Slashes Heaven and Earth, slash!"

Seeing Ye Lin's aggressive momentum, Lin Zisheng dared not be careless. He immediately mobilized all his spiritual power and slashed out with his sword.

A heaven-shaking sword light appeared, as if it intended to split the entire arena in two.

The next moment, Ye Lin's fist struck the sword light, and the originally incomparably powerful Sword Qi was shattered by his punch.

Without losing momentum, Ye Lin followed through with a punch directly to Lin Zisheng's chest, sending him flying.

Lin Zisheng's body slammed into the edge of the arena, and he collapsed onto the stage in a sorry state.

"I didn't expect you to have grown to such a degree within a month. I underestimated you."

At this, Lin Zisheng stood up in a wretched state, looked at Ye Lin, and spoke in a chilling tone.

"But you exposed yourself too early."

Lin Zisheng suddenly laughed wildly, and then his entire body was engulfed in purple flames.

"Did you see that clearly? Mystic-Grade High-Tier Spirit Fire. Today, I will surely kill you."

With spiritual fire coiling around his body, Lin Zisheng looked like a god descending to earth, appearing incredibly arrogant.

Seeing this, Ye Lin felt a bit strange; a Mystic-Grade High-Tier Spirit Fire was simply not enough to look at.

However, at this moment, the spirit fire was bolstered by a mysterious power, becoming even stronger. Even Ye Lin, standing at a distance, could feel a slight burning sensation.

"Now that I am bolstered by the Mystic-Grade High-Tier Spirit Fire and possess a Third-Grade Dao Platform, what do you have to win against me?"

Lin Zisheng spoke arrogantly toward Ye Lin.

Ye Lin understood in his heart that Lin Zisheng was using psychological warfare. If it were anyone else, they would likely be in despair by now, and then Lin Zisheng would defeat them decisively—perhaps even shattering the Dao heart of the person he defeated.

First, make you feel despair, and then defeat you within that despair, leaving you with no possibility of ever making a comeback in this life.