You Think I Only Know How to Take a Beating?

The second round of matches had yet to begin.

The crowd gathered around Lin Yuan's arena had already grown noticeably larger than in the previous round.

The effect of that punch had been too obvious.

Earth Immortal Peak.

He had sent an Early Heavenly Immortal flying head-on.

And he had emerged almost completely unscathed.

Even though the Intercepting Sect boasted of ten thousand immortals gathering beneath its banner, with all manner of strange origins and talents appearing one after another, such a feat of fighting above his level was still eye-catching.

"Blackstone Dao Body..."

At one side of the elevated platform.

Duobao Daoist had already learned the reason from Jin Ling.

"Junior Sister Shiji's true origin is indeed extraordinary."

"However, for Junior Brother Lin Yuan to put this physique to practical use so quickly after receiving Creation Fortune also shows that his comprehension is quite good."

Jin Ling nodded slightly.

What truly satisfied her was not merely that Lin Yuan's body was tough.

Heavenly materials and earthly treasures could improve one's innate foundation.

Special opportunities could also strengthen the physical body.

Such things were not uncommon in the Primordial World.

What was difficult was—

That after an originally unremarkable registered disciple suddenly gained a powerful physique, he had not become arrogant.

Three months.

He had pushed his cultivation to Earth Immortal Peak.

He had begun refining the Thick Earth Sword.

He had even readjusted the Basic Shangqing Sword Formula.

That punch just now had looked brutish.

Yet from dispersing force to exerting force, every part of it had followed a precise method.

That was what Jin Ling truly cared about.

On the arena.

Lin Yuan had already met his opponent for the second round.

He was a tall, lean Daoist in gray robes.

Mid Heavenly Immortal.

His eyes were bright.

He carried no weapon.

Only two cyan jade talismans hung from his waist.

"Junior Brother Lin."

The gray-robed Daoist smiled.

"Zhou Yuan did not lose unfairly."

"I can't break through your physical body either."

"So..."

As he spoke, mist suddenly rose beneath his feet.

His entire body seemed to scatter with the wind, vanishing from where he stood in an instant.

The next moment.

His voice came from behind Lin Yuan.

"I won't fight you head-on."

One jade talisman abruptly lit up.

Dozens of wind blades shot toward him from behind.

Lin Yuan raised his sword to block.

A series of sharp clangs rang out.

By the time he turned around.

The gray-robed Daoist had already appeared on the other side of the arena.

"So fast."

Lin Yuan raised an eyebrow.

This speed was indeed far greater than Zhou Yuan's.

At least in terms of escape techniques.

He was nowhere near capable of catching up at present.

Some people beneath the arena began to laugh.

"Just as expected."

"No matter how tough Junior Brother Lin's body is, it's useless if he can't catch his opponent."

"An Earth Immortal competing with a Mid Heavenly Immortal in reserves of magical power—if this drags on, Lin Yuan will definitely be the first to collapse."

"That's the difference in realms."

The gray-robed Daoist clearly thought so as well.

He continuously used Cloud Shadow Escape.

At times, he appeared to the left.

At times, he emerged from behind Lin Yuan.

He never got greedy with his attacks.

He fired a few wind blades.

Or tossed out a talisman.

Then immediately changed positions.

He was clearly determined to carry out the strategy of retreating when the enemy advanced and striking when the enemy tired.

Lin Yuan was indeed rather disheveled at first.

But gradually.

His steps became fewer and fewer.

In the end, he simply stood in the center of the arena.

He stopped chasing.

The gray-robed Daoist smiled at the sight.

"Junior Brother Lin, have you given up?"

"A little tired."

Lin Yuan answered honestly.

"You're too good at running."

"Haha, then are you going to concede, Junior Brother?"

"Not necessary."

Lin Yuan suddenly closed his eyes.

His Innate Spiritual Perception spread out completely.

His vision vanished.

Yet everything around him became even clearer instead.

Changes in the wind.

Traces of magical power left in the air.

The minute directions in which the mist had been cut apart.

Even the brief spiritual-energy void the gray-robed Daoist left behind each time he used Cloud Shadow Escape.

These things had once been chaotic and disordered.

But as they entered Lin Yuan's perception now.

They gradually formed one trajectory after another.

Left.

Right.

Rear left.

After three times, back to the front.

The next time—

Lin Yuan suddenly opened his eyes.

"Here."

The Thick Earth Sword did not stab toward anyone.

Instead, it swept horizontally at the empty space before him.

The gray-robed Daoist had just emerged from the mist.

His vision was already filled with earthen-yellow sword light.

"Damn!"

He jolted in fright.

Cloud Shadow Escape activated once more.

He barely brushed past the edge of the sword qi.

The laughter beneath the arena stopped abruptly.

"A lucky guess?"

"Probably."

The gray-robed Daoist also felt it had been a coincidence.

So he continued changing positions.

After several consecutive exchanges.

Lin Yuan drew his sword in advance again.

Once more, he intercepted the place where the man was about to appear.

The gray-robed Daoist's expression changed.

"You can see through my escape technique?"

"I can't."

Lin Yuan shook his head.

"But you make quite a commotion whenever you run."

The gray-robed Daoist: "..."

Was that supposed to be polite?

His Cloud Shadow Escape, which he took such pride in, had actually been judged as making quite a commotion.

The next moment.

Lin Yuan took the initiative and stepped forward.

He did not chase anyone.

Instead, he began to swing his sword.

One strike.

Two strikes.

More than a dozen heavy arcs of sword qi slashed down at different locations across the arena.

At first, they seemed to have no pattern at all.

But soon, the watching disciples noticed something was wrong.

"He's sealing off positions!"

"The areas where Cloud Shadow Escape can land are getting smaller and smaller."

"Good heavens."

"If he can't catch him, he's just shrinking the map?"

That was exactly what Lin Yuan was thinking.

Competing with someone in speed.

Was nothing but using his own weakness against another person's strength.

Since he could not catch him.

Then he would leave him nowhere to land.

The Thick Earth Sword slashed out again and again.

Every streak of sword qi that struck the ground left behind heavy earth-vein power upon the arena.

The Blackstone Dao Body and the Thick Earth Sword shared the same origin.

Lin Yuan's control over these forces was far more effortless than his control over ordinary sword qi.

Before long.

More than half the arena had been covered by his sword intent.

The gray-robed Daoist had just appeared.

Earth and stone surged up beneath his feet.

His movements slowed by half a beat.

And that half a beat.

Enough.

Lin Yuan had already rushed right in front of him.

The Thick Earth Sword lay across his opponent's neck.

The gray-robed Daoist froze.

Lin Yuan smiled.

"Senior Brother."

"Still running?"

The gray-robed Daoist lowered his head and glanced at the blade by his neck.

He was silent for several breaths.

"You, an Earth Immortal..."

"are being rather unreasonable."

The crowd below erupted in laughter.

The law enforcement disciple announced Lin Yuan's victory.

The second match.

He was still fighting above his level.

And his approach was completely different from the previous match.

The last match had been about brute force.

This one relied on perception and quick reactions.

Many who had only thought Lin Yuan had gotten lucky began to look at him differently.

"Once can still be attributed to an advantage in physique."

"But two matches in a row..."

"This junior brother has something to him."

After Lin Yuan stepped down from the arena, several fellow disciples who had never spoken to him before even took the initiative to approach him.

"Junior Brother Lin, let's discuss the Dao sometime."

"My dojo is on East Sea Blackwood Isle. Come have a drink when you have time."

"Those moves you used with the Thick Earth Sword were quite interesting, Junior Brother. Let's exchange pointers another day."

Lin Yuan responded to each of them.

His attitude had not changed just because he had won two matches.

Cultivation in the Primordial World.

Methods, companions, wealth, and territory.

Connections were resources as well.

Moreover, they were all fellow disciples of the Intercepting Sect.

According to the original plot of Investiture of the Gods...

there might even be more rewards to claim from among them in the future.

With that thought, Lin Yuan's gaze toward everyone grew even warmer.

One senior brother grew a little uncomfortable under his gaze.

"Junior Brother Lin."

"Why are you smiling at me so warmly?"

"Fellow disciple camaraderie."

"Really?"

"Really."

Lin Yuan's face did not redden, nor did his heart skip a beat.

Just then.

The list for the third round appeared.

Quite a few people around them looked up at once.

Then a wave of subdued cries rang out.

Lin Yuan saw his next opponent as well.

[Lin Yuan]

[Opponent: Heavenly Immortal Peak, Chen Xuanfeng]

This time,

even the few fellow disciples who had just been laughing and chatting with him fell silent.

Heavenly Immortal Peak.

Only one step away from a True Immortal.

The gap in magical power between Heavenly Immortal Peak and Earth Immortal Peak was already too vast to be fully overcome through ordinary talent.

Moreover, Chen Xuanfeng was no ordinary disciple.

In the first two rounds,

he had defeated both opponents within three moves.

Lin Yuan looked at that name.

Within his Innate Spiritual Perception, a distinct pressure was already coming from afar.

He looked in that direction.

On the other side of the crowd,

a black-clad young man standing with a saber in his arms was also watching him.

Their gazes met.

Chen Xuanfeng raised a hand.

From afar, he made a gesture of invitation.