Li Xuan's Trump Card

"I challenge Li Xuan!"

The moment those words were spoken, the scene fell somewhat silent.

Li Xuan, who had originally been seated high in the seventh Inner Disciple seat, opened his tightly shut eyes. A flash of brilliance burst from his gaze like a razor-sharp sword, stabbing toward Li Ye, who had challenged him.

"You challenge me?"

Rising from his seat, Li Xuan sounded fairly calm. Yet anyone with eyes could see that a flame was brewing within him.

"This Li Ye truly is a newborn calf unafraid of tigers. He has just defeated Li Wei, the former seventh Inner Disciple, and now he is challenging the even more terrifying Li Xuan, who defeated Li Wei with ease!"

Some secretly applauded Li Ye's choice, while others scoffed at it.

The former were mainly collateral branch disciples, representing the vast number of low-ranking Lineage disciples. The latter were disciples like Li Xuan, born of the main branch. They were incomparably arrogant and did not believe that disciples from collateral branches, or even side branches, could surpass them.

"This Li Ye is simply arrogant beyond measure! Does he really think he is invincible under heaven?"

"Exactly! He merely got lucky and defeated Li Wei when he was not at his best. Who does he think he is? One of the Lineage's three great geniuses?!"

At once, quite a few people began mocking him, their sharp and cutting words everywhere.

In the stands, a trace of killing intent flashed across Li Huangran's body. He had never considered that Li Ye would challenge Li Xuan. Everyone could see that although both were at the seventh level of the Spirit Martial Realm, Li Xuan was at least a whole level above Li Wei!

"Hahaha! This kid is interesting! I like him!"

That booming laughter darkened the faces of the Li Family elders, especially Li Huangran. It was Xiao Qing, who had arrived together with Li Yating. Yet aside from Li Huangran, no one knew that he and Li Ye had met long ago. Hearing his laughter, some could not help frowning.

"Young Hero Xiao, you must find this amusing. Li Ye has been arrogant and conceited for many years. Out of consideration for his father, we have tolerated him until now. Yet he does not know gratitude and has instead become even worse."

An elder from Li Huangran's faction spoke with slight displeasure, seemingly unwilling to see Xiao Qing of the Heavenly Profound Sect grow close to Li Ye.

"Arrogant and conceited? I do not think so. As a Martial Dao cultivator, one needs a heart of Martial Dao that never admits defeat. If you tuck your head and cower whenever you encounter someone stronger than yourself, then what Martial Dao are you cultivating? You might as well go home early, marry a wife, farm the land, and live out the rest of your days in peace!"

Xiao Qing's blunt response immediately made the elder's face flush red. He wanted to fly into a rage but did not dare. The Li Family might dominate one corner of Wuzhou City, but let alone an elder from some family in a small city, even the Three Great Families of Wuzhou City combined would not dare provoke the sect behind him.

Below, Li Xuan had already stepped onto the arena. His eyes narrowed slightly as he sized up Li Ye, who had begun to emerge among the many Lineage disciples.

"By seniority, I should call you Third Brother, shouldn't I?"

Although Li Ye was not the oldest of this generation in the Lineage, he ranked third by seniority and should have been addressed as Third Young Master. Though Li Xuan was a year older than Li Ye, seniority within the Lineage was not determined by age.

"I cannot accept that."

Li Ye was unmoved. He knew very well that Li Xuan was far more worthy of caution than the arrogant Li Yue. At the very least, no one had heard of this man before, yet he had suddenly revealed the frightening cultivation of the seventh level of the Spirit Martial Realm. His true combat strength even approached that of a Martial Dao Master at the eighth level of the Spirit Martial Realm!

"In truth, you have already achieved what you wanted. I have to admit that many people may truly have underestimated you back then. But in the end, you are not your father!"

Li Xuan's words gradually sharpened, threads of chill seeping from his eyes.

"My father is my father. I am me."

Li Ye shook his head. Perhaps having a father like an unparalleled prodigy was not necessarily a blessing. But no matter what, standing here today, he only wanted to prove that he was not trash! He was even more outstanding than those so-called Lineage geniuses!

Perhaps this was also influenced by the obsession of the soul he had once fused with. He did not reject it. Instead, he intended to fulfill that soul's wish.

Their words did not meet, and the two stared solemnly at one another.

Finally, Li Xuan made the first move. In an instant, the temperature around them seemed to drop. A wave of frost-laden chill rushed head-on, making people feel as though even their movements had slowed by half a beat.

"Li Xuan's mastery of Frost Fist has at least reached the major accomplishment realm!"

The moment Li Xuan attacked, Li Ye judged his general level of strength. Frost Fist at major accomplishment! It showed his outstanding talent in cultivating this Combat Technique!

Combat Techniques, Movement Techniques, and the like were easy to learn at the entry level. Yet reaching minor accomplishment required a certain amount of effort and talent. Reaching major accomplishment, however, required not only effort and talent, but comprehension as well!

Clearly, Li Xuan possessed extremely high comprehension when it came to cultivating Combat Techniques! At least, that was the case with Frost Fist!

Before the fist wind even arrived, Li Ye's entire body seemed to be covered by a layer of frost, slowing his movements.

"So this is the power of a Combat Technique at major accomplishment!"

Li Ye understood that although he had already overestimated Li Xuan's strength and seen that Li Xuan had still held back some power when fighting Li Wei, he had nevertheless underestimated him!

"For Combat Techniques and Movement Techniques, the entry level can only bring out around ten percent of their effect. Minor accomplishment can bring out around thirty percent, while major accomplishment can bring out nearly ninety percent!"

It was clear just how enormous the gap was between two people cultivating the same Combat Technique, one reaching minor accomplishment and the other reaching major accomplishment!

Of course, some monstrous individuals could cultivate Combat Techniques and Movement Techniques to proficiency! They could bring out nearly ninety-nine percent of a technique's inherent power! Some could even reach perfection, truly mastering a Combat Technique until it was second nature!

Unfortunately, such people were simply too few, and the higher the grade of a Combat Technique or Movement Technique, the more difficult it was to cultivate.

Take a High-Grade Yellow-Tier Combat Technique, for example. Even some Martial Dao Grandmasters above Spirit Martial Tier Nine might not be able to cultivate one to proficiency! Not everyone could even reach major accomplishment!

Whoosh! A cold fist wind brushed past him. Li Ye felt a faint heat on his cheek as a red line appeared, with a thread of blood flowing from it, only to quickly freeze.

"My speed has slowed by at least thirty percent!"

Li Ye's heart stirred. Speed had always been his greatest advantage. At least, without counting Blood Eyes, he was much faster than ordinary people. Yet under his opponent's frosty aura, that advantage was immediately weakened by several degrees, though he could still handle it.

For a time, Li Ye repeatedly evaded Li Xuan's edge, searching for an opportunity to counterattack.

In the stands, the expressions of several Lineage elders were no longer relaxed. As they watched the situation unfold, their initial scoffing at Li Ye's challenge of Li Xuan had gradually turned into solemnity.

One elder said in a low voice, "Li Ye's realm may not seem high, but his speed is truly puzzling. It has actually surpassed the level of an ordinary Martial Master at the seventh level of the Spirit Martial Realm, nearing that of a Martial Dao Master. Although Li Xuan has used Frost Fist to seal off his speed, he still cannot do anything to him in a short time."

Another elder nodded secretly. "But if this continues, the final outcome will still not change. Li Ye's greatest weakness is that his realm is too low. Even though he has learned two High-Grade Yellow-Tier Combat Techniques, he cannot bring out their proper power at all. From what we have seen, whether it is Frost Fist or Gale Legs, he can only bring out around ten percent of their power at the entry level. That is not enough to pose much of a threat to Li Xuan."

"Indeed. In contrast, although Li Xuan is somewhat lacking in Movement Techniques and has only learned the Yellow Tier Mid-Grade Movement Technique, Wind-following Step, he has already reached minor accomplishment. His speed and reactions are not much inferior to those of an ordinary Martial Dao Master. Most importantly, he has actually reached major accomplishment in Frost Fist. Even this old man can only marvel at such comprehension!"

Clearly, none of the elders thought highly of Li Ye. Instead, they believed Li Xuan had the upper hand.

"He is, after all, the Third Elder's eldest son. A tiger father has no dog son. Perhaps he may later have the chance to challenge the disciples ahead of him among the Inner Disciples, or even contend with the Lineage's three great geniuses."

A horse-faced elder did not forget to secretly flatter Li Huangran. Even among elders, there were ranks, and Li Huangran clearly held a higher position.

No one thought highly of Li Ye. Even Xiao Qing's expression had turned slightly solemn. As the referee of this match, Li Xuanji's face remained calm, but a trace of anxiety flashed through his eyes.

Li Hou Nian, on the other hand, did not appear worried about Li Ye's safety at all. When Li Huangran noticed this, a faint sense of unease flickered through his heart.

After fighting for a long time without a decisive result, Li Ye gradually became exactly as many had predicted. The space in which he could move shrank further and further, while the frost covering his body grew thicker and thicker, his movements becoming sluggish.

"Li Ye, you are no match for me!"

Li Xuan did not appear anxious. Instead, he seemed to be enjoying a fine show of a cat toying with a mouse.

"Are you sure?"

Facing Li Xuan's provocation, Li Ye smiled without really smiling. No one noticed that his pupils had turned blood-red just moments ago, only to return to normal now.

"Hmph! I admit that you are quite strong. Li Wei did not lose unfairly. Unfortunately, you insisted on challenging me! Since that is the case, I will make you give up completely!"

Boom!

An even more powerful aura erupted from Li Xuan's body! The crowd could not help crying out in alarm! They clearly sensed Li Xuan's aura leap from the seventh level of the Spirit Martial Realm to the peak seventh level of the Spirit Martial Realm in one bound!

Even Li Huangran was startled by this. Clearly, he had not known from the beginning that his son had hidden such strength.

At that moment, even the way Li Mo looked at Li Xuan carried a trace of seriousness. Clearly, Li Xuan's true strength had drawn his attention.

As for Li Ye, no one had any confidence left that he could win.

A tremendous pressure instantly descended, making Li Ye's breathing turn somewhat hurried.