On the arena, Crown Prince Lingyun held the Jade Seal National Treasure, glaring at Lin Huang with a contemptuous smile on his face. "I will make you realize your own insignificance and what it means to be powerless to reverse the situation!"
"The outcome is not yet decided. You still can’t change your arrogant nature!" Lin Huang chuckled but secretly clenched his fists, his expression gradually turning sharp and resolute. The aura Crown Prince Lingyun emitted at this moment was far stronger than the Array Master Hann Ming from seven days ago.
"Welcome your destiny, Young Master!" Crown Prince Lingyun burst into laughter, his crimson eyes shooting out brilliant light. With a wave of his arm, the giant blood-colored Sealing Character Pattern above his head suddenly expanded—ten feet, thirty feet, a hundred feet...
From the pattern, multiple golden chains swirling with golden light shot out, like an inverted sea, surging overwhelmingly toward Lin Huang.
In the arena, Lin Huang’s expression changed slightly. His body moved rapidly, twisting and leaping, while the long saber in his hand swung continuously to block the golden chains trying to bind him.
Clashing sounds rang out endlessly, leaving the onlookers dazzled and alarmed. They hadn’t expected today’s life-and-death battle to be so inextricably intertwined.
"Is this your Three Thousand Miles? Too slow! The force of this Slaying Kunlun is too weak! Shooting the Celestial Wolf? What a joke!" During the fierce battle, Crown Prince Lingyun laughed heartily. The powerful realm suppression left Lin Huang breathless. Even though he frequently used Three Thousand Miles, Slaying Kunlun, and Shooting the Celestial Wolf, he was still struggling to fend off Crown Prince Lingyun’s attacks.
"In the face of true power, even if you were a dragon, you’d have to grovel before me, let alone the fact that you’re nothing more than a reptile at best!" Crown Prince Lingyun laughed freely. The Sealing Character Pattern above his head grew larger and larger, and more and more golden chains shot out from it, leaving Lin Huang with nowhere to dodge and nowhere to flee.
Under the storm-like attacks, Lin Huang strictly maintained his defense, looking at Crown Prince Lingyun with a cold gaze. It wasn’t until the latter drew the Sealing Character Pattern to suppress him directly that a smile tugged at the corner of Lin Huang’s mouth. His left hand, which had been hidden in his sleeve for a long time, finally reached out into the air...
On the arena, just as Crown Prince Lingyun was beaming with joy, he saw Lin Huang’s left hand extend out, and a palpitating aura immediately rippled outward. Crown Prince Lingyun’s expression changed; sensing danger, he instinctively retreated.
"Can you retreat?" Lin Huang smiled coldly, suddenly spreading the five fingers of his left hand. Eight Array Seals swirling with Primordial Qi suddenly shot out, scattering around Crown Prince Lingyun. "Initial Spirit Sword Formation, rise!"
Before Lin Huang’s voice faded, the scattered Array Seals trembled, radiating beams of light. In the blink of an eye, they connected to form an array, which then spawned several extremely sharp streaks of Sword Qi to cut down the surrounding golden chains.
"An Array?!"
"You are an Array Master?!" Crown Prince Lingyun’s expression slightly changed.
The moment the Initial Spirit Sword Formation appeared, the tens of thousands of people in the square stirred. Even the Elders of the Four Great Sects stared at Lin Huang in disbelief.
"He’s actually an Array Master!"
"Although he hasn’t yet reached the level of a First Level Array Master, the genuine array on the arena won’t deceive anyone’s eyes!"
"To think that Lin Huang would receive such favor from the heavens!"
Clearly, no one had expected Lin Huang to be an Array Master. After all, the probability of an Array Master appearing was one in a hundred Martial Artists.
Hann Shan and Qii Lie’s faces were extremely ugly at this moment. They hadn’t expected Lin Huang, who seemed destined to lose, to have such a life-saving method. Thinking of this, the killing intent in their hearts grew even stronger. At the moment the array appeared, they saw a fleeting shadow on Lin Huang.
The shadow that had once made all the geniuses of the Four Great Sects unable to raise their heads.
Lin Cangxue!
That prodigy who had once fought opponents across the Third Heaven and slain Celestial Element Martial Artists with a single sword in hand. Although Lin Huang wasn’t as powerful as Lin Cangxue had been back then, that feeling he gave off was unmistakable. Tenacious and unyielding, like a dormant beast. Once he was allowed to turn the tables, he would be unstoppable!
Compared to the astonishment of the crowd, Shen Diexin was even more shocked. She knew exactly when Lin Huang had started learning the Array Path. How long had it been? The fact that Lin Huang could actually condense an array was enough to send her emotions into turmoil.
"Crown Prince, I said a year ago that I would give you a surprise. I wonder if you are satisfied!" Lin Huang looked at the guarded Crown Prince Lingyun and smiled calmly.
Crown Prince Lingyun felt the array around him and laughed out of extreme anger. "A mere unrated array actually wants to trap and kill me? You underestimate Earth Element Realm Martial Artists far too much!"
"Seal!" Crown Prince Lingyun roared angrily. The Sealing Character Pattern that was already heading toward Lin Huang suddenly accelerated, whistling as it swept toward him. At the same time, Crown Prince Lingyun charged at Lin Huang once again.
"Do you think a single array can make up for the gap between us? Ignorant!" As Crown Prince Lingyun laughed heartily, several sword shadows floated in the air and slashed down on Lin Huang. Like an endless, torrential flood, they forced Lin Huang to retreat continuously.
"If this is all you are capable of, then this life-and-death battle ends here!" Crown Prince Lingyun took advantage of his momentum, displaying immense confidence in his eyes. Even if the Sealing Character Pattern couldn’t suppress and kill Lin Huang right away, it would only take a short while before he could completely slay him!
This was the strength of the Earth Element First Heaven Realm!
Faced with the frantic incoming attacks, Lin Huang retreated all the way to the corner of the arena. Instead of being angry, he laughed and said, "I indeed only have this much capability, but to kill you, it is more than enough."
Before Lin Huang finished speaking, he stopped his retreat. Completely ignoring Crown Prince Lingyun’s attacks, he charged forward like a savage who had lost his mind.
"A final struggle? Truly overestimating yourself!" Crown Prince Lingyun sneered. The sword shadows around him gathered together, and a powerful, violent aura clung to his sword blade. Like a sweeping rainbow, it tore a sharp groove through the air, thrusting straight at Lin Huang’s throat.
Lin Huang’s expression was grave. He flourished the long saber in his hand, and just as the sword thrust within a foot of him, he blocked the attack with a loud CLANG.
"Can you block it?" Crown Prince Lingyun smiled smugly. As he flicked his wrist, the sword shadows clinging to his blade burst with intense light. A terrifying aura suddenly surged forth, pointing straight at Lin Huang...
Then, the Sword Qi left the blade, shooting rapidly toward Lin Huang.
At this moment, Lin Huang completely ignored the Sword Qi. The moment his long saber blocked the longsword, he closed his eyes...
His right wrist trembled, and the long saber suddenly slipped from his grasp, circling around the sword blade before landing in his left hand.
"Asura’s Fury... Three Thousand Miles!"
The moment Lin Huang held the saber in his left hand, the Asura Martial Soul within his body swung its arms and finally let out a roar. A supreme power surged fiercely throughout his entire body, instantly doubling Lin Huang’s strength.
And as Three Thousand Miles was unleashed, brilliant light flashed, reaching an unprecedented speed...
In the void, a streak of Sword Qi pierced straight toward Lin Huang’s throat. The terrifying power it contained made it difficult for Lin Huang to breathe, leaving his scalp tingling.
It was the scent of death!
However, just as the Sword Qi reached his throat, the long saber in Lin Huang’s hand suddenly slashed across Lingyun’s neck before steadily stopping above his left shoulder.
The Sword Qi at Lin Huang’s throat, as well as the brilliantly blood-red Sealing Character Pattern in the void, all dissipated into thin air.
Under the scorching sun, the snow-white saber blade reflected a dazzling light. On that blade, a single drop of blood slid down the edge and finally dripped down.
"Did Ling Huangyi not tell you that when I cut off Pang Bai’s head back then, I used my left hand?"
On the arena, Lin Huang’s expression was calm. He sheathed his saber, turned around, and walked off the stage, leaving only Crown Prince Lingyun standing quietly in place.
"What’s going on?"
"Why did Lin Huang willingly step down from the arena? Why isn’t the Crown Prince moving?"
"Hurry up and kill Lin Huang, Crown Prince!"
In the square, discussions broke out. Being somewhat far away, they hadn’t clearly seen what had just happened. They only felt that what they were seeing was too unbelievable.
However, Ling Huangyi, who was at the back of the crowd, rushed toward the arena like a madman. Hann Shan and Qii Lie angrily flicked their sleeves and turned to leave.
Before Lin Huang even fully descended from the arena, Crown Prince Lingyun’s body swayed twice behind him, and his head abruptly fell, rolling on the arena stage like a watermelon.
A thirty-foot fountain of blood sprayed high into the air from his neck.
The headless body collapsed suddenly, crashing to the ground like a stone stele!
One slash to end Lingyun!
Staring at the scene before them, everyone’s expressions froze on their faces.
"This... how is this possible?"
"Crown Prince Lingyun lost?"
Looking at the head that tumbled down from the arena with a dull THUD, everyone’s hearts were filled with incomparable shock. This was an outcome none of them could have ever anticipated. Crown Prince Lingyun was an Earth Element Realm Martial Artist! And Lin Huang had only been in Cultivation for a year. So what if he had an array backing him up?
But why did it end like this?
Crown Prince Lingyun had actually died so cleanly. That was the current reigning Crown Prince!
For a moment, everyone stared in disbelief at the area below the arena, watching Lin Huang in his pitch-black cloak quietly walking away. Many were even beating their chests in anguish.
Because of this battle, Lin Huang had caused them to lose everything, leaving them bankrupt!
Long before the grand competition, all the major casinos had set their odds. Naturally, almost everyone had bet half their fortunes on Crown Prince Lingyun’s victory.
But the result...
"You think you can just leave after killing someone?" Before Lin Huang could even walk out of the square, Ling Huangyi’s angry shout rang out from behind him.
"What? Do you want to avenge Crown Prince Lingyun?" Lin Huang turned around, smiling as he looked at the practically berserk Ling Huangyi. "Crown Prince Lingyun and I signed a life-and-death contract. Regardless of victory or defeat, our fates were in the hands of the heavens! If you want to avenge him, you need a proper justification!"
Ling Huangyi glared at Lin Huang with a savage smile. "Then what if I issue a challenge to you? Do you dare accept it?"
"Why wouldn’t I dare!" Lin Huang smiled leisurely. "However, now that the Four Sects’ selection has ended, if you want to challenge me, you’ll probably have to come to Piaoxue Palace. If the Third Prince dares to come, I will be waiting for your distinguished presence at any time!"
Ling Huangyi’s expression was icy. "Do you think that just because you hide in Piaoxue Palace, I can’t do anything to you? Or do you truly believe you can make it to Piaoxue Palace alive?"
"Talking is useless. In the future, our lives and deaths will depend on our own abilities!" Lin Huang smiled lazily, then pushed Ling Huangyi aside and walked away through the crowded sea of people...
In the square, the crowd watched Lin Huang’s departing back with complex expressions. It was only now that they realized they had consistently underestimated this former fop.
Reaching the Human Element Eighth Heaven Realm after just one year of Cultivation—how many people in the Great Xia Dynasty could do that? Even with peerless talent, how could anyone reach such a realm in a year without putting in maximum effort!
Throughout the three rounds of screening by the Four Great Sects, Lin Huang hadn’t made a true move even once, causing everyone to look down on him.
While everyone else was despising him... he had been walking his own path all along!
Unafraid of gossip and rumors!
Undaunted by the curses of thousands!
It was as if none of it mattered in his eyes.
Perhaps this was a true Martial Artist’s Heart. Obsessing over temporary gains and losses and living in the eyes of others would eventually ruin one’s life. As a Martial Artist, how could one allow the opinions of others to disrupt one’s own Mental Realm?
And it was clear that Lin Huang had long since pulled himself out of such a narrow mindset.
In the venue, tens of thousands of people stared at Lin Huang’s slightly thin but spear-straight figure. Some were angry, some were hostile, some were unwilling to accept reality, and some had attained a new understanding.
Lin Huang was, after all, no longer the foppish young man he had been three years ago.