C86 You're Only at the Fifth Level of the Genuine Force

Sword beams surged with a sharp intent to kill, causing the surrounding Lin family members to instinctively step back, gripped by fear.

On the high platform, an elder of the Lin Clan shot to his feet, his face etched with surprise. "Lin Ao has actually cultivated the Angered Spirit Sword Technique to this level?"

Behind the curtain, a tumult of emotions flickered in Lin Miaoran's eyes—nervousness, worry, doubt, shock, and fear. Her fingers, gripping the armrest of her chair, turned white from the pressure.

"Swish!"

Amidst a familiar snicker, Chu Yan casually lifted his hand with a wave.

Pow!

A burst of fire erupted from the Fire Ripple Sword, scattering the formidable sword ray in an instant.

Lin Ao felt an overwhelming force travel from his shoulder to his arm, numbing half his body. His grip on the Fire Ripple Sword slackened, and he watched helplessly as it flew from his grasp.

"How is this possible!" An enraged roar echoed in his heart.

Not just him, but everyone—around the arena, atop the high platform, and behind the curtain—stared in disbelief, their mouths agape, their faces a canvas of shock like never before.

"Aren't you supposed to be good at this?"

Chu Yan's taunting voice was accompanied by a sharp whistling sound cutting through the air.

The next moment, with a crisp smack, Lin Ao was sent tumbling through the air, his right cheek swelling up to mirror the bloody mark on the left—symmetrical, almost harmonious in its appearance.

The searing pain left Lin Ao dazed. His Earth-Ranked Martial Technique, his pride, had been bested by a mere willow branch.

"How is that possible?"

"How is this possible?"

"How is this possible!"

Rage boiled over in Lin Ao's heart. With a ferocious roar, he glared at Chu Yan. "I won't let you get away with this!"

"All you do is talk big. Just admit defeat already. You're wasting my time, you know that?!" Chu Yan's voice drowned out Lin Ao's, thunderous and piercing.

He stepped forward, willow branch raised, and lashed out at Lin Ao's face.

The strikes seemed haphazard, like random thrashes, yet Lin Ao, at the fifth level of the Genuine Force Stage, took every hit squarely, unable to evade a single one.

Lin Ao raised his arm in defense, but with a sharp smack, a crimson line instantly marked his skin. He stumbled backward, attempting to dodge, only to have another bloody gash drawn across his leg. In a desperate turn to flee, his back was met with a swift slash, his clothes tearing open with two resounding snaps, leaving behind a pair of crisscrossing wounds.

"You're just wasting my time, you bastard!" Chu Yan had no intention of sparing Lin Ao. His words were a relentless assault on Lin Ao's pride, and before the watchful eyes of the crowd, he whipped the willow branch until Lin Ao's head swelled grotesquely, resembling a basin. His face was a mottled canvas of purple and blue, blood streaming down, a far cry from his once handsome and spirited appearance.

What was once Lin Ao's scornful remark about wasting time had been thrown back in his face with full force by Chu Yan's undeniable strength. Overwhelmed by the magnitude of his defeat, Lin Ao took several more hits, forgetting even to defend himself, until he was left with tattered clothes and a body covered in lacerations, looking worse than any beggar on the street.

The scene left every member of the Lin family present dumbfounded, their minds a blank slate.

Lin Ao, the Lin family's former top prodigy, was known for his exceptional talent and formidable strength. Yet, who could have imagined that Chu Yan was even more powerful, surpassing all expectations? With just a willow branch, he had reduced Lin Ao to a state of utter helplessness.

Lin Chongzhi's face turned a steely shade of blue. Watching Lin Ao get struck again, spinning on the platform like a top, he could contain himself no longer. Slamming the back of his chair, he bellowed, "That willow branch in your hand is rigged!"

Chu Yan let out a hearty laugh, lifting the willow branch and launching it toward Lin Chongzhi. With a swift whoosh, it impaled itself into the wooden board between his feet.

The fresh-cut willow branch, oozing with sap, was clearly freshly plucked.

Lin Chongzhi's eyelids twitched uncontrollably, yet he still couldn't come to terms with the unfolding reality.

As Chu Yan raised his hand, poised to deliver another slap to the utterly bewildered Lin Ao, Lin Chongzhi could restrain himself no longer. Ignoring the rules of the match, he vaulted onto the stage, positioning himself in front of Lin Ao, and glared at Chu Yan with fury. "Stop! You despicable fiend!"

Chu Yan's gaze was detached, as if Lin Chongzhi's words hadn't reached his ears at all. With a swift push and a resounding slap, Lin Ao was sent flying, blood and broken teeth spraying from his mouth like a spear hurled from the stage.

No one had anticipated that the internal selection's final match would conclude in such a manner.

Lin Ao, the prodigy everyone had their eyes on, was unable to muster any defense and was catapulted from the ring. The severity of his defeat far surpassed Lin Yun's by more than a hundredfold.

Trembling with rage, Lin Chongzhi pointed an accusing finger at Chu Yan. "Why did you hurt him? I ordered you to stop! Why did you continue to inflict harm?"

Chu Yan's expression grew colder as he faced Lin Chongzhi. "Unless I'm mistaken, Lin Ao just threatened to kill me."

"He was just talking; he didn't actually make a move. But you, you hurt him—even after I told you to cease!" Lin Chongzhi's anger was uncontrollable, his face contorted with fury. His twitching mouth suggested he was on the verge of being so incensed that he'd need assistance with the simplest of tasks, like eating.

"Am I supposed to wait until he actually kills me before you decide to seek justice on my behalf?" Chu Yan's icy stare bore into Lin Chongzhi as he enunciated each word. "Would you really do that?"

"You! You dare to talk back to me! There must be something wrong with you! I see it now! There's definitely something amiss!" In a sudden outburst, Lin Chongzhi seemed to have a revelation, pointing at Chu Yan and shouting, "Out with it! Who put you up to this? Lin Ao is a fifth-level Genuine Force Stage warrior; how could you possibly defeat him? You must have taken some drug or been manipulated to bring harm to my Lin family! Guards, seize him! Interrogate him with harsh methods until we uncover the mastermind behind this!"

Lin Chongzhi's shouts echoed as several figures leaped onto the stage from below, led by Lin Yun's father, Lin Shan.

With old and new resentments flooding his mind, Lin Shan's face twisted into a snarl. "Chu Yan, there's no way you could defeat a fifth-level Genuine Force Stage warrior like Lin Ao without some trickery! Don't expect any courtesy from us today! Take him!"

At his command, the Lin family members who usually had a close bond with Lin Chongzhi threw caution to the wind, ignoring both Patriarch Lin Chongtian's stance and the elders' disapproval, as they charged at Chu Yan together.

"Ha—" Chu Yan's face broke into a smile at the sight, yet his eyes danced with a blizzard's chill. "Lin Ao is at the fifth level of the Genuine Force Stage? I think your mind's gone awry. You've obviously never witnessed the true might of someone at the fifth level of the Genuine Force Stage, have you?"

With those final words, Chu Yan's shout thundered forth, and a ferocious surge of energy exploded from him, roaring like a colossal dragon sweeping the heavens, like a deity making a grand entrance into the mortal realm.