In fact, during the ongoing arena challenges, there had already been quite a bit of discussion, with many wondering why Lin Yun had remained silent.
After all, everyone present had heard Lin Yun’s earlier bold claim.
Some even speculated whether Lin Yun was all talk and no action.
The battles on the arena continued.
After a fierce fight, an immortal named Lu Sheng successfully defeated his opponent, taking their place on the Heavenly Deity List, reaching the thirty-eighth rank.
The defeated immortal, Dai Ziyang, was an immortal under the banner of the Xiaoyao Tower.
“Dai Ziyang, you’re utterly pathetic, aren’t you? After all these years, how did you become so weak?” Lu Sheng, victorious, stood on the arena, arrogantly taunting.
“You…”
Dai Ziyang’s face darkened instantly, stung by the blatant mockery, yet he had no retort, as he was the defeated.
Then, Dai Ziyang returned to the Xiaoyao Tower Lord, crestfallen.
“Tower Lord, I’ve brought shame to Xiaoyao Tower,” Dai Ziyang said, head bowed in resignation.
“Victory and defeat are common in battle. Failure isn’t dreadful. Train hard and aim to reclaim your honour before the next Heavenly Deity List settlement,” the Xiaoyao Tower Lord said lightly, holding a folding fan.
“Understood!” Dai Ziyang nodded firmly, clearly turning this defeat into motivation to train harder.
“This Lu Sheng is awfully arrogant,” Lin Yun murmured, watching the arena.
Earlier, when Lu Sheng defeated Dongguo Wuji, he also mocked him, saying Dongguo Wuji didn’t know his own limits and dared to challenge him.
“There’s no helping it, his strength has improved significantly,” Dongguo Wuji said helplessly.
Dongguo Wuji could only endure such taunts, as he had challenged Lu Sheng and lost.
If someone is stronger than you, they have the right to be arrogant.
Standing on the arena, Lu Sheng declared proudly, “That fight was hardly satisfying. Who among those ranked below thirty-eight on the Heavenly Deity List dares to challenge me? Anyone?”
His words plunged the scene into a brief silence.
According to the ranking rules, immortals ranked above him couldn’t challenge him, even if they wanted to thrash him.
Only those ranked below him could issue a challenge, but with his strength so evident, few lower-ranked immortals had the confidence to defeat him.
“If he’s so cocky, I’ll go up and have some fun with him,” Lin Yun said with a playful smile.
Originally, Lin Yun planned to wait for others to challenge first before making his move.
But faced with such arrogance, he didn’t mind stepping in early.
His opponent, currently thirty-eighth on the Heavenly Deity List, was a good warm-up for Lin Yun.
With that, Lin Yun stood up.
“I’ll challenge you!”
Lin Yun’s resonant voice echoed across the arena.
As his words landed, he stomped and flew towards the arena.
“It’s Lin Yun!”
“This guy’s finally stepping up!”
The immortals in the audience immediately perked up, and even the big shots like Empress Kunlan, who had been resting with closed eyes, slowly opened their gazes.
Since Lin Yun had taken the stage, it was worth their attention.
“Lu Sheng is now thirty-eighth on the Heavenly Deity List. Though not in the top twenty, he fits Lin Yun’s initial goal of targeting ranks thirty to forty.”
“Aiming for the top twenty is pure fantasy. Even defeating Lu Sheng will likely be a struggle.”
“If he loses to Lu Sheng, his bold claim of reaching the top twenty will become a colossal joke.”
…
The crowd buzzed with discussion.
“Father will do it!” Lin Yun’s daughter, Lin Kexin, was visibly excited and expectant.
She could finally see Lin Yun unleash his true strength.
“Lin Yun wouldn’t challenge without confidence!”
His friends and allies were equally eager.
In the front row of the audience, Deputy Palace Master Yao and Song Lin, ranked fourth on the Heavenly Deity List, sat together.
“This lad’s finally taking the stage. Today’s ranking battles, I’ve been most looking forward to him,” Deputy Palace Master Yao said, suddenly alert.
Song Lin added, “I’m quite curious about his performance. This is his third public move since joining the Heavenly Deity Palace, isn’t it? The first two were right after he joined. It’s been a while, so I wonder what level his strength has reached since entering the palace.”
Though both were eager to see Lin Yun’s performance, their reasons differed.
Deputy Palace Master Yao wanted to verify Lin Yun’s claim of slaying two seventh-realm celestial beasts through his actions.
Even though Lin Yun had shown the beast carcasses, Yao still found it unbelievable. Only by witnessing Lin Yun’s strength matching that feat would he truly believe.
As for Song Lin, also a nominal disciple of the Human Emperor, he knew Lin Yun held the same title.
He was curious. As the fourth-ranked on the Heavenly Deity List, his strength was undeniable, and passing the Human Emperor’s test to gain recognition wasn’t surprising.
But Lin Yun, a young immortal who had only recently stepped into immortality, should logically be far inferior. How had he earned the Human Emperor’s approval to become a nominal disciple?
He was eager to see Lin Yun’s strength.
On the massive arena.
After landing, Lin Yun faced Lu Sheng.
“This is interesting. I didn’t expect you, Lin Yun, to challenge me. You’re quite the figure in the Heavenly Deity Palace,” Lu Sheng said with a smile, sizing up Lin Yun.
He was well aware of Lin Yun’s bold claim to aim for the top twenty.
“What? Am I not qualified to challenge you?” Lin Yun replied with a smile.
“By the ranking rules, you’re certainly qualified.”
Lu Sheng’s tone shifted, “But in terms of strength and experience, you’re likely far behind. It’s not that I look down on you, but your cultivation time is too short. No matter how extraordinary you are, you need time to train and mature, don’t you?”
With a smile, Lu Sheng continued, “Still, your courage impresses me.”
“Really? I didn’t think I could impress you,” Lin Yun said, chuckling.
“Indeed, I admire your audacity to set a goal of reaching the top twenty in front of so many immortals. Few could match that kind of shameless courage,” Lu Sheng said, hands behind his back, smiling.
Lin Yun paused, then laughed again, “So, you’re saying I’m thick-skinned, or perhaps shameless?”
