“No, quick, send a few more people up!”
Seeing the protective barrier about to fail, Ling Xiaotian shouted urgently.
Several more Ling family experts leapt forward, pouring their full effort into maintaining the barrier, narrowly preventing its collapse.
The terrifying shockwave of qi, if it struck the surrounding disciples, would likely leave even those at Martial Vein Fifth Layer gravely injured.
“He actually blocked it!”
This time, even Ling Xiaotian was stunned.
He had already held Ling Xiao in high regard, but he hadn’t expected Ling Xiao to so steadily deflect Ling Feifan’s spear strike.
“No, it’s more than just blocking it!”
As the flames dissipated, Ling Feifan staggered back a few steps, his spear trembling in his grip, clearly at a disadvantage once again.
Yet Ling Xiao still stood rooted in place.
Truth be told, this time wasn’t easy for Ling Xiao either. Forcing his Martial Vein Fourth Layer Peak strength to clash head-on with Ling Feifan, the strange purple fire had invaded his body.
Even with the Nine Transformations Golden Body Art, he couldn’t be instantly burned by the flames, but he also couldn’t extinguish the purple fire.
Fortunately, a cool stream flowed from his Mountain and River Martial Soul, likely the chill from the Cold Pool Golden Liquid he’d stored there earlier, which snuffed out the purple fire.
“This is impossible! How can this be!”
Ling Feifan couldn’t believe his eyes, he had drawn his spear, yet his opponent still hadn’t fallen.
No, he hadn’t even budged an inch!
Was such a thing possible?
“Kill—!”
Ling Feifan absolutely couldn’t tolerate this, his last strike had used eighty percent of his power, still not his full strength.
He had thought it would be enough to defeat Ling Xiao.
But the result was a shocking surprise.
This time, he wouldn’t hold back, not even a little.
“Full Power: Purple Flame Infinite Spear!”
The same move, but unleashed with full strength, its power was noticeably greater than before.
While many below the stage sweated nervously for Ling Xiao, he actually smiled.
“Is he crazy? Why’s he smiling?”
“Boom—!”
The next moment, everyone understood why Ling Xiao was smiling.
“Martial Vein Fifth Layer!”
Clan Leader Ling Xiaotian, the head referee, and numerous Ling family elders all paled in shock.
Ling Xiao had been hiding his strength?
Just when everyone thought he’d given his all, he dropped another bombshell!
“This kid, I’m truly impressed!”
Ling Yihang shook his head with a wry smile, now feeling that if Ling Feifan was a genius, then Ling Xiao was a downright monster!
A monster above the geniuses of the Ling family!
They were all visibly thrilled.
Ling Xiao was excited too, finally facing an opponent he needed to use Martial Vein Fifth Layer to defeat.
How could he not be thrilled?
Ling Feifan’s attacks weren’t weak by any means, one terrifying move after another.
Among those present, aside from Ling Xiaotian and a handful of elders, almost no one was confident they could withstand such an assault.
Yet on the stage.
A black shadow darted back and forth, like a flickering afterimage.
The other figure stood still as a mountain.
No matter how frenzied the attacks, no matter how the flames erupted, he remained utterly unbreakable, his golden glow seemingly growing brighter.
“This… it’s like seeing a ghost!”
“Yeah, such terrifying defensive martial arts, at this rate, isn’t he invincible? If you can’t break his defense, you can’t beat him!”
“This must be the strongest offense against the strongest defense!”
“Exactly, it has to be!”
Hearing this, Ling Xiao found it amusing.
Strongest offense?
I haven’t even attacked yet!
A quarter-hour passed!
Ling Feifan’s composure was starting to fray, earlier Ling Xiao had said he’d stand still and let him attack for half an hour without losing a single hair.
Back then, he thought it was a joke.
But now, he was genuinely rattled.
What frustrated him more was that Ling Xiao, as if worried he’d forget, deliberately reminded him when the quarter-hour mark hit.
Half an hour!
The fight remained one-sided, one attacking, one defending, Ling Xiao showing no sign of counterattacking.
“No way, could Senior Brother Feifan really fail to harm a single hair on Ling Xiao in half an hour?”
“This Ling Xiao is too terrifying, he wasn’t kidding, he’s actually planning to not fight back for half an hour?”
“Looks like it, it’s already been half an hour.”
“I think it’s not that he doesn’t want to counter, he just can’t, under Senior Brother Feifan’s overwhelming attacks, how could he?”
Though some still refused to believe Ling Xiao could beat Ling Feifan, most no longer doubted his strength.
To stand there and trade blows with Ling Feifan for half an hour without a scratch, that alone was a fearsome feat.
On the second-ranked seat, Ling Yun, who’d been in a frenzy, now had a trickle of blood at the corner of his mouth, muttering, “Impossible, this can’t be, how could it be!”
He suddenly shouted, “Ling Feifan, you idiot, what are you playing at? Hurry up and knock that trash off the stage!”
On the other side, Ling Shisan was so furious he spat blood.
“This kid, not only didn’t he die, his strength has grown this terrifying, why is heaven so unfair, favoring him like this!”
He was starting to panic, even if he took action himself now, he might not be able to kill Ling Xiao quickly.
The best chance to eliminate Ling Xiao had slipped away.
Once Ling Xiao won first place in the finals, the entire Ling family would protect him, anyone who dared touch him then would be an enemy of the whole clan.
He hated it!
Ling Jiu’s mood was equally sour, he regretted not killing the kid himself back then, allowing him to grow into what he was today.
Three quarters of an hour!
Ling Xiao silently tracked the time.
He noticed Ling Feifan’s attacks were weakening.
At the start, Ling Feifan’s strikes were indeed strong, requiring careful defense, only managing to hold his ground thanks to the Mountain and River Martial Soul’s powerful analysis.
But now, Ling Feifan’s qi seemed to be faltering, his moves growing feebler.
No, I can’t get careless!
Ling Xiao recalled being ambushed in the Fulong Mountain Range.
Until the very last moment, he couldn’t afford to underestimate his opponent.
Ling Feifan was, after all, the Ling family’s top genius, he surely had more tricks up his sleeve.
“My god, it’s almost half an hour, it won’t just end like this, will it?”
On the referee’s bench, some began worrying for Ling Feifan, losing like this would be humiliating.
“Hmph, you really think Ling Feifan’s that easy to beat? I favor him not because of any connection, but because he’s worth nurturing.”
The head referee snorted, looking at the stage, still vividly recalling a scene he’d witnessed.
That stunning spear strike.
Whoosh!
Suddenly, Ling Feifan, mid-frenzied assault, vanished entirely!
Gone from the stage!
“Ling Xiao, you’re impressive, forcing me to this point is something to be proud of, but once I use my next move, you’ll bleed, either gravely injured or dead, surrender now while you still can!”
Ling Feifan’s voice drifted from the void, echoing as if from all directions, making it impossible to pinpoint his location.
“Go ahead, I’ve been waiting for this strike for a long time!”
