Thirtieth stage—done, next up, thirty-first!
“He’s cleared 31, 32, 33!”
“Thirty-four’s starting now!” an envoy gawked at the screen.
While they’d been nattering, Lin Yun blitzed three more stages.
Hall Master He glanced up, “Let’s see where he stops—whatever it is, he’ll set a new third-rank Mahayana record in exam history.”
He was dead curious—where’d Lin Yun tap out, what’d his final score be?
Each stage proved how dazzling Lin Yun was, how far he could stretch.
…
On the arena.
Lin Yun hit stage 34—battle erupted on the platform.
Stages 31, 32, 33 had upped the ante, but five-mystery fusion carried him through—not as breezy as before, mind.
This 34th foe—a metal beast.
A headache to fight—fearless, painless, forged from special metal, defense like a fortress.
*Bang bang bang!*
Clashes rocked the arena—shockwaves rippled space.
Lin Yun’s five-mystery fusion, soul-sense, eleventh-layer Taixu Power, demon bones—all out.
Even maxed, he could only dominate, not crush it.
“Its attacks ain’t top-tier, but that armor’s insane—my hits barely dent it, a weaker second-turn Tribulation realm might stall here,” Lin Yun mused.
He’d beaten Cao Zheng, a second-turn Tribulation realm.
But Cao Zheng broke through just a month or two pre-exam—bottom rung of that tier.
This exam’s top dog, another second-turn, hit 35 stages—solid mid-tier cred.
Cao Zheng’s level? He’d likely choke here.
Judges’ stand.
“Lin Yun’s got the edge, but he can’t finish this metal beast—might stop here.”
“Depends if he’s got more up his sleeve—current power’s shy of cracking this, let’s watch,” the envoys yapped, eyes glued.
On the arena.
*Boom boom boom!*
In a flash, Lin Yun traded millions of blows with the metal beast.
At their speed, millions was mere moments.
He held the upper hand, but couldn’t down it.
Unlike the black-robe’s tricky offense, this thing’s unbreakable defense was the real kicker!
“Need a fiercer punch!”
Post-clash, Lin Yun closed in.
“Heaven-Shaking Hand, first turn—unleash!”
His palm blackened, scales sprouting, raw power surging—he slammed it at the metal beast!
Soul-sense, five-mystery fusion, Taixu Power, demon bones—stacked with Heaven-Shaking Hand’s first turn, the blow skyrocketed!
*Boom!*
Force flooded through his palm, hammering the metal beast.
Hand-delivered Heaven-Shaking Hand maxed its juice—this close-range brawler made it easy.
Sheer might blasted the beast off the arena.
Not smashed, but knocked out of bounds—win enough.
Thirty-fourth stage—cleared!
Lin Yun exhaled long, “Phew, getting tough—wonder what 35’ll bring, tying first’s 35, but I’m not here to tie!”
Thirty-second breather between stages—he tuned up quick.
Judges’ stand.
“He won—that palm was brutal, this kid’s getting more intriguing,” Hall Master He grinned.
“Old Liang, this Dongyuan champ’s a proper gem!” envoys sighed.
“Too kind,” Liang Yuan beamed, chuffed.
“Thirty-fifth’s no picnic,” Old Cheng sneered.
Every fifth and tenth stage spiked hard.
“We’ll see how he does,” Hall Master He eyed the screen.
On the arena.
*Rumble!*
The stone gate lifted—Lin Yun knew, stage 35 was on.
“Pattern says this’ll jump tough,” he pondered.
He’d sussed it—fives and tens spiked big.
Thirty outdid 29, 31-34 crept up slow—35’d leap again.
“What’s this one?” Lin Yun stared, curious.
A white-robed old man strolled out, in Fire Cloud Empire garb—no prisoner vibes.
“Empire bloke?” Lin Yun blinked, baffled.
The old man hit the arena.
*Boom!*
Fourth-turn Tribulation realm aura roared out.
“F-Fourth-turn?!” Lin Yun’s jaw nearly hit the floor.
What the hell—fight this?
Even fifth-tenth spikes shouldn’t jump *this* mad!
Confident as he was, Lin Yun knew—fourth-turn was beyond him!
“Little mate, head full of question marks? Don’t fret—I’m your foe, but you don’t need to beat me,” the old man chuckled.
“Senior, meaning?” Lin Yun frowned.
“Take five moves from me—you pass,” he smiled.
Lin Yun clicked—relief hit.
“Got it—go for it, Senior,” he gestured.
