This left Xia Jianren deeply unwilling. He speculated that Lin Xiao must have paid a heavy price to wield the skeletal hand and couldn’t possibly sustain such power.
Driven by reluctance and guesswork, he challenged Lin Xiao. But Lin Xiao unleashed the skeletal hand again, using the same move to defeat Xia Jianren.
This made several seeds who’d underestimated Lin Xiao take him seriously. His victory over Zhao Jing wasn’t a fluke—he had the strength to beat him. Challenging Lin Xiao early would be too costly…
After losing, Xia Jianren didn’t pick another opponent, retreating to preserve his strength.
The following battles featured the nine veteran disciples, each fight intense.
Then came Hong Feng, Yu Long, and Bu Xi, all targeting veterans. Hong Feng showcased formidable power in his first two fights, being the only new disciple at third-level Martial King.
But against Yun Jiangnan, Hong Feng lost.
This stunned the crowd, especially new disciples.
These top-thirty veterans were no pushovers—even a prodigy like Hong Feng couldn’t break through.
The confident Hong Feng took a heavy blow.
Yu Long followed Hong Feng’s path, targeting veterans whose strength and depletion were known.
He narrowly defeated Liu Qing but fell to Yun Jiangnan.
In contrast, Silver Tin Swordsman Bu Xi delivered a shocking performance, sweeping through, defeating Liu Qing, Yun Jiangnan, and even challenging Mo Fei.
He lost to Mo Fei but beat Hong Feng, Yu Long, and broke Tu Bubai’s defense—an impressive feat.
Next was Duan Cangsheng, whose combat power stunned all. Wielding a long spear, his Cangsheng Art was unstoppable. He picked opponents from weakest to strongest.
He swept all nine veteran disciples and, among new disciples, everyone except Lin Xiao, the Shura Butcher, and Gu Juejin.
He even defeated Mo Fei, broke through a cultivation level during a fierce battle with Xia Jianren to win, and then beat Zhao Jing, making a resounding name.
Another massive dark horse, shocking the arena.
After defeating Zhao Jing, he retreated.
Duan Cangsheng’s fame soared!
Ji Chen took the stage, defeating Duan Cangsheng in a fierce first fight, then sweeping through. All new disciples except Lin Xiao, Gu Juejin, and the Shura Butcher conceded.
Not because they didn’t want to challenge Ji Chen, but because he was too strong—fighting him was just suffering.
Zhao Jing, Mo Fei, Xia Jianren (all beaten by Duan Cangsheng), and the nine non-seed veterans also conceded.
Finally, Ji Chen targeted new disciples ranked as seeds. Lin Xiao’s earlier dominance deterred him, and Gu Juejin had beaten a seed.
The only one without a seed victory was the Shura Butcher, so Ji Chen set his sights on him.
But the Shura Butcher, in a frenzy, demanded a death match, stunning everyone.
What followed was even more shocking. In one move, the Shura Butcher killed Ji Chen.
The arena hit a fever pitch, the plaza boiling for ages—the most shocking moment yet, bar none.
A contender who’d beaten three seeds and the rising dark horse Duan Cangsheng, killed in one move by the Shura Butcher…
No one wasn’t stunned, even the high-ups on the main platform.
After the Shura Butcher, things calmed slightly until another seed took the stage, reigniting excitement.
Lai Shufeng challenged the dark horse Duan Cangsheng and defeated him. Those weaker than Duan Cangsheng conceded in droves.
Fighting was futile.
Lai Shufeng didn’t dare touch the Shura Butcher, Lin Xiao, or Gu Juejin, still reeling from the Shura Butcher’s display.
These new disciples were monstrous, making him wary of acting first—better to let others test them.
Then, Lai Shufeng challenged Luo Zhong, who’d only fought once and was undrained. They’d have to clash eventually.
Luo Zhong’s Nameless Bell was supremely powerful, and Lai Shufeng lost.
Next came more battles with regular and new disciples.
Until another seed, Lei Kuang, sparked excitement again. Before the competition, Lei Kuang was hailed as the third-ranked prodigy.
But in his heart, he aimed for first.
He challenged Luo Zhong immediately.
To Lin Xiao’s shock, Lei Kuang had a thunder-attribute bloodline and practiced the Thunder Sword Art, mastering the second form.
With his thunder bloodline, the first and second forms outpowered Lin Xiao’s third form before his own mastery.
Lei Kuang was even starting the third form, though incomplete, and had taken another path by tempering his body with thunder from the Thunder Array Zone.
The first two forms of the Thunder Sword Art stunned all, even making some elders stand, knowing its true significance.
But Luo Zhong’s Nameless Bell was too strong. The Thunder Sword Art’s first two forms and thunder bloodline weren’t enough to win.
Lei Kuang switched to a thunder hammer, blasting Luo Zhong away.
Worthy of the third-ranked prodigy.
Then, except for Lin Xiao, Gu Juejin, the Shura Butcher, Xiahou Jing, and Gu Xuanyuan, everyone conceded.
Lei Kuang didn’t pick these five this round.
Next was Gu Xuanyuan, who chose Luo Zhong. Luo Zhong conceded, and like Lei Kuang, everyone else followed suit—no need to fight.
He also avoided Lin Xiao, Gu Juejin, the Shura Butcher, Lei Kuang, and Xiahou Jing, saving the best battles for when others were nearly done.
Xiahou Jing did the same, picking Luo Zhong, who fought unwillingly but was defeated in one exquisite move.
This greatly boosted the crowd’s view of Xiahou Jing’s overwhelming strength.
Those who bet on her grew secretly thrilled.
After beating Luo Zhong, Xiahou Jing swept through without fighting, leaving only Lin Xiao, Gu Juejin, the Shura Butcher, Gu Xuanyuan, and Lei Kuang.
Many more fought before the final number, Lin Xiao, took the stage.
Lin Xiao had waited ages, the strength hierarchy nearly set, before his turn.
When he stepped up, all eyes lit up.
Who would Lin Xiao choose?
