The Vice Dean’s weathered face darkened, a terrifying pressure about to erupt. His lips parted slightly, ready to speak.
But before he could, another voice rang out: “I refuse to accept this!”
All eyes turned to the source, and in that instant, the crowd was stunned.
It was Lin Xiao who had spoken.
Everyone was dumbfounded. The Vice Dean was protecting him, yet he declared his defiance. Had he lost his mind?
Even the Vice Dean himself was momentarily taken aback by Lin Xiao’s words.
“Since Senior Sister Xiahou Jing insists on settling this with life or death, I’ll see it through to the end. Otherwise, wouldn’t I, Lin Xiao, be seen as a coward?” Lin Xiao’s voice was calm, almost serene.
Not only was his voice steady, but his entire presence was tranquil, not a trace of aura leaking out.
Yet, his calm couldn’t fool the unfathomable Vice Dean, who sensed a surging, torrential power brewing within Lin Xiao, as if preparing a devastating strike.
“Does this kid still have another trump card?” the Vice Dean mused, pausing.
Lin Xiao had felt the power of Xiahou Jing’s previous strike, and she had claimed her next would triple in strength. Yet he still chose to fight, suggesting absolute confidence. Otherwise, why would he court death?
Given Lin Xiao’s temperament, he didn’t seem reckless.
“Very well. Since both refuse to stop, then fight!” After a moment, the seasoned Vice Dean nodded and declared.
Instantly, the crowd’s murmurs erupted again. This battle had taken a dramatic turn.
It had nearly been suppressed, yet Lin Xiao himself had stepped forward.
“Is Lin Xiao out of his mind? Is pride worth more than life? Doesn’t he understand that as long as he survives, there’s hope?”
“Exactly. Better to be a coward than a corpse. With his talent, who would dare call him a coward?”
“Has fame gone to his head? Does he still think he can win the ranking competition’s championship?”
“What a pity. So young, so talented—a super prodigy, yet he’s about to fall. Just a fleeting bloom.”
The discussions buzzed. Almost no one believed Lin Xiao could defeat Xiahou Jing. Her techniques were too formidable, the evidence undeniable.
Baili He stood stunned, wanting to persuade him, but seeing Lin Xiao’s calm demeanor and the Vice Dean’s nod, he held his tongue.
The Seventh Elder’s face twisted into a sinister smile. Xiahou Wanyu’s lips curled coldly, and even Mo Jiutian wore a mocking sneer.
This time, Lin Xiao was doomed!
On the life-and-death stage, seeing Lin Xiao demand a fight, Xiahou Jing’s gaze held a trace of pity, her lips curving into an icy smile. “At least you’re man enough not to be a coward.”
“But you’re foolish. Your choice is no different from suicide.”
Her tone brimmed with confidence, her eyes regarding Lin Xiao as if he were already dead.
“Finished with the nonsense?” Lin Xiao said, utterly composed. “If so, you can say your last words.”
“You think you can kill me?” Xiahou Jing froze, then let out a scornful laugh. “Hahaha, that’s the funniest joke I’ve ever heard.”
“Let me tell you, my final strike—Second Layer Yin-Yang Dual Sword Prison—won’t just double in power. I’ll infuse it with my essence blood, tripling its might. Now, go repent in hell!”
As her words fell, torrential black energy surged from her, like demonic aura from the Nine Nether Hell, radiating terrifying fluctuations.
Her dual swords hadn’t moved, yet the heavens seemed to tremble.
The crowd gasped. Xiahou Jing’s final strike wasn’t doubling in power—it was tripling.
Three times the power of that terrifying strike—Lin Xiao had no chance. Even his vaunted physique would likely be reduced to ash.
Lin Xiao was doomed.
Yet, on the stage, Lin Xiao stood motionless, as if dazed or regretful, no aura emanating from him. In contrast, Xiahou Jing’s momentum soared, her ultimate strike rapidly brewing.
“Swish!”
But in the next moment, the crowd saw Lin Xiao move first. He lightly pointed forward, a faint, nearly invisible light dot shooting from his fingertip.
Compared to Xiahou Jing’s overwhelming presence, this dot was insignificant, like heaven and earth apart.
Yet, the instant it shot out, an endless, wild, and frenzied aura swept the arena, the heavens trembling.
In that moment, everyone’s hearts quaked with instinctive fear, shock, and terror.
This light dot seemed imbued with boundless power, capable of shattering the firmament and annihilating the world.
Sensing this terrifying strike, Xiahou Jing’s expression twisted in horror. She hurriedly unleashed her long-prepared strike.
Two colossal dark sword beams slashed through the air, but the light dot’s speed was even more terrifying, reaching Xiahou Jing in an instant and colliding with the dark beams.
In that split second—
“Boom!”
A blinding light, brighter than ten suns, erupted. An earth-shattering roar exploded, world-destroying energy detonating in an instant. Torrential energy waves surged, raging in all directions, cataclysmic shockwaves ravaging the arena.
The life-and-death stage’s array shattered instantly, endless dust whipped up by the energy waves, billowing outward.
In that moment, the stunned Vice Dean snapped back to reality. He stomped forward, enveloping the stage in vast Yuan force, containing the ocean-like energy waves, accompanied by searing hisses.
The crowd stood slack-jawed, petrified, their jaws nearly hitting the ground.
Shock, utter shock!
They could clearly see that the massive explosion stemmed from Lin Xiao’s light dot, its power far exceeding everyone’s expectations, dwarfing Xiahou Jing’s tripled strike.
No one could have imagined Lin Xiao had such a terrifying trump card, exponentially more fearsome than his previous ones.
The might of this strike was unimaginable for a first-level Martial King.
It was world-destroying, something even a Martial Venerable would fear.
How could a first-level Martial King contain such terrifying energy?
It completely defied human limits!
The Seventh Elder, Xiahou Wanyu, and Mo Jiutian froze, their eyes filled with deep worry. This strike surpassed their expectations, leaving them reeling.
The crowd stood in stunned silence, speechless for a long time.
As the energy dissipated, a massive crater appeared on the stage. At its edge lay a mangled corpse, drenched in blood. From the tattered black dress, it was clear—this was Xiahou Jing.
Xiahou Jing was dead, nearly torn to pieces, her body a broken ruin.
