Chapter 501 499: Mu Qianlong's Strength

"You mark my words, you'll regret this!" the man roared. He hadn't expected Lin Xuan to refuse so bluntly. The previous offer had just been a jest, not a sincere invitation.

Lin Xuan didn't reply. He wouldn't waste even half a word on such a person; anything more was just a waste of breath. Joining the Yan Family was out of the question. For one, they were his sworn enemies. Furthermore, he would be branded a traitor, a reputation he refused to bear. Besides, who knew if the Yan Family was even sincere? If it was a trap, he'd only end up burning bridges with both sides.

A man must strive to climb higher, but timing is everything. He'd rather join the Chen Family than the Yan Family. But he wouldn't just jump ship randomly. That was an easy way to corner oneself. After all, if he was willing to leave one family, it implied he'd do the same to the next if a stronger one appeared.

That kind of infamy would stick with him forever. To be honest, people like that weren't uncommon, but Lin Xuan, at least, would never stoop so low.

Besides, this area was crawling with spies. If he really were to join the Yan Family, the Bu Family would never let him off the hook. Now, if the Bu Family were to treat him unjustly, then he would definitely choose to leave.

Of course, the Bu Family wasn't treating him exceptionally well right now. But as long as it didn't truly hinder him, he had no reason to leave.

After he departed, the Bu Family's spies in the distance vanished, relaying every detail of the encounter to the Elders. As for what they thought about it, that was their business.

「One week later.」

The finals arrived as scheduled. Out of more than a thousand participants, only eighteen remained. The elimination process was truly brutal.

But this elimination system was the only way to determine which family's fresh blood was the strongest. It was an excellent method, as it not only allowed them to recruit genuinely talented disciples but also brought great honor to their respective families.

The eighteen remaining contestants eyed one another, sizing each other up, wondering who their next opponent might be.

Lin Xuan observed them for a moment and found that the Yan and Su Families were indeed top-tier. Of the eighteen, the Yan Family claimed five spots, and the Su Family took four. The remaining eight were split among the other three families. The Bu Family, however, had fared the worst, with only two members left!

It was easy to imagine, then, that if Lin Xuan could continue to secure a high rank, his treatment within the Bu Family would improve dramatically.

"Your strength isn't bad, but that's all it is—not bad. Your Soul Power is quite strong, but not unbeatable. Your fists are hard enough, but they seem limited... You might be able to defeat Mu Junjie, but if you were to face me, you aren't even qualified!" Mu Qianlong stood beside Lin Xuan, his voice dripping with contempt.

This sense of superiority was bone-deep. The title of First Empire wasn't just for show. In terms of both resources and the sheer number of geniuses, the Yan Family was leagues ahead of everyone else. The empires under their banner were naturally rich in resources; otherwise, they could never have produced so many prodigies.

Out of eighteen contestants, five were from the Yan Family. This was a terrifying number. The Bu Family, with only two, looked rather bleak in comparison.

"Not even qualified to face you? With such big words, aren't you afraid of biting your tongue?" Lin Xuan retorted coolly.

"A frog in a well..." Mu Qianlong smiled indifferently, unbothered by Lin Xuan's mockery. "It's not bad that you've managed to climb this far, but your Cultivation is ultimately too low! Third Layer Spirit Pill Stage. Even if you have a few tricks up your sleeve, they're ultimately limited. Your low Cultivation, especially, is your most fatal flaw!"

Mu Qianlong's Cultivation was at the Seventh Layer Spirit Pill Stage, a monstrous level. Of course, he wasn't young either, around twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old. He was a good seven or eight years older than Lin Xuan, so having such a Cultivation level was normal. If Lin Xuan were seven or eight years older, his Cultivation would definitely surpass Mu Qianlong's.

But that wasn't the case now. The fact was that Lin Xuan's Cultivation was lower than Mu Qianlong's.

Fighting someone at a higher level was possible, but when the opponent's overall strength was formidable, such a feat became exceedingly difficult.

"Of course, even if I gave you a few more years, you still wouldn't be worthy!" Mu Qianlong said with a faint smile. "The only ones qualified to fight me are the people from my own Celestial Successor Empire!"

Such arrogance, a tone that suggested he was the only one who mattered. If someone wanted to see the Celestial Successor Empire lose, they would need an even stronger contestant from outside the Empire to do it. After all, Mu Qianlong was currently ranked second, not first!

The first-ranked, Mu Yulong, was the strongest. He remained cold and detached, not having said a single word. He didn't even bother looking at anyone, simply resting with his eyes closed, as if nothing could possibly capture his attention.

"The power you used against Shi Yalong was indeed not weak. But if it were me, I would have finished him faster and more easily!" Mu Qianlong said with a faint smile. "In the next match, I'll be facing another contestant from the Chen Family. His techniques are stronger than Shi Yalong's, but before me, he's still not worth mentioning!"

At this moment, the pairings for the next battles were announced. This time, it wasn't a random draw but a deliberate selection. After all, the Celestial Successor Empire had five members. A random draw could easily pit them against each other, which would obviously be unfair.

So, they were separated to face contestants from other families. They would only fight each other once only their own people were left. While it might seem unfair, it was actually the fairest method, as it ensured they wouldn't have to eliminate their own. That alone was a huge advantage.

"First match: Mu Qianlong versus Shi Yintian!"

"Second match: Mu Shuang versus Tang Yingxue!"

"Third match..."

All the matchups were announced. Mu Qianlong quickly walked onto the stage and stood opposite Shi Yintian. When the referee announced the start of the match, Lin Xuan saw a domineering Dragon Power erupt from Mu Qianlong's body. It truly felt as if, just as his name suggested, he had the Essence Blood of a thousand dragons stored within him.

The next moment, Mu Qianlong charged forward. His speed was incredible, much faster than Lin Xuan had been before. In an instant, he was in front of Shi Yintian, swinging his fist and smashing it heavily against an even thicker protective barrier.

BAM! BAM! BAM!

In a short span, Mu Qianlong struck three times, and an extremely potent Dragon Power exploded on the barrier. Under the force of three punches, the barrier, which was considerably tougher than Shi Yalong's, shattered violently!

Shi Yintian quickly summoned Sharp Spikes to protect himself and even launched them toward Mu Qianlong. But with just a few more punches, Mu Qianlong smashed them all to pieces. At the same time, he landed a brutal blow on Shi Yintian. His strikes were like lightning; in the blink of an eye, he had thrown an uncountable number of punches. All anyone saw was Shi Yintian being sent flying backward, crashing into the arena's protective barrier.

Blood sprayed from his mouth.

He slid slowly down the barrier, all signs of life gone. He was dead!

The entire process took no more than ten breaths' time, far faster than Lin Xuan had been. There was simply no comparison. It seemed this Mu Qianlong was indeed a powerful opponent!

"So strong..." Lin Xuan narrowed his eyes, but there was still not a trace of fear in them.

A long time ago, he had forgotten what fear felt like. His will was like a sharp sword, ready to cut down any and all thorns!