Chapter 516 - 514: The Battle for Supremacy

Another explosion erupted, but this time, it centered on Jiang Xuanyuan, not Lin Xuan. Had Jiang Xuanyuan effortlessly shattered the blade of light and was now charging through, or had he been caught squarely by the attack?

Just as the audience was holding their breath in suspense, a flash of light burst from the explosion. Jiang Xuanyuan emerged, completely unscathed. He sneered, "What ’it’s over’? What a useless move. I shattered it with a single punch. It really was all show and no substance!"

The spectators who didn’t favor Lin Xuan were overjoyed. It seemed Lin Xuan had just been bluffing, trying to intimidate Jiang Xuanyuan.

An Elder from the Su Family smiled and shook his head, a mocking glint in his eyes. ’Is he trying to embarrass the Bu Family?’

Bu Feiyun, however, just sighed. This outcome wasn’t unexpected; it was merely a question of whether it would happen sooner or later.

At that moment, Lin Xuan retracted his Martial Intent and even recalled the Martial God’s soul. He returned to his usual state, appearing even more ordinary than before as he calmly watched the approaching Jiang Xuanyuan.

This drew gasps of shock from the crowd, as it appeared Lin Xuan had given up and had no intention of fighting back.

"Has this kid finally chosen to give up? Does he think he has no more trump cards?"

"Hmph, he’s already given up. What more is there to say?"

"All thunder and no rain. To think it would end like this. His aura was so powerful just a moment ago. What a letdown!"

...

Voices of ridicule and dissatisfaction echoed through the arena. Some were upset that Lin Xuan had given up, believing that even being severely wounded would be better than surrendering! It was a matter of a man’s dignity—a genius’s dignity.

Jiang Xuanyuan’s face twisted into a ferocious snarl. With a furious roar, he hurtled toward Lin Xuan, already picturing him being smashed into a bloody pulp!

But just as he was about to land the blow, a faint smile graced Lin Xuan’s lips. "It’s over..."

The words had barely left his lips when, with a loud BANG, an explosion erupted from Jiang Xuanyuan’s body in mid-air. He spat out a mouthful of blood and was flung backward. While still flying through the air, another BANG resounded as a second explosion detonated from within him.

This explosion wasn’t caused by Lin Xuan’s attack. It was Jiang Xuanyuan’s own Array Talismans, detonating one after another. The blasts continued until they had exploded four times in mid-air. By the time they stopped, Jiang Xuanyuan’s body was a mangled mess of flesh and blood. He then plummeted from the sky, crashing heavily onto the ground.

The crowd saw Jiang Xuanyuan lying on the ground, unsure if he was dead or alive. His body was a blurry ruin; there wasn’t an unmarred patch of skin left on him. The Array Talismans had detonated from within, causing immense damage to his limbs. Even if he survived, his arms and legs would likely be crippled... unless he could obtain some Treasures of Heaven and Earth, a full recovery would be impossible.

"Wh-what’s going on? Why did Jiang Xuanyuan’s Array Talismans suddenly explode... Could it be Mu Shuang’s attack?"

"Attack? I didn’t see anything. I just saw Jiang Xuanyuan explode like that. What happened!"

"Heavens, what on earth is going on? Just a moment ago, Jiang Xuanyuan was perfectly fine..."

...

The spectators were all dumbfounded, completely bewildered. It had been so clear: one more punch and Lin Xuan would have been finished. With no defenses, his death was certain.

Who could have predicted that Jiang Xuanyuan would be the one to lose, and so utterly at that? It left everyone baffled and confused about what had just transpired.

"Martial Intent. It was the effect of Martial Intent... That slash contained a boundless Vibration Power. While it didn’t harm Jiang Xuanyuan directly, it was able to vibrate the Array Talismans within his body. If the formation of the Array Talismans is even slightly disturbed, it fails..."

Joy flashed in Bu Feiyun’s eyes as he explained, "But to achieve this, one must possess an incredibly potent Martial Intent; otherwise, it would have no effect. That kid is a true genius, using such a method to break the formation with ease. Once the Array Talismans were disturbed, as long as Jiang Xuanyuan continued to attack, the power would turn back on himself!"

His voice wasn’t loud, but the people nearby heard him, and only then did they understand what had happened.

In reality, it was exactly as Bu Feiyun had described. Lin Xuan had used the vibrations within his Martial Intent to relentlessly bombard Jiang Xuanyuan’s protective barrier. Under these extreme vibrations, the Array Talismans inside Jiang Xuanyuan’s body were slightly displaced. A minor shift wouldn’t have been an issue. The problem arose when Jiang Xuanyuan unleashed his full power, for when the Array Talismans were fully activated, this displacement created an anomaly.

As a result, the power that should have been unleashed outward instead detonated inside his own body. The outcome was what everyone had just witnessed: Jiang Xuanyuan was defeated.

A moment ago, it wasn’t that Lin Xuan had chosen to give up; there was simply no need to fight anymore. He had already foreseen the outcome, so what was the point of continuing?

"Mu Shuang is the victor!" the referee announced. Jiang Xuanyuan was on the brink of death and couldn’t even stand, so naturally, Lin Xuan had won.

Lin Xuan’s victory was met with a wave of cheers, but only from the Bu Family’s contingent. The expressions on everyone else’s faces were grim. A boy from some backwater Empire had climbed right over their heads. It was intolerable!

The Su Family Elder’s expression changed drastically, and he quickly dispatched people to retrieve Jiang Xuanyuan. While Jiang Xuanyuan may have been a step below Lin Xuan, he was still a rare genius in their eyes and absolutely had to be saved.

"To think we’d still lose to the Bu Family... That kid..." Su Feng’s face was ashen. He had never expected Jiang Xuanyuan to lose; the possibility had never even crossed his mind!

He had intended to cripple Lin Xuan, but now it seemed his own disciple was the one who was crippled, to the point where he was no different from a dead man. Lin Xuan hadn’t even bothered to land a finishing blow. Saving him would require an immense price, which, as a blow against the Su Family, was quite cost-effective.

When dealing with people from the Yan Family and the Su Family, Lin Xuan showed absolutely no mercy. They were his future enemies, after all, so why would he hold back? In fact, since they never held back against him, why should he extend them any courtesy?

When he fought Tang Yingxue, however, he hadn’t been so ruthless. At the very least, she had treated him with a measure of respect.

"You are quite good." Mu Yulong’s voice came from the side. It was flat, without any inflection, and somewhat stiff, as if he had only just learned how to speak.

Mu Yulong had finished his battle long ago and had been standing by, watching Lin Xuan. He was completely unharmed; even his aura hadn’t fluctuated in the slightest. Apparently, his opponent had failed to make any impact on him at all—not even a single hair was out of place, which was astonishing.

"You are as well," Lin Xuan replied with a calm smile. ’So, it’s finally time for the last battle. And I’m facing an unfathomable opponent!’

The two stared at each other. The final showdown was imminent. It was time to see who could truly claim first place—Lin Xuan, or Mu Yulong!

Most people believed it would be Mu Yulong. He had always defeated his opponents with ease, barely exerting any of his true power. Lin Xuan, on the other hand, despite having many trump cards, had clearly struggled through his matches. The gap between them was plain to see.