Chapter 517 515: Exchanging Blows

Finally sweeping aside his last opponent, Lin Xuan reached the peak arena of the Empire Tournament. He had distinguished himself from over a thousand geniuses. To Qing Deyun and the others, this was an incredibly remarkable honor.

As for Zi Yanyun and the others, all they could do was sigh. Who would have thought that Lin Xuan would actually make it to the peak arena, standing at the summit of the Empire's many geniuses!

Their staredown was a clash between two supreme geniuses. In the end, who would be the true genius of the Empire?

"I'm in excellent condition right now. I don't need to rest," Mu Yulong said with a faint smile. "We can fight."

Of course, he was fine. He had finished his previous matches in just a few moves, so it was safe to say he was completely unscathed and could continue fighting. Although there was no arrogance on his face, he gave off the air of a man who was unmatched and seeking a worthy opponent, as if no one could ever harm him.

His expression wasn't arrogant, but his words held an undercurrent of it.

"I can also fight. I don't need to rest." One look was enough to tell that Lin Xuan was not in as good a condition as Mu Yulong, but he still chose to fight.

"Oh? You don't seem to be in the best shape," Mu Yulong said with a faint smile. "You can take some time to recover. If you're not at your peak, this might not be as satisfying as it could be."

"It's fine. Since you're choosing to do this, then so can I. That makes it fair," Lin Xuan replied with a faint smile of his own, appearing completely unconcerned.

"Good!" A look of appreciation flashed in Mu Yulong's eyes as he laughed heartily. "I admire you. This is exactly what I wanted. I can't wait any longer—it's been far too boring!"

'If you're so damn bored, why don't you go fight the Elders?' Lin Xuan thought. 'You definitely wouldn't be bored then. In fact, you'd get crushed.'

Of course, there's no thrill in that. A true sense of accomplishment only comes from fighting an expert of the same Realm, especially when your ages aren't far apart. Fighting those old monsters isn't just a beatdown; there's nothing to be gained from it.

To Bu Feiyun and the others, Lin Xuan's decision felt rash. Mu Yulong was completely fine, so of course he could afford to do this. But Lin Xuan had withstood several barrages and was even slightly injured. Would it be a problem for him to push himself like this?

However, they didn't voice any objections. After all, it wouldn't be a disaster if he lost. He had already secured second place, and they were quite satisfied with that.

The two stood on the arena. Mu Yulong looked at Lin Xuan and said, "I've been watching your fights from the very beginning. Your overall strength is quite good. It seems you still have a few tricks you haven't shown yet, don't you?"

He had been the most idle person in the entire venue. After his own matches ended so quickly, he simply watched from the side. He scanned the arena, looking for any highlights, and that was when he happened to notice Lin Xuan.

Lin Xuan's performance was a refreshing sight. His comprehensive skill level was very high, which came as a pleasant surprise.

"You could say that," Lin Xuan said with a faint smile. Of course, he still had plenty of trump cards he hadn't played.

"That's for the best. If what I've seen so far was your full strength, I would have been very disappointed… In fact, this entire Empire Tournament has been a disappointment!" Mu Yulong's fighting spirit surged, his eyes glinting. "I won't hold back. I'll use more than half my strength from the start. If you can't even take that, the match is over."

'Arrogant. He really was arrogant. But he had the right to be. He had advanced by instantly defeating every opponent. He was without a doubt the contestant who ended his matches the fastest, with absolutely no wasted moves.'

"That's only natural..." Lin Xuan narrowed his eyes. From the moment he stepped onto the stage, he could feel that Mu Yulong was already in a state of combat readiness. The instant the match began, the most ferocious attack would follow.

"The match... officially begins!" the referee announced after glancing at them both.

The entire audience stared with wide eyes, utterly silent, afraid of missing a single detail.

BOOM!

The moment the words fell, Mu Yulong stomped the ground, transforming into a shockwave that surged toward Lin Xuan. The violent force of his charge shattered the ground beneath him, leaving the newly repaired arena in ruins.

In the blink of an eye, he was in front of Lin Xuan, swinging a fist straight for his chest. It was an exceptionally simple punch, seemingly devoid of any Martial Arts—just a heavy blow driven by his pure Physique and Elemental Power!

The fist was enveloped in a cyclone of air that acted like a black hole, pulling Lin Xuan toward it. The powerful suction made him feel that it was impossible to escape or dodge!

BAM!

The punch struck the protective barrier projected by the Yunlan Sacred Robe. With seemingly no effort, the fist shattered it—or rather, the vortex surrounding the fist tore the barrier apart, causing it to dissolve into a shower of starlight!

Powerful! Incredibly powerful!

Mu Yulong hadn't been lying; he attacked with incredible force right from the start. If he couldn't even take this first punch, there would be no point in continuing.

Not only was his speed incredible, but his power was also tyrannical and unmatched. This was, without a doubt, the strongest opponent Lin Xuan had ever faced!

Mu Yulong was fast, but Lin Xuan was by no means slow. The soul of the Golden Dragon King had already possessed him, and the golden Dragon Scales covering his body flared to their maximum. He even coated them with a layer of Martial Intent, causing their power to skyrocket!

"Martial God Dragon-Breaking Fist!"

Lin Xuan let out a cold snort and met the attack with his own fist, colliding with the vortex-shrouded punch and triggering an explosive blast of ultimate power!

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Two explosions, compressed to their absolute limit, erupted. A terrifying shockwave raged outward, slamming heavily against the arena's protective barrier. Both fighters were simultaneously blasted back, sent hurtling through the air.

'Such powerful force!'

Blood seeped from Lin Xuan's fist; even his solid Martial Intent had been shattered by the single punch. Mu Yulong was also slightly injured. His own fist was bright red, and blood trickled from it, flowing down his arm.

Neither fighter had gained a clear advantage from the collision. Lin Xuan was shocked, but Mu Yulong was even more stunned. He had always believed his Physique to be exceptionally strong; he never expected to meet his match.

'The crucial part was that he had used a Celestial Level Martial Art, the Vortex Fist, yet it had been stopped. He had used this same move before, and no one had ever withstood it.'

"Interesting. Very interesting! Now this is fun!" Mu Yulong laughed loudly. While still in mid-air, he suddenly became a whirlwind, flying toward Lin Xuan. Or rather, he rode the turbulent winds from the explosion, drifting toward Lin Xuan as if he were flying!

He could already fly without even using Elemental Power Wings. This was an ability Lin Xuan recognized—the Wind Realm!

This was the same technique Ling Tian had used back in the Inner Hall. However, Mu Yulong's version was far more formidable, allowing him to better harness the speed of the wind! It was as if he could walk on air, completely dominating the sky.