Chapter Thirty-Two: Sparring Provocation, Establishing Authority with a Single Punch

The next morning, sunlight pierced through the thin mist in the bamboo forest, casting mottled light and shadows on the bluestone floor of the Guest Elder Courtyard.

Lin Xuan sat cross-legged in the courtyard, slowly finishing his cultivation. After a night of regulating his breath, the injuries in his body had recovered a bit more. Within his Dantian, eight hundred wisps of Source Martial Spiritual Energy flowed slowly, one step closer to the thousand-wisp Perfection. He could feel that the restorative power of the Indestructible Body of the Martial God was forming a subtle synergy with the tempering method of the Ancient God Body Refining Technique, allowing his Physical Body to quietly become tougher while recovering.

"Brother Lin! Brother Lin!" Wang Mang's loud voice came from outside the courtyard. Immediately after, that tower-like figure rushed in, his face full of excitement. "I've made a Breakthrough! I've really made a Breakthrough!"

Lin Xuan looked up and saw Wang Mang's Aura surging; he had unexpectedly entered the fourth level of Qi Refining. Although his Foundation still appeared unstable, it was indeed a massive leap from nothing.

"Not bad," Lin Xuan nodded slightly. "How is your cultivation of the Basic Martial Dao Spirit-Transformation Art going?"

"I did as you said, meditating and circulating my Qi every day. In the middle of the night yesterday, I suddenly felt my whole body getting hot, and then..." Wang Mang scratched his head and grinned foolishly. "Anyway, I just broke through!"

Li Dali also walked out of the room. Although his face looked tired, he couldn't hide the joy in his eyes. "Brother Lin, I've also broken through to the third level of Qi Refining. This Cultivation Technique... is too miraculous! I've been stuck at the second level of Qi Refining for several years, and no matter how I cultivated, it was useless. Yet in just these few days..."

Lin Xuan looked at the two of them and said seriously, "The Basic Martial Dao Spirit-Transformation Art is different from ordinary immortal Cultivation Techniques. It doesn't rely on a Spiritual Root but takes blood and Qi as its Foundation and will as its guide. Your quick Breakthroughs show that your Foundations are decent and your Heart-Nature is compatible. But remember, this is only the beginning. The road ahead is still long."

The two nodded solemnly.

Just then, a flurry of noisy footsteps came from outside the courtyard gate, followed by a somewhat playful voice:

"Yo, I heard someone shouting 'Breakthrough' so early in the morning. I thought it was some big deal. Turns out it's just two Loose Cultivators who just joined."

Lin Xuan's gaze shifted slightly. At the courtyard entrance, Ouyang Jie walked in arrogantly with three or four young disciples of similar age. He had changed into a black brocade robe with a jade pendant hanging from his waist and a folding fan in his hand, putting on a suave and elegant air. However, the contempt and provocation in his eyes were completely undisguised.

Wang Mang's expression changed, and he took a step forward to lash out, but Li Dali pulled him back.

Ouyang Jie glanced at the two of them and sneered, "Third or fourth level of Qi Refining, and you dare to act wild in Bailian Villa? You really don't know the height of the heavens or the depth of the earth." His gaze moved past them and landed on Lin Xuan, who was still sitting cross-legged on the ground. "Hey, you, the one named Lin. I heard you gained an Opportunity in the Black Wind Ridge ruins and even fought with people from the Yunni Sect? What, now that you've arrived at our Bailian Villa, you're tucking your head in like a turtle?"

Lin Xuan slowly stood up, brushed off non-existent dust from his robe, and looked at Ouyang Jie calmly. "Is there something?"

"Is there something?" Ouyang Jie closed his folding fan and pointed at Lin Xuan. "Of course there's something! What I, Ouyang Jie, hate most are guys like you who put on an act. A Loose Cultivator in the Qi Refining Stage, why should our Old Ancestor personally bring you back? Why should you live in the Guest Elder Courtyard? Today, I'm going to test you for the villa and see exactly how much you're worth!"

The young disciples behind him immediately started jeering:

"Right! Test him!"

"Senior Brother Ouyang is at the Early Stage of Foundation Establishment. Beating a Qi Refining Stage like him is as easy as reaching for something in a bag, isn't it?"

"Let him know that Bailian Villa isn't a place just anyone can come to!"

Wang Mang turned red with anger and roared, "You're going too far! Brother Lin is injured; you're taking advantage of his situation!"

"Injured?" Ouyang Jie raised an eyebrow, sized up Lin Xuan, and sneered, "That's even better. If he can win while injured, that's true skill. If he can't even beat someone while they're injured, it only proves... he's a piece of trash."

The people behind him immediately burst into laughter.

Lin Xuan looked at Ouyang Jie and suddenly smiled. The smile was faint, but it caused Ouyang Jie's heart to skip a beat for no reason.

"How do you want to test?" Lin Xuan asked.

Ouyang Jie suppressed that inexplicable unease and lifted his chin. "A fight, of course! At the Martial Arts Arena, in front of everyone! Do you dare?"

Lin Xuan nodded. "Lead the way."

"Brother Lin!" Wang Mang said anxiously. "Your injuries..."

Lin Xuan waved his hand, signaling him not to say more, and walked out of the courtyard first.

Ouyang Jie was stunned for a moment, then sneered and followed closely with his lackeys.

Li Dali pulled Wang Mang and whispered, "Don't worry, Brother Lin knows what he's doing. Let's follow and see."

...

Bailian Villa, Martial Arts Arena.

This was an open area covering several acres. The ground was paved with hard Qinggang Stone, and simple protective Formations were set up around it to prevent accidental injuries to onlookers during sparring. At this moment, many people had already gathered around the Martial Arts Arena—young disciples who had heard the news and come to watch the excitement, several Elders with various expressions, and even Sect Master Ouyang Lie had quietly appeared on the spectator stand not far away.

News traveled fast. An outside Loose Cultivator, on his second day in the Guest Elder Courtyard, was going to spar with the Sect Master's second son, Ouyang Jie. No one wanted to miss this excitement.

In the center of the Martial Arts Arena, Lin Xuan and Ouyang Jie stood facing each other.

Ouyang Jie took off his outer robe, revealing a tight-fitting martial outfit. In his hand, he held a long, crimson-red sword. The blade flickered with faint firelight, clearly a high-grade Magical Artifact. He looked at Lin Xuan with a flash of pride in his eyes. "This 'Blazing Flame Sword' of mine was personally forged by me. It's a Medium Grade Magical Artifact with extraordinary power. Don't blame me for bullying you since you're facing me empty-handed."

Lin Xuan glanced at the sword and said indifferently, "It's fine."

"Arrogant!" Ouyang Jie snorted coldly and wasted no more words. He shook his long sword, and a crimson Sword Qi whistled out, aiming straight for Lin Xuan's face!

This strike was fast and fierce, with a scorching Aura faintly contained within the sword light. Clearly, Ouyang Jie was not holding back. He wanted to defeat Lin Xuan with one strike and show everyone that he, the Genius of Bailian Villa, did not have an empty reputation!

Among the onlookers, some cried out in surprise while others cheered.

However, in the next instant, everyone's voices got stuck in their throats.

Facing that sharp Sword Qi, Lin Xuan simply tilted his body slightly to let it pass. The movement was small but as precise as if it had been calculated; the Sword Qi brushed past his lapel without even touching a corner of his clothes.

Ouyang Jie's expression changed, and he shifted his sword stance. The Blazing Flame Sword transformed into a sky full of sword shadows, enveloping Lin Xuan like a violent storm! This was his signature sword technique, "Raging Flames Fluttering," which he had used to defeat many opponents of the same rank!

Lin Xuan still didn't dodge or evade. His figure shifted and flickered within the sword shadows, each step landing on the weakest point of the sword's momentum. Not a single one of the sky-filling sword shadows could touch him in the slightest!

"This... how is this possible?" Ouyang Jie was struck with horror. Although his sword momentum couldn't be called flawless, ordinary Early Stage Foundation Establishment Cultivators would find it difficult to evade so easily. How did this Qi Refining Loose Cultivator do it?

On the spectator stand, Ouyang Lie's brow furrowed, and a look of gravity flashed in his eyes. The Elders also looked at each other and whispered.

Ouyang Jie gritted his teeth and suddenly surged his entire body's spiritual power. The Blazing Flame Sword erupted with light, transforming into a massive Sword Astral over a zhang long, slashing down towards Lin Xuan's head!

"Blazing Flame Slash! Defeat!"

This strike was his trump card, its power comparable to a blow from the Middle Stage of Foundation Establishment!

Lin Xuan finally moved.

He didn't retreat but instead took a step forward. As he stepped out, the entire Martial Arts Arena seemed to tremble slightly.

He clenched his right hand into a fist, and his blood and Qi boiled instantly. A dark gold luster flowed beneath his skin. In his mind, the Concept of "Mountain Crushing" from the remnant of the Three Mountain-Shaking Forms flowed through his heart.

One punch, blasted out!

There was no world-shaking spiritual power fluctuation, only a punch force that was pure to the extreme and condensed to the limit. Like a mountain collapsing, it crashed straight into that massive Sword Astral!

"BOOM—!!!"

Amidst the deafening roar, that imposing Sword Astral was actually shattered into pieces by a single punch! The Blazing Flame Sword flew out of his hand and stabbed into the ground more than ten zhang away, buzzing and vibrating!

The remaining force of the punch didn't fade and slammed heavily into Ouyang Jie's chest!

"Pfft—!"

Ouyang Jie spat out a mouthful of blood and flew backward like a broken kite, crashing heavily onto the edge of the Martial Arts Arena. He struggled a few times but couldn't get up!

The entire field fell into a deathly silence!

Everyone watched this scene dumbfounded. A Genius of the Early Stage of Foundation Establishment was actually defeated by a single punch from a Loose Cultivator in the Qi Refining Stage! Moreover, it was a frontal defeat with bare hands!

"This... how is this possible?" someone murmured.

"That punch of his... what Spell was it?"

"It wasn't a Spell; it was pure physical strength!"

"How can physical strength be so powerful?"

The sound of discussion exploded.

Lin Xuan retracted his fist. Without even looking at the fallen Ouyang Jie, he turned and walked toward the exit of the Martial Arts Arena. As he passed the lackeys, his steps paused slightly. His gaze swept over their terrified faces, and he said indifferently, "Who else wants to try?"

Those few people retreated repeatedly, shaking their heads like rattles.

Lin Xuan ignored them and left directly.

Wang Mang and Li Dali hurriedly followed, their faces full of excitement. Wang Mang couldn't help but shout, "See that! That's my Brother Lin! He knocked that so-called Genius down with just one punch!"

Li Dali pulled him and whispered, "Don't shout, let's go."

The three disappeared outside the Martial Arts Arena.

On the spectator stand, Ouyang Lie was silent for a long time before finally speaking, "Check this Lin Xuan's background. The more detailed, the better."

An Elder responded and left.

Ouyang Lie's gaze fell upon the Blazing Flame Sword stabbed into the ground at the edge of the Martial Arts Arena, a complex light flashing in his eyes.

...

Guest Elder Courtyard.

Lin Xuan returned to the courtyard and sat cross-legged. His face was slightly pale. In that punch just now, he had used a portion of his Origin power, which affected his unhealed injuries. But compared to the gains, this small price was not worth mentioning.

This punch had established his foothold in Bailian Villa. Those jumping clowns who were itching to act would definitely not dare to provoke him again for a short time.

As for the long term...

Lin Xuan looked up at the bamboo forest outside the courtyard. Sunlight filtered through the bamboo leaves, creating mottled light and shadows.

Long-term matters will be dealt with in the long term.

At least for now, he could quietly heal his injuries, digest the Legacy, and improve his strength.

As for that Ouyang Jie, if he could wake up after this defeat, he might still achieve something. If he remained obstinate... what did it have to do with him?

Lin Xuan closed his eyes, and the Indestructible Body of the Martial God began to circulate slowly once more.

The noise from the Martial Arts Arena gradually faded away.

A new chapter had only just begun.

(End of Volume 2, Chapter 32)

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[Next Chapter Preview]: Establishing authority with a single punch, the villa is shaken! Lin Xuan crushed Ouyang Jie with absolute strength, intimidating the small fry, but also attracting more attention. Ouyang Lie personally ordered an investigation into Lin Xuan's background, while the Elders each had their own thoughts. Meanwhile, in the Guest Elder Courtyard, Wang Mang and Li Dali's enthusiasm for cultivation surged, while Lin Xuan continued to heal and digest his Legacy. The undercurrents of Bailian Villa are quietly shifting. Next Chapter: Villa Undercurrents, Everyone's Thoughts!