Chapter Forty: The Golden Core Acts, A Desperate Battle

On the martial arts arena, the dust settled.

Yan Lie's kneeling figure was like a monument of shame, standing before everyone. Those three kowtows and that cry of "Grandpa" were like three slaps to the face, fiercely striking the Liehuo Sect and everyone who had looked down on Lin Xuan.

The entire venue was silent.

On the VIP seats, Han Mo's face was so gloomy it looked like it could drip water. The frequency of his fingers tapping the armrest grew faster, revealing his extreme unease and anger. Leng Ningshuang remained expressionless, but deep within her eyes, a strange light flickered. Wolf Seven still looked like a crouching Vicious Beast, but his sharp eyes were now completely locked onto Lin Xuan, filled with scrutiny, wariness, and a hint of... eager killing intent.

Lin Xuan walked slowly toward the edge of the field with steady steps, as if the battle just now had merely been a warm-up.

But only he knew that his internal injuries had been agitated again.

Yan Lie was, after all, at Foundation Establishment Perfection, and that final strike, the "Blood-Burning Sky-Incinerating Fist," had power close to the Golden Core Early Stage. Although Lin Xuan had crushed it with his "Mountain Crushing" Fist Intent, the residual energy of those ghostly blue flames had still seeped into his body, resonating with his old injuries that had not yet fully healed. At this moment, the rotation of the Spiritual Qi core in his Dantian was slightly stagnant, and the flow of the nine hundred and ninety-nine strands of Source Martial Spiritual Energy was not as smooth as before.

He needed time to adjust his breathing.

But someone did not want to give him that time.

"Hold on."

A raspy, low voice sounded.

Wolf Seven slowly stood up. He didn't intentionally release any pressure, but the simple act of standing up caused the atmosphere of the entire venue to suddenly freeze. That invisible sense of oppression spread out like something physical, making it difficult for many Disciples with lower cultivation to breathe.

Golden Core Early Stage.

This was the highest cultivation level among everyone present.

Wolf Seven walked into the field, each step seemingly treading on the hearts of the crowd. He came to a halt ten feet in front of Lin Xuan, his gaze like a Vicious Beast eyeing its prey as he sized Lin Xuan up.

"Kid, you're not bad," he spoke, his voice raspy like sandpaper rubbing together. "To defeat Foundation Establishment Perfection while at the Qi Refinement Stage is one in ten thousand. Unfortunately..."

He paused, a cruel smile curling at the corner of his mouth. "You're too arrogant. So arrogant that I find you eyesore."

Lin Xuan looked up at him, his gaze as calm as water. "And so?"

"And so?" Wolf Seven grinned, revealing forest-white teeth. "I want to see if these fists of yours can withstand a single strike from the Golden Core Stage."

As soon as these words were spoken, the entire venue broke into an uproar!

"Golden Core Stage against Qi Refinement Stage? Have they no shame?"

"The people of the Sky Wolf Gang truly don't follow the rules!"

"It's over, it's over. Lin Xuan is dead for sure this time..."

Wang Mang's eyes were red with anxiety as he roared, "Unfair! Brother Lin just finished a fight; you're taking advantage of his exhaustion!"

Li Dali held him back tightly, his face pale.

Wolf Seven glanced at Wang Mang as if looking at an ant, then looked back at Lin Xuan. "Kid, you can refuse. If you refuse, then in front of everyone, kneel down and kowtow three times to me, call me 'Grandpa,' and I'll let you go."

He paused, his smile becoming increasingly cruel. "How about it? Very fair, right?"

Lin Xuan looked at him and suddenly smiled.

That smile was very faint, but it caused Wolf Seven's heart to skip a beat for no reason.

"Golden Core Early Stage..." Lin Xuan repeated in a low voice, then looked up, a sharp cold light flashing in his eyes. "I also want to see just how strong the Golden Core Stage really is."

"Brother Lin!" Wang Mang was frantic.

Lin Xuan raised his hand to stop him. He looked at Wolf Seven and said word by word, "We can fight. But I have one condition."

Wolf Seven raised an eyebrow. "Speak."

Lin Xuan said calmly, "Life or death, regardless."

The entire venue fell into a deathly silence once more!

Life or death, regardless?!

A Loose Cultivator at the Qi Refinement Stage was taking the initiative to propose a life-and-death match against a powerhouse at the Golden Core Early Stage?!

Has he gone mad?!

Wolf Seven was stunned for a moment, then he threw his head back and laughed wildly, his laughter causing the surrounding air to tremble. "Good, good, good! In all my years, this is the first time I've seen a Qi Refinement Stage with such guts! Fine! I promise you! Life or death, regardless!"

His smile vanished, a fierce light exploded in his eyes, and the Aura around his body erupted violently!

That Aura was like the mountains and the sea, like an abyss and a prison! It was more than ten times stronger than Yan Lie's! The surrounding spectating Disciples were hit by this Aura; their expressions changed as they retreated several steps!

Lin Xuan stood at the center of that Aura, his robes fluttering loudly, but his figure remained as steady as a rock.

He took a deep breath, pushing the Ancient God Body Refining Technique and the Indestructible Body of the Martial God to their limits simultaneously! That Spiritual Qi core spun frantically, and the nine hundred and ninety-nine strands of Source Martial Spiritual Energy were like a boiling river, roaring and surging through his Meridians! The warm current originating from the Black Wind Ridge Legacy was also fully activated at this moment, merging into one with the Spiritual Qi core!

His Aura was climbing step by step!

Although it was still far from the Golden Core level, the speed and momentum of that climb made everyone feel a sense of palpitation!

"Somewhat interesting." A hint of surprise flashed in Wolf Seven's eyes, quickly replaced by an even stronger Battle Intent. "However, having just an Aura is useless!"

Before his voice could fade, he moved!

There were no fancy Moves or brilliant displays of spiritual power; it was just a simple, direct punch aimed straight at Lin Xuan!

But this punch was as fast as lightning and as heavy as a mountain! Everywhere the fist wind passed, the air was compressed to the limit, letting out a piercing sonic boom!

A punch from the Golden Core Early Stage was terrifying indeed!

Lin Xuan's eyes narrowed, and instead of retreating, he advanced! He met it with a punch of his own!

"BOOM—!!!"

The moment the two fists collided, a violent airwave exploded outward with the two of them at the center! The hard bluestone ground of the martial arts arena shattered like tofu at that moment, and countless fragments were swept up by the airwave, shooting out in all directions!

Lin Xuan let out a muffled groan and retreated seven steps! Each step he took left a deep footprint in the ground! His right arm trembled slightly, and a thin trail of blood slowly seeped from his fist!

Wolf Seven, however, didn't Move an inch!

The difference in power was clear!

"Brother Lin!" Wang Mang cried out.

Wolf Seven looked at Lin Xuan, a hint of admiration flashing in his eyes. "To take a punch from me and not fall, you're the first among those in the Qi Refinement Stage. Unfortunately..."

He shook his head and said calmly, "This is as far as it goes."

With that, he threw another punch!

This punch was even faster and heavier than the last!

Lin Xuan gritted his teeth and met it again!

"BOOM!"

Another head-on collision!

Lin Xuan retreated another seven steps, a trail of blood spilling from the corner of his mouth!

Wolf Seven remained unmoved!

"Third punch!"

Wolf Seven's voice sounded like a death knell!

"BOOM!"

Lin Xuan retreated again!

This time, he retreated ten steps! A mouthful of blood finally couldn't be held back and was spat out!

But he was still standing!

His back was as straight as a spear!

Wolf Seven looked at him, a complex light flashing in his eyes. There was admiration, regret, and even a hint of... wariness.

"Kid, admit defeat," he said slowly. "You are very strong, but the gap between us is not something that will can bridge. Admit defeat, and I can let you off."

Lin Xuan raised his head, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, looked at him, and suddenly smiled.

That smile was still very faint, but it was sharper than before.

"Admit defeat?" he repeated in a low voice, then shook his head. "In my dictionary, those words do not exist."

Wolf Seven's brow furrowed, and just as he was about to say something—

Suddenly, his pupils constricted!

Because Lin Xuan's Aura, at this moment, was climbing again!

No, it wasn't climbing!

It was a Breakthrough!

Inside his Dantian, that Spiritual Qi core spun frantically under the drive of Lin Xuan's will! The nine hundred and ninety-nine strands of Source Martial Spiritual Energy, at this moment, were like ignited stars, erupting with a dazzling and magnificent light! That light pierced through flesh and bone, radiating from within Lin Xuan's body and enveloping him entirely!

"This is..." Wolf Seven's expression changed.

The next instant—

"BOOM!"

An Aura far exceeding the previous one erupted violently from within Lin Xuan's body!

That Aura was no longer at the Qi Refinement Stage!

It was Foundation Establishment!

Moreover, it wasn't the Early Stage, it was... Foundation Establishment Middle Stage!

"Spirit-Martial Unity!" Lin Xuan let out a low roar, the dark gold light in his eyes becoming dazzlingly brilliant!

The Concept of "Mountain Crushing" from the remnant of the Three Mountain-Shaking Forms completely fused with the boiling power within his body at this moment!

He punched!

A single punch thrown!

This punch was no longer just pure power of the Physical Body, and no longer just pure Source Martial Spiritual Energy, but a perfect Fusion of the two!

Everywhere the fist force passed, space itself seemed to tremble!

Wolf Seven's face changed drastically; he thrust out both fists, meeting the blow with all his strength!

"BOOM—!!!"

An earth-shattering explosion!

The violent airwave swept through the entire venue, and even those powerhouses at the Foundation Establishment Late Stage on the VIP seats had to circulate their power to resist it!

The light dissipated.

In the center of the martial arts arena, a deep pit several yards in diameter had appeared!

At the edge of the pit, Wolf Seven was down on one knee, his fists dripping with blood, and a trail of blood spilling from his mouth! His Golden Core Early Stage Aura was now in total disarray, like a flickering candle in the wind!

And in the center of the pit, Lin Xuan stood tall!

Though he was covered in blood and his Aura was unstable, he was standing!

While Wolf Seven was kneeling!

The entire venue was in a deathly silence!

No one spoke!

No one dared to speak!

The gaze of everyone looking at Lin Xuan was as if they were looking at a myth!

A Qi Refinement Stage practitioner had achieved a Breakthrough during battle and defeated a Golden Core Early Stage with a single punch?!

This... how is this possible?!

On the VIP seats, Han Mo stood up abruptly, his face as pale as paper! In Leng Ningshuang's beautiful eyes, a strange light rippled! Sect Master Ouyang Lie was silent for a long time before finally closing his eyes slowly, as if unwilling to believe the reality before him.

Lin Xuan slowly withdrew his fist, looked down at Wolf Seven at the edge of the pit, and said calmly:

"Still want to fight?"

Wolf Seven raised his head and looked at him, his eyes filled with complex light. There was shock, fear, disbelief, and a hint of... heartfelt awe.

After a long time, he slowly shook his head and said raspily:

"No more fighting. I... I lost."

Lin Xuan nodded, turned around, and walked slowly toward the edge of the field.

Behind him was the deathly silent martial arts arena and countless gazes that were complex and difficult to decipher.

He walked past Wang Mang and Li Dali, and the two of them hurried to support him. He could feel that both of their hands were trembling slightly.

"Let's go," he said in a low voice.

The three of them slowly disappeared outside the martial arts arena.

Behind them, that deathly silence did not dissipate for a long time.

(End of Volume 2, Chapter 40)

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[Next Chapter Preview]: A desperate battle, a punch that shocks the world! At the critical moment of life and death, Lin Xuan breaks through to the "Spirit-Martial Unity" realm, and with the power of the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage, he defeats the Sky Wolf Gang Protector Wolf Seven with a single punch! After this battle, Lin Xuan's name will surely shake the entire North Region! However, before the joy of the Breakthrough can dissipate, an even more severe trial has already arrived—people from the Yunni Sect Main Sect are already on their way. And the mark inside Su Qingyue's body has also reached its final stage. Next chapter: Famous in the North Region, Surging Undercurrents!