Chapter 2701 Li Zhongyuan

Dugu Youran passed the round smoothly. Not long after, it was Lin Xun's turn. When his imposing figure appeared in the arena, the atmosphere grew oppressive.

The forces that hated him to their core could barely conceal their murderous intent towards him. If they hadn’t been on the territory of the Origin Sect Ancestral Court, they would have immediately rushed over to devour him.

Someone muttered, "I just wonder what this guy will do this time."

Just one comment made many people reveal odd looks when they recalled his behavior in the first round. Seeing Lin Xun, Ye Chunjun's eyes also flickered with surprise.

However, Lin Xun smiled warmly and said, "Brother Ye, we meet again."

Everyone was stunned. What was going on? When did Lin Xun become associated with one of the gatekeepers?

Ye Chunjun's face froze slightly. He then said, "Yes, you're here. Last time, Elder Mo said he would personally recommend you to the Origin Sect Ancestral Court."

Lin Xun smiled and said, "We weren’t able to have a good enough fight last time. If I get the chance this time, I'd love to have another one with Brother Ye."

The corners of Ye Chunjun's lips twitched, and he mumbled, "Haha, I hope so too."

In the distance, an old man shouted, "Lin Xun, are you looking down on the second round of the selection? Is this the time for idle chatter? Are you trying to curry favor with someone in front of everyone? Are you planning to cheat?"

Lin Xun's smile faded. Recognizing the old man as a member of the Nan Clan, he retorted, "Do you think the seniors present at the Origin Sect Ancestral Court are just for show? Who would be so foolish as to cheat under their noses?"

He sneered, "Besides, even if someone did try to cheat, does it have anything to do with your Nan Clan? Since when do you get to meddle in the affairs of the Origin Sect Ancestral Court?"

After neatly refuting the Nan Clan elder’s series of accusations, he then flipped the script, making the old man’s face turn green with anger.

"You evil creature, you will surely die a horrible death!" exclaimed the Nan Clan elder angrily.

Lin Xun turned to look at Li Zhen and bowed, "Senior, I'm taking the test, but someone from outside the sect is cursing me, trying to influence and disrupt my state of mind. Honestly, it's beginning to affect me. I wonder if the Origin Sect Ancestral Court would care about such matters?"

𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

Everyone present was stunned. Lin Xun was really too talented at stirring up trouble. The Nan Clan elder became so angry that he nearly vomited blood. This brat was simply shameless, and his intentions were also sinister! After being accused of this, he had no leg to stand on.

Some Immortals who had previously planned to follow the Nan Clan elder’s lead in scolding Lin Xun could not help but secretly congratulate themselves for holding their tongue. Otherwise, they would have been bitten by this brat as well!

A hint of helplessness crossed Li Zhen's rugged, resolute face. He finally understood why Xiao Wenyuan had been constantly grimacing during the first round. This Lin Xun guy was truly a troublemaker.

With a dry cough, Li Zhen declared in a deep voice, "From this moment on, no more undue clamor from the audience. If you disrupt the assessment, then don't blame me for being rude."

This was a blatant warning to the Nan Clan elder, who was so embarrassed that he wished he could find a crack in the ground to crawl into.

Lin Xun smiled and bowed, "Thank you, Senior, for your righteous words."

Li Zhen said unhappily, "Hurry, take out your nameplate and begin the duel!"

He was genuinely worried that Lin Xun would repeat his old tricks and cause another disturbance in the second round.

Lin Xun readily agreed and took out his nameplate. A strange wave of energy surged, and instantly, the jade pendant on one of the gatekeepers resonated. It was Li Zhongyuan! The atmosphere was abuzz, and many gasped, some almost screaming.

Of note, because Li Zhen had previously warned the audience against making any noise, despite this turn of events, no conversations burst out.

However, their expressions clearly showed their surprise. This was because Li Zhongyuan had already dueled with other participants three times earlier, and each time he had eliminated his opponent without fail! In the eyes of the spectators, he had become the strongest of the nine gatekeepers.

He hailed from the Second Peak, and rumors claimed that he possessed the foundation to break through and enter the Immortal Stage hundreds of years ago. Therefore, his combat power was truly terrifying.

Ye Chunjun was relieved not to be chosen by Lin Xun, but when he saw that Lin Xun's opponent was Li Zhongyuan, he couldn't help but be astonished.

As a successor of the Origin Sect, Ye Chunjun was well aware of Li Zhongyuan's background. Among the core disciples of the Nine Great Peaks, Li Zhongyuan's combat power ranked among the top ten! He was also the strongest among these gatekeepers. Even Ye Chunjun hadn't expected Lin Xun to be so unlucky this time, to face such a tough opponent.

The atmosphere was turbulent, and the faces of those hostile forces couldn't help but gloat.

Lin Xun, how are you going to survive this second round?

Donghuang Qing couldn't help but shake his head and sigh, "It seems Lin Xun's progress will be over."

Li Zhen frowned slightly, as if sensing something, and scanned the nine gatekeepers—Li Zhongyuan, Ye Chunjun, Huo Qinghe, Gu Zheng, and so on—one by one.

In the end, he said nothing.

At the same time, Fang Daoping's voice echoed in Xiao Wenyuan's ears, "Who distributed the jade talismans to the nine gatekeepers?"

Xiao Wenyuan's eyes suddenly flickered, and his heart trembled. He realized that Fang Daoping's question was extremely relevant, and he was likely suspicious about something.

"It must have been arranged by Deputy Pavilion Master Tang Qiu," Xiao Wenyuan replied via voice transmission.

Fang Daoping hummed, his expression as calm as ever, and said nothing more.

Despite that, Xiao Wenyuan couldn't calm down. Could it be that Deputy Pavilion Master Fang had suspected that someone was secretly behind the showdown between Lin Xun and Li Zhongyuan?

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but glance at Donghuang Qing. If anyone was the most eager to eliminate Lin Xun, it would undoubtedly be that guy. However, as an elder, Donghuang Qing probably didn't have the ability to rig such an assessment. So who could it be? Could it really be Deputy Pavilion Master Tang Qiu?

Xiao Wenyuan recalled that Tang Qiu had come from the Tang Clan, one of the Ten Immortal Giants of the Eighth Heaven Domain, which was also extremely hostile to Fangcun Mountain. If so, then it would be easy to explain. However, Xiao Wenyuan wouldn't say anything out of line without proof. These thoughts were just his speculations.

Meanwhile, in the vast arena, only Lin Xun and Li Zhongyuan remained. The two faced each other from a distance, capturing the attention of the entire audience. The atmosphere became extremely solemn and oppressive.

Li Zhongyuan wore a white robe and had black hair. His features were sharp and angular, his tall figure as straight as a sword, and he exuded a piercing coldness. It was rumored that he possessed an astonishing bloodline gift, known as Dao Shield of Devouring, and it was capable of threatening even Immortals once unleashed!

This round would only last for half a quarter of an hour for each participant. Despite that, no one was certain that Lin Xun could hold out to the end.

No matter how impressive his performance was in the first round, Li Zhongyuan was truly extraordinary. He was a core disciple ranked among the top ten of the Nine Great Peaks. If he unleashed his full might, who could withstand him?

Without any preliminary verbal sparring, Li Zhongyuan attacked immediately. His tall figure charged forward like a razor-sharp, domineering sword, wielding the mighty laws of the Ancestral Realm as he sped towards Lin Xun.

Bang!

Amidst the earth-shattering roar, a divine black sword flashed from Li Zhongyuan's palm. As he slashed, a sword chant resounded through the nine heavens, illuminating a terrifying spectacle. Gods and demons wept blood, the world came to nothing, disasters unfolded, mountains of corpses appeared, and seas of blood surged...

In that instant, the vast arena had transformed into a doomsday purgatory! The power of a single sword was truly overwhelming.

Lin Xun's clothes fluttered. His dark eyes were deep and profound, and his expression was as serene as ever. A wave of astonishment welled up within him. Li Zhongyuan's strength had surprised him too.

A deafening clash echoed. The Limitless Abyss Sword Cauldron emerged, blocking the terrifying, apocalyptic sword strike. At this point in their collision, a terrifying torrent of energies erupted, shattering the surrounding void.

"So powerful!"

The entire arena erupted in excitement. This clash made everyone feel astonished and shaken. Lin Xun swayed slightly, and a long-dormant fighting desire within him finally stirred. Li Zhongyuan was undoubtedly powerful, even stronger than Ye Chunjun. His attainments in the Supreme Emperor Ancestor Stage had reached the absolute peak.

In the past, Lin Xun would have taken him very seriously and would not have been the slightest bit careless. However, after completely refining the Primal Chaos Tree and the Primordial Chaos Thousand Daos Tree in Cloud Guardian Workshop in Cold Moon City, he had shed the shackles of the past. Thus, his cultivation had undergone an invisible transformation.

One must give up before gaining. Just as one needed to let go before picking up.

No one knew the depths of Lin Xun's current combat prowess. In fact, not even he himself could judge. In this realm, he has yet to encounter a rival worthy of becoming a threat! When someone became so powerful that there was no rival, there was no way to compare anymore. How could he truly know just how powerful he was now?

In other words, unless a worthy threat arose among the supreme Emperor Ancestors of this world, in this realm, he, Lin Xun, represented the single most powerful cultivator of all time! Li Zhongyuan was powerful, but in his opinion, he was only capable of a single fight and posed little true threat.

Boom!

As the battle raged, the arena was turned upside down, the sun and moon dimmed, and all sorts of awe-inspiring phenomena unfolded, drawing countless exclamations of surprise from the crowd outside.

Li Zhongyuan's aura was divine, his attacks were domineering, and the power he displayed shocked many Immortals. He was like a master at the pinnacle of the Ancestral Realm, commanding the world with his demeanor!

However, people gradually realized that no matter how powerful and fierce Li Zhongyuan's attacks were, Lin Xun had neutralized them all one by one.

Compared to Li Zhongyuan's boundless aura, Lin Xun seemed quite calm. Throughout the entire time, he was like a rock on the seabed, unmoved by the surging currents. While not revealing any dazzling power, as he continuously neutralized his opponent’s attacks, and his calm and detached demeanor was truly breathtaking!

Many Immortals could not help but observe Lin Xun's every move, but to their surprise, none of them could fathom the depths of his cultivation. He was like the abyss, unfathomable and dark! This shook them to their core. Just how far had this young man's attainments in the Supreme Emperor Ancestor Stage reached?

No one knew!

Even Fang Daoping, Xiao Wenyuan, Li Zhen, and the others felt a surge of emotion within them.