Chapter 2702 Shattering His Mindset

"In this realm, this disciple has truly reached an unparalleled level of history. Given his talent, he would surely rank among the top ten core disciples of the Nine Great Peaks." Xiao Wenyuan sighed.

Among the Nine Great Peaks, the top ten supreme Emperor Ancestors had all reached the pinnacle of perfection in their realm and were considered unrivaled in the world. While they were considered the top ten, the difference between them lay not in their cultivation, but in their combat ability. After all, there were so many factors that influenced combat ability.

For example, Li Zhongyuan was a supreme Emperor Ancestor who had reached the pinnacle of perfection in this realm, on par with Lin Xun. However, his mastery of the dao, state of mind, willpower, combat methods, and combat experience were clearly different from his opponent's.

For the first time, Fang Daoping commented, "Truly rare."

This caused Donghuang Qing to frown slightly, but he was unable to refute. With his keen eyesight, it was clear that, despite Li Zhongyuan's immense power, he hadn't truly struck a blow that hit Lin Xun during the current battle.

Having achieved this meant that Lin Xun's strength was undeniable. Even Donghuang Qing had to acknowledge this.

The arena was seething with excitement, with occasional exclamations of surprise echoing. Everyone was stunned by this pinnacle contest; even Immortals were captivated by it. It was not an exaggeration to say that, looking across the entire Eternal True Realm, from ancient times to the present, this battle was unprecedented and unparalleled in the world!

Many people then came to realize that, despite being at the same peak of the Ancestral Realm, the disparity in combat power was far more profound than they had imagined. Those eliminated in the first round of assessment were truly among the best of their realm. Despite that, compared to Lin Xun and Li Zhongyuan, the chasm between them was stark.

At this moment, a group of outstanding figures in the distance, including Donghuang Shaowen, Mu Zunwu, and Zhongli Feiyun, were completely absorbed by this battle. They were holding their breath and concentrating with their eyes wide open.

Their expressions remained largely unchanged, yet their hearts were restless. Lin Xun's strength weighed heavily on them. The fact that he could battle Li Zhongyuan to this degree was proof enough.

Outside the arena, old monsters like Donghuang Qiong, Qi Tingzi, Zhongli Chong, and Mu Cangjia all had a gloomy look on their faces. Lin Xun not being eliminated in the first round was already unexpected and difficult for them to accept.

Now, in this second round, facing a top figure like Li Zhongyuan, his ability to hold his own was equally surprising, even shocking. They couldn't imagine how formidable Lin Xun would become if he truly had the chance to become a successor of the Origin Sect this time, given his talent, as he embarked on the path to immortality.

Suddenly, Lin Xun, who was fighting in the arena, spoke with a hint of disappointment etched in his voice, "Time is almost up. If that's all you've got, then I don't want to play with you any longer."

It wasn't a taunt, but it was more powerful than that, leaving everyone outside the arena in disbelief, completely stunned.

Li Zhongyuan is this powerful, yet he actually disappoints you?

The old monsters frowned, somewhat bewildered and uncertain. When they looked at Li Zhongyuan again, a gloomy expression had crossed his cold face, and a faint, raging fire burned deep in his eyes, as if irritated.

He took a deep breath and said expressionlessly, "You'll regret saying that!"

Every word was cold, as intimidating as a knife's edge.

Boom!

The next moment, his clothes billowed, his long hair flew, and a stream of blood qi, like a smokescreen, burst forth from above his head. As the blood qi grew thicker and more concentrated, his entire body seemed like a furnace boiling in chaos.

An indescribable, terrifying aura emanated from Li Zhongyuan, causing the vast arena to hum and tremble under the pressure of his imposing presence.

If it were anyone else, they would have immediately attacked, trying to stop and suppress Li Zhongyuan, knowing full well that the next attack would be terrifying. However, Lin Xun chose not to. He simply observed.

He watched as the thick, boiling blood qi within Li Zhongyuan coalesced before him into a mysterious blood-red shield.

The blood-red shield was interwoven with dense Ancestral laws, and imbued within it was Li Zhongyuan's entire spirit, qi, and willpower. This gave it the vibrations of life and produced a strange humming sound.

Boom!

When the blood-red shield was fully formed, the aura it released sent shockwaves through the hearts of some Immortals outside the arena. This was Li Zhongyuan's innate power, and it possessed a forbidden, heaven-defying, murderous aura powerful enough to threaten even Immortals!

Other participants like Donghuang Shaowen, Qi Qingshi, and Mu Zunwu all wore solemn expressions, their hearts straining as they rapidly pondered how they would face this extremely dangerous attack. Meanwhile, Lin Xun stood still, motionless.

Only wisps of the obscure, chaotic laws of the ancestral realm emerged, interweaving into a deep, dark abyss that drifted around him.

No one knew that it was only at this point in the battle did he feel a hint of true threat from Li Zhongyuan. This long-lost feeling far from intimidated Lin Xun. Instead, it filled him with an indescribable excitement.

"Go!" Li Zhongyuan roared in the distance, his long hair flying, his mighty presence like a god. The blood-red shield before him immediately pushed through the void, charging towards Lin Xun.

Boom!

The naked eye could see that the void was being shredded like paper wherever the blood-red shield passed, and it was unable to stop it at all.

Just a glance at it gave those in an audience a suffocating feeling, as if their souls were being torn apart and devoured. This was Li Zhongyuan's innate power, Dao Shield of Devouring! This ability shocked the entire audience at that moment.

At the same time, Lin Xun also attacked as he stepped into the void and charged forward. With a simple punch, he smashed at the blood-red shield.

Bang!

The resulting noise was like thunder from the sky, shaking the barrier leading to heaven. Everyone's heart skipped a beat as they watched his fist colliding with the blood-red shield. His attack had unleashed a terrifying tearing and devouring force that suddenly spread outward. Lin Xun was towering like a god!

Instantly, people noticed that the blood-red shield hadn’t shattered. Instead, Lin Xun swayed slightly and both of his sleeves had shattered and disintegrated into fragments.

Is this a sign of weakness?

The old monsters who hated Lin Xun couldn't help but get excited. Before, he had been like an unshakable rock, but now, facing the blood-red shield, he showed signs of being shaken. How could they not be excited? If possible, they wished Lin Xun would be slain instantly by the Dao Shield of Devouring!

The next moment, their expressions froze, and their excitement was replaced by a touch of astonishment, shock, and disbelief. Lin Xun had swung his fist again, striking fiercely.

Bang!

Bang!

Bang!

Every punch he delivered was like a giant slamming down, and its muffled thunder-like sound echoed throughout the heavens and earth. The unparalleled forces of his punches were like a landslide or tsunami, threatening to destroy heaven and earth, shatter everything, and break all restraints and shackles, unleashing a courageous charge forward!

At this moment, Lin Xun was utterly ferocious. Every punch he threw out was like a blow to the hearts of the people, causing them to change color, shudder, and tremble with fear! Even Fang Daoping, Xiao Wenyuan, Li Zhen, and the others narrowed their eyes slightly, as if they had grasped something. Their expressions now held a hint of realization.

Bang!

When Lin Xun punched for the ninth time...

The Dao Shield of Devouring, considered Li Zhongyuan's strongest innate power, finally couldn't withstand the terrifying impact and exploded. Blood-red light shone throughout the sky, illuminating the vast, ancient arena with a vibrant crimson color. It was a dazzling, chilling red.

The audience was utterly dazed and stunned. Nine punches and the Dao Shield of Devouring had exploded! Furthermore, Lin Xun had remained unscathed the entire time..

This situation was truly astonishing.

Some old monsters cried out, their eyes widening, "How is this possible?"

They couldn't imagine how the blood-colored shield that was so powerful it could threaten an Immortal could be directly shattered like that. In particular, the old monsters of the Li Clan were deeply affected. They clenched their fists and their expressions shifted dramatically.

At this moment, Donghuang Shaowen, Mu Zunwu, Qi Qingshi, and the others fell silent, their hearts churning with emotion.

They had previously been making comparisons of their strengths and contemplated how they would have responded to this attack. Unanimously, they all agreed that dodging it was the wisest option. Otherwise, even if they fought it head-on, they would likely be injured or even unable to withstand the blow.

However, who would have imagined that Lin Xun would shatter this shield with nine simple, direct punches! How could they remain calm after witnessing that?

In the arena, Li Zhongyuan had suffered an even greater blow. The blood-red shield had been condensed from his energy, his lifelong cultivation, and his unwavering fighting spirit. After being shattered by Lin Xun, he too had suffered from a backlash. He coughed up blood, and his face turned pale and translucent.

Everyone could see that Li Zhongyuan was injured! However, the mental shock he felt from this was even greater. It felt like the supreme path he had spent his entire life pursuing had broken in the most brutal and cruel way possible. Indescribable frustration and a sense of loss washed over him like a tide.

"Defeated...is my dao not strong enough..." Li Zhongyuan muttered, his eyes dim and his expression dazed.

Li Zhen, who was presiding over the assessment, had a slight change in expression. This was a sign that Li Zhongyuan’s dao heart was unstable and on the verge of collapsing. Without hesitation, he uttered a dao sound, "Doh!"

Li Zhongyuan stiffened, his eyes instantly clearing, but his face remained as pale as ever. Furthermore, his clothes were soaked with cold sweat, and he looked utterly dejected!

Li Zhen frowned. He could see that while Li Zhongyuan's dao heart had been saved, the mental blow dealt to him by Lin Xun this time was too great, leaving an indelible shadow. If he didn't overcome it, then he might not ever certify his dao as an Immortal in this lifetime...

Fang Daoping, Xiao Wenyuan, and the others had also witnessed this, so they couldn't help but sigh inwardly. They had vaguely sensed that Lin Xun had done this deliberately, simply waiting for the other party to unleash his strongest attack before crushing him in one fell swoop.

When a person’s most powerful attack was ruthlessly crushed, such a blow, for a cultivator, was more devastating than any verbal humiliation or torture, and more overbearing and brutal than any other method. Such a blow would inevitably cause a crack in one's dao heart!

In contrast, Lin Xun, standing alone and detached in the distance, remained unharmed and calm as ever, forming a stark contrast. The difference between the two was immediately apparent!