At the moment Ling Feifan burst forth with his momentum, more than a hundred finalists near the Martial Arts Platform couldn’t help but take a step back.
Because at that instant, they felt as if a ferocious blaze was surging towards them, threatening to reduce them to ashes.
"Terrifying, Ling Xiao is finished!"
Ling Shuang shook her head; she had still been hoping that Ling Xiao might be able to fight Ling Yun and take revenge for her, but she hadn’t expected Ling Xiao to foolishly challenge Ling Feifan.
Seated on the side, Ling Yihang said indifferently, "You always stand high, but forget the greatest danger is often underfoot; a careless step can lead to a shattered body."
"You actually hold Ling Xiao in such high regard? Could it be because you lost to him?"
Ling Shuang asked with a smile.
"Correct, only by fighting him will you understand that all tricks are meaningless before him, he is a combat genius who sees through everything!"
Ling Yihang still wore a very indifferent expression.
He had thought that after diligently practicing his saber technique, he should be able to defeat Ling Xiao.
However, seeing Ling Xiao stand opposite Ling Feifan, unaffected under that terrifying aura, he understood.
He not only hadn’t caught up to Ling Xiao, but had also been left further behind.
"Hmmph, underestimate Ling Xiao, and you’ll all be crying."
Ling Tieshou had once had a grudge with Ling Xiao, but having sparred with him, he knew best how formidable Ling Xiao was.
Often, the ones who understand a person the most are not friends, but rivals.
"These arrogant folks from the Genius Hall are meeting their match today. Once the two sides clash, you’ll realize how ludicrous you all are."
Ling Fei also shook his head with a bitter smile; having challenged Ling Xiao before and been defeated, he had always paid close attention to Ling Xiao.
Thus, he was very aware of how fearsome this person was.
"Show your strength, I believe you are not one to act rashly."
Ling Yixue also murmured to herself.
"There’s no need for half a shichen, I will make you roll down from the platform with just one move!"
Ling Feifan didn’t make any excessive movements; his right hand formed into a fist, seemingly turning into a ball of flame, and then he directly launched a punch at Ling Xiao.
This punch, though seemingly not very flashy, was incredibly powerful; it was believed that even Martial Artists at the early stage of the Martial Meridian Fifth Level would be severely injured by it.
Ling Shuang shook her head; she didn’t take Ling Yihang’s earlier words seriously at all.
"No, Ling Feifan is underestimating the enemy too much and will make a fool of himself! That’s how I lost back then!"
Ling Yihang said with a bitter smile, remembering how he too had been overconfident, thinking that a punch wrapped in Gang Qi could defeat Ling Xiao, who was at the Martial Meridian Third Layer Peak at that time.
But the fact proved that Ling Xiao never showed all his cards.
"Impossible, that punch from Ling Feifan, even if Ling Yun and I didn’t defend with full strength, would also result in severe injuries."
Subconsciously, Ling Shuang still believed Ling Xiao to be inferior to herself and Ling Yun.
"Is that so? Then let’s wait for the result."
Ling Yihang didn’t say anything more and turned his gaze back to the platform; he didn’t want to miss the exciting moment.
"Such a foolish strike!"
Ling Xiao sighed. What first talent.
This Ling Feifan was simply incomprehensible; this was only an internal family competition, but if one dared to be so disdainful towards an unfamiliar opponent outside, it would surely lead to a great loss.
Even an enemy that could have been overcome might dominate due to a moment of carelessness and ultimately be victorious.
Indeed, the Ling Family may be quite something in Tianfeng City, but considering the whole Northern Han Kingdom, let alone the entire world, it was far from enough.
Ling Xiao couldn’t help but think of the blue-clad woman he had seen in the Fulong Mountain Range.
The woman was definitely under thirty, yet the strength she displayed could easily destroy the entire Tianfeng City.
Perhaps from that moment on, his perspective had completely changed.
The opponents he used to pursue, the strongest he sought after, were the Four Young Masters of Tianfeng City, people like Ling Xiaotian.
But from that moment on, he really wanted to go outside and take a look.
What level of master was that blue-clothed woman out there?
This contemplation was but a fleeting thought.
Facing Ling Feifan’s punch, he did not take it lightly.
Although his hands made no move, the "Nine Revolutions Golden Body Technique" had already started to circulate.
The heavy punch landed on Ling Xiao’s body, flames gushed out, directly tearing a small gap in the protective barrier behind him.
Several high-ranking members of the Ling Family hurried forward to repair and reinforce the protective barrier.
If the protective barrier was shattered, what about Ling Xiao?
Many people looked on with such doubts.
However, to their astonishment, at this moment, Ling Xiao was standing there motionless, his body radiating golden light, looking just like an undefeated War God.
And Ling Feifan, the one who had initiated the attack, had been forced back two or three meters before he could steady himself, his face revealing a shocked expression.
What exactly was going on?
Seeing this scene, all the disciples and high-ranking members of the Ling Family were stunned.
Because even those who supported Ling Xiao hadn’t expected such an outcome.
Ling Feifan’s strike not only failed to harm a single hair on Ling Xiao’s head, it didn’t even tear his clothes.
And what was that golden glow all about?
What defensive martial arts technique was that?
"No wonder you are so composed; turns out you’ve cultivated a top-level defensive martial arts technique!"
Ling Feifan moved his numb arm, quickly recovering from the shock: "Now you’re worthy of letting me know your name."
"Heh, it’s a pity that you still aren’t worthy of being told my name," Ling Xiao said indifferently. "A flower from a greenhouse, a so-called genius shielded by so many people, how could he possibly know what true strength is?"
His words seemed to be mocking Ling Feifan, but weren’t they also mocking those who supported Ling Feifan in the shadows?
Ling Feifan had been spoiled by these people, thinking himself the best in the world, forgetting that the world outside the greenhouse is much crueler than inside it.
"Nine Rotations Golden Body Technique! That’s the Nine Rotations Golden Body Technique!"
On the spectator’s platform, a high-ranking member of the Ling Family stood up and shouted: "And judging by this kid’s condition, he must have cultivated to the Elementary Realm, the Fifth Rotation!"
"Top-level defensive martial arts, the ’Nine Revolutions Golden Body Technique’? It’s said to be extremely difficult to cultivate, and he managed to reach the Fifth Rotation without the help of others? Where did he get so much gold from?"
"Yes, as far as I know, to train to the Fifth Rotation, one must at least use up more than a million taels of gold!"
"His cultivation level is at the peak of the Martial Meridian Four-Level, but his defensive power is probably already beyond the early stage of the Martial Meridian Fifth Level; no wonder Ling Feifan’s punch couldn’t inflict the slightest damage on him!"
"This kid is really a freak, to be able to cultivate the world’s most difficult top-level technique to the Fifth Rotation, and in the whole Northern Han Kingdom, I guess no one under twenty can do that but him."
"Hahaha, good kid, I really didn’t see you wrong!"
Second Master Ling was probably the happiest person there.
All this while, he was the most anxious, dreading that Ling Xiao wouldn’t last a move against Ling Feifan, which would be too embarrassing.
But now, he suddenly realized that his judgment of character was indeed something.
The fact proved that his choice to support Ling Xiao, to befriend Ling Xiao, risking offending Ling Jiu and Ling Shisan, was all worth it.