Chapter Sixty-Six: Victory in the Pavilion Tournament

“Insolence!” Wang Dashan actually dared to raise his hand against the Third Elder. In the Third Elder’s eyes, this was an immense insult. With a casual flick, a fierce gust of energy swept forth. Wang Dashan had not even come close to the elders' battleground before he was hurled dozens of yards away, crashing into the hall wall and then tumbling to the ground.

“Dashan!” Seeing Wang Dashan sent flying by the Third Elder's blow, Nie Feiyan instinctively wanted to rush over. But the thought that Wang Dashan had just charged at the Third Elder gave her pause—if she went over now, would she be next…?

In her hesitation, memories of the battle where Wang Dashan fought Yu Yongming to prove his strength to her flashed through her mind. Gritting her teeth, she ran toward Wang Dashan, unaware that this very decision would forever alter her fate.

By the time Nie Feiyan reached him, Cen Shuyah was already at Wang Dashan’s side. The little witch had few scruples; as she helped him up, fresh blood kept spilling from his mouth and nose. No one knew where his cold iron hammer had fallen.

Beneath the stage, as Wang Dashan was sent flying, the many disciples seemed to realize that things were far more complicated than they had imagined. Each of them hurriedly backed away to a safe distance.

Though the three elders dared not harm Lin Tian in front of all the disciples, holding him back posed no problem. No matter how hard Lin Tian struggled, he could not break through the blockade formed by the combined efforts of the three elders.

Meanwhile, a barrage of icy fingerprints was less than a yard from Lin Xiaobao. Suddenly, the howling ceased. Lin Xiaobao’s eyes sprang open, his pupils blood-red. Although his eyes had been closed, everything in Yongwang Hall had already imprinted itself in his mind. With his advancement to the first level of the Spirit Path, Lin Xiaobao’s spiritual power had undergone a tremendous transformation. Now, his psychic waves had advanced from the first layer of illusion to the second layer, where all things flourished.

At this moment, he could clearly sense the severity of Wang Dashan’s injuries, and also perceive that, as Lin Tian’s spiritual power circulated, his suppressed wounds threatened to erupt.

“Stop!” Lin Xiaobao shouted. With a sweep of his right hand through the air, a wall of fire swiftly rose from the ground. The countless icy fingerprints evaporated into curls of white smoke the moment they touched the wall, vanishing without a trace.

Solidifying spirit into substance?

At that instant, the four elders ceased their fighting, and even the sect master and the Grand Elder on the viewing platform stared in astonishment at the changes unfolding on the stage.

Though Lin Xiaobao’s current strength was still insignificant in their eyes, to achieve the materialization of spiritual power—a feat only possible for those at the third stage of the Spirit Path—immediately after breaking through to the Spirit Path was astonishing indeed.

Long Xingtian, at the first level of the Spirit Path, could already draw out some of the true power within spiritual energy, but only to a limited extent—perhaps less than ten percent. This was vastly superior to an innate martial artist, but no more. Yet Lin Xiaobao, at this moment, directly solidified his spiritual power, manifesting at least thirty percent of its potential. Ordinarily, only a master at the third stage of the Spirit Path could accomplish this. Such a phenomenon had no business appearing in someone freshly advanced to the Spirit Path.

“You are most unfortunate,” Lin Xiaobao said coldly, staring at Long Xingtian. “You did not find a worthy master. However he treated my brother, today I will return it to you a hundredfold!”

With that, Lin Xiaobao drew his fingers together, and a crimson flame appeared between them. Flinging his hand, sparks shot like arrows toward Long Xingtian.

Crimson Sunset Dragon-Slayer Strike!

With a fierce shout, Lin Xiaobao’s hands moved swiftly. Streams of spiritual energy gushed from his fingertips, weaving into a seamless, impenetrable net. As his entire body tensed with a sudden shudder, the invisible net ignited, transforming into a blazing web of fire that engulfed the entire stage, descending upon Long Xingtian’s head.

The sword techniques Lin Xiaobao had used before were mere rudimentary moves from the Dragon-Slaying Sword Manual. What he now unleashed was the true sword art—an art praised by Elder Mo, and by no means as ineffectual as before.

Now, after advancing in the Spirit Path, Lin Xiaobao could only use the first technique, but its might and aura were worlds apart from before. The fire net bristled with intense, scorching power. Beneath it, Long Xingtian felt an overwhelming pressure bearing down from above; the heat was dozens of times fiercer than when he had been trapped in the Yellow Sands Inferno Array, as if he might be set ablaze at any moment.

Star-Looming Celestial Seal!

Despite the crushing pressure, Long Xingtian would never surrender—not that Lin Xiaobao gave him the chance. With a sharp cry, Long Xingtian pressed a drop of blood from each middle fingertip, then thrust his hands upward with all his might. A shield of spiritual energy formed instantly—a hemispherical shell of ice, encasing him at the center and expanding outward. The ground itself began to crack under the intense cold.

“Let’s see you defend!” Lin Xiaobao, relentless, leaped into the air, flipped upside down, and brought a crimson palm crashing down toward Long Xingtian’s head.

The massive fire net collided with Long Xingtian’s ice shield, producing sharp hissing sounds like red-hot iron plunged into cold water. As the fire net shrank ever tighter, the shield grew smaller and smaller. Then, with a thunderous palm, Lin Xiaobao struck the shield directly.

At the point of impact, the surface of the shield rippled like a stone cast into calm water. With another shout, cracks spread from Lin Xiaobao’s palm. “Break!” he roared again, and a surge of spiritual energy burst from his palm, tearing open a gaping hole in the shield.

With the shield shattered, the fire net contracted at an unimaginable speed. In the blink of an eye, Long Xingtian was engulfed in flames. Lin Xiaobao, however, was not finished. His crimson palm continued its relentless descent, striking Long Xingtian squarely on the crown of his head.

Though Lin Xiaobao had withdrawn most of his power, Long Xingtian’s legs were still driven deep into the hard stone floor.

Enveloped in fire, pinned to the earth, even rolling on the ground was an unattainable luxury for Long Xingtian. Blood-curdling screams tore from his lips, a sight both terrifying and pitiful.

“Enough!” Though Long Xingtian was now little more than a ruined shell, the Third Elder’s heart could not help but ache at his disciple’s misery. “Long Xingtian concedes this match!”

As soon as the words fell, Lin Xiaobao became a streak of light and appeared at Wang Dashan’s side. Placing his left hand on Wang Dashan’s wrist, Lin Xiaobao’s expression grew graver still. He hastily withdrew three jade bottles from his storage ring and poured their contents into the unconscious man’s mouth.

Lin Tian, standing nearby, had remained silent. He already knew Wang Dashan’s condition. If not for the unique vitality of his Herculean physique, Wang Dashan would surely be dead by now. Even so, he was still in grave danger.

Lin Xiaobao had complete faith in his own medicine. Though it could not wholly heal Wang Dashan’s wounds, it would at least stabilize him for the moment. And as long as Wang Dashan’s Herculean body endured, he would recover on his own, given time.

Yet knowing Wang Dashan was out of mortal danger was one thing; the anger in Lin Xiaobao’s heart was quite another.