Dust swirled in the air as Lin Xian stood tall, his sharp gaze fixed on Shen Tian. Around them, the inheritance site's ancient arena trembled under their pressure. The two most talented young cultivators of their generation were about to clash.
"You followed me here to kill me, didn't you?" Shen Tian asked with a cold smile, his hand resting on the sword he had just received from the inheritance.
Lin Xian didn't answer. His body vanished in a flash of light. The battle had begun.
With incredible speed, Lin Xian closed the distance. His palm glowed with purple flames as he aimed a strike at Shen Tian's chest. Shen Tian raised his sword to block, but Lin Xian's power pushed him back several steps. The shockwave from the clash cracked the stone ground beneath their feet.
Shen Yue and Lin Yuer watched from afar, hidden behind a pillar. Their hearts pounded. Lin Xian was serious — his eyes were filled with killing intent. But even so, neither girl could bring themselves to cheer against Shen Tian. After all, they had known him for years.
Lin Xian kept attacking. His body flickered as he moved through the shadows, appearing behind Shen Tian and striking with powerful kicks and punches. Each blow landed hard, pushing Shen Tian back again and again.
"You're stronger than I expected," Shen Tian admitted, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth.
But Lin Xian wasn't done. He activated his Body Creation Technique, the body refining technique from the Martial Emperor's manual. His muscles expanded slightly, and his speed increased. Every punch now carried the force of a mountain.
Shen Tian was overwhelmed. His defense weakened. A powerful blow sent him crashing into a stone wall, leaving behind a deep crater. As he pulled himself out, breathing heavily, his expression turned serious.
"I didn't want to use this now…" Shen Tian whispered.
Suddenly, the skies above darkened. Thunder rumbled, and a golden light descended from the heavens. The light wrapped around Shen Tian's body like a divine cloak.
Shen Yue gasped. "That's... Heaven's Blessing!"
Lin Yuer's eyes widened. "He's going to break through!"
The golden light grew brighter as Shen Tian's cultivation surged. Lin Xian's eyes narrowed. "No… don't tell me he's—"
BOOM!
A huge burst of energy exploded from Shen Tian's body. In mere seconds, he broke through the Foundation Realm… then passed the Core Formation stage… and stepped into the Golden Core Realm.
His aura exploded like a storm. Rocks levitated. Winds howled. Even the ground beneath his feet glowed with golden patterns.
Lin Xian gritted his teeth. "Tch… he really did it… during a fight."
Shen Tian opened his eyes, now glowing with divine light. "This is the will of Heaven. I was always meant to be the chosen one."
He charged forward with incredible speed. His sword clashed with Lin Xian's fist, and this time, Lin Xian was the one who got sent flying. He crashed into the arena floor, coughing blood.
"You look surprised," Shen Tian said, his voice now filled with confidence. "Did you think you could defeat me with tricks and schemes?"
Lin Xian stood back up, blood dripping from his chin. He wiped it away with the back of his hand. "I don't care about fate," he growled. "I'll cut my own path."
But Shen Tian didn't give him a chance to recover. He attacked again, swinging his sword in a wide arc. Lin Xian barely dodged in time. The sword left a deep scar on the stone floor.
Each of Shen Tian's moves was now heavier, faster, and more precise. Lin Xian did everything he could — blocking, dodging, counterattacking — but he was clearly being pushed back. His injuries piled up.
Shen Yue covered her mouth in shock. Lin Yuer clenched her fists, feeling helpless.
Lin Xian took a deep breath and stood tall once more. Even with cracked ribs and bleeding cuts, he didn't give up.
"This… isn't… over!" he shouted, activating a strange, dark purple light from his palm.
Shen Tian stopped for a moment, sensing something was wrong.
"You're hiding something?" he asked.
But Lin Xian only smiled faintly. "You'll see."
The fight wasn't over yet. Lin Xian still had cards to play — and he wasn't going to let fate win so easily.