Chapter 976: This Won't Do

The taverns around the martial arts platform were packed to capacity.

“Premium seat by the railing, only one left. Who wants it?” the tavern waiter shouted.

“I’ll take it.”

“Don’t fight me for it—I’m taking it.”

“Do you think you’re richer than me? Trying to snatch it away? Waiter, it’s mine.”

This duel had drawn an enormous crowd, and every tavern nearby was overflowing.

Even the seats in the upper pavilions were hard to come by for a hundred gold coins.

On the streets,

many rogue cultivators were shoving their way forward with all their might.

“Hurry, find a good spot, or we won’t be able to see anything.”

“This duel is absolutely grand—the young master of the Lin family fighting an elder from a sect is a once-in-a-century event.”

“Yeah, I heard the Lin family’s young master was always a waste. Who knows when he got so strong?”

“Ha, you’ve all been fooled. The Lin family’s young master is unparalleled, with extraordinary talent. He was just too low-key, and rumors misrepresented him.”

“So that’s how it is. Those who spread the rumors are rather despicable.”

…

On the martial arts platform,

Qingyangzi stood there, his eyes slightly closed. In this small Ascending Dragon City, someone wanted to duel him—something he could have easily refused.

But the young man who challenged him piqued his interest, and he wanted to see what the other was capable of.

Those with great perseverance are easy to find, but those with extraordinary talent are rare.

As the elder in charge of selecting disciples for the sect, it was his duty to infuse the sect with high-quality blood.

If he could find such a disciple in Ascending Dragon City, he would have a good report to bring back to the sect.

After all, a hundred thousand ordinary disciples couldn’t compare to one prodigy.

On the viewing platform,

“Why did the elder agree to duel that kid?” a young disciple said indignantly.

“I think that young man is pretty good. If he could become our fellow disciple, that would be wonderful,” a female disciple said with a smile.

The square-faced man spoke up, “That young man’s strength is extraordinary. The sword intent he displayed that day—even within the sect, few could match it. The elder cherishes talent.”

“Since the young man wants to duel the elder, the elder naturally agrees, and at the same time, he can gauge the young man’s foundation.”

“Senior brother, but isn’t this kid too arrogant? Our Heaven and Earth Sect is one of the Nine Great Orthodox Sects. Is he in a position to choose?” an unconvinced disciple said.

“Heh, have you forgotten Lie Qingtian?”

Hearing that name, the disciple’s expression shifted slightly, then he retorted, “How can you compare them? Lie Qingtian was an unparalleled genius; of course he could choose his sect.”

“That’s true, but now we’ll see if this young man has Lie Qingtian’s ability.”

“Hey, here he comes.”

At that moment,

Lin Fan strolled over leisurely.

Behind him, Lin Haoming led the servants, beating drums and gongs to cheer Lin Fan on.

Lin Fan had no choice about this; he felt the Lin family was a bunch of goofballs.

“Son, make sure to give it your all. I think this old man is pretty old and must be running low on stamina. Let’s fight a war of attrition,” Lin Haoming said.

Lin Fan shook his head. At this level of cultivation, age made no difference.

For someone like Qingyangzi, who had reached such a realm, looking young was just a thought away—he could become a youth in an instant.

“Brother, go for it!” Lin Lan’er cheered.

“Little brother, if it’s really too much, don’t push yourself,” Lin Hanyu said.

“Daughter, how can you say your brother can’t beat this old man?” Lin Haoming said.

“I’m just afraid my brother will get hurt,” Lin Hanyu said pitifully.

…

When Lin Fan arrived at the scene, the atmosphere reached a climax.

Members of the seven great families had all come to watch.

This battle was no small matter—it was extraordinary.

Among the Huang family, Huang Tailong looked at that figure, fear on his face, but more than that, helplessness.

As for revenge, Huang Tailong no longer dared to think about it.

He could only silently mutter in his heart,

“Lin Fan, you must lose.”

…

“Young man, I’ll go easy on you. Don’t worry,” Qingyangzi said calmly.

“Oh.” Lin Fan nodded, not taking it to heart.

Qingyangzi pointed a finger, and the space instantly sealed off, preventing any leakage of power that might harm innocents.

“We can begin. Make your move,” Qingyangzi said.

Lin Fan, however, was deep in thought.

For this duel, he needed to play it safe with some moves, mainly to test the strength of the True Immortal realm.

There was no need to use moves like the Ninety-Five Big Red Brick or Twist the Heavens and Earth. Since it wasn’t a life-or-death fight, it was better to hold back some tricks.

Hum!

At that moment, Lin Fan’s aura suddenly shifted.

The originally calm and unremarkable aura surged violently.

Feeling this aura, a flicker of surprise passed through Qingyangzi’s eyes.

He scrutinized Lin Fan with an appraising gaze.

Every change in the young man was being evaluated by him.

“Such a powerful aura…” the square-faced disciple exclaimed in astonishment.

Suddenly,

the scene changed.

Lin Fan’s form moved in an instant, and he threw a punch at Qingyangzi. The fist’s force exploded, directly tearing through the void.

Qingyangzi stood still, his robes billowing. His brow furrowed, and his heart trembled slightly. Such formidable power—wasn’t this kid supposed to use a sword?

He hadn’t expected his close-combat ability to be this strong.

Qingyangzi, with an air of calm, extended a palm and caught Lin Fan’s fist.

“This punch of yours…” Qingyangzi was about to offer a comment when his expression suddenly changed. He felt as if a beast of power had awakened within the fist.

A vast force erupted from deep within.

“Old man, show your real skill, or you’ll end up lying here,” Lin Fan roared, his battle intent unmatched, the source of power churning wildly.

One punch contained two layers of force.

The second layer was the existence of the power source.

Although Lin Fan’s cultivation was at the high stage of the Ancient Realm, he could suppress even those at the Great Perfection stage. And though Qingyangzi was at the initial stage of the True Immortal Realm, Lin Fan was confident he could withstand a direct confrontation.

Bang!

Qingyangzi staggered back several steps. With each step, the diamond bricks on the ground exploded violently.

On the third step, Qingyangzi’s body trembled, and a surge of energy, sharp as a blade, burst from his back, striking the barrier and completely erasing Lin Fan’s force.

“Good, young man! With this move alone, you’re worthy of becoming a disciple of the Heaven and Earth Sect,” Qingyangzi said, now forced to take the matter seriously. This kid had given him too many surprises.

“Old man, with the strength you’ve shown so far, you’re still far from recruiting me into the sect,” Lin Fan said with a smile.

On the viewing platform, the disciples were astonished.

“What? This kid actually forced the elder back three steps!”

Everyone was dumbfounded, finding it utterly unbelievable.

“Brother, awesome!” Lin Lan’er cheered, her face flushed.