SWDnovel 71. Establish authority
71. Establish authority
The atmosphere on Broken Soul Cliff was so heavy it seemed to drip water.
After Lin Xuan's firm challenge to the rules, and the impassioned crowd of numerous small and medium-sized sects and independent cultivators on the viewing platform, notary Zhou Zhengyang and Cui Yuanhao, the representative of the four great families, were ultimately forced to make concessions. Although the old rules could not be completely overturned, a temporary revised agreement was reached: in this life-or-death arena, the unlimited number of "bloodline substitutes" would be canceled, stipulating that each side could only have a maximum of three substitute opportunities; at the same time, neither side could use "family heritage" divine weapons or secret treasures that had been passed down for more than a hundred years, but items obtained or crafted by their own fortuitous encounters were not restricted.
This is the biggest compromise the aristocratic families can make under immense pressure. While retaining core thresholds such as the recommendation system, restricting the use of substitutes and resources undoubtedly weakens the aristocratic families' advantage of gauntlet battles and resource dominance, creating a relatively fair battle environment for Lin Xuan.
Cui Yuanhao's face was terribly grim. He stared intently at Lin Xuan, who stood with his hands behind his back in the center of the platform, and squeezed out the words through gritted teeth: "The rules have been changed according to your wishes, Lin Xuan. Can we begin now? Don't try anything funny!"
Lin Xuan smiled calmly, cupped his hands, and said, "Since Elder Cui has agreed to the new rules, Lin Xuan naturally has no objections. Please!"
Seeing that both sides had finally reached an agreement, Zhou Zhengyang secretly breathed a sigh of relief and announced loudly, "In that case, the life-or-death arena officially begins! For the first round, which representatives will the four great families send?"
From within the aristocratic families' camp, a figure emerged in response, landing lightly on the arena like a roc spreading its wings. His movements were quite graceful, drawing cheers from the aristocratic families' camp.
The man was about thirty years old, with a cold and stern face and sharp, eagle-like eyes. He wore a brocade outfit and a magnificent longsword at his waist. He steadied himself, clasped his hands in a fist salute to Lin Xuan, and spoke with undisguised arrogance: "Cui Zhen of the Qinghe Cui Clan! Please enlighten me, Master Lin!"
A murmur rippled through the viewing platform.
"It's Cui Zhen! I heard he's one of the top masters among the younger generation of the Cui family, and he's already mastered seven-tenths of the true essence of the 'Qinghe Swift Sword' technique—it's swift and ruthless!"
"By having him lead the charge, the aristocratic families are trying to seize the initiative!"
"It all depends on how Lin Xuan handles this; Cui Zhen is not someone to be trifled with."
Lin Xuan calmly sized up his opponent. In his memories from his previous life, he vaguely remembered Cui Zhen, who was indeed known for his fast swordsmanship and was considered quite good among the younger generation, but he was also arrogant and his weaknesses were extremely obvious.
"Please." Lin Xuan simply nodded slightly, not even bothering to assume a fighting stance, as if he were facing not a mortal enemy, but an insignificant passerby.
Seeing Lin Xuan's arrogance, Cui Zhen's anger intensified, feeling he had been slighted. He coldly snorted, "Arrogant! Take this!"
Before the words were even finished, the sword was already drawn!
"Clang!"
With a clear and melodious sword cry, the sword light, like a silver ribbon, tore through the air and pierced straight for Lin Xuan's throat! This sword strike was fast, accurate, and ruthless, showcasing the essence of the "Qinghe Fast Sword" to the fullest. The sword tip trembled, sealing off Lin Xuan's space to dodge left and right, forcing him to take the hit head-on.
Many in the aristocratic families wore smug expressions, as if they could already see Lin Xuan's blood splattered five steps away. Even the notary, Zhou Zhengyang, nodded slightly, secretly praising Cui Zhenjian's ruthlessness.
However, facing this lightning-fast sword strike, Lin Xuan did not move his feet, but only slightly shifted his body to the side.
The sword tip grazed his neck, the sharp sword energy even severing a few strands of hair, yet it didn't even scratch his oily skin.
"First move," Lin Xuan said calmly, his voice clearly reaching everyone's ears.
Cui Zhen's sword missed its mark, and he was startled, but his reaction was extremely fast. With a flick of his wrist, he slashed horizontally with his sword, cutting Lin Xuan in half! This change of move was also incredibly smooth, showing his solid foundation.
The onlookers held their breath; this sword strike had a wider range, and it seemed that Lin Xuan would have difficulty dodging it.
Just as the sword was about to strike, Lin Xuan moved. He didn't retreat, but instead took half a step forward. At the same time, his right hand, fingers pointing like a sword, struck first, hitting Cui Zhen's wrist holding the sword perfectly!
This finger strike, seemingly slow, was actually faster than usual, as if it had already calculated the trajectory of Cui Zhen's sword strike and the subtle point where the old force had been exhausted and the new force had not yet been generated.
"laugh!"
The wind pierces through the sky!
Cui Zhen felt a numbness in his wrist, and a sharp burst of energy penetrated into it. His entire arm instantly went limp and powerless, and the fierce and unparalleled horizontal slash came to an abrupt halt. The longsword almost slipped from his hand!
He turned pale with horror, hurriedly withdrew his sword and retreated, his face filled with disbelief.
"The second move." Lin Xuan's voice remained calm, as if he had done something insignificant.
The entire room fell silent!
Everyone was stunned by the two lightning-fast exchanges. Cui Zhen's two fierce and swift sword strikes hadn't even touched the hem of Lin Xuan's clothes; instead, he was effortlessly forced back by a single finger strike from his opponent? How could this be?!
Cui Zhen was both shocked and furious, his face turning pale and then red. He endured the soreness and numbness in his wrist, pushing his internal energy to its limit. His longsword hummed, and a faint blue light shone on its blade.
"Qinghe Sword Waterfall!"
He roared and unleashed his ultimate technique. The sword light surged, transforming into a dense, continuous barrage of sword shadows, like a cascading waterfall or a raging storm, engulfing Lin Xuan! The sword's reach was vast, its energy crisscrossing and hissing, seemingly intent on completely engulfing and tearing Lin Xuan apart!
This move is the culmination of Cui Zhen's life's work, and its power far surpasses the previous two sword strikes!
Faced with this seemingly unavoidable waterfall of sword light, Lin Xuan finally got serious. A glint flashed in his eyes, and instead of dodging, he met the dazzling yet deadly sword light head-on with a simple punch!
This punch had no fancy moves, no surging wind, no dazzling light; it only contained a force condensed to the extreme and an indomitable will that could break through all laws!
The punch is thrown like a dragon emerging from the abyss!
"Bang!"
A dull thud was heard, not the sound of metal clashing, but the direct collision of fist force and sword energy!
The seemingly surging waterfall of swords melted and disintegrated like ice and snow under the sun the moment it came into contact with this simple and unadorned punch! The countless sword shadows suddenly vanished, revealing Cui Zhen's horrified face.
Lin Xuan's fist pierced through all defenses and landed solidly on Cui Zhen's chest.
"puff--"
Cui Zhenru was struck by a heavy hammer and sent flying backward. He spat out a mouthful of blood mid-air, and his long sword clattered to the ground. He crashed heavily onto the ground several feet away, struggled for a few moments, but ultimately could not get up. He could only clutch his chest and groan in pain.
The entire venue was deathly silent!
You could hear a pin drop!
Everyone stared wide-eyed and gaped, as if they had witnessed something unbelievable.
From the moment Cui Zhen made his move to the moment he was defeated by Lin Xuan with a single punch, the entire process really only took three moves!
The first move: sidestep the sword.
The second move is to break the sword stance.
The third move: defeat the enemy with a single punch!
Cui Zhen, a young master from the prestigious Cui clan of Qinghe, was defeated in just three moves without even being allowed to draw his weapon or use his full strength.
This result was so shocking, far exceeding everyone's expectations!
On the side of the aristocratic families, the people who had been smug before all turned pale at this moment. Cui Yuanhao even stood up abruptly from his seat, his fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white. He stared intently at the figure in the blue robe who calmly withdrew his fist in the arena, his eyes filled with shock, anger, and an indescribable sense of apprehension.
After a brief silence, a deafening cheer suddenly erupted from the west side of the viewing platform!
"Three moves! Really, only three moves!"
"Master Lin is incredibly powerful!"
"Hahaha, so-called masters from prestigious families are nothing special!"
The smaller sects and independent cultivators were flushed with excitement, waving their fists as if they themselves had defeated Cui Zhen. Lin Xuan's clean and decisive victory in three moves not only won the first round but also greatly boosted their morale and dealt a severe blow to the prestige of the aristocratic families!
Zhou Zhengyang took a deep breath, suppressing the turmoil in his heart, and announced in a deep voice: "Lin Xuan wins the first match!"
His voice echoed on the silent cliffs, adding to the solemnity.
Lin Xuan stood in the center of the arena, his gaze calmly sweeping over the aristocratic families' camp, finally landing on the notary's seat. He bowed slightly but said nothing more.
But at this moment, no one dared to underestimate this seemingly solitary young man. The strength, insight, and control of the battle he displayed in those three moves had been deeply imprinted in everyone's minds.
The first battle established their authority, and the results were remarkable!
On Broken Soul Cliff, the wind seemed even colder, while the atmosphere on the aristocratic side plummeted to freezing. They realized that this opponent was far more formidable than they had imagined. The battle to come would likely be anything but easy.