The competition continued, of course, and the one-on-one battles didn't conclude in just a day; it had been going on for several days since the beginning. Especially in the final days, every time Lin Xuan won a match, the Seven Stars Sword Sect erupted in cheers, some even wanting to carry him on their shoulders and celebrate for him.
Defeating a Golden Core cultivator once might be a fluke, but twice, three times? That couldn't be simply explained away by luck.
Lin Xuan, you are my god!
By the end, only Lin Xuan from the Seven Stars Sword Sect and three others from the Celestial Light Sect remained undefeated, while all the other sects had been eliminated.
Thus, Lin Xuan continued to face off against the Celestial Light Sect, and the competition would only end when the final sect was decided.
Could Lin Xuan take down three opponents in a row? If it were anyone else, people would have thought it was absurd, but now, everyone was filled with anticipation.
Originally, no one had expected much from Lin Xuan, but he had proven his strength. Surprisingly, even people outside the Seven Stars Sword Sect began to believe he might do it. It was truly madness.
"Lin Xuan! Lin Xuan!"
Every win echoed his name across the tournament grounds, and now, he faced his final opponent, Ding Guanghua.
No matter when, an underdog's rise was always the most thrilling to watch, the most invigorating.
Of course, except for the person being defeated.
Ding Guanghua was that person now.
But he didn't think he was the underdog. He rubbed his bald head and wore an excited expression.
"Lin Xuan, watching you fight makes me unable to control myself. You're really getting my blood boiling. Come on, let's have our final battle."
"I will give it my all."
"Good, good. I won't hold back either. This punch—dazzling entry!"
Ding Guanghua struck first, his fist glowing with white light, striking powerfully towards Lin Xuan.
Lin Xuan met the attack with a single hand on his sword.
The clash of fist and blade produced a piercing noise.
Sword and fist alternated between offense and defense, moving faster and faster. A moment's carelessness could mean disaster.
But Lin Xuan's exceptional swordsmanship held firm.
"This is exciting!"
Ding Guanghua became more and more excited as the fight went on. This was the kind of battle he wanted. Under such relentless attacks, Lin Xuan could only struggle to defend.
But being able to withstand them was already remarkable.
"Hey, hey, hey, why does it feel like Lin Xuan got stronger?"
"Idiot, when faced with a stronger opponent, he gets stronger himself, you know?"
"He's so handsome, even when he's being beaten up like this."
"Pfft, he's just average. Ding Shixiong will definitely win."
"Yeah, yeah. He's probably just strong at the beginning, but he'll be weak later."
The surrounding audience went on with their speculations.
Suddenly, Lin Xuan took a step back.
"Flame-Slaying White Dragon Sword!"
A white dragon emerged, its power formidable.
"That's it!"
Ding Guanghua caught the dragon's jaws with both hands and tore it apart, easily diffusing the attack.
Lin Xuan naturally knew one dragon wouldn't suffice, so he unleashed several more, circling Ding Guanghua.
"It's no use, no matter how many you throw at me."
Ding Guanghua effortlessly grabbed one dragon with each hand, swinging them left and right, as if taming them. He had become a master tamer.
But those dragons were just a distraction. While Ding Guanghua was dealing with them, Lin Xuan finished charging up.
"Flame Slash."
"Huh?" When Ding Guanghua noticed Lin Xuan again, he saw the strike descending vertically towards him.
Ding Guanghua barely dodged it, but his clothes were scorched slightly by the heat.
However, a light breeze from his mouth cooled the damage instantly; the material of his clothes was top-notch.
"Now it's my turn. This punch, you can't avoid it."
Ding Guanghua's fists glowed again, and he started throwing punch after punch at Lin Xuan.
One after another, glowing spheres shot out from his hands, raining down on Lin Xuan.
Lin Xuan used his sword to deflect the spheres, sending them flying in all directions.
The dispersed spheres exploded all around.
But their number was too great, and Lin Xuan could only dodge and block simultaneously.
He narrowly avoided one sphere that came straight for his face.
No sooner had he evaded it than he sensed something was wrong.
His instincts were right. Ding Guanghua had already closed in from behind, ready to strike.
Boom!
A punch slammed into Lin Xuan's face, sending him crashing to the ground and creating a crater over ten meters deep.
Lin Xuan wasn't about to take it lying down. In the moment he was hit, he retaliated with a scorpion-tail kick, striking Ding Guanghua's chin.
However, it seemed like that kick barely registered.
Even so, the crowd was astounded.
"Wow, he still managed to counterattack?! That's incredible."
"That punch looked brutal though. I wonder if Lin Xuan can still get up. If it were me, I'd be done for."
"Oh, so cool! Lin Xuan definitely can rise again. I believe in him."
Indeed, Lin Xuan stood up once more.
"You’re not finished, right? Let's go again." Ding Guanghua shook his fists, his warm-up complete.
"Of course."
The two resumed their battle, but this time, Ding Guanghua's advantage was clear.
Lin Xuan could inflict injuries on Ding Guanghua, but it came at a greater cost to himself.
Seeing Lin Xuan's battered state, people were concerned he might accidentally get killed, but that was just on the surface. Lin Xuan was still able to fight.
"Lin Xuan, you continue to surprise me."
More than once, Ding Guanghua had thought it was over, only for Lin Xuan to rise again, which both excited and slightly unnerved him. But only a little.
"Then let's see something even more surprising."
Lin Xuan plunged his sword into the ground, ripped off his tattered shirt, and brought his fists up, adopting a fighting stance.
This puzzled the onlookers.
"What? What is Lin Xuan doing? Isn't he going to fight Ding Guanghua with his fists?"
"Is he crazy? Doesn't he realize how powerful Ding Guanghua's fists are?"
"He's gone mad."
"His muscles look so good. I’m feeling a little excited."
Ding Guanghua was also momentarily surprised. He had never seen Lin Xuan use his fists before, but from his stance, it didn't seem fake.
Interesting!
"Hahaha, very well. I'll accept your challenge."
However, under the fists, Lin Xuan's attacks seemed to become even more formidable.
This made Ding Guanghua feel like he had met his match.
"Lin Xuan, meeting you is truly wonderful."
"The feeling is mutual."
The fists continued to clash.
The pace shifted from slow to fast and then back to slow.
In that rhythm, half an hour passed.
Lin Xuan now seemed to be barely holding on, and was sent flying by a punch from Ding Guanghua, collapsing to the ground and not getting up.
It seemed Ding Guanghua had prevailed in the end.
The audience felt a tinge of regret.
"Ah, it's a pity. Lin Xuan’s fists are even better than his sword skills, but it's a shame. If only his cultivation level was a bit higher, the outcome might have been different."
"Regardless, Lin Xuan deserves our respect."
"Lin Xuan, don’t cry. Later, I’ll bring my sisters to comfort you."
At this moment, Lin Xuan moved. He struggled to rise, but halfway up, he collapsed again. Yet he didn’t give up and continued his climb.
Even Ding Guanghua was almost moved to tears by this point, but he wouldn’t hold back.
"Your will is incredibly strong. Given time, you’ll surely soar."
"However, now, I am stronger. It's over. As a sign of respect, I’ll use my strongest attack. Can you take it?"
Lin Xuan stood up, answering silently.
"Good. This punch—radiant starlight!"
Now, not only did Ding Guanghua's fists glow, but his whole body did as well.
The power displayed was nothing short of miraculous.
"He’s killing him, stop him!"
"What are you panicking about? So many experts are watching; nothing will happen."
"But what if there’s an accident?"
Everyone watched intently, afraid of missing any details.
Facing Ding Guanghua's ultimate attack, Lin Xuan took a deep breath.
"Master Yan, I feel it. The realm of thousand-refining perfection."
With a calm beginning, followed by a sudden burst like a flood.
In this moment, Lin Xuan also erupted, unleashing his punch:
"Dragonforce Strike!"
The two forces collided, erupting in a shockwave that expanded from the center, wreaking havoc around them.
After the dust cleared, both stood on the battlefield.
"Who won?"
"I don’t know. What happened to Lin Xuan? How did he suddenly explode with such power?"
"Lin Xuan, Xuan bro, I’m sorry, I was wrong. You’re not weak at all. You’re genuinely enduring."
Everyone waited with bated breath, eager to know the outcome.
Ding Guanghua looked at his fists and chuckled: "I’ve lost."
He rolled his eyes and collapsed.
Lin Xuan raised his fist, declaring his victory, but soon after, he also lost consciousness.
However, he stood there resolutely, refusing to fall.