Li Xinwu's cold and sharp words exploded like thunder in every spectator's ears.
Pretending?
Alliance Master Xiao was pretending?
Countless jaws dropped as people looked in disbelief at the Heavenly Alliance Master on the arena—the one who seemed to have fallen into a disadvantage.
Xiao Chen heard this, and the subtle "strained" expression on his face instantly vanished.
In its place was an open acknowledgment of being exposed, along with a faint hint of appreciation.
He exhaled lightly, as if shedding some invisible shackle, and the corner of his mouth curved upward:
"To think you saw through it."
He admitted it!
He had actually been hiding his true strength!
Before the crowd could digest this shocking revelation, the aura around Xiao Chen suddenly transformed!
"BOOM—!!"
As if thunder accumulated over millions of years erupted in an instant!
Blinding azure lightning burst forth from his body. Countless electrical serpents wildly writhed and roared, wrapping his entire form into a massive sphere of lightning!
Violent thunder power rampaged outward, causing the grand arena's barrier light-screen to violently distort and ripple, emitting groans of unbearable strain!
A might beyond imagination—like a sleeping primordial giant beast awakening—surged skyward with Xiao Chen at its center!
In truth, he had long been naturally ready to advance to the Heaven Human Realm.
But for so many years, he had constantly suppressed his cultivation level while continuously borrowing tribulation lightning to temper his body.
Now that his opponent had called it out with a single sentence, he no longer concealed it.
His cultivation realm, in this moment, skyrocketed at a speed visible to the naked eye!
The barrier of Long Life Realm Great Perfection was shattered like paper!
Heaven Human Realm Initial Stage!
The aura didn't pause—continuing its wild ascent!
Heaven Human Realm Middle Stage!
Still it didn't stop!
Finally, that terrifying aura stabilized upon reaching Heaven Human Realm Late Stage.
But the spreading thunder might was even more heart-palpitating than many Heaven Human Realm Peak cultivators!
The entire process took merely two or three breaths!
The entire arena fell into dead silence!
Everyone felt as if their throats were gripped by an invisible hand, eyes wide, staring at that figure wreathed in lightning like a thunder god descending to earth, their minds completely blank.
Directly... from Long Life Realm Great Perfection, leaping across three entire minor realms to soar to Heaven Human Realm Late Stage?!
How was this possible?!
Unheard of! Unseen before!
This completely overturned all cultivation common sense!
"Three... three consecutive advancements?!"
"Heavens! Are my eyes playing tricks on me?!"
"Unprecedented! Unmatched in history! What terrifying accumulation and foundation is this?!"
Cries of shock and gasps of cold air swept through the arena like a tide. Every face was written with extreme shock and disbelief.
On the high platform, the composure and coldness on Li Xinwu's face had long disappeared.
In their place was unprecedented gravity and vigilance—even a trace of terror.
He finally understood why Xiao Chen had always felt slightly "off" during their exchanges.
The other party had been using the vast majority of his power to suppress and temper himself!
What kind of mad, what kind of confident approach was this?!
The lightning around Xiao Chen gradually receded, merging into his body.
But in his eyes, it was as if billions of thunderbolts were being born and extinguished.
He slowly raised his hand, fingers together like a sword.
"Sizzle—!"
A giant sword phantom formed entirely from resplendent lightning appeared above his fingertips.
Upon the sword body, countless mysterious thunder-seal dao patterns flowed and leaped, radiating a supreme sword intent interweaving destruction and creation!
Nine Heavens Thunder Sword Art—complete mastery!
"Sacred Master Li," Xiao Chen's voice was calm, yet carried the majesty of thunder, "please receive this sword of mine."
Before the words fell, that thunder giant sword had already slashed forth!
No grand fanfare—only an extremely condensed blade of lightning that seemed to slice apart the chaos of heaven and earth!
The speed exceeded visual capture. Where it passed, space itself seemed to be scorched with faint burn marks!
Li Xinwu's pupils contracted violently.
He roared, and his Heaven Human Realm Peak spiritual energy erupted without reservation.
His moon-white dao robe billowed as he unleashed his ultimate defensive divine ability—the Luofu Immortal Light Wall!
An incomparably heavy crystalline light wall, circulating with countless immortal family talismans, instantly condensed before him!
Yet—
"CRACK—!"
That Luofu Immortal Light Wall, condensing Li Xinwu's lifetime of cultivation, lasted only an instant before that extremely condensed thunder sword light—shattered like fragile glass!
The sword light's momentum undiminished, instantly stopping at the point of Li Xinwu's brow!
The icy sensation of death made Li Xinwu's entire body go rigid. All movement froze.
Cold sweat instantly soaked his back.
The sword light, half an inch before his brow, quietly dissipated.
Victory and defeat were decided.
Xiao Chen—complete victory!
The entire arena descended into deathly silence.
Everyone was shaken beyond measure by this reversal, this crushing outcome.
They finally understood. The reason Xiao Chen dared to implement this Heavenly Alliance Grand Competition, dared to place the Alliance Master position upon the arena, relied not only on an ocean-encompassing breadth of mind and boldness.
It came from absolute confidence in his own strength!
A kind of absolute strength that stood above his generation—sufficient to crush even the older generation of experts!
Looking at that figure on the arena—sword withdrawn, standing tall, traces of thunder not yet fully subsided around him, like a master of lightning—an involuntary thought rose madly in every spectator's heart, impossible to erase:
The Number One Prodigy of the Era!
...
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