Elder Kong called the next batch. "Hua Mengyan! Zhang Li!..."
Hua Mengyan took a deep breath and stood up.
"Be careful," Lin Yun said, his voice low but clear.
She gave him a confident grin. "Don't worry! I'll show you how it's done!" With that, she gracefully leaped down to her assigned stage.
Her fight was a contrast to Wang Kun's brutish display. When the Bloody Wolf was released, it lunged at her with the same feral speed. But Hua Mengyan was ready.
She used the Hua Clan's "Blossoming Fist," but applied it with fluid footwork. She didn't meet the wolf head-on. She flowed around its attacks, her movements like a dancer's.
She would sidestep a lunge and deliver a sharp, fiery punch to its flank. She would duck under a swipe of its claws and strike its shoulder. Her attacks were precise, aimed at joints and muscles to slow the beast down.
It was a battle of attrition, but a controlled one. She was patient, conserving her energy, waiting for the perfect moment.
It took time. The wolf was relentless, and she had to stay perfectly focused to avoid its deadly jaws. But her strategy was sound. She gradually wore the wolf down, its movements becoming slower, its snarls more pained.
Finally, she saw her chance. As the wolf stumbled after a missed pounce, she channeled all her power into one final, powerful "Blossoming Fist" to its temple.
The wolf collapsed, unconscious.
She stood panting in the center of the stage, a triumphant smile on her face. It hadn't been the fastest victory, but it had been clean, intelligent, and demonstrated excellent control.
As the second batch concluded, the atmosphere grew even more tense. The top performers from the stele test had yet to take the stage.
Elder Kong unrolled his scroll once more. His voice carried across the now-quiet avenue.
"Third and final batch. Lin Yun, Ji Xuan, Nangong Qing'er, Bai Chenfeng... to your stages."
A ripple of intense anticipation ran through the crowd. This was it. The main event. Everyone wanted to see how the top four would fare, but all eyes were particularly glued to one person, Lin Yun.
Could the boy who defied the stele also defy the logic of cultivation levels in a real fight?
Lin Yun stood up. He felt the stares, but he was calm. He had been observing, learning. He knew the wolf's patterns now—its preferred lunges, the way it feinted, its tells before a pounce.
He jumped down from the stands and landed lightly on his assigned battle stage. The stone felt solid beneath his feet. On the stages to his left and right, he saw Ji Xuan, Nangong Qing'er, and Bai Chenfeng also taking their positions.
Ji Xuan looked cold and focused, his hatred for Lin Yun momentarily set aside for the task at hand. Nangong Qing'er was serene, her expression unreadable. Bai Chenfeng adjusted his robes, his demeanor calm and scholarly.
The elder approached, leading four new, equally fierce Bloody Wolves. He released them simultaneously into the four stages.
The moment the chain was released from the wolf on Lin Yun's stage, the beast locked its feral yellow eyes on him. It lowered its head, a deep, rumbling growl emanating from its chest. It could sense his lower cultivation, seeing him as the easiest prey.
Lin Yun didn't assume a flashy stance. He simply stood ready, his hands loose at his sides. He activated his Heavenly Eyes. The world gained its golden overlay.
The wolf, to his sight, was now a mass of swirling, bestial spiritual energy. He could see the energy gathering in its legs before it pounced, the flow of power to its jaws before it bit.
Suddenly, the Bloody Wolf shot forward, a crimson blur of muscle and fury. Its maw gaped open, aiming to clamp down on Lin Yun's throat.
Whoosh!
But Lin Yun was already moving. The moment his Heavenly Eyes saw the energy surge in the wolf's hind legs, he activated the Fleeting Cloud Step. His body seemed to phase slightly, flowing to the side with an effortless grace that belied the deadly speed of the attack. The wolf's snapping jaws closed on empty air.
Hiss! The wolf landed, its claws scraping against the stone, and immediately spun around, confused and enraged by the miss.
Lin Yun didn't give it time to reorient. As the wolf turned, he was already closing in. His right fist blazed to life with the vibrant orange-red of the Fire Fist.
FWOOSH!
He drove his fist towards the wolf's ribs. The beast, with its innate agility, tried to twist away.
But Lin Yun was faster. His Heavenly Eyes had predicted the dodge. His fist adjusted its trajectory mid-strike, connecting solidly with a sickening thud-crack!
YELP!
The wolf let out a sharp cry of pain as it was sent skidding sideways across the stage, a patch of its fur singed and smoking. It scrambled back to its feet, a visible dent in its side, its snarl now filled with pain and a deeper, more primal rage.
Lin Yun pressed his advantage. He flowed forward with the Fleeting Cloud Step, ready to end the fight.
But the wolf did not retreat. Instead, it threw its head back and let out an ear-splitting, guttural ROOOOAR! that seemed to shake the very air.
BOOM!
A visible wave of crimson spiritual energy erupted from its body. Its muscles bulged, its eyes glowed with a manic red light, and strings of bloody saliva flew from its jaws. Its aura intensified dramatically, becoming wild, chaotic, and several times more ferocious.
What is this?!
Lin Yun's eyes widened in shock. He had to abort his attack and hastily retreat several steps as the wolf swiped its claws through the space he had just occupied, the wind pressure sharp enough to sting.
On the stands, Wang Kun, who had been watching with a bored expression, suddenly burst into loud, hearty laughter.
"HAHAHA! Frenzy! The beast entered a frenzy! Serves you right, you cheating bastard! Let's see your tricky movements save you now!" His voice was full of malicious glee.
Beside him, Hua Mengyan gasped, her hands flying to her mouth. "Oh no... Lin Yun, be careful!"