At that moment, the other three stages concluded almost simultaneously.
On Ji Xuan's stage, the wolf lay frozen in a block of eerie grey ice, a testament to his Corrosive Palm's chilling variant. He brushed off his sleeves and glanced at Lin Yun's struggling form, a cold, satisfied smirk twisting his lips.
On Nangong Qing'er's stage, the wolf was entangled in shimmering bands of water energy, unable to move. She had subdued it with flawless control and efficiency. Her cold, calculating eyes observed Lin Yun's predicament with detached interest, filing the information away.
On Bai Chenfeng's stage, the wolf was simply unconscious, a single, precise strike to a pressure point having ended the fight cleanly. He looked over at the chaotic battle, his expression calm but his eyes showing a flicker of surprise at the wolf's frenzied state.
All three had dealt with their opponents swiftly and decisively. Their return to the stands highlighted the intensity of Lin Yun's ongoing struggle.
Lin Yun frowned, his mind racing as he continuously used the Fleeting Cloud Step to evade a whirlwind of frenzied attacks.
Swish! A claw swipe missed his face by inches.
Snap! Jaws snapped shut where his leg had been a moment before.
Why did it go berserk? he thought, dodging another lunge.
Through his Heavenly Eyes, he analyzed the enraged beast. The energy within it was chaotic, but he could still see its core—the Profound Beast Core that was its source of power. He compared it to the wolves he had observed earlier.
It's larger, he realized. The energy is denser. This one is stronger, closer to the peak of the 9th Level, perhaps even half a step into Foundation Establishment. I was just unlucky. It was a random, cruel twist of fate.
The wolf was now a tempest of claws and fangs. Its attacks were wild, less predictable, but also more powerful. It was sacrificing defense for pure, unadulterated offense.
CRASH!
It slammed its body against the spot where Lin Yun had been standing, the stone stage cracking under the impact.
Lin Yun knew he couldn't keep dodging forever. His spiritual energy was finite. He had to find an opening and end this, now.
He concentrated, his Heavenly Eyes working overtime. He saw past the blur of motion, past the raging aura. He saw the flow of the chaotic energy, the patterns in its madness. He was looking for a moment of over-commitment, a brief instant where its frenzied attack would leave it unbalanced.
The wolf launched into a series of rapid, spinning bites, becoming a crimson vortex of death.
Swish! Swish! SNAP!
Lin Yun weaved through them, the Fleeting Cloud Step pushed to its limit. His robes were nicked by the wind from a near-miss.
Then, he saw it. As the wolf finished its spinning assault, it landed awkwardly for a split second, its energy surging to its front legs for another pounce, leaving its flank momentarily exposed and unstable.
This was the chance.
Instead of retreating, Lin Yun shot forward, diving straight into the wolf's space. The move was so counter-intuitive that the beast hesitated for a fraction of a second.
FWOOM!
Lin Yun's left hand, also blazing with the Fire Fist, slammed into the wolf's shoulder, not to cause damage, but to push its weight further off balance.
"GROWL?!" The wolf stumbled, its pounce aborted.
In that single, perfect moment of vulnerability, Lin Yun put every ounce of his remaining spiritual energy into his right fist. The Fire Fist blazed brighter than ever before, the heat warping the air around it.
BOOOOM!
He drove his fist like a piston into the exact same spot on the wolf's ribs he had injured earlier.
The sound was a devastating combination of breaking bone and explosive fire.
The wolf's frenzied roar was cut short, turning into a choked whimper. It was lifted off its feet and thrown backwards, slamming hard against the protective barrier of the stage with a heavy THUD. It slid to the ground and did not get up.
Silence.
The frantic battle was over. Lin Yun stood panting in the center of the stage, his spiritual energy nearly depleted, his robes slightly torn, but victorious.
His gaze, sharp and analytical, swept across the arena and landed on the elder who had been guarding the Prowess Stele—the same elder who had brought out the Bloody Wolves.
The man was looking directly at him, and on his face was not surprise or concern, but a faint, almost imperceptible smile. It was a smile of... satisfaction? Approval?
In that instant, the feeling of "bad luck" that had washed over him earlier solidified into a cold certainty. This was not unintentional. The stronger wolf, the one most likely to enter a frenzy, had not been assigned to him by chance. This elder had deliberately given him a greater challenge.
The elder, seeing Lin Yun's gaze upon him, gave a slight, approving nod. He then walked towards Lin Yun's stage, his movements calm and unhurried.
"Well done, student Lin," the elder said, his voice carrying a warmth that seemed genuine, yet layered with unspoken meaning. "To overcome a frenzied Bloody Wolf at your level of cultivation demonstrates not just power, but exceptional combat instinct and unshakable nerve. A truly impressive performance."
He gestured towards the stands. "You may return to your seat. The martial assessment is concluded for you."
Lin Yun looked into the elder's eyes for a moment longer, trying to read the intent behind them. He saw curiosity, a spark of interest, but no malice. It felt less like an attack and more like... a test. A very dangerous, potentially crippling test.
He nodded slightly, a gesture of acknowledgment that was neither warm nor cold. "Thank you, Elder." Without another word, he turned and leaped lightly back up to the stands, his movements still fluid despite his fatigue.
The moment he sat down, Hua Mengyan let out a huge sigh of relief, her hand on her chest.
"Whew! That was too close! Fortunately you managed to beat it! I was so worried when it went into a frenzy!" she exclaimed, her voice full of genuine concern. "That was really unlucky, getting the strongest one."
Lin Yun didn't respond to her comment about luck. Instead, he leaned slightly closer, his voice dropping to a low murmur meant only for her ears.
"Mengyan," he asked, his eyes subtly flicking towards the elder who was now overseeing the cleanup of the stages, "who is that elder? The one who was by the stele and brought out the wolves."