From Fanwu to Xinghai

Chapter 8 The Final Showdown

On the day of the finals, before dawn, Cloud City was already in an uproar. The streets were teeming with people, all flocking to the Royal Martial Arts Arena. Teahouses and taverns were packed, and the city walls were also filled with spectators; the total number of spectators was a staggering 100,000. Not only the city's residents, but also officials from surrounding counties, representatives of aristocratic families, and envoys from various sects were all present. The triennial Dynasty Martial Arts Examination finals were never just a simple competition; they were a grand event that stirred up a storm of emotions among all factions.

This year's martial arts exam was particularly noteworthy, with geniuses from the Bai and Murong families gathering, and Tie Shan, an elite reserve member of the Thunder Legion, making a strong appearance. But the biggest surprise was Lin Chen, a young man from a small border town who had defied the odds by achieving only the third level of Body Tempering. Overnight, his name spread throughout the city, becoming the focus of everyone's discussion.

Lin Chen stood in the finals waiting area, eyes closed, meditating. The information Chen Bo had brought back the previous night clearly surfaced in his mind. Of the 107 finalists, only about a dozen posed a real threat. The first tier consisted of Tie Shan (Ninth Level of Body Tempering), Bai Yutang (Eighth Level of Body Tempering), and Murong Xue (Eighth Level of Body Tempering); the second tier comprised sect disciples at the Seventh and Eighth Levels of Body Tempering; the rest were ordinary geniuses at the Fifth and Sixth Levels of Body Tempering. Lin Chen was relegated to the bottom tier; no one knew his true strength. Everyone believed he won through prediction, and that he would inevitably lose if he encountered an opponent who could counter his predictions.

The finals are an elimination tournament held in a ring. One hundred and seven people are paired up by drawing lots. The winners advance and the losers are eliminated. The final rankings are determined after five rounds. Lin Chen needs to win at least four consecutive matches to enter the top seven. His opponents are getting stronger with each round. In the fourth round, he will face Bai Yutang and Murong Xue, both of whom are at the eighth level of Body Tempering.

"Are you ready?" Uncle Chen's voice rang out. Lin Chen opened his eyes, his gaze sweeping over the powerful figures in the arena. Tie Shan was as steady as a rock, Bai Yutang smiled calmly, and Murong Xue was aloof and otherworldly. Although he was only at the peak of the fourth level of Body Tempering, he showed no fear. He had the ability to foresee the future, and even more so, a heart that would never admit defeat.

"Ready."

In the first round, Lin Chen's opponent was a swordsman at the fifth level of Body Tempering. The battle lasted only three breaths. Lin Chen anticipated the attack trajectory, dodged to the side, and stabbed his opponent in the shoulder socket, causing him to lose strength and admit defeat.

In the second round, his opponent was a Body Tempering Level 6 boxer. The boxer's attacks were fierce but his footwork was crude. Lin Chen easily found an opening by anticipating the attack and severed the opponent's Achilles tendon with a single strike, causing the opponent to fall to the ground in a crushing defeat.

The two battles were clean and decisive, and the stands were abuzz with discussion. Everyone was shocked to discover that this border boy was far stronger than they had imagined. He had won consecutive victories against opponents of higher levels while only at the peak of the fourth level of Body Tempering, which was nothing short of miraculous.

In the third round, Lin Chen encountered a formidable opponent—Xiao Yuan, a disciple of the Flying Eagle Sect. Xiao Yuan was at the early stage of the seventh level of Body Tempering and was skilled in light footwork and hidden weapons. His fighting style was cunning and tricky. In the melee of the second round, he eliminated twelve people with his unique fighting style, second only to Tie Shan in efficiency.

"So you're Lin Chen, the one who defeated Wang Tianba by predicting the outcome?" Xiao Yuan smirked. "I wonder if your predictions can keep up with my speed?"

Before he finished speaking, Xiao Yuan unleashed the Flying Eagle Sect's Shadow Chasing Step, his figure transforming into a gray shadow as he moved at high speed across the stone platform, exceeding three times the speed of an ordinary person. Lin Chen immediately felt strained; although his Time Imprint could capture the trajectory, it couldn't keep up with the changes in the opponent's speed, causing the scene to frequently skip frames.

Lin Chen remained calm, closing his eyes to cut off visual interference and instead using the Time Imprint to perceive everything. He quickly figured out that the Shadow Chasing Step's maximum speed could only be maintained for three breaths, after which it had to slow down and adjust at a fixed breathing point, which was its fatal weakness.

Lin Chen opened his eyes, a glint of light flashing in his golden pupils, and positioned himself at the breathing spot Xiao Yuan was sure to pass through. Xiao Yuan's figure rushed over, crashing right into Lin Chen's blade, a long bloody gash appearing on his side, forcibly interrupting his Shadow Step.

"How did you know I would be here?" Xiao Yuan asked, his face full of shock.

"Your breathing point is your weakness," Lin Chen said calmly.

Xiao Yuan remained silent for a long time, then willingly admitted defeat. As he passed by, he whispered a reminder: "Be careful if you encounter Tieshan or Bai Yutang; they are far stronger than me." Lin Chen nodded slightly in thanks.

In the fourth round, Lin Chen faced his strongest opponent yet—Bai Yutang, a direct descendant of the Bai family, a genius from one of the three great martial arts families of the dynasty, who was at the eighth level of Body Tempering.

Bai Yutang, holding a folding fan, slowly walked onto the stage, his aura calm and composed: "Lin Chen, it's quite interesting that you've won three consecutive matches by relying on prediction. But do you know that prediction is useless against me?"

Lin Chen frowned: "Why?"

Bai Yutang closed his fan and chuckled lightly: "I cultivate the Formless Mind Technique, which is devoid of self and form. I make no preparatory movements before striking, and the direction and force of my moves are only determined at the last moment. Even I myself do not know where my attacks will land. How can you predict it?"

Lin Chen's pupils shrank suddenly. The Formless Heart Technique was actually the natural nemesis of his precognitive abilities.

A battle between a peak fourth-level Body Tempering expert and an eighth-level Body Tempering expert, a battle of prediction against an unpredictable opponent—this duel was full of suspense, and the atmosphere was tense throughout the arena. On the high platform, Zhao Wuji and the man in black robes were also waiting with bated breath.

"start!"

Bai Yutang moved like the wind, approaching silently without any warning. Lin Chen's time imprint was running wildly, but all he could see was chaos, making it impossible to predict the landing point. He hastily dodged, but was still grazed by the force of the punch. As he raised his sword to block, his tiger's mouth was in excruciating pain, and he staggered back three steps. The terrifying power of the eighth level of Body Tempering made him deeply aware of the gap in their cultivation levels.

"Prediction is ineffective, the gap is there, what can you do?" Bai Yutang said calmly.

Lin Chen's mind raced, and the ancient scene of his breakthrough flashed through his mind. A crazy idea emerged—time slowdown. He had never used this ability on his own initiative, but now he had no choice but to gamble.

Bai Yutang launched another powerful attack, his fist aimed straight at Lin Chen's face. Lin Chen closed his eyes, fully activating the time imprint between his brows to awaken the dormant higher-dimensional power within.

hum!

Golden ripples spread, slowing everything around them instantly. Falling dust solidified, Bai Yutang's fist froze, and time slowed down successfully. Although it was only half a breath, it was enough to reverse the battle.

From a reduced perspective, Bai Yutang's attack trajectory was crystal clear. The slight deflection of the shoulder caused by the human body's structure was magnified infinitely, exposing every flaw. Lin Chen precisely moved to avoid the fist, drew his long sword, and struck directly at the opponent's folding fan rib.

Click!

The folding fan snapped, throwing Bai Yutang into disarray and causing him to momentarily lose his balance. Lin Chen's blade hovered an inch from his throat; the outcome was already decided.

Time resumed its flow, and Bai Yutang stared at the broken fan and the sharp blade, his face filled with disbelief: "What did you just do?"

Lin Chen gasped for breath and remained silent, having used time slowdown at the cost of immense physical strain.

The martial arts arena fell silent for three breaths, then erupted in thunderous cheers. A peak fourth-level Body Tempering cultivator had defeated a genius from a powerful family at the eighth level of Body Tempering—a feat that shocked the entire arena. Tie Shan opened his eyes, deeply moved; Murong Xue smiled stunningly; the jade slip on the platform shone brightly; and Zhao Wuji roared excitedly, "It's a fragment of the second-level Time River! Capture this boy alive at all costs!"

Bai Yutang remained silent for a long time before admitting defeat with sincerity: "You are very strong, and your mentality is even better. I look forward to fighting again." He bowed and stepped off the stage. As he turned around, a barely perceptible killing intent flashed in his eyes, which Lin Chen caught.

Lin Chen stepped off the stone platform, his legs weak, almost collapsing. The cost of slowing down time was severe: his spiritual energy was exhausted, his meridians were burning, and his brow was stinging unbearably.

Uncle Chen quickly helped him up: "You used time to slow down?"

"Yes, only half a breath, my body is almost collapsing," Lin Chen replied weakly.

Chen Bo's expression was complicated: "Time slowdown is the core ability of the observer. You have amazing talent, but your physical body is too weak. If you force it to use and overdraw your life, you can only use it three more times at most before your meridians will completely collapse."

"There are two more matches. Your next opponent is Iron Mountain, who has reached the ninth level of Body Tempering. He comes from a military background and is decisive and ruthless, without any fancy moves. Given your current state, even with one more chance to slow down, your chances of winning are only 50%."

Lin Chen smiled wryly. He used to be unable to defeat even Wang Tianba, but now he had to face a ninth-level Body Tempering expert. His growth rate was beyond imagination.

"We must fight, even if there's only a sliver of a chance of winning."

"Rest for an hour, and I will heal you and help you recover." Warm spiritual energy flowed into Uncle Chen's palm, repairing Lin Chen's damaged meridians.

An hour later, he will face the strongest opponent of his life. The final battle of the martial arts exam is about to begin.