“Holy shit! What just happened? Did I hear that right—Lin Yuan registered?”
“Late registration? That’s even allowed? That’s not fair—it’s special treatment!”
“No shit it is! He’s Lin Yuan—scion of a Martial God family, rich as hell! A little privilege? Big deal!”
“This is gonna be epic! Peerless genius versus the academy’s top young master—this is the most explosive matchup today!”
…
Amid countless stunned, confused, mocking, and curious gazes…
The figure who’d been lying lazily on the sofa finally stood up slowly.
Lin Yuan stretched with a huge yawn, bones cracking in rhythm.
He waved at the two pretty maids behind him.
“Alright, pack it up. Time to get to work.”
His tone didn’t sound like someone about to enter a decisive battle to determine the academy’s strongest—it was more like a casual trip to the market.
The maids bowed respectfully, swiftly clearing the sofa, snacks, and juice, then quietly withdrew.
Only then did Lin Yuan begin walking toward the waiting area, unhurried and relaxed.
He didn’t even glance toward the arena the entire time.
That kind of innate carelessness and detachment made everyone watching feel a tingling in their teeth.
Too much swagger.
This guy practically had the word “pretentious” tattooed on his forehead.
On the arena…
Ye Xuan, who moments ago had been brimming with fighting spirit and confidence, now wore a wonderfully complex expression.
First came shock.
Then came a burst of joy.
And finally, that joy turned into a towering blaze of fury and killing intent.
He came.
He finally came.
That coward—this piece of trash—still didn’t have the guts to completely stay hidden!
“Good… very good.”
Ye Xuan clenched his fists tight.
He stared at Lin Yuan’s back, his will to fight reaching its peak.
He swore to crush all of Lin Yuan’s arrogance and pride beneath his feet in the arena!
…
With Lin Yuan’s entry, the tournament’s pace accelerated sharply.
Very soon, it was time for Lin Yuan’s first match.
His opponent was a bulky 5th stage Bone Refining Realm cultivator—considered a well-known figure in the academy for his strength and defense.
“Hmph! Lin Yuan, so you finally dared show up!”
The man stepped onto the stage with a guarded stance. His muscular body was tense, spiritual power forming a thick defensive aura across his skin.
“I thought you’d keep hiding like a turtle. Today, I’ll weigh just how much you’re worth, ‘Young Master Number One’!”
Lin Yuan yawned, strolling casually onto the stage.
He didn’t even bother to pose—just stood there lazily.
Seeing both contestants in place, the referee shouted, “Match start!”
“Haah!!”
The brute roared, stomping the ground with force, making the arena tremble.
He charged at Lin Yuan like a humanoid tank, momentum thundering!
Everyone held their breath, ready for a fierce collision.
But the moment he stepped within three meters of Lin Yuan—
Everything changed.
The brute’s body suddenly froze mid-charge. His face stiffened into a blank expression.
Then his eyes rolled back, and with a loud “thud,” he dropped like a log.
Foaming at the mouth, body twitching, completely unconscious.
From beginning to end, Lin Yuan hadn’t even lifted a finger.
He just stood there—expressionless.
The arena fell silent.
So quiet, you could hear a pin drop.
Everyone was dumbfounded—including the referee on stage.
What just happened?
Was this staged?
Was that guy faking?
It took a full ten seconds for the ref to react. He rushed to examine the man’s condition, then looked up in horror.
Whoosh—!
The dead silence exploded into chaos!
“What the hell?! He won just like that?!”
“What did he even do?! I didn’t see anything!”
“Was it some kind of mental attack? No, that guy showed no signs of mental damage!”
As the crowd buzzed with disbelief, Lin Yuan yawned again, strolling back down the stage to his couch and flopping back down.
The next few matches got even more ridiculous.
Whether his opponents were 5th, 6th, or even one foot into 7th stage Bone Refining Realm…
The moment the match started, they dropped in bizarre ways.
One tripped over his own foot and knocked himself out.
Another lost control of his spiritual power and injured himself on the spot.
The most absurd was a guy who, after shouting “Take this!”, suddenly went blank-eyed and started doing a silly dance on stage until collapsing from exhaustion.
Lin Yuan?
Still hadn’t moved.
Not a single attack. Not even a change in his posture.
If the first time was coincidence and the second was a fluke—by the fifth or sixth, it was undeniable.
Lin Yuan’s power had reached a level no one could comprehend.
He didn’t need to fight.
Just by standing there, using some unknown force, he made opponents collapse without resistance.
This wasn’t combat anymore.
It was a dimensional suppression.
Fear spread like plague through the hearts of the remaining competitors.
Later, anyone who drew Lin Yuan as their opponent simply forfeited before even stepping on stage.
What, go up there and humiliate themselves?
Or maybe dance in public?
So Lin Yuan advanced to the finals without lifting a finger—a feat never seen before.
And his final opponent, as expected, was the one who had battled through with astonishing strength:
The Chosen One—Ye Xuan.
The final showdown had arrived.
The entire arena reached its boiling point.
On one side—Ye Xuan, the soaring prodigy, miracle-maker, hailed as the people’s Chosen One.
On the other—Lin Yuan, mysterious and unfathomable, who “lay-flat” his way to the top in the most bizarre fashion.
This was more than a championship match—it was the ultimate clash of old money versus rising star, effort versus talent!
“Ye Xuan! Go for it!”
“Beat that spoiled rich brat!”
The crowd cheered passionately for Ye Xuan.
They wanted to believe that the self-made genius could overcome the silver-spoon slacker.
Li Xuan’er was among the crowd, fists clenched nervously, silently praying for Ye Xuan’s victory.
Only Gu Ningxue…
As she watched Lin Yuan rise impatiently from his sofa and walk toward the stage, an intense unease welled up in her heart.
This man was terrifying.
On stage.
Ye Xuan took a deep breath, steadying himself.
He could feel Lin Yuan’s power—so strong it was absurd.
But he wasn’t afraid.
He had secret techniques from the Extreme Dao Ancestor.
He had countless near-death battle experiences.
He had the heart of a true warrior.
He believed—he could win!
“Lin Yuan!”
Ye Xuan’s voice rang loud and clear. “I know you’re strong! But today, I, Ye Xuan, will defeat you fair and square! I’ll show you who the real genius is!”
Lin Yuan rubbed his ear, annoyed by the volume. He gave Ye Xuan a lazy glance and muttered, “Noisy.”
The referee didn’t bother wasting time and immediately declared, “Final match, begin!”
At that instant—
Ye Xuan charged!
His entire aura erupted. 2nd stage Bone Refining Realm spiritual power surged without holding back. His right hand clenched, readying the Mountain-Crushing Fist—his strongest attack!
He would open this fight with everything he had!
But just as he raised his fist to strike—
He didn’t punch.
He didn’t kick.
He simply raised his head, and for the first time, looked directly at Ye Xuan.
BOOM—!
A monstrous pressure erupted—indescribable with words.
Like a flood breaching the heavens.
Like the collapse of the universe.
It wasn’t just spiritual power.
It was a crushing force from the very fabric of life itself.
The supreme divine might innate to the Primordial Sacred Body—standing above all creation.
“Pfft!”
Ye Xuan hadn’t even finished forming his stance.
His spiritual power wasn’t fully gathered.
That unstoppable force struck both his soul and flesh simultaneously.
His meridians shattered instantly.
His spiritual power went berserk.
His organs felt like they were smashed by a ten-ton hammer.
Blood gushed from his mouth as his legs gave out.
With a heavy thud, he collapsed to his knees.
What happened?
Ye Xuan’s mind went blank.
He wasn’t willing!
He couldn’t lose like this!
“RAAAAH—!!”
Ye Xuan roared like a wild beast, using every ounce of strength to rise and fight back.
But what came next was even heavier, even more terrifying pressure.
BANG!
Just as he lifted his body an inch, he was smashed down again by an invisible force!
His body was pinned in a humiliating position, face pressed hard against the cold floor.
He couldn’t move a single finger.
The difference…
So this was the gap?
All his brutal training, all the near-death battles, his unbreakable will and pride—
Were jokes in front of this man.
Cruel, pathetic jokes.
Resentment, rage, humiliation, despair…
All of it churned inside Ye Xuan like poison, tearing at his sanity.
He realized he wasn’t facing a man. He was staring up at a god, untouchable and indifferent.
No matter how hard he struggled, he would never even reach the man’s feet.
Lin Yuan looked down at Ye Xuan, who lay helplessly pinned to the ground.
There was no emotion in his eyes—only the cold indifference of someone looking at an ant.
He slowly raised one foot and lightly ground it into the floor.
The sound wasn’t loud, but in the silent arena, it echoed sharply.
“You think just because you clawed your way up from nothing, you’re the Chosen One? Sorry. Someone like you… doesn’t even deserve to make me lift a hand.”
A single scoff.
Piercingly contemptuous—like an ice spike through Ye Xuan’s heart.
And with that…
Lin Yuan didn’t spare him another glance.
He turned around and walked off the stage with calm, measured steps.
His tone—casual, distant—cut deeper than any insult.
As if… Ye Xuan’s very existence was a waste of his time.
This… Was a true genius???
The entire arena was dead silent.
Everyone was shaken to their core by what they had just witnessed.
Only when Lin Yuan’s figure neared the exit tunnel did the stunned referee come to his senses.
With a trembling voice, he declared the obvious result.
“V-Victor… Lin Yuan!!!”