Amidst countless stunned gazes.
Ling Fan calmly walked back to his position step by step.
He appeared as if he had merely defeated an insignificant minor character, rather than Kong Yu, a direct disciple of a Hegemon who had already reached the sixth stage of Xuan Emperor, and a successor of an ancient Heavenly Emperor.
Everyone's eyes followed Ling Fan.
After a long while, the clamor finally subsided.
Qian Shan Xuan Emperor ordered the unconscious Kong Yu to be carried away.
The next battle commenced.
As one by one the direct disciples were eliminated.
It was like a great wave sifting through sand.
Only the elite of the elite, the geniuses among geniuses, remained.
Long Xuan encountered Gao Wei of the Gao family, one of the ten Hegemon geniuses.
Unexpectedly, Gao Wei had also broken through to the sixth stage of Xuan Emperor.
While Long Xuan was only at the half-step sixth stage of Xuan Emperor.
However, in this battle, Long Xuan displayed incredibly formidable strength and a myriad of trump cards, actually defeating Gao Wei across realms, truly astonishing many.
It could be said that he was a silent achiever, making a stunning debut.
"I remember this Long Xuan entered the Qing Xuan Sect around the same time as that Fan Lin, both were new direct disciples. How is he so fierce?"
Many people marveled in wonder.
And on the other side.
Lu Rui had also defeated Di Junlong, another of the ten Hegemon direct genius disciples.
However, after defeating Di Junlong, Lu Rui encountered an opponent in the next round who almost brought her to despair.
The Gao family, Gao Tianshen!
Just the sight of this figure standing opposite her.
Imposed an immense pressure upon her.
It was as if she were merely a lamb.
While opposite her stood a fierce and ferocious Primordial Tyrant Dragon.
"Surrender. Your strength is merely at the level of barely entering the sixth stage of Xuan Emperor. The gap between us is immeasurable. If I make a move, you will be severely injured at best, or risk your life at worst," Gao Tianshen stated coldly.
Lu Rui's beautiful eyes held a spirit of defiance. "Senior Brother Gao, I know you are an unparalleled prodigy of the Gao family, your reputation among the younger generation rivals that of Vice Sect Master Gao Gan. However, in my cultivation to this day, though I cannot be called a peerless genius, I have never feared anyone. To surrender without a fight, my heart seeking the Dao would not permit it."
Gao Tianshen nodded.
"Since that is the case, I shall fulfill your wish."
Gao Tianshen's tall and robust physique, like that of an peerless emperor, took a step forward.
It was as if a young Heavenly Emperor was employing an earth-shattering technique, manipulating mountains, seas, and the universe.
Boom boom boom!
In an instant.
A terrifying, sky-shattering pressure, like roaring mountains and surging seas, crashed towards Lu Rui.
Lu Rui immediately felt like a small boat adrift in a raging sea, on the verge of being swallowed by the relentless, colossal waves.
Cold sweat poured down her forehead.
She felt an unprecedented pressure.
If Ling Fan's presence felt like an unfathomable abyss.
Then Gao Tianshen's aura was like a raging tempest, wild and boundless to the extreme, making her unable to even conceive of resistance, as if no matter what she did, failure was inevitable.
"Too terrifying! He is also only a sixth stage Xuan Emperor, but the gap between him and me is more than tenfold!"
Before they even exchanged blows.
Merely the collision of their auras.
Lu Rui's confidence was nearly shattered.
Gao Tianshen's expression grew colder, his figure seeming to grow infinitely tall, exuding a supreme aura of pointing to the heavens and treading upon the earth. He unleashed a palm strike, seemingly ordinary and devoid of any ostentatious display, yet as it landed before Lu Rui, it made every hair on her body stand on end, and she felt a terrifying crisis.
Without hesitation, she brought forth her trump cards, even channeling her vast accumulated Tianmai spiritual energy and activating a high-grade Emperor Weapon, unleashing her peak attack.
But before Gao Tianshen's palm strike.
Everything was but an illusion.
Everything was in vain.
All her techniques were dissolved.
With overwhelming force, it struck Lu Rui's delicate body.
Bang!
Lu Rui coughed up a torrent of blood, like a kite with a broken string, falling outside the battle stage.
Lu Rui.
Defeated!
At that moment.
The entire venue was stunned.
Disbelief and shock were etched on everyone's faces.
That shock.
Was even more intense than when Ling Fan defeated Kong Yu.
Because Kong Yu had at least held out against Ling Fan for a considerable time.
But Gao Tianshen had defeated Lu Rui, one of the ten Hegemon genius disciples, with a single, seemingly ordinary move.
This indicated that Gao Tianshen's strength had reached an unimaginably terrifying level.
Even Qian Shan Xuan Emperor looked at Gao Tianshen with a solemn expression.
Although Gao Tianshen's strength was still far inferior to his own.
The gap was no longer that of heaven and earth.
But a gap that could be closed very soon.
After all, he was a seed disciple with considerable seniority. A hundred years ago, he had been defeated in a competition among seed disciples and chose to become an elder managing the direct disciples. Now, he was at the peak of the sixth stage of Xuan Emperor.
"The younger generation is formidable!"
Qian Shan Xuan Emperor couldn't help but shake his head.
Indeed, he was worthy of being called the second Gao Gan.
This talent, this strength, was simply astonishing.
"Senior Sister Lu!"
"Sister!"
Lu Wei held Lu Rui in her arms, tears of heartache streaming down her face.
Long Xuan quickly placed a high-grade Emperor Pill into Lu Rui's mouth.
Lu Rui slowly regained consciousness.
Her face was extremely pale.
"Sister, why did you push yourself so hard!" Lu Wei cried out with concern.
Lu Rui forced a smile. "I'm fine, just a minor injury, it's nothing. I was unwilling to surrender like this. I had to, at least, try to probe some of Gao Tianshen's hidden strength for Fan Lin, but unfortunately, I failed. The gap between him and me is too great. Fan Lin, it's up to you now."
Ling Fan nodded faintly. "I will avenge you."
Long Xuan said indignantly, "Hmph, that Gao Tianshen was so ruthless. Old Fan doesn't need to act. If I ever meet him, I'll beat him into a pig's head!"
The duels continued.
Ling Fan's next opponent.
Was Gao Chun of the Gao family.
Gao Chun's strength was considerably greater than Gao Wei's.
Moreover, Gao Chun had entered the sixth stage of Xuan Emperor much earlier.
He looked at Ling Fan and coldly sneered, "I know you, Long Xuan, and Lu Rui are a small clique. Long Xuan daring to injure Gao Wei is unforgivable! My brother Gao Tianshen has already dealt with Lu Rui, and now it's my turn to deal with you!"
"If you kneel down and beg for mercy now, you can suffer less physical pain. Otherwise, I will let you properly experience the true terror of a direct descendant genius of the Gao family!"
Gao Chun was incredibly arrogant and haughty.
However, Ling Fan had only one response: "Always telling people to kneel, why don't you go eat shit?"
"Hmm?" Gao Chun hadn't expected Ling Fan to dismiss him so contemptuously, and a surge of anger erupted from his chest.
But what shocked him was.
Before he could even make a move.
A strong palm, capable of seizing gods and demons and twisting the universe, suddenly slapped towards him.
Slap!
A crisp slap echoed.
Accompanied by the sound of a skull cracking.