Chapter 58: Overwhelming Power

On the stage, a hint of blood-red killing intent had already appeared in Yuan Xiao's eyes, which made the elder Situ Chuan, who was overseeing the battle, somewhat startled. The old man sighed, and his withered wrist slightly emerged from his sleeve, seemingly ready to prevent a tragedy at any moment.

"Wait..." However, when the old man's gaze inadvertently fell on the other side where Shen Chen stood, his eyes suddenly narrowed. A mysterious fluctuation seemed to emanate from that young man, causing the old man to retract his wrist back into his sleeve, a glimmer of hope appearing on his face...

"Turning the tide... Bloodthirsty Lion Roar, Kill!"

The blood-red killing intent in Yuan Xiao's eyes finally went completely mad just as he was about to clash with Shen Chen. Suddenly, a green glow burst from his arms, and he lunged forward with a fierce claw. At the same time, a blood-red, ethereal lion burst from his chest, opening its bloody mouth in an instant and pouncing toward Shen Chen, amplified by the sound waves.

Everything happened so suddenly that everyone was stunned. Yuan Xiao's wildly dancing claws would undoubtedly cause Shen Chen considerable trouble. However, if the extremely realistic blood-red lion were to attack as well, then...

At this moment, everyone's thoughts had come to a standstill. Many people even turned away, not wanting to witness the cruel and bloody scene.

However, the expected scene of blood and flesh flying did not occur. The purple glow of the sword and the green claws intertwined, indeed neutralizing the first move of Shen Chen's Purple Lightning Willow Cloud Sword. But what dispersed was merely a shadow of the sword-wielding figure.

Then where was the real Shen Chen?

His real self had already leaped onto Yuan Xiao's head, creating three more afterimages, each attacking from a different angle, aiming directly at Yuan Xiao and the blood-red lion below.

Shen Chen's voice, filled with fighting spirit, echoed in the next moment.

"Ghost Slash of the Netherworld!"

"Shadow Ghost Sword!"

"Spring of the Netherworld!"

"Three moves in one, one move to break through!!!"

The two afterimages Shen Chen created in mid-air, along with his real self, attacked simultaneously, unstoppable. But it didn't end there. Just as they were about to clash with the blood-red lion, the two afterimages suddenly trembled and, in an incredibly unbelievable manner, merged with his real self, like a zipper closing.

In the instant the afterimages merged with his real self, Shen Chen's terrifying sword, which combined three moves into one, pierced through the lion from head to tail, creating an extremely violent and shocking scene.

"Bang!"

In the next moment, the blood-red lion's movements suddenly froze, and then, like a glass shattering on the ground, it broke apart into a cloud of blood mist in the eyes of the surrounding crowd.

"Impossible!"

Seeing this unexpected and almost instantaneous end, Yuan Xiao was struck as if by lightning, his voice almost tearing apart. However, what greeted him was a cold, blood-red sword. The strongest attack, formed by channeling all his blood energy, did not even give him a moment to catch his breath.

"Whoosh!" The three moves combined, Shen Chen's sword pierced through the blood mist, aiming directly at Yuan Xiao's throat.

"No..." Seeing this, the disbelief on Yuan Xiao's face quickly turned to fear. Even in the grand competition, no one could guarantee his life. If he were hit by that sharp and unstoppable sword, the blood-red lion would be a warning.

Under the threat of death, Yuan Xiao had already lost his previous composure and calm. In a panic, he crossed his hands again, channeling all his blood energy into his arms, trying to block Shen Chen's sword.

"Clang!"

In less than a breath, Yuan Xiao's hands had just thrust forward when they collided with Shen Chen's sword.

This time, the blade of the precious sword in Shen Chen's hand did not break, and the vibration was so slight that it was almost imperceptible to the naked eye. On the other side, Yuan Xiao was thrown back like a broken kite, flying off the stage and landing among the crowd below.

"Spit!"

Before anyone could come to his aid, Yuan Xiao suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood, his entire aura instantly weakening.

Stunned by this scene, everyone's breathing paused, their minds blank.

Shen Chen, however, stood quietly in the center of the stage, his sword pointing forward, his face calm.

"This... This is impossible?!"

A moment later, the disciples around the stage, who had just come to their senses, opened their mouths wide, as if to fit an egg inside. At the same time, the elders of the sect were also stunned, like wooden stakes.

At this moment, the emotions of the surrounding crowd were not just shock, but sheer astonishment!

Even Tian Zhan's smile, which had been as warm as a spring breeze, began to freeze after Shen Chen's sword sent Yuan Xiao flying. Standing in the crowd, Tian Zhan said nothing, his eyes fixed on the stage.

"What a surprising young man, indeed he has some talent, but your arrogance should end here." In Tian Zhan's sleeve, a white jade ring had already turned to powder, clearly marking Shen Chen as another competitor upon his return to the sect.

"This round, Inner Sect Disciple Shen Chen wins, temporarily ranking third!"

On one side of the stage, Elder Situ Chuan announced the result, his old face twitching. Although he had always been optimistic about Shen Chen, he never expected such overwhelming and astonishing strength!

"Spit!"

At this moment, Yuan Xiao had already been helped up, but before he could leave the crowd to recover, Elder Situ Chuan's voice came from behind, causing him to choke and spit out another mouthful of blood, fainting on the spot.

"Three moves in one... How could such a feat come from a young man? Am I seeing things?"

"Hehe, I know Elder Zhao's sword skills are excellent, but... some things we cannot deny."

"Truly, the young are to be feared. A talent like this, even in the main city of Luoyun, would be a rare gem among his peers."

In the VIP seats, a group of respected old monsters from within a hundred miles were already drenched in cold sweat. The battle had been step by step, heart-stopping, and yet the entire process was so fast that it left them breathless. Now, many of the old monsters were drawing in cold breaths, wondering if the young man who had defeated the well-known Yuan Xiao truly possessed such astonishing talent.

In the center of the VIP seats, Sect Master Liao Yan and several elders were also deeply moved, some happy and some worried. Situ Ya was genuinely happy for Shen Chen's impressive performance, as he was the first disciple she had recognized. Shen Chen's performance was enough to prove her keen eye.

As Yuan Xiao's master, Chen Fanghao was now in a complex state of mind, a mix of various emotions. Yuan Xiao was his most talented