It's late again, brothers and sisters! If you have any recommendation tickets, please give them to White Crane ^_^ ※※※※※※※※※※ Lin Taoli and Xu Xiangqian stepped onto the platform, exchanged a respectful bow, and retreated a few steps from each other.

The atmosphere in the arena suddenly became tense, and even those completely uninvolved in the contest found themselves holding their breath for the two on the stage. Old Master Cheng and Cheng Jianhui were the most anxious; they never imagined such a thing would unfold today.

Their gazes shifted toward the only woman seated in the place of honor: Cheng Yanjuan. Given that the Tianluo Kingdom valued martial arts so highly, it was remarkable for any woman to even be seated in the main hall, let alone occupy a principal seat.

Of course, if that woman possessed formidable martial strength, the situation would be different. But observing Cheng Yanjuan’s delicate appearance, one could easily surmise that she wouldn't overpower anyone present; perhaps even a junior from any of the three great families could defeat her effortlessly.

However, since she arrived with Lin Taoli, and given the evident affection between them, no one dared to voice even the slightest doubt or dissatisfaction about her presence in the chief seat. Noticing their questioning looks, Cheng Yanjuan gave a captivating, brilliant smile, and whispered, "Taoli knows his limits.

Rest assured." Cheng Ningsheng and his son smiled and nodded, feeling half their worry dissipate. Without her assurance, they might have suspected that the Lin family's young master had come specifically to stir up trouble.

Xu Yinjie’s eyes traced the contours of her beautiful face, and he understood the situation perfectly: Lin Taoli's ascent to the stage was entirely at her instigation. Clearly, upon hearing about the missing Thousand-Year Blood Ginseng and his father being injured, and being unable to find the true culprit, she had channeled that stored anger toward the Xu family.

He sighed inwardly; this was truly an unprovoked disaster. Nevertheless, he resolved that even if Xiangqian suffered a loss, the Xu family absolutely could not seek retribution.

On the stage, the two faced each other in a standoff, a powerful aura gradually spreading from their forms. A few moments later, the expressions of everyone who understood the subtleties of martial power underwent a dramatic change.

The He Quanming brothers exchanged a look, seeing profound shock reflected in the other's eyes. He Quanyi subtly made a "nine" gesture beneath the cover of the table.

He Quanming nodded slightly, his face extremely grave, all traces of a smile gone. Xu Xiangqian’s reputation was already renowned throughout Taicang; he was one of the county's rare Ninth-Layer Internal Strength masters, certainly ranking within the top ten cultivators in the entire county.

From the moment he took his stance, the immense surge of vital energy emanating from him caused all nearby individuals to experience shortness of breath and difficulty sustaining it. In the courtyard, the crowd that had been surging toward the platform now instinctively retreated toward the outer perimeter.

This included the servants tasked with maintaining order. Xu Xiangqian had not yet moved, but under the shroud of his aura, he had already achieved a commanding psychological advantage.

Yet, opposite him, Lin Taoli, the young master from the Lin family, stood with his hands clasped behind his back, as if he barely registered the opponent before him. Not only that, although Lin Taoli’s aura was not aggressively unleashed, his mere presence, unostentatious and understated, stood firm like an imposing mountain range, utterly unmoved.

Xu Xiangqian’s face grew heavy, his initial concerns utterly forgotten. Following his father’s subtle instruction, he had intended to concede a move or two.

But standing face-to-face with the opponent, he realized he had seriously underestimated the young man. Even after gathering his aura to the peak of the Eighth Layer, he could not provoke the slightest change in the other’s expression.

Though young, this man's cultivation was extraordinary; he was clearly no less skilled than himself. Taking a deep breath, a flame-like sharp light suddenly flashed in Xu Xiangqian’s eyes.

The aura around him instantly peaked, surging outward like an explosion. Although this was an invisible, intangible force, its impact caused the surrounding crowd to retreat even faster, even affecting those within the main hall.

Silence fell both above and below the stage. This was the full eruption of a Ninth-Layer master; its grandeur had reached this extent.

Lin Taoli’s expression finally became serious as an equally powerful aura slowly washed over him. If Xu Xiangqian’s aura was fierce like fire, then Lin Taoli’s was like the relentless flow of a great river, wave following wave.

While it lacked the immediate sweep of a conflagration, it seemed utterly endless. The clash between the two auras erupted without warning, causing another commotion among the spectators.

However, everyone now understood one thing: the young man on the stage, who looked scarcely twenty-seven or twenty-eight, was a Grand Master whose Internal Strength had reached the Ninth Layer, just like Xu Xiangqian. Among all cultivation methods, Internal Strength training was undoubtedly the most arduous; the difficulty in raising it incrementally was immense.

This was unlike some combat skills, which could see great progress upon sudden enlightenment. The cultivation of Internal Strength allowed for no shortcuts.

Across the He, Xu, and Cheng families, the junior disciples combined surely numbered well over a hundred. These individuals had begun practicing Internal Strength at age five, yet up to this day, only two had managed to break through the Sixth Layer to reach the Seventh Layer or above.

Among the second generation of the three families, only two had reached the Ninth Layer, and both had done so only after the age of forty. Yet, these two were already regarded by everyone in the three families as the pillars of their future.

But gazing upon the young man on the stage, who was not yet thirty, everyone’s hearts were filled with complex emotions and astonishment. To reach the Ninth Layer of Internal Strength before thirty—this was an event almost too shocking to contemplate.

He Yitian was only a few years younger than Lin Taoli, but the vast gulf between the Seventh and Ninth Layers meant these two could not possibly be considered in the same league. Compared to this young man, it seemed all the talents of the three families were mere mediocrities.

The He Quanming brothers turned their gazes toward Yiming, finding some solace there. Yiming was fifteen and had already reached the Eighth Layer.

Although no one could guarantee he would successfully advance to the Ninth Layer in the coming decade or so, he represented a hope—the only hope comparable to Lin Taoli. On the stage, Xu Xiangqian finally let out a fierce cry, and accompanying this cry was his powerful, fire-like offensive surge.

He stomped his feet lightly and closed nearly ten meters in a stride, arriving before Lin Taoli. At this moment, facing an opponent of the same rank, he had cast aside all reservation.

To fight such an enemy while trying to hold back was simply courting death. As his palms moved, he was not relying solely on his arm strength but was moving his entire body.

Every punch, every palm strike utilized the full force of his being, unleashing all his power in an instant. Furthermore, his palms began to turn red, and a wave of scorching heat seemed to rise around him.

He Hai of the He family was also a fire-element cultivator, having displayed great might in the recent marriage-selection contest by defeating several Cheng family disciples, earning much envy. But compared to Xu Xiangqian now, he was utterly insignificant, less than dust.

When Xu Xiangqian released his Internal Strength and employed his combat techniques, he appeared to transform into a massive fireball. Everywhere this ball of fire passed, everything turned scorched black.

His shoes were completely shredded underneath him, unable to withstand the corrosive heat, but his robes remained intact because he held back a fraction of his power, and the fabric itself was of a special material resistant to easy damage. A dark, charred path now marred the stage floor, with deep, stone-like footprints embedded in the wood.

Each footprint bore a slight scorch mark—the telltale sign of the Blazing Fire Art executed at its utmost peak. The air was thick with a stinging, hot odor.

Everyone had to exert significantly more effort than usual just to breathe, and the air inhaled felt searingly hot, causing extreme discomfort. Yet, despite Xu Xiangqian’s terrifying display, which made him seem like a demon descended, he could not overcome the young master opposite him.

Lin Taoli’s face remained placid. No matter how grand Xu Xiangqian’s momentum, the moment it approached within a meter of him, it vanished into smoke, unable to cause any further effect.

Around him, the air visibly warped and rippled like flowing water. The natural suppressive power of Water techniques against Fire techniques was revealed here in its entirety.

He moved unhurriedly, as if practicing alone, calmly executing a set of combat skills. Yet, this slow, profoundly steady execution caused Xu Xiangqian’s fiercest, world-sweeping Blazing Fire Art to return completely nullified.

The several masters watching below looked extremely grim. If a young man from the Lin family possessed such profound skill, what must the previous generation of the Lin family be capable of?

At this moment, everyone seemed to grasp the insignificance of Taicang County. Facing the behemoth that was Linlang Prefecture, even the Cheng father and son felt a deep sense of dread.

Ps: Recommend Sheng Caizi's new political novel, "Muddled Official," In this age, it is hard to be a good official, hard to be an incorruptible official, and even hard to be a treacherous official—so why not be a muddled official, finding clarity in confusion? This book chronicles the path of promotion for Liu Bei, who possesses the body of a petty rogue, as he navigates the bureaucracy, wins hearts, and achieves distinction...

There is a direct link on the book's homepage; you can click through immediately. [bookid=1465969,bookname=《》]