Lin Yun successfully drew the attention of many people.
He Shouqi sneered. "Smelly brat, talking to you nicely doesn't work, does it? In that case, let me teach you a lesson on behalf of your elders!"
He Shouqi didn't hold back, throwing a punch at Lin Yun the moment he finished speaking. The surrounding crowd gasped in unison.
"He Shouqi is making his move!"
"It's over. This kid offended He Shouqi. Even if he doesn't die today, he'll lose a layer of skin."
Not a single person was optimistic about Lin Yun's chances.
However, He Shouqi was fast to attack, but even faster to get hit.
Before his fist could even touch Lin Yun, Lin Yun's own fist had already struck He Shouqi's stomach. It was pure strength, without a hint of technique.
BAM!
He Shouqi's entire body curled up like a shrimp. He shot backward like a cannonball and slammed violently into a stone wall.
"Pfft."
He spat out a mouthful of blood and fainted on the spot.
Lin Yun pursed his lips. "I told you. You have no chance."
"What the hell? He Shouqi was taken out in one hit?"
"Isn't that guy a rising star of the outer sect? How was it over so fast?"
The outer-sect disciples were all dumbfounded. They had expected a great battle. Who could have imagined that a rising star of the outer sect couldn't even withstand a single punch from Lin Yun?
Seeing the astonished expressions on the crowd, Lin Yun simply dusted off his clothes and turned to get back in line.
Just then, a person walked up to him. "Not bad strength."
This person was one of the three Lin Yun had observed earlier, Qiu Zhiping, at the third level of the Yuan Sea Realm. To have achieved so much in the outer sect, his strength would surely soar if he made it to the inner sect.
Lin Yun merely glanced at him.
"I was hoping to have a good fight with He Shouqi in the finals," Qiu Zhiping continued. "I didn't expect there to be someone in the outer sect with even greater strength than him. Kid, you better work hard. You have to make it to the finals."
Lin Yun just wanted to register quickly and then go rest on the side. He even suspected that this Qiu Zhiping wasn't quite right in the head. Am I close with you? Is there any need to ramble on like this?
In the distance, the other two were also looking in Lin Yun's direction.
"Ye Qian, what do you think of that kid?"
The woman called Ye Qian was dressed in green, her black hair draped casually over her shoulders. She gave only a single, indifferent glance. "He Shouqi was just an idiot who gave him an opening. If it were me, he would be defeated within two moves, without a doubt."
Ye Qian then said to the white-robed man beside her, "Xu Ruoqing, don't forget our ambitions! Qiu Zhiping is a brute, but are you one as well? Don't compare us to some low-class nobody!"
...
After a long wait, it was finally Lin Yun's turn. After registering, he was directed to a waiting area.
The first round of the Inner Sect Grand Competition began.
A hundred outer-sect disciples ascended the stage. Stepping outside the bounds of the martial arts stage meant you lost. Of course, being thrown out also counted. It was a massive battle royale. Win and advance, lose and try again next time.
When the match began, the crowd of outer-sect disciples on stage looked around uncertainly. Ye Qian and Xu Ruoqing both stood at the edge. In contrast, Qiu Zhiping rampaged through the crowd like a madman, tossing out one outer-sect disciple after another before they could even do anything.
Sure enough, this guy is either a villain or an idiot. Looks like he's mostly just an idiot.
Lin Yun shook his head and, like Ye Qian and the others, stood at the edge, letting the disciples in the middle fight it out.
As it happened, not a single person dared to approach Lin Yun. His one-punch takedown of He Shouqi had been too shocking, and no one was confident they could take that hit.
In less than half an hour, only about thirty people remained on the stage.
"The first round of the Inner Sect Grand Competition is over."
"Those who have advanced are: Ye Qian, Xu Ruoqing..."
Those whose names were called were led to a room to draw lots. Lin Yun drew an unfamiliar name. When he found his opponent in the crowd, he watched as the man's destiny color changed from blue to white right before his eyes... It seemed that when you were strong enough, you could indeed influence another person's fate.
The second round of matches began. Perhaps because of the incident with He Shouqi, Lin Yun's fighting ring had the largest audience.
"Hey, do you guys think this Lin Yun is really that strong? This time he's facing 'Cloud-Piercing Hand' Wang Chuan!"
"Is there even a question? This is the ruthless guy who knocked out He Shouqi in one punch!"
"I think it was probably just good luck."
Ignoring the discussions below, Lin Yun walked onto the stage and cupped his fist. "Please enlighten me."
The man smiled arrogantly. "Hmph, you may have beaten He Shouqi, but that doesn't mean you can beat me."
His weapons were a pair of strangely styled fist gauntlets. When the referee announced the start, he was about to charge forward like a meteor but stopped when he saw that Lin Yun hadn't moved.
"You're not using your sword?"
"If you don't have a suitable weapon, I'll give you a chance to borrow one." The man looked at Lin Yun with disdain. A grown man still using a wooden sword, and at the Inner Sect Grand Competition, no less! Do you think this is child's play?
Lin Yun shook his head. "No need. Let's begin."
The man was insistent, taking off his own gauntlets. "Since you're not using a weapon, then I won't either. I don't want you to say I bullied you!"
He clenched his fists and took his stance. "Kid, get ready. I'm..."
BAM!
Another resounding punch.
The man drew a perfect arc through the air, then fell to the ground, unconscious.
Watching the man fly out of the ring, Lin Yun sighed.
Isn't this a bit too weak? The reason I didn't use my sword is because you're not worthy of me drawing it. You're already this weak, yet instead of going all out, you're trying to act all high and mighty with me?
How frustrating.
These days, every Tom, Dick, and Harry thinks they can put one over on me. Do I really look that unimpressive?
Lin Yun glanced over at Xu Ruoqing's ring. He saw him standing with one hand behind his back, a flying sword deftly countering his opponent's attacks. Then, with a flick of his hand, a burst of sword qi perfectly knocked his opponent out of the ring.
Hmm... that definitely had a lot of style.
In the next few matches, Lin Yun won every single one with a one-punch knockout. No one could even see his movements clearly. Those who had previously thought Lin Yun was just lucky finally put away their contempt. Once or twice could be called luck. Every single time with one punch... that was terrifying.
The top twelve!
At this stage, the opponents were all the best of the best from the outer sect. The sect would score their performances and ultimately select ten people to enter the final round of the Grand Competition. As long as they defeated an inner-sect disciple, they could enter the inner sect to cultivate.
Lin Yun's opponent this time was a gaunt-faced man whose weapons were a few strange-looking dice.
"Bai Zhuqing?"
"Why is he here again? This is his eighth time participating in the Inner Sect Grand Competition. That guy really fights and loses, then loses and fights again!"
"Talk about persistent!"
The two contestants on the stage were both highly controversial, especially Bai Zhuqing, a rather famous figure in the outer sect. Although he had failed many times, no one doubted his ability.