Ling Tian Sword God
Chapter 104 - 103 Slot Confirmed_1

Chapter 104: Chapter 103 Slot Confirmed_1

The air currents in the space around him surged as the majestic Fist Strength descended, like an enraged storm sweeping down. Ling Chen, immersed within it, remained outwardly placid, but his hand, wielding the Heavenly Mansion Sword, moved without the slightest hesitation. In an instant, he unleashed dozens of slashes. With each swing, a three-meter-long, thick beam of sword qi shot out. The sword qi was sharp and formless, seeming to tear apart the raging winds before him.

SWISH! SWISH! SWISH!

Beams of sword qi shot skyward one after another, cleanly cleaving through the force of the kicks; their sharp aura was unstoppable.

"Storm Continuous Bomb!"

Murong Ye’s expression changed drastically. His True Qi surged, and the power of his fists intensified. Wave after wave of Air Energy slammed into the martial arts platform, causing it to crack and shatter, sending dust billowing everywhere.

Murong Ye leaped into the air, astonishingly unleashing wave after wave of Fist Strength from mid-air. The power seemed as if it were about to collapse the entire martial arts platform.

Under such a terrifying bombardment, it seemed no one could possibly withstand it.

"Break!"

At the critical juncture, Ling Chen no longer held back. Fist Strength pulsed wildly around him as he swung the Heavenly Mansion Sword upwards with deceptive speed—appearing slow, yet moving incredibly fast. The instant the sword tip reached its zenith, a dragon-shaped sword qi suddenly erupted.

CRACK! CRACK!

The Fist Strength was rent asunder by the sword qi, splitting apart from the center. The sword qi pierced through the dissipating Fist Strength and struck Murong Ye squarely in the chest.

HMPH!

Letting out a muffled grunt, Murong Ye landed back on the martial arts platform, a sword mark appearing on his chest.

Gazing at the wound on his chest, Murong Ye’s expression was one of deep respect as he conceded sincerely, "Impressive Swordsmanship."

Ling Chen smiled faintly. "Your Boxing is also very formidable. Had it been even a fraction stronger, I might not have been able to overcome you."

"I wonder, how much of your true strength did you use?" Murong Ye was very curious about Ling Chen’s strength. He had a premonition that Ling Chen had not used his full power against him.

"About seventy percent," Ling Chen thought for a moment before replying casually.

Upon hearing this, Murong Ye’s expression turned a little sour. He didn’t believe Ling Chen was trying to humiliate him, but the thought of being defeated by Ling Chen using only seventy percent of his strength left him feeling rather disgruntled.

"A word of advice: Xiahou Lin’s strength is immense, probably greater than anyone else present. I hope you can make it to the very end."

After saying this, Murong Ye stepped down from the martial arts platform. He had thought his position as a True Disciple was secure this time, but unexpectedly, he had still lost. It seemed he truly needed more training and experience.

"Thank you." Ling Chen’s gaze shifted towards Xiahou Lin’s position. The latter’s Cultivation, he sensed, had likely already reached the peak of the Fifth Level. Such strength was truly unparalleled among the Inner Disciples. Moreover, for Murong Ye to hold him in such high esteem, Xiahou Lin’s actual strength was undoubtedly far greater than what was apparent on the surface.

"Congratulations, Ling Chen." As Ling Chen descended from the martial arts platform, Xiao Muyu immediately offered her congratulations.

Winning this match meant Ling Chen’s place as a True Disciple was now completely secure.

"Since you’re already a True Disciple, will you continue to compete?" Ling Yin asked from the side.

"Compete? Of course, I’ll compete. I must obtain that Silver Thunderbolt." Ling Chen never did anything without benefit. If it were merely for a nominal title, he naturally wouldn’t bother to contend for it. But the reward was a Silver Thunderbolt, and that was no laughing matter. A single Silver Thunderbolt was incredibly valuable; it could be a lifesaver at a critical moment. For this Silver Thunderbolt alone, he had to go all out and fight for first place.

The battles concluded one after another. Among the three groups, Xiahou Lin faced virtually no opposition. The ten rounds of point-based matches quickly neared their conclusion.

As the selection rounds concluded, the leaders of the three groups were essentially decided.

"With this, the leaders of the three groups are confirmed. Group One is Li Liuxing, Group Two is Ling Chen, and Group Three is Xiahou Lin," announced an Elder in charge of the selection trials.

"I truly didn’t expect this. Bai Ruhui and Murong Ye, who were anticipated to be group leaders, were both eliminated. Both of them possess the strength of True Disciples. It’s a pity their luck was a bit off," another Elder said, shaking his head.

"Luck is also a component of strength. This indicates their abilities are not yet sufficient. After another year of Cultivation, their time will naturally come."

The number of spots was fixed; if one didn’t make the cut, there was nothing to be done.

After the final few matches concluded, the top contestant from each of the three groups was finally determined.

Next was the final ranking battle.

Ling Chen, Li Liuxing, and Xiahou Lin stood upon the martial arts platform, their auras blazing like the midday sun, causing the atmosphere in the arena to become electric.

"This is truly exciting! The three remaining are all top-tier geniuses. Xiahou Lin, Li Liuxing, Ling Chen—who will be the ultimate victor?" one disciple exclaimed, gazing at the three figures on the martial arts platform, his heart pounding with excitement.

"No matter who it is, it’s bound to be a battle of titans."

"You’re right. This might be the most exciting selection trial in the past five years. If their strength were measured against previous selection trials, any one of them would undoubtedly have been the champion!"

All the Inner Disciples were thrilled. Confrontations between geniuses of this caliber were always this breathtaking. Moreover, these three were all peerless geniuses.

Ling Chen’s eyes swept over the other two. Both possessed their own powerful auras. Li Liuxing was like a famous sword from the Jianghu, hidden away for a long time; once unsheathed, its brilliant edge would be revealed, unstoppable. As for Xiahou Lin, although he appeared somewhat unrestrained and nonchalant about everything, he was widely recognized as the strongest among the True Disciples. He even held the title of ’Ghost God,’ bestowed upon him by the other Disciples, and his strength was terrifyingly formidable. However, between these two, Ling Chen was more eager to duel Li Liuxing. As fellow Swordsmen, there was a stronger mutual draw for a confrontation. There was a saying that a Swordsman could only unearth their own potential and grow stronger after defeating Swordsmen of equal or even greater strength. In other words, Swordsmen themselves were, in fact, the best whetstones for other Swordsmen, honing their own Sword Way to an even finer, more brilliant edge.

However, each of the three would inevitably fight one another, and the order of these battles would be determined by the Deacon Disciples.

「After a rest of about half an hour, the ranking matches promptly began.」

"First match: Ling Chen versus Li Liuxing!" The voice of a Deacon Disciple announced from the martial arts platform.

"Go, Ling Chen!"

"Brother Ling Chen, you mustn’t lose!"

Xiao Muyu and Ling Yin cheered for Ling Chen one after the other.

"Don’t worry, I will give it my all." Ling Chen nodded with a smile. If he lost, he would merely become his opponent’s whetstone, and he, Ling Chen, certainly had no taste for playing second fiddle.

The two ascended the martial arts platform one after the other, taking positions thirty meters apart.

"Li Liuxing, Disciple of Elder Lieyang!" Li Liuxing greeted Ling Chen with a fist-and-palm salute.

"Ling Chen, Disciple of the Supreme Sky Feather!" Ling Chen also cupped his fists in return. Ling Tianyu was both his father and his master, so there was no issue with such a declaration.

Before they had even exchanged a single blow, two incomparably powerful Sword Momentums erupted from their bodies. It was as if two Divine Swords now stood upon the martial arts platform, their energies already clashing, sending out fierce sparks and arcs of electricity.