The arena fell into complete silence as Li Shen and Lin Xuan stood facing each other.
No one spoke.. No one moved.
Even the wind seemed to still, as if the entire world was waiting for what would come next.
Lin Xuan took a slow step forward, and with it, his aura expanded fully. The invisible pressure pressed down on the arena, forcing several weaker disciples at the edges to instinctively retreat. This was no longer the presence of someone in Body Refinement.
This was true Qi.
Way more stable, refined and overwhelming.
Li Shen's eyes sharpened slightly as he felt it clearly.
Lin Xuan was not just in the Qi Gathering Realm, he was in the Second Stage of Qi Gathering andlevel far beyond anything Li Shen had faced directly.
"Still standing calmly," Lin Xuan said, his tone carrying faint interest. "Either you're confident… or you don't understand the gap between us."
Li Shen didn't respond.
He didn't need to because he understood it perfectly.
The difference between Body Refinement and Qi Gathering was not just strength, it was transformation. Qi was no longer scattered within the body. It had gathered, condensed, and could now be used externally.
That alone changed everything.
"…Good," Dao's voice echoed faintly within him. "Feel the pressure. Understand it. This is the wall you must break."
Li Shen took a slow breath.
Then moved.
His body shot forward, his speed explosive as he closed the distance in an instant. His fist drove straight toward Lin Xuan's chest, simple and direct, carrying the full force of his refined Body Refinement strength.
Lin Xuan didn't dodge.
He raised one hand.
A dull shockwave spread outward.
Li Shen's strike stopped completely.
His eyes narrowed.
Lin Xuan had blocked it with one hand.
"You've refined your body well," Lin Xuan said calmly. "But that alone isn't enough."
Before Li Shen could react
Lin Xuan moved.
A burst of Qi surged from his palm, and his counterstrike landed.
Li Shen's body was sent flying backward, his feet skidding across the stone as he barely managed to stabilize himself. Pain spread through his arm, the impact far heavier than anything he had faced before. Except one said hunter
Lin Xuan stepped forward again, not giving him time to recover. His movements were smooth, controlled, every step precise. He didn't rush.
He didn't need to.
Li Shen steadied himself and moved again, this time shifting his stance as he met Lin Xuan head-on. Their bodies clashed once more, fists, palms, strikes exchanged in rapid succession.
But the difference became clear immediately.
Every time Li Shen attacked, Lin Xuan blocked or redirected with minimal effort.
Every time Lin Xuan countered, Li Shen was forced to defend fully.
Step by step
He was being pushed back.
The arena watched in silence, this was no longer a one-sided domination, this was suppression.
"…You feel it," Lin Xuan said as another strike forced Li Shen back. "The gap."
Li Shen said nothing, but his breathing had grown heavier.
His body was strong, stronger than anyone at his level.
But against Qi
It wasn't enough.
Lin Xuan's next attack came faster.
A palm strike infused with Qi shot forward, cutting through the air with a sharp sound. Li Shen crossed his arms to block
The impact slammed into him.
The ground beneath his feet cracked as he was forced back several steps, pain surging through his body. His arms trembled slightly from the force.
"…Your defense is impressive," Lin Xuan said, his tone still calm. "Most would have already fallen."
Li Shen lowered his arms slowly.
His gaze remained steady.
But inside, everything was shifting.
"…Is this all?" Lin Xuan asked.
A faint pause followed.
Li Shen exhaled.
"…No."
The air around him changed, subtly, but noticeably.
Lin Xuan's eyes sharpened slightly.
"Finally," he said.
Deep within Li Shen's body, his Qi began to circulate differently. Not the flawed method of before. Not the ordinary flow used by other cultivators.
But the one Dao had given him.
The energy within him condensed further, becoming heavier, sharper, more controlled.
Though he was still at the Ninth Stage of Body Refinement
The quality of his power had changed.
Lin Xuan felt it immediately.
"…Interesting," he murmured.
Li Shen stepped forward again.
This time faster.
His fist shot forward once more.
Lin Xuan raised his hand to block as before
But this time, the impact was different.
A sharp force pushed against his palm, forcing him to take a single step back.
The arena erupted in shock.
"He moved?!"
"That's impossible!"
Lin Xuan glanced at his hand briefly before looking back at Li Shen, the faint smile on his lips returning.
"…So you were holding back."
Li Shen didn't respond, he simply adjusted his stance.
Dao's voice echoed calmly.
"Good. Now push further."
Lin Xuan rolled his shoulder slightly, his aura rising once more. This time, he no longer held back. The Qi around him intensified, swirling faintly as it gathered toward his limbs.
"Let's end this properly," he said.
The pressure in the arena doubled instantly.
Li Shen felt it press down on him, heavier than before.
But he did not retreat.
Instead
He stepped forward again.
The distance between them vanished.
Both of them attacked, the collision shook the arena.
Stone cracked.
Air trembled.
And for the first time Li Shen stood against someone beyond his realm without being instantly overwhelmed.
But whether that would be enough
Remained to be seen.