Two days passed quietly after Fang Lin's conversation with Li Shan and the others inside the Bamboo Lotus Palace.
However, the atmosphere inside the Green Bamboo Sect became heavier with every passing hour.
The reason was simple.
The true outer sect ranking battles were finally about to begin.
The earlier elimination rounds had only been the entrance examination.
Now—
The real monsters of the outer sect would finally step onto the stage.
Early in the morning, countless disciples had already gathered around the massive outer sect arena. The surrounding pathways were completely crowded, while even some inner sect disciples had quietly arrived to watch the upcoming battles.
The names of the Top Sixteen disciples floated brightly above the arena on the enormous stone board.
Every single name carried pressure.
Every single disciple standing there was considered a genius among geniuses.
As Fang Lin entered the arena together with Li Shan's group, many disciples immediately turned toward him.
"That's Fang Lin."
"He really entered the Top Sixteen."
"He's still only at the middle stage of Qi Conjunction…"
"But nobody dares underestimate him anymore."
Fang Lin ignored the whispers calmly and looked toward the enormous central stage.
Unlike before, only one battle platform remained now.
A single massive combat stage stood at the center of the arena like a battlefield prepared specifically for monsters.
Murong Yue quietly looked around before speaking softly.
Murong Yue said, "The atmosphere today feels much heavier."
Luo Chen nodded seriously and said, "Because nobody here is weak anymore."
Even Li Shan's expression had become calmer than usual.
Fang Lin quietly observed the disciples gathered nearby.
Qiao Lei stood silently with his arms crossed. His body alone gave off an oppressive feeling.
Mo Yun sat calmly near the faction side seats with his eyes closed as though the surrounding noise did not exist.
Yue Fang stood beside Chen Hao while quietly observing the arena below.
Xu Ren still carried his usual arrogant expression.
Shen Ku remained silent like a shadow.
Then Fang Lin's eyes stopped briefly on two unfamiliar figures.
One was a young woman dressed in pale blue robes. Her face looked calm and beautiful, while her long black hair moved lightly with the morning breeze.
The moment Fang Lin looked toward her, he immediately felt danger.
A very quiet danger.
Murong Yue noticed Fang Lin's gaze and softly said, "That's Su Wanqing."
"The Rank 2 disciple."
Fang Lin quietly nodded.
Su Wanqing looked calm and gentle on the surface, but the pressure around her was extremely stable.
Far stronger than ordinary late-stage Qi Conjunction cultivators.
Then Fang Lin looked toward another figure standing not far away.
A tall young man dressed in black robes stood there with a sword resting beside him.
Unlike everyone else—
He did not speak to anybody.
The surrounding disciples also maintained distance from him naturally.
Even Chen Hao seemed quieter near him.
Murong Yue's expression became more serious.
Murong Yue softly said, "That's Jian Wuji."
"The Rank 1 disciple."
Fang Lin silently observed him.
The moment his spiritual sense brushed against Jian Wuji slightly, Fang Lin immediately felt something sharp and dangerous.
It felt like touching a drawn sword.
Even Fang Lin's instincts quietly warned him.
Dangerous.
Very dangerous.
At that moment, Jian Wuji suddenly opened his eyes slightly.
For a brief second—
His gaze met Fang Lin's.
The surrounding air suddenly felt heavier.
Then Jian Wuji calmly looked away again as if nothing had happened.
However, Fang Lin's eyes slowly narrowed.
That single glance alone told him something clearly.
Jian Wuji was far stronger than Zhou Yan or Guo Ming.
Far stronger.
Before Fang Lin could continue thinking, a loud bell suddenly echoed throughout the entire arena.
BOOM!
The crowd instantly became silent.
The two overseeing Inner Sect elders slowly appeared above the arena once more.
The elder dressed in white robes calmly stepped forward.
"The final ranking battles of the outer sect competition…"
"…begin now."
His voice spread clearly across the entire arena.
"The Top Sixteen disciples will now fight according to challenge rankings."
"Victors advance upward."
"Defeat results in loss of rank."
The elder in black robes then continued calmly,
"The first battles will determine positions between Rank 16 and Rank 9."
"Afterward, the higher-ranked disciples will enter."
The atmosphere immediately became intense.
The lower half of the Top Sixteen would fight first.
That meant—
Fang Lin would battle today.
The floating stone board suddenly began glowing brightly.
Then the first battle pairing slowly appeared.
"Rank 16 — Fang Lin."
"Rank 14 — Lin Tao."
The crowd instantly became noisy.
Murong Yue immediately frowned slightly.
Murong Yue said, "Lin Tao? That's troublesome."
Luo Chen nodded seriously.
"Very troublesome."
Fang Lin quietly looked toward the faction side seating area.
A tall disciple slowly stood up calmly.
Lin Tao.
The defensive specialist from Chen Hao's faction.
Unlike Zhou Yan or Guo Ming, Lin Tao's expression remained extremely calm from beginning to end.
No arrogance.
No anger.
Only confidence.
Lin Tao slowly walked toward the battle stage while carrying a massive dark shield on his back.
The moment many disciples saw the shield clearly, several gasps sounded throughout the arena.
"That's his Earth Iron Shield…"
"Even late-stage attacks struggle breaking through that thing…"
"Fang Lin's going to have a difficult time."
Meanwhile, Murong Yue crossed her arms nervously.
Murong Yue said, "Lin Tao is annoying to fight."
"He specializes in defensive techniques and endurance."
Li Shan calmly added, "And he rarely makes mistakes."
Fang Lin quietly nodded before stepping toward the battle platform.
As both disciples entered the stage, countless eyes focused on them immediately.
Even Su Wanqing quietly looked toward the arena seriously now.
Meanwhile, Chen Hao silently watched from the faction side seats.
His eyes remained calm.
But deep inside them—
Coldness quietly lingered.
The elder overseeing the battle slowly raised his hand.
Then the elder calmly said,
"Begin."
The moment the words fell—
Lin Tao immediately slammed the bottom of his shield heavily against the stage.
BOOM!
A deep vibration spread throughout the platform instantly.
Then thick yellow Qi began spreading across Lin Tao's body.
The pressure around him immediately became extremely stable.
Lin Tao calmly looked toward Fang Lin and said, "Your speed is impressive."
"But against me…"
"…speed alone is useless."
The crowd immediately became excited.
Everyone knew Lin Tao's fighting style.
Absolute defense.
Overwhelming endurance.
He defeated opponents by exhausting them completely.
Fang Lin quietly observed him for several moments.
Then—
Flowing Wind Steps activated instantly.
His figure blurred forward like wind.
The crowd gasped immediately at the speed.
However—
Lin Tao did not panic.
Boom!
The massive shield moved instantly before him.
Fang Lin's palm strike landed heavily against it.
A powerful shockwave exploded outward.
But—
Lin Tao did not move even slightly.
The crowd erupted immediately.
"What terrifying defense…"
"He blocked it directly…"
Lin Tao calmly pushed forward with the shield suddenly.
Boom!
A powerful force exploded outward from the impact.
Fang Lin retreated lightly several steps before stabilizing himself.
His eyes narrowed faintly.
Strong.
Very strong defense.
Lin Tao calmly said, "You won't break through easily."
Then suddenly—
He charged forward.
The massive shield smashed downward heavily toward Fang Lin like a mountain collapsing.
BOOM!
The entire stage cracked violently from the impact.
The crowd instantly became excited.
Lin Tao's attacks carried terrifying weight despite his defensive style.
But Fang Lin calmly moved around the attacks continuously.
His figure flowed around Lin Tao like wind itself.
Again and again, Fang Lin attacked from different angles.
Palm strikes.
Sword slashes.
Movement feints.
Yet every attack was blocked by the massive shield.
The battle quickly entered a strange stalemate.
One side attacked endlessly with speed.
The other blocked everything like an unmoving mountain.
Murong Yue nervously bit her lips slightly.
Murong Yue said, "This is bad…"
"Lin Tao is trying to exhaust Fang Lin's Qi."
Li Shan quietly nodded.
"And Fang Lin knows it too."
Meanwhile, on the stage, Fang Lin's eyes gradually sharpened.
Lin Tao's defense truly was troublesome.
Ordinary attacks could not break through.
Even Wind Break Palm struggled damaging him through the shield.
Then suddenly—
Fang Lin stopped moving.
The entire arena became briefly quiet.
Lin Tao narrowed his eyes slightly.
"What?"
Fang Lin slowly exhaled.
Then—
A faint grey glow quietly spread beneath the skin of his arm.
Very faint.
Almost invisible.
But the moment it appeared—
Li Shan's eyes suddenly narrowed sharply.
Murong Yue froze slightly.
Even Zhao Feng's expression changed faintly.
Because the aura around Fang Lin's body had suddenly become different.
Much more dangerous.
Fang Lin slowly raised his fist.
Then his figure disappeared instantly.
Boom!
The air itself exploded beneath his speed.
Lin Tao's expression changed immediately.
Too fast!
Before he could fully react—
Fang Lin's fist slammed directly against the center of the massive shield.
BOOOOM!
A terrifying shockwave exploded outward instantly.
Crack.
A faint cracking sound suddenly echoed across the silent arena.
Lin Tao's eyes widened instantly.
Because for the very first time—
A visible crack had appeared on his shield.