"Lin Tian, it's time to die!" As Gao Zhenhao swung his sword once again, the guardian formation before Lin Tian shattered completely. In an instant, Lin Tian was left completely exposed to the eyes of everyone present.
Although Lin Tian's spiritual tool had been crafted, he now faced nine outer disciples, each wielding their own spiritual weapon. While the quality of their tools varied, the fact that they had made it this far was a testament to their formidable strength. Even the lowest-ranked weapon among them was at the first level of Foundation Building.
Such power could only be described as luxurious in the outer sect. To others, it seemed certain that Lin Tian had no chance of victory.
"Elder Nanyin, it looks like those two materials in your possession will soon be mine," Elder Dongfeng said, his voice brimming with excitement as he turned to look at Nanyin. The materials he had staked in the bet were incredibly rare, and acquiring them would undoubtedly benefit his craft.
Though Elder Nanyin sensed the ominous turn of events, she said nothing in response to Dongfeng's taunt. Her eyes remained fixed on Lin Tian, hoping beyond hope that he would create another miracle.
"You think you can make me die? You're not worthy," Lin Tian declared boldly as he met Gao Zhenhao's gaze.
"Not worthy?" Gao Zhenhao nearly laughed out loud. In the current situation, Lin Tian was entirely isolated. With just a signal from him, the others would immediately strike. And yet, this cornered child still dared to say that he was not worthy.
"Well then, let me see what you can do," Gao Zhenhao retorted, no longer wasting words. He channeled his entire spiritual energy into the Liushuang Sword, and in the next moment, a wave of ice spread rapidly toward Lin Tian's feet.
At the same time, the surrounding outer disciples launched their attacks, unleashing colorful surges of spiritual power that rushed toward Lin Tian.
But Lin Tian remained calm, his fingers effortlessly pulling the trigger of the weapon in his hand. In the next instant, an immensely powerful spiritual energy wave began to emanate from his crafted tool.
"Mortal Cannon, fire!" Lin Tian commanded. As his words fell, an overwhelming surge of spiritual energy shot out from the barrel of the cannon, immediately clashing with the oncoming attacks. The strength of the energy reached the peak of the third level of Foundation Building, nearly breaking into the fourth level.
The attacking energies were utterly obliterated upon contact with Lin Tian's blast, disintegrating like dust in the wind.
"Boom!" A deafening sound erupted across the stage. The disciples who had been standing on the stage were thrown off in a perfect arc, plummeting below. In an instant, Lin Tian was the only one left standing.
"This... this is impossible," Elder Dongfeng gasped, his face frozen in disbelief. He had not anticipated such a dramatic turn of events. What was supposed to be a guaranteed victory had turned into a farce.
"Elder, surely you can announce the winner now," Lin Tian said respectfully, glancing at the stands.
Before the match began, he had already sketched out the design for the Mortal Cannon. However, a lack of rare materials had previously prevented him from crafting it. Now, with the abundance of Black Xuan Iron available, everything had fallen into place.
Crafting the Mortal Cannon was no easy task, but Lin Tian had long envisioned it in his mind. Though it took considerable time, the process was smooth and familiar. As for the guardian formation, he had begun setting it up the moment he stepped onto the stage. Sensing Gao Zhenhao's unusual actions, he had realized that things wouldn't be so simple. The development of events had proved his predictions correct.
"Elder Dongfeng, it's time for you to announce the winner, isn't it?" Elder Nanyin smiled as she turned to urge him.
Earlier, when she had thought Lin Tian would lose, she had kept silent as Elder Dongfeng gloated. But now, with Lin Tian's victory, she couldn't help but take the opportunity to bask in the glory. After all, she had to show Elder Dongfeng that she had been right all along.
"Could it be, Elder Dongfeng, that you're hesitating because you're planning to accuse Lin Tian of cheating?" Elder Nanyin's words hit their mark, and Elder Dongfeng's expression shifted again.
Her comment had effectively trapped him. Though reluctant, Elder Dongfeng knew that despite his misgivings, he had no choice but to announce Lin Tian as the winner of this round.
As the result sank in, Zhao Zhenjie's emotions became a roller coaster of mixed feelings. Though he wanted to interfere, the situation had already escalated beyond his control. He could only watch helplessly as Lin Tian stood on the stage, arrogantly waving at the crowd.
"Not bad, kid," Elder Nanyin remarked as she stepped onto the stage, offering her praise. Then, a three-zhang Spirit-Infusion Talisman appeared in her hand.
"This is your prize for the match — the Spirit-Infusion Talisman. If you place it on a successfully crafted spiritual tool, it will begin the process of infusing spirit into it," Elder Nanyin explained. "But there's something I must warn you about. The success rate for spirit infusion is extremely low. Even if you use all three of your three-zhang talismans, success is not guaranteed. So, choose wisely which tool you wish to infuse."
"But I've already applied one," Lin Tian said innocently, tilting his head.
When Elder Nanyin saw him affix the talisman to the Mortal Cannon, she was completely stunned. The Mortal Cannon, though capable of unleashing power beyond the third level of Foundation Building, was made of Black Xuan Iron. Its quality was inferior compared to regular spiritual tools. To waste a Spirit-Infusion Talisman on such a tool seemed almost sacrilegious.
Just then, however, something unexpected occurred.