The golden palm, wrapped in fierce energy, swung towards Li Xiaoyao, and the crowd seemed to already envision him being flung through the air by the impact. If even Nalan Yanyan couldn't withstand a single move, how could Li Xiaoyao?

"Back off!" Li Xiaoyao commanded coldly. His sword flashed brilliantly, with a dazzling gleam that collided with the golden palm, producing a sharp clanging sound.

Autumn Whiteshirt's Golden Body Martial Soul not only granted him immense attack power but also unmatched defensive strength, rendering him invulnerable to sword or spear. Even a blade couldn't penetrate it. This was Autumn Whiteshirt's source of power, his arrogant and disdainful reliance.

"What a joke! You worthless dog, you're not even worthy of wounding me！" he sneered, as the golden aura intensified. Li Xiaoyao felt an overwhelming force surge through his sword, nearly making him lose his grip.

"Is that so?" Li Xiaoyao replied coolly. A sword is unbreakable, indestructible, embodying the power to destroy, to obliterate all in its path. No one could withstand the brilliance of a blade. Among weapon spirits, the sword had always been one of the strongest. Though Li Xiaoyao didn't possess a Sword Martial Soul, no sword-wielder understood the blade as he did.

"Sword，force！" Li Xiaoyao murmured to himself. The blade gleamed coldly, its brilliance intensified, and a powerful sword energy surged at the sword's tip, emitting a sizzling sound.

Crack...

Li Xiaoyao's sword clashed once again with Qiu Baishan's martial soul, producing a tearing sound. Qiu Baishan's expression shifted as he took a step back, momentarily thrown off balance, retreating to avoid the powerful strike.

Seeing Qiu Baishan retreat to his original position, Li Xiaoyao stood with his sword at ease, sneering. "You said I wasn't even qualified to harm you. Then why are you stepping back?"

Qiu Baishan's face darkened as he glared at Li Xiaoyao. "I admit, I underestimated you. But before me, you're still nothing more than a lowly creature, insignificant and powerless."

"You too much bullshit," Li Xiaoyao retorted with undisguised disdain. "If being a genius is measured by the number of words you spew, then yes, you're a true prodigy."

"So arrogant, but maybe Death is as powerful as they say," murmured the crowd. Witnessing Li Xiaoyao force Qiu Baishan to retreat, they couldn't hide their astonishment. They thought they had respected Death enough, but it turned out they had still underestimated Li Xiaoyao's strength. Li Xiaoyao was more than capable of rivaling Nalan Yanran and Li Xin.

Nalan Yanran and Li Xin watched Li Xiaoyao intently. A moment ago, their attention had been solely on each other, entirely dismissing Li Xiaoyao. Now they realized how foolish that had been. With Death's current strength, he was fully worthy of standing alongside them.

"Although this person's face is hidden, it's clear he is very young and possesses exceptional talent. If I could bring him into the Nalan family, he would be a great asset," Nalan Yanran thought to herself. She approached Li Xiaoyao and said, "Death, I admit I underestimated you. With your abilities, you've earned the respect of the Nalan family. Help us, and you'll have the chance to be around me frequently. What do you say?"

Her tone returned to its usual confidence and pride. She believed that, given her talent and appearance, an arrangement like this would surely be attractive to Li Xiaoyao.

"Fuck off, Bitch!"

To everyone's shock, Li Xiaoyao didn't just reject Nalan Yanran; he swung his sword at her without hesitation, showing no mercy.

Nalan Yanran's pupils shrank as she immediately activated her Divine Arm martial soul, sending a powerful punch toward the sword aimed at her.

But the sword didn't slow down in the slightest. A deafening thunderous sound erupted as a fierce wave of energy surged with the sword, threatening to destroy everything in its path.

Nalan Yanran's expression changed dramatically. She swiftly dodged with incredible agility, barely avoiding the full force of the attack.

"Hit !!" Li Xiaoyao's left hand launched a punch, each strike merging into a cascade of overlapping fist shadows, each blow stronger than the last. The rapid onslaught was like an unstoppable wave, and in an instant, it landed on Nalan Yanran.

With a muffled groan, Nalan Yanran's body was thrown backward, landing at the very edge of the main battle platform, barely a step away from falling off.

At that moment, the onlookers were at a loss for words, overwhelmed by the shock Li Xiaoyao had delivered. Every time they raised their estimation of his strength, they found they had still underestimated him, as he repeatedly shattered their expectations. Now, Li Xiaoyao had defeated Nalan Yanran in an instant, swift and decisive.

Looking back, they couldn't help but laugh at themselves. They had thought the battle would be dominated by Nalan Yanran and Li Xin, yet if not for Qiu Baishan, Li Xiaoyao would have undeniably been the main character of the day.

Even Nalan Yanran and Li Xin couldn't believe it, especially Nalan Yanran. Before Qiu Baishan appeared, she had seen only Li Xin as her rival. When the three of them had stood on the stage together, she and Li Xin had ignored Li Xiaoyao completely. Looking back now, it seemed absurd.

"You think you're qualified to guide my training?" Li Xiaoyao looked at Nalan Yanran, his tone thick with sarcasm. He had ignored her arrogance before; it was none of his concern. But what angered him was her complete lack of respect, expecting others to revere her on demand, and even resorting to deadly force when defied. Such a venomous heart was beneath him.

Nalan Yanran was utterly ashamed. Recalling her words, even she found them laughable.

"Join the Nalan family? Spend time around you?" Li Xiaoyao sneered, "Who do you think you are? Self-centered, blind to others—what makes you think you deserve my attention?"

Li Xiaoyao continued to mock her, determined to make Nalan Yanran realize just how ridiculous her pride was. Nalan Yanran's face burned with humiliation, yet she could not refute him.

At this moment, everyone in the City Lord's viewing box glared at Li Xiaoyao in fury, their eyes cold. This mysterious "Doom," who had suddenly appeared, had defeated Nalan Yanran in seconds and was now publicly shaming the Nalan family's most esteemed talent.

No one was more exhilarated than the crowd. Li Xin, Nalan Yanran, Doom, and Qiu Baishan—all were prodigies, each prouder and more intense than the last. Pride without strength was contemptible, but pride backed by power was inspiring. Li Xiaoyao belonged to the latter group. He had kept a low profile, advancing step by step, with his power erupting bit by bit. Now, there was no one left on this martial stage who could rival him. His confidence was hard-earned—this was what a true warrior looked like.

"Alright, you!" Li Xiaoyao's gaze shifted coldly to Qiu Baishan, "I actually don't wanna fight with you, nor have I interfered with your quest for vengeance. Yet you've insulted me over and over, as if you're somehow above it all. Do you really think so highly of yourself?"

"You said Nalan Yanran is arrogant, strutting around like a tyrant in this small city. But look at you, aren't you just as conceited? Genius? This so-called 'worthless chicken' standing here. Now I'm gonna see what kind of fucking 'genius' you truly are."

With that, Li Xiaoyao took a step forward, unleashing his martial soul for the first time since his true awakening. Everyone here had released their martial souls—everyone except him.

The world before him turned to darkness as Li Xiaoyao's pupils became cold and profound, like deep, endless abysses filled with apathy. Everything around him seemed to slow down; every movement, every glance from the crowd clearly imprinted itself in his mind. If he wished, he could know exactly what each person was doing.

He could hear his own heartbeat, feel his blood flow—and, likewise, he could sense even the slightest movements of Qiu Baishan, including each breath he took.

Li Xiaoyao could not find words to describe his current state. In this moment, he felt like an omnipotent god, with nothing in the world escaping his sight or his predictions.

Through his silver mask, Qiu Baishan looked into Li Xiaoyao's eyes and felt a shiver run through him. He couldn't define what kind of eyes they were, only that they held a terrifying depth.

An inexplicable chill crept up Qiu Baishan's spine, a bone-chilling coldness. He had the strange feeling that there was no one standing before him at all. Though Li Xiaoyao was clearly right there, Qiu Baishan couldn't sense his footsteps or breathing. If he closed his eyes, he would never know someone was approaching him.

"Thud, thud, thud..."

The space was deathly silent, and all eyes were fixed on Li Xiaoyao, as if he were the only person left in heaven and earth. Even though his steps made no sound, each step he took resonated in their hearts, as if it were the rhythm of the world itself.