護花近衛 - 第4203章 於疆歸來 - 翰墨軒

Yet although the one in charge of the inner-sect tournament was his own grandfather, Xu Yuanzheng, Xu Lingchong's luck in the draw this time around was hardly what one would call good—one might even say it was wretched.

For the opponent he drew was none other than a core disciple of the inner sect with extraordinarily deep seniority—a man whose strength had already reached the late Golden Core stage!

A late Golden Core expert could well and truly be called a powerhouse anywhere in this assembly, whereas Xu Lingchong was only mid Golden Core—a full two tiers below him.

So what if his momentum shook the heavens? So what if his backing ran deep? Faced with such an absolute gap in strength, what use was any of that? This was a core inner-sect disciple of formidable seniority—he cared nothing at all for Xu Lingchong's power and influence.

Against such a fearsome foe, virtually no one favored him—yet Xu Lingchong showed not the slightest hint of worry. Even as the referee declared the start of the battle, the corners of his mouth still carried an arc of utter confidence.

Below the stage, Wei Zhao glanced at Xu Lingchong's expression and could not help but feel a measure of surprise. That look did not seem feigned. Could this fellow truly have the strength to challenge across two tiers?

Soon the battle erupted, and Xu Lingchong's performance left every jaw in the hall hanging—against a late Golden Core expert, this mid Golden Core cultivator of his pressed his opponent relentlessly from first to last!

And before him, his opponent gained not the slightest edge; instead he was driven back step by step, never once able to reverse the tide, until at last Xu Lingchong beat him flat to the ground and the victor was decided.

For a moment the whole hall fell dead silent. A mid Golden Core expert had utterly and completely crushed a late Golden Core expert—who would dare believe such a thing if told of it?

But the bloody, incontrovertible fact lay before their eyes, leaving no room for disbelief. Young Master Xu Lingchong truly could crush an opponent two tiers above him—his strength was simply defying heaven!

Compared to the exchanged, bewildered glances of the crowd, Shangguan Tianxia was far more shaken at heart—for he had just discovered that this Xu Lingchong, too, was an expert who had achieved a perfect breakthrough into the Golden Core stage!

This discovery left even Shangguan Tianxia, a top-tier figure in his own right, speechless. What on earth had happened to the Threefold Pavilion this year? What heaven-defying fortune had they come into, that geniuses should sprout like weeds?

That was not all. Over on the other side, Meng Zhou, though only at the early Golden Core stage, dispatched an opponent who was likewise early Golden Core with a single effortless move. His showing might not be as hair-raising as Xu Lingchong's, but it drew the eye all the same.

Another perfect Golden Core expert! Shangguan Tianxia was struck dumb on the spot. Counting Wei Zhao and Huang Xiaotao, no fewer than four perfect Golden Core experts had suddenly cropped up!

Those who achieved a perfect breakthrough and formed a consummate Golden Core had always been exceedingly rare—not one might emerge in a hundred years. It was precisely for this reason that they earned the reputation of the mightiest Golden Core experts.

Yet now, all at once, four perfect Golden Core experts had appeared, and all of them concentrated in the Threefold Pavilion of the North Island. The situation was so bizarre it made one's heart tremble. Even by Shangguan Tianxia's vast experience, this was something never heard of and never seen.