Nan Yongqiang, a Sword Ancestor, was dead? All the spectators were struck with disbelief. Whether they were nobles of the Eternal True Realm or peerless figures from the Great Thousand Worlds, every one of them wore a look of shock. The swordsmanship Nan Yongqiang displayed was so fierce and terrifying that it could plunge any cultivator below the Ancestor Stage into despair. Even so, Lin Xun had killed him with a single sword strike! Did this not mean that his strength had reached a level capable of suppressing even Ancestors? The same thought surfaced in everyone’s mind. Many were startled by their own thoughts. An Ancestor of a Path was like a heavenly chasm, unshakable since ancient times. To transcend that realm and slay one was nearly unthinkable. Even in the Eternal True Realm, the supreme Emperors hailed as peerless monsters might not be capable of such a feat. Despite that, Lin Xun had done it! He had shattered a heavenly chasm that had stood since ancient times, accomplishing a feat destined to become legend! Even if he were to fall now, this feat alone would be enough to immortalize his name through the ages and make him a legend revered for generations to come. At this moment, the Nan Clan members looked grief-stricken, as if they had lost their entire lineage, unable to accept the truth. Nan Tianba was dead. Nan Tianzheng was also gone. Now, even Nan Yongqiang, the mightiest Ancestor in their ranks, had also fallen. What strength did they have left to fight Lin Xun? An indescribable sense of grief and despair spread among them. Their faces turned deathly pale and their bodies trembled uncontrollably. The crowd fell utterly silent. Meanwhile, Lin Xun gathered the spoils of battle. He picked up the ancient sword left by Nan Yongqiang, inspecting it briefly before sighing with regret, “This sword isn’t bad, but it perished with its master. What a pity...” Then, with a casual flick of his wrist, he tossed it into the Limitless Abyss Sword Cauldron. The sword might have been destroyed, but it still retained a trace of immortal matter, which was enough to nourish his life-bound weapon further... Everyone’s expressions flickered. Their gazes were filled with awe, fear and confusion when they turned toward Lin Xun. When he first appeared in the Ruins of the Gods, many found it hard to believe, thinking he was mad, so reckless that he would risk his life for a chance at fortune. It was no different from throwing his life away. Now, they finally understood that everyone was wrong. Lin Xun wasn’t recklessly bold or suicidal. Instead, he was fearless because he had the strength to be! With a cultivation strong enough to suppress even Emperor Ancestors, what did he have to fear? Here, before the Central Immortal Court, with all the rules and restrictions in place, there was no need to fear being besieged, at least not in the Defending the Ring round. Nor was there any fear that the enemy would resort to hidden trump cards. Because none of that could possibly happen! Furthermore, in a one-on-one battle...who would still dare to claim they could defeat Lin Xun? The more they thought about it, the heavier their hearts became. To them, Lin Xun, who had already secured three consecutive victories, now stood like a heavenly chasm blocking their path. The atmosphere was deathly still, terrifyingly silent. As time passed, not a single person stepped forward to challenge him. It was clear that they had been completely intimidated by the strength he had just displayed. “If no one challenges me within a quarter of an hour, it will be considered a successful defense and I shall proceed to the second level.” On the Battlefield of the Gods, Lin Xun stood with his hands behind his back and spoke calmly, his eyes sweeping over the Nan Clan members. Although the faces of the Nan Clan members were filled with resentment and hatred, no one dared to meet his gaze. The other cultivators exchanged glances, each wearing a different expression, but none stepped forward to challenge him at this moment. Even Emperor Ancestors chose to wait and observe for the time being. Just as a quarter of an hour was about to pass, Lin Xun suddenly strode toward the golden corridor. In that instant, the three streams of immortal qi proof he had earned from his three consecutive victories left his body and dissipated into the Battlefield of the Gods. “Did he just admit defeat willingly?” Eyes widened in disbelief, many almost thought they were seeing things. However, Lin Xun chuckled, “There are still seven days left. Anyone who wishes to defend the ring is free to do so. As for me, I’ll just wait.” Realization dawned on them. Sharp gasps echoed through the crowd, and many glanced at the Nan Clan members with pity in their eyes. Lin Xun didn’t plan to let a single Nan Clan member go! It was true that none of them dared to challenge Lin Xun. However, now that he had abandoned the position of defender, he could freely challenge them any time they stepped onto the battlefield. Defending the Ring lasted only seven days. If the Nan Clan members didn’t act before the time ran out, they would lose their chance to reach the second level. Furthermore, that meant they’d be cut off from the opportunity to obtain the fortune of the Central Immortal Court. This was Lin Xun’s true intention for stepping down! “Lin Xun, this is too much” Latest content published on novel~fire~net The Nan Clan members finally reacted, their faces flushed with rage. Their eyes burned with hatred, as if they wished to skin Lin Xun alive on the spot. He simply smiled. “Apologies, I just want to bully you...make your life worse than death or see you eliminated. If I can kill every last one of you, that would be ideal.” A chill swept across the crowd. No matter how humiliating the Nan Clan’s current predicament was, they were still one of the Donghuang’s Four Clans in the Seventh Heaven Domain. Yet Lin Xun’s actions made it clear that he didn’t regard them as a threat at all! “Fellow Daoist Lin, then shall we take the stage now?” someone couldn’t help but ask, probing carefully. “Feel free. I won’t make things difficult for those who bear me no grudge.” Lin Xun waved his hand casually. A wave of relief washed over many. A few faces turned grim. After all, they had previously mocked Lin Xun’s situation and had even looked forward to watching him make a fool of himself. They weren’t sure if he now saw them as enemies. Regardless, after receiving his assurance, those cultivators who had never been hostile toward him rushed forward to begin their matches of Defending the Ring. The fighting was brutal. Blood was spilled, and casualties soon followed. Lin Xun paid it no mind. He simply stood silently, watching with an indifferent gaze. As time passed, the expressions on the Nan Clan members grew uglier by the minute. It was clear that he was determined to destroy them! One day passed. Then another... In that time, some cultivators achieved nine consecutive victories and secured a token. Wrapped in the forbidden power of the Battlefield of the Gods, they vanished into the void and entered the second round. However, many more suffered crushing defeats, and some even lost their lives on the battlefield. Witnessing it all, Lin Xun couldn’t help but sigh inwardly. There may be no deadly traps or terrifying dangers in the Ruins of the Gods, but this Defending the Ring round alone is already claiming countless lives! Furthermore, this was only one battlefield, and similar scenes were surely unfolding across the other forty-eight. In fact, Lin Xun also noticed that although there were many cultivators taking part, Ancestors of a Path were still extremely rare. Even eighth realm supreme Emperors were considered mid-tier powerhouses and there weren’t many of them either. The majority were seventh realm supreme Emperors, along with a handful of veteran Ninth Realm Ancestors. If it weren’t for the Nan Clan’s targeting, it wouldn’t have been difficult for Lin Xun to defend the ring successfully with his strength. Of course, for the others, this round was already unimaginably brutal and merciless. Under Lin Xun’s watchful gaze, more than fifty cultivators among the nearly seven hundred cultivators finally achieved nine consecutive victories. One by one, they left the Battlefield of the Gods and advanced to the second level. This elimination rate was shockingly high. Lin Xun did a quick calculation: if around seventy people were successful in each battlefield during the seven-day competition, then the number of eliminated cultivators would be nearly ten times that number! On the seventh day, only one of the seven stars hanging above the Battlefield of the Gods remained shining. The other six had already dimmed. Still, Lin Xun made no move. He simply waited. He had already observed that each star took twenty four hours to fade from brilliance to darkness, exactly one full day. If the Nan Clan still didn’t act, he would make his move in the final hour. That way, as long as he held on for a quarter of an hour on the Battlefield of the Gods, he could advance to the next level. By then, even if the Nan Clan did decide to enter the battlefield, they would likely have little time left to do anything... After all, once the seven days were up, the Defending the Ring battle would come to an end. Time passed slowly. For the Nan Clan, these seven days were pure torment, subjecting them to unbearable psychological strain. Several times, they were tempted to storm onto the Battlefield of the Gods and fight Lin Xun to the death. In the end, they didn’t dare take that step. Because doing so would be no different from marching to their deaths... As the seventh day approached, despair and suffocating pressure gripped the Nan Clan. They felt like they were about to collapse. It was at this moment that Lin Xun finally acted. After the last cultivator with nine consecutive victories exited, he stepped onto the Battlefield of the Gods. Instantly, silence fell. The crowd of cultivators let out helpless sighs and gave up any thoughts of a last-minute attempt. There was no other choice. With Lin Xun standing there, they knew charging forward would be suicide! “Lin Xun, outside the Ruins of the Gods, there are immortal experts from our Nan Clan waiting. Even if you survive this place, you won’t leave alive!” One of the Nan Clan members could no longer suppress his fury and roared, his voice filled with hatred and frustration. Many cultivators glanced over with complex expressions. To Lin Xun, this was unquestionably a serious and deadly threat! Despite that, he merely laughed, “Since I walked in alive, I’ll leave the same way...haha, as for you lot...you’ve brought utter disgrace upon the Nan Clan.” This incident could never be covered up. Before long, the entire Eternal True Realm would know just how pathetic and humiliated the Nan Clan had been! Soon, a quarter of an hour passed. No one dared step forward to challenge Lin Xun. He successfully claimed a token, and the forbidden power of the Battlefield of the Gods enveloped him. He vanished without a trace. As he disappeared, the cultivators let out a long sigh. The last shining star in the sky faded into darkness... The first level, Defending the Ring, had come to an end.