.Bishuiyuan, right next to the courtyard where Su Baichen lived, obviously his father was also worried that there might be other assassins trying to kill him.Half an hour later.In the Su family hall,...The schoolyard was crowded with people.

Many talented participants from the second stage hunt, as well as top experts from various factions and sects, all stared intently at the mirrored image on the void. By the fifteenth round of attack, they all believed that Su Xin had reached his limit and would stop here.

Suddenly, Su Xin erupted.

The swordsmanship breakthrough not only directly cleared the fifteenth round, but even went on to clear the sixteenth round's attack.

Everyone was stunned.

Silence!

On the school grounds, one could hear a pin drop.

"The sixteenth round"

"How is that possible"

Even Xia Mang, who was as strong as ever, now wore an expression of disbelief.

Just moments ago, Su Xin cleared the fourteenth round of attacks. When he was tied with his opponent, he still looked relaxed and said, “Although we both passed the fourteenth round, he simply relied on defensive swordsmanship to get through, while I directly defeated my opponent in the fourteenth round.”

He barely made it through by relying on his defense swordsmanship.

One is a direct eruption, blasting all the opponents in the fourteenth round to smithereens.

Even if he stopped at the fifteenth floor in the end, anyone with eyes could see that Xia Mang was stronger.

Now...

"After passing the sixteenth round... My Heavenly Flame Imperial Family has ruled over the Tianxin Realm for so many years. In all that time, countless geniuses have gone through it, but to this day, there's only been one who has managed to pass the sixteenth round – this Su Xin. Even though he purely relied on defense, having strong defenses is still a skill!"

"This second stage of the hunt, there is no doubt about it, he shone brighter than me!"

Xia Mang's hands instinctively clenched.

He has always strived to be the strongest, from a young age.

No matter the time or stage of the competition, he is always the strongest.

This hunt, it wasn't just about the final rankings, even in this second stage of the hunt, he wanted to be the most dazzling one on the field.

But now, his brilliance is clearly completely overshadowed by Su Xin.

"Do you believe it"

Xia Mang murmured, already remembering the name deeply.

……

"His Highness has commanded that, during this hunt, he is to be slain if encountered."

Tu San stood there with a cold expression. Although Su Xin's performance in the mirrored surface was astonishing, he remained unmoved.

"Relying solely on defensive swordsmanship, passing through the sixteenth level of the Heavenly Heart Realm's attacks, facing him, with ordinary means, it would be impossible to do anything. I must use my strongest trump card, use that move…"

"Abandon everything, only then can you kill him!"

Tu San's heart was as unyielding as iron.

To him, the lord's command is everything.

Even if it meant risking his life, he had to complete it.

……

A large monk, Wu Chao, with a giant black Buddha bead hanging from his neck, stood smiling in a corner of the schoolyard, looking up at the screen above.

When he saw Su Xin's swordsmanship break through, consecutively passing the fifteenth and sixteenth rounds of attack, Wu Chao couldn't help but sigh in admiration.

"With such formidable defenses, even if I exert all my power, I may not be able to defeat him head-on."

"Today, the Yanhuang Dynasty is truly brimming with talent. Just after Xia Mang, a prodigy with formidable gun skills who could even rival this monk in skill, emerged, we now have Su Xin, whose defenses are practically invincible... Indeed, as one of the dynasties with the deepest foundations in Jiusheng Mountain, the Yanhuang Dynasty certainly lives up to its reputation."

Wu Chao still smiled broadly.

Whether it was Xia Mang or Su Xin, they brought immense pressure to the other geniuses present.

Though on the surface he seemed concerned, deep down he didn't care at all.

It doesn't matter how strong other people are, what does it have to do with me

His goal was only to target Si Tu Yu.

……

My brother's defense swordsmanship is too insane.

Duanyunfeng was also in the crowd, and seeing Su Xin's outburst, he couldn't help but be astonished.

He already knew that Su Xin's defensive swordsmanship was exceptional, and during the first stage of the hunt, Su Xin's defensive swordsmanship had already reached a bottleneck.

For this, within that hunting ground, he encountered some talented individuals with great skill. Su Xin still wanted to use their methods to hone his swordsmanship, in order to break through the bottleneck, but unfortunately, he was never successful.

Now, in this day's heart realm, facing one opponent after another whose strength is constantly increasing, Su Xin was given the best opportunity for training, allowing his swordsmanship to directly break through.

And once this sword technique broke through, when it was used, the defensive capability left him feeling a glimmer of despair.

"If I encountered him in the next hunt, even if I used all my might to attack for half a day, I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to hurt him at all," Duan Yunfeng said with a wry smile.

He had a feeling that if the next hunt let him face Su Xin alone, he would definitely suffer.

……

After passing the sixteenth round, the opponent for the seventeenth round has also emerged.

Unlike the previous opponents, this seventeenth round, there was only one opponent.

This person, wielding a long staff in one hand, emerged from the white light curtain and gracefully slid to stand before Su Xin.

First, a stroke, then a jab.

The attack, seemingly simple, was actually quite profound. Even many geniuses on the field, including Su Xin, couldn't fully understand its intricacies.

Su Xin's defensive swordsmanship seemed impenetrable, but in the face of this long lance, it couldn't withstand it at all.

At first glance, Su Xin was defeated.

Soon, Su Xin was also brought out.

……

As soon as Su Xingan appeared on the school grounds, countless gazes immediately converged on him, most of them filled with praise.

"This Su Xin, not to mention anything else, but that defensive swordsmanship is too terrifying."

"Yes, with only defensive swordsmanship, one can pass through the sixteenth round of attacks in the Tianxin Realm. With such defense, who could break it"

"Even us, and even those geniuses who are capable of reaching the top ten hunters, would be utterly despairing if we saw his defensive swordsmanship."

"Wasn't there someone who doubted his top ten strength What a joke! With this defensive swordsmanship alone, he could easily break into the top ten of the hunters without any pressure at all."

Voices of discussion rose in every corner of the schoolyard.

“Having passed the sixteenth round of attacks in the Heavenly Heart Realm, although he only managed to get through by relying on defensive means, his strength must be able to reach the top ten in this hunt. In the end, he will definitely enter the Tianyan Palace. It seems that wanting him to join my Tianye Sect is impossible.” The Elder Mo then shook his head secretly beside him.

He understood that Su Xin's outburst meant their relationship with the Tianye Sect was over.

It's not just Tenyōzong, but also some previous forces or sects that invited Su Xin who acted the same way.

……

"Su Xin, you didn't make a move before this, but once you did, it was terrifying! Duan Yunfeng walked to Su Xin's side and said with a smile.

"What's going on Why are all these people looking at me" Su Xinze asked in confusion.

He had been staying in the trial space all along, but he didn't know how others were performing on this schoolyard.

As Duan Yunfeng explained to him, Su Xin immediately understood.

"I'm the only one who made it through the sixteenth round of attacks, even Xia Mang only reached the fourteenth."

No wonder so many people are following me.

Su Xin smiled faintly.

Actually, he also broke through the swordsmanship of the Classic of Mountains and Seas to achieve great perfection. Only then could he barely pass the sixteenth round.

If his swordsmanship hadn't broken through, he would have been able to clear only up to the fourteenth round at most, and it would have been impossible for him to clear the fifteenth round.

At this time, the purple-haired elder who presided over the hunt rose into the air and said in a grand voice: “The second stage of the hunt is now over. Those who have just passed the tenth round of attacks in that trial space can be promoted to the third stage, which is the final stage of the hunt.

I'll read the names.

"Su Xin, Xia Mang, Tu San..."

According to the results of this stage, each name is read out one by one.

After reciting thirty-six names in succession, the purple-haired elder finally stopped.

That is to say, through the second stage of hunting, only thirty-six talents enter the final stage.

"All of a sudden, there were only thirty-six people left. All the powerful figures from various factions and sects around sighed in astonishment."

But they can also understand.

Although Su Xin has passed the sixteenth round, reaching the ninth round in Tianxin Realm is already a huge threshold. The difficulty increases significantly after the tenth round, and with the factor of spiritual energy consumption, it's far from easy to pass the tenth round.

Like that Cangyan, clearly with the top twenty combat strength, but in the end, he couldn't get past the tenth round.

Participating in the second stage hunt of a thousand geniuses, with only thirty-six geniuses ultimately advancing, is already considered quite good.

……

After the second stage of the hunt, there are still three days left for rest.

All the people also returned to camp.

In the tavern, Su Xin and Duan Yunfeng sat together.

"Haha, Su Xin, look at the latest genius information released by Chi Long Lou. Before, people only said that you might have the top ten battle strength, but this time they not only removed the "suspected" words, but also put your name at the top of the list, even ahead of me! And this information says that in terms of defense alone, you are undoubtedly the number one genius of this generation!" Duan Yunfeng laughed.

Su Xin glanced at the intelligence content and smiled as well.

Before the first stage of hunting, although many geniuses had already shown their strength, only through some combat results or information obtained from other geniuses could Chi Longlou obtain information. Therefore, much of the information was not particularly precise and detailed.

But by the second stage of the hunt, all the prodigies within the Heavenly Heart Realm had their performances watched closely by various factions and powerful figures from sects.

The Crimson Dragon Pavilion's evaluation of these prodigies is naturally more accurate.

Xia Mang, directly overwhelming his opponents, stormed through the fourteenth round. With this kind of strength, he remained on the first page of the genius information list, a fact that is undeniable.

And Su Xin...

If Xia Mang's marksmanship was domineering and powerful, his attack prowess arguably the best in this hunt, then Su Xin was undoubtedly the undisputed champion of defense.

His defensive swordsmanship, witnessed by so many, was enough to make most geniuses despair with this single technique alone.

After all, with such a defensive swordsmanship, even if he only defends passively, most geniuses wouldn't be able to find a way to defeat him. He would already be invincible.

“Actually, when it comes to defense, I wouldn't say I'm the best in this hunting season,” Su Xin suddenly said, “The way that great monk Wu Chao defended himself before we encountered him in the hunting ground was truly terrifying.”

Duan Yunfeng couldn't help but think of that great monk.

He swung his sword with all his might, striking the great monk's skull. However, the monk didn't even have a strand of hair broken. His protective golden light deflected his blow entirely.

"Yes, that monk's defense is truly terrifying. Duan Yunfeng nodded in agreement."

Su Xin's defense primarily relied on swordsmanship, and the most crucial aspect of swordsmanship was its yielding techniques. Even if an opponent possessed strength several or even nearly ten times greater than his own, it would still fall within Su Xin's capacity to withstand, as his mastery of the Shan Hai Scroll had reached a formidable level.

That day, in the heart realm, most opponents were just constantly improving their strength and speed. However, their skill level wasn't very high until the seventeenth round.

By the seventeenth round, there was only one opponent left. His strength hadn't increased much, but he lost just by looking at him. The opponent's skill was far beyond his imagination.

And as for these geniuses in the hunt, perhaps there weren't any who surpassed him in skill, but there were a few who could rival him.

For example, Xia Mang, Tu San, and Duan Yunfeng, their skill levels are not inferior to Su Xin's, they can completely defeat Su Xin's defense through their skills.

In comparison, the golden body protection of that Great Master Wu Chao is indeed more outrageous.

Only Su Xin and Duan Yunfeng knew about this kind of body-protecting method possessed by Wu Chao. Other geniuses, including those from the Chi Long Lou, were unaware of it.

"No matter what, with our two strengths, as long as luck isn't particularly bad, we encounter the top few geniuses early on, breaking into the top ten shouldn't be a problem," Duan Yunfeng smiled.

"Um, Su Xin also nodded."

……

At night, the moon was hazy.

On a nameless hillock surrounding the camp, Su Xin practiced swordsmanship alone.

He practices swordsmanship every evening, for one or two hours at a time. This has already become a habit.

It is precisely because of this habit, this effort, that his swordsmanship has progressed so rapidly. It is far more than just pure talent for swordsmanship.

Wow! Wow! Wow!~~

That sword light was swift and violent, like raging fire.

And the flames, inherently merciless, madly crushed the air with each frenzied sweep.

With every strike, Su Xin exerted all his strength.

Every strike is exhilarating.

More than half an hour has passed.

Su Xin didn't know how many swords he had swung, but in the same swift and merciless sword shadow, as he wielded it with unrestrained joy, the spiritual energy within him suddenly surged forth like a raging torrent.

His figure, also immediately shuddered.

This is... the unification of the sea complete!!

Su Xin's eyes widened as he felt a surge of power within him, his spiritual energy suddenly surging and becoming more powerful than ever. He couldn't help but feel ecstatic.

Two months ago, he had just broken through to the early stage of the Huahhai realm. However, thanks to the extraordinary cultivation speed of the bloodline inheritance technique and the assistance of a large number of first-grade Huahhai pills, his cultivation level increased rapidly. After only a short period of solitary training in Yongning County, he broke through to the great completion stage of the Huahhai realm. His cultivation continued to accumulate afterward.

This time, during the hunt, he continuously sparred with those geniuses, honing his skills again and again. His cultivation had already reached the most saturated state of "Great Accomplishment of Fusion".

Su Xin had originally thought that he had only just reached saturation, and should wait until this hunt was completely over before he could hope to break through to the peak of the Sea Transformation realm.

...However, he didn't expect it. Perhaps because of the immense pressure he endured within the Heavenly Heart Realm today, not only did his swordsmanship reach a breakthrough, but his cultivation level also loosened at that bottleneck.

By nightfall, after a truly invigorating session of sword practice, he had unexpectedly broken through.

"May all be fulfilled!"

Su Xin clutched his hands tightly, feeling the power surging through him, multiplying severalfold.

"Before I only focused on cultivating to the point of great perfection, I was confident that I could definitely break into the top ten of this hunt. Even if I encountered prodigies like Xia Mang and Wu Chao, I could also face them head-on."

"But now, my cultivation has broken through to the full realm of Huanghai. Just by activating 50% of my bloodline power, I estimate that even in terms of pure strength, I wouldn't be inferior to Xia Mang who has cultivated the Emperor Yuan Jue!"

“His power is immense, but my swordsmanship and understanding of the way surpass his. I might even be stronger!”

"...Such strength..."

Su Xin stood on the mountaintop, with the vast camp sprawling below him. Gazing down, he felt a surge of exhilaration.

This hunt, I... will fear nothing more!!

……rd intent had just reached the third level, which was average among the Four Steps venerables. It wasn't as good as those at the peak of the Four Steps, but the swordsmanship he displayed was actuall...