Chapter 273: Just a Little Short

In the eyes of many cultivators, Lin Chuan suffers defeat after defeat.

The black spirit sea will be burned through by increasingly scorching flames.

Ye Xue, Sangyu, Jiao Jiao, and Xiao Qingmei remain so calm because they naturally know their husband's capabilities.

Is that all?

It's still far from reaching the husband's limit.

Tu Shan Jiao Jiao laughed, "It seems the husband wants to test Nan Gong Ya's limit and see if he can draw out the Black Mist."

Yun Zhi Yi nodded, "He has sparred with Leng Fang before, so he should have experience now."

The women felt uneasy, hoping for a definite outcome.

…

Within the sphere of all beings.

Lin Chuan allows the Burial Spirit Domain to be burned through bit by bit, luring Nan Gong Ya to unleash even more extreme power.

"You can't do that!"

While dueling, Lin Chuan also launches a mental attack, "At your level, even my household Xiao Ya Huan is ten thousand times stronger than you."

"Put in a bit more effort."

"It's too weak to protect everyone; perhaps even fellow sect members will leave, stop believing in you, and go double‑cultivate with the Three Fozhi."

In the distance, the Three Fozhi halted their steps upon hearing that remark.

Whoa!

So this is the Lin Chuan you are.

Had I known, I wouldn't have said it.

Baseless mockery hardly stirs the emotions of a super genius.

Only those who truly reach this stage, caring deeply about something to the bone, can let emotion rise; otherwise reason always suppresses it.

Lin Chuan can sense that Nan Gong Ya is straining to suppress herself, struggling.

"Disgusting! Disgusting!!"

"Disgusting Lin Chuan, I will definitely kill you!"

Nan Gong Ya let out a low, hoarse roar; the tri‑colored light flow reached its peak, and the repelled Mo Mo surged forward again.

"Too weak."

"This level of strength can't kill me."

Lin Chuan's eyes brim with mockery as he commands the ghostly skulls rolling in the black spirit sea, surging wave after wave toward Nan Gong Ya.

The scene makes the guardians on Yun Tai twitch the corners of their mouths.

"Why does it look stranger the more I watch?"

"Could Lin Chuan be the reincarnation of some demonic great being?"

"There's a bit of wickedness, as if constantly toying with the opponent; Nan Gong Ya isn't weak, she'll definitely match Bai Li Ming, isn't he afraid?"

At this very moment, the battle rages within the space.

Whether it's the techniques and Divine Power Lin Chuan employs or his words, they resemble a lofty villain.

In contrast, Nan Gong Ya seems like a hot‑blooded cultivator determined to defeat the demon lord.

…

"Faster, faster."

"Be a bit stronger, burn yourself."

Lin Chuan faintly feels the pressure; even though he has integrated many insights from the dream‑cycle reincarnation, his realm is far beyond any peer cultivator's.

Yet his realm limits him, and his attainable strength still has an upper bound.

At this point, Nan Gong Ya's output draws ever nearer to that limit.

With the sea unleashed, he is also forced to the brink of revealing his trump card.

"Just a little short."

Lin Chuan senses Nan Gong Ya about to enter a completely maddened state.

At that instant, a purple light screen sweeps across from afar.

"Whoa!"

Lin Chuan's complexion changes, nearly collapsing.

At the critical moment, is the outcome decided?

Someone obtained the purple light sphere, securing the vacant slot, indicating this little contest has ended.

The spirit vessel's voice echoes through the space.

"Congratulations to Bai Li Ming of the Ziwei Star Domain Purple Star Emperor Sect for winning the vacant slot."

"This contest is now over."

The power of the sphere of all beings descends, the Spatial Law envelops everyone, and the twenty‑five geniuses are transported back to Yun Tai.

"Damn it!"

"Damned Bai Li Ming."

Tu Shan Jiao Jiao stamps her foot in anger.

"Just a tiny bit, and the husband would have a chance to succeed, to probe Nan Gong Ya's illusion and reality!"

"It's fine," Ye Xue chuckles lightly, "I guess the husband already knows, and there will be plenty of chances ahead."

If the Black Mist becomes enraged by emotional fluctuations, then they will certainly have a chance.

If emotions cannot affect the Black Mist, even giving Lin Chuan ten times more time would be useless.

The space flickered, and Lin Chuan returned to Yun Tai.

"How is it?" Sangyu asked.

"From just the recent duel, I couldn't sense any Black Mist power on Nan Gong Ya and Mo Mo at all."

Lin Chuan frowned, "But her condition is indeed off, and combined with the duel with Leng Fang, I believe the first perception shouldn't be wrong."

Ye Xue said gravely, "It concerns all living under heaven; this matter truly cannot be taken lightly."

Qing Fan will be back soon, and the Spirit Clan is also improving.

Although a few 'sisters' have appeared beside the husband, she has already accepted them in her heart.

Everything is beautiful.

She doesn't want to be plunged again into a life of water and fire.

If Black Mist is truly at work, discovering it early still offers a chance to eradicate it; Black Mist's growth is too rapid, giving it time enough to gnaw away at the Nine-phase World.

"There's still a chance."

Lin Chuan took a deep breath, calming his mind,

"Nan Gong Ya is performing so earnestly; she must be aiming to secure a spot to enter the Ancient Ruins, perhaps even the leader's position."

"As long as her goal remains unchanged, I will definitely encounter her next."

"Perhaps Bai Li Ming also has hope to force her to manifest an extreme state."

"Wait then."

Everyone felt anxious, yet they also knew that the more such moments arise, the less one should be impatient.

During the negotiations, the spirit artifact reopened the Sphere of All Beings.

The third round of the Celestial Realm Power Struggle also began drawing lots.

Except for Bai Li Ming, who claimed the vacant slot, the remaining twenty‑four geniuses continued with one‑on‑one arena battles.

Winners advance to the fourth round.

Losers still have a chance to break through from harsher contests to vie for the final slot.

The drawing of lots begins.

Lin Chuan saw his opponent.

Luck wasn't great; still didn't match the two women of Bi Luo Yan.

The good news is that Nan Gong Ya faced one of the super geniuses, Princess Yun Lian of the Cloud Kingdom.

At the same time, Mo Mo faced one of the super geniuses, Hou Zuo of the Wu Clan.

Lin Chuan was thoughtful.

"With Hou Zuo's strength against that Mo Mo, it should be able to force her into an extreme state."

"As for Yun Lian, her displayed strength is too weak now, at the lower end of super geniuses; even against pre‑transformation Nan Gong Ya she would struggle to win."

"After transformation, Nan Gong Ya would easily crush Yun Lian."

"Hope Yun Lian can burst out a bit."

He said that, but he knew there was basically no hope.

A genius cultivating the Dao of Qi and Fortune inherently has less combat power than those of the martial path, and it's even more so in this kind of contest.

"Wait slowly then."

"As long as Nan Gong Ya doesn't give up, we'll eventually meet again."

From the previous battle, Lin Chuan could also see that Nan Gong Ya neither feared him, or perhaps didn't know he was deliberately testing?

Does Black Mist still remember his former traces?

Lin Chuan had no certainty in his heart.

"I hope my premonition is correct."