The Supreme Eternal Prime God : 1000x System From Beginning

Chapter 21 – One Duel, One Step Toward the Throne

The Grand Tournament Arena was alive with a feverish energy, the weight of hundreds of disciples’ anticipation pressing down upon the massive stone battlefield, their murmurs, their whispers, their unspoken fears coiling through the air like an approaching storm.

The second round had begun.

The matches had been announced.

And now, the first duels were already underway, the clash of weapons and the roars of combat shaking the very foundation of the arena as Outer Court disciples fought for their survival, for their chance at ascension, for their right to step into the Inner Court.

But for many, these fights did not matter.

Not anymore.

Because the only battle they cared to witness—was his.

Xiao Lin stood at the center of the battlefield, his golden-flecked eyes calm, indifferent, as he faced his opponent across the expanse of stone, the morning sun casting long shadows over the coliseum, highlighting the stark contrast between the two figures.

His opponent, Jiang Hao, was no weakling.

Seventh Level Qi Gathering Realm.

A disciple known for his brutal fighting style, for his relentless aggression, for his refusal to back down even against stronger foes.

The kind of fighter who could overpower most others in the Outer Court through sheer force and will.

And yet, as he stood there, his stance firm, his spiritual energy pulsing around him like a heavy storm—his hands trembled.

Because he had seen what Xiao Lin had done.

He had witnessed the first round.

He had seen how Wei Tong fell in an instant.

How others had broken beneath Xiao Lin’s casual strikes.

How the once-forgotten disciple had risen like a force of nature, untouchable, unstoppable, beyond comprehension.

And now—he had to fight him.

A part of him wanted to step down.

To admit defeat before the battle even began.

But the weight of the watching disciples, the expectations of his own reputation, the sheer humiliation of surrendering before even attempting to fight—

It was too much.

So, even though fear curled around his ribs like iron chains, even though doubt whispered in the depths of his mind, Jiang Hao took a deep breath, steadied himself, and prepared to fight.

The Elder overseeing the duel raised his hand.

"Begin!"

Jiang Hao moved first.

His Qi erupted outward, his body surging forward in a blur of motion, his blade gleaming beneath the sunlight as he channeled all of his power into his strike, his aura burning like wildfire as he lunged toward Xiao Lin, aiming to end the fight in a single, decisive blow.

A reckless gamble.

A desperate hope.

Because deep down—he knew he could not win a prolonged fight.

So, he put everything into this one moment.

One attack.

One chance.

One final attempt to change fate.

But the moment his sword reached Xiao Lin—

It stopped.@@novelbin@@

Or rather—it was stopped.

Jiang Hao’s breath hitched.

His blade, sharp enough to cut through reinforced steel, hovered inches from Xiao Lin’s throat, trembling violently, unable to move forward.

And then, as realization dawned, as his mind finally caught up with what had happened—

He saw it.

Xiao Lin had caught the blade.

With two fingers.

Effortless.

Casual.

As if the attack had been no more threatening than a breeze against his skin.

Silence fell over the arena.

The watching disciples, the other combatants, even the instructors observing from above—they all froze.

Because in that single moment, it became clear.

Jiang Hao was not fighting a man.

He was fighting a force beyond his comprehension.

And the worst part?

Xiao Lin had not even started fighting yet.

Jiang Hao’s mind screamed at him to move.

To retreat.

To do something.

But before he could even react—

Xiao Lin moved.

A flick of his wrist.

And Jiang Hao’s blade shattered.

The force sent him stumbling backward, his grip failing, his stance breaking, his breath catching in his throat as shards of his own weapon rained around him.

He barely had time to comprehend what had happened—

Before Xiao Lin was in front of him.

Too fast.

Too sudden.

A blur of motion.

And then—

A fist slammed into his abdomen.

Jiang Hao’s world exploded.

The force was not merely physical.

It tore through his Qi defenses, shattered his internal circulation, sent waves of unimaginable pressure surging through his meridians, crushing his body from the inside out.

He felt his ribs crack.

His organs compress.

His vision blurred—

And then, he was airborne.

The moment his body hit the ground, skidding across the stone before crashing against the far end of the coliseum—

The duel was over.

He did not get up.

He could not get up.

And Xiao Lin?

He had not moved from where he stood.

For the second time in the tournament, silence ruled the coliseum.

No cheers.

No whispers.

No reactions.

Because what could they even say?

Xiao Lin had not "fought."

He had not "battled."

He had simply removed an obstacle.

As if Jiang Hao had never even been there to begin with.

It was not strength.

It was absolute supremacy.

High above the battlefield, within the secluded pavilion reserved for the academy’s elites, the Inner Court disciple who had taken an interest in Xiao Lin earlier leaned back in his chair, his arms crossed, his smirk widening ever so slightly.

"So," he murmured, eyes gleaming with amusement.

"He’s even stronger than I thought."

The Elder beside him let out a slow breath, his expression unreadable.

"This is dangerous," he muttered.

The Inner Court disciple chuckled. "Dangerous?"

A pause.

Then—his smirk sharpened.

"No. This is interesting."

And as he watched Xiao Lin step away from the battlefield, unbothered, unaffected, uncaring—

He knew.

This tournament was no longer about proving oneself.

It was about witnessing the birth of something terrifying.