Projection of the Heavens: I prove my immortality through slaughter.

In the central martial arts arena, after the first round of chaotic battles, the atmosphere, like a blazing fire, hadn't cooled down but instead intensified. The five hundred disciples who advanced were like steel that had undergone initial tempering; their eyes were sharper, and their scrutiny of each other was filled with undisguised competition and judgment. An invisible tension hung in the air; the upcoming arena battles would be the truly brutal stage to determine the rankings.

The draw began. On the huge light screen, countless names and matchups scrolled and matched rapidly, captivating the attention of everyone present.

When the names "Lin Xuan" and "Shi Bao" were finally displayed side by side on the screen, the audience fell silent for a moment, then erupted into an even louder commotion than before, with suppressed laughter and chatter spreading like a tide.

"Hahaha! Lin Xuan is incredibly unlucky! He ran into Senior Brother Shi Bao in the very first round of the arena!"

"Senior Brother Shi Bao is at the peak of the seventh level of Qi Refining, specializing in physical techniques. His physical body is incredibly strong. It is said that last month, during the trial in the back mountain, he tore apart a berserk late-stage first-tier 'Ironclad Bear'!"

"It's over, it's over. Lin Xuan is probably going to be knocked off the stage with one punch. If he's lucky, he'll break some bones and tendons; if he's unlucky... tsk tsk."

"Making it to the second round is already incredibly lucky; it should end here. Elder Mo's nominal disciple? Looks like he's nothing special."

Almost no one had high hopes for Lin Xuan. A Qi Refining Level 4 cultivator who advanced by sheer luck (in everyone's eyes), facing off against Shi Bao, a top-tier body cultivator from the outer sect with a fearsome reputation, seemed to have no suspense whatsoever, and was even somewhat cruel.

Upon seeing the confrontation, Shi Bao's eyes widened even more, and he grinned, revealing a set of gleaming white teeth. He made a provocative gesture of clenching his fist in the direction of Lin Xuan, letting out a deep, beast-like growl. His contempt and bloodlust were undisguised in his eyes.

Lin Xuan's expression remained calm and unwavering, as if the glaring name on the light screen had nothing to do with him. He even had the leisure to spare a wisp of powerful divine sense, like the most precise scale, to sense the aura of the stone storm.

Yes, his spiritual power is indeed much stronger and more solid than that of ordinary disciples, and his physical body is as vigorous as a furnace. He follows a path of great openness and fierceness, but unfortunately... his technique is too crude. There are several obvious bottlenecks in the circulation of his spiritual power. Under his divine sense, which is comparable to that of a Foundation Establishment cultivator, these flaws are as clear as lights in the dark.

The arena battles soon officially began. On the blue stone arena, reinforced by arrays and shimmering with rune light, magical light suddenly flashed, sword energy crisscrossed and howled, the sounds of metal clashing, shouts and roars, and the muffled groans and screams of those struck could not be heard.

People kept winning, heads held high; others were defeated, leaving the stage dejected. The atmosphere was tense and exciting.

"Station No. 3, Class A, Lin Xuan versus Shi Bao!" The disciple in charge channeled his spiritual power and announced loudly, his voice clearly echoing throughout the entire arena, instantly attracting even more attention.

Shi Bao grinned maliciously, stomped his feet on the ground, causing the bluestone slab to crack slightly. He shot into the sky like a cannonball, creating a gust of wind, and then crashed heavily onto the arena like a meteorite, making a dull thud. Even the protective light screen at the edge of the arena rippled.

He cracked his incredibly thick neck, his knuckles popping, and beckoned to Lin Xuan, who had just slowly stepped onto the stage. His voice was loud and malicious: "Kid, it's not too late to kneel down and admit defeat! Otherwise, I might lose control and accidentally break all your bones!"

Laughter and whistles rose and fell from the audience, almost everyone was waiting to see a crushing victory.

Lin Xuan stood on the other edge of the arena. His ordinary blue robe fluttered gently in the breeze caused by the surge of spiritual energy. His expression remained as calm as a deep pool of water. He did not even activate the most basic spiritual energy shield. He simply stared calmly at Shi Bao, who was acting like a madman, with his deep and unfathomable eyes.

This complete disregard enraged Shi Bao more than any verbal provocation!

"Die, you son of a bitch!"

Veins bulged on Shi Bao's forehead, and his roar was like a thunderclap! A burst of earthy-yellow spiritual light flashed around him, as if he were clad in a thick layer of rock armor. His muscles bulged and rippled like writhing dragons, and his aura instantly reached its peak, exuding a ferocious and menacing aura! He cultivated the low-grade Xuan-rank technique, "The Mighty Bull Shaking the Mountain," which emphasized momentum and power above all else!

"Bull Charge!"

He roared again, his voice shaking the surrounding area. He transformed into a violent yellow afterimage, his steps heavy as if moving mountains, carrying an unstoppable and terrifying momentum capable of shattering small hills as he charged towards Lin Xuan! In front of his fist, the air was compressed rapidly, even producing a low sonic boom, and visible white shockwaves spread out to both sides!

This strike was simple, brutal, and devoid of any fancy moves, yet it combined power and speed to the extreme that he could achieve! It was Shi Bao's signature move that made him invincible in the outer sect, and countless disciples with considerable cultivation had their magical treasures shattered and bones broken by this impact!

Gasps of surprise erupted from the audience, and many female disciples even instinctively covered their mouths, as if they could already see the tragic scene of Lin Xuan's frail figure being instantly swallowed up, coughing up blood and flying backward.

On the high platform, several elders watching the battle nodded slightly, clearly approving of Shi Bao's pure and domineering display of power. Only Elder Mo Yuan remained calm and composed, picking up his spirit tea, gently blowing away the floating leaves, taking a sip, his eyes filled with a profound and expectant look that was difficult for others to understand.

Faced with this ferocious charge that would make even ordinary Qi Refining Stage 7 cultivators pale, Lin Xuan finally made his move.

He didn't dodge, didn't retreat, and didn't even adopt any defensive stance. He simply and naturally raised his right hand slowly.

The index and middle fingers are joined together like a sword, a simple and ancient gesture.

There was no earth-shattering burst of power, no dazzling spiritual light sweeping across the arena. The instant he raised his hand, a point of extremely condensed, restrained silver starlight, seemingly swallowing all the light around him, quietly lit up at his clasped fingertips, like a lonely and cold star in the depths of the universe.

The starlight was as small as a bean, yet it exuded an extreme sharpness that stirred the soul and a vast, desolate aura originating from the ancient starry sky!

Then, just as Shi Bao's massive body, carrying the force to shatter mountains, was less than three feet away from him, and the violent wind from his fists had already whipped his green robes tightly against his body and his hair wildly—

He moved!

Point out!

The movements appeared slow and clear enough for everyone in the audience to see the trajectory, yet they seemed to transcend the barriers of time, moving faster than anything else!

That cold, lonely silver starlight, like a shooting star streaking across the eternal night, arrived first despite being late, and pointed with unparalleled precision at the very center of Shi Bao's enormous fist, which was brimming with all his energy and spirit and shimmering with a rich, earthy-yellow spiritual light!

Time seemed to stretch out infinitely at this moment.

All eyes were drawn by an invisible force, fixed intently on that tiny point where a collision was about to occur!

Was Lin Xuan's finger shattered like a withered branch by Shi Bao's iron fist? Or...?

"laugh--!"

A faint, almost inaudible sound, like a red-hot iron cutting into thick ice and snow, pierced the stagnant air!

The expected explosion of bones shattering did not occur.

That condensed silver starlight, the moment it made contact with Shi Bao's fist, which was said to be able to withstand even low-grade magic weapons, passed right through it like a hot knife cutting into solidified butter, without any resistance!

Yes, penetrate!

That solid, earthy-yellow protective aura vanished instantly, like a soap bubble in the sunlight! Shi Bao's fist, harder than steel, was utterly fragile before that point of starlight, and was pierced through! Leaving a terrifying blood hole, about the thickness of a thumb, completely open from front to back, with smooth, mirror-like edges, and even showing the broken bone fragments!

"Ugh—!!!"

The violent momentum of Shi Bao's charge came to an abrupt halt, as if an invisible giant hand had choked him, letting out a shrill, completely distorted, inhuman scream! He looked down in disbelief at his right hand, which had been instantly crippled and was gushing blood like a fountain. An extremely sharp, cold, and destructive alien energy was rushing into his body like a flood after a dam had burst, destroying his meridians and internal organs that he had painstakingly cultivated for many years!

Excruciating pain! And an overwhelming fear stemming from his very survival instinct instantly overwhelmed all his consciousness!

But this devastating blow is not over!

Lin Xuan's outstretched finger continued its momentum! It was as if piercing the fist was merely a side effect!

The silver starlight, after piercing through Shi Bao's fist, did not diminish in brightness or condensation; instead, it became even more profound! Like a living serpent, it drew a tiny, defying logic, defying all logic, defying the limits of human perception by ....

"Bang!"

A sound, not loud, yet so muffled that it made everyone's heart skip a beat, rang out.

Shi Bao's massive, bear-like body was struck as if by an invisible, gigantic hammer. He arched backward dramatically, his eyes instantly becoming bloodshot and almost bulging out of their sockets! He couldn't even let out a scream before spitting out a mouthful of dark red blood mixed with obvious pieces of internal organs, forming a cloud of blood mist in the air!

He flew backward like a broken puppet with its strings cut, flying dozens of feet away in an arc before crashing heavily onto the violently fluctuating protective light barrier at the edge of the arena with a thud that made one's teeth ache. He then slid softly to the ground like mud, immediately losing consciousness. His life force instantly weakened to the extreme, and his fate was unknown.

Silence! Deathly silence! You could hear a pin drop!

The entire training ground, where tens of thousands of people had gathered, seemed to have been instantly silenced! Everyone stared wide-eyed, mouths agape, their expressions frozen in shock, bewilderment, and an unbelievable disbelief as if they had seen a ghost!

One...one finger? Really just one finger? Not even a proper spellcasting signal, or a surge of powerful spiritual energy? Just...just so effortlessly and completely crushed Shi Bao, a peak seventh-level Qi Refining cultivator known for his formidable physical strength and infamous for his ferocity?!

How is this possible?! What on earth is that terrifying silver starlight?!

After a brief, suffocating silence, came a deafening roar, like a volcanic eruption, that nearly overturned the entire training ground!

"I...am my eyes playing tricks on me? Senior Brother Shi...Shi Bao...lost?!"

"One finger! He only used one finger! Did you see that? Just one finger!"

"What kind of finger technique is that? It's...it's terrifying! I can feel my soul trembling even from this distance!"

"Stars! I see them! That's starlight! It's definitely the power of the stars!"

"Lin Xuan... he's definitely hiding his cultivation level! How could someone at the fourth level of Qi Refining have such strength?!"

Exclamations, screams, incredulous doubts, and frantic discussions swept across the entire training ground like a destructive tsunami, the sound waves soaring into the sky!

All the previous mockery, contempt, and schadenfreude were crushed to dust at this moment, turning into unparalleled shock and bone-deep fear!

All eyes were once again focused on the composed young man in his green robe on the arena. Their gazes had completely changed, filled with awe, curiosity, and a hint of indescribable fear!

On the high platform, the elders were all moved, their faces showing astonishment as they exchanged incredulous glances. Elder Mo Yuan slowly put down his teacup, the faint smile on his lips finally becoming undisguised, and softly uttered three words, yet they carried the weight of a thousand pounds: "Star Finger."

The hot-tempered, red-haired elder beside him slapped his thigh, his eyes gleaming, and his voice booming: "Good lad! You've been hiding it well! You've quietly cultivated this difficult spell to such a level of complete control and perfect execution! It seems I truly misjudged you before!"

On the arena, Lin Xuan slowly withdrew his finger, the deadly starlight at his fingertip disappearing silently, as if it had never appeared. He didn't even glance at Shi Bao, who was unconscious like a dead dog below the stage, nor did he care about the deafening roar from below, as if that earth-shattering finger strike was merely a dust mote brushed off his clothes.

He turned around, his green robe fluttering slightly, and slowly walked off the stage. From beginning to end, he did not utter a single word, his expression chillingly calm.

However, the name "Lin Xuan," along with his astonishing "Star Finger" that defeated a powerful enemy with just one finger, swept through the entire outer sect like a thunderclap or an unstoppable hurricane, leaving a deep imprint on the hearts of everyone present!

A dark horse? No, this is no longer a dark horse! This is a dragon that has been lurking in the abyss, suddenly awakening, revealing only a scale or a claw, yet already displaying its ferocious fangs and boundless majesty—a dragon hidden in the heavens!