The entire arena of eighty thousand spectators buzzed with commotion at Rock Saint Hadley's words, and some even muttered curses under their breath.
Lin Lei and Olivia — these two were without question the most brilliant talents on the entire Yulan Continent today. A battle between two such extraordinary geniuses — for some warriors, simply witnessing such a clash would make death worthwhile.
But just as the fight reached its most intense moment, Rock Saint Hadley had appeared out of nowhere!
How could they not be furious?
Yet the one stopping the fight was Hadley — the strongest warrior in the Saint Realm!
"It might be for the best if this fight ends here." The butler Xili's forehead was drenched in sweat.
It wasn't just the butler Xili — Hillman, Wotton, and the others were all worried for Lin Lei. Olivia's performance had shown no weakness compared to Lin Lei. And that black stone sword seemed eerily sinister.
Lin Lei's 'Earth Sovereign Truth' was formidable.
But could Olivia's attack, derived from his comprehension of the Darkness elemental law, truly be inferior to Lin Lei's 'Earth Sovereign Truth'? Hadn't Olivia himself said it? Once the black stone sword was unleashed, even he couldn't control it.
The entire arena, due to Rock Saint Hadley's sudden intervention, saw the great battle brought to an abrupt halt. Lin Lei and Olivia hovered in midair, facing each other. Hadley stood between them.
Three Saint Realm powerhouses — two extraordinary geniuses and one hailed as the strongest in the entire Saint Realm.
"A cease-fire?" Olivia glanced at Hadley.
Lin Lei also glanced at Hadley.
"This Hadley's strength really is astonishing. The move he just displayed was far from ordinary Battle Qi. It should be some kind of defensive technique comprehended from the law of earth."
Lin Lei could fully feel those earthy-yellow waves of force crashing upon him one after another.
"However, he may not necessarily be able to withstand my 'Earth Sovereign Truth' attack." Lin Lei remained confident in his ultimate technique.
In truth, whether it was Lin Lei or Olivia, when they had charged at each other just moments ago, both had been in a state of accumulated power.
At the level of peak Saint Realm that Lin Lei and Olivia had reached, they would not waste any energy. Whether it was the 'Earth Sovereign Truth' or Olivia's attack, the power only exploded forth at the very last instant before striking the opponent!
Many who had been hit by the 'Earth Sovereign Truth' — when the Black Amber Heavy Sword touched their bodies, at first they felt as though it carried no force. But suddenly —
They would feel shockwave after shockwave crashing directly into their internal organs.
Just now, Hadley's single move had pushed both Lin Lei and Olivia apart, but that was only because neither had used their ultimate techniques against Hadley. Otherwise, even if he had blocked it, it wouldn't have been so simple.
"Haha, Olivia, Lin Lei." King Joean stood up at this moment, and under the gaze of eighty thousand spectators, descended from the judges' platform to declare in a resonant voice, "Olivia, Lin Lei — your battle today has truly opened our eyes. And since you harbor no deep enmity toward each other, there's no need to fight to the death."
King Joean certainly didn't wish for Lin Lei or Olivia to die.
As long as both these geniuses remained alive, the O'Brien Empire's influence across the entire Yulan Continent would only grow stronger.
Lin Lei and Olivia exchanged a glance.
"Very well." Olivia nodded, smiling faintly. "After Brother Lin Lei blocked my 'Aurora Sword,' I no longer had any wish to continue fighting. Though I must admit, I am also at fault here..." Olivia looked toward Lin Lei.
"Brother Lin Lei's strength far exceeds what I imagined. I never expected that the sword techniques he initially displayed were merely superficial." Olivia smiled at Lin Lei. "I acknowledge that Brother Lin Lei's strength is no less than my own."
Clearly, Olivia was extending goodwill toward Lin Lei, even changing his address to "Brother Lin Lei."
The black stone sword's techniques were fearsome, and Lin Lei's Black Amber Heavy Sword techniques were equally so. If these two geniuses truly fought to the death today, it would be far too great a waste.
With Olivia already saying this, Lin Lei wouldn't nitpick.
After all, he had only just arrived in the O'Brien Empire — it wouldn't do to make too many enemies.
"Let today's battle end here, then." Lin Lei's calm, detached voice echoed throughout the arena. All eighty thousand spectators understood that this peerless battle could not continue.
But immediately after —
Thunderous applause swept across the entire arena, and all the spectators shouted and cheered in excitement. Even ending the battle at this point was more than enough to thrill them.
"Olivia!" "Olivia!" "Olivia!" ...
"Lin Lei!" "Lin Lei!" "Lin Lei!" "Lin Lei!" ...
That tidal wave of cheers crashed against everyone's eardrums as they screamed and roared for the idols in their hearts.
In that moment, they had all forgotten that this battle had originally been arranged for Wotton and Brunmer.
It was obvious —
Wotton and Brunmer were talented, but in every respect, they fell far short when compared to their respective brothers. Lin Lei and Olivia's formidable, terrifying strength had completely conquered every person present.
Rock Saint Hadley, seeing that the two had ceased fighting, felt quite gratified. At that moment, Lin Lei flew directly downward.
The arena's cheers continued to ring out unabated. From this moment forward, in the hearts of many, Lin Lei had risen to the same status as Olivia. And considering Lin Lei's achievements in the world of stone sculpture, as well as his younger age, Lin Lei might be even more deserving of the word "genius" than Olivia.