"Time Freeze!"
The world fell still.
The moment that move appeared again, Ouyang Lin didn't even have time to react before his mind blanked out.
Song Wanníng moved instantly. A streak of sword light slashed out, aiming straight for his neck.
But Ouyang Lin's cultivation was higher, his Primordial Soul stronger. The effect only lasted for a single breath before he snapped back to himself. As soon as his senses returned, he saw the sword light coming right for his throat. His pupils contracted in terror, and he twisted aside with lightning speed.
Still, the sword light grazed him, carving a bloody line across his neck. A thin stream of blood trickled down his skin. Ouyang Lin shuddered, his face twitching.
What the hell just happened? For an instant, his mind had gone blank!
Yet he hadn't felt any trace of soul power. How was that possible?
The audience, however, saw everything clearly.
Song Wanníng hadn't frozen Ouyang Lin's mind at all—she'd frozen time itself.
"Damn, Junior Sister Song actually uses time attributes?"
"And her movement technique doesn't look like any regular skill either, it's based on spatial attributes!"
"No way. Both time and space attributes are insanely hard to comprehend. Other than life and death, I can't think of anything harder!"
"Seriously, this Junior Sister's something else. Ouyang Lin's two minor realms higher, yet she's completely suppressing him. At this rate, he'll have to concede soon."
"Well, it makes sense. The elders were all fighting over who'd take her as a disciple. She's clearly got talent beyond imagination."
"I even heard that Mo Yang Xiānzūn wanted to take her in, but she turned them down!"
"What?!"
The disciples below gasped, eyes full of awe and envy.
That was Mo Yang Xiānzūn, one of the top immortals of the entire Immortal Realm—and Song Wanníng had refused.
"Ouyang Lin really picked the wrong person to mess with this time."
"Seriously. A pill cultivator thinking he can pick a fight with her? Idiot move."
The crowd that had once sided with Ouyang Lin now completely changed their tune. It was obvious he couldn't beat her. If not for her lower cultivation, she would've already flattened him the moment the duel began.
In the crowd, Feng San's face shifted from red to green to an ugly shade of blue. He couldn't believe it. Song Wanníng actually had time attributes!
That kind of ability was nearly impossible to defend against. Ouyang Lin didn't stand a chance. Things were looking bad.
Just thinking about what their master might do if Ouyang Lin lost made Feng San shiver.
Meanwhile, the fight continued to escalate.
Ouyang Lin's heavy spear thrust out, no fancy tricks this time—just raw, lethal force. The air split apart as a golden flash shot straight for Song Wanníng's chest!
Even before the spear reached her, the crushing force of its metallic aura locked down the space around her like an invisible cage.
But Song Wanníng's expression didn't even flicker.
Just before the spear tip touched her, a silver-gray spatial rune flared beneath her feet, complex and shifting like a web of light.
Her figure blurred and shattered, like a reflection rippling apart when a stone hit the water.
Spatial Folding!
This was her latest creation. Before, she'd used her space attribute mainly to dodge and escape. Now, she'd learned to use it to break her opponent's attacks apart.
And this was just scratching the surface of spatial power. If she could fully comprehend its depths…
A cold gleam flickered across her eyes.
"Pfft—!"
Ouyang Lin's spear struck nothing but air.
The spear energy ripped through her afterimage, exploding into a massive crater in the ground. Her real body reappeared three meters away, her form solidifying as the space rippled.
Without missing a beat, she lifted her sword. The blade shimmered with intricate runes as a razor-thin strand of sword intent silently sliced toward Ouyang Lin.
He clenched his teeth in fury, blood vessels standing out in his eyes. His entire body trembled from the impact of her earlier attacks.
Now he finally realized how terrifying she was. If he'd known she was this strong, he'd never have followed Feng San into this mess.
But it was too late.
He had to win. If he lost, he'd never be able to explain himself when he went back.
Ouyang Lin spun his spear mid-swing, forcing it into a tight defensive rotation.
Clang!
Metal clashed, sparks flying in every direction.
Her sword intent struck his spear shaft, exploding in a blinding flash.
Ouyang Lin snarled, sweeping his weapon in a wide golden arc. A curtain of spear light burst out, sealing off every path of retreat.
The golden wind howled, each gust sharp enough to slice through bone.
Song Wanníng stayed calm.
Her left hand formed a sword gesture, tapping the air. In an instant, several complex runes infused with the flow of time appeared and pressed forward into the golden storm.
The roaring spear curtain slowed as if it had fallen into thick syrup.
That single heartbeat of delay was all she needed.
The spatial rune appeared again, her figure flickering like a flash of light. In the next instant, she was behind Ouyang Lin. She'd perfectly combined her time and space runes, using both to carve out a path even against a higher-realm opponent.
Her fist came crashing down toward Ouyang Lin's head, and she didn't hold back.
Unfortunately, ever since she entered the Immortal Realm, her physical strength was no longer as overwhelming as before. In the lower realms, that punch would've shattered skulls. Now, it only made Ouyang Lin see stars as his body staggered forward.
A sharp ringing filled his ears.
He groaned and stumbled back, quickly widening the distance, then lunged at her again.
The sounds of their weapons, spells, and impacts filled the arena.
The disciples below had long stopped treating it as a show. Their expressions turned serious, eyes fixed on every exchange, some even whispering their own commentary.
Whenever a particularly sharp clash occurred, loud cheers erupted.
At first, many had envied Song Wanníng, thinking she only got her position as a true disciple through connections.
But now, everyone was convinced.
A talent like hers would be fought over by any sect in the Immortal Realm. And if their own sect could produce someone like her, that was a blessing for all of them. By this point, most were silently rooting for her to win.
Even Luo Xingyao looked stunned, his eyes brightening the longer he watched. He'd thought his Junior Sister was only a prodigy in formations, but her combat power was just as frightening.
Still…
These techniques were all from the lower world. In the Immortal Realm, they lacked that final edge. Otherwise, Song Wanníng would've already won this fight.