Bang!
A dull thud echoed in everyone's ears.
Blake Lin's waist bent, his knees smashing onto the layer of solid ice sky above.
With this kneel, the entire sky dome fractured—crisscrossing cracks radiated from him, rippling outward in every direction.
Qi surged and roiled, Blake Lin kept his head down, his face hidden by a curtain of bangs, making it impossible to see clearly.
He knelt there in silence, right in front of Evan Lin. This scene etched itself deeply into everyone's heart.
"Blake Lin knelt..."
The Ju family steward murmured to himself. Grandpa Ju, standing nearby, couldn't see clearly, but when he heard these words, he was struck as if by lightning, his whole body frozen in place.
Most of the Ju family still hadn't understood what had happened. After all, not everyone had the sharp eyes of the Ju family steward, and when he spoke, he deliberately only let Grandpa Ju hear.
The rest of the Ju family simply felt the atmosphere grow heavier, each one falling silent, not daring to speak.
"He... actually knelt, huh."
Gloria Rong's pretty face turned pale, her eyes full of confusion.
Ever since Blake Lin of the Upper-Grade Lin Clan arrived in Beijing, countless legends surrounded him. Some even said he was the strongest of the younger generation here.
Whether it was his background or his monstrous talent, the name Blake Lin had become completely mythologized.
In the minds of Gloria Rong, Leon Lu, and the others, Blake Lin was the kind of super genius who would never lose, never fail. They were destined to look up to him all their lives, listen to his stories, and watch him step by step become a legend shaking all of China.
But now, this legend... actually lost?
Not only did he lose, he lost utterly—kneeling in midair, head down, not even attempting to resist.
And the one who beat him was Master Lin from Seacrest—the same young man who had once eaten and chatted with them.
He seemed to be just a talented youth, but one with little background.
Yet at this moment, Gloria Rong and the others suddenly realized that the youth called Master Lin from Seacrest was far more extraordinary than they'd ever imagined.
Leon Lu's face alternated between green and pale, unsure whether it was excitement or sheer shock.
Allen Ju sighed and shook his head. What's done is done—what happens next is no longer his concern.
Selina Wu remained silent, her eyes complex. She watched Evan Lin standing before Blake Lin, praying for him in her heart, yet couldn't help imagining: could this boy really overturn the entire Upper-Grade Lin Clan?
The idea was too shocking. After a moment, Selina Wu forced herself to drop it.
The Nightstar group sat dazed on the ground, staring at the scene above. None of them spoke; they didn't even feel a shred of shame over the Four Seasons Grand Array being broken.
After all, even Blake Lin had knelt to Master Lin from Seacrest. Compared to that, Nightstar's Four Seasons Grand Array being shattered didn't seem so hard to accept.
"Crazy. Totally crazy."
Yvette Ye stood there, looking stunned. She glanced at Evan Lin standing tall, then at Blake Lin kneeling on the ground.
From her perspective, the sky stretched high overhead, and beneath her feet was another sky.
In this beautiful, almost anime-like place, Yvette Ye couldn't help but feel chills rising in her heart.
"Um... Brother Blake, maybe you should get up? The ground's really cold."
Yvette Ye walked up, intending to help Blake Lin to his feet. But Blake Lin remained silent—ever since his knees hit the ground, he hadn't moved at all.
He was like a lifeless stone. Aside from the burst of qi when he first knelt, he hadn't struggled or spoken since—just knelt there in total silence.
"He hasn't accepted reality yet. No rush—let him kneel a while longer."
Evan Lin glanced at Blake Lin, his tone indifferent.
"You have some nerve saying that!"
Hearing Evan Lin's words, Yvette Ye immediately exploded with anger. She glared at him and shouted, "Master Lin from Seacrest, huh? Do you know how hard it's been for me to track you down?"
"First it was Jinnan, then the Illustrious Gate Arena in Beijing—you just kept running everywhere!"
"Is it really that hard for you to join Moonshade? You run around all day, and even at our first meeting, you couldn't just listen to me. Did you have to blow things up like this?"
Yvette Ye's voice was full of anger. Only now did Evan Lin finally take the time to size up the woman before him.
She looked young, with long hair draped over her shoulders, an oval face and striking phoenix eyes. She was pretty—and right now, furious, her brows and nose wrinkled in anger, as if she wanted to devour Evan Lin.
In her pocket, you could still see an unfinished bag of chips—tomato flavor, apparently.
"You're the one who called, trying to recruit me into Moonshade."
Evan Lin nodded at her. "Now that Blake Lin is kneeling before me, does Moonshade still dare to take me in?"
Evan Lin looked at her, his tone indifferent, acting as if he didn't care at all.
Yvette Ye listened to Evan Lin's words and ground her teeth in frustration.
Yvette Ye knew exactly what Blake Lin of the Upper-Grade Lin Clan represented. Hearing Evan Lin's words now, she found him even more infuriating.
But what shocked her even more was the strength Evan Lin displayed.
Too strong.
Stronger than Blake Lin.