If Smith had been more decisive earlier in using his terrifying strength after his transformation, if he could just drag it on for another minute, Smith would have won easily. Cheng Ming's golden sword aura actually had a lot of restrictions that Xiao Lin had noticed.
To Cheng Ming, even with his talent, it was still a skill that he had jumped ranks to use. Xiao Lin knew very well the cost and limits of using power that exceeded one's own strength, so even though Cheng Ming had learned golden sword aura, with his current skill and rank, it could not be easy using it.
Smith's torrential assault earlier never gave Cheng Ming the chance to use it, yet his opponent had given Cheng Ming the chance at the final moments.
An instant turning of the tables!