Soul Emperor Awakening

"Just block it?" Chen Yun was stunned, then sneered as if he’d heard the funniest joke in the world. "If you’ve got the skill, then try and block this!"

The words had barely left his lips when Chen Yun, without hesitation, flung his Flying Claw out again. It shot straight for Lin Xuan. A terrifying blast of energy surged forward, like a nightmarish iron cage descending upon him.

Lin Xuan gave the Dragon Cloud Rod in his grip a light shake. His body instantly merged with the surrounding space, achieving the state of Unity of Heaven and Man in a flash. The surging Elemental Power of the Third Layer of the Spirit Refining Stage poured madly into the Dragon Cloud Rod, causing the domineering dragon patterns to glow with a dazzling light. A low draconic roar made the very air around him tremble.

His aura didn’t seem to have changed much, but the Elemental Power within was on a completely different level than before.

Lin Xuan stomped hard on the ground and leaped toward Chen Yun. The Dragon Cloud Rod in his hand hummed, fully charged and ready to erupt with power at any moment.

Seeing this, the disciples below the Martial Arts Arena couldn’t help but shake their heads. Lin Xuan was asking for a death sentence. The Cyan Cloud Step could alter his trajectory, but it couldn’t grant him flight. Leaping high into the air was a major tactical blunder, as the last exchange had so clearly demonstrated.

"Idiot!"

Chen Yun viciously swung his Flying Claw toward Lin Xuan. With a SWISH, it vanished into thin air.

Instant Teleportation. He was using that move again. An unpredictable attack that could strike from any direction—this was the greatest strength of the Spatial Flying Claw, and Chen Yun had no reason not to use it.

Many people closed their eyes, unable to bear watching. They were disappointed. Lin Xuan’s performance was abysmal, as if he had no real combat experience at all. He had already paid the price for this mistake once, yet he was falling for it again. He should have been looking for an opening to dodge and counterattack, not just leaping senselessly into the air.

At that very moment, Lin Xuan hefted his Dragon Cloud Rod and smashed it downward in front of him. A Power of Distortion followed the heavy blow, and in an instant, the very fabric of space twisted.

"Heaven-Striking Staff Technique, Second Style, Shattering Heaven and Earth!"

With a low roar, Lin Xuan brought the staff crashing down. The entire space warped, twisted by the Power of Heaven and Earth he now commanded.

Chen Yun felt the Flying Claw in his hand suddenly grow heavy, as if some force were dragging it away. Before he could react, its Instant Teleportation failed. The claw reappeared in full view of the crowd, but the crucial thing was, it hadn’t materialized at Lin Xuan’s chest as intended. Instead, it had been pulled directly in front of Lin Xuan!

BOOM!

The terrifying blow slammed down. Under the heavy impact, the Flying Claw was driven deep into the ground! Heaven knew how much force was behind that strike, but it was absolutely immense.

The force of the blow even dragged Chen Yun along with it. His body lurched forward uncontrollably, and he stumbled a few steps, nearly falling flat on his face.

"Using the Power of Heaven and Earth to nullify the Instant Teleportation from Space Power... What a brilliant move!" Qing Piaoyun’s eyes lit up. He felt this was no longer a battle at the Spirit Refining Stage Level, but rather one at the Essence Pill Stage Level—perhaps even the Spirit Pill Stage Level.

The instant his staff struck, a flicker of Flame appeared in Lin Xuan’s eyes. Flames suddenly erupted around his legs, engulfing his feet. The sight left everyone stunned. ’What’s going on? Is that Chen Yun’s attack?’

"Phoenix Power, Cyan Cloud Fire-Treading Step!"

He took a step on the empty air, and the flames flared out. The scattering embers seemed to form the wings of a Phoenix, unfurling magnificent plumage. For a breathtaking moment, everyone was under the illusion that Lin Xuan himself had become a Phoenix.

Infused with Phoenix Power, the Cyan Cloud Step underwent a fundamental transformation. His speed increased explosively, multiplying several times over. In the blink of an eye, he was in front of Chen Yun, bringing his staff crashing down.

"Shattering Heaven and Earth!"

Lin Xuan once again swung his devastating staff. This time, it carried the terrifying Phoenix Power as well. The Dragon Cloud Rod, wreathed in a storm of fire, had transformed into a Flame Rod as it came smashing down toward Chen Yun.

This blow was merciless, just as Chen Yun had been to him. The shriek of air, the violent vibrations, and a sense of pure shock rose in the hearts of the onlookers.

It all happened too fast. Before Chen Yun could even react, the staff was already swinging at his chest. The searing heat jolted him back to reality.

"Frenzied Golden Body!"

Chen Yun roared as a golden light erupted from his body, flowing across his skin. He threw his arms up to block. It was all he could do; he’d lost his grip on the chain of his weapon, and there was no way to retrieve it now.

BONG!

A resonant sound rang out, as if a great bell had been struck. The heavy blow sent Chen Yun staggering backward, his feet gouging long trails in the ground. His forearms were visibly dented, as if he were truly made of metal that had been caved in by a hammer.

When he finally skidded to a halt, Chen Yun’s arms fell limp. He dropped to one knee, spat out a mouthful of blood, and coughed violently. He looked up at Lin Xuan, his gaze a mixture of fear and, above all, rage.

"So you blocked it?"

Lin Xuan retracted the flames and looked at Chen Yun impassively. ’He’s surprisingly tough. No wonder he’s ranked twelfth. He’s got some real skill. To block my strike with his physical body alone and only suffer some internal injuries... It doesn’t look too serious. His Defense Power is astounding, but I guess it’s not that surprising for someone with a Gold Attribute Physique.’

Even though it wasn’t a one-hit kill, Lin Xuan’s performance was enough to leave everyone speechless. His explosive power was just too immense, and his speed was especially staggering. If any of them had been in Chen Yun’s place, they could only have taken the hit head-on. Whether they could have blocked it as Chen Yun had was another question entirely.

"That move just now, was that the Cyan Cloud Step? It looked like he turned into a Phoenix, that’s incredible!"

"’Like a Phoenix’? He was clearly using Phoenix Power! Where did he absorb Phoenix Essence Blood from? What kind of incredible opportunity did he have?"

...

Anyone with a discerning eye could see what was happening; they could sense that Lin Xuan was using Phoenix Power. Qing Piaoyun had sensed it too. The Cyan Cloud Step, enhanced by Phoenix Power, had its speed massively increased! It was an absolute trump card for high-speed assaults.

"He even has Phoenix Power... No wonder, no wonder!" Wan Ning’s expression darkened. He looked at Chen Yun and said in a low voice, "Cripple him. You can’t beat him as you are now."

Chen Yun had taken a heavy blow. Though it didn’t look like much, he had suffered significant internal injuries, making victory highly unlikely. Even if he were unharmed, given the power Lin Xuan had just shown, overwhelming Chen Yun would be a simple matter.

In martial arts, speed is king. That saying was no exaggeration. Lin Xuan’s speed was terrifying, as was his explosive power. What did it matter how strong Chen Yun’s defense was? How long could he possibly withstand such an assault?

In a corner of the crowd, Ling Tian’s eyes glinted. A powerful battle intent ignited within him as he watched Lin Xuan. He hadn’t given Lin Xuan a second thought before, but now, he was paying full attention.

"’Phoenix Power...’" In another corner, Qing Yiyi watched, her arrival having gone unnoticed.

She had come to watch the fight between Lin Xuan and Chen Yun to see how much he had improved. As she expected, he did not disappoint!

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