Soul Emperor Awakening

Lin Xuan raised his Dragon Cloud Rod and pointed it at Zhang Qi, an undeniable act of immense provocation. The target of this challenge was none other than Zhang Qi, who was ranked twenty-second in the entire Inner Hall.

Lin Xuan was currently ranked ninetieth, a sixty-eight-place difference. This gap was enormous. If he succeeded, he would complete his mission of breaking into the top fifty three months ahead of schedule. Such speed was absolutely astounding.

However, the gap between them seemed a bit too large. Zhang Qi’s Cultivation was no longer at the Third Layer of the Spirit Refining Stage, but the Fourth Layer! While Lin Xuan was making breakthroughs, other geniuses like Zhang Qi were also advancing rapidly. Zhang Qi’s talent was considerable, and he had reached the Fourth Layer of the Spirit Refining Stage long ago.

There was a two-layer difference between them. Even a single layer was not just a number, but a terrifying chasm. The fact that Zhang Qi could hold the twenty-second rank was proof of the immense strength required to secure that position.

After all, among the top twenty-two, there were several disciples at the Fourth and Fifth Layers of the Spirit Refining Stage, yet he sat firmly at his rank. He was even preparing to aim for a higher position. Lin Xuan’s decision to challenge Zhang Qi was a classic case of a newborn calf having no fear of a tiger!

"This Lin Yunlong is too arrogant, isn’t he? He just beat Zhao Hua and now he’s challenging Zhang Qi. Does he have a death wish?"

"I heard that when this Lin Yunlong first arrived, Zhang Qi gave him a hard time. Is he trying to get even now?"

"Even if he wants to get even, he should take a look at his own strength first! He didn’t even bother to ask around about how strong Zhang Qi is!"

...

The buzz from the crowd grew, and all of it was negative. No one favored Lin Xuan; they all thought he was far too arrogant.

Lin Xuan paid them no mind. He knew all about Zhang Qi, and he was confident in his ability to fight opponents of a higher level. He knew Zhang Qi’s family background was extremely wealthy, and more importantly, that he also possessed a Celestial Level Martial Art!

It might seem like Celestial Level Martial Arts were a dime a dozen, but in reality, fewer than ten people in the entire Inner Hall had mastered one, and Zhang Qi was among them. Furthermore, Celestial Level Martial Arts varied in quality, and their wielders had different depths of comprehension. Zhao Hua, for instance, belonged to the category of those with a shallower understanding.

Zhang Qi’s comprehension, however, was on another level. Thanks to his incredible family background, he had been cultivating his Celestial Level Martial Art since he was a child, and its power was absolutely terrifying. Otherwise, he never could have held the twenty-second rank so securely. If not for his low Cultivation, he would have broken into the top ten long ago!

To put it bluntly, Zhang Qi was absolutely capable of vying for a spot in the top ten within the next year!

Lin Xuan was essentially challenging a future top-ten Inner Hall Disciple. How could he not face criticism? In an instant, everyone was betting on Zhang Qi, not Lin Xuan. Had Lin Xuan challenged someone within the top fifty, or even the top forty, they wouldn’t have been so shocked. But he just had to pick a seeded disciple—they couldn’t even imagine what kind of humiliating defeat awaited him!

"Are you sure you want to challenge me? You’ve got some nerve. Coming back all full of confidence after messing around outside for two months, huh?" Zhang Qi said as he slowly walked onto the Martial Arts Arena, a vicious glint in his eyes. With every step he took, his aura intensified, placing immense pressure on the surrounding crowd.

He had never imagined Lin Xuan would challenge him. The boy had just returned from training elsewhere and was already baring his fangs. It was truly arrogant.

"I’ve said it, so I won’t take it back. You are my second challenge!" Lin Xuan did not back down. This had been his plan all along—to challenge two people upon his return.

The first was Zhao Hua, and the second was Zhang Qi. There was no complicated reason for challenging Zhang Qi. He had provoked Lin Xuan, tried to suppress him, and taunted him. That was reason enough.

"Is that so? You think you’re invincible just because you’ve mastered a Celestial Level Martial Art? Well, I have one too!" Zhang Qi sneered, already on the arena platform. At this point, even if Lin Xuan were to retract his challenge and pick someone else, Zhang Qi would not allow it.

It was true that disciples could challenge anyone they wished, but being challenged was, in itself, a provocation. This couldn’t be smoothed over with a simple apology; it was now a matter of honor.

"Perfect!" Lin Xuan’s eyes blazed with fighting spirit. ’An opponent who’s too weak is no fun at all.’

The situation had already spiraled out of control. Qing Piaoyun looked helpless; there was nothing he could say. As long as no rules were broken, he couldn’t interfere with the disciples’ choices. This was especially true for a challenge like this, which was a direct affront to a person’s dignity and could not be resolved with a few simple words.

"Get ready. Killing is forbidden. Anyone who violates this rule will be expelled from Qingcheng Mansion!" Qing Piaoyun announced gravely.

He’d said those words countless times, but there were too many loopholes. The excuse "blades and spears have no eyes" was an easy out. When a Martial Technique was unleashed at full power, even the user couldn’t always control it. Sometimes, even the intention to hold back was useless.

"Don’t worry, I won’t kill him..." Zhang Qi gave a cold smirk. He was infamous for his ruthless methods. True, he wouldn’t kill his opponents, but they usually ended up crippled—a fate worse than death.

He retrieved a long spear from his Identity Token. Its shaft was forged from a flexible yet durable golden metal, and its tip was made from the rare Star Steel. It was, without a doubt, a top-grade Treasure Artifact!

The moment the spear appeared, its sharp tip pierced the air and stabbed into the ground. The hard stone floor seemed as fragile as paper.

"You use a staff, I use a spear. Let’s see which is more powerful, shall we?" Zhang Qi’s weapon was a spear, and a top-grade one at that.

Combined with the indomitable power of his Gold Attribute, Zhang Qi’s offensive strength was incredibly domineering!

"We’ll find out when we fight," Lin Xuan replied, his expression calm. Inwardly, however, he tensed. In terms of both aura and Cultivation, Zhang Qi surpassed him by a significant margin. Even the Grade of his spear was higher than Lin Xuan’s Weapon!

But he wasn’t afraid. With the Soul Pearl in his possession, he still held a considerable advantage. This was the source of his confidence.

"I’ll let you have the first move. Go ahead, use that strongest technique you just showed. It had some flair, I’ll admit, but against me, it’s utterly worthless!" Zhang Qi declared arrogantly.

The moment he finished speaking, Lin Xuan charged forward with his Dragon Cloud Rod, showing no courtesy whatsoever. He wasn’t about to be polite. ’Since my opponent’s a moron, why should I hold back?’

In an instant, he entered the state of Unity of Heaven and Man, his Dragon Cloud Rod seeming to merge with the very fabric of the world around him. Gripping the rod with both hands, he launched himself off the ground and brought it crashing down on Zhang Qi, causing the very space around the blow to warp.

"Heaven-Striking Staff Technique, First Form, Broken Mountains and Rivers!"

A force of tens of thousands of pounds slammed down. After his breakthrough to the Second Layer of the Spirit Refining Stage, the power he could unleash easily surpassed that.

The warped space carried enough Energy to shred everything in the area as it came crashing down. This was a strike delivered with nearly all his strength; he held nothing back.

"Spear Dragon Technique, Cloud-Breaking Spike!"

Zhang Qi’s expression turned grave. With a twist of his spear, he thrust it upward to meet the attack. A golden light erupted from his body, and in an instant, he merged with the golden spear, achieving the state of Human and Martial Unity!

Weapon and wielder became one, indivisible.

ROAR!

A dragon’s cry roared from the tip of the spear. The golden light coalesced into a Giant Dragon that surged upward, filled with enough power to destroy everything in its path.

BOOM!

The two attacks collided in a frenzy, erupting in a violent explosion. Shockwaves rolled out, slamming hard against the protective Restriction around the arena and causing it to vibrate wildly. The force of this single exchange had already surpassed the clash between Lin Xuan and Zhao Hua!

"Hmph..."

Lin Xuan let out a grunt. The powerful impact sent him flying backward. He spun several times in the air before landing, but the force of the momentum was so great that he was driven back more than ten steps before he could steady himself.

He appeared unscathed on the outside, but the Elemental Power within him had been thrown into disarray by the impact. He hastily circulated his Elemental Power to pacify it, narrowly avoiding internal injury.

Zhang Qi, in contrast, was completely unharmed. After his spear strike, he had only taken one or two steps back before coming to a halt, a cold sneer plastered on his face.

The difference between them was clear in an instant!

Lin Xuan’s all-out attack had barely any effect; in fact, he was the one who came off worse. Zhang Qi’s true Cultivation was on full display, and its power was terrifying!

"That’s the difference between us!" Zhang Qi sneered.

Despite the taunt, Lin Xuan remained inwardly calm. ’That was only the first form of the Heaven-Striking Staff Technique, and I haven’t even mastered it yet. What I’m truly skilled in is the Lin’s Staff Technique! Besides, I have plenty of other Martial Techniques I haven’t used. I still have many cards left to play.’

’Defeat? The thought had never even crossed my mind!’

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