Soul Emperor Awakening

’So this is the difference...’ Lin Xuan’s arm was numb. He had slammed down with tens of thousands of pounds of force, yet it was no match for his opponent’s single thrust!

In reality, that seemingly simple thrust had unleashed a power that surpassed his own strength, sending him flying. The Dragon Cloud Rod had nearly been pierced through. One could only imagine the sharpness of that longspear; it was definitely far sharper than his blunt-ended staff.

The spear is the king of a hundred weapons. In terms of power, it was indeed a tier above the longstaff. But whether a weapon was good or not always depended on the user. In the hands of someone who knew how to wield it, it was a true weapon; otherwise, it was just a pile of scrap iron.

Lin Xuan’s Celestial Level Martial Arts had been easily broken, further proving that he was no match for Zhang Qi. The gap between them was a bit too large.

"This Lin Xuan is a bit reckless..." Liu Xuan shook his head with a wry smile. He had high hopes for Lin Xuan, but the boy was being far too reckless.

Even if he wanted to challenge Zhang Qi, he should have just fought his way into the top fifty, collected the corresponding rewards, and cultivated for a while longer. His chances of winning then would have been much greater.

Now, after a single exchange, their respective strengths were clear. A gap was a gap. Anyone who wasn’t blind could see that Lin Xuan had lost by a wide margin.

"How does that feel? In truth, I haven’t even used half of my strength!" Zhang Qi sneered. The power he had just displayed was less than half of his full potential, yet it was enough to shock everyone below the Martial Arts Arena.

Zhang Qi’s Cultivation had improved again, so his power was naturally astonishing.

In reality, he wasn’t as arrogant as he appeared. His claim of not even using half his strength was a lie; he had actually used more than half. He did have the upper hand, that was true. But when he truly clashed with Lin Xuan, he discovered that the boy’s strength was astounding. With a Cultivation at only the Second Layer of the Spirit Refining Stage, Lin Xuan could already match the power Zhang Qi himself possessed when he was at the Third Layer of the Spirit Refining Stage.

If he hadn’t broken through, he really would have been at a disadvantage.

"Actually, I haven’t used half of my strength either," Lin Xuan said calmly, his heart as still as water. Having once lost his sight, he had long since learned to easily quell any agitation, allowing him to achieve a state of perfect tranquility.

’Zhang Qi was lying, but I’m not. The Soul Pearl alone accounts for half my strength, and then there’s the Lin’s Staff Technique. As for the statue, I don’t dare bring it out. If it were discovered, there would be consequences.’

"Is that so? Then it’s my turn to attack. I hope you can last three moves against me..."

Zhang Qi wasted no more words. Gripping his longspear tightly, he charged toward Lin Xuan. He executed a startling Body Technique, transforming into a flash of golden light. It was a beautiful sight, yet it concealed boundless killing intent. The sound of something tearing through the air reached their ears, as if space itself was being ripped apart.

In the blink of an eye, a golden light flashed to Lin Xuan’s side. Seeing Lin Xuan standing there in a daze, Zhang Qi showed no mercy and thrust his longspear forward.

Cloud-Breaking Spike!

It was the same Celestial Level Martial Arts again. The deadly golden light locked firmly onto Lin Xuan, aiming straight for his chest as brilliant golden radiance enveloped him.

"Die!" Zhang Qi snorted coldly.

Just as Lin Xuan was about to be impaled by the longspear, he took a slight step, transforming into a wisp of cyan cloud that dissipated on the spot, causing the fatal blow to strike empty air.

Cyan Cloud Step!

Zhang Qi’s heart trembled. He immediately sensed a terrifying force coming from behind, smashing down viciously toward his back. The vibrating air made his back go numb; it felt as if he were about to be smashed into a pulp.

"Second form, Dragon Cloud Sweep!"

Zhang Qi bit his lip, twisted his body with incredible speed, and swept his longspear behind him. He used so much force that the entire spear bent into an arc like a drawn bow. This astounding tension could also be converted into a tyrannical rebound force!

CLANG!

The two Treasure Artifacts slammed into each other with a deafening noise. The shocking rebound force knocked both of them back several steps. Zhang Qi was pushed back the furthest; he staggered back a few steps before violently planting his longspear into the ground to stop his momentum.

Lin Xuan was also knocked back a few steps but stood his ground firmly, his expression still calm and composed. He was still using the Heaven-Striking Staff Technique, not the Lin’s Staff Technique, mainly for fear of being recognized. Every Inner Hall Disciple was an elite, and none of them lacked a powerful background. They had seen too much, and it would be easy for them to identify it.

That was why he had frantically cultivated the Heaven-Striking Staff Technique. However, it was still slightly inferior to the Lin’s Staff Technique. After all, the Lin’s Staff Technique was also a Celestial Level Martial Arts!

Those disciples didn’t know that the Lin’s Staff Technique was a Celestial Level Martial Arts; they all thought it was a very low-level Martial Technique. Little did they know, they simply hadn’t cultivated it to its essence. When every move was practiced to the extreme, it would possess terrifying explosive power. There were no useless moves!

Qing Piaoyun’s eyes lit up. The Cyan Cloud Step Lin Xuan had just used caught Zhang Qi completely off guard. That was truly a major highlight.

’He’s cultivated the Cyan Cloud Step to the Initial Micro Level! This boy’s talent is simply too astonishing. Does he really only have a Fourth-class Talent?’ Qing Piaoyun was inwardly shaken. Lin Xuan had only been exposed to it for a few months, so reaching the Initial Micro Level in such a short time was shocking. He even suspected that Lin Xuan had known it all along.

But then he remembered that the Cyan Cloud Step could only be found in the Cloud Ascension Tower, so he dismissed the thought.

Body Techniques were graded as Human Level, Earth Level, and Celestial Level. Beyond that, proficiency was divided into four tiers: Shallow Level, Entering Shallow Level, Initial Micro Level, and Micro Level. Lin Xuan had skipped two tiers and gone straight to the Initial Micro Level. How could Qing Piaoyun not be shocked?

Under normal circumstances, it would be difficult to reach this level without several years of Cultivation. And that was assuming one had considerable talent to begin with!

"How does that feel?" Lin Xuan asked with a faint smile.

"I almost forgot you also had the Cyan Cloud Step... It certainly lives up to its reputation. But if you think you can beat me with just this level of skill, you’re still far too naive!"

Zhang Qi snorted, his aura flaring to its absolute peak. Gripping his longspear, he said to Lin Xuan, "I don’t know if you’re lucky or unlucky. I just so happened to master the third form. Let me show you what true despair feels like!"

"Third form, Spear Emerges Like a Dragon!"

Zhang Qi let out a low roar and charged forward like a golden dragon. An immense golden light emanated from his body, forming a long, galloping Golden Dragon with him at its center. His speed increased several times over!

This one move could replace any other Body Technique, drastically increasing his speed and, even more so, the power of his attack!

The moment this terrifying move was unleashed, Lin Xuan immediately felt himself locked in place. No matter where he tried to dodge, he would be targeted, making him feel as if there was nowhere to hide.

In the blink of an eye, Zhang Qi had rocketed to just a short distance from Lin Xuan, bringing with him an intense sense of crisis. ’If I can’t dodge this, I’ll definitely have a huge hole in my body!’ The power was simply too astonishing. How could a full-strength attack from Zhang Qi be so easy to evade?

If he were to use the Cyan Cloud Step as he had before, he definitely wouldn’t be able to dodge it. The speed was simply too fast, unbelievably so.

The crowd below the Martial Arts Arena was stunned. In the distance, even Ling Tian opened his eyes and looked over, a testament to the move’s absolutely shocking power.

Could Lin Xuan still dodge it? The answer was no. He absolutely could not.

"It’s over..." Ling Tian closed his eyes, unwilling to watch the outcome of this match.

Qing Piaoyun was already prepared to intervene and save him. His palms were slick with sweat. He did not want Lin Xuan to die; he had to protect him!

"Despair? I’ve experienced that a long time ago!"

Lin Xuan snorted coldly. A golden light flickered in his eyes as the Soul Pearl within him began to spin madly. Qing Liuyun’s soul instantly fused with his body, merging with him in perfect harmony.

In that instant, his aura changed completely. Qing Piaoyun, who was watching Lin Xuan intently, suddenly felt a familiar sensation welling up from deep within him.

"Cyan Cloud Step!"

Lin Xuan took a slight step, the movement small. But it was just enough to evade the attack. Zhang Qi’s terrifying strike brushed past him. The fatal lock vanished in an instant, giving Zhang Qi the illusion that Lin Xuan had disappeared! It felt as if Lin Xuan was no longer on the Martial Arts Arena, but had run somewhere outside of it.

"Mi-Micro Level Cyan Cloud Step!" Qing Piaoyun stared at the Body Technique and cried out in shock, "Gr-Grand Elder?"

That familiar feeling, that astonishing Body Technique... the entire audience was stunned! Zhang Qi’s earth-shattering attack had been dodged so easily. Was Lin Xuan even human?

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