Soul Emperor Awakening

"You just... practiced and it worked out?" Liu Menghua’s eyes widened. She gave him a strange, slightly miffed look, feeling like Lin Xuan was just brushing her off.

"That was a bit of an exaggeration. I did work hard," Lin Xuan quickly amended.

"To be able to juggle both with the same amount of cultivation... it can only mean your talent is astonishing, Young Master Lin," Liu Menghua said with a sigh. "In that case, please continue to practice hard. You can tell us more after you pass your assessment. Just a reminder, the Pattern Master competition is in one week. If you wish to participate, you’ll need to speed things up."

After a few more parting words, Liu Menghua walked out the door, looking somewhat dejected and leaving a resigned Lin Xuan behind. His performance had undoubtedly been a blow to her, but ’it’s probably not a big deal,’ he thought. ’She should bounce back quickly.’

「A few days later.」

Lin Xuan emerged from the Cultivation Chamber, his face etched with fatigue. After several days of frantic, non-stop practice, his comprehension of patterns had deepened considerably. He had failed numerous times, and his failure rate skyrocketed, especially when he tried to inscribe the final stages of the patterns.

This was to be expected. Even with his inherited memories, success wasn’t one hundred percent guaranteed—not unless he used Soul Possession. He hadn’t resorted to that, relying purely on his own Control Power to accomplish the task.

He had failed many times, but he had also gained a wealth of experience. His face appeared weary, but his eyes were still shining with spirit. Upon leaving the Cultivation Chamber, he headed straight for the Pattern Master Association, the only place one could go to get certified.

After getting directions outside, Lin Xuan set off for the association.

The Pattern Master Association was located in the center of Vast Origin City. It wasn’t far from the Liu Family residence, so he arrived in no time at all.

When he arrived at the Pattern Master Association, Lin Xuan couldn’t help but marvel. He had once thought Qingcheng Mansion was the height of luxury, but the Pattern Master Association was on another level of extravagance. Its opulence didn’t come from being built with Primordial Stones, but from the fact that the entire structure was covered in patterns. The faint light shimmering from these patterns was proof that the building was being constantly infused with Elemental Power.

Empowered by the patterns, the building gathered the surrounding Elemental Power, making the energy here exceptionally dense, yet gentle. Unlike the violent Elemental Power inside the Cyan Cloud Tower, the power here was placid. Cultivating in such an environment would drastically increase one’s speed.

Of course, outsiders weren’t allowed to cultivate here. Otherwise, no matter how dense the energy was, it wouldn’t be enough to go around.

Besides gathering Elemental Power, these patterns also reinforced the building, drastically increasing its durability. It was tantamount to creating a fortress with immense Defense Power.

Beyond that, there were countless other patterns, large and small, creating a truly dazzling sight. One could only imagine the manpower and alchemical potions consumed to create them. The amount of Primordial Stones needed just to keep them active was even more astonishing. After all, maintaining the patterns required a constant supply of Elemental Power.

Where did this Elemental Power come from? It could either be supplied by people or by Primordial Stones. It was obviously impossible to have people constantly channel it, so they had to use Primordial Stones. The amount of Elemental Power required to sustain so many patterns had to be an astronomical figure!

Of course, the builders had already thought of this; otherwise, they wouldn’t have designed the patterns to draw in ambient Elemental Power to supplement the cost.

This was what it meant to be truly rich and powerful. With these patterns alone, the building wouldn’t be damaged even if top-tier experts fought inside. Of course, anyone who actually dared to start a fight here would have a death wish.

A single building constructed to such a degree was a testament to the wealth of Pattern Masters, and it served as a form of indirect advertising.

The moment Lin Xuan stepped through the door, he felt several unsettling gazes sizing him up. He looked up to see a few Guards staring intently at him. Their cultivation was all at the Essence Pill Stage or higher, and they were clearly a cut above ordinary experts of that realm.

They were also Pattern Masters, and their Spiritual Power was terrifyingly strong. Their stares felt so substantial they could almost pierce right through him. Lin Xuan had no doubt that if he made a single suspicious move, he would be torn limb from limb on the spot.

He walked into the main hall, which was sparsely populated. Lin Xuan approached the counter and said directly, "I’m here for the Pattern Master certification."

The receptionist glanced up. Her smile, which had been bright, vanished the moment she saw Lin Xuan, and her expression became stern. She pulled a token from a rack and handed it to him. "The assessment fee is ten Primordial Stones. Take this and go wait in line over there. Someone will call you when it’s time for your assessment."

She pointed, and Lin Xuan saw four or five people sitting there, waiting for their turn. Every single one of them was older than he was.

’The receptionist must think I’m too young,’ Lin Xuan guessed. ’She probably figures the best I can do is become a First Grade Pattern Master.’ A First Grade Pattern Master was effectively an apprentice, an Entry Level position, someone who could act as a gopher for a High Grade Pattern Master.

He didn’t say anything; there was no point in explaining. He just took out the ten Primordial Stones required for the fee. ’This is pretty steep,’ he thought. ’If I didn’t have a small nest egg, I’d be in trouble.’ But it was understandable. The materials required for the assessment were expensive, so the fee was actually on the low side.

Charging this amount of Primordial Stones was mainly to deter troublemakers and people who were just there to gawk. If they wanted to fool around, they were welcome to, as long as they forked over ten Primordial Stones first.

"Look, another young one. I bet he won’t even make it as a First Grade Pattern Master."

"I don’t know about that. The First Grade Pattern Master test is pretty simple. It wouldn’t be surprising if someone his age passed, but that’s probably as far as he’ll get. If he manages it, he can work as an assistant for some High Grade Pattern Masters and make the fee back."

...

The other candidates pointed and whispered amongst themselves, clearly not having much faith in his chances. They all thought he was just there to mess around.

He couldn’t help but feel a little resigned. ’Does being young automatically mean you have no skill?’ Then again, they weren’t entirely wrong.

He couldn’t blame the receptionist or the other candidates. A Pattern Master’s foundation was their Spiritual Power. What kind of Spiritual Power could a boy who was still wet behind the ears possess? Older individuals had generally been through more hardships, so their Spiritual Power was relatively higher. On the whole, training one’s Spiritual Power was far more difficult than regular cultivation; without immense perseverance, it was impossible to continue.

’If I didn’t have the Soul Pearl,’ he mused, ’I couldn’t possibly become a High Grade Pattern Master, though First Grade would still be no problem. Some young people have incredibly strong Spiritual Power but just haven’t learned how to wield it. If they could, it would be like unlocking a hidden treasure trove!’

’My Spiritual Power is definitely astounding. Without powerful Spiritual Power, how could I have endured that Illusion assessment? After all, I lasted for the time it takes five incense sticks to burn, far longer than anyone else there!’

’Can’t even make First Grade Pattern Master, huh? I’m aiming to become a Third Grade Pattern Master...’ Lin Xuan chuckled to himself, ignoring everyone’s stares.

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