Soul Emperor Awakening

"Brat, what do you think you’re saying!?" Huang Qianyun was extremely displeased with Lin Xuan’s remarks. ’If they weren’t surrounded by others, I really would’ve just slapped him down.’

"I don’t mean anything by it. I just want to take the assessment; I have things to do tomorrow," Lin Xuan said.

"With your level of skill, you think you can pass!?" Huang Qianyun’s temper flared. He sized Lin Xuan up and down, then snorted coldly. "Crawl back to whatever hole you came from!"

He didn’t believe for a second that Lin Xuan was a disciple from any great family. His clothes weren’t luxurious, but rather plain and ordinary. Furthermore, his aura seemed very weak, which led Huang Qianyun to assume his Cultivation was low. And if his Cultivation was low, his Spiritual Power couldn’t be high either.

Shang Zhihao looked at Lin Xuan in surprise. Everyone knew Huang Qianyun’s temperament. ’For Lin Xuan to dare confront him like this, he’s either a fool or his background is truly astounding.’

"You haven’t even started, yet you assume someone can’t pass. Are you the examiner or something?" Lin Xuan said with dissatisfaction. "Speaking of which, I’m also quite interested in your little contest. How about you let me join?"

Huang Qianyun roared, "And just who do you think you are? What gives you the right to compete with us?"

"I’m from the Liu Family. Does that give me the right?" Lin Xuan’s voice was low, his dissatisfaction with Huang Qianyun’s attitude growing. ’Are all the members of the Huang Family this obnoxious?’

"From the Liu Family?" Shang Zhihao’s eyes lit up. The Shang Family had a fairly good relationship with the Liu Family, so if Lin Xuan joined, it would be like gaining a teammate.

"The Liu Family?" Huang Qianyun sneered. "No wonder you’re so arrogant. So you’re planning to team up against me! Fine, I’ll give you this chance. If you lose, both of you will have to call me ’Grandpa,’ and from now on, you’ll make a point to avoid me whenever you see me!"

"No problem," Lin Xuan returned with a cold laugh. ’We’ll see who’s winning and who’s losing soon enough.’

"Enough!" Luo Xiao’s voice was stern. "What is all this racket? This is an assessment hall. If you don’t want to be tested, then get out!"

Luo Xiao had already shown them considerable restraint by only now stepping in. Who would have thought they’d only get more aggressive, acting as if they owned the assessment room.

The anger on Huang Qianyun’s face quickly subsided, and he said apologetically, "My sincere apologies. We shouldn’t have been arguing here. Let’s begin the assessment now."

He had just remembered Luo Xiao was standing right there. Luo Xiao had seen his outburst, which infuriated him, and he shot a vicious glare at Lin Xuan.

The others watched on, eager to see a good show. The Liu Family and the Shang Family joining forces to deal with the Huang Family—this was big news.

Luo Xiao instructed someone to distribute paper and a small amount of Spirit Wood Liquid, then announced in a grave tone, "The assessment for First Grade Pattern Master begins now. The Spirit Wood Liquid at hand is only enough for two attempts. Failing both will be considered a failure of the assessment."

The Pattern Master assessment always started from the First Grade. Since none of them had yet become Pattern Masters, it was only natural to begin with a First Grade Pattern. Giving two chances was quite humane; at least it allowed for one failure.

The moment he finished speaking, Shang Zhihao and Huang Qianyun swiftly poured the Spirit Wood Liquid into their hands and began releasing their Spiritual Power to carve the pattern. Their fingers glowed faintly as they inscribed a First Grade pattern onto the paper.

The specific pattern was up to them. They could choose the most difficult or the simplest, as long as it was a First Grade pattern; the effect was irrelevant.

Although they had two chances, for them, failing even once would be a humiliating affair. Moreover, they were competing for the best result, so they had to be precise in both their speed and success rate.

"Master Luo, I have finished," Lin Xuan’s voice rang out from the back.

His voice was like a thunderclap on a clear day, ringing in everyone’s ears. The pattern in Huang Qianyun’s hand instantly collapsed, and the entire sheet of paper went up in a WHOOSH of flame, turning to white smoke. Shang Zhihao was slightly better off; he was startled, but the pattern in his hand didn’t break. In comparison, he was far more composed, his mind remaining remarkably steady.

Everyone stared at Lin Xuan, dumbfounded. A finished pattern was inscribed on the paper; a failure would have dissolved into smoke. Although they couldn’t see what kind of pattern it was, it was an undeniable success! The lowest possible Grade for a pattern was First Grade, so he had undoubtedly succeeded. He wasn’t fooling anyone.

Thinking back, none of them had paid any attention to Lin Xuan; all eyes had been on Shang Zhihao and Huang Qianyun. Lin Xuan had no background and was too young—he was just cannon fodder. ’Who would pay attention to him?’ He claimed to be from the Liu Family, but they had never heard of him. Who knew what his true strength was?

But who would have known that his first move would shock the entire room! He had completed a First Grade Pattern at an incredible speed.

"H-how is this possible?" Huang Qianyun whipped his head around to look, his eyes filled with shock. ’We only just started, how did Lin Xuan succeed already?’ He quickly came to his senses and poured more Spirit Wood Liquid into his hand. He saw that Shang Zhihao was almost done and knew he couldn’t afford to stand there gawking.

Just then, Luo Xiao spoke with satisfaction, "A speed-enhancing First Grade Pattern. Both the speed of execution and the precision of the strokes were mastered to perfection."

While the others hadn’t seen what Lin Xuan did, Luo Xiao had been watching intently. He had observed the actions of all three. An assessment was a meticulous affair that allowed no carelessness. Under the watch of his powerful Spiritual Power, their every move was clear to him.

Huang Qianyun had disappointed him slightly. To be flustered by such a small matter proved that Huang Qianyun’s temperament wasn’t stable enough—a major taboo for a Pattern Master.

Being a Pattern Master is a form of Divine Cultivation, essentially Cultivating Spirit, which allows for no fluctuations. It is of immense help to one’s own future Cultivation, which is why most powerful experts choose to also become a Pattern Master. The benefits are simply too numerous.

Luo Xiao’s word was authoritative, causing everyone to draw in a sharp breath. ’He really did finish it in such a short amount of time.’

"I’m finished as well," Shang Zhihao announced shortly after, his expression calm. In truth, he was utterly shocked inside. He hadn’t expected Lin Xuan to finish so quickly. Originally, he hadn’t thought much of Lin Xuan either, only treating him as an ally for the Liu Family’s sake.

Who knew that Lin Xuan’s performance would exceed his expectations? This speed was faster than both of theirs. ’Could it be his talent far surpasses ours? Since when did the Liu Family have a genius of such a high caliber?’

’To be able to complete a First Grade pattern faster than both of us... there’s only one possibility: Lin Xuan’s skill level is higher than ours!’ He only knew of a Liu Menghua, but the person before him was not Liu Menghua. This was a young man, even younger than they were.

"I’m finished, too," Huang Qianyun said, gritting his teeth. He never would have imagined that Lin Xuan would be so fast, even causing him to fail and lose face completely.

"You failed once. Very impressive," Shang Zhihao sneered from the side. He really had Lin Xuan to thank for making Huang Qianyun look like a fool.

Rage flared in Huang Qianyun’s heart. He didn’t curse out loud, knowing it would only worsen Luo Xiao’s impression of him. He could only let out a cold snort to express his inner fury.

Lin Xuan gave Huang Qianyun an indifferent glance. This outcome didn’t surprise him, nor did it make him particularly happy. It was only to be expected. ’With the soul and memories of a Sixth Grade Pattern Master, if I still managed to fail this, I’d have no face to be here at all.’

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