Soul Emperor Awakening

The conflict between Lin Xuan and Sun Zhe was the biggest highlight of the Pattern Master competition. Everyone wanted to see what level Lin Xuan could reach this time. They were eager to know if he could back up his earlier claims and prove he had considerable skill with enhancement patterns as well.

The weapons and the required Spirit Wood Liquid were once again placed on their desks. The higher the grade of the pattern they attempted to draw, the greater the value of the materials provided.

To be honest, the pattern Lin Xuan had drawn before was the least valuable. No matter how stable it was, it wasn’t worth much. But Luo Xiao wasn’t the least bit displeased. While this was a source of income, it didn’t mean the Pattern Master Association relied on it for survival.

"This round tests enhancement strength. There is no limit to the number of failures, but there is a time limit. You must finish drawing within one Hour. Anyone who fails to complete their pattern will receive a score of zero!" Luo Xiao announced.

The first round didn’t have a time limit, mainly because the difficulty wasn’t high. This time was different. The difficulty had skyrocketed, making failure highly likely. If a contestant kept failing and couldn’t finish, what would be the point of competing at all?

The competition officially began. All the contestants reached out, dipped their fingers into the Spirit Wood Liquid, and began to draw their patterns.

"Quick, look! The young lady from the Liu Family... why does the light from her hand look so strange?"

"Yeah, it does look a little peculiar. It’s not like the others at all!"

"Look! It’s not just the Liu Family’s daughter. The young master of the Shang Family is drawing a different pattern too. Could they be drawing some kind of special patterns?"

...

Liu Menghua and Shang Zhihao were both showing their true strength. They had no intention of letting Lin Xuan hog the spotlight forever. They weren’t just representing their families; they were representing themselves. They certainly weren’t going to lose confidence just because Lin Xuan and Sun Zhe were outstanding.

A strange light flashed from their hands as they drew peculiar patterns. They were similar to the standard ones, yet also different, giving them a unique appearance.

’Those must be modified patterns. To be able to modify a pattern on your own... if they succeed, their talent is extraordinary!’ Luo Xiao’s eyes lit up. With his discerning gaze as a master, he could immediately tell that the patterns they were drawing had been slightly modified.

A good modification would be better suited to the individual, increasing the success rate and even enhancing the effect! Usually, only those with astonishing talent could make such modifications, as it required grasping the very essence of the pattern.

Patterns weren’t just born from thin air; they were created by past masters. Therefore, only someone with powerful comprehension could modify them.

’Modified patterns, huh...’ Lin Xuan was quite satisfied with their performance. ’People need to have that kind of competitive drive.’

However, he didn’t start drawing. Instead, he gathered the Spirit Wood Liquid, preparing to begin. His movements were clearly much slower than everyone else’s.

Since he had been so eye-catching in the first round, most people were watching him. His prolonged inaction made them very curious. ’Has he run out of steam already?’

Not only had he not started, but he was cupping the Spirit Wood Liquid in his hand. He enveloped it with his Elemental Power, preventing it from leaking out, but no one had any idea what he was doing. It looked utterly bizarre.

This went on for a long time. While others were already more than halfway finished, he was still just cupping the Spirit Wood Liquid, not making a move. It was as if he hadn’t decided which pattern to draw, or was perhaps even daydreaming.

Time ticked by, and half an Hour passed in the blink of an eye. A triumphant voice suddenly rang out.

"I’m finished!"

The first to shout this time was not Lin Xuan, but Sun Zhe. Wiping the sweat from his brow, he applied the finished pattern to his Weapon. A faint blue glow flared to life, proving he had completed his task.

When he looked over, he saw that Lin Xuan still hadn’t finished. He was still cupping the Spirit Wood Liquid in his hand, his eyes closed, completely motionless.

"I’m finished." Liu Menghua was the second to complete her pattern, and she too applied it to her Weapon, where it fused completely.

Immediately after, Shang Zhihao followed suit, applying his pattern to his Weapon and completing the final step.

"I’m finished." Shang Zhihao wiped away his sweat, a satisfied smile spreading across his face. He was very pleased with his results, as he hadn’t run into any major problems.

Several people had now succeeded, though a few had also failed. Yet Lin Xuan, who had been so astonishingly fast at the start, showed no signs of activity. That was what truly puzzled everyone.

"Why hasn’t he made a move? Is he recovering his Spiritual Power?"

"It’s possible. He used it up too quickly before. If his foundation is weak, this is exactly what would happen."

"Then he’ll probably wait until the last second to make his move. But that’s just pathetic. He’ll be no match for Sun Zhe at all!"

...

A buzz of discussion rose from the crowd. Puzzled by Lin Xuan’s actions, they were beginning to grow dissatisfied with him again. They couldn’t imagine any advantage to what he was doing.

The only possible explanation was that he was recovering his Spiritual Power. Everyone’s Spiritual Power had its limits, and once depleted, it took a long time to restore.

"He’s so pathetically slow," Sun Zhe sneered. "What’s the point of any of this?"

"Brother Sun, I’m guessing you got a perfect score, right?" Fang Qingyu asked with a sly grin when he saw Sun Zhe’s pattern. Just looking at Sun Zhe’s expression told him what kind of pattern he had drawn.

"Was there ever any doubt?" Sun Zhe grunted, paying the flattery no mind.

Liu Menghua and Shang Zhihao exchanged a look, neither knowing what Lin Xuan was doing. ’Is he really just recovering his Spiritual Power, like everyone is saying?’

Checking the Pattern Grades didn’t require a High Grade Pattern Master; any Pattern Master could determine the Grade. Thus, a large group of Stewards walked down to the floor to begin the inspections.

"Contestant Number Seven, Sun Zhe: Third Grade Pattern, Water Attribute Pattern, double enhancement. Perfect score."

"Contestant Number Eleven, Liu Menghua: Second Grade Pattern, Defense Pattern, triple enhancement. Perfect score."

"Contestant Number Twenty-Three, Shang Zhihao: Second Grade Pattern, Light Feather Pattern, triple enhancement. Perfect score!"

Three perfect scores in a row. This, however, made Sun Zhe’s expression turn ugly. He hadn’t expected those two to get perfect scores as well. While their achievements were considered to be of similar difficulty, in terms of future prospects, a Third Grade Pattern was obviously more valuable.

But now, they were all being judged on the same level, which naturally displeased him. It made his own perfect score seem far less impressive.

The people in the crowd began whispering amongst themselves. The contestants from the Liu Family and Shang Family were truly skilled, earning perfect scores through their own abilities and forcing everyone to see them in a new light. It turned out that Sun Zhe wasn’t the only one with talent; Liu Menghua and Shang Zhihao were just as gifted.

"Very good. These patterns have been modified to greatly reduce the difficulty of the enhancement. Your talent is quite impressive," Luo Xiao said, giving them high praise after his inspection.

"Thank you for the praise, Master Luo," Shang Zhihao said humbly. "But I’m aware of my own limits. Since my talent is still lacking, I could only tackle a low-Grade pattern. Getting a perfect score feels a bit like I just exploited a loophole."

In terms of modification difficulty, low-Grade patterns were certainly a bit easier to alter. That’s why both of them had targeted Second Grade patterns, where the difficulty wasn’t as great and modifications were more manageable.

"There’s no such thing as exploiting a loophole," Luo Xiao said with a smile. "In terms of difficulty, the achievements are comparable. You are fully deserving of this perfect score!"

"Clan Leader Liu, your daughter’s talent is quite remarkable!" Lin Feng praised from the side. "To be able to modify a Second Grade Pattern at such a young age, her future is limitless! In my opinion, she’s a shoo-in for Fifth Grade Pattern Master, and she might even reach for the rank of Sixth Grade Pattern Master!"

"Clan Leader Lin, you flatter me," Liu Qing replied, though he couldn’t hide the joy in his heart. "Your own esteemed daughter is apprenticed to the Third Elder of Qingcheng Mansion. Her future as an Elder of Qingcheng Mansion is practically set in stone. Compared to that, what is my own daughter’s minor achievement?"

As the two exchanged flatteries, Fang Feng’s face was ashen. His own son was a complete disappointment and still hadn’t finished his pattern. How could he possibly look pleased?

Just as the crowd was sighing in admiration over the results, Lin Xuan suddenly moved. When he opened his hand, the Spirit Wood Liquid within, once colorless, now shone with a brilliant golden light!

Seeing this, Liu Menghua cried out in shock, "That—that’s the Gathering Spirit Technique!!"

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