Soul Emperor Awakening

The change in Lin Xuan’s aura was palpable to many of the experts present, particularly those at the Spirit Pill Stage Level. Their potent Spiritual Power made them keenly sensitive to this subtle fluctuation; it was as if he had become an entirely different person.

"What is this...?" Liu Qing’s brow furrowed. He could feel Lin Xuan fusing with his surroundings; it was as if he were wielding an entire Realm with every wave of his hand.

Sun Zhe and the others, however, were too engrossed in inscribing their own patterns to notice Lin Xuan’s transformation. In truth, the change was minuscule—a fusion into a kind of Realm—so it was perfectly normal for most not to sense it. But this tiny shift was enough to send shockwaves through the hearts of every Spirit Pill Stage expert present.

This Realm alone was enough to put him head and shoulders above all the other contestants.

No one else realized that these powerful figures were all fixated on Lin Xuan’s performance. They were all eager to see what he would do, and the attention he garnered completely eclipsed that on Sun Zhe, who was currently inscribing a Fourth Grade Pattern.

But some people, like Fang Qingyu, remained clueless. "A Fourth Grade Pattern! Let’s see who can possibly catch up now!" he laughed boisterously. "The Fang Family is sure to be the final winner of this Pattern Master competition! What’s he doing with his eyes closed? Trying to recover enough Spiritual Power to inscribe a Fourth Grade Pattern?"

He was immensely pleased to have successfully invited Sun Zhe to help; the price he’d paid had been well worth it. As long as he could defeat Lin Xuan, he would consider any cost justified. The hatred from their previous encounter had yet to fade; he still despised Lin Xuan to the core.

Fang Qingyu seized every opportunity to mock Lin Xuan, but his taunts were meaningless. To Lin Xuan, it was all just the empty yapping of a dog.

Lin Xuan let out a long breath, his entire body sinking into a state of profound relaxation. With the Soul Possession of a Sixth Grade Pattern Master active, his mind felt unbelievably clear. A single glance to the side was all he needed to predict the exact pattern Sun Zhe would inscribe next.

It wasn’t just Sun Zhe. Without even trying to observe, he could "see" his entire surroundings. His perception encompassed the whole area, leaving not a single detail unnoticed.

This was a massive leap in Control Power—a level of Control Power that completely overwhelmed everyone else present. Added to that was a Realm, a spiritual Realm! An unseen wave of Spiritual Power radiated outward from him, forming its own independent field.

’So this is the powerful Control Power and Realm of a Sixth Grade Pattern Master... It’s truly incredible...’ He was completely immersed in the sensation. Though it wasn’t his first time using Soul Possession, the feeling was still exquisite—the sense of having everything under control, of looking down upon all others.

After reveling in the feeling for a moment, he reached for the Spirit Wood Liquid and gently poured a small amount into his hand. A single drop flowed into his palm. Unlike the others, who blindly and wastefully poured out large quantities, he used only a tiny bit.

The moment the drops of Spirit Wood Liquid landed in his palm, the colorless fluid instantly became suffused with golden light, infused with his immense Spiritual Power. In reality, he hadn’t consumed much Spiritual Power at all; rather, he had utilized a minimal amount to achieve the maximum effect.

What he needed to do now was control his Spiritual Power and maximize its effect. If he were wasteful, crafting a Fourth Grade Pattern would be impossible. His consumption earlier had been staggering, but taking the lead required paying a price.

Especially now, with Soul Possession active, the drain was twofold: a simultaneous consumption of both his Spiritual Power and his Elemental Power.

When this scene unfolded before the crowd, their eyes went wide. Previously, Lin Xuan had to exert a great deal of effort to achieve this effect. Now, he had done it in the blink of an eye. His formidable Control Power hadn’t just improved by a small margin!

"Such formidable Control Power! I feel that even I, a Fifth Grade Pattern Master, could hardly compare!" Luo Xiao’s eyes widened in disbelief. "Could it be that he was hiding his strength before, and only now is he showing his true power?"

"So that wasn’t his full strength earlier?" Liu Qing was inwardly aghast and couldn’t help but mutter, "To be able to utilize the Gathering Spirit Technique like this... did he really only learn it a short while ago?"

Fang Qingyu, who had been on the verge of taunting Lin Xuan again, was stunned silent by this display.

Lin Xuan had long since blocked out the surrounding discussions; not a single sound reached his ears. He touched the Spirit Wood Liquid, saturated with his Spiritual Power, to the Spirit Wood Paper. With a gentle tap, the pattern was steadily seared onto its surface, accompanied by a faint fluctuation of Spatial Energy!

"Fourth Grade... A Fourth Grade Pattern!" Luo Xiao was stunned by Lin Xuan’s actions. He never imagined that Lin Xuan would also attempt to inscribe a Fourth Grade Pattern.

The audience members were just as shocked. Inscribing such a pattern would have been slightly easier for someone with a Spatial Attribute constitution, yet Lin Xuan was attempting the Spatial Pattern anyway.

Among Fourth Grade Patterns, the Spatial Pattern was one of the more difficult ones. He could have easily chosen to inscribe a different type of Fourth Grade Pattern. After all, there were many varieties, not just one. But he insisted on following suit and choosing the Spatial Pattern.

He was directly challenging Sun Zhe, aiming to defeat his opponent using the very ability he was most proud of. In a way, it was a form of respect, but it was also the ultimate insult. He would completely crush his opponent and make him pay the price for his arrogance!

After making the first mark, his hand moved as if divinely guided. He swiftly traced an arc and began inscribing with incredible speed, far surpassing Sun Zhe. In just a short while, he had already overtaken Sun Zhe, who had only been about halfway done.

In fact, his inscription was even more perfect, more fluid—a true display of Flowing Clouds and Water. He was using the bare minimum of Spirit Wood Liquid and Spiritual Power to create a flawless Fourth Grade Pattern! This was a Master Level technique, with absolutely no waste and everything under perfect control.

FWOOM!

Suddenly, the Spirit Wood Paper burned to ash. The crowd’s eyes widened. ’Could it be a Fourth Grade Pattern with a threefold amplification?’ Of course, that wasn’t quite right. When a pattern of the Fourth Grade or higher was completed, it would become an independent entity, leaving behind only the purest form of the pattern itself.

But regardless of the specifics, the point was that Lin Xuan had already finished!

Sure enough, as the ashes from the Spirit Wood Paper drifted away, what remained was the pattern in its purest form. Its surface shimmered with a faint blue light, and the subtle fluctuations of Spatial Energy radiating from it meant it could be imprinted on any object, turning it into an independent Storage Space.

In fact, every storage item they used relied on this very principle. However, the size of the internal space varied depending on the object’s material and the pattern’s quality.

Fast. Incredibly fast! He had completed a Fourth Grade Pattern in the time it takes a single stick of incense to burn. Such astonishing speed was staggering. Meanwhile, Sun Zhe was only halfway done!

"It’s done," Lin Xuan announced, deactivating the Soul Possession. "A Fourth Grade Spatial Pattern, with no amplification." A wave of emptiness immediately washed over him. His Spiritual Power was utterly depleted, and he had consumed a great deal of his Elemental Power as well.

If he hadn’t been forcing himself to hold on, he never would have been able to complete the pattern. He had pushed himself far beyond his limits.

As he spoke, a deathly silence fell over the entire arena.

A tremor ran through Sun Zhe. The pattern in his hands dissolved into a pile of drifting ash. He hadn’t succeeded—he had failed. What remained was not a pure pattern, but a pile of actual ash!

"No... impossible..." Sun Zhe’s face went pale. The inner turmoil had caused his failure. The moment he heard Lin Xuan’s announcement, his focus had shattered, causing his Spiritual Power to dissipate and his inscription to fail.

His immense pride completely crumbled. He had single-handedly destroyed the glory of the Divine Rune Sect.

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