Soul Emperor Awakening

"No, impossible..." Sun Zhe stared at Lin Xuan in shock. He never would have imagined that Lin Xuan would finish a Fourth Grade Pattern faster than him, and a Spatial Pattern at that.

Not only was Lin Xuan faster, but his pattern was also more perfect than his own. The Spatial Constitution he was so proud of had given him no advantage whatsoever. Instead, he had been utterly crushed by Lin Xuan.

Just then, Luo Xiao strode over to Lin Xuan. After inspecting the pattern, he exclaimed in astonishment, "He really did it! A Fourth Grade Spatial Pattern, and it’s perfectly executed!" There was something else he left unsaid: even if he had been the one to create it, his speed would have been about the same.

This was enough to show that Lin Xuan’s Control Power had already reached the Level of a Fifth Grade Pattern Master! A fact like that would be shocking to anyone. How old was he? To already possess Control Power rivaling a Fifth Grade Pattern Master... and seeing how effortlessly he did it, becoming a full-fledged Fourth Grade Pattern Master was no problem for him at all!

After his success, most of the crowd was stunned into silence. Fang Qingyu was so flabbergasted he couldn’t even speak, simply staring blankly at Lin Xuan.

"You really did complete a Fourth Grade Pattern. It seems you weren’t using your full strength during the last assessment!" Luo Xiao said, narrowing his eyes at Lin Xuan. "This time, you’ve earned your title as an Honored Guest, no question. But holding back like that... that was a bit devious of you."

"Vice President, I actually wasn’t very confident before. I can’t say I was intentionally holding back." Lin Xuan wasn’t lying. Soul Possession was part of his power, but it wasn’t his own innate strength.

After all, the cost was staggering. It was best not to use it unless absolutely necessary. The burst of power was terrifying, but he wouldn’t use it unless it was a critical moment. If he exhausted himself and couldn’t even squeeze out a drop of Elemental Power at the end, that would be the greatest failure.

"But the technique you just displayed didn’t look like something from someone who just started their Cultivation. In fact, it puts even me, the Vice President, to shame!" Luo Xiao sighed with genuine admiration. Looking at him, he added, "You must have a powerful master, don’t you?"

"I do!" Lin Xuan lied through his teeth.

Since they already thought so, he was more than happy to give that answer. It would help them understand why his skill was so high, and it was a better explanation than any other excuse he could come up with.

As expected, realization dawned on Luo Xiao. "Then is your master at the Level of a Fifth Grade Pattern Master? No, a Sixth Grade Pattern Master? Would it be possible for you to make an introduction?" he asked in amazement.

"You can imagine what you will, Vice President. However, my master is a recluse and doesn’t wish to meet anyone. I can only apologize." Lin Xuan trotted out his tried-and-true excuse.

Luo Xiao just smiled and didn’t press the issue. Some powerful experts didn’t want to get involved in worldly affairs, preferring to focus solely on their Cultivation and training their disciples.

Their conversation ended, but the surrounding audience had plenty to talk about.

"What kind of monster is he? How does he cultivate? He actually carved a Fourth Grade Spatial Pattern, and he was so much faster than Sun Zhe!"

"That speed, that technique... I’ve never seen anything so flawless!"

"It’s terrifying. He must have an incredibly formidable master backing him. Otherwise, how could he be so skilled in both aspects?"

...

This truly stunned everyone. Sun Zhe had been thoroughly suppressed, and his defeat was sealed. He could only win if he created a Fourth Grade Spatial Pattern with a twofold amplification.

But was that possible? He had to rely on his special constitution just to increase his success rate in creating a Spatial Pattern. To achieve a twofold amplification on top of that was nothing but a fool’s dream.

He was not Lin Xuan, and more importantly, he didn’t have a Soul Pearl. Therefore, he was destined to lose this match. But even if he did have a Soul Pearl, so what? His Spiritual Power was not as strong as Lin Xuan’s. He would have failed instantly if he tried to carve any other pattern; it was only because of his Spatial Constitution that this was even slightly easier for him.

He had already been defeated. If he failed to even carve the pattern now, he wouldn’t even get second place.

He was naturally aware of his situation. Gritting his teeth, he swallowed his humiliation and continued carving the Spatial Pattern. If he couldn’t even secure second place, he would truly have no face to go back.

At this point, Liu Menghua and the others had finished their carvings. Although they weren’t Fourth Grade Patterns, they were at least at the Third Grade Pattern Level. The degree of amplification would be up to Luo Xiao to judge.

When they learned that Lin Xuan had carved a Fourth Grade Pattern, they too were shaken to the core. However, because they weren’t the ones being directly crushed, they were able to stabilize their emotions and continue carving. They weren’t like Sun Zhe, whose confidence had been completely shattered, leaving him severely affected.

"Brother Lin, you’re just too amazing! To think you could actually suppress someone from the Divine Rune Sect—you’ve really vented our frustrations for us!" Shang Zhihao was thrilled. Most disciples of the Divine Rune Sect were extremely arrogant and looked down on other Pattern Masters.

Lin Xuan’s resounding defeat of Sun Zhe had been a cathartic moment for many.

"No, I just wanted to take first place. I wasn’t thinking about suppressing anyone," Lin Xuan said with a smile. He really hadn’t been targeting anyone in particular; he just wanted to win first place to prove that his earlier words hadn’t been empty boasts.

"It’s more or less the same thing," Shang Zhihao said with a look that said, ’I get it.’

Huang Qianyun’s expression was grim. Who could have known they’d provoked such a monster? ’Thankfully, I didn’t overestimate my own abilities back then,’ he thought. ’If I had really fought Lin Xuan, I would have lost without a doubt.’

Afterward, Sun Zhe practically drove himself to the brink to finally carve the Spatial Pattern. His face was pale—a sign of severe Spiritual Power overdraft—and he could barely keep his footing.

Anyone who didn’t know better would have thought he’d spent too much time fooling around in a brothel and completely drained his vitality.

"Having a Spatial Constitution really makes a difference. It boosts the success rate quite a bit," Lin Xuan remarked, raising an eyebrow. ’Truly a constitution blessed by the heavens.’

However, the Spatial Pattern he managed to carve had no amplification, which meant he had lost. He had lost by that slim margin.

The rest was straightforward. The scoring was done quickly, and the rankings were announced. Unsurprisingly, first place went to Lin Xuan, second place to Sun Zhe, and third place was taken by Liu Menghua. Her foundation was a bit more solid than Shang Zhihao’s; after all, having a Sixth Grade Pattern Master as an ancestor was no small advantage.

Shang Zhihao took fourth place, but he was very satisfied with this result. At least he had beaten the Fang Family’s representative.

Many were dissatisfied with this outcome, especially the Huang and Fang Families. Their eyes were practically shooting fire. To think that after spending a fortune, all they got was second place!

Second place was only one spot away from first, but the difference in prestige was like the distance between heaven and earth.

"The disciple sent by the Divine Rune Sect this time has been a great disappointment!" Fang Feng’s face was ashen. He didn’t care how formidable Lin Xuan was. A loss was a loss, and the original agreement was that he had to win first place, not second.

"For this competition, first place goes to Lin—" As Luo Xiao was about to announce the rankings, Sun Zhe, who had been catching his breath, suddenly stood up and interrupted him.

"Lin Yunlong, I challenge you to a duel!" Sun Zhe seemed to have lost his mind, pointing a finger at Lin Xuan and roaring, "I will defeat you in a duel!"

In his eyes, their skill levels were comparable. He had only lost the first contest by a narrow margin, and that was due to his own carelessness. But a loss was a loss. He wanted to beat Lin Xuan in a duel—to defeat him in the very area where Lin Xuan was most proud!

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