Soul Emperor Awakening

The sudden turn of events stunned many in the crowd. This was clearly a temper tantrum; unable to win in pattern-making, he was now challenging Lin Xuan to a duel.

In terms of Cultivation, Sun Zhe’s was slightly higher, having reached the Fourth Layer of the Spirit Refining Stage! He was a few years older than Lin Xuan, so it was normal for his Cultivation to be a little higher, but it was only a small difference.

However, for a Pattern Master, progression in the later stages was rapid. As long as one’s Spiritual Power was sufficiently condensed, they could break through quickly, their foundation would become very stable, and they wouldn’t even have to worry about Heart Demons.

"Sun Zhe, your dispute has nothing to do with this competition. Please do not interrupt my announcement!" Luo Xiao said in a stern tone.

They were competing in patterns, not dueling. Being ignored infuriated Luo Xiao. ’If it weren’t for the sake of the Divine Rune Sect’s face,’ he thought, ’I’d really slap him across the room.’

"You want to beat me in a duel?" Lin Xuan gave a scornful laugh and said, "What’s in it for me?"

’He wasn’t afraid of dueling anyone, but what was the benefit to him? He had no interest in doing things that didn’t profit him.’

SLAP!

Sun Zhe pulled a book from his robes and slammed it heavily onto the stone table, his voice low and serious. "If you beat me, this Celestial Level Martial Arts Fragment is yours! In addition, you can have the second-place prize as well!"

A Celestial Level Martial Arts Fragment!

Everyone shot to their feet to get a better look, their eyes shining. A Celestial Level Martial Arts Fragment! Even as a fragment, it was still Celestial Level Martial Arts! This was something countless Cultivators dreamed of. As long as it wasn’t too incomplete, just cultivating the initial sections could grant an immense boost to one’s power.

Thus, even a Celestial Level Martial Arts Fragment was an extreme temptation to the many experts present.

"Brother Sun, you can’t do that! That’s the payment we gave you..." Fang Qingyu hurriedly tried to stop him.

"Get lost!" Sun Zhe glared at him and said, "This Celestial Level Martial Arts Fragment is mine. I’ll do whatever I want with it!"

Lin Xuan narrowed his eyes as he watched them. ’No wonder the Divine Rune Sect agreed to help,’ he thought. ’It was because of this Celestial Level Martial Arts Fragment.’ The value of a Celestial Level Martial Arts Fragment was not low, especially since this one looked quite thick, at least sixty or seventy percent complete.

Celestial Level Martial Arts were indeed precious. Otherwise, why would the Divine Rune Sect have agreed to this? They were so rare that most families and Sects had no Celestial Level Martial Arts to learn. Only large Sects like Qingcheng Mansion and the Divine Rune Sect had any to cultivate. And even if they did, the number was still small—only one or two at most.

Take Qingcheng Mansion, for example. The Cyan Cloud Step alone was coveted by countless people, and its secrets were never to be shared, with access being strictly controlled. Furthermore, when it was taught, it was done layer by layer, never given out all at once.

This was a Sect’s Ultimate Skill; it couldn’t possibly be passed around freely. Therefore, the price the Fang Family was paying was more than enough to hire a disciple from the Divine Rune Sect.

To be fair, Sun Zhe’s talent was impressive. Reaching the Level of a Fourth Grade Pattern Master by age twenty was completely worth the price. It was just that Lin Xuan was even more Heaven-Defying, which made Sun Zhe seem lackluster in comparison.

"And if I lose?" Lin Xuan asked with a faint smile.

"Lose?" Sun Zhe sneered. "If you lose, then you’ll step down from first place, hand over all the rewards, and admit that you lost—that you were defeated in a martial contest!"

He didn’t say anything about losing in pattern-making; with so many people watching, that was already an undeniable fact. But he wanted Lin Xuan to lose in combat. Qingcheng Mansion was famous for its martial prowess. Losing in a fight would be a great loss of face, especially since Lin Xuan’s strength was well-regarded in the Inner Hall.

An uproar went through the crowd. They didn’t know if Sun Zhe was overconfident or just an idiot. His opponent was from Qingcheng Mansion, a place famous for its martial might. Wasn’t this just asking for death?

Most people, however, were just happy to watch the show. How could they pass up on such an interesting event? The relationship between the two houses had never been good; one looked down on martial power, and the other looked down on those who lacked it.

Fortunately, their relationship wasn’t completely terrible—at least it was better than the one between the Pattern Master Association and the Divine Rune Sect.

"I have no problem with that, but Master Luo is the host here. We should ask for his opinion first," Lin Xuan said, turning to Luo Xiao.

No one liked being ignored, and Luo Xiao felt a bit more comfortable. He said in a deep voice, "What you do afterward is none of my business, but right now, I will announce the final rankings! First place is Lin Yunlong, second place is Sun Zhe, and third place is Liu Menghua!" His duty was to host this Pattern Master competition; anything else was not his concern.

"You may now proceed with your martial contest, but this has nothing to do with the Pattern Master competition. The rewards are also transferable," Luo Xiao said, signaling to Lin Xuan that he could do as he pleased. Whether or not to proceed was up to him.

"In that case, I accept this contest." Lin Xuan retrieved the Dragon Cloud Rod from his Storage Space. Overbearing dragon patterns coiled around it, and a red light glowed from the inscribed lines.

"Don’t worry, I’ll be sure to ’respect’ you!" Sun Zhe sneered, taking out a Top Level Treasure Artifact of his own. It was also engraved with extremely domineering patterns, reaching the Third Grade level. As for the amplification multiple, that was unclear.

At a glance, it looked to be a whole tier higher than the Dragon Cloud Rod in Lin Xuan’s hands.

"As an Inner Hall Disciple of Qingcheng Mansion, I can grant you the first three moves," Lin Xuan said indifferently.

This wasn’t arrogance, but confidence. More than that, he wanted to prove that the martial might of Qingcheng Mansion was absolute.

"I don’t need your charity!" Sun Zhe had his own pride. He pointed his sword at Lin Xuan and declared, "I will show you that there’s always a higher heaven! I’m not afraid to tell you, my own martial attainments are also quite profound!"

"Is that so? Then I’m actually looking forward to it," Lin Xuan replied with a casual smile, not taking him seriously at all.

Luo Xiao glanced at them and announced, "The match officially begins!"

The moment his voice fell, Sun Zhe charged forward. The patterns on his sword were ignited by his Elemental Power, causing waves of frost to appear. The surrounding air temperature plummeted by more than ten degrees. Eager to vent his pent-up fury, he rushed in to kill without hesitation, his entire being radiating Killing Intent.

The rage suppressed within his body was finally being unleashed.

’Full of openings.’

Watching Sun Zhe charge, Lin Xuan saw nothing but countless openings. Having absorbed the memories of several Spirit Pill Stage experts, his combat experience had increased exponentially. His insights into battle were now so profound that he could spot an opponent’s flaws in an instant.

He flicked his Dragon Cloud Rod, and the overbearing dragon patterns flared with a brilliant red light. A two-fold power amplification surged into the rod. He then swung it at the charging Sun Zhe. As he brandished the weapon, the entire area seemed to distort, as if the ultimate power sought to crush the very space within it.

"Heaven-Striking Staff Technique, Broken Mountains and Rivers!"

He let out a low roar and brought the staff down in a heavy strike, the distorting power enveloping Sun Zhe. This was no longer a simple attack with the Dragon Cloud Rod; it was as if the weight of the entire world was crashing down.

Who would have thought that before the staff even landed, the corner of Sun Zhe’s mouth curled into a cold smirk, as if mocking his ignorance.

In the next instant, Sun Zhe suddenly vanished. He simply disappeared into thin air! Lin Xuan’s senses, which had been locked on him, registered his presence disappearing in an instant. He had truly vanished, not just moved too fast to be tracked.

"Hmph!"

Suddenly, a sense of crisis washed over him from behind. Without hesitation, he stomped his foot and transformed into a wisp of cyan cloud, drifting aside. Even so, he was still grazed by a sharp sword glint, which left a bloody red mark on his shoulder.

Sun Zhe had reappeared behind Lin Xuan. He stood there holding his sword with a cold smile, quite satisfied with his attack.

"Instant Teleportation!"

Lin Xuan’s gaze hardened. He immediately understood what had just happened. For someone at the Spirit Refining Stage to use Instant Teleportation—it was a completely Heaven-Defying feat! Normally, only those at the Spirit Pill Stage or a higher Level could perform Instant Teleportation, yet Sun Zhe was only at the Spirit Refining Stage!

’So this is Sun Zhe’s trump card?’

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