Soul Emperor Awakening

Instant Teleportation!

The crowd gasped. He could use Instant Teleportation with only a Spirit Refining Stage Cultivation! Though the distance was short—only a few meters—the ability to perform it at this level was shocking enough.

’A Spatial Constitution is really something else, to be able to grasp Instant Teleportation so early.’ Lin Feng was inwardly shaken. It was the first time he had ever seen someone at the Spirit Refining Stage use Instant Teleportation.

Forget the Spirit Refining Stage—even those at the Spirit Pill Stage couldn’t use Instant Teleportation at will. The distance was so limited that the ability was of little practical use. To truly wield it effectively, one had to reach at least the Core Formation Stage Level, a far distant realm of cultivation.

No wonder Sun Zhe was so confident. He possessed such an astonishing gift. This was a true, heaven-gifted combat talent!

"Good. Finish him off in one go!" Fang Feng’s expression was grim, but a hint of delight flashed in his eyes. He couldn’t wait to see Lin Xuan cut down by Sun Zhe’s sword.

"Well, well. You’re quick to dodge. Any slower, and your arm would’ve been parted from your body." Sun Zhe sneered, his gaze turning crimson as he stared at the wound on Lin Xuan’s arm.

Lin Xuan ignored the pain from his arm. The wound was nothing. The real issue was this troublesome Instant Teleportation; it was certainly unpredictable, yet completely within his expectations. ’If Sun Zhe didn’t have an ace up his sleeve, why would he challenge me?’

"Instant Teleportation? That alone is meaningless. Your entire form is full of openings. Instant Teleportation alone won’t be enough to cover them," Lin Xuan said indifferently.

"Hmph! What’s the use of talking tough? Let’s see if you can stop me, then we’ll know if it’s useless!" Sun Zhe’s anger flared. He raised his sword and charged, his speed suddenly increasing severalfold, his eyes brimming with killing intent.

Swords have no eyes. Even if he really did slice off Lin Xuan’s arm, Qingcheng Mansion would be furious, but such was the nature of a duel. Once a fight to the death began, it was difficult to hold back.

"Stop you?"

A disdainful smile played on Lin Xuan’s lips. He gripped the Dragon Cloud Rod tightly. In an instant, his body merged with the surrounding space, and its flow began to slow as he achieved the Realm of the Unity of Heaven and Man.

Through constant insight, he had already touched upon more of the threshold of the Spirit Pill Stage Realm. Mobilizing the Power of Heaven and Earth had become effortless; he no longer needed Soul Possession to call upon it.

This was the very gap between him and Sun Zhe. He was truly mobilizing the Power of Heaven and Earth, whereas Sun Zhe was merely mobilizing the Spatial Energy within his own body.

How could one man compare to Heaven and Earth? It was like an ant trying to shake a tree—a gross overestimation of his own abilities.

"Die!"

A vicious sneer curved Sun Zhe’s lips as he once again vanished before Lin Xuan’s eyes, using Instant Teleportation again. The most terrifying part was not knowing where he would reappear.

The crowd watched, tense with anticipation. Was Lin Xuan going to lose just like that?

"Heaven-Striking Staff Technique, Second Form: Shattering Heaven and Earth!"

Lin Xuan raised his Dragon Cloud Rod as surging Elemental Power flooded into it. A dazzling light erupted from the staff, and the very fabric of Heaven and Earth seemed to twist, as if it could be torn asunder at any moment! This time, the effect wasn’t confined to a small area but enveloped the entire space. Both the sky and the ground began to warp significantly!

This meant Lin Xuan was mobilizing even more of the Power of Heaven and Earth to be able to distort such a large area.

He stomped hard on the ground and brought his staff crashing down into the empty air. He wasn’t aiming at anything in particular; he just smashed it straight down. The Dragon Cloud Rod hummed, as if it couldn’t withstand the immense Power of Heaven and Earth, but it still erupted with a blinding light as its tough shaft bent under the force of the downward swing.

A shocking scene followed. At the exact moment the staff came down, Sun Zhe suddenly materialized right beneath it, directly in its path!

Sun Zhe’s face went deathly pale. He had reappeared inexplicably, feeling as if a terrifying Power of Distortion had violently ripped him out of his Instant Teleportation. By the time he reacted, Lin Xuan’s staff was already upon him.

The terrifying force struck fear into his heart, robbing him of any will to resist. But his survival instinct kicked in, and he hastily raised his sword to block.

BOOM!

With the force of tens of thousands of pounds, the staff crashed down. Lin Xuan showed no mercy. Sun Zhe had just managed to raise his sword to parry when the immense blow landed. A searing pain shot through his hands, robbing him of the strength to hold on. His grip loosened, and the staff smashed his own sword down upon his body.

THUD!

With a dull thud, Lin Xuan knocked Sun Zhe away, sending him flying, man and sword together, like a meteor arcing toward the crowd. The spectators scrambled out of the way in terror. No one dared to catch this "meteor," and they certainly didn’t want to be its fleshy cushion.

BOOM!

Sun Zhe crashed into the spectator stands, raising a cloud of dust. When it settled, he was revealed as if embedded in the stone, his entire body sunken into the wreckage. His chest was caved in, countless bones surely broken. He was barely clinging to life.

The crowd gasped again. Everyone had heard rumors of how formidable Lin Yunlong was, and now they had seen it with their own eyes. "Formidable" wasn’t even the right word. He was simply a monster!

The Power of Heaven and Earth he commanded surpassed even the Essence Pill Stage, approaching the Spirit Pill Stage Level. Facing such a monster, Sun Zhe must’ve had a screw loose to challenge him in the first place.

His half-dead state was the perfect proof. Instant Teleportation might be strong, but before the Power of Heaven and Earth, it was as feeble as an ant.

Under the terrifying Power of Heaven and Earth, Sun Zhe was forcefully ripped from his Instant Teleportation. The Power of Distortion had easily shredded the Spatial Energy around him, forcing him to materialize.

Lin Xuan withdrew the Dragon Cloud Rod and let out a breath, his gaze calm. This was nothing to celebrate. ’Sun Zhe’s Instant Teleportation is formidable, but his combat experience is sorely lacking. His ability to mobilize the Power of Heaven and Earth is on a completely different level from mine.’

The gap between them was simply too vast. Anyone who wasn’t blind could see that. What good was Instant Teleportation? He was still sent flying by a single blow from the staff.

"That power... is immense!" Lin Feng said with conviction.

"’Immense’ doesn’t even begin to cover it!" Liu Qing cursed. "I thought Sun Zhe was the real deal with his Instant Teleportation, but compared to this kid commanding the Power of Heaven and Earth on par with the Spirit Pill Stage Level, it’s absolute crap! A Spirit Refining Stage cultivator wielding the Power of Heaven and Earth at a Spirit Pill Stage Level... Damn it, I’ve never seen anything like it in my life!"

Being able to mobilize the Power of Heaven and Earth at a Spirit Pill Stage Level didn’t mean one actually possessed Spirit Pill Stage Level might. However, the more Power of Heaven and Earth one could command, the more terrifying their attacks became. For example, that last strike, amplified by the Power of Heaven and Earth, wielded tens of thousands of pounds of force. Before, the most he could muster was around ten thousand pounds.

It had increased two- to threefold. That was equivalent to bringing the full Power of Heaven and Earth down on his opponent. It was absolutely Heaven-Defying.

However, this created a new problem. With Sun Zhe so grievously injured, the faces of the Divine Rune Sect Elders would surely be dark when he returned. Although Sun Zhe had brought this upon himself, the matter was unlikely to end here.

Lin Xuan, however, felt no regret. A moment ago, Sun Zhe had been trying to kill him. Every strike had been lethal, a clear attempt on his life. If Lin Xuan had been the one to lose, even if he survived, he would likely have been bedridden for the rest of his days.

So why would he show Sun Zhe any courtesy? ’If someone comes for my life, I’ll come for theirs!’