Soul Emperor Awakening

While the others were shocked, Lin Xuan felt no surprise at all. His years of blindness had greatly enhanced his sensitivity to the flow and speed of the wind, making it easy to dodge. It was especially simple when combined with his Cyan Cloud Step.

It’s hard for a man to fight the heavens, so if you can’t beat them, join them. He executed his Cyan Cloud Step, drifting through the gale as if taking a leisurely stroll. Whenever a stone came flying his way, he would simply sidestep it with ease. An ordinary person would have been blown away and plastered against a cliff wall long ago; the wind was simply too strong, powerful enough to uproot a large tree.

The occasional massive boulder flying past was proof enough of the wind’s terrifying power. The entire area was a series of valleys, and there was no telling where the gales originated. Plenty of stones were swept up along the path, and the slightest carelessness would result in being struck.

’This is actually quite difficult. It’s only thanks to my solid foundation that I can move so easily.’ Lin Xuan’s feet tapped lightly as he surged forward without a hint of deceleration. Ahead of him was Ling Tian.

Ling Tian’s Body Technique was impressive as well. He also moved with the tailwind, but he used a little trick to propel himself forward at the same time.

However, in Hurricane Valley, it was impossible to have a tailwind forever; the path was far too varied. If they kept following the current path, they’d run straight into a wall. Eventually, they would have to face a headwind, and that would be the true test of their strength.

Just as Lin Xuan was about to accelerate and give chase, a flash of white light erupted from the side like a bolt of lightning. It transformed into a streak of thunder and shot forward, completely ignoring the speed of the surrounding wind.

THUD! THUD! THUD!

It sounded like a Giant Beast stomping the earth. A burly figure charged straight ahead, streaks of lightning emerging from his body to envelop him completely. He truly looked like a bolt of lightning, bursting forward. Yet he moved like a Giant Beast, each step leaving a deep footprint in the hard ground.

This method completely ignored whether it was a headwind or a tailwind; he simply charged straight ahead! Each heavy step anchored him to the ground, preventing the wind from blowing him away. It was a good method, but its drawback was its astonishing energy consumption.

’I remember him... that’s Lei Zhantian, ranked second.’ Lin Xuan watched the sprinting figure. ’He definitely has a rare Thunder Attribute constitution.’ With this mad dash, he caught right up to Ling Tian.

The others weren’t slow, but they were a great deal slower than these two. How could the top two be anything but fast? Still, none of them gave up. They all unleashed their Divine Techniques, pushing their abilities to the absolute limit.

In the blink of an eye, they had put a great distance between themselves and Lin Xuan. In truth, they had slowed down earlier to gauge his strength. Who would have known his power would exceed their expectations? Now, they weren’t holding back anymore, instead charging forward at their top speeds.

Their speed multiplied several times over, showcasing the prowess of the veterans. They were all proving that they were far beyond what a newcomer like Lin Xuan could hope to match!

Watching the others speed into the distance, a smile tugged at the corner of Lin Xuan’s mouth. ’Looks like I’ve been underestimated.’ Since he had come to participate in the top-ten finals, he was aiming for first place. That way, he could become a Core Disciple in one fell swoop!

’A little interesting. In that case, I’ll just have to take first place with ease!’

At that moment, a burst of Flame erupted from beneath Lin Xuan’s feet. He instantly ignited his Phoenix Essence Blood. Stomping down hard, he left a deep footprint in the ground, from which tiny wisps of fire swayed, refusing to be extinguished.

"Cyan Cloud Fire-Treading Step!"

He executed the Cyan Cloud Step combined with his Phoenix Power. As if transforming into a Phoenix, he shot forward at extreme speed, looking almost no different from flying. The inextinguishable Flames swayed in the gale, as if mocking the wind for being too slow!

The eyes of the two Elders following behind lit up. Qingyu, in particular, had never seen this before. Watching the scene unfold, he couldn’t help but exclaim in admiration, "That speed is astounding! Both his pace and his control over his balance are top-notch!"

"Of course! After he becomes a Core Disciple, he’s going to be my disciple!" Qing Piaoyun said with a smile, having already earmarked Lin Xuan as his own Direct Disciple.

"Fifth Elder, that’s not very sporting of you. The boy hasn’t even agreed to be your disciple yet. Who’s to say he won’t become my disciple instead!" Qingyu said with a laugh, then quickly followed, leaving a wide-eyed Qing Piaoyun in his wake.

"Fourth Elder, you dare try to steal him from me!" Qing Piaoyun snapped back to reality and gave chase in anger.

After igniting the Phoenix Essence Blood in his body, Lin Xuan’s speed increased by a huge margin. From a distance, he looked just like a soaring Phoenix, weaving effortlessly through the gale. No matter how astonishing the wind speed, he always sprinted from the most ingenious angles.

With almost no difficulty, he caught up to the others. They only felt a wave of heat approaching from behind. When they turned to look, they saw Lin Xuan’s nonchalant expression as he easily overtook them, which was enough to scare the souls right out of their bodies.

’So he wasn’t even using his full strength before! This is his real power!’

"Pardon me, I’ll be going on ahead," Lin Xuan said with a faint smile. His feet tapped in quick succession. With a WHOOSH, the Flames on his legs flared up, igniting the very wind that blew against them and using it as fuel to propel him forward at incredible speed.

"Damn it, is that kid a monster?"

"Are you sure this is his first time taking the assessment?"

...

The disciples left in the dust couldn’t help but curse. Lin Xuan’s Body Technique was so graceful as it left them far behind, and he was rapidly closing in on Lei Zhantian and Ling Tian. From the very beginning, those two had been locked in a fierce competition, each trying to outpace the other, neither willing to concede.

Ling Tian didn’t exude a powerful aura; his entire being seemed to have transformed into a feather, drifting along with the gale.

But Lin Xuan saw a different picture. Ling Tian had truly merged with the gale. He was the wind, and the wind was him! Having become one with the gale, as long as the winds of Hurricane Valley never ceased, his speed would never drop!

’The Wind Realm. This Ling Tian really is something else!’ Lin Xuan narrowed his eyes. ’No wonder he had such a provocative expression. So few people ever grasp the Wind Realm, yet someone as young as Ling Tian has already mastered it. His talent is truly astounding.’

The level of the Wind Realm was nearly equivalent to the state of Unity of Heaven and Man. It allowed one to command the surrounding Wind Power, greatly increasing one’s speed in battle.

Lei Zhantian was clearly having a more difficult time, but his speed wasn’t much slower than Ling Tian’s. The main difference was that Ling Tian looked so effortless, as if he were truly just out for a stroll.

The first trial was only halfway through, and already it had been a showcase of various Divine Techniques. But the real key was the latter half—that was where the true nightmare of Hurricane Valley lay! The top-ten finals were never going to be that simple.