Soul Emperor Awakening

In the endless darkness, Lin Xuan had constantly forced himself to learn many things, like Sound Discrimination and discerning auras. He had to compel himself to cultivate these skills, to heighten his sensitivity.

If he hadn’t mastered these skills, he would have been truly lost in the darkness, unable to save himself. No one brought him food, no one taught him Cultivation; he had forced himself to learn everything through sheer will.

He hadn’t forgotten anything. He hadn’t let this glory make him forget the foundation he had so painstakingly built. ’No effort is ever wasted, only those who fail to utilize it!’

When he perceived the sounds within the gorge, he knew it was time to use this skill. He didn’t use the Soul Pearl’s power at all, relying solely on his own abilities to run. Whether it was the Godslaying Domain last time or the Cyan Cloud Fire-Treading Step this time, he relied on his own power to accomplish it.

He wanted to see where his limits truly lay. He knew he was far behind the geniuses before him, but he would work hard to close the gap. When it came to evasion, however, he didn’t believe he was lacking in the slightest.

’To the left...’

Lin Xuan’s ears twitched, and his feet had already shifted. The moment he moved, a rock whistled right past him, its piercing, startling sound cutting through the howl of the gale.

"His... his predictive ability is too strong! He can determine exactly where they’ll come from in advance. That ability is terrifying. It must have taken extreme Cultivation to develop such sensitivity!" Both Qing Piaoyun and Qingyu were profoundly shocked. And it wasn’t just them—even the participants sprinting ahead were stunned silly.

Powerful experts at the Spirit Pill Stage all possessed Spiritual Sense. Or rather, their Spiritual Sense was comparatively stronger. Simply put, it’s the ability to project one’s Spiritual Power outward to scan the surroundings.

Thus, they could use their Spiritual Sense to assess their surroundings, allowing them to predict and evade the slightest disturbance. But covering a large area with Spiritual Sense was an ability exclusive to the Spirit Pill Stage Level. Ling Tian and the others were completely incapable of this; they could only rely on their eyes and physical reflexes to dodge.

That’s why they didn’t dare to sprint too fast. Seeing something with your eyes doesn’t mean your body can react in time.

So for Lin Xuan to accomplish at the Spirit Refining Stage what only Spirit Pill Stage experts could do—how could they not be shocked?

"It seems my old eyes have failed me again. This kid is simply Heaven-Defying! He doesn’t even need to touch the rocks; his margin of error is practically zero!" Qingyu rubbed his eyes in disbelief while casually flicking a hand out to shatter an approaching stone.

In reality, as long as the stones weren’t too large, one could simply reach out and shatter them. But in principle, that wasn’t the perfect method. The truly perfect method was to dodge every single one, not touching any stone at all.

Hurricane Valley was a test of their Body Technique. A powerful Body Technique and quick reflexes are crucial in battle. After all, what’s the use of a ferocious attack if it can’t even land a hit?

"Heh, and you were just doubting him. How can you fight me to be his master when you have so little faith?" Qing Piaoyun couldn’t resist a taunt.

"Pah! You were just as doubtful a moment ago, you just didn’t get a chance to say it!" Qingyu shot back.

Qing Piaoyun’s old face flushed red. He really had been thinking that. He had thought Lin Xuan was being foolish, but who could have predicted such an astonishing performance?

"I never said that. Since I never said it, it doesn’t count. In any case, first place in this first trial belongs to Lin Yunlong!" Qing Piaoyun refused to admit he had doubted Lin Xuan. As long as he hadn’t said it out loud, it wasn’t his problem.

Qingyu gave a cold snort but said no more.

Lin Xuan kept his eyes closed as he shot forward, his speed several times that of anyone else. The others wanted to go faster, but they couldn’t replicate Lin Xuan’s ability. As for interference, with two Elders watching, that was out of the question. The rules forbade attacking each other; everyone had to rely on their own abilities.

In the blink of an eye, Lin Xuan surpassed several people and quickly began closing in on second place. The process was swift; he easily overtook Lei Zhantian. No matter how domineering Lei Zhantian was, he just couldn’t keep up. Every time he impulsively tried to give chase, he’d be struck by a rock, either knocking him back or forcing him to a halt.

"In terms of Body Technique, I’ve lost..." Lei Zhantian’s gaze burned intensely, but his eyes showed no hint of surrender. There were still more trials to come; he wouldn’t give up.

Lin Xuan remained silent, his eyes still closed, as he continued to charge forward.

A moment later, he finally caught up to Ling Tian, and the two raced side-by-side. Both were moving at incredible speeds. Ling Tian had already pushed his Wind Realm to its absolute limit, his gaze sharp as he scanned his surroundings.

"Wind Realm, Maximum!"

Ling Tian let out a low roar. He refused to lose. Unleashing his Wind Realm to its peak, he seemed to merge with the gale itself as he shot forward. He gradually began to pull away from Lin Xuan; aided by the wind, his speed was naturally a notch faster.

But he was moving too fast. As several stones hurtled toward him, the gap closed so quickly that they would collide in less than half a breath.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

Ling Tian’s eyes flashed—half a breath was more than enough time for him to attack. With a few flicks of his hand, the stones exploded into powder. But doing so slowed him down. The very instant his speed dropped, Lin Xuan swept past him. As he did, Lin Xuan dodged to the side, and a stone that had been aimed for him scraped past his shoulder... and slammed right into Ling Tian.

"I’ve lost..."

Watching the retreating figure, Ling Tian gave a wry smile. In just over half a year, he had been surpassed by a newcomer. Even his mastery of the Wind Realm was no match for the potential Lin Xuan had unlocked under pressure.

In a plaza deep within Hurricane Valley, not a single gust of wind stirred.

"Ling Tian will win again this time, right? His Wind Realm is too terrifying. No one can catch him in Hurricane Valley!"

"Yeah, it’s a foregone conclusion. I wonder what place Lin Yunlong will manage to get?"

"With his Cyan Cloud Step, I think he should be able to make it into the top five. His Body Technique is brilliant, but it doesn’t offer much of an advantage in Hurricane Valley..."

...

The disciples chattered among themselves, all of them certain that Ling Tian would take first place. With the Wind Realm, it was as if he were divinely aided in the wind! If he couldn’t win, who could?

"Hey, look, someone’s coming out! Ling Tian is so fast this time. Has his Wind Realm improved again?"

"Of course. He’s sure to become a Core Disciple next year, so it’s only natural he’d improve. The guy is incredibly talented!"

...

The words had barely faded when Lin Xuan’s figure flashed out from the exit of Hurricane Valley. He drifted toward them, treading on flames, his eyes lightly closed and his hands clasped behind his back. He looked as carefree as if he were out for a stroll.

Everyone’s jaws dropped, their mouths hanging wide open. The first-place finisher was actually Lin Xuan, not Ling Tian!

Lin Xuan opened his eyes, a brilliant light flashing within them. A faint smile touched his lips. He looked at the dumbstruck crowd and smiled. ’Fortune favors the diligent.’

He had won the first trial.