Soul Emperor Awakening

"Are you Number Four? Excellent. I’m more interested in fighting you than Ling Tian." Lei Zhantian stared at him, his gaze burning with a battle lust that sent shivers down the spine.

His words, however, were rather ambiguous. An uninformed listener might have thought he had a... peculiar interest in men.

"I’m not interested in you, though." Lin Xuan shrugged. He could tell at a glance that Lei Zhantian was a hard case—the kind who fought with reckless abandon. ’Facing a battle junkie like this is the absolute worst.’

Just then, Chen Zhiquan raised the bamboo slip in his hand. "I forfeit..."

He was too injured to continue to the next assessment. More importantly, he was up against Ling Tian. He stood no chance of winning. Injured or not, it made no difference—the outcome would be the same. So, he had no choice but to concede.

Qing Piaoyun nodded, saying nothing. The gap in their strength was obvious, and with Chen Zhiquan’s injury, Qing Piaoyun saw no reason to object.

Chen Zhiquan shuffled to the side, shooting a venomous glare at Lin Xuan’s back. ’When we get back, the Eldest Prince is definitely going to tear us a new one. We failed the mission. We couldn’t even manage to scratch Lin Xuan.’

With Chen Zhiquan’s forfeit, it was now time for Lei Zhantian to face Lin Xuan. This was a battle destined to draw all eyes. As Lin Xuan and Lei Zhantian walked onto the Martial Arts Arena, the crowd felt a sense of disbelief. The newcomer who had just joined was now standing at the very summit.

Even if Lin Xuan lost now, he would still secure third place—an achievement that was already beyond the wildest dreams of many.

"Honestly, I know I can’t beat you with my current strength. But I’m choosing to fight you anyway!" Lei Zhantian declared, staring Lin Xuan down as they faced each other.

After several assessments, everyone had a general idea of each other’s strength. Lei Zhantian, in particular, knew he would have been hard-pressed to block the single blow that had shattered the Cage Array. ’That strike was unbelievably powerful, and his Body Technique is just as stunning. He outclasses me on both fronts. I’m bound to lose.’

Yet even knowing he was destined to lose, he still chose to fight!

"One move. I will use my single strongest move against you. If you can take it, I lose. If you can’t, you lose!"

The moment the words left his mouth, Lei Zhantian let out a low roar. His entire body was instantly wreathed in lightning, as if bolts from the heavens were erupting from within him. With a series of sharp CRACKLES, his aura exploded outward, pushing his Cultivation at the Ninth Layer of the Spirit Refining Stage to its absolute peak!

Lei Zhantian’s Cultivation was at the Ninth Layer of the Spirit Refining Stage, an astonishing Level. His lightning aura erupted in full, and the stray arcs of electricity that flickered off him were enough to scorch patches of the ground black.

Unleashing his full power the moment he got on the stage showed just how highly Lei Zhantian regarded Lin Xuan. He was holding nothing back, just as he’d said, intending to settle this in a single move.

This wasn’t arrogance on Lei Zhantian’s part. It was simple logic: if his strongest move had no effect on Lin Xuan, or if Lin Xuan blocked it with ease, then there was no point in fighting further. Once your ultimate killing blow has been spent, what’s left to fight with?

The lightning aura grew ever more intense. A pillar of thunderous light shot skyward, making the very air feel heavy as the energy condensed and strengthened.

Lin Xuan narrowed his eyes, watching. Lei Zhantian’s aura was still condensing, growing more terrifying by the second!

’He’s actually gathering the ambient Power of thunder and lightning. His insight into the Power of Heaven and Earth is impressive!’ As Lin Xuan observed, his skin began to prickle, lightly zapped by the energy being drawn into the area.

A Thunder Attribute constitution, much like a Spatial Attribute one, was quite rare. The Power of thunder and lightning was legendary for its destructive force; its might was unquestionable.

This scene left the onlookers utterly stunned. But what shocked them even more was that Lin Xuan actually intended to receive the blow!

"Is Lin Yunlong being too arrogant? That’s Lei Zhantian’s strongest killing move, and it’s even more powerful than before. If he lets him keep charging it up, the attack is going to be horrifying!"

"Yeah, it’s a pretty cunning move from Lei Zhan. It seems like he’s at a disadvantage, but it actually gives him all the time he needs to charge up and maximize his power. When that attack finally lands, who could possibly withstand it?"

"I remember he used this against Ling Tian, and Ling Tian was almost fried to a crisp. The attack is even stronger now, and Lin Xuan’s Cultivation is lower than Lei Zhantian’s. This is going to be a disaster for him!"

...

Most of the disciples believed Lin Xuan was being far too reckless in allowing Lei Zhantian to charge his attack. In a battle between true masters, a single move can often decide the outcome.

Thus, letting him charge his power was simply being cruel to himself. Even if Lin Xuan managed to block the attack, he would surely suffer considerable damage in the process.

Ling Tian glanced over, his gaze shifting between Lei Zhantian and Lin Xuan, his expression turning solemn. He knew this was no laughing matter. After all this time, Lei Zhantian’s Cultivation had advanced, making the attack far more powerful than when he had faced it.

While everyone worried about Lin Xuan’s decision, he stood calmly, holding his White Pupil Rod with a smile and not a trace of fear. In the blink of an eye, the soul of the Golden Dragon King possessed the weapon in his hand!

The White Pupil Rod once again turned a brilliant gold, releasing an imperious Dragon Power that made everyone’s eyes widen. None of them knew what Level of Spiritual Artifact Lin Xuan wielded. It seemed capable of altering its own power, a type of Spiritual Artifact most of them had never seen.

Just because they hadn’t seen one didn’t mean it didn’t exist, so most people didn’t think too deeply about it.

At last, Lei Zhantian finished charging his power. Lightning flashed in his eyes as he stared at Lin Xuan. "I’m ready," he said. "Be careful!"

As they had agreed to a one-move duel, Lei Zhantian gave a customary warning now that his preparations were complete.

The next moment, Lei Zhantian roared, and all the Power of thunder and lightning in his body converged into his fist. The energy intensified until a blinding white light erupted from his knuckles. Using no Weapon, he threw a heavy punch toward Lin Xuan.

"Celestial Level Martial Arts—Thunder Dragon Technique!"

A true Celestial Level Martial Arts technique. In an instant, the lightning on his fist transformed, erupting into a galloping Thunder Dragon. It circled in the air, its roar like a peal of thunder that seemed to dim the entire area. It wasn’t that the surroundings grew dark; the Thunder Dragon was simply too brilliant.

The concentrated lightning crackled like a tribulation bolt about to descend. With a final series of roars, it lunged at Lin Xuan. A cosmic pressure bore down from above, a world-shattering force that instilled a sense of inescapable doom in all who witnessed it.

’Such powerful energy...’ Lin Xuan narrowed his eyes at the approaching Thunder Dragon. A profound sense of crisis welled up inside him—a primal, instinctual reaction.

The attack was absolutely astonishing, far stronger than anything he had faced from any previous opponent. This single blow packed at least Essence Pill Stage Level power. After such a long charge-up, it had reached the Essence Pill Stage Level. No wonder the other disciples thought Lin Xuan was courting death.

This wasn’t just courting death—it was suicide!

’It’s strong, alright. But unfortunately,’ a smile tugged at Lin Xuan’s lips, his mind perfectly serene, ’it’s useless against me!’