Soul Emperor Awakening

The thick bolt of lightning was horrifying, like a roar from heaven and earth itself. The Thunder Dragon howled and lunged down from the sky, and Qing Piaoyun couldn’t help but break into a cold sweat for Lin Xuan.

’Such terrifying power... I wonder if Lin Xuan can withstand it.’ After all, even a Cultivator who had just broken through to the Essence Pill Stage would find it difficult to resist such might.

Lei Zhantian had unleashed a good portion of the Celestial Level Martial Art’s full potential, drastically increasing its might until it carried the power to annihilate everything in its path.

As the Thunder Dragon prepared to lunge, Lin Xuan, who had been standing motionless, suddenly raised the White Pupil Rod. His pupils filled with a golden light, and a surge of Long Wei erupted from his body.

"Heaven-Striking Staff Technique, Dragon Shatters the Heavens!"

Lin Xuan let out a low growl and, aiming at the lunging Thunder Dragon, hurled the White Pupil Rod forward like a javelin.

ROAR!

In mid-air, the thrown White Pupil Rod suddenly manifested the Illusion of a giant Golden Dragon that enveloped it completely. It was as if the rod itself had transformed into a soaring Golden Dragon!

A heavy pressure settled over the crowd. The terrifying Long Wei made everyone’s heart palpitate, as if the White Pupil Rod had come to life, transforming into a real Giant Dragon as it charged.

The Golden Dragon was noticeably smaller than Lei Zhantian’s Thunder Dragon. The Thunder Dragon roared and snapped its jaws at the Golden Dragon. But to everyone’s surprise, the Golden Dragon shot straight into the Thunder Dragon’s body without the slightest hesitation. Cracks instantly appeared on the Thunder Dragon’s surface. As the Golden Dragon burrowed deeper, the cracks multiplied, and the Thunder Dragon’s aura began to wane.

Within a few breaths, the Golden Dragon had pierced completely through the Thunder Dragon, bursting out from its tail. It then plunged violently into the hard ground, leaving only its upper half exposed.

CRACK!

Suddenly, the Thunder Dragon’s entire form shattered like broken glass, crumbling away into dust. By the time the massive bolt of lightning reached Lin Xuan, it had lost its draconic shape and was nothing more than an ordinary flash.

BOOM!

The lightning struck Lin Xuan squarely. He didn’t even try to block, taking the bolt head-on. When the dust settled, he was standing in the same spot, completely unscathed. Besides his slightly charred clothes, he was perfectly fine.

"A little tingly. Not bad," Lin Xuan said with an indifferent smile.

The entire crowd was dumbstruck. A single throw of his rod had shattered Lei Zhantian’s strongest attack, and he had made it look completely effortless!

’That’s right, dispelling that Thunder Dragon wasn’t difficult at all. For me, anything involving the Power of Heaven and Earth is a breeze! By using the Golden Dragon King’s soul, I can easily disrupt the Power of Heaven and Earth around the Thunder Dragon. Add in a Dragon Shattering Void, and all that’s left is scraps.’

This was absolute suppression on the level of one’s Realm. It was just like when he had faced Chen Hao; a single Shattering Void had utterly defeated him. It was like facing an opponent in sturdy armor—once the armor was stripped away, all that remained was vulnerable flesh.

Attacking Lin Xuan in this manner was a mistake. Lei Zhantian would have had a slightly better chance of winning if he had fought Lin Xuan head-on with his formidable physical strength.

To truly defeat Lin Xuan, one either needed superior Control Power over the Power of Heaven and Earth, or a vastly higher level of Cultivation. Lei Zhantian’s Cultivation was not far from Lin Xuan’s. And while that Thunder Dragon was strong, it was still within the limits of what Lin Xuan could endure.

If an Essence Pill Stage expert had performed the same technique, Lin Xuan would have had no choice but to flee. Such an expert wouldn’t even need the Power of Heaven and Earth; the force they could generate on their own would be enough to kill him in an instant.

"Absolute suppression using the Power of Heaven and Earth again... Just how terrifying is this kid’s comprehension of it?!" Qing Piaoyun was dumbfounded. He sensed that Lin Xuan’s understanding of the Power of Heaven and Earth had somehow deepened even further.

’For others, making the slightest progress is as difficult as scaling the heavens, but for Lin Xuan, it’s as easy as drinking water!’

It wasn’t just Qing Piaoyun; Qingyu at his side was also speechless, and many of the disciples present were completely stunned. This was especially true for the Core Disciples, who felt as though they had just witnessed something impossible.

"This Lin Yunlong’s comprehension of the Power of Heaven and Earth is insane! He completely nullified Lei Zhantian’s Martial Technique!"

"Yeah, trying to use the Power of Heaven and Earth against him is basically a death wish!"

...

Those seeing Lin Xuan fight for the first time were all in shock. As Core Disciples, they were an arrogant bunch who had looked down on Lin Xuan from the Inner Hall, and on Ling Tian as well. But after coming here to watch, they discovered the rumors were true: Lin Xuan was unbelievably strong!

Of course, pitifully few Core Disciples had actually come to watch—only two or three, and all of them were at the bottom of the rankings. They were the only ones who would bother to show up; the higher-ranked ones wouldn’t even consider it.

Qing Yiyi, however, had been watching intently the entire time, her beautiful eyes shimmering as she stared at Lin Xuan. She was thrilled by his performance. She had actually wanted to recruit Lin Xuan to her side so they could work together against Cyan Cloud Peak, but she had initially thought his Cultivation was too low. Now, it was clear he had far exceeded her expectations!

When Lei Zhantian saw his Celestial Level Martial Art so easily dismantled, his expression froze. He then shook his head and gave a wry smile. "It seems I’ve been showing off my paltry skills before a true master. I thought I could surpass you in controlling the Power of Heaven and Earth, but it turns out the gap between us is immense."

He had watched several of Lin Xuan’s matches and thought he had already overestimated him, but who could have known the difference was still so vast? To unleash such power by merely throwing his Weapon—one could only imagine the might he’d display while actually wielding it.

"No, you’re very strong. Don’t lose confidence in yourself," Lin Xuan said with a calm smile. ’Lei Zhantian lost to the Golden Dragon King, not to me.’

’Still, my own strength isn’t half bad now, either!’

"Maybe so, but I still lost to you." Lei Zhantian recovered quickly and laughed. "You really are strong. The result is what I expected, though the process was rather surprising... Ling Tian is strong. Much stronger than you think! Even though you have great control over the Power of Heaven and Earth, his own innate strength is formidable. If he doesn’t compete with you on that front, your advantage will be small. Take that as my warning!"

The Power of Heaven and Earth was certainly potent, as it could amplify the might of Martial Arts. But if an opponent chose not to use it, Lin Xuan’s ability to suppress them through that Realm would be useless. After all, besides the Power of Heaven and Earth, there were many other powerful Realms, such as the Unity of Heaven and Man, the Wind Realm, or even Human and Martial Unity!

These Realms were not much weaker than the Power of Heaven and Earth, and his advantage wouldn’t affect them in the slightest. His ability was most effective only when he could strip away the Power of Heaven and Earth that an opponent was using.

There is a finite amount of Power of Heaven and Earth in any given area; whoever can command more of it will win. Once stripped of its enhancement, Lei Zhantian’s Martial Technique was practically crippled.

"And what if you were to face Ling Tian?" Lin Xuan asked, his eyes narrowing.

"Same as with you—I’d lose in a single move. But not because of the Power of Heaven and Earth." Lei Zhantian flashed a brilliant smile. No wonder he had been so interested in fighting Lin Xuan; Ling Tian was a foe so far beyond him that he could only look up in despair, so of course he would be interested in a powerful newcomer.

"Thanks for the warning," Lin Xuan replied with a smile, a new sense of vigilance rising within him.

’Lei Zhantian is undeniably strong, yet he couldn’t even withstand a single, casual attack from Ling Tian,’ he thought. ’The power of that move must be unimaginable.’