Soul Emperor Awakening

Faced with the surging crisis, Lin Xuan roared. His attack was already prepared. He swung his rod, smashing it violently into the oncoming hurricane and channeling a staggering amount of the Power of Heaven and Earth to crush it.

"Shattering Void!"

BOOM!

The two attacks collided with a deafening roar, a clash of ultimate power. But in the end, Lin Xuan’s attack was a notch weaker. This time, it failed to shatter the void, merely shredding the majority of the hurricane. The remnants of the storm swept toward him.

SWOOSH!

As the hurricane blew past, Lin Xuan was forced to one knee, clutching his long rod. His clothes were in tatters, revealing dozens of wounds that bled profusely. This was the damage from the remaining Wind Blades. If he hadn’t deflected the bulk of the attack, not a single patch of unharmed flesh would have been left on his body.

"It’s over."

Ling Tian’s voice drifted to Lin Xuan’s ear. At some unknown moment, Ling Tian had appeared right beside him, his Rapier thrusting forward. The blade was mere inches away! If it found its mark, defeat was certain.

’So fast. Unbelievably fast. Is this Ling Tian’s ultimate speed?’

At that moment, everyone’s heart leaped into their throat. Qing Yiyi shut her eyes, unable to bear watching. Qing Piaoyun and the others saw the situation with perfect clarity: Lin Xuan was strong, but Ling Tian was stronger.

It was a pity, but Ling Tian was an expert of the Essence Pill Stage; the outcome had been clear from the very beginning. Lin Xuan’s defeat was hardly shocking. The fact that he had lasted this long was already a miracle.

No one in the entire Inner Hall had ever forced Ling Tian to use his Celestial Level Martial Arts. Lin Xuan had succeeded, and that alone was a feat he could be proud of. After all, the might of Celestial Level Martial Arts only grew in the hands of a higher-level Cultivator; it wouldn’t lose out in the slightest, even when compared to the Power of Heaven and Earth!

The Power of Heaven and Earth also had varying levels of strength, and it could hardly contend with a truly overwhelming force.

"Phoenix Soul, Possession!"

Lin Xuan let out a low growl. Instantly, the Soul Pearl inside his body began to spin frantically. The Phoenix Soul possessed him, igniting the Phoenix Essence Blood within. A Top Level Triple Soul took hold at the same time, rapidly elevating his perception to an even greater height!

In that split second, it felt as if the air around him had solidified—or rather, that time itself had frozen. Even Ling Tian’s thrusting Rapier seemed to hang motionless in midair. In reality, time hadn’t frozen. It was that his perception had been so dramatically enhanced it was now comparable to the Core Formation Stage Level!

FWOOSH!

The ultimate Phoenix Fire erupted from his body. With the incredible fusion of Qing Liuyun and the Phoenix Soul, he executed the true, ultimate Cyan Cloud Fire-Treading Step. Paired with his extremely high Heaven and Earth Control Power, the very space around his body began to warp slightly.

With a slight shift of his feet, he dodged aside at extreme speed, transforming into a streak of fire that lit up the darkness about to consume him!

WHOOSH!

In that critical moment, Lin Xuan actually dodged the attack. He was a hair’s breadth from being pierced, but he still evaded it with incredible speed. At the same time, he swung his rod back in a heavy blow aimed at Ling Tian. With the powerful possession of the Triple Soul, his might was once again vastly enhanced—the attack he unleashed was powerful enough to warp the space around it!

In that moment, he seemed to enter the Heaven and Earth Realm. He was Heaven and Earth, and Heaven and Earth was him!

Ultimate speed and an ultimate burst of power. The sudden transformation stunned even Ling Tian for a moment. With the release of the Godslaying Domain layered on top of the Phoenix Soul Possession, the effect was amplified yet again. Under this frenzied enhancement, Lin Xuan reached an unprecedented level of strength.

THUD!

Ling Tian was struck hard by the White Pupil Rod, his entire body sent flying. He tumbled rapidly through the air several times before landing back on the ground, swaying slightly as he struggled to stay upright.

However, the bones in his left arm had been shattered. It was now useless, at least for the remainder of this battle.

At this sight, everyone’s jaw dropped. Lin Xuan had once again surpassed all expectations, unleashing an even more formidable power. He was like a bottomless pit; his reserves seemed endless.

Even Ling Tian had been unable to react in time and was hit by the move. He had nearly lost.

After unleashing that strike, Lin Xuan gasped for breath, his Elemental Power nearly depleted. Soul Possession was undeniably powerful, but that didn’t mean it could be used for long, especially not a Triple Soul Possession. Even just standing still, his Elemental Power was being consumed at a frightening rate.

’If this keeps up, I’m going to lose. Not to Ling Tian, but to my own lack of Elemental Power!’

As long as his body permitted, a Fourth Layer Soul Possession would be no problem, let alone a Triple Soul one. The key issues were how long he could maintain it and the physical limits of his body.

It was happening right now: the Triple Soul Possession was becoming too much for his body to handle. The circulation of his Elemental Power was pushed to its absolute limit; if he kept forcing it, his meridians might even rupture! Nothing was absolutely perfect, and Soul Possession was no exception. It had many advantages, but even more disadvantages!

"Heavens, is this Lin Yunlong even human? How much more potential does he have buried inside him?"

"He’s up against Ling Tian, an Essence Pill Stage expert! How is he still holding on? This is terrifying..."

"If their Cultivation was equal, Lin Yunlong would have won for sure. But now... it’s hard to say. Are they evenly matched?"

...

The crowd buzzed with discussion, all of them stunned. The spectacle of this battle was no less thrilling than a duel between true masters. This no longer felt like a match between Inner Hall Disciples, but one between Core Disciples.

"*Cough, cough...*" Ling Tian coughed a few times, spitting up some blood. He had dodged the heavy blow with incredible speed, but he still couldn’t avoid being caught by the shockwave. Not only had it shattered bones in his arm, it had also damaged his internal organs. After this fight, even with Top Level Healing Medicine, he would need a month or two to recover.

"You are truly strong. It seems I misjudged you. You are worthy of me using my full power. Everything will end with this move!" Ling Tian held his Black Abyss Sword upright, a black light flickering in his eyes. "This is a true Ultimate Secret Technique, one I dare not use casually. I wonder if you can take it!"

So, Ling Tian was finally about to use his full strength against Lin Xuan. That terrifying damage and speed from before had not even been his peak performance, which was proof enough of how fearsome he truly was.

"I was thinking the same thing. It all comes down to one last move. We’ll see who’s stronger then!" Lin Xuan knew he couldn’t hold on for much longer. If this final attack couldn’t defeat Ling Tian, he would lose completely. He was truly at his limit.

"Lin Hua, Soul Possession!"

A glint flashed in Lin Xuan’s eyes as Lin Hua’s soul entered his body. At this very moment, he activated a powerful Fourth Layer Soul Possession! This was his absolute limit for now. If he were to attempt a Fifth Layer Soul Possession, his Elemental Power would be instantly depleted.

Whether he could win or not all came down to this final move.