Soul Emperor Awakening

"One move is enough"—a wildly arrogant claim. Rao Longtian may not have been the strongest in the Core Hall, but his Cultivation was ranked near the top. To say he could be defeated in a single move sounded absurdly conceited.

To instantly kill Rao Longtian, one would need to be at least at the fourth or Fifth Layer of the Essence Pill Stage. But Lin Xuan’s Cultivation was only at the Eighth Layer of the Spirit Refining Stage. It sounded like he was talking nonsense, completely overestimating his own strength.

The crowd, which had initially looked down on Rao Longtian, now turned their scorn on Lin Xuan. They figured that since he had dominated the Inner Hall, he must think he could be just as invincible in the Core Hall. So what if he had cleared the Illusionary Mist Array in half an incense stick’s time? This was a test of raw power, not the ability to dispel an Illusion Array.

"Brother Xuan, you can’t beat him!" Lin Xue hurriedly tried to dissuade him. It wasn’t that she didn’t believe in Lin Xuan; rather, the difference in their power was simply too vast.

A faint smile touched Lin Xuan’s lips. He looked at her and said, "I told you, I now have the power to protect you! Believe me, just let me handle this myself. This isn’t me being reckless. I’m proving to you that I haven’t fallen behind!"

Lin Xue’s beautiful eyes shimmered. Seeing the determination on Lin Xuan’s face, she finally nodded and didn’t try to stop him any longer.

This exchange only made Rao Longtian even more furious, his heart blazing with rage.

"One move is enough? What arrogance! Aren’t you afraid of biting your tongue? Do you really think this is the Inner Hall?" Rao Longtian’s anger flared. He pushed his aura to its absolute peak, ready to unleash his power and severely injure Lin Xuan in a single strike.

"I’ve never mistaken this place for the Inner Hall. I know it’s full of masters. But against you... one move really is enough." Lin Xuan’s expression was calm as he held the White Pupil Rod, his own aura beginning to rise swiftly.

"Then I’ll be the one to defeat you in a single move!" Rao Longtian roared. He swung his longsword, thrusting it at Lin Xuan. In that instant, the world seemed to warp. The space around them rippled violently, and the longsword in his hand began to vibrate with astonishing power. Fine, web-like cracks spread across the ground in its wake.

Watching from the sidelines, Lin Xue’s heart pounded in her chest. She was terrified that Lin Xuan would be run through by that sword; she would go insane if that happened. If Lin Xuan hadn’t agreed to the duel, his opponent couldn’t have forced his hand. In the Core Hall, no one could be forced into a duel. Anyone who tried would face severe punishment!

Regardless of the outcome, Lin Xue had made her choice. All she could do now was hold her breath and watch, her hands clasped tightly as she prayed for him.

Rao Longtian drew upon a vast amount of the surrounding Power of Heaven and Earth. While his control wasn’t perfect, he could already command a small portion of it, which was considered exceptional among cultivators his age.

Unfortunately for him, he was facing Lin Xuan, whose Control Power was freakishly strong.

"You dare contend with such a meager amount of the Power of Heaven and Earth!"

A white light flashed in Lin Xuan’s eyes. He swung the White Pupil Rod and brought it down hard. BANG! The White Pupil Rod smashed into Rao Longtian’s accumulated Power of Heaven and Earth. In the next instant, the energy enveloping Rao Longtian was shattered by the single blow.

BOOM! As he charged forward, Rao Longtian felt most of his power being siphoned away. His strength was drastically reduced. The Power of Heaven and Earth he controlled had not only been shattered, but was now being drained from him and poured directly into Lin Xuan’s body!

Shattering Void!

Lin Xuan let out a low growl and swung the White Pupil Rod crashing down toward Rao Longtian. Deprived of the support from the Power of Heaven and Earth, Rao Longtian felt a wave of powerlessness wash over him. By the time he tried to summon his own strength to resist, it was too late. The White Pupil Rod, gleaming with a white light, had already slammed into his chest.

DONG!

The impact sounded like a great bell being struck. Rao Longtian was sent flying by the blow, crashing hard against a nearby wall. He let out a muffled grunt, spat out a mouthful of blood, and collapsed to the ground.

"What an idiot. Trying to compete with Lin Yunlong in controlling the Power of Heaven and Earth is just asking to die..." Zheng Hua remarked sarcastically from the side. He had seen Lin Xuan fight before and knew that with his powerful control, he could completely siphon his opponent’s Power of Heaven and Earth and use it for himself.

Just now, Rao Longtian had infused his own strength into the Power of Heaven and Earth to amplify its might. Little did he know, he was just playing right into Lin Xuan’s hands. Lin Xuan had effortlessly redirected that portion of the Power of Heaven and Earth, leaving Rao Longtian momentarily powerless.

In terms of raw strength, Rao Longtian was far stronger than Lin Xuan, but he lost because he underestimated his opponent. Lin Xuan’s control over the Power of Heaven and Earth was simply unrivaled. Anyone who used it against him was courting death!

That was why the moment Lin Xuan saw Rao Longtian use the Power of Heaven and Earth, he knew he had already won. It was a classic case of an amateur showing off before a master—no different from seeking death. What did it matter if Rao Longtian frantically built up his power? He poured it all into the Power of Heaven and Earth, and once it was siphoned away, all he had done was waste his own Elemental Power.

Silence. A dead silence.

Lin Xuan had actually done it. He had defeated Rao Longtian in a single move, and with incredible ease. The crowd hadn’t even fully processed what happened before Rao Longtian was beaten. After taking such a heavy blow, he was likely severely injured and wouldn’t be able to fight again anytime soon.

Lin Xue’s face was flushed as she gazed at Lin Xuan’s heroic figure. In that moment, he seemed like an invincible War God, sweeping away all before him. Lin Xuan had really done it. He had proven to everyone that he was not to be underestimated—and that the Inner Hall was not full of trash!

"So this is Lin Yunlong’s true power? His control over the Power of Heaven and Earth is just Heaven-Defying! Rao Longtian’s power was like a helpless chick, snatched away with no effort at all!"

"Now this is a good show! Lin Yunlong established his dominance the moment he arrived. It’s about time those guys were taught a lesson. Let them know that the disciples who ascend from the Inner Hall are definitely not useless!"

"Yeah, we’ve been pushed around for too long! The Inner Hall faction finally has a supreme genius on our side!"

...

Support for Lin Xuan among the crowd was divided. The Core Hall as a whole was split into three main factions. The first was the Genius Sect, which included people like Rao Longtian who had become Core Disciples directly. They were typically arrogant, filled with a sense of superiority, and utterly despised disciples who rose up from the Inner Hall, viewing them all as trash. The second was the Neutral Faction, to which people like Lin Xue belonged; they didn’t participate in any of the conflicts. The third was the Inner Hall Sect, composed of those who had ascended from the Inner Hall.

In terms of overall strength, the Genius Sect completely dominated the Inner Hall Sect, occupying nearly all of the top ten ranks. As for the idea that fellow disciples should live in harmony, the reality was that these disciples were all recruited from the outside world and had their own loyalties. As a result, their relationships were anything but friendly.

Furthermore, the resources in the Core Hall were limited. The competition for more resources inevitably caused friction, worsening their relationships. The Neutral Faction could potentially join either of the other two factions at any time, so the other factions generally maintained civil relations with them, but unavoidable conflicts still occasionally arose.

This was why it was said that entering the Core Hall was just another beginning. Life here was crueler, and the competition was even more staggering. Qingcheng Mansion’s goal was to select the truly exceptional, not the merely talented.

「The cruelty had only just begun.」