Soul Emperor Awakening

Lin Xuan arrived at the entrance, and the gazes of the numerous disciples immediately gathered on him. The members of the Genius Sect were mostly dismissive; they didn’t believe Lin Xuan could possibly surpass Tong Yulong.

Four hundred and thirty thousand pounds—what a terrifying figure. They felt that a single slap with that much force would leave them gravely injured and coughing up blood, and that wasn’t even factoring in an attack using Elemental Power.

"Does this Lin Yunlong really want to challenge Tong Yulong? Isn’t that just asking for death? Didn’t he stop at fifteen thousand meters last time? Hasn’t he embarrassed himself enough? That last challenge was the same—he simply doesn’t know his own limits!"

"Exactly. I refuse to believe his Physique could have improved so much in just six months. He’s just asking to be humiliated!"

"What do you mean, ’asking to be humiliated’? He’s broken through several levels in the last six months, and he just got back from the Demon Cloud Sea! Would any of you dare to go to the Demon Cloud Sea?"

"Stop looking down on people! Have you all forgotten what happened with Rao Longtian?"

...

The two factions started bickering again and nearly came to blows over it. But deep down, the members of the Inner Hall Sect weren’t very confident. Tong Yulong was just too Heaven-Defying. His previous limit was just over three hundred thousand pounds, and now it had skyrocketed to four hundred and thirty thousand. It was an explosive improvement!

As for Lin Xuan, they really had no idea what to expect. If he lost, they would be utterly humiliated.

"Damn it, you Genius Sect snobs, stop looking down on people! I believe Lin Yunlong can surpass your Tong Yulong! And so what if he can’t do it today? I’m sure he’ll surpass him in the future!"

"That’s right! ’Asking to be humiliated,’ ’doesn’t know his own limits’—you talk as if anyone is born strong! Your innate talent is just a little better than ours, so what? If you’re so amazing, why don’t you try not cultivating!"

...

The Inner Hall Sect roared in protest. They had been suppressed for too long. Now that a rare, powerful genius had appeared among them, they would naturally stand with Lin Xuan. There’s no shame in failure; the only shame is in being too afraid to try!

"Thank you all for your support. I can’t guarantee I’ll surpass him, but I’ll at least give it my all!" Lin Xuan smiled, moved by their words. ’So what if my talent doesn’t compare to the Genius Sect’s? All I have to do is work hard enough to catch up, right?’

"Give it your all? Sometimes, giving it your all is completely useless!"

"That’s always the first thing you say. Well, have you caught up to us yet?"

The members of the Genius Sect sneered. They looked down on the Inner Hall Sect from the very bottom of their hearts. Sometimes, a gap was simply innate; no amount of effort could ever close it.

"What makes you say that?" Lin Xuan said, looking at them coolly. "From where I’m standing, your talent isn’t anything special. When you compare yourselves to us, aren’t we all more or less the same right now?"

Lin Xuan’s words stunned them into silence; they had no comeback. The Cultivation levels within their group were all pretty similar. Some were higher or lower than others, but they were all in the same general bracket.

"W-We haven’t been cultivating seriously, not like you people who act like your lives depend on it!" someone retorted.

"Not cultivating seriously? Then what are you doing in the Core Hall? This is a place for disciples to cultivate, not to fool around! If you’ve got the guts, go tell the Elders that. Let’s see if you don’t get a slap across the face." Lin Xuan’s cold snort shut them down completely. The path of the Celestial Dao wasn’t so simple. You could have all the talent in the world, but without hard work, it was all just talk.

’Don’t they see Tong Yulong down there, meditating and cultivating? If talent was all it took, he could just take a leisurely stroll up here. Why would he even need to cultivate?’

Lin Xuan paid them no more mind. He turned and walked toward the staircase. Without wasting another word, he charged down, unleashing his Cyan Cloud Step with abandon. He descended at a furious pace, far faster than before.

In response to his display, the Genius Sect only sneered. Perhaps Lin Xuan was stronger than them, but he was definitely no match for Tong Yulong. For them, that was all that mattered.

"I bet he makes it to twenty thousand meters, tops. An improvement of five thousand meters would be pretty impressive for him!"

"So what if he has a perfect Golden Dragon Body? It’s still no match for the boss’s Golden Element Body!"

...

The jeers continued to fly. They had no faith in Lin Xuan’s performance. In their hearts, Tong Yulong was a true god!

In the blink of an eye, Lin Xuan had already sprinted to ten thousand meters, yet his speed didn’t drop. He maintained his original pace as he descended. Soon he hit twelve thousand meters, easily cruising past his previous record.

At fifteen thousand meters, he was still maintaining his speed, feeling no pressure at all. He sprinted to the twenty-thousand-meter mark at an incredible velocity, and even then, his speed showed no signs of slowing!

Fast. He was simply too fast. Lin Xuan’s speed was like a bolt of lightning. He transformed into a streak of light and shot downward without decelerating at all. It looked as if his speed hadn’t decreased in the slightest, as though the Cyan Cloud Tower was completely devoid of gravity.

In reality, the gravity was still present, a fact the onlookers could clearly perceive.

He easily surpassed his old record and began hurtling toward the twenty-five-thousand-meter mark. It was then that Tong Yulong, who had been meditating with his eyes closed, finally opened them. A hint of surprise flickered in his eyes as he watched the figure charging toward him at such an extreme speed.

Tong Yulong didn’t panic. He remained seated, wanting to see if Lin Xuan could actually reach his position. He had picked Lin Xuan out of the crowd instantly. The reason was simple: Lin Xuan’s face was unfamiliar. The Core Hall had so few regular members that a new face was easy to spot.

’This gravity is still too light. It’s nothing compared to the gravity in the Martial God Tower!’ A confident smirk touched the corner of Lin Xuan’s lips. This was the power of self-assurance. He was absolutely certain he would surpass Tong Yulong!

"Gods, forty thousand meters! He’s already at forty thousand!"

"Heavens, his speed is incredible! Lin Yunlong is definitely going to reach Tong Yulong this time. The distance between them is closing fast!"

"I never imagined Lin Yunlong would become so strong after coming back from the Demon Cloud Sea!"

...

The faces of the Inner Hall Sect members were lit with excitement. This was nothing short of a miracle. Lin Xuan was only three thousand meters away from Tong Yulong’s position—how could they not be thrilled? Before this, no one in the Inner Hall Sect could even come close to Tong Yulong.

The expressions on the Genius Sect’s faces, however, were not nearly as pleasant. Lin Xuan’s speed still hadn’t slackened. At this rate, he was bound to surpass Tong Yulong. If forty-three thousand meters was Tong Yulong’s limit, then their loss was certain!

In the blink of an eye, Lin Xuan slowed and came to a stop beside Tong Yulong, his expression still completely relaxed, showing no signs of strain.

"Interesting. This Lin Yunlong really has some skill," Tong Yulong said, standing up. He looked at Lin Xuan and sneered. "I haven’t even used my full strength yet!"

"The feeling’s mutual. I haven’t used my full strength either," Lin Xuan retorted with a sneer of his own. ’Finally, a head-on confrontation with Tong Yulong.’