Soul Emperor Awakening

"A little interesting. This Lin Yunlong really has some skill!" Tong Yulong stood up, sneering at Lin Xuan. "I haven’t even used my full strength yet!"

"The feeling is mutual. I haven’t used my full strength either!" Lin Xuan sneered back.

The Peak experts of the two great factions were clashing head-on, but what shocked the onlookers even more was that Lin Xuan had reached 43,000 meters with such ease, as if it were no trouble at all. Those who had been mocking him, saying he’d top out at 20,000 meters, were now speechless, too stunned to utter a word.

This was all too incredible, simply beyond anything they could have imagined. ’Has Lin Xuan’s Physique strengthened so much in just half a year?’ Of course, these members of the Genius Sect had never considered the amount of effort required to reach such a level of achievement.

"Then how about we see who can go farther?" Tong Yulong said with a faint smile, a hint of disdain creeping into his eyes.

"Is that supposed to be a challenge?" Lin Xuan gestured for Tong Yulong to go first.

Tong Yulong snorted coldly. A golden light burst from his body as he charged down toward the bottom of the Cyan Cloud Tower. He transformed into a streak of golden light, whistling toward the base and leaving a long, dazzling trail of gold in his wake.

Lin Xuan, not to be outdone, activated his Cyan Cloud Step and pursued him at full speed. He was barely any slower than Tong Yulong, sticking right behind him. With every step, a cyan light flared, creating a stark contrast to Tong Yulong’s golden aura.

Their depth increased rapidly. In the blink of an eye, they shot from 43,000 meters down to 45,000. Lin Xuan kept pace, refusing to fall behind.

Soon, they blew past the 45,000-meter mark and reached 50,000 meters, and Lin Xuan still hadn’t fallen behind, sticking close. From this point on, however, both of their speeds began to decrease. But Lin Xuan seemed to have no intention of overtaking Tong Yulong, content to just follow closely.

If Tong Yulong sped up, so did he. If Tong Yulong slowed down, he matched his pace. The small gap between them never changed.

At the top of the Cyan Cloud Tower, the crowd watched them, completely dumbfounded. They were already at 50,000 meters. That translated to 500,000 jin of gravitational force! To still be able to run at such speeds was simply monstrous, far beyond anything they could compare to.

Most of the onlookers would be unable to run past twenty or thirty thousand meters, reduced to inching forward meter by meter. Yet these two were still using Body Techniques to charge onward. They were both absolute monsters!

As Tong Yulong frantically ran in the lead, the pressure on him mounted. Lin Xuan was stuck to him like glue; no matter how he changed his speed, he couldn’t shake him off. He was inwardly shaken. ’I never thought a newcomer could hold on for this long!’

"I refuse to believe I can’t shake you, you piece of Inner Hall Sect trash!" Tong Yulong snarled. A brighter golden light erupted from his powerful frame as the surrounding Golden Elemental Power coated the surface of his body. Combining with the Golden Elemental Power within him, it gradually formed a suit of Golden Armor!

The appearance of the Golden Armor significantly lessened the gravity pressing down on him. His pace quickened dramatically, and he instantly widened the distance between them.

’This Golden Element Body is certainly powerful, but my Golden Dragon Body is just as good!’ Lin Xuan snorted. In that instant, the Golden Dragon King’s power fused with him. The Golden Dragon Bone inside his body pulsed with a golden light as a domineering Elemental Power surged forth, causing Golden Dragon Scales to materialize on his skin.

The appearance of the more solidified Golden Dragon Scales made Lin Xuan’s body even more formidable, allowing him to withstand the immense pressure. His speed shot up, and once again, he was right on Tong Yulong’s heels!

The members of the Genius Sect hadn’t even had a chance to cheer before Lin Xuan caught up. Instead, it was the disciples of the Inner Hall Sect who erupted in cheers, their faces flushed with excitement.

"He caught up! He caught up!"

"I knew it! I knew Lin Yunlong was something else! You can’t fall behind now!"

...

The Inner Hall Sect disciples stared with wide eyes, roaring internally. They couldn’t offer any tangible support, so they could only cheer silently, pleading for Lin Xuan to overtake Tong Yulong!

They weren’t asking to beat Tong Yulong in every category. As long as they could surpass him in a few, their Inner Hall Sect wouldn’t face such humiliation.

"How is this possible?!" Tong Yulong’s heart jumped as he sensed the presence behind him. The sight of the Golden Dragon Scales on Lin Xuan made his stomach drop. ’I knew he had a perfect Golden Dragon Body... it looks like the rumors were true. And it’s powerful... far more powerful than mine!’

"I refuse to believe I can’t lose him!" Tong Yulong roared. An even more dazzling golden light burst from within him as he pushed the physical abilities of his Golden Element Body to their absolute limit. The Golden Armor condensing around him grew even tougher, even forming a protective shield that created a kind of Body-Protecting Domain!

With the boost from this layer of Golden Armor, the gravity was once again significantly mitigated. This allowed his speed to surge, and he again managed to put some distance between himself and Lin Xuan.

"Cloud Return Technique!"

Lin Xuan grunted. The Bloodline Power in his body began to boil, and a red sheen appeared on his skin, even tinting his Golden Dragon Scales.

BOOM!

Lin Xuan stomped down hard. An extreme power erupted from his legs, making the ground sink slightly. The explosive force launched him forward like a cannonball!

These were powerful techniques usually reserved for combat, but now they were using them in a simple race, all to prove a point and maintain their pride.

With this burst of extreme acceleration, Lin Xuan not only caught up to Tong Yulong but began to overtake him! In the blink of an eye, they were neck and neck, hurtling toward the bottom of the Cyan Cloud Tower at maximum speed.

They were already at 55,000 meters, and they could still accelerate. The word "formidable" was no longer sufficient to describe their physiques.

"S-sixty thousand meters!"

Someone shouted it out, making the others realize they had already passed the 60,000-meter mark. That was 600,000 jin of force. ’To still not have reached their limit under this terrifying pressure... are they actually planning to run all the way to the 100,000-meter end point?’

Of course, they couldn’t make it to the 100,000-meter end point. Their speed finally began to drop, though it was still remarkably fast. The two ran shoulder-to-shoulder in a tight race.

Tong Yulong clenched his teeth, feeling his body approach its limit. He never imagined Lin Xuan would still be able to hold on at this point.

Lin Xuan suddenly glanced over at Tong Yulong and smiled faintly. "Is this your limit? If so, I’m very disappointed."

"Disappointed?" Tong Yulong froze, then it dawned on him. ’Could it be... he still hasn’t reached his limit?’

The words had barely left his lips when Lin Xuan turned his head forward again. Suddenly, with a WHOOSH, a ball of flame erupted beneath his feet. With a light step, he seemed to transform into a Phoenix, soaring ahead. Ignited by the explosive power of his ultimate bloodline, the flames burned a brilliant, deep red.

At that moment, Lin Xuan created a gap between them, one that only continued to widen. He had left his rival in the dust!