Soul Emperor Awakening

Lin Xuan was a bit surprised by Qing Yiyi’s request. He had assumed this fight was unavoidable—and he wasn’t wrong; it definitely was.

However, the contest Qing Yiyi proposed wasn’t a battle, but a duel of Body Techniques! A contest of Body Techniques wouldn’t be so draining. Qing Yiyi also didn’t want to get into a major fight with Lin Xuan, as the toll would be too great. If their match was too taxing, it would be detrimental to their next battles.

Especially since neither of them was the other’s ultimate target, why would they fight so hard? Thus, Qing Yiyi suggested a contest of Body Techniques. As for how the contest would work, that would depend on what she proposed next.

"A contest of Body Techniques? How would that work?" Lin Xuan asked, looking at Qing Yiyi with confusion.

"In a contest of Body Techniques, the first person to be touched loses!" Qing Yiyi explained her proposed method. "Whoever touches their opponent first, wins. We don’t need to attack each other at all."

Likewise, if you are touched while touching your opponent, it also counts as a loss. Winning is simple: you just have to touch them before they touch you. It’s a test not only of Body Technique, but also of reaction speed.

This type of contest was quite peaceful. No one ever said a duel had to be a life-or-death struggle. This was especially true for these kinds of matches, which could be conducted based on the participants’ own ideas. If someone lost according to her rules, the loser would simply have to concede. The Stewards outside the ring would, of course, recognize such a self-determined outcome.

Rules are rigid, but people are flexible. Given that their relationship was decent and they still wanted to determine a winner, it was perfectly appropriate for them to set their own rules.

"Okay," Lin Xuan agreed without hesitation. He approved of this arrangement. ’In fact, he was confident he wouldn’t lose, which in his mind was as good as Qing Yiyi admitting defeat already.’

BOOM!

Just then, a loud bang erupted from the adjacent fighting ring, drawing their attention. They turned to see a disciple of the Inner Hall Sect get sent flying by Tong Yulong’s overwhelmingly tyrannical golden light. He crashed violently into the spectator stands outside the ring. Before the nearby Steward could even react, the Inner Hall Sect disciple had already been defeated.

He wasn’t just defeated; he was practically crippled. When the Steward went to check on him, he found nearly every bone in the disciple’s body had been shattered. The man was still alive, but recovery would take a very long time—a few years at best, but possibly more than a decade.

For a Cultivator, this was a devastating blow. Being unable to get up and practice Cultivation for several years, perhaps even a decade... what would that mean? It basically meant the rest of his life was ruined. He would find it nearly impossible to ever reach a higher level of Cultivation.

"Trash. You wanted to enter the top five with that pathetic level of Cultivation? You must be dreaming!" Tong Yulong retracted his hand, the golden glow on his palm gradually fading. But the strike he had just delivered left a deep scar on the ring floor, tearing up a large chunk of the hardened ground.

The match had just begun, and Tong Yulong had already taken someone out in an instant, his speed far surpassing others. Crucially, his methods were ruthless, all but destroying the other man’s future.

"You... How could you be so vicious? You people from the Genius Sect are too ruthless!"

"Exactly! Elder, his attack was too vicious! He treats us like we’re not even human! We demand he be disqualified!"

"Every bone in his body is shattered. How is that any different from killing him? He was talented, too! Do you have any idea how hard he worked?!"

...

The members of the Inner Hall Sect were furious. Several of the Elders also had grim expressions; the blow had been far too cruel. But the friction between the Inner Hall Sect and the Genius Sect was too intense. They couldn’t possibly intervene. This wasn’t something that could be resolved with a few simple words.

Besides, Tong Yulong hadn’t technically broken any rules. As long as no one was killed, it wasn’t a violation. Fists and feet have no eyes; it’s normal not to be able to pull a punch at a critical moment. That’s why the only strict rule was no killing. Tong Yulong had exploited this rule perfectly. He hadn’t killed his opponent, but he had basically crippled him for life.

"His skills were inferior. He couldn’t block my attack. What does that have to do with me?" Tong Yulong scanned the crowd with a cold gaze. "I gave him a choice: surrender or fight! He chose to fight me. If he couldn’t take one of my attacks, then that’s just a testament to his own weakness."

Tong Yulong’s words were cutting, but no one could refute them. With the friction between the two factions being so severe, an incident like this was bound to happen sooner or later.

With one person eliminated, only five remained. As long as the other four didn’t end up like the Inner Hall Sect disciple, with every bone in their body shattered, their positions as prospective Elders were secure. All that was left was to fight for their final ranking.

Cyan Cloud Peak was all smiles, thoroughly pleased with his son’s actions. ’The weak are meat for the strong. If you don’t have the skill, you shouldn’t be standing in this arena,’ he thought. It was just that, given his status, it would be inappropriate for him to say such a thing aloud.

The Inner Hall Sect disciples wore ugly expressions. Since Tong Yulong hadn’t broken any rules, there was nothing they could do but shout a few curses. Their only hope now was that Lin Xuan could defeat Tong Yulong.

However, the battle between Lin Xuan and Qing Yiyi hadn’t even begun yet, as both of their attentions had been captured by Tong Yulong’s fight.

"It seems your mercy toward that Genius Sect disciple wasn’t appreciated," Qing Yiyi said, looking at Lin Xuan.

"People are all different. I did what I felt was necessary. You don’t always have to be so merciless."

Lin Xuan knew she was referring to how he had gone easy on Lou Yuzhi. ’In truth, I wouldn’t say I held back. It was a fairly normal attack, enough to put Lou Yuzhi in bed for a few months. If I had truly been merciless, there would be another corpse on the ground, and I’d be disqualified. That’s obviously not a good trade.’

"Well then, it’s our turn," Qing Yiyi said with a calm smile, a hint of amusement on her beautiful face. "You inherited your father’s Body Technique. I hope you can push it to its limits. Don’t disappoint me."

The moment the words left her mouth, Qing Yiyi executed the Cyan Cloud Step. She unleashed it at the Micro Level, dissolving into a wisp of cyan smoke and vanishing from her spot. The aura Lin Xuan had locked onto her instantly lost its target.

In the next instant, Qing Yiyi appeared at Lin Xuan’s side, her hand reaching out to tap his body.

Lin Xuan, who had been standing perfectly still, suddenly moved with the speed of lightning. He countered with a touch of his own, aiming to tap her arm before she could touch him!

But just as he made contact, Qing Yiyi’s arm dissolved like a reflection on water, rippling away. It was an afterimage!

Phantom Step!

Lin Xuan’s eyes narrowed. ’This was an extremely advanced application of the Cyan Cloud Step. I can’t believe Qing Yiyi has already mastered it. That one time I coached her must have really helped her achieve a breakthrough.’

Just then, her slender hand passed right through his head. Qing Yiyi’s figure overlapped with Lin Xuan’s. The missed attack stunned her; she hadn’t expected Lin Xuan to be able to use the Phantom Step as well.

"Your Body Technique is as formidable as ever," Qing Yiyi said, turning to see Lin Xuan standing a short distance away.

"The same could be said for you. No wonder Miss Yi Yi proposed this kind of contest; it seems you were quite confident in yourself." A hint of seriousness entered Lin Xuan’s eyes. ’I really can’t afford to be careless anymore,’ he thought.