Soul Emperor Awakening

In the close-quarters exchange, Qing Yiyi already displayed an astonishing level of skill. Her superb Body Technique had almost allowed her to touch Lin Xuan. She had even executed the Phantom Step, which was completely beyond his expectations. It had been over a year, at least, since he had last instructed her.

For her Body Technique to evolve to such a degree in just over a year truly surprised him. He had expected her to improve, but not by this much. Her astonishing evasiveness was truly stunning to behold.

"If your Body Technique is poor, you’ll fall far behind others in a match. And that’s not all... Enough talk!" Another wisp of cyan smoke appeared at Qing Yiyi’s feet, and she vanished on the spot.

It was the Cyan Cloud Step again. In fact, it was the only technique she knew. For her, it was enough to cultivate her father’s Body Technique to its absolute limit. She flickered at extreme speed, appearing before Lin Xuan. Her slender hand moved like a water snake, curving as it reached for him.

Both her Body Technique and her attacks were infused with the essence of the Cyan Cloud Step. Her speed was incredible, and her movements were so unpredictable it was impossible to tell where the attack was coming from.

Lin Xuan shifted his feet slightly, easily dodging the move. He then reached out to grab her, his agility no less than Qing Yiyi’s. But he only made contact with one of Qing Yiyi’s Illusions. She had used the Phantom Step again. A fair hand reached out from beside him, grabbing for his shoulder.

Just as her hand was about to make contact, Lin Xuan dissolved into an Illusion himself. He reappeared beside Qing Yiyi, his hand shaped like a tiger’s claw as he swiped at her with a fierce gust of palm wind.

But his hand passed through yet another Illusion formed from a wisp of cyan smoke. ’Phantom Step again!’

"SHINK!"

A delicate hand emerged from Lin Xuan’s chest, passing straight through his body. Lin Xuan had once again used the Phantom Step to evade, and he immediately followed up by forming a claw and swiping at her...

The two engaged in a frantic exchange of Phantom Steps, leaving the surrounding audience dumbfounded. Some of the spectators had also cultivated the Cyan Cloud Step, but none had reached the Micro Level, let alone the realm of the Phantom Step. This was a true competition of Body Techniques. The attacks weren’t brutal—they were simple and direct. The first one to be touched would lose.

Yet, though they took turns trying to land a touch, neither could succeed. The level of skill they displayed left everyone stunned. It was one thing for Qing Yiyi’s Body Technique to be so formidable; after all, her father was Qing Liuyun, the creator of the Cyan Cloud Step, and she had been practicing it since she first began her Cultivation.

She had been stuck at a certain stage for a long time, mired in grief over her father’s death. But once she came to terms with it, she had a breakthrough, and her Cyan Cloud Step reached a level that was near its Peak!

Her skill was high now, but Lin Xuan’s was just as impressive. This was what they found so incredible. They had no idea how Lin Xuan trained. How had he managed to cultivate even the Cyan Cloud Step to such an insane degree?

"This Body Technique of yours is truly remarkable, Miss Yiyi," Lin Xuan said after another evasion. "I’m sure your father would be very proud that you’ve cultivated the Cyan Cloud Step to this level."

"Is that so? But you’re not my father. All I know is that if this is the extent of your skill, you’re guaranteed to lose this match!" Qing Yiyi’s expression was indifferent. She was getting serious now. She truly wanted to fight Tong Yulong, but only on the condition that Lin Xuan lost to her.

"Indeed, your Body Technique is at a very high level. But this isn’t the extent of my skill. And now, in your father’s stead, I would like to teach you the final move!" Lin Xuan said calmly, looking at Qing Yiyi.

"In your father’s stead, teach me the final move..." Qing Yiyi’s expression changed. "Don’t tell me you know *that* move!" she asked, shocked.

Everyone else present heard him. The Elders’ expressions shifted, finding Lin Xuan’s words hard to believe. The reason was simple: the Cyan Cloud Step did have a final move. But besides Qing Liuyun himself, no one had ever been able to perform it. Its difficulty was considered the absolute highest.

They had practiced for a very long time without success; it would take them much longer to master it, if ever. For Lin Xuan to now claim he could perform it was met with disbelief. If he really pulled it off, it would make them all look like fools.

"Yes. With my current ability, I can just barely manage to execute it. But the resulting effect will be more than enough to defeat you." A light flashed in Lin Xuan’s eyes. Qing Liuyun’s soul possessed him, and his entire aura immediately underwent a significant change.

Qing Yiyi felt the change. She sensed that the person standing before her was not Lin Xuan, but her father, Qing Liuyun. It was more like a combination of Lin Xuan and Qing Liuyun. After all, the man physically standing before her was not her father, but Lin Xuan.

The other Elders could feel it as well. They had never sensed anyone who resembled Qing Liuyun so uncannily. It wasn’t that Lin Xuan hadn’t used Soul Possession with Qing Liuyun’s soul before, but those instances had been more muddled, so the sensation was naturally different.

This time, it was a pure possession, so the aura was naturally different.

In truth, Lin Xuan didn’t need to do this. He could have easily surpassed Qing Yiyi by using the Cloud Return Technique in conjunction with the Cyan Cloud Fire-Treading Step, but he chose not to. He wanted to perform this move for her, to let her properly witness and remember the feeling.

"Watch closely. This is what your father comprehended on the very day you learned how to walk..."

A wisp of cyan smoke appeared in Lin Xuan’s eyes as he took a light step forward. Faint cyan smoke emanated from his body as he slowly walked toward Qing Yiyi. His posture was like that of a child just learning to walk, toddling slowly and swaying slightly, as if he might fall over at any moment.

It was this seemingly unremarkable footwork that made all the Elders shoot to their feet. They stared intently at Lin Xuan’s steps, their eyes filled with disbelief. This display even made the master of Cyan Cloud Peak lose his composure; he, too, stood up, staring dumbfounded at Lin Xuan’s footwork.

The prelude was perfect. Even every single step was so uncannily similar... it was as if Qing Liuyun himself were walking. The others didn’t have the same reaction; they just thought Lin Xuan’s walking posture was strange and couldn’t see the profound mystery within it.

There was no astonishing speed, just this simple walk toward Qing Yiyi. Seeing such familiar footwork, Qing Yiyi’s eyes reddened. It was too similar... exactly how her father had once demonstrated it for her.

"Yiyi, it’s over," Lin Xuan said with a faint smile as he continued his slow approach.

"Yes... it’s over."

A firm, strong hand rested gently on her shoulder. Qing Yiyi shuddered, tears streaming uncontrollably down her face. "I still don’t understand," she sobbed softly. "I really don’t understand..."

She had lost. Utterly and completely. The moment Lin Xuan touched her, he had won.

At that moment, there were two Lin Xuans. One was still walking toward Qing Yiyi, while the other—who had appeared behind her at some unknown moment—already had his hand resting on her shoulder.

’Phantom Step?’

This clearly wasn’t it. An illusion from the Phantom Step couldn’t continue to walk forward. This one, however, slowly approached, reached out, and gently touched Qing Yiyi’s head. With a POOF, it dissolved into a wisp of cyan smoke.

Only then did the Illusion truly vanish. This was the final move of the Cyan Cloud Step—the Cyan Robe Step!