Soul Emperor Awakening

It took many steps before Lin Xuan’s illusion finally vanished. This was simply unbelievable to them. They hadn’t even noticed when Lin Xuan had gotten behind Qing Yiyi; not even Qing Piaoyun and the others had sensed it.

Only experts of Qing Deyun’s caliber had sensed Lin Xuan actually slipping behind Qing Yiyi. His aura was so faint that it required an incredibly keen perception to even notice.

But was the figure in front an illusion? One could say it was, but one could also say it wasn’t. That’s because the illusion truly contained a portion of Lin Xuan’s power and could also attack. It was practically a carbon copy of Martial Intent!

As for whether this was Martial Intent, you could say it was, but you could also say it wasn’t. It didn’t require formidable Spiritual Power, only Elemental Power. In other words, it was executed using a combination of Elemental Power and presence.

If Martial Intent was the Unity of Qi and Soul, then this Cyan Robe Step required the Unity of Primordial Qi! It was essentially another method of application. Qing Liuyun couldn’t comprehend Martial Intent, so he instead came to understand this alternative way of using it.

A genius, an absolute genius! It was no exaggeration to call Qing Liuyun the number one genius of Qingcheng Mansion. Since he couldn’t learn Martial Intent, he devised the Unity of Primordial Qi. Overall, it couldn’t compare to Martial Intent, but it had a similar effect, allowing the illusion to possess a portion of Lin Xuan’s power. The drawback was that it couldn’t be controlled at will. Once it left his body, it would only attack according to its preset path.

It was like throwing a punch that manifested as a Qi Fist to attack. From the moment it was launched, its trajectory could no longer be changed. Martial Intent, however, was different. It could be controlled at will, since it was based on Spiritual Power, allowing for remote manipulation and making it superior.

Qing Liuyun had named this ability Yuan Yi!

Because it carried his own aura, everyone felt as if Lin Xuan hadn’t moved, but was genuinely walking toward Qing Yiyi. Even if the ruse was seen through, the released Yuan Yi was still capable of attacking. If it wasn’t destroyed, it could definitely cause considerable trouble.

However, this move had a major drawback: it consumed an extraordinary amount of Elemental Power. This was more or less why Lin Xuan hadn’t used it until now. The Elemental Power consumption was so immense that it was nearly impossible to use without being at the Essence Pill Stage Level. He had never used it in the early stages of his cultivation.

Even with his Essence Pill Stage Cultivation, he still needed to use it with caution, as it consumed a great deal of Elemental Power. Just executing that Yuan Yi now had cost him a small portion of his Elemental Power. The drain was undeniably immense.

Since it still possessed offensive power, this meant that if the Yuan Yi had touched Qing Yiyi, she would have lost all the same.

To truly master this Yuan Yi, one needed powerful Control Power. If someone had already learned Martial Intent, then Yuan Yi would be relatively easy to cultivate in comparison.

The reason these Elders hadn’t fully mastered it was mainly that they hadn’t studied it thoroughly enough and failed to achieve a complete understanding. Enlightenment was a strange thing—both profound and simple. Qing Liuyun, for instance, had his breakthrough simply by watching Qing Yiyi toddle about as a child. It just goes to show that inspiration comes from everyday life!

"You’ll be able to understand it one day, but not right now." Lin Xuan smiled faintly, and just like that, the duel was over.

Everyone else was dumbfounded, unable to comprehend what had just happened. It had all been too sudden, and the illusion that lingered for so long without dissipating was especially miraculous.

As for the Elders, their hearts were filled with a mixture of complicated emotions. A skill that none of them had managed to cultivate, Lin Xuan had actually learned it—the ultimate skill of the Cyan Cloud Step. It was a shock to the entire audience!

"He really did it. He really pulled it off..." Qing Piaoyun sank back into his seat, his eyes gleaming with ecstatic joy. He was utterly shaken.

The manual for the Cyan Cloud Step clearly recorded that it required the Unity of Primordial Qi, but they had never been able to cultivate that feeling. Or rather, they might have grasped the feeling for a moment but found it impossible to truly merge, which led to their failure.

"Yes, he really did it..." Qing Piaoxue also sat down, her gaze on Lin Xuan shifting again and again. She didn’t know what to say.

The disciples of the Genius Sect all felt a pang of jealousy. ’Even the Elders hadn’t mastered this technique, yet Lin Xuan has. If we say he lacks talent, then what does that make us?’

"The Cyan Robe Step... it really is the Cyan Robe Step. Lin Yunlong, your son has some real skill!" Tong Yulong clenched his fists. To him, this body technique was genuinely dangerous.

Amidst a thunderous roar from the crowd, Lin Xuan’s battle concluded. Qing Yiyi, however, turned and threw herself into Lin Xuan’s arms, starting to cry softly. Lin Xuan was just too much like her father, so much so that she had mistaken him for a moment. Seeing him use that technique, in particular, had stirred up endless memories for her.

She had been living on that mountain peak, searching for those very feelings, but found that no matter how hard she searched, she could never get them back. Now, Lin Xuan had brought them back for her, but in doing so, she had lost the match.

Lin Xue bit her lip as she watched Qing Yiyi crying in Lin Xuan’s arms. She huffed and muttered, "I’ll let it slide this time!" She was clearly jealous. Beside her, Lin Feng coughed lightly. ’My daughter is actually being quite magnanimous,’ he thought. ’The girl was just overcome with emotion; it’s not like she did it on purpose.’

Lin Xuan felt rather awkward himself but didn’t have the heart to push Qing Yiyi away. When the disciples of the Genius Sect saw this, they were infuriated. ’It’s bad enough he has Lin Xue, but now he’s taking advantage of Qing Yiyi too!’

After a while, Qing Yiyi finally composed herself. Once her emotions had stabilized, she nodded to Lin Xuan and said, "Thank you. I will remember this forever! I lost this match. I lost completely." After speaking, she gave him a grateful nod, turned, and walked off the stage. Her departure signified Lin Xuan’s victory.

Compared to Lin Xuan’s match, the other duels had no highlights whatsoever. Taking advantage of the break, Lin Xuan consumed a Recovery Elixir to replenish the Elemental Power he had just used. As long as he wasn’t injured, just consuming some Elemental Power was far better than taking a wound.

The duels were held one after another. Elemental Power consumption could be recovered, but injuries were not so easily healed.

Lin Xuan had now officially entered the top three. Even if he lost from here on, he would still become the Third Elder. That is, unless he lost an arm or a leg, or ended up bedridden for several years. In that case, he couldn’t be a candidate Elder.

Soon, all the battles were over. The top three contestants were Lin Xuan, Tong Yulong, and one other disciple from the Genius Sect. The Genius Sect truly held an overwhelming advantage, having taken two of the three candidate Elder spots.

Now that only three remained, they couldn’t simply draw lots or have one person receive a bye. An extra match was necessary—a play-off round!