“No wonder you’re so smitten with him, this guy is truly remarkable,” the Shadow Hall Master exclaimed repeatedly.
Previously, the Shadow Hall Master couldn’t fathom why Lin Yun dared to claim he’d break into the top fifteen, but now, he too had to marvel.
Mo Qing covered her mouth with a light chuckle, “Hall Master, you rarely praise anyone, it’s no small feat to earn your admiration.”
“Indeed, this guy is exceptional. Fire Cloud hit the jackpot taking him as a disciple,” the Shadow Hall Master sighed.
At this point, both Lin Yun and Xingwu had left the stage.
The Master of Xiaoyao Tower leaned back in his chair, gently fanning himself, “Truly, the new waves push the old ones forward.”
Undoubtedly, the Xingwu Emperor, an old wave, had been thoroughly overwhelmed by Lin Yun, the new wave.
Then, the Master of Xiaoyao Tower turned to the Xingwu Emperor, “Xingwu, as a grand emperor and veteran of the Heavenly Deity Palace, you’ve been defeated today by a newly ascended immortal who’s only been in the Eternal Realm for a dozen years, someone you once dismissed. What are your thoughts?”
The Xingwu Emperor’s face grew even darker.
He knew full well that, as an emperor, losing to Lin Yun was utterly humiliating, enough to make him a laughingstock among the other Sovereigns of the Heavenly Deity Palace.
Yet, he had no words to express his frustration, Lin Yun was simply too strong.
“Can I swear?” Xingwu’s face was ashen.
“Of course not,” the Master of Xiaoyao Tower laughed.
“Then I’ve nothing to say,” the Xingwu Emperor replied, turning to leave.
“Your Majesty, wait,” Lin Yun called out.
“What more do you want?!” the Xingwu Emperor turned back to face Lin Yun.
“Your Majesty, per our pre-match wager, you owe me a thousand Holy Spirit-grade weapons. With so many immortals as witnesses, you wouldn’t go back on your word, would you?” Lin Yun said with a smile.
“You’ll get them!”
With that, the Xingwu Emperor stormed off towards the exit of the Bright Moon Platform.
“Xingwu, aren’t you continuing the ranking challenge? You’ve dropped to thirty-eighth, don’t you want to climb back up?” the Master of Xiaoyao Tower called after him.
“Mind your own business!”
With those words, the Xingwu Emperor vanished from the immortals’ sight.
Everyone knew he was too ashamed to stay.
…
Lin Yun returned to Fire Cloud Emperor.
“Master, I didn’t disgrace you,” Lin Yun said, bowing to Fire Cloud Emperor.
After all, Lin Yun’s bold claim to reach the top fifteen had been a laughing matter to others, and failing would have been a great embarrassment.
“You rascal, you’ve been hiding your true strength. You gave me quite a shock today, your growth rate is terrifying even to me,” Fire Cloud Emperor said with a smile.
The Master of Xiaoyao Tower added, “Lin Yun, at this rate, it won’t be long before you surpass both me and your master, will it?”
“You’re exaggerating, Tower Master. I’m stuck at the Third-Level Myriad Realm. Without breaking this bottleneck, my strength won’t see significant progress,” Lin Yun replied.
“That’s true, breaking that bottleneck is crucial. You’ve achieved such strength without reaching Sovereign Realm. If you ever step into Sovereign Realm, we old-timers will have to yield our spots on the Heavenly Deity Ranking,” the Master of Xiaoyao Tower said.
“Breaking into Sovereign Realm isn’t easy,” Lin Yun said with a wry smile.
“Indeed, reaching Sovereign is a massive hurdle. No one can guarantee they’ll make it, and you’re still young with insufficient accumulation. It’ll likely take a long time,” the Master of Xiaoyao Tower noted.
At this moment, a new round of ranking challenges had begun on the arena.
Lin Yun was content with reaching the top ten on the Heavenly Deity Ranking, a position reserved for the true titans of the Heavenly Deity Palace.
So, he returned to his seat.
“Father, you’re amazing! You’re now the tenth-ranked powerhouse among all humans!” Lin Kexin said, clutching Lin Yun’s arm in excitement.
She admired her father even more.
Lin Yun smiled, “Kexin, work hard too, aim to reach the Eternal Realm. Remember, besides studying formations, focus on advancing your own realm.”
“Yes, I’ll take you as my role model!” Kexin nodded eagerly.
“Lin Yun, you’ve truly reached the pinnacle of this world,” Palace Master Yunshang said, a knowing smile on her radiant face.
Lin Yun’s other friends and allies also showered him with praise, their excitement palpable. Lin Yun chatted with them, encouraging them as well.
He knew clearly that he could aid them in any realm before Eternal, but stepping into Eternal depended on them alone, with him offering only minor support.
…
As the ranking challenges neared their end, Fire Cloud Emperor rose to challenge the fifth-ranked Shadow Hall Master.
Upon taking the stage, Fire Cloud Emperor revealed Third-Level Sovereign strength, surprising the immortals, who hadn’t expected him to reach that level.
The Shadow Hall Master, also a Third-Level Sovereign, was a renowned veteran of the Heavenly Deity Palace. Their battle was bound to be thrilling, and the atmosphere ignited instantly.
Fire Cloud Emperor excelled in direct combat, his swordsmanship sublime, with strong offensive capabilities and decent physical resilience.
High attack, solid defence.
Even at Second-Level Sovereign, few in the same realm could match him.
For instance, the Master of Xiaoyao Tower, also adept at direct attacks, had high offensive power but weaker defence compared to Fire Cloud Emperor.
However, the Shadow Hall Master was formidable too. Though less adept in direct combat, his arsenal of unpredictable, tricky techniques made him a tough opponent.
After a fierce battle, Fire Cloud Emperor narrowly lost.
Still, the gap was small. The Shadow Hall Master relied on evasive tactics and elusive techniques to win.
In pure direct combat, he would have surely lost.
Though Fire Cloud Emperor didn’t win, he was satisfied, as the gap with the Shadow Hall Master, once significant, had clearly narrowed.
