“Swish!”
The sword aura whirlwind was formidable, and Lin Xiao no longer held back. Spiritual force surged in his mind, activating the Azure Fire Spiritual Energy, which burst forth from his brow.
A mass of azure flame energy swirled, exuding a scorching aura that caused the surrounding temperature to spike.
With Lin Xiao’s increased spiritual force, his spiritual energy could now unleash even greater power.
The might of spiritual energy depended on its attribute quality, energy level, and the spiritual force driving it.
For instance, Azure Fire Spiritual Energy had a fire attribute, while Devouring Heaven Spiritual Energy had a devouring attribute. On the spiritual energy ranking list, their differing qualities determined their ranks.
Devouring Heaven Spiritual Energy ranked eleventh, Azure Fire twentieth.
However, a spiritual energy’s quality didn’t fully dictate its power. For example, Devouring Heaven Spiritual Energy, newly formed, was still weak and needed nurturing. Compared to spiritual energies condensed over thousands or tens of thousands of years, its power was far inferior.
It was like martial techniques: a Martial King using a low-tier technique could still crush a Yuan Martial Realm cultivator wielding a heaven-tier technique.
Of course, Lin Xiao’s Azure Fire Spiritual Energy, born from a juvenile white bird, wasn’t as potent as a mature Azure Fire Spiritual Energy.
Moreover, a refined spiritual energy’s power also depended on its wielder.
The stronger a spirit controller’s spiritual force, the greater the spiritual energy’s unleashed power.
Conversely, weak spiritual force limited the spiritual energy’s potential.
With Lin Xiao’s current spiritual force, he was far from tapping into the true power of his spiritual energies.
Even the juvenile white bird’s Azure Fire Spiritual Energy had once contended with a Martial Venerable. Lin Xiao’s current spiritual force couldn’t yet match that level.
Let alone wielding the even stronger Devouring Heaven Spiritual Energy, ranked higher than the juvenile Azure Fire.
Or the combined power of both after fusion, elevating their quality.
Still, as pure heaven-and-earth energy, its power against peers was already terrifying.
“Spiritual Energy!”
In that instant, Zi Ling shot to her feet, exclaiming in shock.
Spiritual energy, an inexhaustible, immensely powerful heaven-and-earth force, was the coveted treasure of countless spirit controllers. Many searched the world their entire lives without finding one.
If a ninth-grade spirit controller were present, they’d be green with envy.
Yet this treasure, coveted even by ninth-grade spirit controllers, had been obtained and refined by Lin Xiao!
As a genius spirit controller, Zi Ling was thunderstruck, her mind reeling, her heart unable to calm.
Beyond Zi Ling, everyone present was stunned, nearly all exclaiming in unison.
Even the Vice Dean’s eyes showed deep shock, a certain thought surging within him, though it was soon tinged with a complex hint of disappointment.
Even Xiahou Lan was profoundly shocked, her resolve hardening: “Since we’ve crossed him, this boy must not be spared, or he’ll be an endless threat!”
A spirit controller held a lofty status, but a mere third-grade spirit controller wasn’t overly valued.
But a spirit controller with spiritual energy was immensely valuable, especially to high-grade spirit controllers.
With the status of possessing spiritual energy, attracting high-grade spirit controllers would wield significant influence, making future conflicts troublesome.
Moreover, Lin Xiao’s own talent was staggering. Once he matured, he’d be a formidable adversary.
Thus, he had to be eliminated before he could grow.
Xiahou Lan also secretly rejoiced that Xiahou Jing had chosen the life-and-death stage. Lin Xiao’s meteoric rise would be but a fleeting bloom, destined to fall.
Xiahou Jing, too, was stunned. She hadn’t expected Lin Xiao to have spiritual energy as a trump card.
“Swish! Swish!”
The Azure Fire Spiritual Energy surged against the whirlwind sword aura. Their collision nearly exploded, the terrifying incinerating force erupting. The sharp sword aura and Azure Fire Spiritual Energy annihilated each other, scattering into rolling dust.
“Even with spiritual energy, it’s just third-grade advanced spiritual force. Its power isn’t enough!”
Xiahou Jing snorted coldly, spinning into action. She unleashed a series of whirlwind sword auras, over a dozen spiralling towards Lin Xiao.
But Lin Xiao didn’t use Azure Fire again. Instead, he activated Devouring Heaven Spiritual Energy. A humanoid monster-like energy surged forth, exuding a devouring aura that seemed to consume the surrounding space, dimming the area.
“What, a second spiritual energy!” The Vice Dean, no longer appearing aged, sprang to life, his eyes wide with astonishment.
In that moment, a certain thought surged again, his body trembling with excitement.
“Heavens, two spiritual energies! Lin Xiao has two spiritual energies? Are my eyes deceiving me?”
“How can anyone refine two spiritual energies simultaneously? This is unprecedented!”
“Spiritual energy is wildly volatile heaven-and-earth energy. Refining one into the mind is already perilous, with most failing and perishing. Refining two, even if luck allows success, the second would be rejected, bursting the mind. How did he do it?”
“Lin Xiao is an absolute monster!”
The crowd was nearly numb with shock.
“This is impossible!” As a spirit controller, Zi Ling knew the terror of spiritual energy. One person possessing two was virtually impossible.
First, spiritual energies were exceedingly rare. Scouring the continent might not yield one, let alone two.
Even with astronomical luck to find them, refining one was a stroke of fortune. Refining two wasn’t just doubling the odds.
The second spiritual energy’s volatile energy would clash, and a mind couldn’t contain both.
It was utterly impossible.
Even the legendary ninth-grade spirit controller, Devouring Heaven Spirit Emperor, from a thousand years ago, couldn’t do it.
No historical record documented anyone refining two spiritual energies simultaneously.
Yet, an even more shocking scene unfolded. Lin Xiao not only unleashed a second spiritual energy but also deployed a fused form of the two.
“A third spiritual energy—no, a fusion of the first two!”
The crowd was thunderstruck again, utterly floored. Even Zi Ling trembled, stunned. Fusing two spiritual energies—how was that possible?
The Vice Dean took a deep breath. He had decided: if Lin Xiao lost, he’d break protocol to save him.
Lin Xiao’s talent was too heaven-defying to let fall, and he was crucial to Saint Yuan Academy’s plans.
Of course, no one else knew the Vice Dean’s thoughts.
