At this moment, waves of heated discussion rose among the onlookers.
Purple Spirit possesses the Substitute Path Holy Spirit Vein and is exceptionally talented, reaching the sixth-grade initial spiritual power realm at such a young age. Coupled with her extraordinary beauty, she is sure to attract countless prodigies and geniuses. Things are about to get lively!
Who would have thought the Purple Clan could produce such a prodigy? This is a tremendous boon for the Purple Clan, but it will likely bring significant trouble as well. They might not even be able to keep the Substitute Path Holy Spirit Vein within their own ranks.
That’s not certain. In my opinion, Lin Xiao has a high chance of obtaining the Substitute Path Holy Spirit Vein. Perhaps, as soon as the summit ends, Purple Emperor will grant a marriage to Lin Xiao on the spot.
That possibility is indeed significant. After all, Lin Xiao’s talent is evident, and he has made great contributions to the Purple Clan. However, these great clans always prioritise their interests. They will likely choose the option that maximises the clan’s benefits, possibly forming a marriage alliance with a genius from one of the eight major sects.
Leaving aside whether it’s for the greatest benefit, if Purple Emperor grants a marriage to Lin Xiao, he will be in danger. It would provoke countless people to hunt him down. Moreover, Lin Xiao possesses the盛世令, allowing peers or those of the same rank to challenge him openly.
Lin Xiao is already in danger. Anyone can see his heaven-defying talent and his close ties with Purple Spirit and the Purple Clan. The likelihood of Lin Xiao gaining Purple Spirit is high, so in the upcoming summit, other capable young fighters might strike hard against him.
Amid the fervent discussions, the referee frowned slightly and shouted loudly to the crowd, “Challenge failed. Next, Myriad Phenomena Pavilion, Jia Yi!”
As a referee, one must have the ability to shift attention. Otherwise, if someone experiences a mishap or a talent too prodigious emerges, it could disrupt the summit’s progress.
After the referee’s voice fell, Jia Yi from the Myriad Phenomena Pavilion took the stage.
However, Jia Yi did not challenge Lin Xiao as the crowd expected. Instead, he chose to challenge Ping Tianhao, who was ranked lower.
In the end, Jia Yi defeated Ping Tianhao, securing a place in the rankings.
Now, the eight who had drawn challenge slots had completed their first challenges.
Three succeeded in entering the rankings. Aside from Purple Dragon, who was killed, the two lowest-ranked, Xie Yun of the Evil Sect and Chen Long of the Spear Dragon Sect, were pushed out of the top fifteen.
Both had two challenge opportunities.
Now, it was their turn to begin challenging.
“Next, Xie Yun of the Evil Sect, please step forward to challenge!” the referee called out again.
A youth with a somewhat pale complexion and an eerie appearance stepped onto the stage. His gaze locked onto Lin Xiao, and he declared loudly, “Lin Xiao!”
As expected, a disciple from the eight major sects chose Lin Xiao!
The eight major sects surely covet the Substitute Path Holy Spirit Vein. With their strength, they would definitely challenge Lin Xiao!
The Evil Sect members are all evil cultivators, and Lin Xiao’s strongest power is also his evil cultivation. Both wield similar attribute powers. It remains to be seen how strong this second-ranked disciple of the Evil Sect is.
The crowd buzzed with discussion, filled with eager anticipation.
Lin Xiao’s expression remained calm as he stepped onto the stone platform, gazing steadily at Xie Yun. He asked, “Do you want to kill me?”
Xie Yun shook his head. “Killing a genius evil cultivator like you would be a pity. I don’t want to kill you; I just want to test your evil power.”
Xie Yun’s words, whether true or false, left the crowd uncertain.
With Purple Spirit so close to Lin Xiao, to obtain the Substitute Path Holy Spirit Vein, one would first need to eliminate Lin Xiao as an obstacle.
Not wanting to kill Lin Xiao? That seemed unlikely.
Lin Xiao did not dwell on whether Xie Yun’s words were true or false. To him, they were half-true, half-false.
His Immortal Skeleton Technique might interest the Evil Sect, or they might even be curious about his evil cultivation methods.
Alternatively, Xie Yun could be a sinister figure, merely lying.
But either way, it made no difference to Lin Xiao.
“If you want to test me, then show your strength!” Lin Xiao said calmly, drawing his Yaoguang Broken Sword and charging towards Xie Yun.
A close-quarters fight?
Xie Yun’s brows furrowed. He knew Lin Xiao was a spirit controller, and close combat would put him at a disadvantage.
Immediately, Xie Yun, with his second-level Martial Lord cultivation, channelled his evil power. He struck out with a palm, and a powerful evil aura emanated from it. Rolling white mist surged, and a chilling evil palm force shot out, stirring a fierce whistling wind, blocking Lin Xiao’s approach.
Lin Xiao’s brows furrowed slightly. Although this evil power was not as pure as his Immortal Skeleton Technique, its aura sent a chill down his spine.
Usually, he was the one using evil power against others. He had not expected to feel such an evil aura himself this time.
Originally, he planned to close in and use the first form of the Thunder Sword Technique to suppress his opponent directly.
Unexpectedly, Xie Yun was quite cunning, not giving him a chance to get close and launching a powerful attack instead.
With this massive palm force coming down, bypassing it would be difficult.
Immediately, Lin Xiao unleashed the second form of the Thunder Sword Technique.
At the same time, he activated his Thunder Martial Will. A powerful thunderous intent enveloped him, with faint lightning flashes, as if his body were surrounded by a thunderous space, making him appear heroic and divine.
“Heavenly Thunder Slash!”
With a loud shout, Lin Xiao slashed out. Vast thunder condensed into a giant thunder sword, clashing against the overwhelming evil palm force.
“Boom!”
A thunderous roar erupted, and waves of energy, vast as the sea, burst out, surging in all directions.
At the same time, Lin Xiao soared into the air, rapidly preparing the third form of the Thunder Sword Technique. His hair danced wildly, his aura piercing the heavens. Holding the broken sword with both hands, he pointed it skyward.
In an instant, the heavens and earth transformed. Dark clouds rolled in, surging from all directions, gathering above Lin Xiao.
“Summon Heavenly Thunder!”
Xie Yun’s brows furrowed tightly. He had thought Lin Xiao would engage him with evil power, paving the way for his senior brother.
Unexpectedly, Lin Xiao showed no interest in competing with similar attribute powers, instead unleashing thunder attribute power.
Thunder counters evil, which made some sense.
Moreover, the might of Lin Xiao’s summoned heavenly thunder was formidable, forcing Xie Yun to unleash his strongest evil power attack directly.
“Chi!” Overwhelming evil energy surged from Xie Yun’s body. He seemed to transform into an evil demon, with chilling white mist pulsing on his surface and terrifying fluctuations rippling out. With an unmatched punch, a white fist glow, carrying rolling evil energy, let out eerie ghostly wails, soaring diagonally into the sky, as if it would shatter the heavens.
