"Third layer!"
Lin Xuan murmured as he looked around at the drastically changed scene before him.
Before him now stretched a vast, flat plain.
It spanned only a few thousand meters in radius.
Scattered around were several hundred martial artists.
All of them were at least at the Opening Spirit Realm.
And clearly, these people had arrived much earlier than he had.
"It seems this must be the third layer of the Puppet Secret Realm.
Many probably found the entrance on their own.
As for someone like me, I was teleported here after the time was up and the conditions were met."
Watching as, with occasional ripples in the air, more martial artists appeared—each at least at the late Opening Spirit Realm—
Lin Xuan understood what was happening.
"Senior Brother Lin!"
"Brother Lin!"
"..."
At that moment, several calls rang out.
Lin Xuan turned to look and saw Liu Qianyu, Chen Hanshuang, and others, along with Xu Anlan, Zhang Meng, and the core disciples of the five major forces of Cangyuan Kingdom, walking toward him.
"Senior Brother Liu, Miss Chen, Junior Brother Xu..."
Lin Xuan responded with a faint smile.
"Senior Brother Lin, you've finally arrived. I was worried something happened to you on the second layer," Liu Qianyu said, a smile on his face.
Though he was the top core disciple of Flowing Cloud Sect,
after witnessing Lin Xuan's terrifying strength and astonishing talent,
he knew he couldn't compare.
So he willingly addressed Lin Xuan as Senior Brother Lin.
The core disciples of Flowing Cloud Sect behind Liu Qianyu were stunned, utterly shocked.
This confirmed that what Xu Anlan had said about Lin Xuan's reputation was true.
In fact, it didn't even come close.
Even their usually proud senior brother was voluntarily calling Lin Xuan "senior brother."
This showed that Lin Xuan's strength at least surpassed Liu Qianyu's.
The disciples were even more astounded.
"Brother Lin, just call me Hanshuang," Chen Hanshuang said with a smile, a gleam of admiration in her eyes.
Having seen Lin Xuan in action, she had to admit
that Lin Xuan was the greatest genius she had ever encountered.
He was worthy of being ranked among the公子级 (Young Masters), and if not for his youth and short cultivation time, he might even surpass the Four Great Young Masters.
She was deeply moved by this.
Coupled with his extraordinary handsomeness, far beyond anyone she'd ever seen,
even though she had never paid any attention to men, she couldn't help but take notice.
"Mm," Lin Xuan nodded, responding calmly, then looked at a handsome yet slightly domineering young man beside Liu Qianyu:
"And this is?"
"Ah, I forgot to mention. Senior Brother Lin, this is Sun Yuwen, the crown prince of Cangyuan Kingdom and currently the top of the Potential Rankings," Liu Qianyu quickly introduced, stepping back slightly behind Sun Yuwen, which spoke volumes.
"I wouldn't dare claim that. If what Brother Liu says is true, the top spot on the Potential Rankings might soon change hands!" Sun Yuwen replied with a seemingly modest tone.
Then, looking at Lin Xuan with a hint of battle intent, he said:
"So this must be Lin Xuan, the top genius of Flowing Cloud Sect?
Just as the rumors say—exceptional talent and formidable strength!"
As he spoke, he gripped his treasured blade, his expression turning extremely serious.
Though he didn't fully believe what Liu Qianyu and Chen Hanshuang had said,
and Lin Xuan's aura was only at the early Opening Spirit Realm,
he didn't dare underestimate Lin Xuan in the slightest.
Because he felt a sense of pressure from Lin Xuan—
the kind you only feel when facing a powerful enemy.
And the pressure Lin Xuan exuded was even stronger than any enemy he had ever faced before.
This shook him deeply, making him cautious not to show any disdain.
"Top of the Potential Rankings? I'm not interested. Let whoever wants it have it," Lin Xuan replied, still indifferent, completely unconcerned.
He had heard of Sun Yuwen before—
the top genius of Cangyuan Kingdom, the crown prince, and the number one on the Potential Rankings.
Now, seeing him in person,
and looking at his attribute panel, which was only slightly better than Chen Hanshuang's or Liu Qianyu's,
Lin Xuan felt no stir in his heart.
These so-called top geniuses of Cangyuan Kingdom were now insignificant to him.
He had far surpassed them.
If he wanted, one punch would be enough to kill Sun Yuwen, leaving him utterly defenseless.
There was no comparison.
He couldn't be bothered to dwell on it.
His true opponents were no longer within Cangyuan Kingdom.
They were the entire Red Sun Domain, even the Four Great Young Masters of Red Sun Domain.
In fact, after a while, he was considering leaving Red Sun Domain altogether.
His talent and potential had already reached the top tier of Red Sun Domain.
It was unlikely he'd find high-grade treasures to copy and further enhance his abilities.
To maintain or even accelerate his cultivation progress,
to achieve higher martial arts accomplishments,
and to realize his goal,
it was time to leave Red Sun Domain for a broader martial world.
Compared to the outside world, Red Sun Domain was just a small pond.
It couldn't nurture a true dragon.
And Cangyuan Kingdom was even smaller.
Lin Xuan had no desire to bother with the fame and honors of the Potential Rankings in Cangyuan Kingdom.
But he didn't need to do anything about it.
He believed that after this Puppet Secret Realm trip ended, his performance would spread,
shaking the entire Red Sun Domain.
By then, he'd gain a massive influx of energy points.
"By the way, Senior Brother Lin, what happened on the second layer? Why did it take you so long to get to the third?" Liu Qianyu's voice broke the tense atmosphere.
Sun Yuwen breathed a sigh of relief and suppressed his battle intent.
He had no confidence in defeating Lin Xuan.
But as the top junior disciple of Cangyuan Kingdom, facing a rising genius like Lin Xuan, he had to show a strong stance.
Otherwise, rumors would spread and damage his reputation.
After showing his intent, Lin Xuan remained calm and unmoved,
which made Sun Yuwen even more wary, unwilling to challenge him rashly.
This was fine.
It gave him an easy way out, and he took it.
"Mm, I was hunting bronze puppets on the second layer," Lin Xuan replied calmly, saying no more.
He had also gained a spatial talent on the second layer,
his biggest trump card so far.
He couldn't let any information slip.
"Ah, we hunted a few too. Those bronze puppets produce special crystals that directly boost cultivation.
But their defense is too high; dealing with them takes too much time and effort.
So we gave up and found the entrance to the third layer, teleporting here," Liu Qianyu nodded in response.
Suddenly, Liu Qianyu froze, staring at Lin Xuan in disbelief:
"Senior Brother Lin, you... you're at the third layer of the Opening Spirit Realm?"
He had just noticed that Lin Xuan's aura had reached the third layer of the Opening Spirit Realm.
"Just broke through," Lin Xuan replied.
As his words fell, the entire scene fell into stunned silence.