"Unexpectedly, Lin Xuan didn't finish off Duan Feichen but snatched his storage ring instead." "This is a blatant slap in the face—probably more painful than killing him!" "There's no choice. Lin Xuan's origin, the Flowing Cloud Sect, is no match for the Wind Flame Valley behind Duan Feichen. He won't easily kill Duan Feichen; taking the ring is just collecting some interest." "Lin Xuan is actually from the Flowing Cloud Sect. Who'd have thought that one of the four sects of Cangyuan Country could produce a公子-level genius like him?" "Looks like the Flowing Cloud Sect might be on the rise." "....." The crowd murmured among themselves, gloating with sneers and mockery, occasionally glancing at Duan Feichen. Their gazes also swept over Lin Xuan, still carrying lingering shock.
Duan Feichen's face was as dark as water, utterly grim. With a cold snort, he retreated to a corner, sat cross-legged, and closed his eyes to cultivate, refusing to see what he didn't want to. Lin Xuan, under everyone's watch, returned to the Flowing Cloud Sect disciples' camp. He chose an open spot and sat down.
Then, he took out the puppet crystals he had collected earlier. He handed a few to Liu Qianyu, Xu Anlan, and Chen Hanshuang. Using the remaining crystals, he crushed them to elevate his cultivation level. There was still half an hour before they'd be teleported out. He had a bit of time, just enough to break through.
Crack, crack... Dozens of crystals were crushed. A surging tide of pure spiritual energy flooded into his body, sinking into his dantian. Lin Xuan's aura began to steadily rise.
A few minutes later. Crack! A faint, crisp sound echoed from within Lin Xuan's body. Simultaneously, a fierce, wave-like aura slowly spread out. In an instant, it stirred up endless winds, sweeping across all directions. Many of the surrounding disciples were thrown back by the blast, powerless to resist. Even Chen Hanshuang, Liu Qianyu, and the others had to stand and retreat several steps. Their gazes fixed on Lin Xuan, seated on the ground, their hearts pounded with shock and awe.
"Senior Brother Lin Xuan, has he broken through?" "Who knew that his breakthrough would cause such a commotion!" "Even the residual waves from the wind are too much for us to withstand!" "Is he really this strong?!" "......" The crowd erupted in clamor, exclaiming in surprise. Once again, they were stunned and shaken by Lin Xuan's power.
Soon, the wind dissipated. No one was injured, just thrown to the ground, covered in dust and looking a bit disheveled. As they looked at Lin Xuan again, their hearts leaped, plunging into even greater shock.
They saw that Lin Xuan's aura had now reached the fourth layer of the Spirit Opening Realm. One layer higher than before. In other words, his previous cultivation was truly at the third layer of the Spirit Opening Realm. This breakthrough only brought him to the fourth layer. He hadn't been hiding his cultivation?!
For a moment, the crowd was frozen, their minds reeling, unable to snap out of it. After a few breaths, they came to their senses. The scene grew even more chaotic, as if boiling over.
"Holy crap! Is this real? Lin Xuan was really only at the third layer of the Spirit Opening Realm before!" "He could unleash a sword strike of that power at the third layer?!" "Isn't that too insane?" "Even the Four公子 couldn't do that at the Spirit Opening Realm, could they?" "This guy might really be the next prodigy of our Red Sun Domain!" "This is terrifying!!" "......"
The crowd gasped repeatedly, unable to stop their shock. Their gazes at Lin Xuan made their hearts tremble, almost losing control. Everyone had assumed Lin Xuan was at the peak of the Spirit Opening Realm, just hiding his cultivation to appear at the third layer. After all, he had wiped out that torrent of attacks with a single sword strike and killed nearly a hundred Spirit Opening Realm cultivators on the spot. Such power was no longer within the Spirit Opening Realm's scope. Even some early Spirit Opening Realm cultivators might not achieve it. If Lin Xuan were at the peak, he could rival or even surpass the Four公子.
But they never expected that Lin Xuan wasn't hiding his cultivation. He was genuinely at the third layer of the Spirit Opening Realm. The third layer was still early Spirit Opening Realm. At that stage, he could unleash combat power comparable to the early Spirit Yuan Realm—a full major realm leap! Such cross-tier ability was unheard of in the entire Red Sun Domain. In fact, it might never have appeared there before.
Yet now, it was displayed before everyone's eyes. How could they not be utterly shocked? At that moment, their hearts felt like a massive wave had crashed over them, leaving them rooted in place. They couldn't believe what they were seeing. It felt like a dream, filled with unreality. Because this scene was too surreal. But the aura emanating from Lin Xuan, though still growing, remained at the fourth layer of the Spirit Opening Realm, pressing and assaulting their minds. Even if they didn't want to admit it, they knew it was real, not an illusion.
Instantly, their shock deepened. They also realized that the Red Sun Domain might truly be about to produce an extraordinary being.
A thousand meters away, Duan Feichen was also drawn by the commotion. Sensing the shift in Lin Xuan's aura, he was scared half to death. His heart pounded wildly, shaken to the core. As the second true disciple of the Wind Flame Valley, second only to Chen Feng, one of the Four公子, he knew how strong and talented the Four公子 were. But precisely because of that, his shock surpassed everyone else's. Lin Xuan's performance had already exceeded Chen Feng's—far exceeded it. Such terrifying talent, if he didn't fall midway and was given time to grow, would surely become another prodigy! One far surpassing Zhang Yuchen.
Thinking this, Duan Feichen's heart trembled, unable to compose himself. After a long while, he regained some composure. Letting out a long breath, he looked at Lin Xuan. His gaze no longer held the earlier resentment or jealousy. Because Lin Xuan was so far beyond him that he couldn't muster any of those emotions. At the same time, he silently resolved to persuade the Wind Flame Valley's higher-ups after leaving the puppet secret realm. If the sect didn't have absolute certainty to destroy Lin Xuan, they should stop opposing him. Otherwise, the only outcome for the sect would be annihilation. And it might not take long—just a few years.
Such a being, capable of becoming a prodigy, was not something the Wind Flame Valley could provoke. Moreover, the Red Sun Domain couldn't hold him. He would likely leave for a broader world soon. There was no need to make an enemy of him. As for the already dead Ye Li, Xu Guangzhen, and the others, they were just a few true disciples. Compared to the sect, they were like insignificant branches and leaves, not worth mentioning. It was impossible to go after Lin Xuan for their sake.