And here, as the cultivation chamber of the true disciple, the spirit-gathering formation was elevated to another level, boasting a full eighty-one small holes. When operating at full speed, it was sufficient even for the early stage of the Spirit Yuan Realm to cultivate. Lin Xuan took out eighty-one low-grade spirit stones and filled every slot. Activating the spirit-gathering formation, before long, the spiritual energy within the chamber became dense to the extreme. Lin Xuan then began his cultivation, circulating the Hunyuan Art.
Time passed slowly, and Lin Xuan's aura steadily grew.
...
While Lin Xuan was in seclusion cultivating, everything that had happened within the Puppet Secret Realm spread like wildfire throughout the entire Red Sun Domain. This sudden emergence of the Puppet Secret Realm had set entry conditions: only martial artists under twenty-four and below the Spirit Yuan Realm could enter. The major powers agreed to let their junior disciples enter, each relying on their own abilities to compete for opportunities. However, since it was located in the Cangmang Wilderness of the Cangyuan Kingdom, far from the Sun Yang Sect, only junior disciples from the Cangyuan Kingdom, disciples of the Wind Flame Valley, and some from the Red Flame Kingdom entered.
But no one expected that the greatest harvest from this Puppet Secret Realm expedition would not be the renowned top geniuses of the Cangyuan Kingdom's potential rankings, nor the Wind Flame Valley disciples, nor even Duan Feichen, the top genius of the Red Sun Domain, second only to the Four Young Masters. Instead, it was a little-known, virtually unheard-of youth: Lin Xuan, a true disciple of the Flowing Cloud Sect.
From the spreading news, the public was already astounded. First, in the Cangmang Wilderness outside the Puppet Secret Realm, he defeated Xu Guangzhen with a single sword strike, who had been blocking the Cangyuan Kingdom disciples. Then, in the third layer of the Puppet Secret Realm, right in front of Duan Feichen, he killed Ye Li, the fourth senior brother of the Wind Flame Valley's true disciples, with one sword stroke. He forcefully seized the inheritance, drawing hostility from the other Spirit Opening Realm martial artists. Yet Lin Xuan, with a single sword strike, killed nearly a hundred martial artists. His strength had already transcended the Spirit Opening Realm, reaching the early Spirit Yuan Realm. This terrified Duan Feichen, who had intended to avenge his junior brother, into retreating, and Lin Xuan even extorted his storage ring.
One incident after another was enough to scare people to death. Upon hearing this, everyone's hearts pounded, bodies trembled, and they were utterly horrified, unable to believe it. But these accounts came from disciples of various major powers who had emerged from the Puppet Secret Realm, and none of the major powers denied them. Even the Wind Flame Valley, usually aggressive and second only to the Sun Yang Sect in the Red Sun Domain, remained silent. So, were these rumors true? The crowd was shaken beyond control.
There were even rumors that when Lin Xuan entered the Puppet Secret Realm, he had only recently broken through to the Spirit Opening Realm. When he killed over a hundred Spirit Opening Realm martial artists and scared off Duan Feichen, he was still at the early Spirit Opening Realm. Yet his displayed strength reached the early Spirit Yuan Realm—a full major realm leap, especially from Spirit Opening to Spirit Yuan. It's well known that martial arts progress becomes harder in later stages, and the gap between minor realms grows larger. By the Spirit Opening Realm, being able to fight across levels already qualifies one as a top genius in the entire Red Sun Domain. To go from the peak of Spirit Opening to defeat an early Spirit Yuan cultivator across levels is something only Young Master-level geniuses can barely achieve. To go from early Spirit Opening to early Spirit Yuan, a full major realm in combat power, is something even the Four Young Masters of the Red Sun Domain, including Zhang Yuchen, who ranks on the Xuan Yuan List and is called a prodigy, cannot accomplish. In the Red Sun Domain's history of centuries, there has never been such an example. Yet now, a Lin Xuan had emerged and achieved it—how could they dare to believe?!
Even with countless indirect proofs, without seeing it with their own eyes, no one would believe it. Because this was too absurd, beyond their comprehension, even surpassing the level of the Red Sun Domain. But even if this point could be fabricated, the fact that Lin Xuan was still at the Spirit Opening Realm was absolutely certain—otherwise, he couldn't have entered the Puppet Secret Realm. And at the Spirit Opening Realm, being able to kill nearly a hundred Spirit Opening martial artists with one sword stroke showcased talent no less than the Four Young Masters. Everyone was deeply shaken and amazed, realizing that another Young Master-level genius had risen in the Red Sun Domain. This genius, Lin Xuan, hailed from the Flowing Cloud Sect, one of the four sects of the Cangyuan Kingdom. People sighed, thinking the Flowing Cloud Sect was fortunate, likely now having a chance to rise. While not reaching the level of the Sun Yang Sect, becoming the top of the Cangyuan Kingdom's five major powers seemed almost certain.
Meanwhile, Lin Xuan's name spread like lightning across the entire Red Sun Domain. Almost every martial artist of some strength or major power had heard of him. Lin Xuan gradually became known as the Red Sun Domain's newly rising Young Master-level genius, the fifth Young Master. Even the usually dominant Sun Yang Sect did not oppose this, further proving Lin Xuan's extraordinary talent. In the Cangyuan Kingdom, he replaced the top spot on the potential rankings, becoming the new number one genius.
...
Unknowingly, several more days passed.
Inside the cultivation chamber, the surrounding spiritual energy, dense as mist, surged like tides into Lin Xuan's body. Then, a vast, ocean-like aura slowly spread, instantly shattering the air around him, but quickly fading away.
On the cushion, Lin Xuan slowly opened his eyes, gazing at the void before him.
Swish!
"Divine Copy System." "Host: Lin Xuan." "Realm: Spirit Opening Realm, Seventh Layer." "Talents: Crystal-grade cultivation talent, Xuan-grade talents (speed, strength, blade path, sword path), Xuan-grade elemental talents (sharp metal, fierce wind, blazing fire), Ling-grade elemental talents (green wood, heavy water, thick earth, cold ice), Supreme-grade lightning elemental talent, Lower-grade spatial talent." "Martial Arts: Golden Scale Elephant Art (unknown, incomplete, minor completion), Annihilation Sword Technique (First Form) (eighth-rank upper, major completion), Flesh Puppet Refining Secret Art (unknown, incomplete). Hunyuan Art (eighth-rank lower, minor completion), Sunrise Blade Art (seventh-rank upper, minor completion), Falling Lotus Sword Technique (eighth-rank lower, minor completion), Overpowering Fist (eighth-rank lower, minor completion), Ten Thousand Heavy Surging Waves Palm (seventh-rank upper, minor completion), Sky-Splitting Leg (seventh-rank upper, minor completion), Shadow-Tracing Movement Art (eighth-rank lower, minor completion), Flame Manipulation Art (seventh-rank upper, minor completion)." "Intent: 40% Blade Intent, 50% Sword Intent, 40% Wind Intent, 40% Metal Intent, 50% Fire Intent, 30% Earth Intent, 50% Wood Intent, 30% Water Intent." "Energy Points: 10,274,000." "Personal Space: 870."
Looking at the vastly changed attribute panel before him and feeling the several times stronger power within his body, Lin Xuan's eyes flickered with a hint of joy as he nodded slightly. "This time, breaking through to the seventh layer of the Spirit Opening Realm in one go means I've reached the late Spirit Opening stage."