Chapter 491 - 489: Questioning

"I am the participant from the Soaring Dragon Empire, Mu Shuang!"

Lin Xuan didn’t reveal his true name, choosing a completely different one instead. He didn’t dare to. While the world had no shortage of people with the surname Lin, there was always a chance someone would make the connection.

He was well-known in the Soaring Dragon Empire, but with propaganda from Qingcheng Mansion, it could be announced that Lin Xuan was dead or missing.

This would make it very difficult, almost impossible, to track him down. They had come up with a plan before he arrived. The Lin Family’s enemies were the Super Races standing right before him, so he absolutely could not reveal his surname. They would rather kill an innocent person than risk letting one of their targets escape.

Mu Shuang was his name for now. The name was a clever play on his true identity: ’Mu’ shared the same sound as the word for ’wood,’ and ’Shuang’ meant ’double.’ Two ’wood’ characters stacked together formed the character for ’Lin.’ Of course, the average person wouldn’t make the connection to the Lin Family. As long as he didn’t reveal the Lin Family’s Ultimate Skill, he wouldn’t be identified as one of their own.

He had to be cautious here, absolutely could not let the slightest hint of his identity slip. Otherwise, he would find himself in a crisis so dire that not even the Bu Family could save him.

The Lin Family had two enemies: the Yan Family and the Su Family. They were the top two Super Races in terms of overall strength. How could the Bu Family, ranked fifth, possibly contend with them? He had to keep a low profile and not let anything slip.

He was standing before a crowd of his enemies. It was like dancing on the edge of a knife. If they saw through his disguise, they would stop at nothing to capture him.

"Mu Shuang?" Bu Feiyun repeated the name a few times, then smiled. "It’s a good name, just feels a bit feminine. But a name doesn’t decide everything!"

The gazes of the others all focused on Lin Xuan, sizing him up and down. Some powerful experts even used their Spiritual Sense to forcibly probe his body.

At that moment, a powerful surge of Elemental Power enveloped him, shielding him and blocking the intrusive Spiritual Senses.

"Look all you want, but don’t go recklessly using your Soul Power!" Bu Feiyun strode over, his gaze sweeping across the crowd. Some had even resorted to using Soul Attacks; if a person’s soul was injured, they would become a mindless fool even if they survived.

That was a result Bu Feiyun did not want to see, which was why he had quickly moved to Lin Xuan’s side, raising an Elemental Power Shield to block the invasive Soul Power.

Lin Xuan, who was extremely sensitive to Soul Power, could feel a terrifying surge of it wash over him—one he knew he couldn’t resist on his own. The Soul Pearl’s power was astonishing, but its current output was limited. A Void Spirit Level Soul Attack was no trivial matter. With his current Soul Power, he would have been unable to withstand it.

’I can’t believe it. I just got here and I’m already facing a Soul Attack. These Elders from the great families sure are petty.’

"Third Layer Spirit Pill Stage..." Yan Jingyun’s gaze turned cold. ’I wonder if he ganged up on his opponent with others or if it was a solo fight. That’s the big question. Judging from his Cultivation, there’s no way he could have won a one-on-one duel. It must have been a group attack!’

Mu Junjie wasn’t weak, but if a large group ganged up on him, his only choice would have been to flee.

"Yeah, he’s only at the Third Layer Spirit Pill Stage, even weaker than me. How could he beat someone from the Celestial Successor Empire?"

"Exactly! The Bu Family must have had their Alliance Countries team up. How else could he have won?"

"But being able to unite against the Celestial Successor Empire is a skill in itself. If it’s a one-on-one fight, though, he’ll definitely be exposed!"

...

The surrounding participants were all discussing animatedly. They felt that Lin Xuan was very weak. The aura around him wasn’t very strong, and he looked a bit thin and frail. His Cultivation was also quite low. How could he possibly have defeated Mu Junjie?

Lin Xuan didn’t bother to refute them. ’It’s better if they think that way. I’d rather these idiots think I’m garbage. It’ll save me some trouble and help me keep a low profile.’

"This..." Bu Feiyun wasn’t sure what had happened, as they didn’t know the details of the fight. He immediately asked, "Was it a one-on-one duel, or did you gather people to attack him together?"

"It was one-on-one. Right now, I’m the only one from the Soaring Dragon Empire participating, so where would a group attack come from? As for relying on the Alliance Countries, I’d be lucky if they don’t stab me in the back." Lin Xuan told it like it was. Whether they believed him or not was their problem.

"Bullshit!" a young man stepped forward, pointing at Lin Xuan and shouting, "If it wasn’t a group attack, you think you could beat Mu Junjie? He was wearing a Divine Artifact! With your Cultivation, you think you could win a one-on-one fight? Why don’t we have a match right now and see who wins!"

This person was also a participant from the Celestial Successor Empire, named Mu Qianlong. His Cultivation was even higher than Mu Junjie’s, having reached the Seventh Layer Spirit Pill Stage! And he was the one who had taken second place.

It seemed Lin Xuan wouldn’t be able to win them over without a fight.

"I don’t mind," Lin Xuan said nonchalantly. "But I wonder what the Elders think about it."

’If he wants a fight, he’ll get one. I’m not afraid, and I certainly won’t back down!’

"Oh yeah? I refuse to believe someone from your pathetic little Empire could beat one of us!" Mu Qianlong stepped forward in a rage.

"Enough!" Yan Jingyun said with a faint smile. "We’ll see if it’s true or not in the semifinals in a few days, won’t we? I hope the Bu Family won’t disappoint us. This isn’t the preliminary round anymore; everyone has to rely on their own strength."

With that, the crowd dispersed. After three days of fierce battles, those who had successfully advanced were all showing signs of fatigue. They needed to rest properly, not stand around wasting time.

"Of course, the Bu Family will absolutely not disappoint you!" Bu Feiyun retorted, though his words were just a brave front. Inwardly, he was still a bit skeptical. ’I don’t know if what Lin Xuan said is true... I hope it is.’

Bu Feiyun then led their group toward the resting quarters. It was a place specially built by the Bu Family—to be more precise, a massive palace that could accommodate a great number of people.

As they walked inside, Lin Xuan could feel the dense Elemental Power within the palace. He felt a sense of comfort the moment he entered, and as the energy permeated his body, he could feel it having a healing effect.

The effect couldn’t compare to the Recovery Chamber in the Ice and Snow Tower, but creating such an environment in a palace this large was still an incredibly impressive feat.

He hadn’t taken more than a few steps before a familiar sight greeted him: Qing Deyun and the others had arrived. Because Lin Xuan had successfully qualified for the semifinals, they were allowed to enter as well. They would also be able to cultivate here for a time, which was a considerable benefit.

"I knew you’d do well!" Lin Xue came forward, her beautiful eyes filled with pride. ’This is the man I’ve chosen!’

"A pity... there wasn’t enough time. Otherwise, taking first place would have been no problem," Lin Xuan said with a faint smile, showing not a shred of humility. The battlefield had been simply too vast, preventing him from finding targets quickly enough.

He made no effort to lower his voice. The participants from the other Empires who overheard him couldn’t help but roll their eyes and shoot him disdainful looks. Despite being from Alliance Countries, they didn’t believe Lin Xuan was capable of winning in a one-on-one fight. They figured he must have used some kind of trick or succeeded with a sneak attack to achieve such a high rank.

’And now he’s talking about first place? What a daydreamer. He needs a reality check!’

"Mu Shuang, come with us." Bu Feiyun interrupted, not letting them continue to share their joy.

’I still have so many questions to ask!’