Chapter 495 493: Prestige

The drawing of lots continued. For Lin Xuan, it didn't matter who he drew. He had to win anyway, so there was nothing else to worry about.

The Bu Family's expectations for Lin Xuan were currently very high. If he kept winning, he might just charge his way into the top ranks. Most importantly, of all the Empires under the Bu Family's administration, only the contestant from the Soaring Dragon Empire had made it this far. The others had not achieved such a ranking.

Besides the Bu Family, Qing Deyun and the others also held high hopes for Lin Xuan, wishing he could advance even further. Only Zi Yanyun wore a rather awkward smile, while Zi Yanqian, sitting beside him, was so ashamed he wished the ground would swallow him whole. Who could have imagined that Lin Xuan would be this strong?

A week ago, they had personally apologized to Lin Xuan. Lin Xuan had accepted their apology—he was indifferent either way. He let them do as they pleased. He hadn't taken Zi Yanqian seriously to begin with. After all, everyone feared death. He could understand why Zi Yanqian had made such a choice.

After all, they had the option to flee; it wasn't as if they were backed into a corner. If they had been trapped with no escape and still abandoned Lin Xuan to save themselves, that would have been truly unforgivable.

Before fleeing, Zi Yanqian did give Lin Xuan a heads-up, a well-intentioned reminder. So their relationship wasn't terribly awkward, but it had still left a rather poor impression on Lin Xuan. It was a complete show of distrust in him, and this had resulted in some loss, more or less.

This loss made Zi Yanyun want to slap his son to death. He was usually so clever; why didn't he assess the situation before choosing to flee back then?

Sometimes, being decisive wasn't a good thing, and the matter with Lin Xuan was a prime example. If all went well, he would become a disciple of a Super Race and have a meteoric rise to success!

In contrast, his son, Zi Yanqian, couldn't even make it to the repechage. When this news spread to the Soaring Dragon Empire, the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion was put in an extremely awkward position. The entire Empire's glory was being upheld by Lin Xuan. They, on the other hand, weren't even worthy of carrying his shoes.

"Father, I was wrong..." Zi Yanqian sighed, utterly consumed by regret.

"What's the use of admitting you're wrong now?" Zi Yanyun snorted coldly. His dissatisfaction hadn't vanished in the slightest; in fact, it was steadily growing. Especially as Lin Xuan achieved better and better results, he found himself getting angrier and angrier.

He was furious that his son was so useless. He was an absolute disgrace to the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion!

The key was that this news had already spread throughout the entire Soaring Dragon Empire! Lin Xuan had fought his way into the repechage and was charging toward the top fifty. This was a glory the Soaring Dragon Empire had never experienced before.

Qing Deyun had even paid a considerable price to spread the news, but it was all worth it.

The entire Soaring Dragon Empire was now in a state of ecstasy, though not everyone understood the full significance of the event.

"Successfully entering the repechage of the Empire Tournament... what does that mean? Can we participate too?" a disciple from a small family asked after hearing the news.

The news being spread did not mention Lin Xuan's name, only that someone had broken into the Empire Tournament's repechage. This was, after all, to conceal Lin Xuan's identity and prevent any mishaps.

"How could you possibly participate? If you can become a Spirit Pill Stage expert before the age of thirty, then you can take part in this Empire Tournament!" the Steward said to the numerous disciples before him.

"Become a Spirit Pill Stage expert before thirty? How... how is that possible?"

The disciples were all shocked. They had never imagined the requirements would be so high. The crucial part was that merely breaking into the repechage was already cause for national celebration.

"Nothing is impossible. And that's just the most basic prerequisite. If you want to participate, you must reach that Level within that age." The Steward sighed deeply. He never thought the Soaring Dragon Empire would see such a glorious day.

Within Qingcheng Mansion and the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion, everyone was waiting for news of Lin Xuan. When it arrived, the news was like two Core Formation Stage experts clashing, setting off an explosion that left them all in shock.

Among them, the many disciples of the Core Hall were dumbfounded.

"I never thought someone from our generation, Lin Xuan, would go so far..." Ling Tian shook his head and sighed. He was only at the fourth or Fifth Layer of the Essence Pill Stage, while Lin Xuan had already reached the Spirit Pill Stage. The gap between them extinguished any thought of catching up.

The others felt the same. He had once been a rival, but now, forget being a rival—Lin Xuan was at a Level they could only look up to.

"We are truly no match for him... To think we could still surpass him, that was just a dream!" His former rival, Lei Zhan, also sighed, not a trace of fighting spirit left in his eyes.

All the opponents who had once fought Lin Xuan sighed with emotion. Although no name was announced, they knew the one who entered the repechage was definitely Lin Xuan. Besides Lin Xuan, there was no one else.

For a Super Race, it was merely a selection tournament, yet it had caused such a stir in the Empire. If Lin Xuan were to become a disciple of a Super Race, that would be the greatest change of all!

Lin Xuan was oblivious to the changes in the outside world. For him, there was only the drawing of lots before him.

"'Number thirteen...' Lin Xuan had drawn an even lower number, which meant he would face a stronger opponent. Among the seventy-odd people remaining, anyone still in the running had to be exceptionally skilled to have lasted this long.

Because team participation was allowed in the preliminary rounds, the results were less credible, as there were fewer one-on-one duels. This was precisely why Lin Xuan had been constantly questioned. The situation was different now. His strength was completely proven, and he was clearly not as simple as he appeared on the surface.

Number thirteen, Ying Qian of the Su Family. Cultivation: Fourth Layer of Spirit Pill Stage. The key point was—she was also a genius with an exceptional Level of skill in Soul Attacks!

Another key point was that the contestant was female. Looking at the contestants, there were indeed quite a few women. However, Lin Xuan would not show mercy just because his opponent was a woman. If she needed to be killed, he would kill her without hesitation!

When he got on the stage, sure enough, a stunning beauty walked up from below the ring. Upon seeing Lin Xuan, she even threw him a seductive wink and said in a cloyingly sweet voice, "Big brother, please be gentle later, okay? Little sister is afraid of pain..." Her voice was so saccharine it was enough to give one goosebumps.

Her petite body, paired with her gorgeous face, truly gave off an air that made one want to protect her. But Lin Xuan's heart was as clear as a mirror, and his gaze only grew colder.

This was because this Ying Qian specialized in Illusion Charm Technique. Her every action and gesture revealed an innate coquettishness. 'What a natural-born charmer.' Such a constitution was perfect for cultivating Soul Power. It wasn't just Demon Foxes that could possess this innate charm; humans could as well.

"If you're afraid of pain, you can choose to surrender. That way, it won't hurt," Lin Xuan said indifferently. The Charm Technique she was exuding had no effect on him whatsoever.

He might have sounded completely unromantic, but if he were to actually fall for it, he would be the one to die!