Chapter 498 496: Formidable Body Technique

The Earth Elemental Power Shield looked absolutely impenetrable. Radiating an aura of Earth Elemental Power, it enveloped the entire area. The crowd drew a collective sharp breath upon seeing it. It was this move again. Many of them had seen Shi Yalong use it a few times before, and it was always indestructible!

No matter the attack, his opponents could never break through. He held his ground against every single one. He was undoubtedly one of the highlights of this competition, and a contestant the Chen Family was very pleased with. He had a strong chance of breaking into the top ten.

Shi Yalong was actually quite respectful of his opponents, allowing them to attack with all their might before he counterattacked. He let them exhaust every ounce of their strength against his defense. Once they failed to break it, it would be his turn to strike.

Lin Xuan didn't hesitate for a moment. He immediately deployed all of his Soul Power, forming it into an invisible sharp sword and thrusting it at the shield.

He felt that against this thick Earth Elemental Power Shield, it would be difficult to break through without using his full Soul Power.

BOOM!

The strongest form of his Soul Attack slammed fiercely into the Earth Elemental Power Shield. The crowd watched as a large section of the thick shield caved in, as if struck by a massive sledgehammer. But it had only dented—it hadn't shattered!

CRACKLE… CRACKLE…

Under the bombardment of the terrifying Soul Power, fragments shattered off the thick Earth Elemental Power Shield and flew in every direction. It appeared to be thinning, but in reality, little had changed. It remained as solid and indestructible as ever!

Shi Yalong simply stood quietly inside the Earth Elemental Power Shield, a calm and confident smile on his face.

'It actually held…' Lin Xuan frowned. Even attacking with his full strength hadn't made much of an impact. It had only left a dent.

It looked like it could shatter at any moment, but he knew that even if he used the Fox King's power, he wouldn't be able to crush this tough shield.

"Don't waste your energy," Shi Yalong said with a faint smile. "Unless your Soul Power reaches a higher level, you have no hope of breaking my defense! I admit my Soul Power isn't on your level, but when it comes to defense, I'm far stronger than you!"

He wasn't wrong in the slightest. It wasn't just Lin Xuan; the entire audience could see it too. The attack looked powerful, but it couldn't break through. No matter how long he kept it up, the shield would never shatter.

The only way was for Lin Xuan's Soul Power to reach a higher level—for instance, that of a Seventh Grade Pattern Master! But if he had really reached the level of a Seventh Grade Pattern Master, that would be simply Heaven-Defying. He wouldn't even need to participate in the competition; he'd be recruited win or lose.

Of course, if he truly were a Seventh Grade Pattern Master, Lin Xuan would be absolutely Heaven-Defying. Not even a Core Formation Stage expert could withstand such potent Soul Power. A single blow would leave even an early-stage Void Spirit Stage cultivator dazed.

The problem was, Lin Xuan wasn't at the Realm of a Seventh Grade Pattern Master, so he couldn't break the shield.

"Shi Yalong's shield is just too strong. Before, that Mu Shuang's Soul Power could crush anyone, but now he's finally hit a wall, huh? If he doesn't have another way, this match is as good as lost."

"Yeah. If he can't break Shi Yalong's shield, Mu Shuang will have no way to defend himself when the counterattack comes. So what if he has powerful Soul Power? He's been completely countered by Shi Yalong!"

"Heh heh, let's see how long that Mu Shuang can keep up his arrogance! His Soul Power is strong, sure, but he finally met his perfect counter. It must be fate!"

...

The jeers were incessant. They were delighted to see Lin Xuan on the verge of defeat. They simply looked down on contestants from lower-level Empires. 'How could a commoner climb over our heads?'

While they were pleased, others were not—for example, Mu Qianlong. He didn't want Lin Xuan to lose here. He wanted to be the one to personally deal with Lin Xuan, not let someone else do it!

"Is that all you've got? If this is the extent of your power, then you've already lost… Next, it's my turn to attack. I doubt you'll be able to dodge, so let's just end this," Shi Yalong said with a laugh. "See? I wasn't lying. I said you were going to lose, and you are. Without your Soul Attacks, what else can you possibly do?"

The moment he finished speaking, Shi Yalong waved his hand and slammed his palm onto the ground. A torrent of Earth Elemental Power surged madly into the earth.

In an instant, countless stone pillars formed from Earth Elemental Power erupted around Lin Xuan, thrusting wildly toward him and bearing down like an avalanche. The ground contained boundless Earth Elemental Power, and by harnessing it, Shi Yalong could significantly amplify his own strength, greatly boosting the power of his attacks.

If the ground had been seawater, his power would have been drastically reduced, perhaps even nullified completely.

A glint of light flashed in Lin Xuan's eyes as a patch of Flame erupted beneath his feet. With a sudden, forceful stomp, he shot toward Shi Yalong.

Cyan Cloud Fire-Treading Step!

He executed the perfectly mastered footwork, dashing toward Shi Yalong at incredible speed. He had barely taken a few steps when a Sharp Spike erupted from the ground, thrusting toward him.

Lin Xuan swayed slightly to the side, dodging it with ease. Just as he did, another Sharp Spike shot up. The instant it appeared, he had already changed direction, evading to the other side.

Every time a Sharp Spike emerged, his ears twitched faintly. He knew the direction of the attack the instant it appeared.

Therefore, no matter how the Sharp Spikes appeared, he could dodge them preemptively. This was his Sound Discrimination Ability. With his senses heightened to their peak, its effect was even more potent!

Amidst the countless Sharp Spikes, Lin Xuan moved like a feather drifting on the wind, but his movements were purposeful. He steadily closed in on Shi Yalong, a flicker of fire weaving through the forest of spikes. The sight left the crowd dumbfounded.

What a Heaven-Defying Body Technique! How could one possibly cultivate to reach such a Realm? Unexpectedly, in addition to his powerful Soul Attack, Lin Xuan's Body Technique was also incredibly Heaven-Defying.

"Such a Heaven-Defying speed. An ordinary Body Technique would be completely useless… His execution of the Body Technique is flawless, and it's even infused with Phoenix Power." Bu Feiyun's eyes were wide with shock. He wasn't the only one; everyone else was staring in astonishment.

Seeing his attacks have no effect, Shi Yalong felt a flicker of panic. Normally, no one could evade his attacks, yet this time, they were being dodged with ease.

"So you can dodge them? Then I'll just speed things up!" Shi Yalong's aura surged. The erupting Sharp Spikes accelerated several times over, appearing so furiously that they left afterimages.

But as the Sharp Spikes accelerated, so did Lin Xuan. He continued to dodge the emerging spikes with absolute ease.

The most crucial part was that Lin Xuan was continually drawing closer. What on earth was he planning to do?