Chapter 502 500: Lin Xuan vs. Tang Yingxue

Shi Yintian was killed by Mu Qianlong in just three punches, a display of domineering strength that left everyone stunned. The members of the Chen Family were utterly devastated. How could they not be heartbroken to see such a promising disciple die just like that?

But those were the rules. Killing an opponent wasn't a violation, though that didn't mean it wouldn't anger the other families.

Yan Jingyun's expression remained unchanged, completely unconcerned by the dark looks on the faces of the Chen Family. There was no other reason for it—this was what it meant to be powerful! If the Chen Family had the skill, they were welcome to kill one of the Yan Family's disciples in a few punches; Yan Jingyun wouldn't say a single word in protest.

After all, if a disciple died so easily, they held no value and were not worth nurturing. Trash was trash, completely undeserving of investment. The Yan Family wanted only elites—the absolute best!

Although it was rumored that one only needed to place in the top fifty to join a Super Race, that rule applied to clans like the Bu Family. For the Yan Family, who sought nothing but perfection, only those in the top ten were worthy. Anyone ranked lower would be turned away without exception!

This was their overbearing way, the Yan Family's absolute decree: only the top ten would be accepted. Clans like the Bu Family, who accepted anyone in the top fifty, were comparatively lenient.

History had proven the Yan Family's policy correct. They hadn't declined by being so selective; on the contrary, they had only grown stronger. Otherwise, they wouldn't hold the number one position, and with such absolute dominance at that.

After dealing with Shi Yintian, Mu Qianlong shot a provocative look at Lin Xuan. He wanted to prove that he could have dealt with Shi Yalong just as easily. Shi Yintian was significantly stronger than Shi Yalong, yet he was still killed in an instant. Though it wasn't a one-punch victory, it had taken very little time.

In fact, it had taken him less than half the time Lin Xuan had spent defeating Shi Yalong! This only served to prove how truly powerful Mu Qianlong was.

'Mu Qianlong is really something else. Our match hasn't even started, and he's already won so easily…' Lin Xuan shifted his gaze to Tang Yingxue, who stood before him. The stunningly beautiful woman was expressionless, her attention also fixed on Mu Qianlong's battle.

In truth, they could have begun their own match at any time, but they both watched Mu Qianlong's fight instead. There weren't many matches left, and it was highly likely that the winner of one bout would be the next opponent for the other.

That being the case, it was only natural to pay close attention and gauge a potential opponent's strength.

"Shall we begin?" Lin Xuan asked.

"We may." Tang Yingxue's face was a mask of indifference, her expression as tranquil as ever. She was like an ethereal fairy, untouched by worldly matters, as if nothing could cause the slightest ripple in her heart.

The moment she finished speaking, Lin Xuan felt the environment around him shift. Before he could even react, he found himself standing in a sea of flowers. The audience, and even the stage itself, had vanished.

The only person he could see was Tang Yingxue!

'An Illusion Technique!'

Lin Xuan was inwardly shaken. He hadn't expected to fall into her trap in the blink of an eye. While it wasn't a direct assault on his mind, it was at the very least deceiving his eyes. The Illusion Technique was a mystical art, a form of Soul Attack that created an Illusion.

An Illusion is inherently false, but if you perceive it as real, you will suffer real harm. 'By that logic, all I have to do is not believe it,' Lin Xuan thought. 'That's possible in theory, but the problem is that my eyes are being deceived. Tang Yingxue can mix a real attack in with the fake ones.'

He had used a similar technique himself before—a Charm Technique that could deceive an opponent's eyes. The only way to avoid it was to keep one's eyes shut.

"Flower Blade…"

Uttering the words as if each was precious, Tang Yingxue's cherry lips parted slightly. In an instant, the surrounding sea of flowers surged into the air. The once-delicate petals transformed into countless blades, whipping toward him. It was like a vortex of razors, sweeping in to engulf him.

At the same time, a flash of light blazed across the sky, so dazzling it was hard to keep one's eyes open.

"Vanish!"

A cold glint flashed in Lin Xuan's eyes as he unleashed his Illusionary Charm Domain. The ground where he stood erupted in fire, and from the vast sea of Flame, a Fire Dragon rose, roaring furiously as it charged toward the Flower Blade.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The Fire Dragon detonated amidst the flower-blades, turning the entire area into an inferno. The temperature skyrocketed, and the raw power was terrifying.

A moment later, the entire sea of flowers had been incinerated, meaning Tang Yingxue's Illusion Technique had failed. Furthermore, it hadn't just been an Illusion Technique; it had been infused with a Soul Attack. If Lin Xuan had truly been struck by that Flower Blade, it wouldn't have been his body that was pierced, but his very soul.

Once his soul was pierced and wracked with pain, the opening for her attack would have grown wider and wider, and defeat would have been inevitable!

"Ice Spike!"

A blue light flashed in Tang Yingxue's eyes. In an instant, countless Ice Spikes rained down from the sky, extinguishing the surrounding flames. They then shot toward Lin Xuan, threatening to run him through completely!

"Shatter!"

Light flashed in Lin Xuan's eyes once more. A golden radiance rose up around him, transforming into countless rays of golden light that shot forward. They shattered the Ice Spikes in their path before continuing on toward Tang Yingxue.

At this, Tang Yingxue's expression finally changed slightly. In a direct clash of Illusion Techniques, she hadn't expected hers to be weaker than Lin Xuan's! She had always been confident in her abilities, believing that since her techniques were infused with a Soul Attack, she couldn't possibly lose to him.

Yet after two exchanges, she found that Lin Xuan's own Illusion Technique was just as astonishing, preventing her from gaining even the slightest advantage!

Though the battle raging between them was intense, in reality, only Lin Xuan and Tang Yingxue could see it. To the surrounding audience, the two of them were just standing foolishly on the stage, completely still.

"This is so boring. I hate Soul Attacks the most; you can't even see what they're doing!"

"Same here. The only way to see it is to enter their illusion. But if you actually went in, you'd be the one to die..."

"I stopped paying attention to their fight a while ago. It's more interesting to watch the other matches!"

...

It was a boring battle to watch, but one that still demanded attention. They were both masters of the Soul Attack, and no one knew who would ultimately win the match.

"Elder Bu, I have to say, your contestant isn't very wise," Elder Su Feng of the Su Family couldn't resist jeering again. "Weren't his fists supposed to be incredibly powerful? Yet here he is, trying to compete with our contestant in Illusion Techniques. He's bound to suffer a bitter loss for it!"

"They've been at it for a while with no visible change. It's obvious Lin Xuan isn't gaining the upper hand. If he were, we would have seen some sign of it by now."

"Hmph! You can't be sure of that. Who knows what will happen until the very end?" Bu Feiyun snorted, though his heart sank a little. 'He felt Lin Xuan should have just charged in swinging his fists from the start instead of getting into a battle of Soul Attacks.'

'His opponent is a renowned genius, after all. To become a Sixth Grade Pattern Master at such a young age is simply Heaven-Defying.' Of course, compared to Lin Xuan, Tang Yingxue couldn't be considered all that young; she was already twenty-eight or twenty-nine. 'If Lin Xuan reaches that age,' Bu Feiyun thought, 'he could probably kill her in an instant.'