Chapter 613: It Just Came with Practice

“Y-Yulan Sacred Fire?!” Huo Qingling gasped, covering her mouth in shock.

She was completely stunned when she saw the Yulan Sacred Fire. Who would have thought that Lin Xuan possessed it? The Yulan Sacred Fire was the ultimate counter to Phoenix Fire, and it was notoriously difficult to control.

To see it appear on a mere human was shocking. For her, this was simply unbelievable.

“No wonder you asked to increase your Cultivation by five layers in one go. So, you thought that just because you can control the Yulan Sacred Fire, you could easily suppress my Phoenix Fire?” Huo Qingling recovered from her surprise and chuckled. “If you really believe that, you’re too naive. The Yulan Sacred Fire does counter my Phoenix Fire, that’s true. But that doesn’t mean it can completely suppress it, especially when our Cultivation levels are so far apart. Do you really think you can overpower me?”

“Why don’t we find out?”

Lin Xuan took out the Soul Slayer Rod. The character for “Soul” on it instantly filled with Yulan Sacred Fire, suffusing the entire staff with the astonishing Sacred Fire. He then forcefully channeled several souls into the Soul Slayer Rod. In an instant, with a great WHOOSH, the Yulan Sacred Fire coating the rod surged, making it look less like the Soul Slayer Rod and more like a giant, burning torch!

“Getting interesting. Let’s see what you’re made of!”

The Phoenix Wings on Huo Qingling’s back fluttered. The surrounding Fire Elemental Power was instantly drawn out of the air and into her Fire Wings. In the blink of an eye, she was in front of Lin Xuan. She lightly raised her small palm, once again pulling all the ambient Fire Elemental Power toward her.

“Burning World Red Lotus!”

A small ball of Flame appeared on her delicate hand. It instantly transformed into a small lotus flower, which rapidly blossomed before Lin Xuan. The ambient temperature shot up, completely overpowering the chill from his Yulan Sacred Fire.

The Phoenix Ruins were constructed from Fire Elemental Stone, providing Huo Qingling with an abundant supply of Fire Elemental Power. With her terrifying level of control, she could unleash an even more frightening might.

Her attack was fast, but Lin Xuan’s was faster!

His eyes were already glowing with a deep blue light—the effect of the Youlan Emperor’s Soul Possession. He raised the Soul Slayer Rod and swung it down at Huo Qingling without a shred of hesitation or mercy.

“Eight Extremes Freeze the World!”

The Eight Extremes Staff Technique from the Lin’s Staff Technique and the Fourth Form of the Yulan Ultimate Skill, Frozen World, were completely combined. As he swung, the Soul Slayer Rod at the center released waves of absolute-zero energy in all directions, instantly causing the temperature to plummet.

It even froze the surrounding Fire Elemental Power. Such was the effect of the Yulan Sacred Fire, capable of freezing everything, including the surrounding Elemental Power—especially Fire Elemental Power!

As the entire area froze, the Burning World Red Lotus in Huo Qingling’s hand rapidly shrank. She was stunned. She never expected Lin Xuan’s ability to control the Power of Heaven and Earth to completely overwhelm her own!

BOOM!

The heavy staff struck Huo Qingling’s body. A terrifying wave of icy energy crushed down, completely freezing the Burning World Red Lotus solid until it vanished. At the same time, the cold surged wildly into Huo Qingling’s body, frantically freezing the form she had manifested from Fire Elemental Power!

In that instant, Huo Qingling felt herself freezing solid. A sense of crisis unlike anything she had ever experienced welled up from within. She instinctively erupted with even greater power. In a flash, a Flame capable of incinerating everything exploded from her palm.

FWOOSH!!

A pillar of fire erupted from her hand, engulfing the surrounding Yulan Sacred Fire and instantly melting it into steam that vanished in the blink of an eye.

The explosive pillar of fire also sent Lin Xuan flying. He slammed hard against the wall behind him and coughed up a mouthful of blood, nearly losing his grip on the Soul Slayer Rod.

His entire body was now covered in burns. His skin was blackened, and he looked as though he’d been burned to a crisp.

Unable to withstand the explosive force of the move, Lin Xuan had been thrown back. Fortunately, his Physique was quite formidable, or he would have been severely injured. As it was, he only suffered minor wounds, but the impact had violently shaken his internal organs, leaving him in considerable pain.

“How can your power be so strong? You completely suppressed my Realm Power…” Huo Qingling was horrified. She had never anticipated this outcome.

This was only natural. Lin Xuan hadn’t just used the Youlan Emperor’s Soul Possession; he had also invoked the soul of the Martial God. His Realm had instantly skyrocketed, surging to the Spirit King Level and absolutely crushing his opponent’s Realm Power.

This was why he had dared to accept the challenge. He wasn’t afraid of comparing Realms. As long as his opponent wasn’t at the Spirit King Level, he was confident he had a chance to win.

Unless his opponent’s Cultivation reached the Core Formation Stage, he would have no chance at all. But right now, his odds were good. To end the fight as quickly as possible, he had unleashed his strongest power from the very start!

“Whether my power is strong or not isn’t important. What’s important is that you’ve lost, Senior…”

Lin Xuan used the Soul Slayer Rod to prop himself up. He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, a glint of pleasant surprise in his eyes.

He had won the bout. He’d won in a single move. Because Huo Qingling had used power beyond the agreed-upon limit, she had lost. It was a violation of the rules, a clear defeat.

By that logic, Lin Xuan had defeated Huo Qingling in a single blow—an absolute takedown. If she hadn’t broken the rules, that one strike would have finished her completely. Such was the power of the Yulan Sacred Fire, the ultimate counter to any Flame.

“Yes… I lost,” Huo Qingling said, shaking her head with a bitter smile. She never thought it would be over so quickly. The fight had barely begun before she was forced to unleash her greater power, leaving her at a loss for words.

“Now I understand your arrogance. It seems it wasn’t arrogance after all, but true strength. You’ve really made me see you in a new light…” Huo Qingling tossed the Jade Bottle forward. It floated on a current of Elemental Power over to Lin Xuan, who caught it easily.

“Can you tell me how you did that? Your Realm Power actually surpassed mine. It’s unbelievable!” Huo Qingling was still fixated on this point. Her own attacks were founded upon her Realm Power.

To be so easily defeated left a bitter taste in her mouth. Giving away five drops of Phoenix Essence Blood just like that… she really felt the sting of it. Out in the world, people would kill for a single drop of Phoenix Essence Blood, especially Spirit Grade Phoenix Essence Blood. Normally, what one found was merely Mortal Grade.

For Lin Xuan to receive five drops was an immense reward.

“Well… you just practice and practice, and eventually it happens,” Lin Xuan said with a laugh. ‘I’m definitely not telling her the truth. Only an idiot would reveal a secret like that!’