A chilling glint appeared in Lin Xuan’s eyes as he activated the Pupil Technique: Amaterasu. Instantly, a terrifying force surged out, shattering the Dream Realm. Not only that, but the power of the technique also rushed toward Ru Meng.

Ru Meng, a triumphant smile still on her face, had no time to react before the force struck her. She let out a miserable scream as blood flowed from her seven orifices.

"Ah, how can this be? How could you possibly hurt me?" she shrieked. "How could you break my Dream Realm?"

Ru Meng was going mad. In her view, Lin Xuan was merely physically strong; his soul could only be considered average. Since the soul was her specialty, how could he possibly surpass her in that regard?

Lin Xuan merely snorted coldly. "Who told you my soul was weak? My soul is not weak at all!"

"I really underestimated you," Ru Meng gritted her teeth. "That was just me being careless. If I were to go all out, you might not be able to beat me."

She prepared to activate her Dream Realm again to deal with Lin Xuan.

Lin Xuan’s expression darkened. "You still want to fight me? Kneel and submit!"

He activated the power of his Pupil Technique.

Ru Meng said disdainfully, "My strength is not something you can imagine. You want me to submit? Dream on! Next, I’ll show you my true power."

Ru Meng frantically channeled her illusory power, launching an attack.

Lin Xuan also channeled the power of the Candle Dragon. A gigantic Divine Dragon soared into the sky, swirling above his head. Its eyes were like the sun and moon, overlooking all life.

Candle Dragon Celestial Light!

Ru Meng’s body began to tremble. "A Dragon Soul! You actually have a Dragon Soul! How is that possible?"

She was utterly losing her mind. A Dragon Soul! That was a legendary power! Not even the Grandmasters of Dragon Island could possess one, yet this young man actually had it! This was too incredible, too heaven-defying!

She wanted to flee, but it was already too late.

The Candle Dragon unleashed the power of Amaterasu, instantly enveloping Ru Meng. She coughed up blood again as her soul was wounded. Her body trembled, and with a thud, she knelt on the ground.

The people around were still buzzing with discussion.

"Do you think Lin Xuan can hold her off?"

"What a joke. There’s no way he can."

"I bet his soul has already been suppressed."

"Just watch. He’ll be kneeling before Ru Meng any second now."

In their eyes, Lin Xuan was destined to lose. In the next moment, however, their eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets. They discovered that the one kneeling wasn’t Lin Xuan, but Ru Meng.

"Heavens! What’s going on?"

"How is this possible?"

"Am I dreaming?"

The crowd exclaimed repeatedly. "How could Ru Meng be the one kneeling? Did she lose? Impossible!"

Ru Meng’s Soul Power was so strong that not even other Seven-Star Grandmasters were her match. How could this young man have possibly defeated her? At this moment, everyone was dumbfounded.

Up ahead, Ru Meng screeched, "I concede! I am willing to submit! I am willing to follow you, Young Master! Please spare my life!"

Lin Xuan didn’t kill her. Instead, he branded an imprint on her soul. From now on, a single thought from him could turn her to ash.

"Greetings, Master," Ru Meng kowtowed, her expression one of utmost reverence.

"Rise," Lin Xuan waved his hand.

Ru Meng stood up and came to Lin Xuan’s side like a servant.

Lin Xuan then said, "From now on, just call me Young Master!"

"As you command, Young Master."

Seeing Ru Meng acting so obediently, the onlookers were stunned. Was this the same powerful, peerless prodigy? She was now like a gentle kitten. It was truly unbelievable. At the same time, they were even more shocked by Lin Xuan’s strength.

It turns out this kid isn’t just physically powerful; his Soul Power is also incredibly terrifying. This guy probably has no weaknesses. We’d better not provoke this Lin Xuan in the future, everyone thought.

Lin Xuan turned his gaze toward the Soul Fire and said, "Let’s work together."

He and Ru Meng cooperated to quickly tear open the Soul Fire, allowing Lin Xuan to obtain the Soul Essence Fruit inside. With this item, his soul could be enhanced even further. The people around were immensely envious, but not a single one dared to make a move.

Up ahead, Lin Xuan sat cross-legged, preparing to consume the Soul Essence Fruit. He said to Ru Meng, "Guard me. Let no one approach."

Ru Meng nodded. "As you command!" With a wave of her hand, Dream Butterflies fluttered into the air, circling the area. She shouted coldly, "Scram if you don’t want to die!"

"Let’s go!" The surrounding crowd fled in a panic.

「On the other side,」

Lin Xuan activated the True Dragon Nine Transformations, and his soul morphed into a miniature dragon, frantically absorbing the power of the Soul Essence Fruit. Before long, a low dragon roar echoed as Lin Xuan’s soul aura increased immensely. His Soul Power had reached the late stage of the third tier, only a single step away from the fourth.

Lin Xuan opened his eyes, a glint of chilling light flickering in his gaze.

Beside him, Ru Meng’s body shuddered as she felt a massive pressure.

"Congratulations, Young Master. Your soul has grown stronger," Ru Meng quickly lowered her head, not daring to meet his gaze.

Lin Xuan stood up and said with a smile, "Let’s go."

He led Ru Meng deeper into the ancient relic. Whenever they encountered treasures along the way, Lin Xuan would fight to seize them. Great battles would erupt, but Lin Xuan always swept through the opposition, leaving Ru Meng utterly astonished.

He’s so powerful, truly so powerful. It seems my defeat was not unjust. Becoming his follower isn’t shameful either; after all, he’s the Young Emperor.

「A few days later,」

Lin Xuan stopped once again. A fierce battle was raging ahead, with dozens of figures frantically fighting over something. Such a scene was indeed a rare sight.

Ru Meng went to investigate and quickly returned. "Young Master, there’s a Realm-breaking Pill ahead."

Lin Xuan was taken aback. A Realm-breaking Pill was an incredibly valuable item! Consuming it allowed for an instant breakthrough to the next minor realm. Lin Xuan was currently a mid-stage One-Star Grandmaster. If he took it, he could instantly break through to the late stage. This would save him a great deal of arduous cultivation. No wonder these people were fighting so desperately for it.

"Let’s go," he laughed loudly and charged forward.

Lin Xuan plunged into the battlefield like a dragon crossing a river. With his arrival, the scene erupted into chaos. Many fighters were instantly sent flying. In a one-on-one fight, they were simply no match for him. Even the Seven-Star Grandmasters were beaten back, coughing up blood.

"Damn it, who is that? So strong!"

"Could it be Mo Feng from the True Dragon Sect?"

"No, it’s him! That Young Emperor!"

"So it’s him! No wonder his strength is so terrifying."

"Everyone, team up against him!"

The crowd prepared to join forces against Lin Xuan. So what if you’re the Young Emperor? Can you take on so many of us at once?

"Young Master, I’ll help you!" Ru Meng rushed over and unleashed her Dream Realm. Dream Butterflies flew from her body in all directions, and many people were instantly caught in the Illusion Technique. Some screamed, clutching their heads, while others simply froze in place.

Lin Xuan attacked swiftly, his World-Ending Flood Dragon Fist sweeping across the battlefield. Figures were sent flying, some crashing to the ground while others stained the sky with their blood. The remaining fighters felt their scalps tingle.

"He’s terrifying! This Young Emperor’s strength is too much!"

"Damn, he even has help!"

"It’s Ru Meng! She’s a Seven-Star prodigy too!"

With the two of them working together, they could truly sweep through everything. Soon, all the talented experts in the area had been defeated.

Lin Xuan turned toward the Alchemy Furnace. Inside it was a crystal-clear Elixir—the Realm-breaking Pill. He prepared to retrieve it, but just then, a gust of wind swept by, and the Elixir vanished without a trace.

Lin Xuan frowned. Ru Meng was also stunned, as were the distant onlookers. What just happened? Where was the Elixir?

Just then, a loud laugh echoed from afar. "Hahaha! Kid, thanks for clearing the obstacles for me! I’ll be taking this Realm-breaking Pill!"

What? It had been snatched away!

The crowd was in an uproar. It was unbelievable. Someone had actually managed to snatch the Elixir from right under the Young Emperor’s nose. That was heaven-defying! Who was this person? They exclaimed in shock.

Ru Meng’s expression changed dramatically. "It’s Chasing Wind! Only he possesses such speed!"

The people in the distance were stunned to hear this. What? Chasing Wind! It was him! He was another Seven-Star prodigy whose cultivation had reached the early Seven-Star realm. His specialty was speed. Even mid-stage Seven-Star experts might not be able to match him. No wonder he had been able to snatch the Realm-breaking Pill so smoothly.

"Alas, this Young Emperor is out of luck."

"He fought so hard for that Elixir, only for it to be stolen."

"It’s impossible for him to get it back. With Chasing Wind’s speed, the Young Emperor can’t possibly catch him."

"Hmph, so what if he’s strong enough to overwhelm everyone? In the end, he just did all the work for someone else."

"I never thought the Young Emperor would have a moment of failure."

The crowd buzzed with discussion. Some sighed, some sneered, and others began to mock him. Although they hadn’t obtained the Realm-breaking Pill, neither had the Young Emperor. The thought made them feel much better about their own failure.

Up ahead, Ru Meng’s expression was grim. She tried to console him, "Young Master, don’t be upset. This ancient relic is full of treasures. We’ll just find something else. Let’s just let Chasing Wind have this one."

"Let him?" Lin Xuan shook his head. "Why should I let him have it?"

"What else can we do?" Ru Meng sighed. "He’s so fast, we simply can’t catch up to him."

"Who said we can’t catch up?" Lin Xuan stated. "Catching him will be effortless."

What?

Ru Meng was taken aback. The distant onlookers were also stunned. They all looked at each other in disbelief. What was this kid saying? He could catch up with Chasing Wind? What a joke!

They admitted that Lin Xuan’s combat power was overwhelming, but that didn’t mean his speed was equally impressive. Chasing Wind’s speed was top-tier among all the prodigies. How could this kid possibly catch him?

Chasing Wind cultivates the power of wind, allowing him to come and go without a trace. His speed is extreme. To catch him, one would need to use the legendary power of the void. Don’t tell me this kid has mastered the power of the void? What a joke!

They refused to believe it.