The Prodigies War-2025.10.31

The prize was now right within reach! Indescribable joy welled up within Zhu Hui. He even began to imagine the scene where his entire clan would be shocked, envious, and in awe of him when he returned with the law power.

Swish!

Suddenly, something dazzled before his eyes. After being momentarily startled, he suddenly realized that the law power was gone! The wide smile on his lips immediately froze as the triumph in his heart was replaced by an uncontrollable surge of rage that made his long hair stand on end.

Who!

Who did that!?

Zhu Hui, who was already coughing blood, became so angry that he spat out yet another mouthful of blood as his elderly face turned as black as the bottom of a pot.

Plucking the fruit from right under his eyes?! The culprit deserved to have his flesh carved off bit by bit until he died!

Swish!

His eyes flashed in a terrifying manner as they instantly homed in on the thief. The culprit was a tall young man in moon-white robes. He was dragging along a sword cauldron where the withered willow law power was being imprisoned and suppressed.

Upon sensing Zhu Hui’s gaze, the young man revealed a dazzling smile and even waved back. "Elder, thanks for clearing the way and helping me subdue the law power!"

Urgh!

Zhu Hui nearly vomited another mouthful of blood. His hair and beard bristled angrily, his eyes bulged in rage, and his fingers trembled as he pointed at Lin Xun, "Little thief, this esteemed one will kill you!"

Rumble!

He walked across the air as a dreadful killing intent spread like an all-encompassing tide, and immediately thrust his silver-white spear forward.

Space exploded and collapsed as unparalleled law power pierced through the void, accelerating toward Lin Xun at an inconceivable speed. Its power was so great that it would make even ghosts and gods tremble in fear.

Clang!

The Limitless Abyss Sword Cauldron swiftly moved to the front like a stalwart shield. The two objects collided, producing a deafening rumble that made it feel as if heaven and earth were collapsing.

Lin Xun staggered backward. Although he had been amply prepared, the strike still jolted him until his entire body ached and his blood and qi churned uncontrollably, nearly causing him to cough blood.

He couldn't help but feel surprised. Although Zhu Hui was a Heavenly Longevity Stage Immortal expert, he was currently heavily wounded and on the brink of death. To think that he was still this powerful!

At the same time, Zhu Hui exclaimed in surprise, "It's you, the evil spawn of Fangchun Mountain!"

Given his young age, the sword cauldron floating above him, and the fact that he had been able to withstand the attack, who else could it be but Lin Xun of Fangchun Mountain?

Of note, at present, wanted posters for Lin Xun were plastered everywhere in the Eternal True Realm. Moreover, the most striking feature in these posters was his life-bound Emperor weapon, the sword cauldron!

"I never thought that Elder would recognize me. How truly...flattering." Lin Xun smiled, appearing calm and composed.

"Why have you appeared here?"

Zhu Hui frowned, realizing that something was amiss. Several years ago, Lin Xun had mysteriously disappeared outside the Ruins of the Gods, making his fate unknown. Who would have thought that he had arrived at the First Heaven Domain of the Eternal True World?

"Since you’re here, why can’t I come as well?"

Without giving the other party any chance to recover, Lin Xun charged forward as the Limitless Abyss Sword Cauldron rumbled loudly and descended in a domineering manner.

"Hmph! Little brat, your senior brother Ling Xuanzi and your teacher-uncle Kong Jue aren’t here. What kind of waves can a mere a supreme Emperor Ancestor like you...possibly stir up?"

Disdain flashed in Zhu Hui's eyes. With a jerk of his wrist, the silver-white spear rose into the air like a brilliant divine rainbow.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The two weapons clashed dozens of times in an instant. Each collision between cauldron and spear released a torrent of energy that swept across the nine heavens and ten lands, splattering light like rain and a rumbling radiance.

Lin Xun's aura churned as he tried his best to withstand the enemy’s oppressive power. Despite squeezing out everything he had, he was still at a clear disadvantage. There was no way around it, the disparity in strength was simply too big.

Although seriously injured, Zhu Hui was, after all, still a true-blue Immortal expert. The power of every move he unleashed was simply terrifying.

"Die!”

Suddenly, Zhu Hui furiously roared as his silver spear attacked like an unstoppable force.

At that very same moment, Lin Xun’s eyes hardened as he pushed the Limitless Abyss Sword Cauldron’s power to the extreme. Millions of light rays flared up from it like rising steam as the mouth of the cauldron faced the silver spear.

In an instant, the silver spear was thrust into the Limitless Abyss Sword Cauldron. Strangely enough, no sound rang out from the clash. Instead, the silver spear rapidly disintegrated as if it was being devoured.

Zhu Hui's pupils abruptly contracted as his eyes almost popped out of their sockets. The silver spear was made from the Zhu Clan’s ninth grade Earth Rank law power. Although it was borrowed power, it was more than strong enough to kill an opponent at the same cultivation realm!

Despite that, that dreadful and terrifying power was being easily neutralized at this very moment! This was completely beyond expectation and caught him off guard, causing his mind to be violently shaken.

"Kill!”

Meanwhile, Lin Xun suddenly executed Time Stopping, creating a dazzling, spreading wave of time power. His five dao bodies also rushed out from him and launched their most powerful killing moves at Zhu Hui.

Boom!

Space distorted chaotically as blinding radiance unfurled like the tide. Zhu Hui's already gravely wounded body was blown to pieces, disintegrating together with his defenses.

"No—" Zhu Hui's primordial spirit was blasted by Lin Xun and his dao clones the moment it tried to escape. Numerous cracks appeared in the blink of an eye, a sign that the spirit was about to dissipate.

“No!!!”

With a final frantic cry, Zhu Hui's primordial spirit finally reached its limit and exploded as it was engulfed by a torrent of destruction.

Swish!

Lin Xun immediately backed off from the explosion. When he looked again, he could no longer find any trace of Zhu Hui amidst the dissipating chaotic energies.

A Heavenly Inspector from the Zhu Clan who was also a renowned Immortal expert at the Heaven Longevity Stage had truly died! It was a genuinely miserable death.

Although the fierce battle with the withered tree had left him seriously wounded, he believed he could still easily murder Lin Xun. However, he never imagined that his borrowed law power would suddenly disintegrate, which dealt a big blow to his mental state.

Before he could even process the situation, he was struck by Lin Xun's Time Stopping innate ability and was attacked by Lin Xun and his five dao bodies. Under such circumstances, it would have been impossible to bring about mutual destruction even if Zhu Hui put his life on the line.

It was easy to imagine just how horrible it must have felt for Zhu Hui to meet his death with the sweet reward right in front of him. It was no different from being suddenly stripped of all honor and status for no reason...

Meanwhile, Lin Xun finally breathed a sigh of relief as his entire body relaxed. This was the first time he had directly killed an Immortal expert. Although the opponent was severely injured, it still boosted Lin Xun’s confidence and filled him with exhilaration.

If even the impossible mountain that was the Emperor Ancestor could be conquered when he was an Emperor, why not an Immortal expert while he was an Emperor Ancestor? Lin Xun was never one to believe in such impossibilities.

Admittedly, he would have no chance of winning if he had encountered Zhu Hui at peak condition. However, Lin Xun believed that as his cultivation progressed, the day would eventually come where he would be able to properly contend with such an opponent!

Without wasting any more time, he looked into the Limitless Abyss Sword Cauldron. The withered tree grayish-white law power had been suppressed while Zhu Hui’s law power had long been shattered and devoured by Wushuang.

Regretfully, the law power wasn’t complete, making it as useless as a chicken bone to Wushuang.

"Master, following the terminology of this era, the law power you subdued is a rare ninth grade Earth Rank law power that contains vicious thunder law essence. Hence, it can be called fiendish lightning law."

In the Nirvana law power, the fragile-looking girl dressed in a white continued, "If you let me eat it, I should be able to restore twenty percent of my power."

"Twenty percent?" Lin Xun was taken aback.

Wushuang explained, "That's roughly equivalent to a fourth grade Heaven Rank law in this era."

Wushuang was clearly becoming much more lively as Lin Xun continued to help her collect and devour law powers. Although she was merely a manifestation of law power and didn't possess true intelligence, she could develop her own perceptions and opinions, which was quite extraordinary.

Surprised, Lin Xun asked, "What rank were you in the past?"

Wushuang earnestly answered, "I won’t know for certain until I manage to return to my original form. However, based on my current estimation, my power should have surpassed ninth grade Heaven Rank."

Lin Xun's heart shuddered. It was as he had expected!

When he had first subdued Wushuang long ago, he had a premonition that the law power Wushuang possessed was at least the ninth grade Heaven Tribulation Rank. [1]

Because in the Eternal True Realm, only rare ninth grade Heaven Tribulation Rank law powers could birth a law spirit. Ordinary Heaven Rank law powers, even ninth grade ones, were simply incapable of achieving this.

It did make sense after some thought. Wushuang was a law spirit that had somehow managed to survive the Five Dao Decays of the previous era. How could she possibly be ordinary?

"Master, may I absorb the fiendish lightning law?" Wushuang asked in a charming manner. Although she was a law spirit, she seemed more than life-like.

"Alright." Lin Xun thought about it and agreed.

Originally, he planned to capture the law power for Liangyi Academy, but later realized it wouldn’t work out like he had intended. Only those who had completely mastered the essence of the law power could refine a treasure to borrow its power.

For example, You Qianheng had borrowed Liangyi Academy’s third grade Earth Rank law power through a jade seal. Of course, as a mere Emperor Ancestor, it was impossible for him to master the essence of a third grade Earth Rank law power, nor could he forge such a treasure.

In other words, Liangyi Academy’s law power was wielded by an Immortal expert long ago who likely also forged the secret treasure to borrow its power. That treasure was then left as a legacy in Liangyi Academy. That was why it was inherited and wielded by each successive principal.

The same was likely true for the law power borrowed by Rui Taifu of Binglin Academy and the ninth grade Earth Rank law power borrowed by Zhu Hui.

This also meant that even if Lin Xun subdued more law powers, he wouldn’t be able to borrow their powers if he couldn’t master and comprehend their essence.

1. Of note, in 2459 it only said ‘rarest ninth grade Heaven Rank laws could give birth to law spirits’ in the raws. ☜