The Prodigies War

Author’s Note: Although Lin Xun should be ‘Lin Twelve in Blood Kill Battlefield, he is sometimes referred to as Lin Xun in the chapters but it is still assumed that no one knows his identity.

……

The room was pitch-black.

Lin Xun was seated on the ground beside a thick layer of high-grade aeth crystal dust.

He had been meditating for five days. Gleaming white aeth channels gave off a dreamy and sacred glow around his chest area.

Amidst the sacred glow, the image of a grand abyss surged forth.

The grand abyss was akin to the void, empty and endless.

Lin Xun felt and probed it with his senses. Amidst the process, he seemed to hear an ancient, vast, and cryptic dao sound drift out from deep within the abyss.

His aura noiselessly circulated, and his mind was clear, focused, and empty of stray thoughts, reaching a state of concentration where he even forgot himself.

Surges of mysterious heat flows spread from the area around his four heart acupuncture points and filled his limbs and skeleton. It nourished his flesh and blood while bringing out his latent potential.

In his Heaven Ascension Cave, divine light gushed forth, making it seem as if the light was rising through the air like steam. Three white-jade-like treasure lights flew out from a simple dao platform and circled around it, making it grow increasingly sacred and magnificent.

Lin Xun was oblivious to all of these happenings.

……

On the seventh day of cultivation.

A rustling noise sounded from Lin Xun’s body like a silkworm breaking out of its cocoon.

Lin Xun’s long hair fell from his head as new hair grew out at an inconceivable speed. The thick, pitch-black hair seemed to sparkle like crystals and reached all the way down to his waist like a black waterfall.

Next, Lin Xun’s skin began to crack and fall off inch by inch as a new layer of skin replaced it. The new skin gleamed, making him look like the most perfect jade statue, and overflowed with dao light.

Despite its seemingly soft and glowing appearance, it hid an extremely terrifying power.

Subsequently, a divine halo floated out around Lin Xun, sprinkling light around him which made him look akin to a celestial being that was about to ascend.

It was as if he had been reborn anew and had cast aside his mortal shell!

……

On the tenth day.

The external changes finally stopped. His presence grew increasingly transcendent and ethereal as an indescribable dao ripple spread around him.

Thunder seemed to boom in his body as his internal organs, Heaven Ascension Cave, channels, and bones resonated at a unique rhythm. His aura roared like a raging sea or a crumbling mountain as the rumbling in his body continued at a constant peak.

Dong!

Dong!

Dong!

Even the beat of his heart sounded like thunder booming in the heavens, brimming with strong and powerful vitality.

The guards stationed outside Lin Xun’s room violently shuddered, feeling as if their spirits were being viciously blasted by dao sound. It felt so unbearable that they nearly coughed blood several times.

It was caused by a mere wisp of aura that had leaked out from Lin Xun’s cultivation!

……

On the thirteenth day.

The internal changes also stopped, and everything became calm.

Swoosh!

At this moment, Lin Xun opened his eyes. Gorgeous lightning seemed to flash in the room, tearing apart the darkness!

Upon closer inspection, Lin Xun’s black eyes looked akin to deep abysses. Divine light surged within them as they gave off an overwhelming and oppressive aura that seemed capable of devouring a person’s soul!

“I didn’t expect this, I truly didn’t expect…that I would inadvertently advance to the next cultivation stage…the world is indeed filled with unpredictable randomness…”

A strange smile rose from the corners of Lin Xun’s lips as the divine light in his eyes withdrew, becoming deep and clear like an ancient well.

He had advanced!

Even Lin Xun himself never expected that he would inadvertently achieve a cultivation breakthrough and reach the advanced Heaven Ascension stage.

It was rather inconceivable.

Previously, he had prepared ample high-grade aeth crystals to attempt a cultivation breakthrough. However, the transformation he underwent during his closed-door cultivation session had allowed him to achieve his breakthrough in advance. Moreover, he had not wasted any high-grade aeth crystals to do so!

“It’s probably related to my Origin Aeth Artery…”

Lin Xun fell into deep thought. Previously, he had been trying to learn more about his Origin Aeth Artery in order to gain control over the secrets it held.

However, he had not discovered anything and had only sensed a vast, ancient, and cryptic dao sound.

It was only now that Lin Xun realized that he had learned nothing. Although, at the very least, he had somehow reached the advanced Heaven Ascension stage.

“Origin Aeth Artery…Grand Abyss Heaven Devourer…”

With a deep breath, Lin Xun resolved to discover all of its secrets one day. Such a peerless talent was basically a treasure trove. It would be a terrible waste if he didn’t make full use of it.

Next, Lin Xun began to feel the changes in his body.

“My physical ability has ascended to the next level. With such abundant life force, I should be able to regrow severed limbs and even grave injuries should recover with sufficient time…”

“With the increase in my cultivation power, I should be able to kill someone like She Zhen even without the No-Nonsense Bow…”

“It’s a pity that my spirit power is still stuck at the Moon Phase stage. I wonder when I’ll be able to cultivate the third greater cultivation stage, Sun Illumination…”

“Not bad, not bad, my dao comprehension has also improved. My Water Dao Ripple has reached the perfect stage and only lacks an opportunity to ascend to the Dao Meaning level.”

Lin Xun was elated as sensed the changes in his power. In the inhospitable and dangerous Blood Kill Battlefield, the more strength a cultivator possessed the greater their chances of survival.

……

Not long after, Lin Xun pushed open the doors and exited, immediately drawing many respectful and wary gazes.

They belonged to the guards who had been stationed outside Lin Xun’s room. Despite being seasoned veterans and fierce fighters of the Blood Kill Battlefield, they were acting very respectfully in front of Lin Xun.

The guard leader respectfully said, “Young Master Lin, Lord Lu instructed us to tell you to head to the storehouse when you’re out.”

“I’ve troubled you guys.” Lin Xun cupped his hands together. He knew that the guards had been helping guard his quarters for the past few days.

Only after Lin Xun departed did the guards breathe sighs of relief.

The Heaven Ascension youngster was now famous in the Blood Kill Battlefield. In a single night, he had become a new rising star known by both allies and enemies.

Killing a Half-Step King with a single arrow…

Singlehandedly slaying numerous powerful Brute experts in Tiger Canyon and accumulating a tremendous amount of military credits…

Becoming the only person with Heaven Ascension cultivation on the enemy’s Blood Wanted List…

All of this was astonishing, to say the least!

Half a month had passed since then, but Lin Xun was still a hot topic among the empire’s eight camps.

The storehouse.

“Kid, you’re in big trouble now!”

Lu Wenting sighed when he saw Lin Xun. “The general has ordered that you have to stay in the camp and are forbidden from leaving.”

Lin Xun raised a brow. “What’s going on?”

Lu Wenting began recounting everything that had happened over the past few days, such as the Blood Wanted List and the ripples caused by the battle of Tiger Canyon.

In the end, Lu Wenting said, “Currently, the top Brute experts have declared that they will kill you to avenge Half-Step King Man Jiu. The situation doesn’t bode you well at all.”

Lin Xun could not help but frown. “It’s just a Blood Wanted List, why must we be so nervous? If they want to kill me, I say bring it on. It just so happens that I’ve been stressing over how I can earn more military credits.”

Lu Wenting was greatly alarmed. “You can’t! Young Master Lin, do you still not understand the severity of the situation? The moment you appear on the battlefield, you will likely draw the attention of Half-Step Kings!”

Lin Xun offhandedly replied, “So what? It’s not like I haven’t killed one before.”

Lu Wenting was speechless. It was true that the top Darkness Tribe Half-Step King expert, Man Jiu, had been killed by Lin Xun.

However, if Lin Xun were allowed to leave camp and head to the battlefield, there would be far too much unpredictable danger.

Lu Wenting did not wish to have such a traumatic experience again.

Likewise, he was very certain that General Zhangsun Lei wouldn’t agree either.

“Young Master Lin, can you…can you not make things difficult for this old man?” Lu Wenting was on the verge of tears as he begged Lin Xun.

His coaxing ultimately succeeded and Lin Xun gave in. However, he also made it clear that they should allow him back on the battlefield when there was a chance.

This made Lu Wenting inwardly breathe a sigh of relief. He had been afraid that Lin Xun wouldn’t cooperate.

Lin Xun suddenly said, “Since I have to stay in camp, I can’t sit around and do nothing. I’ll head to the military workshop to have a look.”

“What?”

Lu Wenting stiffened as the joy that had just appeared immediately vanished. His expression fluctuated indeterminately.

Why can’t you just behave yourself? Must you go and mess up the military workshop?!

Lu Wenting had a headache.

“Is that forbidden as well?” Lin Xun frowned.

“Of course not!”

Lu Wenting gritted his teeth and agreed. He quickly tried to figure out what kind of duty he could arrange for Lin Xun to make him behave himself and not disturb order in the workshop.

On that same day, everyone was shocked to find out that Lin Xun was going to the military workshop to work as an assistant to the rune masters.

Everyone found it ridiculous. Why had a heaven pride who could kill a Half-Step King suddenly become a rune master assistant?

Wasn’t this a waste of talent? It made no sense at all!

Many cultivators felt that it must be some kind of mistake. Even the rune masters working at the military workshop were rendered speechless by the news.

What the hell was Lu Wenting trying to do?

Regardless, when Lin Xun appeared at the military workshop, the unbelievable news was finally proven to be true!

All the cultivators from the 7th camp were stupefied.

So it was real!