Lin Xuan froze when he saw the soul floating in the air. The fact that Lin Feng hadn't mentioned it proved he couldn't see it at all. Aside from the soul in his Soul Space, this was the first time he had ever seen a humanoid soul. Its entire body was slightly translucent, flickering in and out of sight as if it were about to dissipate.
"I'm going to activate the Copperman Array now. Get ready." Lin Feng went to start up the array. He planned to stay and watch, curious to see how long Lin Xuan would last on his first attempt.
Suddenly, an excited voice drifted down from the roof. "It's the Young Master! It must be the Young Master..."
Lin Xuan snapped his head up and saw the soul from before float to the side. Its body was faintly transparent, and seeing it up close was even more startling. Its powerful muscles were a testament to its formidable strength in life, giving Lin Xuan quite a fright.
Their eyes met, and the soul asked in surprise, "You can see me?"
"Yes, I can see you," Lin Xuan replied calmly, collecting himself.
"Young Master, you can really see me! This is wonderful! For so many years, no one has been able to see me. You look exactly like the Old Master—the resemblance is uncanny. The moment you walked in, I couldn't believe my eyes. I never thought the Young Master would be able to see me. After all these years, this is the first time I've seen you all grown up..." Lin Hua was overcome with emotion, his eyes turning red.
Hearing the words "Young Master," Lin Xuan knew this had to be Lin Feng's older brother, Lin Hua. He never expected to find his soul here. If Lin Feng could see him, he would have done so long ago.
"You've been here this whole time?" Lin Xuan was surprised. A being that could float in the air should have been able to fly anywhere.
Lin Hua said excitedly, "That's right. I can't leave this place at all. The most I can do is move within a dozen-meter radius. I can't fly any farther than that. But why is it that only you can see me, Young Master?"
'It's a long story...' Lin Xuan had endless questions in his heart, such as the truth of his birth and the reason for the Lin Family's destruction. Now that he had found Lin Hua's soul, he could finally get some answers.
He had to admit, he had never entered the Copperman Array in all these years. This was his first time seeing it. It was normal that Lin Hua had never seen him before, yet he had recognized him from his appearance alone.
Just then, Lin Feng finished setting up the Copperman Array and walked over. Lin Xuan stopped talking. Even if he told Lin Feng that he could see Lin Hua, he was sure Lin Feng wouldn't believe him. After all, something like this was simply too bizarre.
"The Copperman Array tests your reaction speed and the power of your attacks. If you can last half an hour, it will be a great help for your future breakthroughs. I know it's very difficult, but if you want to become a true expert, you must endure it!" Lin Feng said. "As for a Weapon, I'll give you a rod, since you're used to using one. You can go in now. If you hold out for half an hour, you'll have passed the test. If you can't take it anymore, just drop to the ground, and the Copper Men will stop moving."
Lin Feng handed an iron rod to Lin Xuan. It wasn't that he was afraid Lin Xuan would hurt himself; rather, since Lin Xuan was accustomed to using a wooden staff, he let him use a similar weapon.
Lin Xuan took the iron rod. It was quite heavy in his grip, weighing at least dozens of pounds. It was much heavier than the wooden staves he usually used, but it felt good in his hands. With his strength at the Sixth Layer of Body Refining Stage, wielding a Weapon weighing a hundred pounds was no problem at all. In fact, this one felt a little light.
Holding the iron rod, he slowly walked into the Copperman Array. Beside him, Lin Hua obediently fell silent and watched quietly, eager to see what level Lin Xuan had reached after all these years.
The moment Lin Xuan stepped into the Copperman Array, four Copper Men immediately sprang to life. They rushed forward, swinging their palms and fists. Their charging speed alone was far beyond what an ordinary disciple could match.
"Cloud-Entering Form!"
A sharp glint flashed in Lin Xuan's eyes. An astonishing Qi Force erupted from his body, instantly enveloping the surface of the iron rod, which was also infused with his dense Elemental Power! Under the influence of his Elemental Power, the Profound Iron Rod, forged from Profound Iron, began to emit faint ripples that vibrated the very air around it.
Only with a Weapon of this quality could he fully channel his body's Elemental Power into it and unleash its greatest might!
"The pinnacle of the Cloud-Entering Form!"
Both Lin Hua's and Lin Feng's eyes lit up. They wore identical expressions of pleasant surprise at the sight of the Lin Family's most Low Tier, Entry Level Martial Technique.
The next moment, Lin Xuan thrust the rod viciously at an oncoming Copper Man. SWISH! It seemed to tear through the air.
CLANG!
With a sound like a great Copper Bell being struck, the Copper Man was forcefully knocked back several steps by his fierce blow. A slight dent even appeared on its abdomen. If Lin Xuan had used such a ferocious attack against Lin Fang and the others, they would have been killed instantly.
Immediately after, another Copper Man swung its palm down at him. It didn't use any Martial Technique, relying purely on its own tough body. Even so, the speed of its attack was astonishing.
Lin Xuan had already lowered his stance. A daunting glint shot from his eyes as he pivoted on his feet, spinning like a tornado. He swept out with the Profound Iron Rod, which was wreathed in powerful Qi Force. BANG! Three Copper Men were sent flying, each bearing a new dent of varying depth!
His formidable skill was on full display! A Martial Technique practiced to its peak was truly extraordinary! Lin Xuan felt an incredible exhilaration from the fight. He had spent so long practicing alone with very little real combat application. If not for the memories of others he carried in his mind, he might not have had such an easy time just now.
However, he had no intention of using any other Martial Techniques. Those belonged to the disciples of the Flame Heart Sect, not to him. Using them recklessly now would only arouse Lin Feng's suspicions.
'It seems I still underestimated him,' Lin Feng's eyes flickered. 'But this is just the beginning.' He waited to see what Lin Xuan would do next.
Of the four battered Copper Men, two suddenly stopped moving. As Lin Xuan watched them intently, he felt a sense of crisis rise from behind him. With a light shuffle of his feet, he seemed to transform into a slippery fish, swiftly dodging to the side. He had just moved when a fierce palm strike sliced down, missing him completely.
But before he could even stop, one of the supposedly motionless Copper Men near him suddenly sprang into action, throwing a fierce punch. He shifted his feet again, and the fist, carrying a sharp gale, grazed past his chest, tearing a rip in his clothes.
Although he had dodged the attack, it sent a cold sweat down his back. The Copperman Array truly lived up to its name. The movements of the Copper Men were unpredictable, and a single moment of carelessness could lead to being hit.
Seeing him dodge two consecutive attacks, Lin Feng nodded in satisfaction. "This Cloud-Walking Step is also extremely proficient, though he's a bit rusty in its application."
"Get lost!"
Lin Xuan swung the Profound Iron Rod. THUD! The Copper Man was sent flying.
He handled the four Copper Men with ease thanks to his practiced Martial Techniques. If his eyes hadn't recovered, it definitely wouldn't have been this easy.
Time ticked by. With another of his ferocious strikes, the four Copper Men were once again knocked back. At the same time, half an hour was up!
Lin Feng was inwardly surprised. At first, he thought Lin Xuan would only last for a moment, but he had actually managed to endure the entire time! He had survived for half an hour on his very first try, relying on just two Martial Techniques—and the most basic ones at that.
"I didn't expect you to easily last half an hour on your first try. You've passed this test." Lin Feng stopped the Copperman Array, filled with emotion.
Lin Xuan let out a breath of relief but didn't leave the array. Instead, a fiery passion flashed in his eyes. "Clan Leader Lin, I want to keep going. I'm going to increase it to six Copper Men!"
He wanted to know what his limits were. Dealing with four Copper Men hadn't been too difficult, and the stamina he'd used was still manageable.
"Six Copper Men?" Lin Feng was stunned for a moment, then burst out laughing. "The increase in difficulty from four to six Copper Men is no small jump. You'd need to be at least at the Eighth or Ninth Layer of the Body Refining Stage to survive. Are you sure you want to do this?"
"Yes, I want to test my limits!" Lin Xuan felt that what he lacked was real combat experience and needed more practice to hone his skills.
"Alright then, I'll grant your wish!" Lin Feng passed him a bottle of Elixir Pills, his eyes full of approval. "Here are some Elemental Power Pills. Take one and recover your strength." To this moment, he still didn't believe Lin Xuan's eyes had recovered. His preconception was that without his treatment, Lin Xuan could never have been healed.
Lin Xuan didn't stand on ceremony. If he didn't restore his Elemental Power, he definitely wouldn't last the next round.