C7 His Powerful Return

The shadowy figure watched intently as Moo Qiubai made her way back to the Moo family's viewing platform, a distinctive gleam flashing in their eyes.

It was as though they were silently declaring, "Huangfu Xihua, you shouldn't have harmed her..."

Atop the Moo family's platform, Moo Xuan breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing Moo Qiubai unharmed.

"Qiubai, you must now recognize the gap between you and that Huangfu girl. If you're still intent on avenging Lin's boy, I'm afraid it's out of the question now," Moo Xuan said with heartfelt concern, his worry for his daughter evident.

Had it not been for the intervention of the mysterious figure, Moo Xuan might have been mourning a devastating loss.

Moo Qiubai's face slowly broke into a smile upon hearing her father's words, the first since Lin Yunchen's death.

"Father, perhaps Yunchen's vengeance no longer falls upon my shoulders..."

In that moment, Moo Xuan noticed his daughter's gaze fixed on the enigmatic black figure standing on the dueling platform.

He pondered, "Could that be Lin Yunchen? But the rumors claimed he perished on Huangfu Xihua's wedding night..."

While Moo Xuan doubted the figure was Lin Yunchen, one thing was certain: Moo Qiubai had smiled, for the first time in nine long months.

On the dueling platform, Huangfu Xihua's gaze was locked on the cloaked figure nearby.

"Who might you be? This is the coming-of-age ceremony for the ten great families of the Border City. I must ask you to leave. Should you refuse, the ten families will not hesitate to mete out strict punishment," she declared firmly.

The response from beneath the black cloak was a soft chuckle.

"And how, pray tell, has the esteemed young miss of the Huangfu family concluded that I am not of the Border City's ten great families?"

With this question, the black figure skillfully turned the tables on Huangfu Xihua, leaving her in a quandary without a direct confrontation.

Time seemed to stand still before the black-clad figure finally spoke, "Make your move. Everyone's here for the martial arts showdown, not to watch you stir up trouble. Soon enough, I'll demonstrate to all that I am indeed from one of the city's ten great families. But for now, Huangfu Xihua, it's time you paid the price!"

In that instant, Huangfu Xihua sensed a deadly intent emanating from the figure, a chilling, razor-sharp malice.

Confronted with this threat, Huangfu Xihua was not about to sit idly by and await her fate. Striking back was clearly the smartest move.

"Snowflake Sword!"

The next second, the once tranquil martial arts platform erupted with a surge of elemental energy.

Huangfu Xihua had launched her attack, sending a blade of light hurtling toward the black figure at breakneck speed, seemingly intent on claiming his life.

Upon witnessing this, a cold smirk curled at the edge of the figure's mouth beneath the black cloak. Then, he too made his move.

"Devilgod Rune!"

"Devilgod Fist!"

Four enigmatic runes of light instantly encircled his fist, exploding forward to meet Huangfu Xihua's sword strike head-on.

Fist and blade clashed midair, their energies intertwining and colliding. It was then that Huangfu Xihua realized the black figure's strength wasn't as formidable as she had anticipated.

"Half Step to Pulse Condensation Stage? Seems your might isn't all that impressive. Now, watch as I dispatch this buffoon!"

With the black figure's true power revealed, Huangfu Xihua shed any trace of fear, her confidence surging. She believed that in the entire city, any peer capable of matching her in battle had perished nine months prior.

"Hehe, so you think you've already won? Allow me to show you my real power!"

As her words hung in the air, the number of mysterious light tattoos winding around the black figure's arm began to multiply.

Four, five, six, seven, eight... Fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, nineteen, twenty.

"That will suffice."

As the light patterns swelled from four to twenty, the black figure's presence grew markedly more intense. Yet, despite this, the fluctuation of his elemental energy remained unchanged, steadfastly at the Half Step to Pulse Condensation Stage.

The shadow beneath the black cloak sent a shiver of terror through everyone present, including Lin Yi of the Spirit Sea Stage, who couldn't help but show a hint of bewilderment.

"Snow Sword Shadow!"

A single sword stroke became snow, the snow transformed into nine shadows.

In that moment, Huangfu Xihua was on high alert, sensing that the man before her was more than met the eye. He seemed to be concealing something.

"Void Treading Step!"

The figure in black moved with an uncanny grace, effortlessly sidestepping Huangfu Xihua's all-out strike and swiftly positioning himself at her flank, launching a punch.

"Devilgod Fist!"

Adorned with twenty enigmatic light patterns, the punch he delivered carried the might of the Pulse Condensation Stage's Ninth Layer peak.

Huangfu Xihua, witnessing the incoming punch, hastily raised her sword to intercept, dreading the impact against her flesh.

The fist connected, the sword shattered.

The black figure's punch had met Huangfu Xihua's blade, cleaving it in two. A hush fell over the martial arts arena as the onlookers processed the sight of the Second Rank top-grade longsword being split by sheer brute force.

"You... You're not human!"

Huangfu Xihua's heart raced with shock and fear as she saw her Second Rank top-grade Jade Spirit Sword halved by the black figure's bare hand, a feat beyond even those of the Origin Purging Stage.

Weapons were categorized into ten ranks, each with three grades: upper, middle, and lower.

Lin Yi's eyes sparkled with insight as he witnessed the spectacle. "This individual has clearly mastered the art of physical strength. Despite only possessing Half Step to Pulse Condensation Stage power, his physical might is likely on par with the pinnacle of the Pulse Condensation Stage's Ninth Layer. Otherwise, he couldn't have split a Second Rank top-grade weapon in two."

The entire assembly was stunned by the black figure's display of power, piquing the curiosity of the clan leaders about the mysterious disciple's origins.

If his claims held true, possessing such prowess at merely sixteen, he would rival even Lin Yunchen, the foremost prodigy of the border city.

Alas, they could never have imagined that beneath the black cloak was none other than Lin Yunchen himself, believed to have perished nine months prior.

Half a year ago, Lin Yunchen had triumphantly received Xiu Wuji's legacy, advancing into the second phase of his cultivation journey.

Over these six months, Lin Yunchen's abilities had skyrocketed, surpassing even Xiu Wuji's expectations. His relentless training had finally borne fruit.

During this period, Lin Yunchen not only honed the divine techniques gleaned from the Unparalleled Divine Arts to an elementary level but also elevated his spiritual power to the Sixteenth Rank, on par with the Sixth Layer of the Pulse Condensation Stage.

Yet, these achievements paled in comparison to his most significant feat: in just half a year, Lin Yunchen had successfully unblocked all eighty acupoints in his body, attaining a level akin to the Half Step Origin Purging Stage.

A Half Step to Pulse Condensation Stage, a Sixteenth Rank spiritual force, and the power of eighty acupoints – these were the pillars of Lin Yunchen's current strength, the foundation of his new beginning.

From the stands, onlookers gazed at Lin Yunchen as if he were an enigma, their curiosity piqued even further by the mystery of whether the figure beneath the black cloak was truly a sixteen-year-old.

Lin Yunchen slowly lifted his head, his gaze settling on Huangfu Xihua. He spoke deliberately, "You doubted whether I was truly a disciple of the Ten Great Clans of the Edge City. Now, I shall demonstrate unequivocally whether I belong to them or not."

His voice resonated with every listener.

In that instant, the martial arts arena fell into a profound hush, a silence so complete it was almost tangible. All eyes were fixed on Lin Yunchen, anticipating the moment he would remove his black cloak.

Turning to face the Lin and Moo families, Lin Yunchen extended a hand from beneath the cloak, resting it gently on the fabric.

"Yunchen, could it really be you?"

Moo Qiubai had always held onto the belief that Lin Yunchen was still alive. So when she glimpsed the black figure beside her today, her heart raced with the possibility that beneath the dark shroud was Lin Yunchen himself.

As the figure in black prepared to reveal his identity, Moo Qiubai found herself holding her breath in anticipation.

With a swift tug of his right hand, Lin Yunchen sent his black cloak billowing into the air, unveiling a face that countless in the city would recognize. Gone was the youthful innocence once etched upon his features, replaced now by a trace of mature resolve.

"Yunchen, it really is you..."

In that moment, Moo Qiubai's tears flowed freely, tears of happiness for the brother she knew to be alive.

"Yunchen is alive! Hahaha, the heavens bless the Lin's Family..."

The crowd erupted as the man beneath the cloak was revealed to be none other than the Lin's Family's prodigious talent. Joy and dismay filled the stands in equal measure.

The Lin's Family, of course, rejoiced the most, for Lin Yunchen's return promised to elevate their power to new heights, especially considering his current strength likely sat at the city's zenith.

Allies of the Lin's, the Moo's, Ji's, and Ye's families were overjoyed. The remaining six major families, particularly the Huangfu and Bai's, could hardly share in the celebration.

At that moment, within the Bai's family section of the audience:

"Wasn't that Lin's Family whelp supposed to have died at the hands of Huangfu Xihua? How is he here now? It looks like the Bai's and Huangfu's plans will need some revising..."

Bai Ling'er, upon witnessing Lin Yunchen's return, had already resolved to take decisive action.

"Patriarch, I, Lin Yunchen, the unworthy descendant of the Lin's Family, humbly request to rejoin our clan. I seek your approval."

Lin Yunchen stood on the dueling platform, bowing deeply towards the Lin's Family.

Lin Yi, upon hearing Lin Yunchen's plea, didn't even wait for him to kneel before extending a tendril of his Spiritual Essence to gently lift Lin Yunchen upright.

"Good child, in life you belong to the Lin family, and in death, you are the soul of the Lin family!"

Upon hearing Lin Yi's words, Lin Yunchen slowly rose to his feet, his face breaking into a genuine smile for the first time since his resurrection.

Turning gracefully, Lin Yunchen's gaze settled on Huangfu Xihua, who remained on the dueling platform.

"It's time we resolved our feud once and for all, wouldn't you agree?"

In that moment, Lin Yunchen stood majestic like a God of War, his eyes commanding as they fixed on Huangfu Xihua.