Soul Emperor Awakening

A chill filled the room. The woman, and her tone, were just as cold.

"Ah, in that case, I’ll address you as Elder. You look so young and beautiful, it’s easy to mistake you for being younger than me!" Lin Xuan explained hurriedly. The young woman did indeed look younger than him, perhaps around fifteen—a little younger than he was.

He himself was seventeen this year, and his sister, Lin Xue, was even younger at only sixteen. To become a Core Disciple of Qingcheng Mansion at sixteen was an accomplishment that made the entire Lin Family proud.

If Lin Xue continued to shine at Qingcheng Mansion, the Fang and Huang Families wouldn’t dare to make a move against the Lin Family. With an Elder for a master, who would be foolish enough to provoke them?

For that reason, Lin Xue joining Qingcheng Mansion not only allowed her to cultivate and break through rapidly and potentially help Lin Xuan heal his eyes, but it also protected the Lin Family! It was a case of killing two birds with one stone. But, of course, without talent, even the best-laid plans were just empty talk.

"Hmph, smooth talker." The young woman’s face was like frost, though her tone seemed to have softened slightly. She looked him up and down. "What you said before was right; they wouldn’t have sent a handyman. But how did you get in? That part doesn’t make sense. I guarantee that without Core Formation Stage Cultivation, it’s impossible to get past the Restriction outside!"

’I nearly choked,’ Lin Xuan thought. ’To her, the Body Refining Stage is just for handymen? Isn’t that a bit of an exaggeration? A Body Refining Stage Cultivation isn’t high, but it’s hardly at a handyman’s level.’ Then again, he figured this young woman had the right to be arrogant. If the barrier outside required the Core Formation Stage to break, it was perfectly normal for her to see the Body Refining Stage as nothing more than menial.

"Well, like I said, I stumbled in here by accident. I was being chased by a Cyan-Scaled Python and somehow fled in here without realizing it. I honestly don’t know what happened," Lin Xuan shrugged, feigning ignorance. He would never mention the Soul Pearl. If he did, he’d be dead before he knew it.

’Did he happen to rush into an array node...?’ The young woman pondered for a moment before shaking her head. "No matter how it happened, it’s not important anymore. Judging by your situation, you’re not one of *her* people."

"May I ask for your esteemed name, Elder?" Lin Xuan asked cautiously.

"My esteemed name...?" A flash of nameless anger appeared in the young woman’s eyes. She spoke with a chilling voice, "Listen up. My name is Bingxin! Don’t you dare go spouting this name when you get out, or you won’t even know how you died!"

’Elder Bingxin...’ Lin Xuan had no recollection of the name. It seemed she had been sealed here for many years. He wasn’t even born back then, so it was impossible for him to know of her.

"Speaking of which, can’t you come out from in there, Elder Bing?" Lin Xuan asked, looking the ice mountain up and down.

"Do you think I want to be in here?" Bingxin snorted coldly. "If I could get out, I would have left long ago. I’ve been stuck here for nearly a hundred years! This Ice Sealed Palace isn’t so easily destroyed... Wait, you could destroy this Ice Sealed Palace, and then I could get out!"

A look of delight flashed in Bingxin’s eyes, but it quickly dimmed. "Your Cultivation is too low. You can’t possibly destroy this Ice Sealed Palace. Without the support of its Energy, the ice sealing me is no different from an ordinary block of ice!"

Lin Xuan didn’t know what level of Cultivation she was talking about, but he imagined it was by no means low. He paused for a moment before asking, "May I ask why you were sealed here, Elder?"

Bingxin’s gaze turned cold, and Lin Xuan felt he had said something he shouldn’t have.

"Some things are better left unknown. This is for your own good. In your current state, not knowing is far better than knowing!" Bingxin had no intention of telling him, nor did she plan to trust him. They were strangers who had only just met. She wouldn’t confess everything unless she was a chatterbox.

Since Bingxin wouldn’t say, Lin Xuan didn’t press further. He shrugged, walked toward the door, and decided to ignore her. He found a spot outside, sat down cross-legged, and took out two Spirit-Breaking Pills.

He didn’t want to waste any more time; he was going to break through to the Spirit Refining Stage now! With two Spirit-Breaking Pills, there was practically no chance of failure. A breakthrough to the Spirit Refining Stage was a certainty! That was all he wanted right now. He had nothing more to say, and it wasn’t as if Bingxin was interested in chatting with him anyway.

’My foundation is stable. It’s time to use these Elixir Pills to break through!’

Without hesitation, Lin Xuan popped the two Spirit-Breaking Pills into his mouth. The moment the pills entered, a terrifying surge of Elemental Power flooded his body, far surpassing the effect of the Dragon Blood Pill.

In terms of value, Spirit-Breaking Pills couldn’t compare to Dragon Blood Pills. A Dragon Blood Pill could stabilize one’s foundation and strengthen the body. A Spirit-Breaking Pill, on the other hand, was simply an elixir pill that continuously gushed Elemental Power. Not absorbing it was a waste, but most people found it difficult to absorb completely. The goal was to rely on this astonishing surge of Elemental Power to burst through to the Spirit Refining Stage!

As the vast Elemental Power surged into his body, Lin Xuan remained calm and composed. He was already prepared. He quickly mobilized the Elemental Power to circulate through him. After one full cycle, he continued to guide it through another.

With each cycle, the Elemental Power in his body grew stronger. To perfectly absorb this immense Elemental Power, Lin Xuan allowed Lin Hua’s soul to possess him. In an instant, the astonishing torrent of Elemental Power became like a docile child before him, easily controlled without the slightest leak!

The Control Power of the Spirit Pill Stage Level was naturally far stronger than his current ability. Even the execution of his Cultivation Technique became much more precise!

Inside, when Bingxin first saw Lin Xuan about to break through, she thought nothing of it. But when she felt his extremely strong Control Power, her expression couldn’t help but change.

’He can perfectly control the Elemental Power erupting from two Spirit-Breaking Pills, without letting any of it leak... You can’t do that without at least Spirit Pill Stage Level Control Power.’ Bingxin was inwardly shaken. ’To possess such astonishing Control Power during the Body Refining Stage... he can only be described as a monster!’

Most Cultivators, when taking Elixir Pills of a similar level, could never achieve such perfect control. A significant portion of the medicinal effect would leak out. With a Spirit-Breaking Pill, for example, most could only absorb half of its efficacy at best. The extent of the waste was obvious.

Yet Lin Xuan was able to control and absorb it perfectly. How could she not be shocked?

’Perhaps he might actually be able to break this Array...’ Bingxin’s beautiful eyes flickered. Seeing such astonishing Control Power, she felt that Lin Xuan might just be able to help her break free!

...

「By the lake, the sky had brightened, and the sun hung high.」

Liu Menghua had waited all night, but Lin Xuan never emerged from the water. A sad look filled her eyes. He really hadn’t come out. In truth, she didn’t need to wait so long. If someone didn’t surface within an hour, it already meant they were dead.

If he was going to come out, he would have done so long ago. Why would he wait until the next day?

"It seems Young Master Lin really is..." Liu Menghua sighed sadly. Her guards felt terrible as well.

If they hadn’t wanted the Mystery Heart Grass, this wouldn’t have happened. But what was done was done; it couldn’t be changed.

"Miss, let’s go back..." a guard sighed. "There’s no way Lin Xuan is still alive. Waiting here won’t do any good."

"Yes, let’s go back." Liu Menghua stood up, her gaze firm. "After we return, send a message to Qingcheng Mansion... After my father recovers, I will go to Young Master Lin’s family and personally offer my apologies..."

She felt extremely guilty, but for now, this was all she could do to make amends.

Liu Menghua was returning to report Lin Xuan’s death. One could only wonder what the scene at Qingcheng Mansion would be like when Lin Xuan finally returned. Or what kind of expression Liu Menghua would have when he appeared before her, alive and well.