Soul Emperor Awakening

It was an effortless one-hit kill. But Zhao Fei hadn’t unleashed most of his power, which was why Lin Xuan had defeated him so easily. To be precise, he had been terrified by the Godslaying Domain, causing him to underperform. Coupled with his exhaustion from the Godslaying Array, an instant kill was simply too easy.

"Brother Fei!" Liang Renlong quickly ran over and helped Zhao Fei to his feet. He found Zhao Fei’s body shivering uncontrollably, completely consumed by terror.

He turned and glared at Lin Xuan. "What did you do to Brother Fei!" he demanded.

"I didn’t do anything. I just gave him a chance to properly temper his mind. Having too many resources isn’t always a good thing!" Lin Xuan snorted coldly. An abundance of resources had made Zhao Fei’s journey far too smooth. The smoother the path, the easier it is for a Heart Demon to form.

The Godslaying Domain was much stronger than the Godslaying Array. The effect of its targeted assault was naturally different. Those with weak minds were easily ensnared, while those with a firm will could easily break free.

"I’ll kill you!" Liang Renlong roared in fury. He charged forward, sword in hand, transforming into a piercing ray of starlight. At the same time, he channeled the Killing Intent from the Godslaying Array, sending the formless energy surging toward Lin Xuan like a tidal wave.

"Hmph!"

Lin Xuan snorted. He unleashed the Godslaying Domain once more, a crimson light flickering in his eyes. A wave of Killing Intent, countless times stronger than Liang Renlong’s, crashed down with overwhelming force.

The towering Killing Intent blanketed the area, even affecting Zi Yi slightly and causing Illusions to flicker before her eyes. For Liang Renlong, countless Godslaying Soldiers holding long spears charged and stabbed at him. Terrified, he desperately swung his sword to defend himself, but whenever his blade connected, the soldiers merely dissipated.

The soldiers surrounding him thrust their long spears forward, piercing through Liang Renlong’s body. He felt a sharp, stabbing pain, but more than that, his Heart Spirit faltered, and his consciousness began to blur. The Godslaying Domain was never meant to inflict physical harm; its true target was the spiritual realm.

Seizing this opportunity, Lin Xuan, who had been standing motionless, finally moved. He tapped the White Pupil Rod on the ground, transforming into a streak of red light that shot forward.

Just as he was about to strike Liang Renlong, a figure swiftly intercepted the blow, effortlessly blocking his attack but still getting knocked back half a step from the force. At that moment, the Godslaying Domain dissipated, and the crimson glow in Lin Xuan’s eyes faded.

The one standing before Liang Renlong was the Elder who had been guarding the perimeter. With his Cultivation at the Peak of the Essence Pill Stage, it was no surprise that he could block Lin Xuan’s attack so easily.

"Young man, you are far too brazen," the Guard Elder cautioned, though he made no move to attack Lin Xuan. "These two are not people you should be offending. You should learn when to keep a low profile. It would be for your own good."

Lin Xuan was with Zi Yi, so it wasn’t appropriate for the Elder to make a move; under normal circumstances, he would have struck long ago. But as he had intervened, the old man was inwardly shaken. ’Even I was affected by Lin Xuan’s Godslaying Domain. And the sheer tyranny of his attack is shocking... its power is incredible, yet it seemed like such a casual blow.’

’That blow must have carried at least seventy or eighty thousand jin of force. To achieve such an effect with a seemingly casual strike... just what level has he tempered his Physique to?’

Lin Xuan retracted his White Pupil Rod and said coolly, "It’s not that I want to be high-profile, but they’ve pushed things too far. Plotting against me in the Godslaying Array wasn’t enough; they had to come looking for more trouble. I was merely teaching them an appropriate lesson."

He had no intention of meekly swallowing this insult, but the most he could do was teach them a lesson. ’Crippling them or leaving them half-dead is something I can’t do, for now.’ He knew these two held a high status in the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion. If he really did something like that, he would become a man wanted by the Pavilion. At that point, let alone Zi Yi, even Qing Piaoyun probably wouldn’t be able to protect him.

"Miss Zi Yi, please don’t make our jobs difficult," the Guard Elder said, his brow furrowed.

Standing behind the Guard Elder, Liang Renlong felt as if he had just taken a stroll through the gates of hell. His back was drenched in cold sweat, having just broken free from the Godslaying Domain. The sheer force radiating from the tip of the White Pupil Rod had washed over him; he could only imagine how many bones in his body would have shattered if it had connected.

Zi Yi finally snapped back to her senses. She walked over and said in a low voice, "Young Master Lin, I know you’re upset, but let’s leave it at this for now." Internally, she was in utter shock, her heart a tempest. Lin Xuan’s strength had grown so much that he could now easily crush both of them.

’I know Zhao Fei underperformed,’ she thought, ’but even in a true one-on-one duel, Lin Xuan would probably still win! If he’s given the right resources, he could soar to the heavens.’

’In fact, even if neither of them had any resources, I believe Lin Xuan would be the one to come out on top!’

Lin Xuan knew when to quit while he was ahead, but his opponent clearly didn’t. Zhao Fei struggled to his feet and fixed Lin Xuan with a venomous glare. "You’ve provoked someone you shouldn’t have," he snarled, then turned to Zi Yi. "And you! You’ll regret this decision!"

He snorted, but after just a few steps, he sucked in a sharp breath of pain and faltered. Liang Renlong hurried over to support him, helping him toward their carriage. Their time in the Godslaying Array was over. They needed to return and enter secluded Cultivation to fully absorb the Killing Intent they had acquired.

In addition to the Killing Intent within their bodies, there was also the energy stored in their Tokens to absorb. A single trip here was of immense benefit to them.

After they left, it was time for Lin Xuan and Zi Yi to depart as well. Their business here was concluded. As they boarded their carriage, Zi Yi sat in silence, her expression fraught with worry.

In the end, it was Lin Xuan who broke the silence. He drew a brightly glowing red Token from his robes and handed it to her. "Miss Zi Yi, you should have this. Take it back and use it for your Cultivation; it will benefit you. The Godslaying Array would have been very helpful for you, so since you couldn’t enter, you should at least use this Token to cultivate."

Zi Yi hesitated for a moment before accepting it. "Then, my thanks, Young Master Lin. This Token has absorbed a great deal of Killing Intent, far more than usual..."

She sighed, finding no joy in the gift. "Young Master Lin, after Zhao Fei returns this time, he will definitely cause trouble for you in the future. I’m afraid I’ve dragged you into this."

"Don’t say that. The man is far too petty; a conflict between us was inevitable. There’s no need to blame yourself," Lin Xuan said with a faint smile. "Besides, with Miss Zi Yi here, I’m sure many problems can be resolved with ease. Especially since I’m about to break through to the Essence Pill Stage Cultivation!"

Zi Yi’s eyes lit up, and much of her worry seemed to melt away. She nodded firmly. "Yes!" She said no more, but a glimmer of hope could be seen in her beautiful eyes. This mission was incredibly important to her.