Soul Emperor Awakening

Without much conversation, they rode in the carriage toward Vast Origin City. Along the way, Lin Xuan meditated to cultivate, stabilizing the Elemental Power within his body and regulating its flow.

His state of mind on this return journey was completely different. His cultivation at the Eighth Layer of the Spirit Refining Stage was enough to secure a spot in the top ten. With the Soul Pearl, he was confident there would be no issue in taking first place.

This was true confidence. Even when facing Ling Tian, he no longer felt as uncertain as he had before.

Zi Yi cultivated alongside him. No matter the circumstances, cultivation always came first. In the face of absolute power, all schemes and plots were useless.

However, she was not at peace inside. ’If Lin Xuan can fight his way into the Core Disciple ranks this time, it will be an even greater help to me. As for breaking through to the Essence Pill Stage... perhaps I won’t have to wait much longer for that.’

After returning to Vast Origin City, Lin Xuan first visited Liu Yue’Er and Liu Xin. Only after confirming they were both all right did he leave with his mind at ease. He was returning this time to participate in the top ten finals, so it was impossible to bring Liu Yue’Er back with him.

After the arduous journey, he finally returned to the Inner Hall of Qingcheng Mansion. He had arrived with some time to spare before the top ten finals, so he could still enter the Cyan Cloud Tower to cultivate for a while. He wasn’t satisfied with having broken through two consecutive layers; he still needed to race against the clock to cultivate. If he slowed down, others would catch up!

Most of the Inner Hall Disciples were cultivation fanatics. It wasn’t that they particularly enjoyed it, but if they didn’t push themselves, they would be mercilessly left in the dust. Thus, they had no choice but to strive relentlessly.

Lin Xuan himself didn’t need to be in such a rush; his current cultivation speed was already astonishing. But his goal wasn’t just the Inner Hall—it was to become a Core Disciple. More than that, it was for self-preservation!

’No one could guarantee when that enemy would strike. If he didn’t have the strength to protect himself when the time came, all he could do was wait to die. Not only would he fail to get revenge, but he would also lose his last glimmer of hope.’

Since he had already established his dominance, no one dared to provoke Lin Xuan; they all acknowledged his strength. Now, most people were eagerly awaiting the top ten finals. It was the biggest competition in the Inner Hall, and many Elders, and even Core Disciples, would be there to watch.

After all, anyone in the top ten had the potential to become a Core Disciple. The current Core Disciples would come to size up the competition and see if any of them would become future rivals.

When he arrived at the lowest level of the Cyan Cloud Tower, he happened to see Ling Tian cultivating inside. His aura was even stronger than before. Just by meditating there, he formed a powerful field around himself that repelled the frenzied influx of surrounding Elemental Power, only absorbing it into his body when he willed it!

This ability was truly astonishing. Lin Xuan was surprised; he hadn’t expected Ling Tian to have improved so drastically in such a short time.

Besides Ling Tian, there were a few other rarely seen faces. Lin Xuan figured they must all be Inner Hall Disciples from the top ten. There were only five of them in total. He assumed the others who weren’t present were either resting or cultivating elsewhere.

As he entered, Ling Tian opened his eyes and met his gaze. Seeing Lin Xuan, he smiled faintly. "You’re back. It seems you’ve grown stronger again."

"You too," Lin Xuan replied with a smile, then found a spot and sat down to cultivate.

Time flew by. The top ten finals were set to be held in a little over a month. Lin Xuan’s round trip, plus attending the banquet and participating in the Godslaying Array, had already taken up more than half a month, leaving him with a little over two weeks.

By the time he opened his eyes, more than half a month—at a rough estimate, nearly twenty days—had passed. He saw that the people around him hadn’t moved; even their postures were unchanged. As if on cue, they all awoke at the same moment, their eyes glinting with a sharp light.

They had all remained for nearly twenty days, yet none showed any sign of discomfort, which surprised Lin Xuan. Lasting more than fifteen days was supposed to be the benchmark for Core Disciples, yet they had all endured for nearly twenty. This was a massive improvement.

’Has the Elemental Power on the lowest level of the Cyan Cloud Tower weakened?’ he wondered. ’No, it’s not that the Elemental Power has weakened. They’ve gotten stronger!’

Which of the top ten Inner Hall Disciples wasn’t proud and unyielding? With Lin Xuan setting the precedent, they all gritted their teeth and persevered. Through their frantic cultivation, they were all able to last much longer on the lowest level. One could say they truly had Lin Xuan to thank for their breakthroughs.

Lin Xuan, however, didn’t say anything. This kind of achievement no longer meant much to him. After experiencing the Godslaying Array, the Cyan Cloud Tower was no longer a significant challenge. At most, it was a place for ordinary cultivation to stabilize his foundation.

After leaving the tower and resting for a day, the top ten finals began!

The top ten finals were organized by the Inner Hall, but they weren’t held in the Inner Hall’s usual martial arts arena. Instead, the chosen location was deep within the Yuanling Mountain Range—Hurricane Valley!

The next day, Lin Xuan arrived at the entrance to Hurricane Valley. A large crowd had already gathered, including the three Elders. Lin Xuan’s gaze swept across the crowd and finally settled on an old man with a benevolent smile. His heart went cold. ’That’s him—Qing Yunfeng, the man who murdered Qing Liuyun!’

Outwardly, he looked nothing like an Elder who would murder a fellow sect member. On the contrary, he seemed like a virtuous and highly respected figure, looking utterly benevolent and speaking in a warm, friendly tone.

"You must be Lin Yunlong," Qing Yunfeng said with a smile. "Truly a promising talent, to be able to break into the top ten in such a short time. Such a rapid rise is rare in the history of Qingcheng Mansion. In fact, your pace is second only to one other. I hope you will display your full abilities this time and not disappoint us Elders!"

"If you say so, Second Elder, then who was the fastest in history?" Lin Xuan asked.

"Ah, the fastest to ever rise through the ranks was your very own Grand Elder, Qing Liuyun," Qing Yunfeng said, his expression turning to one of anger. "What a tragedy. He disappeared while traveling and is still missing to this day. I fear he met with some misfortune. Otherwise, he would have surely led our Qingcheng Mansion to glory! If I ever find out who harmed the Grand Elder, I will be the first to kill them with my own hands!"

Qing Yunfeng’s face was a mask of fury. He then sighed, the rims of his eyes even turning slightly red. The other Elders sighed as well, clearly unwilling to dwell on the topic.

Some of the disciples who knew of Qing Liuyun’s story shook their heads and began to murmur amongst themselves. Who hadn’t heard of the renowned Cyan Cloud Step? Such a loss for a supreme genius.

Back in his day, Qing Liuyun had been even more of a prodigy than Lin Xuan. His cultivation had skyrocketed, and fighting opponents above his own level was a simple matter for him. He ascended to the position of Grand Elder in no time. The rank of Elder wasn’t determined by age, but by cultivation! If it were by age, the old janitor sweeping outside was older than anyone; they might as well have made him an Elder.

"The accomplished one is the master"—this saying was perfectly embodied within Qingcheng Mansion. As long as one was capable enough, even the position of Mansion Master was attainable! Besides, the current Mansion Master of Qingcheng Mansion was approaching the end of his lifespan; it was about time for him to enter seclusion and retire from the front lines.

Seeing this performance, Lin Xuan couldn’t help but sneer inwardly. ’This Qing Yunfeng really puts on a convincing act. If I hadn’t heard from Qing Liuyun himself that this man was the murderer, I would never have believed this kind-faced old man was the culprit.’

’It’s precisely because no one else can see through his facade that Qing Yunfeng dares to be so brazen!’