Soul Emperor Awakening

The affair concluded in a rather dramatic fashion. The one who had been slapped, Jiang Chengyun, ended up apologizing to Lin Xuan—a truly bizarre turn of events. Even Zi Yi hadn’t anticipated this. She had thought the matter would escalate, but now it seemed the situation was completely under control.

"Miss Zi Yi, what was it you were talking about just now? Would you mind telling me?" Lin Xuan asked, looking at her.

"It’s nothing major, really," Zi Yi explained simply. "The higher-ups have given specific instructions to maintain a good relationship with you. And as for me, thanks to my connection with Young Master Lin, I’m no longer the acting deputy, but the official Deputy Sub-Pavilion Master. That’s the gist of it."

Zi Yi’s explanation was just as Lin Xuan had expected, not deviating much from his predictions.

"I see. It seems I really am something of a lucky charm," Lin Xuan said with a faint smile.

A slight smile touched Zi Yi’s lips before her expression turned serious. "Young Master Lin, I wish to offer you my most sincere apology. This was entirely due to my negligence. If I fail to protect them in the future, I, Zi Yi, will accept any punishment you see fit!"

Lin Xuan waved his hand dismissively. "Alright, that’s enough. You’ve already made amends, and it wasn’t really your fault. From now on, just don’t let the two of them go out in public. Have them stay in the courtyard and cultivate. That shouldn’t be a problem, right?"

"Of course, not a problem. After this incident, I was planning to do the same," Zi Yi said. She had already decided to put Lin Xuan’s concerns first. The best way to avoid any more trouble was to keep the girls from mingling with crowds. She had originally hoped they could get a bit of tempering, and she never let them stay here for long anyway. Who would have guessed that Jiang Chengyun would happen to see them?

"But I must congratulate you, Young Master Lin, on becoming a Core Disciple. You’re the second-fastest person to achieve this in the history of Qingcheng Mansion. It’s just as you said before—you had no interest in the top ten contestants. It seems that was really true." Zi Yi’s beautiful eyes shimmered, truly shaken by Lin Xuan’s performance.

"Let’s not dwell on that. The real focus should be on our future cooperation. The critical moment will be when I break through to the Essence Pill Stage." ’What I need are opportunities, and lots of them. It’s the only way to break through faster. The more dangerous the place, the more one’s soul can be tempered!’

’Especially those ruins filled with Spiritual Artifacts... Just thinking about it is exciting. Holing up at home to cultivate will never let me break through as quickly as those who constantly go out for training. They have a wealth of experience, and that’s the crucial part.’

"You don’t have to wait," Zi Yi said with a charming smile. "If you wish to go, Young Master Lin, you can do so once you’ve settled in at the Core Hall and have some free time. With your strength, you’re already on par with the Essence Pill Stage. You don’t need to personally reach Essence Pill Stage Cultivation to go. The previous requirement was mainly for safety. It’s always better to be steady than reckless, wouldn’t you agree?"

"Of course. In that case, I’ll come find you after I’m settled in at the Core Hall, Miss Zi Yi. In the meantime, I’ll have to ask you to take good care of Yue’Er and the others."

After exchanging a few more words with Lin Xuan, Zi Yi departed, leaving them some space to catch up.

"Big Brother, you were so amazing just now! They were all too scared to say a word," Liu Yue’er chirped happily, now that she could finally speak. She had been forced to simply watch from the sidelines before.

"If you become powerful in the future, you’ll be able to do the same," Lin Xuan said, looking at them. During this time, both Liu Xin and Liu Yue’er had made significant breakthroughs. Although Liu Xin’s improvement wasn’t as dramatic, her progress was still quite good. At the very least, she had gotten started.

"Then in the future, Yue’Er wants to be as amazing as Big Brother, so I can protect you!" Liu Yue’Er declared, her pretty face flushing as she raised a small fist. "If I don’t like the look of someone, I’ll just beat them up!"

Lin Xuan broke out in a cold sweat. ’Isn’t that a little too ruthless?’ he thought. Her words, however, reminded him of Lin Xue. When he used to go out training with Lin Xue, he had always been the one protecting her. ’I wonder how she’s doing now...’ The thought of seeing Lin Xue soon filled him with great excitement.

"Big Brother... I think I remember... you’re not my daddy!" Liu Yue’er grabbed Lin Xuan’s arm and asked, "Where is Daddy? Where is he?" Her large, shimmering eyes made a lump form in Lin Xuan’s throat, and he struggled to find the words.

"Your daddy... he went to a very faraway place. You’ll remember everything eventually, but when you do, you must stay calm, alright?" Lin Xuan took her small hand and comforted her gently, wondering how much pain she would suffer when she remembered the memory of the Golden Dragon Race being hunted.

Liu Yue’Er didn’t understand what Lin Xuan was talking about, but she nodded anyway, showing that she understood.

"I probably won’t be able to come and see you for a while again. The rest is up to you. Don’t slack off," Lin Xuan said, looking at Liu Xin.

Liu Xin nodded, showing she understood. "Benefactor, please be careful..." She didn’t know what Lin Xuan was going to do, but it was certainly something major. The sheer presence of those people earlier had been so powerful that she had been too scared to move.

After giving a few simple instructions, Lin Xuan left two Spiritual Artifacts for them to use as they saw fit. They could sell them or use them personally—it was entirely up to them.

Once his instructions were given, he rushed back. He wouldn’t be able to come here again for a while, at least not until he had familiarized himself with the Core Hall.

Leaving Vast Origin City, he hurried toward the Core Hall. Qing Piaoyun was originally supposed to take him there, but since Lin Xuan had to visit Vast Origin City and it was somewhat on the way, Qing Piaoyun had simply given him the location of the Core Hall and let him go by himself.

In truth, there was no problem with going by himself. Everyone knew where the Core Hall was; whether or not one could enter was another matter entirely. Lin Xuan had an Identity Token, so he would be able to get in.

Besides, as a manager of the Inner Hall, Qing Piaoyun wouldn’t normally leave it without special circumstances. Of course, he would still go to the Core Hall, just not right away.

After some travel, he found the Core Hall was in a rather remote place, deep within an old mountain forest, surrounded on all sides by mountain ranges that formed a natural barrier.

’This is the Core Hall?’

When Lin Xuan arrived at his destination, he saw no lavish architecture, but a great gate wreathed in clouds and mist. It was completely obscured by the white fog, making it impossible to see anything inside.

Next to the gate stood a Stone Stele, upon which was inscribed in flamboyant yet powerful calligraphy: Core Hall!

Lin Xuan frowned and walked in. As he continued to press deeper, he discovered a large gate ahead. Beside it stood a Stone Stele, on which were again carved two large words: Core Hall!

"Hm, I’ve circled back. Is there a Maze Array here?" Lin Xuan chuckled. "So the entrance to the Core Hall is a test... Interesting."