Soul Emperor Awakening

After so many years, he finally saw that familiar, graceful figure. He froze on the spot, his gaze fixed on the distance, unable to move even a single step.

When Zheng Hua, who was walking ahead, noticed Lin Xuan had stopped, he curiously followed his gaze. He saw Lin Xue. Turning back to look at Lin Xuan, he seemed to realize something.

He chose to keep quiet and stand aside, curious to see what Lin Xuan would do. However, Lin Xuan immediately began walking toward Lin Xue, just as a situation began to unfold over there.

"Xue’Er, be my woman! As long as you’re with me, I’ll give you anything you want!" the handsome young man beside her said with a grin, reaching out to grab her arm. "With my family’s wealth and power, we can absolutely help your Lin Family reach new heights. Your Lin Family is under attack from all sides, you know. If you’re with me, I guarantee none of them will dare to touch you!"

Before his hand could even touch Lin Xue, she brushed it away. Glaring at him, she said in an icy tone, "Rao Longtian, watch your words and actions. I am not your Xue’Er, so don’t call me that! As for the Lin Family being under attack, what does that have to do with you?"

Lin Xue’s tone was frigid, colder than ever before. It was as if she had tapped into the latent power of her Innate Ice Yin Body, her personality becoming just as cold. A chilling aura emanated from her, making one shudder involuntarily.

Rao Longtian’s expression hardened, his smile vanishing, replaced by a sneer. "I’ve been pursuing you for so long and you’ve never accepted. Do you think you’re that noble? Do you think becoming the Third Elder’s disciple puts you on a pedestal? Let me tell you, if you refuse my offer, your Lin Family can just wait to be destroyed by the other families!"

Lin Xue’s expression changed. While she held some status in Qingcheng Mansion, that didn’t mean she could influence the big picture. If her opponents had too many powerful experts, the influence of Qingcheng Mansion would be of little use. Besides, Qingcheng Mansion had always refrained from interfering in secular matters.

To truly affect the situation, she would need to become an Elder herself. Otherwise, there was no way she could protect the Lin Family.

Seeing Lin Xue’s silence, Rao Longtian assumed his threat had worked. What he truly coveted was her body—her Ice Yin Body, to be precise. It would be an enormous boon to his cultivation. ’Otherwise, why would he possibly be interested in Lin Xue?’

’Beauty? With his status, so-called beauties threw themselves at him all the time. All he cared about was her Ice Yin Body. Even if Lin Xue looked like a pig, he would still pursue her! And since the Lin Xue before him had both looks and talent, it only made his desire to possess her stronger.’

’But he had been pursuing her for so long, and his patience was finally running out. He’d made no progress at all. She gave him absolutely no opening, rejecting him every single time. It didn’t matter how precious the gifts he offered were; she wanted none of them, treating him as if he were invisible.’

Many disciples were pursuing Lin Xue, and Rao Longtian was one of them. However, he was far more arrogant and held a higher status than the rest, so he considered himself the most deserving candidate.

"Be with me, and we can become Core Formation Stage experts together, enjoying endless glory and riches!" Rao Longtian reached out to pull Lin Xue into an embrace, but barely had he moved when she stopped him with a single, searing glare.

"In your dreams! The Lin Family will not be so easily destroyed, and I will never be with you!" Lin Xue said icily. It seemed as if Rao Longtian would be turned into an ice sculpture the moment he touched her.

"It seems you’ve chosen the hard way. If that’s the case, don’t blame me for not warning you when your Lin Family is annihilated!" Rao Longtian sneered. ’I can’t lay a hand on her,’ he thought. ’After all, she’s the Third Elder’s Direct Disciple. I don’t dare use force. Threats are my only option.’

’If any other woman dared to refuse him, he’d have slapped her to death with a single blow!’

The words had barely left his mouth when he felt an intense Killing Intent lock onto him. A chill ran down his spine. He whipped his head to the side and saw Lin Xuan pointing the White Pupil Rod at him, an overwhelming Killing Intent surging from his body. "Whether or not the Lin Family is destroyed is not for you to decide," Lin Xuan said coldly. "A pig like you wants to pursue Xue’Er? I think the pig from next door would be a more suitable match!"

Zheng Hua froze. He hadn’t even had time to process what was happening before Lin Xuan was already beside Rao Longtian. No one else had reacted either. ’The main question is, why is Lin Xuan getting involved? Are they all from the Lin Family?’

When Lin Xue saw Lin Xuan, her mind went completely blank, filled with a deafening roar.

"A new face?" Rao Longtian sized Lin Xuan up and sneered. "You must be that piece of trash, Lin Yunlong, who just got promoted from the Inner Hall. Cocky, aren’t you! The rumors outside say you’re strong, but all I see is an idiot. Take a look at yourself. You just got here, and you’re already a toad lusting after a swan’s flesh. You think you’re qualified to call her Xue’Er?"

"I am the so-called trash you speak of. I don’t know anything about ’a swan’s flesh,’ but Xue’Er is my woman. You have no right to her. If you want to touch her, you’ll have to get through me first!" Lin Xuan’s declaration was blunt and absolute. To him, Lin Xue was his woman—that had been decided long ago, ever since they were children.

"Well now. And who the hell do you think you are? I’ve seen arrogance, but I’ve never seen anything like this!" Rao Longtian drew a longsword-type Spiritual Artifact, pointed it at Lin Xuan, and sneered, "Fine then. Let me see just how ’hard’ it is to get past you. You’re nothing but trash that crawled up from the Inner Hall!"

The aura of the Second Layer of the Essence Pill Stage surged out from him. A spiritual pressure far more powerful than Ling Tian’s bore down, yet Lin Xuan’s expression remained unchanged.

Rao Longtian didn’t for a moment believe Lin Xuan and Lin Xue actually had a relationship. He simply took Lin Xuan for an idiot who had heard about Lin Xue’s talent and decided to try his luck.

Lin Xuan completely retracted his own aura, bracing himself for a momentous battle. The gap in power he was facing this time was even greater than before! Under the crushing pressure of his opponent’s aura, the blood in his veins began to race. Instead of being intimidated, he felt his own cultivation stir, as if on the verge of breaking through to the Ninth Layer of the Spirit Refining Stage!

The potential of the Lin Family bloodline could only be unlocked through continuous combat; fighting was the fastest path to a breakthrough. He had a feeling that if he saw this fight through, he would definitely break through!

"Die!" Rao Longtian became a streak of light, stabbing forward with astonishing speed.

But an even faster, frigid presence flashed in front of Lin Xuan. With a mighty swing, the Elemental Power in the entire area instantly congealed from the extreme cold, simultaneously transforming into a dense volley of Ice Spikes that furiously pierced the air, leaving nowhere to run!

Rao Longtian’s pupils constricted. He swung his longsword at top speed, his lightning-fast attacks forming a wall of light before him. Any Ice Spike that made contact with this wall was instantly crushed to dust!

However, the sheer volume was too much. Inevitably, one slipped through the net. A sharp Ice Spike plunged into his thigh. Gritting his teeth against the pain, he dodged rapidly to the side to escape the rest of the barrage, his heart pounding with shock.

"Anyone who touches him makes an enemy of me!" Lin Xue’s voice was like a shard of ice, piercing the hearts of all who heard it and making them tremble.

But the most important question on everyone’s mind was: what in the world was going on?