Soul Emperor Awakening

Lin Xuan didn’t retreat a single step. He defiantly got back to his feet. The injury was still within his limits—well within his control.

To suffer only such a minor injury after taking a blow from a Spirit Pill Stage expert was shocking enough. The crowd was stunned by Lin Xuan’s power. It was no wonder he had become number one in the Inner Hall; his reputation was clearly well-deserved.

Rao Longtian, however, didn’t see it that way. He sneered from the sidelines, hoping Qing Piaoxue would cripple Lin Xuan. It would be a form of indirect revenge. ’If I can’t have Lin Xue, no one can!’

"You’ve got some backbone, but the second move won’t be so simple!" Qing Piaoxue’s aura surged. She aimed at Lin Xuan and once again unleashed a Floating Snow Palm. The technique was the same, but its power had increased dramatically. The palm, originally just a few meters high, instantly swelled to over ten meters, bearing down on him like a small mountain.

The very space in the area was encased in frost. With a mere wave of her hand, the world itself seemed to pale! This time, in addition to drawing on more of the Power of Heaven and Earth, she had also significantly increased the Elemental Power she released, boosting the attack’s might tremendously.

Facing the incoming palm, Lin Xuan could feel his skin tremble. The power of this strike was immense, several times stronger than the last. If he tried to block it with the same strength as before, he wouldn’t be able to resist it. He would undoubtedly be severely injured.

’It wouldn’t matter if I were severely injured on the final move, but this is only the second. If I’m badly hurt now, I’ll have no way to block the third. In fact, even if I managed to endure the third strike, I would be at death’s door. If I can’t even withstand this, Qing Piaoxue won’t even let me face the third move.’

’If only my cultivation had reached the Essence Pill Stage, I wouldn’t be in such a pathetic state. But there are no ’if’s’ in life. Plans can never keep up with reality.’

’Looks like I’ll have to risk it all!’

With a low roar, Lin Xuan finally did it. He fused the soul of the Golden Dragon King into the White Pupil Rod, instantly replacing the White-eyed Tiger within. In the next moment, the white rod transformed into a golden staff, tyrannical Dragon Power coiling around it. At the same time, that power poured into his body, and a glint of gold appeared in his crimson pupils!

Fifth Layer Soul. He had now channeled the souls of all its powerful entities! Though he had only channeled them into his Weapon, it was effectively the same as channeling them into his own body. After all, his Weapon was an extension of himself, and it could merge with him as one.

The main purpose of this was to drastically increase his Weapon’s power, allowing it to unleash an even greater force. This was the first time he had ever attempted a full Fifth Layer Soul Possession—his true limit.

Under the power of the Fifth Layer Soul, the Elemental Power in his body surged to its absolute limit. He could almost hear his own body swelling under the strain. The circulation was so fast that his meridians could barely withstand the terrifying force. In an instant, his aura warped around him as a tyrannical golden radiance shot from the staff to envelop his entire frame, as if forging him into a Golden Body!

’His power rose again!’ Qing Piaoxue’s eyes narrowed. She had been observing Lin Xuan closely and felt another surge of formidable power erupt from him. It was as if he had ignited some latent potential.

Lin Xuan looked up at the descending Floating Snow Palm, his pupils flashing with golden light. He let out a low roar, and a dragon’s cry echoed from the staff. A frantic golden light pulsed from it, the weapon itself seeming impatient to lunge forward.

"Dragon Shattering Void!"

Lin Xuan roared, swinging the staff upward in a mighty blow. With the ultimate enhancement from the Extreme Fifth Layer Soul, its power surged once more as a vast amount of the Power of Heaven and Earth flooded into him. The approaching Floating Snow Palm seemed to have its energy rapidly drawn away, melting at an incredible speed.

ROAR!

A Golden Dragon burst from the White Pupil Rod, far larger than the one from his battle with Lei Zhantian. Its tyrannical draconic might rushed toward the Floating Snow Palm. But as tyrannical as it was, the result was the same. The even more Heaven-Defying Floating Snow Palm crushed down on it as if squashing an insect.

The massive Golden Dragon could do nothing but roar; it was powerless to shatter the Floating Snow Palm. It could only watch helplessly as it was crushed, unable to resist.

It looked as if Lin Xuan was about to be struck by the palm. If it truly hit him, he would be gravely wounded. He was already injured—could he possibly escape this time?

"Just die already!" Rao Longtian snarled from the sidelines. He wanted nothing more than to see Lin Xuan grievously injured.

But Lin Xuan held on for dear life, frantically unleashing his Elemental Power. Blood suddenly sprayed from his bare torso—his meridians were rupturing! Far more blood flowed than before, dyeing his entire upper body crimson.

Yet he stubbornly held on. The giant Golden Dragon was also resisting tenaciously, managing to slightly slow the descent of the Floating Snow Palm. If he could just hold on a little longer, he could shatter it. But at this point, shattering the palm was secondary; it was questionable whether Lin Xuan himself could even survive.

The price for Fifth Layer Soul Possession was simply too high. Everything was a double-edged sword, and this was no exception. This was precisely why Lin Xuan had never dared to attempt it all at once before. He didn’t even need to try to know his body’s limits.

"Enough! That’s enough! Please, stop! It’s enough..." Lin Xue fell to her knees, crying out. She couldn’t bear to see Lin Xuan get hurt again. The very reason she’d trained so desperately to become stronger was to protect him, to prevent a repeat of that scene from the past.

’She didn’t want to be just a decorative vase; she wanted to protect Lin Xuan, too!’

"BEGONE!"

Lin Xuan let out a furious roar. The blood in his veins began to boil, seeming to resonate with his defiant rage. A terrifying aura erupted from his body, shooting straight into the clouds!

A breakthrough! At this most critical moment, Lin Xuan had actually broken through to the Ninth Layer of the Spirit Refining Stage!

The White Pupil Rod, already stained crimson, seemed to glow an even deeper red. The Golden Dragon, which was being crushed, was now tinged with red as well, as if it were fusing with Lin Xuan’s very blood.

ROAR!!

The Golden Dragon let out a furious roar. It raised a claw and swiped forward in a rage. An ultimate golden light flared—its draconic might was inviolable!

BOOM!

With a deafening explosion, the Floating Snow Palm was shattered by a single swipe of the Golden Dragon’s claw. It dissolved into countless snowflakes that scattered and rapidly melted away, as fleeting as a night-blooming cereus.

THUD!

Lin Xuan sank to one knee, gasping for breath. Blood trickled down the staff in his hand and onto the ground, staining it red. The golden light in his eyes continued to flicker.

He had done it. He had actually done it. He had shattered the second move with his own power, shocking everyone present! It was one thing for an attack between Spirit Pill Stage experts to be broken. But for a mere Spirit Refining Stage Cultivator—an ant in the eyes of the Spirit Pill Stage—to shatter such an attack was something no one would believe if they hadn’t seen it with their own eyes!

And yet, Lin Xuan had succeeded. Even though it was only a fraction of Qing Piaoxue’s true power, none of the other Core Disciples present could have done the same!