Soul Emperor Awakening

"H-How is this possible? How could he have blocked that?!" Rao Longtian was on the verge of madness after snapping back to reality. He absolutely could not have taken that last attack, but Lin Xuan had. It looked difficult, but he’d managed to block it.

"That’s just Heaven-Defying! I definitely couldn’t have taken that last attack!"

"I couldn’t have taken it either. And he even had a breakthrough. To achieve a breakthrough in the middle of all this... he’s a monster!"

"Turns out the kid really has the capital to be so arrogant. Looks like the Inner Hall Sect has a chance this time."

...

The crowd buzzed with discussion, the way they looked at Lin Xuan completely transformed. They say you should see someone in a new light after just three days apart, but it had only been a moment, and they were already looking at him with newfound respect.

Qing Piaoxue’s eyes flickered with a complex expression. Lin Xuan had actually blocked her attack, which she had unleashed with forty percent of her power—nearly half. This was rather Heaven-Defying. Of course, it didn’t mean Lin Xuan was equal to half a Spirit Pill Stage expert. In reality, he was still far from it.

A battle at the Spirit Pill Stage Level wasn’t about such straightforward attacks. She could easily obliterate him with speed alone. In other words, with a single move—flashing behind Lin Xuan and striking down decisively—he would have absolutely no way to dodge.

’This boy’s strength is incredible. He didn’t retreat a single step, his willpower is astonishing, and he even managed to break through...’ The way Qing Piaoxue looked at Lin Xuan had changed dramatically.

Lin Xue covered her mouth, fighting the urge to cry out. She had been on the verge of despair, unable to bear the thought of Lin Xuan being seriously injured. He had survived, and a wave of relief washed over her, but the sight of the blood on his body sent another pang of pain through her heart.

’I barely held on. If it weren’t for my Cultivation breakthrough, I really couldn’t have taken that last attack.’ Lin Xuan panted heavily, having nearly reached his physical limit. The increase in his Cultivation had strengthened his entire body, allowing him to erupt with even greater force.

He stood up once more, his White Pupil Rod flickering with a golden light. Looking at Qing Piaoxue, he declared, "Third Elder, the final attack. Bring it on!"

The possession of the Fifth Layer Soul was consuming a staggering amount of energy. If he just kept standing there, his Elemental Power would run out before he could even face the final attack. He had to take the next blow immediately, without even needing to catch his breath.

Her attack had been shattered, but Lin Xuan’s overall condition was not ideal. His body swayed, looking as if he might collapse at any second. His upper body made him look like a man made of blood—a truly startling sight. Some of the blood, a result of Qing Piaoxue’s attack, was already starting to congeal.

Although he was swaying, he still stood firm, remaining planted in place like an unshakeable mountain. His gaze was filled with determination, showing no signs of breaking.

Qing Piaoxue stared at him and said in a heavy voice, "You were able to shatter my attack, which proves you have an impressive foundation. However, if you cannot take this final blow, nothing you say will matter. This is the last attack. Watch closely!"

She did not go easy on him. The aura around her body condensed once again. Aiming at Lin Xuan, she unleashed the Floating Snow Palm. It was the same Celestial Level Martial Arts, but its power had been raised by another notch. A version of the Floating Snow Palm magnified several times over pressed down fiercely. If the last one was like a small hill, this one was like a great mountain. The extreme cold was enough to chill everyone present to the bone.

Staring at this terrifying attack, everyone was dumbfounded. It was rare to see an attack from a Spirit Pill Stage expert, let alone one being taken by a Spirit Refining Stage Cultivator. This palm strike from Qing Piaoxue, though not her full strength, contained at least eighty percent of her power. It was enough to destroy heaven and earth!

WHOOSH!

A blast of cold wind swept past. Under the influence of the Floating Snow Palm, a heavy snow began to fall all around, rapidly dropping the once-warm temperature to that of deep winter. This was an enhanced form of invoking the Power of Heaven and Earth, causing a large-scale change in the very elements.

Although Lin Xuan’s control over the Power of Heaven and Earth had reached the level of the Core Formation Stage, he lacked the corresponding strength to invoke such a powerful effect. This was exactly what Qing Piaoxue had said before: his Realm was high enough, but without the power to back it up, the results were not very obvious. It was only highly effective when dealing with Cultivators of a slightly higher Cultivation level.

Against a Spirit Pill Stage expert, its effect was quite limited. Had it been anyone else invoking the Power of Heaven and Earth, their control would have been swiftly snatched away. But Qing Piaoxue’s attack was different. The amount of power Lin Xuan could influence was extremely limited, as it was firmly locked down by her own formidable strength!

This was the perfect fusion of personal strength and the Power of Heaven and Earth, not just one side overpowering the other, which would lack stability.

Facing this terrifying pressure, Lin Xue’s heart rose to her throat. ’Can Lin Xuan break this attack? Can he create a miracle?’

"Burn!"

As the giant palm bore down on him, Lin Xuan swiftly ignited the Phoenix Blood in his body. This even triggered the Dragon Blood within him—a benefit from having consumed a Dragon Blood Pill. Though the Dragon Blood was of a lower tier, in concert with the Phoenix Blood, both bloodlines began to burn! The blood on the surface of his skin seemed to ignite as well, causing his aura to skyrocket, becoming more and more frenzied.

In that instant, two phantoms appeared on Lin Xuan’s back—the spectral images of a Phoenix and a Dragon manifesting behind him. The power projected by the two Divine Beasts stunned everyone present!

By burning his Essence Blood, Lin Xuan’s strength rose to a new tier. The side effect, however, was that the wounds all over his body tore open and began to bleed nonstop. If he continued like this, he would die from excessive blood loss. But if he didn’t do this, there was no way he could block the Floating Snow Palm!

Lin Xuan snapped his head up, his pupils filled with red and golden light respectively. The twin phantoms rapidly merged into the weapon in his hand.

"Ultimate—Cane Shatters the Heavens!"

He swung it upward violently. A pillar of light, several times thicker than before, erupted forth. If one looked closely, they could see a dragon and a phoenix intertwined within the light, converging as they charged toward the giant palm. The terrifying power was overwhelming!

BOOM!

The two collided with a heavy thud. As expected, the Floating Snow Palm easily crushed Lin Xuan’s attack. It only paused for a moment before continuing to press down toward him. However, under his ultimate attack, the Floating Snow Palm was also rapidly dissipating.

This was the most Lin Xuan could do. He no longer hoped to break through the Floating Snow Palm; it was more accurate to say it was impossible. The only thing he could do was reduce the damage the attack would cause him.

As the Floating Snow Palm continued to bear down, Lin Xuan lost more and more blood. Watching from the side, Lin Xue bit her lip until it bled. She wanted nothing more than to rush up and help, but that would make all of Lin Xuan’s efforts go to waste. If she interfered, Qing Piaoxue would never acknowledge him.

"Hold on!"

Lin Xuan roared, desperately resisting the attack. He did not stop his output of Elemental Power, even as his body was gradually being overdrawn. He chose to hold on, no matter the cost. The blood in his veins boiled unceasingly, answering his roar.

But no matter how he roared, he could not stop the Floating Snow Palm’s assault. Finally, the palm slammed down viciously.

With a deafening boom, a massive cloud of snowflakes exploded outward from where Lin Xuan stood. It felt as if a blizzard had suddenly descended upon the area. No one could see if Lin Xuan was dead or alive.