Soul Emperor Awakening

Groggy, Lin Xuan awoke from his unconscious state. The first thing he saw was Lin Xue meditating beside him. A frosty aura enveloped her, but it didn’t affect him in the slightest. She had it under firm control, ensuring none of it would reach him. It was a natural manifestation of her unique constitution.

Shaking his head to clear it, he sat up. He didn’t know how long he’d been unconscious, but he felt much better now—almost fully healed. He saw several vials of Elixir Pills beside him and knew they were the reason for his recovery. One of them was from Qing Piaoxue. The Healing Elixir was incredibly valuable, yet she had still given it to him.

’It seems Qing Piaoxue has completely accepted me. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have given me a single pill, much less allowed Lin Xue to take care of me.’

"Oh, Brother Xuan, you’re awake! Are you feeling any better?" Lin Xue asked, stirring from her meditation. She reached out to pat him down, checking his condition.

"I’m fine. There’s nothing wrong anymore." ’It was more than just "fine,"’ he thought. His physical condition had improved drastically, and his Cultivation had even risen a notch. Fighting like this strengthened his Cultivation—this was the advantage of the Lin Family’s bloodline.

’Breaking through via combat wasn’t unique to the Lin Family; anyone could do it. But Lin Xuan placed special emphasis on it. Not only did it strengthen his Cultivation, but it also improved his talent. What was not to like?’

’It had been a while since he was last tested, so he had no idea what his Talent Level was now. Still, he decided against actively checking. If people found out his Talent Level was constantly increasing, it would be a huge shock.’

"Brother Xuan, Master was actually lying to you before. She wasn’t the one who caused my injuries," Lin Xue explained. "She’s just very demanding. I hurt myself at the Cultivation Site... so you misunderstood her. Master is usually very good to us, just a little stern. Besides, I did it willingly. I know that if I don’t work hard, it’ll take a very long time to break through to the Spirit Pill Stage Cultivation. That would make you wait even longer, and I don’t want to see your suffering continue..."

She lowered her head as tears began to fall again. Gone was the domineering girl who had rejected Rao Longtian; deep down, she was still a little girl who needed someone to lean on.

Lin Xuan froze. A lump formed in his throat, and he couldn’t help but pull Lin Xue into an embrace. "Silly girl," he said gently, "are you still dwelling on that? It’s all in the past now. It’s all over..." He felt the sting of tears himself. The loneliness and helplessness from that time had caused him so much pain.

That pain had lasted for several years, undoubtedly the darkest period of his life. It had honed his mind to a terrifying degree, leaving him utterly fearless now. The time he spent blind had become his most precious memory.

’It all came down to the individual.’ If Lin Xuan hadn’t fought back against despair, he would still be languishing in that small cabin, to say nothing of ever facing the Copperman Array.

If his strength had been insufficient, Lin Feng would never have allowed him to enter the Copperman Array.

"But Father... he..." She threw herself into Lin Xuan’s arms, sobbing loudly. The person she felt most guilty about was her own father, who had refused to treat Lin Xuan. Instead, he had let Lin Xuan descend into that dark despair and forbidden her from caring for him.

She was not only guilty but also deeply unhappy with her father’s actions. She had only relented after Lin Feng finally explained his reasoning to her.

Lin Feng’s explanation had been simple: how Lin Xuan endured those years would determine whether he was a dragon or a worm. So what if he was the Young Master of the Lin Family? If he couldn’t even overcome a setback like this, how could he ever hope to become a true dragon?

"It’s in the past. It’s all in the past," Lin Xuan said, holding Lin Xue tightly. "All my resentment vanished the moment you left me those two words. I mean it..." He felt that the past few years had been unbearably bitter, but in the end, he realized the most important thing hadn’t changed at all.

Just as he had said, it was all in the past. There was no need to dwell on it any longer.

"Ahem..."

An awkward cough came from the doorway. The two of them hurriedly separated and saw that it wasn’t Qing Piaoxue who had entered, but the Fifth Elder, Qing Piaoyun.

"Er, you’re awake. How are you feeling?" Qing Piaoyun knew he was interrupting a private moment, but he was already at the doorway with Qing Piaoxue right behind him. He had little choice but to announce his presence to prevent things from getting even more awkward.

"I’m fine now, Master." Lin Xuan got out of bed and looked up to see Qing Piaoxue standing behind his master. Her expression was icy. She had obviously seen them, and the implication was clear.

Lin Xue stood beside him, not daring to meet her master’s gaze. Although Qing Piaoxue had consented to their relationship, she was clearly not pleased to see them embracing.

"Now that he’s recovered, you should come back with me. You’ve already been here for five days," Qing Piaoxue said tersely. Seeing that Lin Xuan was well, she said nothing more and simply led Lin Xue away.

Lin Xue glanced up at Lin Xuan, and he gave her a reassuring nod. ’There’s plenty of time in the future,’ he thought. ’The priority now is Cultivation. If we aren’t strong enough, we can’t even dream of being together. Besides, my goals don’t end here. There’s so much more I need to do, and the first step is to protect the Lin Family.’

"Make sure you get plenty of rest," Lin Xue added before she left.

Qing Piaoxue said nothing more, leading Lin Xue out the door without a single glance at Lin Xuan.

"Third Elder, thank you for giving us your blessing!" Lin Xuan said with a sincere, cupped-fist salute.

Qing Piaoxue stiffened slightly but said nothing and continued walking away with Lin Xue, still refusing to acknowledge him.

Watching their retreating figures, Lin Xuan felt a sense of gratitude, regardless of whether Qing Piaoxue acknowledged him. ’In truth, I knew she wasn’t the one who intentionally hurt Lin Xue. My anger was about her trying to keep us apart. We hadn’t seen each other in years, and we were being forced to separate right after we’d finally reunited. How could I not have been furious?’

’Ultimately, I knew she was doing what she thought was best for Lin Xue. If she wasn’t, I wouldn’t have bothered with a challenge; I would have just taken Lin Xue and left.’

"Alright, kid, stop staring. They’re long gone." Qing Piaoyun looked Lin Xuan up and down, a look of admiration on his face. "That said, you’re really something else. I couldn’t believe it when I heard the news. You actually dared to challenge the Third Elder—and you succeeded! It’s completely unexpected. You’re the first person ever to do it!"

"Master, did you come all this way just to tell me that?" Lin Xuan asked, seeing the excited look on his master’s face. ’Isn’t there anything else?’

"Of course not! Didn’t I tell you there’d be a reward if you met your goal early? I came to give it to you. Who knew you’d end up seriously injured and unconscious for days? You’ve kept me waiting for a while now." Qing Piaoyun showed no sign of displeasure; in fact, he seemed quite excited.

’A reward!’

Lin Xuan’s eyes lit up. That was exactly what he needed right now. He wondered what kind of reward it would be.