Soul Emperor Awakening

Lin Xuan frantically sprinted back three thousand meters, stopping at the twelve-thousand-meter mark—his limit. He immediately sat down cross-legged, took out a Recovery Elixir, and stuffed it into his mouth to begin restoring his Elemental Power.

With his current Elemental Power, he didn’t have enough to run back, let alone charge forward. However, this was the perfect opportunity to consolidate his Cultivation and continue tempering his body, allowing the Bone Forging Liquid within him to integrate more perfectly.

Only under immense pressure could the two fuse together perfectly. Otherwise, Qing Piaoyun would never have suggested he come here for his Cultivation.

"Just as I thought, Lin Yunlong failed! He really failed! I knew he was overestimating himself. Trying to break the Child Demon’s record is impossible! People from the Inner Hall Sect are all like that—they think they’re so strong, but don’t they always end up taking a fall?"

"Bullshit! Did you ever hear him say he was going to surpass the Child Demon? Can’t a guy just train normally without you people running your mouths?"

"Exactly! If someone with a Ninth Layer of Spirit Refining Stage Cultivation could surpass your Child Demon, that would just prove how pathetic your people are!"

"What did you say? Say that again if you dare!"

...

The disciples at the entrance began to bicker. The argument between the Genius Sect and the Inner Hall Sect grew so heated that they were itching to go outside and settle it with a duel. Lin Xuan paid them no mind, focusing on his own Cultivation. For him, all that mattered was steadily increasing his Cultivation level so he could make his final push later!

He couldn’t care less about what others thought. Only by breaking the record with overwhelming strength could he finally make them shut their mouths. Otherwise, no matter what he said, they would always find a reason to look down on the Inner Hall Sect.

The argument was fierce, but it died down just as quickly. Rumors that Lin Xuan had attempted to break Tong Yulong’s record spread like wildfire. The Genius Sect members all declared that Lin Xuan had overestimated his own abilities, while the Inner Hall Sect naturally lost face. They hadn’t expected Lin Xuan to fail this time, to be unable to work another miracle.

Lin Xuan paid no mind to their thoughts. ’If the Inner Hall Sect is pinning all its hopes on me, then I can only say the Inner Hall Sect is a lost cause.’ It wasn’t that he lacked a sense of solidarity, but at the end of the day, he was only one person. ’Instead of pinning your hopes on others, it’s far better to rely on your own constant effort to grow stronger!’

Besides, when had he ever beaten his chest and declared that the Inner Hall Sect would rely on him for support from now on? He barely even knew anyone here, let alone the entire Inner Hall Sect.

Still, he didn’t mind being categorized as a member of the Inner Hall Sect. In his mind, the Inner Hall Sect was synonymous with hard work. He had gotten to where he was one step at a time. ’What right does the Genius Sect have to mock that?’

In any case, as long as no one provoked him, he wouldn’t stir up trouble.

Amid the chatter, Lin Xuan continued to cultivate at the twelve-thousand-meter mark, integrating the Bone Forging Liquid in his body, some of which had not yet been fully absorbed. He was quite satisfied with his current progress. Advancing steadily was for the best; being too eager for success could backfire.

After cultivating at his limit of twelve thousand meters for over a week, Lin Xuan opened his eyes. A flash of Divine Light erupted from them. He let out a breath and sighed, ’It’s mostly stabilized. I suppose it’s time to pay a visit to the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion...’

With his Cultivation consolidated, it was time to leave this place for now and find Zi Yi at the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion. Continuing to train in the Pressure Cyan Cloud Tower would allow him to improve further, but the pace was ultimately too slow. More importantly, a great opportunity lay before him, one that he suspected could rival even the Bone Dragon Ruins.

What reason did he have not to go and see? If he could obtain a more powerful soul, it would be a massive upgrade for him. As his body grew stronger, he could withstand more souls, which meant he needed to find more souls.

He immediately got up and ran back toward the entrance. It was an easy jog, far less difficult than running down. Just as he reached the top, a cold voice drifted into his ears.

"A perfect Golden Dragon Body, is it? A limit of fifteen thousand meters... for that accomplishment, it’s indeed quite good. But that’s all." The grating voice came from the side. Lin Xuan followed the sound and his gaze met a pair of bewitching eyes—or rather, they were like a snake’s, with pupils narrowed to slits. It was a frightening sight.

For a moment, he had the strange feeling of being seen through completely. He immediately sensed that there was something uncanny about this person. His aura was also incredibly strong, feeling several levels higher than Xiao Qian’s—at least the third or fourth layer of the Essence Pill Stage.

The most crucial thing was his eyes. They looked sinister and bewitching, likely the result of some Martial Art he practiced. A chilling aura emanated from him, making it feel as if his body were made of ice. Yet, it was different from Lin Xue’s coldness; it was a cold that had never known warmth.

Lin Xue’s constitution was the Innate Ice Yin Body, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t feel warmth. The snake-eyed man before him, however, seemed to possess no heat at all. He was truly like a snake—utterly cold-blooded.

"Is there a problem?" Lin Xuan glanced around and noticed that no one else dared to get too close to this man. Clearly, he was not someone easy to get along with.

"No problem at all. I’m just rather interested in you. Care to spar?" The snake-eyed man sized Lin Xuan up and down, making him feel very uncomfortable.

"I have other matters to attend to. I’m not interested at the moment." Lin Xuan paid him no heed and started to walk around him toward the exit. He didn’t have the time to spar with every person he met, especially someone whose Cultivation was so much higher than his own. ’Does he really think I’m addicted to fighting opponents above my level?’

Unless he was forced into it, who would willingly fight someone above their own level? In the end, he would be the only one to suffer a loss.

"What’s the rush? Let’s have a little spar." The snake-eyed man moved with extreme speed, slithering around like a snake to block Lin Xuan’s path as a puff of green smoke drifted up.

Lin Xuan’s heart tightened. ’This snake-eyed man is incredibly fast.’ He had blocked his path in the blink of an eye. Most importantly, his aura had been completely concealed, making it impossible to sense his approach.

He was truly like a venomous snake, concealing its presence and waiting for the perfect moment to strike. Still one moment, lethal the next. He had even used the Cyan Cloud Step. Anyone who could cultivate the Cyan Cloud Step was by no means a simple character, especially to such a profound level, which must have taken a long time.

This move did not cause him to panic in the slightest. Instead, he simply stared at the man with a placid expression.

"I said I’m not interested. Forcibly blocking me and trying to make me spar, isn’t that against the rules?" Lin Xuan glanced at the nearby Guard, reminding the man they were being watched.

The Guard stared at the snake-eyed man but didn’t say a word. This, however, made the snake-eyed man chuckle and step aside. "In that case, I can only say it’s a shame. But we’ll be seeing each other again very soon." He let out a sinister laugh, making Lin Xuan feel as if he’d been targeted by a venomous snake. A chill ran down his spine.

’Looks like he’s already thrown down the gauntlet. I’ll probably have to face him next time.’ Lin Xuan shot him one last glance before quickly departing. There was no benefit to be gained from sparring with him, so there was no reason to engage.

After leaving the Core Hall, he hurried toward the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion. All that was left was to find out where he needed to go next.