Soul Emperor Awakening

The scene at the mine was utter chaos; it was completely overrun. The four Gods of Slaughter had cleared out most of the dozens of guards, each attacking with its own astonishing abilities. Their Body Techniques and Martial Arts were all top-tier, allowing them to fight opponents above their level with ease.

These were top-tier Puppets, essentially living beings. However, they operated on a time limit. Under the strain of their continuous, explosive attacks, their surfaces had begun to show cracks, and they were on the verge of shattering.

Although they hadn’t killed every last guard, the main objective was to allow the majority of the slaves to escape. The remaining guards couldn’t stop them even if they wanted to; their first priority was surviving the four Gods of Slaughter. ’After all, if your own life is on the line, who has time to worry about slaves?’

"We’re getting ready to leave. Do you need to get anything?" Lin Xuan said, looking at Tuo Yunhai beside him. He saw tears continuously welling up in his eyes; it seemed he still hadn’t recovered from the blow.

"Snap out of it! You’ve endured so much. Are you really going to let this one little setback keep you down!?" Lin Xuan sighed. ’He knew what Tuo Yunhai was thinking. Being deceived by the person you trust most... no one would take that well.’

’But what was done was done. It was time to pull himself together.’

Just then, the vacant look in Tuo Yunhai’s eyes finally regained its light. His tone turned fierce as he said, "It’s this damned place! If I ever have the power, I will eradicate every last one of these hellholes!"

Sometimes, it’s the environment that changes people, driving them mad until their very minds become twisted.

"You will," Lin Xuan said with a smile. ’He would teach Tuo Yunhai a Cultivation method. Besides, he had his own things to eradicate—namely, those Pirates!’

’The root of the problem was those Pirates. He would definitely get his revenge, especially on that Li Wei! Once his Cultivation was high enough, he would hunt Li Wei down and make him pay. The man had nearly driven him to his death—how could he not settle that score?’

Wasting no time, Lin Xuan tossed out the Phoenix Statue. A Phoenix immediately materialized before them, and Tuo Yunhai’s eyes lit up in astonishment. "That’s the big red bird! It’s so beautiful!"

"Let’s get on. We’re leaving now!" Lin Xuan led Tuo Yunhai onto the Phoenix. Tuo Yunhai shot the Phoenix a worried glance, afraid its Flame might burn him. Only after confirming he was safe did he finally relax.

"Brother Lin, are you sure we aren’t too heavy for this big bird?" Tuo Yunhai asked.

"Of course not. It can carry the two of us just fine." Lin Xuan then had the Phoenix shoot away at top speed, turning into a streak of red light. The wind it generated was so strong that Tuo Yunhai couldn’t keep his eyes open.

The guards who saw the Phoenix were stunned. They never imagined the man had a Divine Beast—this was a huge deal! A Divine Beast would almost never agree to be a human’s mount. It would only happen if the person possessed incredible abilities or shared a very close bond with the beast. Otherwise, it wouldn’t let anyone ride it, or at most, would only allow its master aboard and no one else.

As for the four statues, Lin Xuan decided not to retrieve them. ’They would shatter automatically when their time was up, so there was no use in taking them back.’

After flying out on the Phoenix, he saw a sea of people scrambling onto large ships and setting sail. ’As for where they could go, that would depend on their own luck. If he had taken a boat with them, he’d be a sitting duck if the mine sent any powerful experts.’

As he and Tuo Yunhai streaked past overhead, the people on the ships saw them and immediately knelt, grateful to Lin Xuan for giving them this opportunity.

"Thank you, Senior, for saving us!"

"Thank the heavens for sending a savior..."

"Riding an Immortal Bird... he must be a Celestial God! We can never repay this debt..."

...

Kneeling on the ships’ decks was the only way they could repay him. They dared not hope for more; the chance to escape was already more than they could have asked for.

"I hope they can make it back home. This is all I could do for them..." Lin Xuan sighed. ’He knew many innocent people had been captured by the Pirates, but he was truly powerless to save them all.’

Just as he was about to depart, he tossed out one last statue to guard them while they boarded safely. The only other statues he had left were of the Phoenix. He wasn’t sure how long a Phoenix would last, which was why he always tried to prepare a few spares.

"Brother Lin, you’ve already saved so many people. You have nothing to feel guilty about. I believe they’ll definitely escape!" Tuo Yunhai said, his eyes welling with tears. "I hope they can all return to their families..."

Lin Xuan let out a deep sigh. After circling the beach one last time and finding none of his belongings, he quickly departed without lingering. ’Those things were lost for good, but just being alive was more than enough.’

This time, he didn’t dare fly the Phoenix too high, keeping to a medium altitude instead. Before leaving the area, Lin Xuan asked, "Yunhai, which direction is your home?"

"That way. My home is in that direction, on a place called Divine Martial Island." Tuo Yunhai pointed vaguely, his excitement boundless. To think he could finally go home—the feeling was unimaginable.

"That direction? We’ll head there now!"

Lin Xuan flew in the direction Tuo Yunhai had pointed, going at nearly top speed. ’He didn’t dare linger any longer. Who knew what could change in the next moment?’

...

Not long after they left, a group of powerful experts from the mine rushed to the scene. They were all cultivators of the Essence Pill Stage Level, and some were even at the Spirit Pill Stage Level. Each one arrived with a menacing aura. They discovered the place was deserted; almost everyone was long gone, leaving nothing behind but corpses.

"What the hell happened here? Who was so audacious as to cause trouble at my mine!?" The leader, a middle-aged man named Lan De with a Spirit Pill Stage Level Cultivation, roared, his face contorted with rage.

Only a few guards remained. One of them approached, head bowed, and stammered, "It was a youth... riding a Divine Phoenix. He seemed to know a Puppetry Technique... He sent four Puppets to attack us. Their Cultivation wasn’t low, and they were incredibly agile... We were completely outmatched..."

’A youth riding a Phoenix... who also knows the Puppetry Technique?’ Lan De’s brow furrowed. "How did he get in here?" he demanded.

"He... he was brought in by someone else, it seems. He was just here recovering from his injuries, but then he suddenly went on a rampage, and... well, this happened..." The guard kept his head bowed, not daring to even look at Lan De.

"Useless!" Lan De backhanded him viciously, sending the guard flying into a nearby rock. His head burst, splattering his brains across the ground!

The other guards broke out in a cold sweat at the sight. Their companion had been killed with a single slap, and the terror that gripped them was palpable. None of them wanted to be next.

"Take care of the rest of these guards," Lan De said to the man beside him, his gaze turning icy. "I have no need for useless trash! What’s the point of keeping fools who can’t even detect someone hiding here to recover from their injuries!?" He then ordered, "Issue a top-priority wanted notice for a youth riding a Phoenix. Offer a reward for any information!"

’I’d like to see just who this kid thinks he is, daring to stir up trouble right under the Lan Family’s nose!’ Lan De was enraged. ’How could the Lan Family hold their heads high after being unable to stop a single youth?’