Soul Emperor Awakening

’So this is the Chi Dragon Heavens Rod...’ As Lin Xuan grasped the weapon, it felt incredibly familiar, as if he had been using it for years. There wasn’t the slightest bit of unease; both its weight and feel were exceptional.

’It doesn’t have an Artifact Spirit? I’ll just put one in myself. Damaged? That doesn’t bother me in the slightest. I can just find someone to fix it. All I needed was this specific weapon. The fact that it was my father’s exclusive weapon is enough.’

He had no memory of his own father. Only through Lin Hua’s memories did he come to understand what kind of man his father was. Before accessing those memories, he’d felt nothing for his father. They had never even met, so it was impossible to feel any great sorrow. On the contrary, he had been more inclined to resent his father for abandoning him.

After learning the truth of his origins, he realized that he had been the one in the wrong all along, especially after seeing Lin Hua’s memories. That towering silhouette was now deeply seared into his mind. ’That is a true, indomitable hero!’

The Lin Family had fought to the very last moment to preserve their final bloodline, all to ensure he could escape. For them, saving even one person was a victory.

He now felt a deeper connection to the Lin Family, but even stronger was the urge to grow powerful! ’I feel so insignificant. If I don’t get stronger, how can I ever get revenge? How can I save the other survivors of the Lin Family?’ Then again, perhaps his father had warned him during the escape, urging him not to get involved in this struggle.

Unfortunately, it was impossible for Lin Xuan to stay uninvolved. No one is content to be mediocre forever. Since he possessed this bloodline, he had to give it his all!

"Honored guest, this is the Chi Dragon Heavens Rod you won. Please accept it. You may settle the payment downstairs after the auction concludes." The Attendant bowed respectfully to Lin Xuan.

With that, he closed the door and departed. Lin Xuan sat back down, holding the Chi Dragon Heavens Rod. He gently stroked the scars on its surface, and it was as if the Lin Family’s great war was unfolding before his eyes. Every mark was a testament to its battle history!

He would have bought it even if it wasn’t just half-damaged; he would have bought it even if it were a worthless piece of scrap metal. It was a symbol of honor, and more importantly, a memento.

"Brother Lin, is this weapon very important to you?" Tuo Yunhai asked, unable to help himself after seeing the look in Lin Xuan’s eyes.

"Yes, very important..." Lin Xuan didn’t elaborate, but his tone was heavy with emotion.

After this interlude, many eyes turned toward the Third Celestial Level private room. Everyone was speculating about the identity of its occupant, wondering who would dare to offer such a high price. It was certainly a spectacle.

Sister Ya’s gaze drifted toward the third private room. "I wonder who’s in that Third Celestial Level room," she murmured. "It’s quite intriguing. They even dared to challenge the young master of the Lan Family. Is it a case of a newborn calf not fearing the tiger, or are they backed by some major power?"

She didn’t dwell on it for long. The truth would come out eventually. For now, there were still many more items to auction.

The wild bidding didn’t continue. The items that followed, while not as sensational as the previous two, were by no means ordinary. For example, there were precious Elixir Pills and rare Spirit Fruits, all of which fetched high prices.

Lin Xuan didn’t bid on any of them. It wasn’t that they were useless to him; he was just in a bit of a dilemma. Generally, it was better to take as few breakthrough-assisting Elixir Pills as possible. Relying on one’s own power to break through resulted in a much more stable foundation.

In other words, using Elixir Pills for a breakthrough required a period of adjustment to stabilize one’s condition. Thus, it wasn’t surprising for a Cultivator at the Peak of Spirit Refining Stage to defeat someone who had just broken through to the Essence Pill Stage. The newly advanced Cultivator wouldn’t have fully adapted to their new power and couldn’t unleash their full strength in combat.

As for those who broke through naturally through accumulated power, their state would be stable immediately after, with no need for a lengthy adjustment period. Furthermore, these Elixir Pills contained Pill Fire, which could easily cause turmoil in the body and take a long time to purge.

Everything has its pros and cons, and these Elixir Pills were no exception. ’After thinking it over,’ Lin Xuan concluded, ’I won’t take any. I’ll let myself break through naturally. The potential will be greater that way.’ From the memories of various powerhouses, he knew that those who relied on their own strength to break through had greater potential. Then, if they took Elixir Pills later on, the effects would be even more astounding.

Item after item was presented, but nothing particularly good came up—or rather, nothing suitable for him.

The crowd was a bit disappointed that the Third Celestial Level private room remained silent. They had been hoping for another exciting bidding war, but it seemed the show was over.

"And now for our final item, the grand finale, and the most valuable treasure of the entire auction: a Celestial Level Heart Method!" Sister Ya announced the final item’s attribute, and it was none other than a Celestial Level Heart Method!

A Celestial Level Heart Method and Celestial Level Martial Arts are two completely different things. A Heart Method governs how one circulates Elemental Power within the body, converting it for various outputs. Celestial Level Martial Arts, on the other hand, are the specific attack techniques. Naturally, the two are not the same.

To put it simply: the Cultivator is the Heart Method, and the Weapon is the Martial Arts!

Only by pairing a powerful Martial Art with a corresponding Heart Method could one unleash truly devastating damage. ’Do I have a Heart Method?’ Lin Xuan thought. ’Of course I do. I have many.’ He possessed all sorts of Heart Methods; he had access to several just from Qing Liuyun’s memories alone. Since the knowledge was so jumbled, he had simply cultivated all of them. For him, it was a simple task.

Whenever he executed a Martial Art, he would automatically circulate the corresponding Heart Method to unleash its maximum power. It was like giving an axe to a man who had only ever used a sword; it just wouldn’t feel right.

It wasn’t that an incompatible Heart Method couldn’t be used with a certain Martial Art; it was possible, just not to its full potential. Most people had limited time and energy, so they didn’t overthink it. They would learn one Heart Method and stick with it, or switch if they happened upon a better one. Anyone who tried to cultivate several at once was either a lunatic or a peerless genius!

Since it didn’t seem relevant to him, Lin Xuan lost interest. He sighed. "The auction items are certainly tempting, but some are just not worth the price. Oh well. I’ll just buy some Recovery Elixirs later. No need for any Cultivation-enhancing Elixir Pills."

Just then, Sister Ya lifted the red cloth, revealing a thin book. She smiled and announced, "This Celestial Level Heart Method is called the Cloud Return Technique. I wonder if anyone recognizes this Heart Method? It once belonged to the Lin Family, one of the Super Races, and it is of immense help to Cultivators who use long staves or spears!"

SWOOSH!

In an instant, Lin Xuan was on his feet again, his eyes locked on the Cloud Return Technique below. Lin Hua had told him that the Cloud Return Technique was an internal Heart Method. Only those who possessed the true bloodline of the Lin Family could unleash its ultimate effects. Others could cultivate it, but they could never achieve perfection.

The Cloud Return Technique was tailor-made for the Lin Family bloodline—a match made in heaven!

’To think that even the Cloud Return Technique would appear here... has the Lin Family truly been annihilated?’ Lin Xuan’s eyes turned red, and the hand clutching the Chi Dragon Heavens Rod began to tremble.

How could he possibly remain calm?