Soul Emperor Awakening

"Sister Ya, if I told you that this young man is the one wanted on the highest bounty notice issued by my Lan Family, would you believe me?" Lan Sheng sneered.

Her words made Sister Ya freeze. She stared at Lin Xuan in shock, never having imagined he could be the person on that top-tier wanted poster. There was no way to tell just by looking at him. The youth who rode a Phoenix and destroyed a Slave Mine... that was truly impressive. It also brought a secret thrill to many.

That Slave Mine was a living nightmare, but no one ever concerned themselves with such matters. It was the law of the jungle, plain and simple.

"What, cat got your tongue?" Lan Sheng sneered at Lin Xuan.

"What proof do you have?" Lin Xuan’s expression remained impassive. He wasn’t about to be intimidated so easily. ’If this is all it takes to scare me, I might as well give up now.’

"Proof? The kid next to you is all the proof I need! He’s from the Slave Mine. Isn’t that enough?" Lan Sheng sneered, his eyes fixed on Tuo Yunhai.

"I bought his freedom some time ago. Is there a problem with that?" Lin Xuan retorted simply.

Lan Sheng was taken aback. It was indeed possible to ransom people from the Slave Mine, and such transactions were rarely recorded. With so many slaves, the operators were more than happy to have people bought out—a million Primordial Stones per person was far more profitable than the mining itself. Therefore, Lin Xuan’s excuse was perfectly reasonable and practically airtight.

"You! How could you possibly have that many Primordial Stones! According to our intel, when you escaped the mine, you stole a huge amount of Primordial Stones. The ones you’re using to buy things now belong to my Lan Family!" Lan Sheng accused, pointing a finger at Lin Xuan.

"And why wouldn’t I? Just because you’re poor doesn’t mean everyone else is. Besides, the wanted poster says I ride a Phoenix, doesn’t it? So, where is this Phoenix? Go on, find it for me!" Lin Xuan sneered at Lan Sheng, completely unafraid.

’The moment I show fear, I lose. How could I possibly admit to anything?’

"This..." Lan Sheng was at a loss for words. The Phoenix was nowhere to be seen. And as for the part about being "gravely injured," Lin Xuan didn’t have so much as a scratch on him. What "grave injuries"?

"If that’s what you claim, then a simple search will reveal the truth," the Attendant beside Lan Sheng interjected, stepping forward. He could see his young master was losing the argument and decided to offer a new line of attack. "The Primordial Stones from the mine are all raw and irregular. Processed stones from the outside wouldn’t look like that."

This was indeed a solid point. Under normal circumstances, Primordial Stones fresh from a mine would be irregular. They were essentially just rocks, and when excavated, they were bound to be of varying sizes. While Primordial Stones were typically measured by weight and used as currency, much like silver taels, Cultivators had no need for silver. That was currency for common folk.

And so, the stones in Lin Xuan’s Storage Ring were all highly irregular, completely unsorted—the typical output of a mine. There were large ones and small ones, some no bigger than a thumb. If each of those were counted as a full Primordial Stone, the auction house would take a massive loss.

"Search me? I refuse. What are you going to do about it?" Lin Xuan glared at the Attendant. ’To think an attendant would see through me,’ he thought. ’His perception is frighteningly sharp.’

’Still, getting caught was bound to happen sooner or later. Now that I’ve provoked a young master of the Lan Family, the outcome is predictable. But it couldn’t be helped. I needed both of those items.’

"How dare you refuse! Search him!" Lan Sheng’s embarrassment had turned to fury. He no longer cared whether this was the boy with the Phoenix or not. All that mattered was that this person had taken what was his, and he had to be caught!

"Who dares to cause trouble here!" The voice wasn’t Lin Xuan’s, but Sister Ya’s. She leveled a cold glare at them. "This is Gathering Spirit Island, not your Lan Family’s estate. I suggest you remember that!"

At her words, the surrounding guards froze, not daring to make a move. This was Gathering Spirit Island, not Lan Family territory.

Sister Ya had already figured out most of the situation. The moment she saw the state of the Primordial Stones, she suspected that Lin Xuan might very well be the legendary Phoenix-riding youth. But that had nothing to do with her. Her only concern was the business at hand. She didn’t care who the Primordial Stones or the items belonged to. Once something was brought in for auction, it was the seller’s property, period.

If they wanted to cause a scene, they were free to do so after they left Gathering Spirit Island. She wouldn’t have any objections to that—unless, of course, an acquaintance was involved.

Sister Ya’s public rebuke, showing Lan Sheng no deference whatsoever, left him embarrassed. But it wasn’t her personal rule; it was the law of Gathering Spirit Island, a fact he had momentarily forgotten in his anger.

Lin Xuan had anticipated this outcome, which was why he hadn’t been afraid. ’But being unable to leave the island is going to be a problem,’ he thought. ’They’ve surely set up an inescapable dragnet outside. It seems there’s no way out.’

"Fine! Then you can spend the rest of your life on Gathering Spirit Island!" Lan Sheng snarled, pointing at Lin Xuan. "I’m going to request an audience with the Island Master right now and get his permission to deal with you."

"Apologies, but the Island Master is currently away from the island. You’ll have to wait until he returns to make your request," Sister Ya stated flatly. She held no goodwill for the Lan Family and felt no need to put on a pleasant facade for them. The auction house was Gathering Spirit Island’s, and she didn’t have to bow to anyone.

Lan Sheng froze, then fumed, "Fine! I’ll wait for the Island Master to return! Let’s see you stay cooped up in here for the rest of your life!" With a cold snort, he turned on his heel and left. He had no intention of staying; the mere sight of Lin Xuan was enough to send him into a rage.

After Lan Sheng departed, Tuo Yunhai worriedly asked, "Brother Lin, what are we going to do? We’re trapped!"

This was the worst possible outcome. Utterly disastrous. No one would come to their aid. Normally, they might have been able to hire help with Primordial Stones, but not now. Their opponent was the Lan Family. Any potential mercenary would have to weigh whether they could afford to make such a powerful enemy.

Sister Ya said nothing, nor would she. There was nothing she could do to help Lin Xuan, and she had no intention of trying. ’It’s a pity, though,’ she thought. ’Such a promising future, ruined just like this. He can only blame himself for running afoul of the Lan Family. If this confrontation hadn’t happened, he could have easily walked away.’

Lin Xuan knew he had lost his composure, but faced with those two items, he’d had no choice.

As he was racking his brain for a solution, the old, hoarse voice from before echoed in his mind. "Didn’t you claim to be from the Lin Family? I’ll give you one chance. Challenge that brat. If you kill him using the Lin’s Staff Technique, I will get you out of here. Remember, you must *kill* him!"

A look of astonishment crossed Lin Xuan’s face. He scanned his surroundings, but the speaker was nowhere to be seen.

’Elemental Power Condensed Line Transmission... A Core Formation Stage expert!’ Lin Xuan was inwardly horrified. Only a powerhouse at the Core Formation Stage could be capable of such a feat. ’To think that mysterious seller is a Core Formation Stage expert!’

Without a second thought, Lin Xuan turned and called out to Lan Sheng, who had his back to him, "Wait!"

Fuming, Lan Sheng spun around. "What? Thinking of surrendering?" he said with a frown. "If you surrender, I might give you a chance. Just come back with me quietly, and we can discuss the rest!"

Lin Xuan sneered. "Surrender? No, I’m not going to surrender. I want to propose a match. If I lose, I’ll hand over both items without complaint. But if I win, you let me leave. How about it?"

The moment he made this request, everyone in the room was stunned into silence. Had Lin Xuan lost his mind?