Soul Emperor Awakening

Since everyone’s attention was focused on Lan Sheng, only a few people sensed the change in Lin Xuan. The majority were still staring at Lan Sheng.

"Y-Young Master Lan is dead? Good heavens, what did I just see? The young master of the Lan Family is dead!"

"What was that power just now? Both its speed and strength were terrifying. Is that really the Cultivation of the Peak of Spirit Refining Stage?"

"Gods, he’s already broken through to the Essence Pill Stage Cultivation! A moment ago, he was still at the Peak of Spirit Refining Stage Cultivation. How did he just break through?!"

...

Someone finally noticed the change in Lin Xuan, and when they turned their eyes to him, they were all dumbfounded. He broke through the moment the battle ended. ’Is this man part of some warrior race?’ Breaking through during combat was an incredibly rare sight.

The condition of Lin Xuan’s body was changing rapidly. His meridians and physique were strengthening at an incredible rate, his Elemental Power grew more condensed, and his perception of his surroundings sharpened. This was a qualitative leap, an all-around improvement. He now possessed far greater power than before. This change could be described as both a great leap and a subtle one.

After all, the true leap was to the Spirit Pill Stage. Most cultivators got stuck at that bottleneck, not at the Essence Pill Stage Cultivation. Only a breakthrough to the Spirit Pill Stage was a true transcendence!

’So this is Essence Pill Stage Cultivation? It feels incredible. And this Bloodline Power is just too strong. Paired with the Cloud Return Technique... the power feels immense...’

What shocked Lin Xuan the most was the frenzied assault from moments ago. Paired with the Lin’s Staff Technique, its power had stacked layer upon layer. If he had been able to continue to the final move, its might would have been unimaginable. It was a shame Lan Sheng could only withstand up to the fourth move before he died, lacking the privilege of experiencing the subsequent techniques.

But every advantage has its disadvantage. After that terrifying burst of power subsided, his entire body ached. The extreme consumption of his Elemental Power, on top of the physical wear and tear, was a double drain. But the explosive power it had produced made him feel it was more than worth it. His blood had boiled, and the strength throughout his body had increased substantially.

It was just like taking a Frenzy Elixir, which could temporarily boost one’s strength, but those came with severe side effects. The side effect of his Cloud Return Technique, however, was no different from the exhaustion of a normal battle. What fight didn’t consume Elemental Power and take a physical toll? He just needed a little time to recover.

Of course, the truly crucial part was the rapid growth in his Cultivation. Now that he had a moment to reflect, he realized his Cultivation had actually been rising rapidly during the battle. The more he fought, the more he felt his meridians expanding and his body growing stronger!

Others practiced Cultivation through meditation, while he cultivated rapidly in battle. This was the fearsome Bloodline Power of the Lin Family. When he executed the Lin’s Staff Technique, the Cloud Return Technique integrated with it perfectly, truly bringing its might to the forefront. The power of his various techniques had increased before, but never to such a terrifying degree.

’This trip to the Demon Cloud Sea was absolutely worth it. So this is the true effect of the Lin Family’s bloodline!’

Lin Xuan was thrilled. He recalled what Lin Feng and the others had said before: for the Lin Clan’s bloodline to mature, one must constantly fight to achieve self-breakthroughs. This was the perfect demonstration of that principle. Or rather, it had already been demonstrated before; after every battle, he had made significant improvements.

It had just never been as drastic as this time. Perhaps this was the culmination of long and steady accumulation, allowing him to erupt now. This time, he hadn’t relied on the power of the Soul Pearl, but had burst forth using his own true strength.

You could say that this Cloud Return Technique was the most powerful Heart Method he had ever encountered. It was applicable to any Martial Arts. No wonder the Lin Family became one of the Super Races; the Cloud Return Technique alone was enough. However, without the Lin Clan’s bloodline, it would be impossible to unleash such an astonishing effect.

"You... you actually killed the Lan Family’s young master! You’re courting death!" The Attendant scrambled to Lan Sheng’s side to check on him, only to find that he was truly, completely dead.

"Hmph. The Lan Family has committed countless evil deeds. I was merely enacting heaven’s justice. So what if he’s dead?" Lin Xuan said coldly. The Slave Mine was the Lan Family’s creation. None of the other major families had one, only the Lan Family.

As far as he was concerned, Lan Sheng’s death was no great loss!

"Guards! Seize him!" the Attendant roared furiously. He knew he was truly finished this time. With his master dead, he would soon follow. But if he could capture Lin Xuan first, he thought, there might be a chance to atone.

The people in the crowd looked at each other, knowing Lin Xuan was done for. It was no different from what they had expected; whether he won or lost, Lin Xuan was finished. Of course, now that he had killed Lan Sheng, his death was certain.

But more than his fate, they were heartbroken over their own Primordial Stones. Some had already begun to wail and cry out in misery; their entire fortunes were gone, just like that.

"Damn it, how did that kid win? All my money!"

"That damn kid! The Lan Family better kill him! That was my entire fortune!"

"I... I bet on him to win! Why didn’t I bet more?!"

...

Most of those who had placed bets began cursing Lin Xuan, wishing they could go up and beat him up. But the majority took stock of their own abilities; they couldn’t even defeat Lan Sheng, let alone Lin Xuan. Moreover, one could only fight on the Martial Arts Arena if a challenge was accepted. Forcing a fight was not allowed.

"He really won. He’s so strong..." Sister Ya’s lovely eyes sparkled. She turned her head to look at the mysterious seller and smiled. "It seems your eye is as sharp as ever. You could tell he was going to win. You’ve earned even more this time."

"Heh heh, if he’s a real kid from the Lin Family, then it’s no problem at all. If he’s a fake, he’s dead for sure..." The mysterious seller chuckled and went to the house to settle his account.

The house couldn’t stop grinning. They hadn’t expected Lin Xuan to be such a dark horse. Still, the money they had to pay out was almost entirely covered, so overall they still earned quite a bit. After all, far too many people had bet on Lan Sheng, some even staking their entire fortunes. The amount of Primordial Stones was certainly not small.

At the Lan Family Attendant’s command, the Lan Family Guards all stood awkwardly in place, not daring to move. Technically, they were supposed to obey Lan Sheng’s Attendant, but they couldn’t forget that this was Gathering Spirit Island. Anyone who acted rashly would be expelled.

Furthermore, life and death were of no consequence on the Martial Arts Arena. No matter how much they had lost their minds, they had to weigh whether they had the ability to cause trouble here. Several Spirit Pill Stage experts were stationed near the Martial Arts Arena. If anyone had the guts to act out, those experts would show absolutely no mercy!

The Attendant froze for a moment before quickly recovering from his rage. He picked up Lan Sheng’s corpse and ran off, tossing a final sentence at Lin Xuan: "You’re dead this time! Even staying on Gathering Spirit Island is useless. The Lan Family’s Patriarch will come to capture you himself!"

An inescapable trap had already been set here. Even if Lin Xuan hadn’t killed Lan Sheng, he wouldn’t have been able to escape. Now that he had, it was even more impossible. In everyone else’s eyes, Lin Xuan was destined for a tragic end, but at least he’d taken someone down with him.

Besides, Lin Xuan had caused so many people in the crowd to lose their Primordial Stones. They couldn’t wait for him to die!