Soul Emperor Awakening

Over the Demon Cloud Sea, Lin Xuan and Tuo Yunhai were carried through the air by a mysterious expert. The speed was simply astonishing, far surpassing that of flying on a Phoenix—it was more than ten times faster, and it seemed the man wasn’t even using his full strength.

’So this is Elemental Power Wings. The speed is truly incredible, but it’s more because his Cultivation is so powerful!’ Lin Xuan observed the wings controlled by Elemental Power. They looked like a simple pair of wings, but they weren’t detailed at all—just two crude extensions of Elemental Power.

The difference was that with a mere flick, he could shoot forward at an unbelievable speed.

They remained silent, completely unaware of where the mysterious expert was taking them. They could only wait quietly.

The mysterious expert also said nothing. He carried them away at extreme speed, flying far from Gathering Spirit Island before finally finding a small island to land on. The moment they touched down, the wings made of Elemental Power vanished. The expert had barely steadied himself before he began to cough violently, his body clearly in poor condition.

"Elder, are you alright?" Lin Xuan asked with concern.

After a few coughs, the mysterious expert straightened up, turned around, and removed the black robe that covered him. What came into view was a wizened face. His entire body was shrouded in a black aura. He looked ancient, devoid of any life force or even a hint of color in his skin.

His eyes were so sunken they looked horrifying, as if he were a living skeleton. To Lin Xuan, it looked more like a morbid illness; the man seemed as if he could drop into his coffin at any second.

"It would be impossible to say I’m fine. My time is truly almost up..." The mysterious elder coughed lightly, a smile gracing his lips. With his voice no longer disguised, his tone was somewhat kind, though his appearance remained quite horrifying.

’His time is almost up!’ Lin Xuan was stunned and couldn’t utter a word. No matter how powerful an expert was, everyone had to face death one day.

The Emperor of the Soaring Dragon Empire, Xu Qianlong, was a similar case. When his life neared its end, his Cultivation plummeted, and all that awaited him was death. He could no longer experience that feeling of being at his Peak. This rapid aging, rather than a slow decline, typically occurred in the final decade of one’s life.

"Young man, what is your name?" the mysterious elder asked.

"This junior is Lin Xuan. May I ask for the elder’s esteemed name?" Lin Xuan didn’t hide it; there was no need to. ’It’s just a name. If he wanted to harm me, he would have slapped me to death long ago. Why would he waste his breath?’

"An esteemed name... You can just call me Elder Feng," he said.

"There is something this junior doesn’t understand. The techniques you used earlier, Elder Feng, were clearly the Lin’s Staff Technique. Logically, someone from the Lin Family would never sell such a treasured honor. I wonder, are you an elder of the Lin Family, or do you have some other connection to them?" Lin Xuan voiced the questions that had been nagging him.

The name ’Elder Feng’ didn’t necessarily mean his surname was Feng. It could just be a moniker. It was even possible his name was something like Lin Feng.

"Who said only members of the Lin Family can practice the Lin’s Staff Technique? Any Cultivator can use it, but it is true that only a member of the Lin Family can unleash its ultimate power." Elder Feng looked at him and smiled faintly. "You’re right about one thing, young man. The Lin Family would indeed never sell those two items, especially the Cloud Return Technique. That is the Lin Clan’s ultimate treasure; they would sooner burn it than sell it. However, the person who had me sell this Cloud Return Technique was none other than the current Patriarch of the Lin Family!"

"The current Patriarch of the Lin Family... My father asked you to sell it?" Lin Xuan was stunned. He never imagined his own father would have asked Elder Feng to sell it.

"You truly are the direct bloodline of the current Patriarch. I sensed it the moment you executed the Cloud Return Technique. That is the purest bloodline, and only the purest bloodline can unleash such ultimate power! That boy, Lin Hua... he really did get you out, and you’ve grown so much." Elder Feng looked Lin Xuan up and down and said with admiration, "You certainly look a lot like your father. The first time I saw you, I felt you resembled the Lin Family’s current Patriarch, but there are countless people in this world; similar appearances are common. Your pure Lin Family bloodline, however, is unmistakable."

Lin Xuan’s heart eased. This Elder Feng truly did have a connection to the Lin Family, even if he wasn’t a member himself. It was clear their relationship was a good one. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have known Lin Hua. This meant he could finally ask about his father’s whereabouts.

"Then what is the situation with my parents? Or rather, what is the state of the Lin Family now?" Lin Xuan asked urgently.

Standing nearby, Tuo Yunhai was completely bewildered by the conversation. He tactfully walked to the side to explore the small island, leaving them to their talk.

Elder Feng, however, just shook his head. "I don’t know about that either. Your father entrusted the Cloud Return Technique to me before the Lin Family was destroyed. By the time I emerged from my seclusion, the Lin Family had already been wiped out. I have no idea where everyone went. All I know is that you were saved."

"Elder Feng, are you saying my father anticipated this would happen?" Lin Xuan was taken aback; it was the only explanation he could think of. To entrust the Cloud Return Technique to an outsider in advance... most Patriarchs would never be able to do such a thing.

It could only mean that Lin Xuan’s father trusted this Elder Feng immensely!

"Yes. He sensed something was amiss, which is why he entrusted the Cloud Return Technique to me. Alas, I truly don’t know where your father is now. I searched that place for a long time but couldn’t find where the Lin Family had fled. I am certain, however, that some of them must have escaped!" Elder Feng shook his head and sighed, as if recalling the Lin Family’s home in ruins.

Lin Xuan was suddenly overcome with disappointment. He still didn’t know the Lin Family’s true situation, but at least now he had a glimmer of hope.

"But why would my father choose to sell the Cloud Return Technique? Isn’t it the Lin Family’s ultimate treasure?" Lin Xuan was deeply confused by this, wondering about Elder Feng’s motivations.

"It’s simple. It was all for you! No, more accurately, it was for any member of the Lin Family who possesses the bloodline. The purity of the bloodline doesn’t matter, as long as it produces the right effect." Elder Feng pointed at Lin Xuan, who was stunned. "Did you really think I would sell them? I only put those two items up for sale under your father’s orders. I was trying to find someone with a suitable bloodline, to ensure the Lin Family’s lineage—and this Heart Method—would not be lost."

"If the person who acquired these two items was not from the Lin Family, they would either return them to me... or face a dead end," Elder Feng added with a placid smile.

Had the Cloud Return Technique been bought by the Lan Family, Elder Feng would have simply taken it back in the end. At an event like an auction, one could encounter many different people. He wasn’t specifically looking for Lin Xuan, but for anyone who possessed the Lin Family bloodline!