Soul Emperor Awakening

「Outside the Martial God Tower」

"This trial is the toughest one for outsiders, though it’s a bit easier for members of the Tu Family." Tuo Zhanhong sighed, shaking his head as he watched the light flicker on the Second Layer of the Martial God Tower. "He’ll probably get stuck here. Unless he has absolute power, it’s too difficult to break through the power of Martial Intent."

"I believe in Brother Lin! He can definitely master Martial Intent!" Tuo Yunhai quickly retorted.

"Mastering Martial Intent? That’s no simple matter. It requires a long period of honing, along with practice in this Martial God Tower, to successfully cultivate it... I just hope he can work a miracle. A Seventh-class Talent is impressive, but that doesn’t mean this will be easy," Tuo Zhanhong sighed.

The onlookers had mixed reactions. Most were quite prejudiced against outsiders, and since they were all members of the Tu Family, they couldn’t help but feel a sense of superiority.

"He’ll never make it to the Third Layer. Martial Intent isn’t something you can just pick up easily. He’s bound to fail right here on the Second Layer!"

"We Demon Sea People have an innate advantage in power over outsiders, which makes it much easier for us to master. As for him? I say he’s got no chance!"

"This is our exclusive Ultimate Skill, after all. Besides our Tu Family, who else could possibly master Martial Intent?"

...

None of them had any faith in Lin Xuan, certain he could never learn Martial Intent. To them, Martial Intent was synonymous with divinity itself!

And just as they said, Martial Intent was not easy to cultivate—in fact, it was extraordinarily difficult. Inside the Martial God Tower, Lin Xuan was shaken by this very realization.

’So this is Martial Intent... I never imagined it would be this powerful. It can be used for both offense and defense. This place truly lives up to its name as the Martial God Tower!’

Lin Xuan scrambled to his feet and wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. That last blow had left him with minor injuries. Fortunately, he had summoned the Golden Dragon Scale to protect himself in time; otherwise, his left arm would have been completely useless for a while.

The Cloud Return Technique circulating within him subsided. His mind filled with Qing Liuyun’s memories as he began searching for anything related to Martial Intent.

Martial Intent was, in essence, short for the Intent of a Martial God. Its Grade was on the same level as concepts like Unity of Heaven and Man or Human and Martial Unity. However, the Cultivation methods and their respective difficulties were vastly different. In terms of classification, they were all similar, a type of conceptual Realm.

Legend had it that a Martial God could slaughter millions of enemies with his aura alone, without even having to lift a finger. This wasn’t an exaggeration—it was true!

The overwhelming pressure that had initially borne down on him was that very same legendary Intent of a Martial God. As one’s Cultivation Realm increased, the power of their Martial Intent grew stronger, eventually reaching a point where one could kill with their aura alone.

When the envoy attacked, the Martial Intent enveloping its weapon became a tangible force, effectively extending the giant staff’s range. Any incoming attacks were repelled. This worked on the same principle as the Martial Intent protecting its body; if an attacker’s power couldn’t overwhelm it, they would be completely thrown back.

Ultimately, the Staff Envoy’s own strength wasn’t that great. But because of its Martial Intent, its power was greatly enhanced, allowing it to use the force of Lin Xuan’s own attacks to throw him back!

And if he chose not to attack, the opponent’s power was no pushover. Combined with its Martial Intent, it could still crush him to death.

According to Qing Liuyun’s memories, the Cultivation of Martial Intent was quite difficult, requiring a complex mix of factors. The most crucial of these was an incomparably powerful aura. When the aura one released could materialize, and it was combined with one’s battle intent, it was as if a Martial God had been reborn—that was Martial Intent.

It sounded simple, but among the souls whose memories he possessed, not a single one had learned Martial Intent—not even Qing Liuyun. Qing Liuyun had fought against members of the Tu Family before, and though he had managed to win, their Martial Intent had been a real pain. It was like they were wearing damage-reflecting armor; it felt like cheating.

’How am I supposed to learn this Martial Intent?’ Lin Xuan wondered, but he couldn’t find a single clue in the memories.

If he could use Martial Intent to counter Martial Intent, that would be a different story. The fight would become a contest of whose conceptual Realm was superior. It was just like his previous battle over the Control Power of the Power of Heaven and Earth; if his control was stronger than his opponent’s, he would be the winner!

The Staff Envoy was already back on its feet. It was almost completely unharmed, its aura as imposing as ever. The thing was practically invincible.

As the Staff Envoy charged, Lin Xuan remained motionless. With his current strength, he was confident he could defeat it if he unleashed the full power of his Cloud Return Technique. He had already proven that an all-out strike could shatter its layer of Martial Intent, but that wasn’t the point.

The trials in the Martial God Tower were clearly focused on Martial Intent. He didn’t even need to see the next opponent to know that. If he couldn’t learn to cultivate it here, he would have no hope of passing the Third Layer. His brute strength had its limits.

WHOOSH!

The Staff Envoy was already upon him, thrusting its giant staff toward Lin Xuan. He finally snapped back to reality, rapidly circulating his Cloud Return Technique. His entire body flushed red as he dodged to the side, avoiding the blow by a hair’s breadth. Still, the potent Martial Intent grazed him, shredding a large part of his clothes.

But he paid it no mind. He pushed all of his senses to their absolute limit, his eyes fixed on the Staff Envoy’s surface, perceiving the intense Martial Intent emanating from it. He continued to just watch, to feel that surging power. He was using the most rudimentary method possible, trying to perceive the entire process of how the Martial Intent functioned.

The Staff Envoy’s attacks were overbearing. Lin Xuan managed to dodge them each time, but only just barely. The intense Martial Intent continued to rip his clothes and even inflict minor scrapes on his skin. He didn’t care in the slightest. Even if he ended up covered in wounds, he had to learn this Martial Intent!

He could sense how immensely powerful the Martial Intent was; learning it would drastically change the way he fought. He had a feeling that the Second Layer was his only real chance to cultivate it. If he moved on, the opportunity would be lost.

’Or rather, even if he had a chance to cultivate it in the future, the Tu Family wasn’t guaranteed to grant him a second entry. If they did, it would surely come at a hefty price.’

’But he couldn’t afford to wait. The great battle between Core Disciples was waiting for him back at Qingcheng Mansion. If he didn’t have more trump cards up his sleeve, he feared he’d have a hard time securing a high rank!’

’He thought back to his previous battles. Failing to increase his strength meant death. He had to get stronger. Just having the Soul Pearl wasn’t enough; more importantly, he had to strengthen his own fundamental abilities. He had realized this long ago.’

’Perhaps this was his turning point!’