Soul Emperor Awakening

Under Lin Xuan’s overwhelming assault, all five Staff Envoys were smashed deep into the ground. This tyrannical power was far beyond what his normal attacks could produce; the force of his momentum, coupled with the impact of his Spiritual Power, had caused an astonishing amount of damage.

By a rough estimate, with such tyrannical might, even a Cultivator at the Fifth or Sixth Layer of the Essence Pill Stage would be no match for him! He could likely crush them with ease. As for anyone at a higher level, there were no guarantees.

There were too many variables in a real fight; people, unlike these statues, had minds of their own. So, Lin Xuan’s assessment was a rather conservative one. But this Martial Intent was truly powerful, allowing him to easily fight those at a higher level.

For a long time, his Spiritual Power had far surpassed his Cultivation, but he had no way to utilize it, rendering it useless no matter how potent it was. It was a case of wasted potential, but now, a path of light opened up before him.

’Having another type of Martial Intent is like having another trump card!’

Lin Xuan was filled with confidence. When facing an enemy, this was undoubtedly another trump card. This Martial Intent was like summoning a phantom of the statues, though of course, it was still no match for the real thing. The actual statues were more agile, and the cost wasn’t as great.

The moment his attack ended after simultaneously manifesting five types of Martial Intent, his body swayed. His head felt dizzy and heavy as his Spiritual Power was once again drained. If he kept consuming energy at this rate, he wouldn’t be able to hold on for much longer. It was a brutal technique, but the energy consumption was just too high.

Fortunately, none of the five Staff Envoys got back up; they had been completely beaten out of shape. It looked like he had definitely passed the trial. If his Martial Intent hadn’t been so overwhelmingly powerful, anyone else would have had to endure a grueling battle just to scrape by, as they’d never be able to manifest five Martial Intents at once.

By that point, not only would their energy be severely depleted, but they would also be covered in injuries. It would be nearly impossible to even think about passing the Fifth Layer.

Lin Xuan’s assessment was correct. Most people got stuck on this layer, unable to pass. The Third Layer had been ridiculous enough, but the Fourth Layer was even more insane. Being ganged up on was never a pleasant experience, especially by these statues that felt no pain.

"Fourth Layer trial complete. Preparing for the Fifth Layer trial!"

The familiar voice sounded again, and Lin Xuan finally breathed a sigh of relief. If another five had appeared, he would have had no choice but to expend a great deal of energy again.

’It’s a shame there are no rewards. Do I have to pass the Fifth Layer to get anything?’

He had fought his way up, passing each trial with ease, yet there were no rewards to speak of. He recalled the Godslaying Array from before; killing those soldiers had not only increased his Cultivation, but also his Killing Intent. Here, there was nothing but energy expenditure.

However, he recalled what Tuo Zhanhong had said: only by passing the Fifth Layer could one obtain the essence of the Martial God Tower! ’Just what is this essence?’

As he was pondering this, a light enveloped him, preparing to send him to the Fifth Layer—the layer that held the essence of the Martial God Tower.

Meanwhile, the scene outside the Martial God Tower was in an uproar. The expressions on everyone’s faces were priceless; they were simply stunned, staring blankly as the light on the Martial God Tower flew up to the Fifth Layer!

"Heavens, this can’t be real, can it? The time he spent on the Fourth Layer was about the same as the Third Layer!"

"I must be seeing things. How can an outsider be so strong? He doesn’t even have Martial Intent, how could he possibly reach the Fifth Layer!"

"If he passes the Fifth Layer, his future might be just like the Island Master’s, or even the Grand Elder’s..."

...

More and more people gathered below the Martial God Tower. Ever since Lin Xuan had easily passed the Third Layer, the entire Tu Family had been in an uproar. A large crowd had gathered to watch, but before they had even been standing there for long, they saw Lin Xuan ascend to the Fifth Layer!

Had he failed, they could have withstood the pressure; after all, a few Tuo Family Disciples had managed to pass the Fourth Layer over the years. But passing the Fifth Layer was a different story. In the entire history of the Tu Family, only two people had ever done it: one was the Island Master, and the other was Grand Elder Tuo Zhanhong!

At this point, their hearts were about to leap out of their chests. If he really passed, the Tu Family would undoubtedly spare no effort to have him stay. He would become an expert on par with the Island Master in the future—how could they not try to recruit him?

"Could it be... he learned Martial Intent? Without Martial Intent, it’s fundamentally impossible to pass the Fourth Layer... No, he must have learned it!" Tuo Zhanhong’s gaze burned as he immediately came to a conclusion.

It was extremely difficult to fight in there without having learned Martial Intent, unless one possessed a Heaven-Defying physique. But before Lin Xuan entered the Martial God Tower, he hadn’t seemed particularly powerful in Tuo Zhanhong’s eyes. Besides, just how tough could the body of an Essence Pill Stage Cultivator possibly be?

"Yes! I knew Brother Lin could do it! I knew he could make it!" Tuo Yunhai clapped his little hands, beside himself with excitement, as if he were the one who had just reached the Fifth Layer.

In his heart, seeing Lin Xuan reach the Fifth Layer made him even happier than if he had accomplished it himself.

The crowd outside was buzzing, and many people had gathered with one question on their minds: could Lin Xuan actually pass the Fifth Layer?

Lin Xuan, inside the Martial God Tower, was completely oblivious to the commotion outside. He had already adjusted his condition to its absolute peak, ready to face the coming battle, with no thought for the situation outside.

After the teleportation, he finally arrived at the legendary Fifth Layer. Passing this would mean reaching a Level comparable to the Island Master.

’So this is the Fifth Layer...’

The scene that greeted Lin Xuan was drastically different. The area was pitch-black, filled with countless specks of starlight, making it seem as if he were standing in the middle of a galaxy.

The moment he arrived, an even more powerful gravitational force pressed down on him—a full 300,000 pounds, an increase of another 100,000 pounds! Fortunately, he was prepared. The Golden Dragon Bone within him flared, its golden light flickering as it frantically adapted to the terrifying gravity, propping up his body.

’The gravity is so strong, much more than before. Luckily, I can just barely withstand it.’ Lin Xuan’s enhanced body was just able to bear the 300,000-pound pressure, but this was his absolute limit. If he tried to run, his movements would be incredibly slow.

There were no Staff Envoys before him—in fact, there were no statues at all. The space was completely empty, leaving him puzzled. ’Is the trial for the Fifth Layer just to wait here?’

He didn’t have to wonder for long. A beam of light suddenly shone in the distance, drawing the surrounding starlight toward it. The light began to coalesce, gradually taking on a human form. After a long moment, the figure was fully formed.

When he got a clear look, Lin Xuan said in astonishment, "Isn’t that... myself?"

The figure before him was not some other person—it was Lin Xuan himself! It wielded the Chi Dragon Heavens Rod with a blank expression. It looked identical to him, right down to the wounds on his body. There was no difference at all.

"Fifth Layer trial. Defeat the opponent to pass!" the familiar voice explained.

’So on the Fifth Layer, I have to defeat myself. Now this is interesting. I wonder just how much of my power this other "me" can wield?’ Lin Xuan tightened his grip on the Chi Dragon Heavens Rod. For the first time, he felt things were getting truly interesting.