Soul Emperor Awakening

The Young Martial God was quite satisfied with Lin Xuan’s shocked expression. He nodded and said, "When I say ’defeat me,’ I don’t mean a fight like the one we just had. In a battle of Martial Intent, you’re definitely no match for me. If it really were a fight between our Martial Intents, I’d be happy to play along, but as you just saw, you simply can’t win."

"So, the ’defeat’ I’m referring to is for you to beat me without releasing any Martial Intent. To put it bluntly, it would be a very simple fight, without relying on Martial Intent at all. I can’t release it, and you can’t either—not even its most basic form. The moment you use your Martial Intent, I’ll use mine too. And to be honest, between the two choices, I much prefer the latter."

The Young Martial God laid out the conditions of the test, and Lin Xuan was left speechless once again. ’Both options are incredibly difficult,’ he thought. ’But compared to a battle of Martial Intent, a pure brawl gives me a slightly better chance.’

’I can’t believe it. After finally learning Martial Intent, I’m not even allowed to use it. I have to go back to the most primitive form of combat.’

"Isn’t there a third option?" Lin Xuan asked.

"A third option? What do you propose?" A flicker of interest appeared in the Young Martial God’s lively eyes; he seemed genuinely curious about Lin Xuan’s idea.

’Such a lively expression... This is definitely not something an Illusion could fake. He’s a real person.’

"For example, how about I withstand a few of your moves? If I can take them, you let me pass," Lin Xuan said, recalling the time he had to withstand three moves from Qing Piaoxue. ’That method was tough, but if I could just endure it, I’d pass. It’s a pretty good deal.’

But to his surprise, the Young Martial God immediately shot him down. "And here I was, thinking you had a real proposal. That’s too boring! I haven’t had a proper fight in ages. No way. You have to pick one of the first two options. That’s final!"

The Young Martial God’s rejection was so swift it left no room for negotiation. ’He’s just a battle maniac,’ Lin Xuan realized, the pressure on him instantly mounting.

’So I really only have these two options...’ Lin Xuan fell silent. ’Neither is easy, but fighting without Martial Intent is obviously the less difficult path. The problem is, my body is already at its limit just enduring this gravity, and that’s only because I activated my bloodline’s power.’

’In the end, it all comes down to my own lack of strength. I have no choice but to give up for now. I’ll have to come back and challenge him again after I’ve gotten stronger.’

"What, are you going to give up?" the Young Martial God asked, noticing Lin Xuan’s continued silence.

After a moment of thought, Lin Xuan decided he had to give up. "Either way, it’s impossible for me to pass right now," he said. "I’ll have to wait until I’m stronger before I can come back and fight you."

’It’s not that I don’t want to keep climbing, but I simply can’t win as I am now. What’s the point of staying here?’

"Wait! If you leave, I’ll just be bored again!" the Young Martial God complained. "No! You have to fight me, no matter what! The last two guys did the same thing. As soon as they saw they couldn’t beat me, they just left. It’s no fun at all."

Lin Xuan knew exactly who the Young Martial God was talking about: the Island Master and Tuo Zhanhong. ’It’s not that they didn’t want to fight,’ he thought. ’They just couldn’t win. Besides, they’re busy people. How could they afford to stay and fight?’

"Lord Martial God, it’s not that I don’t want to fight you, but you’ve seen my strength. I simply can’t win!" Lin Xuan said with a helpless shrug. "How about this? You lower your power by a few levels, and I promise you, I’ll pass."

"Do you really take me for a child? I can’t just lower my power, that would break the rules!" the Young Martial God snorted. Then, as if an idea struck him, he grinned. "But if you leave now, the reward will be cut in half. You really don’t care about that?"

"A reward?" Lin Xuan’s eyes lit up. "What kind of reward?"

’Of course I’m interested in the reward,’ he thought. ’Why else would anyone bother climbing this Martial God Tower? In the end, it’s all about the prize. Honing my skills is just a side benefit. Coming here is basically asking for a beating.’

"That’s a secret," the Young Martial God explained. "The Martial God Tower has an attempt limit for everyone. You only get three tries, maximum. After the third, you can’t ever come back in. On top of that, starting from the Fifth Layer, the reward diminishes with each attempt. In other words, even if you’re strong enough to challenge me next time, the reward will be cut in half. Of course," he added, "the rewards for the layers above mine will remain unchanged."

Lin Xuan’s expression changed. ’Tuo Zhanhong never told me about this. Then again, it makes sense. The Tu Family giving me even one chance to enter was generous enough. Since Tuo Zhanhong only intended for me to come in once from the very beginning, there would have been no point in telling me.’

’So that’s why Tuo Zhanhong and the others would be so cautious. Everyone only gets three chances before they’re barred from challenging again. Those conditions are really strict.’

"Are the rewards different depending on whether I defeat you with Martial Intent or without it?" Lin Xuan asked.

"Smart!" the Young Martial God laughed. "That’s right. The rewards are different depending on how you defeat me. Defeating me with Martial Intent definitely yields a better reward. As for what that reward is, I’m not telling. But I will say it’s the absolute best, and only one person can ever claim it. Once you miss it, it’s gone forever."

"Could it be the Martial God’s inheritance!" Lin Xuan’s eyes flashed.

"How did you know—pah! What nonsense are you spouting!" the Young Martial God snapped.

’Looks like I guessed right,’ Lin Xuan’s eyes gleamed. ’If only one person can receive it, then it has to be the Martial God’s inheritance... I’ve heard stories about how powerful the Martial God was. It seems the only way to get this reward is to fight using Martial Intent.’

"So, are you giving up, or are you going to fight?" The Young Martial God didn’t dare say more. Although he was just a wisp of Divine Thought, he was an independent entity. He didn’t possess the full wisdom of the Martial God, but rather the true temperament of the Martial God in his youth.

"In that case, I guess my only choice is to risk it all. Can I stay here indefinitely?" Lin Xuan asked.

"Staying here is no problem," the Young Martial God said. "There’s no time limit, only an attempt limit."

"Alright then. I choose the battle of Martial Intent!" Lin Xuan declared, pointing his rod at the Young Martial God.

"Are you sure you want to fight with Martial Intent? You just saw what happened..." Before the Young Martial God could finish, he saw Lin Xuan’s aura suddenly surge and begin to climb frantically.

"Sixth Layer Soul Possession!"

A flash of light erupted from Lin Xuan’s pupils. This was the ultimate Sixth Layer Soul Possession—the *true* Sixth Layer Soul Possession, where the soul didn’t possess his Chi Dragon Heavens Rod, but entered his own body!

In that instant, a terrifying aura erupted from him. The peak Sixth Layer soul fused with his body, combining with his Essence Pill Stage Cultivation to reach an unprecedented Peak!

This time, he was truly putting it all on the line to see if he could win this contest.