Soul Emperor Awakening

This sign prompted a crowd to gather, all of them eager to witness this miraculous moment. Even though Lin Xuan was an outsider, they still wanted to see if he could break through to the Seventh Layer.

Tuo Zhanhong hurried over as well. The moment he arrived, he fixed his gaze upward, anxious to see the final result.

’No matter the outcome, I have to make befriending him a top priority!’ Tuo Zhanhong had already decided to build a good relationship with Lin Xuan when he saw him pass the Fifth Layer. If he could actually pass the Sixth Layer, that would make it an even greater necessity. His future was absolutely limitless.

In this world, you were nothing but a piece of shit without power. No one would acknowledge you, much less befriend you. Only by displaying sufficient strength and talent could you earn others’ respect and be granted more resources.

Tuo Yunhai came running over as well, hoping in his heart that Lin Xuan could climb yet another level, reaching an even greater height.

Finally, the light flickering on the Sixth Layer began to change, ascending toward the Seventh Layer! At that moment, they all knew Lin Xuan had successfully reached the Seventh Layer. But just as the light touched the Seventh Layer, it shot back out.

A figure materialized in mid-air and landed steadily on the ground. The sight left the crowd dumbfounded. ’Didn’t he make it to the Seventh Layer? Why is he suddenly back down?’

After landing, Lin Xuan slowly opened his eyes. A sharp glint flashed from his pupils, forcing everyone who met his gaze to lower their heads, not daring to look him in the eye.

Tuo Zhanhong was unaffected, but his heart was filled with shock. He sensed that Lin Xuan had changed dramatically, as if he’d been completely reborn. He could also feel a powerful, yet somehow familiar, aura emanating from him, though he couldn’t quite place the sensation.

"Brother Lin, you’re finally out!" Tuo Yunhai ran over, excitedly standing beside Lin Xuan and looking him up and down. "Brother Lin, you’ve gotten stronger!"

Lin Xuan reached out and ruffled his hair with a smile. "You too. You’ve become more of a man."

As someone with an Eighth-class Talent, Tuo Yunhai had advanced from the First Layer of the Body Refining Stage to the Peak of the Body Refining Stage in just half a year. With a little more Cultivation, he would be able to break through to the Spirit Refining Stage. Such speed was astonishing, simply monstrous.

Anything less would have been a waste of his talent. However, breakthroughs were always easier in the early stages of Cultivation and became progressively more difficult later on, so his performance was to be expected.

"Lin Xiaoyou, what happened? Didn’t you successfully reach the Seventh Layer?" Tuo Zhanhong asked, confused.

"Yes, I successfully reached the Seventh Layer, but I chose not to continue and came out instead. The Seventh Layer is not something I can challenge with my current abilities. I must train and hone my skills first." Lin Xuan had already made up his mind when he defeated the Young Martial God. He would absolutely not attempt the Seventh Layer.

It wasn’t just a matter of strength; more importantly, he was running out of time. If he didn’t head back soon, the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion and Qingcheng Mansion would surely start causing trouble.

Of course, if he had absolute power, he would certainly have continued climbing until he reached the very top of the Martial God Tower and obtained the Martial God’s inheritance.

He had only obtained a small part of it for now. Thinking of this, a confident smile touched Lin Xuan’s lips. He felt so full of power that he longed for a great battle to test how he measured up against others at the same stage.

He even felt that the disciples in the Core Hall didn’t seem so strong anymore. In the upcoming Core Hall competition, he might be able to take the crown. Even if he couldn’t, he was confident he could make it into the top ranks.

He had improved over the past six months, but so had everyone else. The Core Hall was full of monstrous talents, and he certainly wasn’t the only one to have had a fortuitous encounter. Others would have had them too; that was why the top-ranked disciples were so often away from the Core Hall.

Holing up in the Core Hall to cultivate would get you nowhere. Only by taking advantage of the right resources could one improve faster.

"That’s true. It’s very difficult to climb higher without immense strength. The fact that you passed the Sixth Layer is already proof of your astonishing potential." Tuo Zhanhong smiled. "As such, I formally invite you to become a Foreign Elder of our family. Are you willing?"

The moment he said this, the crowd erupted in an uproar. Allowing an outsider to enter the Martial God Tower was a first. Making an outsider an Elder was also a first! For both unprecedented events to revolve around the same person was nothing short of shocking.

They murmured amongst themselves, but no one disputed the Grand Elder’s decision. Lin Xuan’s potential was immense. No one in the entire Tu Family had ever reached the Seventh Layer, so no one dared to object to offering him the position of an Elder.

The Martial God Tower was the touchstone for genius; only a true genius could ascend to its highest levels. The two strongest experts on the island, who had both passed the Fifth Layer, were proof of this. Their Cultivation was extremely formidable, allowing them to firmly suppress the other families.

To refuse Lin Xuan the position of Foreign Elder, one would either have to be an idiot or completely disregard the bigger picture. Rejecting someone destined to become a supreme expert in the future—wouldn’t that be insane?

Besides, there was no conflict of interest. On the contrary, by tying him to their side, it was the Tu Family that stood to gain.

"Of course, we won’t force you to do anything. You’ll be able to enjoy most of the Tu Family’s resources! That includes this Martial God Tower—you can use it as you see fit." Tuo Zhanhong added. He believed that people with such potential should not be shackled, so he made the conditions as lenient as possible.

"Since the Grand Elder has put it that way, it would be disrespectful for this junior to refuse." Lin Xuan never turned down such benefits. Since there were no strings attached, what reason was there to say no?

Just as Tuo Zhanhong was about to say something more, a furious shout erupted from nearby. "There you are, you brat! We’ve been waiting for you for so long, and you’ve finally shown your face! Seize him!"

Just then, two Spirit Pill Stage experts and a number of Essence Pill Stage cultivators surrounded them. Judging by their attire, they were clearly from the Lan Family.

Lin Xuan knew his location had been exposed. With so many people on Gathering Spirit Island, there were bound to be some Tu Family members present. Of course, Divine Martial Island wasn’t inhabited solely by the Tu Family; anyone who had been to Gathering Spirit Island and witnessed the tournament would recognize him.

This was all within his expectations. It was only a matter of time before they came knocking. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have carved the entire block of Five-Colored Spirit Wood into a Phoenix—it was his escape plan.

"What do you think you’re doing!" Tuo Zhanhong stepped in front of Lin Xuan, his Core Formation Stage aura flaring and forcing back the approaching Lan Family members.

"Elder Tuo, this man is wanted by our Lan Family. We must apprehend him and take him back!" one of the Spirit Pill Stage experts declared.

Lin Xuan’s expression remained placid. He didn’t know what the Tu Family was thinking—whether they would stand with him or choose to hand him over.