Soul Emperor Awakening

Lin Xuan rode the Phoenix straight to the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion to announce his return. He knew that after disappearing for so long, Zi Yi would definitely be looking for him. If he didn’t show up soon, it would surely affect her standing, which was not something he wanted to see happen.

From beginning to end, he had never blamed Zi Yi in the slightest. Encountering Li Wei and those Pirates had simply been unexpected. He knew it was impossible to hunt for treasure without running into danger. Besides, it had been his own choice, and he would never blame anyone for it.

The only exception would be if someone made a foolish decision—that would be unforgivable. The personnel Zi Yi had arranged were more than sufficient. With a powerhouse at the Peak of Essence Pill Stage for protection, there should have been no problems under normal circumstances. Who knew the enemy would have two Essence Pill Stage experts? That was something they hadn’t anticipated.

Soon, he arrived at the city where the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion was located. As before, he landed the Phoenix early and walked the rest of the way to the pavilion. Standing before the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion again filled him with a great deal of emotion. He never thought half a year would pass in the blink of an eye, but there was nothing to be done about it. To pass the Sixth Layer, he had to stay for half a year.

If he had missed it, the reward would have been greatly reduced. Besides, the opportunity only came once, an outcome he couldn’t accept.

When he stepped inside, a new batch of people was there. He didn’t recognize most of them, but a few familiar faces remained. When they saw Lin Xuan, they were all a bit stunned.

Just then, Qing Piaoxue’s familiar voice drifted down from upstairs. "Nonsense! I know you’re concerned about that boy, but the Demon Cloud Sea is too dangerous. You can’t go!"

"Master, Brother Lin hasn’t been back for half a year! I can’t just not go look for him. I just can’t do it!" Lin Xue’s voice retorted.

"No matter what, I will not let you go to the Demon Cloud Sea. I’ll lock you in seclusion before I let you leave!" Qing Piaoxue said coldly.

"Then I would rather leave Qingcheng Mansion!" Lin Xue’s determined voice replied.

"You insolent brat!" Qing Piaoxue’s voice had barely faded when the sound of a sharp slap followed. "Do you have any idea what nonsense you’re spouting?!"

Downstairs, Lin Xuan immediately understood that Lin Xue had wanted to come find him. She had even fallen out with her master and threatened to leave Qingcheng Mansion over it, which moved him deeply. However, he agreed with Qing Piaoxue. The Demon Cloud Sea was extremely dangerous. It would be one thing if she could fly, but without that ability, going there was practically a death sentence.

He immediately flew upstairs. The first thing he saw was Lin Xue’s haggard face, a red Palm Seal swelling on her cheek, clearly from Qing Piaoxue’s hand. Zi Yi was standing beside her, looking just as worn-out. Only Qing Piaoxue wore a frosty expression; as long as it wasn’t her own disciple, she couldn’t care less who lived or died.

His appearance instantly stunned the two women—in fact, it stunned everyone. Lin Xuan, who had been missing for half a year, had suddenly appeared right before their eyes. How could they not be stunned?

"Um, I’m back, aren’t I? Why would you still go to the Demon Cloud Sea?" Lin Xuan wasn’t sure what to say. He felt a great deal of responsibility for the long delay, but it wasn’t something he could have controlled. He had to escort Tuo Yunhai back home; after all, Tuo Yunhai had saved his life.

Who could have expected to run into the Martial God Tower? Plans could never keep up with changes.

"Brother Lin!" Lin Xue’s eyes reddened, and without a second thought, she threw herself at him, completely ignoring that her master was standing right there. Beside them, even the powerful Zi Yi couldn’t stop her own eyes from turning red as she bit her lip, her gaze filled with resentment.

For half a year, they had agonized over Lin Xuan’s situation. And now, he had suddenly appeared. The heavy weight in their hearts was instantly lifted, but what followed was an even greater sense of being wronged.

’If you were fine, why didn’t you come back sooner? You made us worry sick, and what’s more, you caused the relationship between Qingcheng Mansion and the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion to become incredibly strained.’

"Quick, go inform the Elders of Qingcheng Mansion that Lin Yunlong is back!" Zi Yi immediately commanded a nearby guard, finally letting out a true sigh of relief in her heart.

"Oh, so you really do have a long lifeline, boy. Not only did you survive after disappearing in the Demon Cloud Sea, but your Cultivation has greatly improved since your return. It seems even the Demon Cloud Sea couldn’t hold you down," Qing Piaoxue commented sarcastically from the side, though she had no intention of stopping them.

"Third Elder, I owe it all to your good fortune. It’s thanks to you that this disciple was lucky enough to escape the Demon Cloud Sea," Lin Xuan said, patting Lin Xue’s back while offering a few flattering words to Qing Piaoxue.

"Hmph!" Qing Piaoxue snorted. "My luck isn’t great enough to affect you. Since you’re fine, head back to Qingcheng Mansion later. The Fifth Elder has been in seclusion and refuses to come out. If you don’t go, no one will be able to get him out!"

With that said, she spoke no more and flew away. In any case, with Lin Xuan’s return, Lin Xue would certainly stop fussing about going to the Demon Cloud Sea. That meant she no longer needed to concern herself with Lin Xue’s actions. Internally, however, she was quite shaken. The Demon Cloud Sea was incredibly dangerous. To survive an encounter with Pirates and even greatly improve his Cultivation... that level of fortune was enough to shock even her.

"Alright, it’s okay now. I’m back, aren’t I? So many people are watching. What are you crying for? You’re still the same as before, no improvement at all." Lin Xuan’s heart ached as he looked at Lin Xue’s tear-streaked face. Back when he had shielded her from the snake venom, she had cried every day afterward, bursting into tears at the drop of a hat. He had to comfort her countless times.

He had wanted to wipe away her tears, but he himself couldn’t see. One could only imagine how he must have felt.

"So what if I haven’t improved? It’s your fault for not coming back!" Lin Xue wiped away her tears and composed herself a little. She knew it wasn’t good to make a scene in public, but she had let out her feelings and knew it was time to stop for now.

"It was an accident this time. It won’t happen again," Lin Xuan said with a smile, reaching out to wipe away her tears. Only then did she break into a radiant smile, as beautiful as a begonia flower.

"Young Master Lin, I..." Zi Yi had just stepped forward when Lin Xuan held up a hand, signaling for her to stop.

"You don’t need to say anything. Nothing has changed between us. If I hadn’t done what I did back then, none of us would have escaped. Besides, if you’re going to blame someone, blame the Pirates. Why would I blame you?" Lin Xuan said with a smile.

"Thank you, Young Master Lin, for forgiving me..." Tears of guilt still streamed down Zi Yi’s face, leaving Lin Xuan at a bit of a loss. He wanted to step forward and wipe them away, but their relationship wasn’t quite right for that, and besides, Lin Xue was standing right there!

"Let’s leave it at that for now. I’m going to take Lin Xue back first. The situation with the Master needs to be stabilized." Lin Xuan wanted to go back and see Qing Piaoyun. He was worried Qing Piaoyun was taking things too hard, especially after hearing from Qing Piaoxue that Qing Piaoyun had gone into seclusion and refused to come out, no matter who went to see him.

It was obvious that only he could personally go and persuade him to come out. He hadn’t expected so many things to happen during his half-year absence, but thankfully, everything was still under control.

Most importantly, he was relieved that Qing Piaoyun hadn’t gone to the Demon Cloud Sea to find him. The Demon Cloud Sea was so dangerous that even if he himself had returned, Qing Piaoyun might not have. Then they would be searching for each other, and it would be unclear who was looking for whom.