Soul Emperor Awakening

As Lin Xuan continued forward, he entered a relatively open area. Ahead lay the final destination, but it was sealed tight by a Stone Gate, making it impossible to leave. Unless one’s Cultivation was overwhelmingly powerful, breaking through would be difficult. But even if it were broken, the act itself would be judged as a failure, resulting in disqualification...

This was the final battleground. In a sense, Lin Xuan had already half-won. If no one arrived within four hours, he would pass smoothly, qualifying for the finals without a fight.

The reason he had only half-won was that if someone arrived and defeated him, he would obviously lose. However, if someone arrived within the four-hour limit and he defeated them, all he had to do was take their bamboo slip. The Stone Gate would then open automatically, and the person holding two slips would be declared the winner.

All he had to do now was wait. He could either wait for an opponent to arrive for a battle or wait for the time to run out to pass. It was that simple.

This was a brief period for recovery, so Lin Xuan sat down in meditation to restore his Elemental Power. He hadn’t consumed too much of it, but it was always better to be at his Peak than even slightly depleted. ’Sometimes, that last little bit is the difference between winning and losing!’

’I wonder who my opponent will be?’ Lin Xuan thought as he meditated, awaiting his opponent’s arrival.

An unknown amount of time passed before a figure finally appeared from another cavern entrance. Lin Xuan opened his eyes. When he got a clear look at the person, he froze. The other person froze as well, for the two were no mere acquaintances; they were intimately familiar. The newcomer was none other than Lin Xue!

He never imagined he would run into Lin Xue, especially not in the first round! Given Lin Xue’s Cultivation, she was skilled enough to at least place in the top ten. But meeting him now meant she was destined for defeat.

Lin Xuan’s power completely overwhelmed Lin Xue’s. He had once been weaker than her, but now he had far surpassed her. He could still be the one to protect her, not the one hiding in a corner waiting for her rescue.

"Brother Lin?!" Lin Xue froze on the spot when she saw her opponent was Lin Xuan. She, too, had never expected to face him.

"I didn’t think we’d run into each other so soon." Lin Xuan stood up, a wry smile on his face. He had thought that even if they were to meet, it would be outside, not in here. He never expected the first round would force one of them to withdraw.

"Still, maybe this is for the best. Just surrender. Let’s end this fight," Lin Xuan said, exhaling. It was the only way. He couldn’t possibly be the one to surrender; he had to win first place and have his duel with Tong Yulong.

"Brother Lin, that’s an insult!" Lin Xue drew her longsword. A faint, cold mist drifted from the pale blue blade as a frigid aura radiated from her body, causing the temperature in the area to plummet. The power of the Fourth Layer of the Essence Pill Stage burst forth—she was clearly serious!

Without another word, she thrust her sword forward. A wave of chilling energy rolled off the blade, and Lin Xuan quickly dodged aside. Even so, frost still grazed his clothes, sending a bone-deep cold into his body that made him shiver. This was the power of the Ice Yin Body!

"You’re really going to fight me!" Lin Xuan stared, stunned, at Lin Xue’s frosty expression. She had shown no mercy with that last strike. ’If I hadn’t moved, that would have run me straight through.’

"Let’s fight! Facing you in this round is exactly what I wanted!" Lin Xue said icily. "If you don’t counterattack, I’m taking the win!"

Lin Xuan gazed at her for a moment before tightening his grip on the Chi Dragon Heavens Rod. "Fine," he said in a deep voice. "Let’s fight."

He didn’t make the first move, but Lin Xue did. Her Ice Yin Body worked in perfect harmony with the Ice Attribute of the sword in her hand. As the two powers merged, the space was instantly filled with a blizzard of falling snow. This was her Domain: the Ice and Snow Domain!

This was an ability that only cultivators at the Spirit Pill Stage Level should possess, yet Lin Xue had already mastered it at such a young age. It was a testament to her outstanding talent and proof that she had received the true teachings of Qing Piaoxue.

"Floating Snow Sword Technique!"

Ice-flower patterns flickered within Lin Xue’s beautiful eyes. The translucent, pale blue sword in her hand suddenly vanished—or rather, it had merged with the surrounding snowflakes, becoming one with her Domain!

In an instant, a mass of frigid ice coalesced in her hand, forming a vortex of countless ice flowers. With a gentle push, she sent it surging toward Lin Xuan. The vortex continuously absorbed the surrounding snowflakes, growing larger and larger. In the less-than-spacious arena, there was simply nowhere to run!

While one couldn’t say Lin Xue had used her full power, she had unleashed at least half of her strength. She truly wanted to fight Lin Xuan for real, not just go through the motions.

There was no need to put on an act here; no one was watching. Even in the public arena, surrendering immediately wouldn’t attract any gossip. For example, if a disciple from the Genius Sect were to face Tong Yulong, it was a guaranteed loss. No one would look down on them for surrendering. When the gap in power was that vast, conceding was understandable.

Through the swirling blizzard, Lin Xuan could see the determination in Lin Xue’s eyes. She truly wanted to win!

"Staff Martial Intent!"

Lin Xuan slammed the butt of his Chi Dragon Heavens Rod onto the ground. Martial Intent immediately surged from his body, enveloping him in a thick layer of power. He didn’t attack but simply stood his ground as if stunned.

Seeing Lin Xuan make no move to counter, a flicker of shock crossed Lin Xue’s eyes. But it was too late to pull back her attack. The vortex of ice flowers surged forward and completely engulfed him.

CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!

Suddenly, the snowflakes swirling toward Lin Xuan began to explode into fine powder. Any that drew near were instantly shattered! A moment later, every last snowflake in the vortex had been destroyed without causing him the slightest harm. His Staff Martial Intent had completely nullified the attack, its tyrannical Defense Power on full display.

However, this also consumed a great deal of his Spiritual Power. Maintaining such a defense was incredibly taxing.

The moment he shattered the last of the snowflakes, Lin Xuan flashed in front of Lin Xue. He raised the Chi Dragon Heavens Rod, pointed it at her, and said calmly, "You’ve lost..."

If this strike had landed, Lin Xue would have been defeated for certain. But he would never do that. He would rather turn the staff on himself than on her.

"It seems I still don’t have the power to protect you..."

Lin Xue stared blankly at Lin Xuan, then suddenly covered her face, sank to the ground, and began to cry.

Lin Xuan lowered his staff and gently pulled her into an embrace. "Why put yourself through this?" he said softly. "You don’t have to prove anything. Just focus on being the best you can be."

Lin Xue had been so determined to fight him, so desperate to defeat him, for one reason: to prove that she wasn’t just a fragile doll. She wanted to prove that she could protect Lin Xuan, too, and keep him from harm!

The pain of her childhood was still her pain today.