Soul Emperor Awakening

He had only just obtained the Communication Jade, but he had already been forced to use it. It was, without a doubt, a timely, life-saving Jade. The only question was how long it would take for them to arrive.

This change made Xu Qianlong’s expression shift. He hadn’t expected Lin Xuan to be so Heaven-Defying. The power of his attack far exceeded his expectations, directly shattering the Communication Shield.

At the same time, he sensed that the aura erupting from Lin Xuan had actually surpassed his own. ’What in the world does that even mean!’

Two top-tier Core Formation Stage souls—the Martial God’s Spirit and the Demon Evil Monarch’s soul—merged, pushing his body to its absolute limit. The power was naturally extraordinary. In that brief moment, his strength seemed to reach the level of a Half-step Spirit Pill Stage expert.

He paid a steep price for this. More than half of his Elemental Power was drained, and his Spiritual Power was also depleted by over half. This meant he could use such a terrifying move once or twice at most. Twice was his absolute limit.

At the same time, the damage to his body was not insignificant. Blood seeped through the surface of his skin; a single move had ruptured his blood vessels.

Lin Xuan couldn’t just stand by and watch Liu Yue’er be taken. He would rather be captured himself than let anything happen to her.

"You’re courting death! It seems I can’t afford to delay any longer. Before they arrive, I will finish you off now!" Xu Qianlong roared, his fury reaching an unprecedented level. He never thought he’d be toyed with by a junior, and to top it off, his Communication Shield had been destroyed.

A terrifying power descended upon them. This time, there was no hint of gentleness. He intended to knock them both unconscious in one go and deal with the rest later. ’My priority now is to escape. If I’m discovered, it will cause a massive uproar between Qingcheng Mansion and the Royal Family—an absolute nightmare!’

Facing this terrifying power, Lin Xuan felt utterly insignificant. Even by channeling two top-tier souls, or even all of his souls, he had no power to resist.

This was an absolute gap in power, one that the Soul Pearl could not bridge. Only an increase in his Cultivation could possibly change that. The message had been sent, but that didn’t mean help would arrive instantly. It would still take time.

’In the end, has anything really changed?’

"Xu Qianlong, cease your impudence!" A thunderous shout came from the side as a terrifying power intercepted his attack. It firmly blocked Xu Qianlong’s assault and even repelled it back at him.

Xu Qianlong’s expression changed. With a fierce wave of his hand, he dispersed the deflected power. A violent shockwave surged into the sky, kicking up a great gale that uprooted massive trees all around!

Qing Deyun now stood protectively in front of Lin Xuan and Liu Yue’er. His face was ashen as he stared at Xu Qianlong and said coldly, "Xu Qianlong, I never thought you would do something like this. Thankfully, I had a trick up my sleeve. I knew something was wrong when I couldn’t sense anything. Fortunately, I rushed over as fast as I could, or you would have actually succeeded!"

The two Core Formation Stage experts faced each other, their Cultivation levels nearly equal. Xu Qianlong was originally stronger than Qing Deyun, but his Cultivation had declined due to his advanced age, making them about even. With Qing Deyun’s arrival, Lin Xuan finally breathed a sigh of relief. Since their Cultivation was similar, it would be nearly impossible for Xu Qianlong to capture them.

"I am merely taking back what is owed! If not for me, do you think the Lin Family’s enemies wouldn’t have found their way here? Now is the time to repay me!" Xu Qianlong sneered, feeling no shame for his actions.

"Bah! How dare you say that so brazenly! Do you think the Lin Family couldn’t have relocated? Besides, how is what you’re doing any different from them? This is a complete loss of humanity! Cultivating such a Demon Technique will surely lead to no good end. You will eventually walk the path to your own destruction!"

Qing Deyun was also aware of this matter. In truth, many experts knew about it, as it was a significant affair. It was somewhat hidden, but not so well-kept that a number of people didn’t know.

"’Walk the path to my own destruction,’ you say? If I don’t do this, I will face my doom immediately!" Xu Qianlong sneered. "Qing Deyun, you’re also approaching the end of your lifespan. Why don’t we join forces? Perhaps we might find a chance to break through!"

Lin Xuan’s heart sank. ’If Qing Deyun agrees, I’ll have no chance of escape.’

"Get lost! I would never stoop to your level. Recklessly absorbing power will only hasten your own demise, not make you stronger. Do you really think you can succeed? That’s nothing but a pipe dream!" Qing Deyun rejected him without hesitation, his sharp gaze fixed on Xu Qianlong. "Get out of my sight, and never even think about touching him again!"

"Never touch him? If I were to spread the news about him, do you think your puny Qingcheng Mansion could protect him? What a joke! By then, your Qingcheng Mansion might even be annihilated because of him!" Xu Qianlong sneered, showing no sign of backing down.

Qing Deyun’s expression turned grim. He knew what kind of behemoth he would be provoking.

Lin Xuan’s expression was just as grim. Possessing Lin Hua’s memories, he knew exactly what kind of family they were up against. Compared to them, Qingcheng Mansion was truly nothing more than an ant that could be crushed at will.

Just then, Cyan Cloud Peak was the first to arrive as reinforcement. Seeing Xu Qianlong, his expression changed. "Mansion Master, what’s going on?" he asked, floating to Qing Deyun’s side with a grave look.

When Lin Xuan saw Cyan Cloud Peak, his own expression soured. ’If Qing Deyun tells Cyan Cloud Peak to take me away, I’ll definitely refuse. Heaven knows what he might do to me.’ However, he figured that with Qing Deyun watching, there probably wouldn’t be any problems.

"This Xu Qianlong wants to capture Lin Yunlong, he wants to—" Suddenly, Qing Deyun felt a chill run down his spine. He instinctively dodged to the side, but he was too slow. A longsword pierced through his abdomen.

The attacker was none other than Cyan Cloud Peak. Standing right beside him, he had struck without a shred of hesitation. Lin Xuan saw it all happen, but it was too late for him to shout a warning.

Not even Lin Xuan had expected this. Cyan Cloud Peak had attacked his own Mansion Master!

"Bastard!" Qing Deyun furiously struck out with his palm. Cyan Cloud Peak immediately raised a hand to block. With a BANG, he was sent flying, crashing through several large trees and coughing up blood.

With just a wave of his hand, Cyan Cloud Peak, an expert at the Peak of the Spirit Pill Stage, suffered internal injuries. Such was the gap in their Cultivation!

"To think that you’re a traitor, too. I really never saw this coming!" Blood trickled from the corner of Qing Deyun’s mouth. He quickly pulled the longsword from his abdomen and circulated his energy to stop the bleeding.

"This is called being a wise man who adapts to the situation. He knows he can’t break through on his own and also wants to absorb the Bloodline Power... to take your place as Mansion Master. Now that is a truly wise man!" Xu Qianlong laughed heartily, a vicious glint in his eyes. ’An injured Qing Deyun is a level weaker. This is my chance to win!’

Lin Xuan could feel the crisis drawing closer and closer. With his current Cultivation, he was completely powerless to influence the outcome.