Soul Emperor Awakening

"Master!" Lin Xuan’s eyes were bloodshot. Gazing at the man’s imposing back, he said through gritted teeth, "I won’t go!"

"If you don’t go, then don’t call me your master! You’ve figured it all out. If you don’t escape now, it’ll be too late. This is the last thing I can do for you. As for Lin Xue, don’t worry. Everything has been arranged!" Qing Piaoyun said, his back still turned to him.

Lin Xuan gritted his teeth. In the end, he pulled Liu Yue’Er close, took the Phoenix from his robes, and tossed it into the air, flying with her at top speed toward the Bone Dragon Ruins.

’The moment Xu Qianlong gets out, he’ll surely catch me. As long as I’m still in the Soaring Dragon Empire, I’m bound to be found. My only choice is to use that Teleportation Array to get to the Demon Race Continent!’

’If I don’t run now, there really is no time. All their sacrifices would be for nothing.’

"The next time I return will be your day to die!" Lin Xuan roared, his voice, filled with indignation and rage, thundering through the sky.

He had fled many times before, but this was the most bitter and infuriating escape of all.

His eyes were red-rimmed, and tears streamed down his face against his will. He hated his own powerlessness, hated having to rely on others for everything! But he was still young. He believed that if he relied on himself and broke through to a higher level of Cultivation, he would one day return for his revenge.

He didn’t know what would have become of Qing Piaoyun and the others by the time he returned, but for now, he could only flee. He had wanted to find Lin Xue, but it was clear now that his allies had seen the situation unfold from a distance and immediately alerted the others.

Still, his heart was filled with gnawing worry. He never imagined that this was all part of someone else’s plan. His hidden identity had been discovered long ago.

They had just been waiting for him to mature, for his Cultivation to reach a certain level, and then it would be time for the slaughter.

But even if his Cultivation hadn’t reached that level, once Xu Qianlong neared his lifespan’s end, he would have stopped at nothing to capture him and absorb his Essence Blood.

A dying man is capable of anything.

The Phoenix’s flight speed wasn’t particularly fast. Since it had been carved from a Primordial Stone, its performance was inferior to the previous one made from the Five-Colored Spirit Wood.

But under the circumstances, just being able to fly was a blessing. It was far better than running on foot, which would have been much too slow.

"Don’t be sad," Liu Yue’Er said, hugging Lin Xuan tightly. "Once my Cultivation improves, I’ll help you get your revenge!" She understood his pain—she had remembered everything now.

Lin Xuan didn’t speak. His gaze was fixed straight ahead, fury flashing in his eyes.

Meanwhile, the situation on Qing Piaoyun’s side had become grim. With a furious roar, Xu Qianlong blasted Qing Deyun away. Qing Deyun coughed up a mouthful of blood as he crashed to the ground, severely wounded.

Qing Piaoyun and Qing Yunfeng were locked in a fierce, evenly matched battle. Qing Piaoyun was desperate to kill Qing Yunfeng and avenge Qing Liuyun, but Qing Yunfeng was a formidable opponent, and they were caught in a stalemate.

"Get out of my way!" Xu Qianlong snarled. He rushed over, and with a single wave of his hand, sent Qing Piaoyun flying.

How could Qing Piaoyun possibly withstand such an attack? The force of the blow sent him reeling. He crashed to the ground, vomiting blood, and was instantly incapacitated with severe injuries.

"They’re yours. Kill them. I’m going after that brat!" Xu Qianlong snorted. He unfurled his Elemental Power Wings, pushed his speed to its absolute limit, and shot off frantically in the direction Lin Xuan had fled.

Forcing Qing Yunfeng to personally kill his own Mansion Master and a fellow Elder was also a way for Xu Qianlong to test his loyalty once more.

The most critical factor, however, was his need to pursue Lin Xuan. Since both men were severely wounded, leaving them to Qing Yunfeng was more than sufficient.

Qing Yunfeng immediately drifted toward Qing Piaoyun. Looking down at the man collapsed on the ground, he sneered, "So, you’ve finally fallen into my hands. Not only did your disciple die by my hand, but now you will too. Allow me to send you both to Hell!"

Qing Piaoyun grunted, trying to struggle back to his feet to continue the fight, but it was pointless. Xu Qianlong’s single blow had not only severely injured him but had also sealed his Cultivation.

"Even if it costs me my life... COUGH, COUGH, COUGH." He coughed violently, but try as he might, he couldn’t move.

"’Cost you your life?’ You still think you can get revenge in this condition? You’re dreaming!" Qing Yunfeng sneered, a ball of red Elemental Power gathering in his palm. "Now, let me send you to Hell!"

Qing Piaoyun glared at Qing Yunfeng. At this moment, he was completely powerless, able only to watch helplessly as the man moved in for the kill.

In the nick of time, a blast of frigid air swept by, and a terrifyingly sharp icicle shot forward, aiming to run Qing Yunfeng through!

"Shatter!" Qing Yunfeng roared, thrusting the red Elemental Power from his palm forward. The two forces collided with a thunderous BOOM, and the massive icicle was completely dissolved by the crimson energy.

Had that attack struck Qing Piaoyun, he would have been killed beyond a shadow of a doubt.

When the energy from the attack dissipated, Qing Yunfeng saw that the spot before him was empty. Qing Piaoyun was gone. All that remained was the crater his body had made, but he was no longer lying in it.

"Qing Piaoxue!!" Qing Yunfeng roared. His power flared as he charged forward, trying to find where they had gone.

Qing Piaoxue had already moved to a hidden corner, supporting the unconscious and severely wounded forms of Qing Deyun and Qing Piaoyun. Her expression was as cold as ice.

She had just ensured her own disciple was safe before rushing back to help. She had arrived in the nick of time, preventing the situation from turning critical.

"To think... he was the one who killed Qing Liuyun... I should have realized. I should have known..." Tears streamed down Qing Piaoyun’s face. The whole situation was utterly pathetic.

"Big Brother, you were just unwilling to believe it," Qing Piaoxue said, her expression still cold. "I’ve suspected him for a long time, but I never had any proof." Her words contained a startling revelation: Qing Piaoyun was her older brother.

Qing Piaoyun was truly her biological older brother, related by blood. Qing Piaoxue had long harbored her suspicions, but as she said, she had no proof. To casually accuse a fellow Elder was an extremely serious matter; failing to produce evidence would only invite ridicule from outsiders.

Now, there was no need for proof; Qing Yunfeng had exposed and admitted to everything himself. But it was useless now. They could never return to Qingcheng Mansion. The mansion was surely under the traitors’ control, and if they were to return rashly, only death would await them.

After all, Xu Qianlong was unharmed, while their Mansion Master was severely wounded and had lost all fighting ability. He wouldn’t be able to recover without a long period of rest. In the meantime, all they could do was hide.

"I will kill him with my own hands... to avenge Liuyun!" Qing Piaoyun growled. His eyes shot wide for a moment, and then he passed out.

Qing Piaoxue sighed. Supporting the two men, she quickly fled, not daring to once look back.