Soul Emperor Awakening

Three men closed in, their eyes filled with greed. They had been following Lin Xuan ever since he came out.

As the saying goes, wealth should not be flaunted. Lin Xuan’s Cultivation was relatively low, and he wasn’t traveling in a large group, so he was immediately targeted. Robbery was much faster than slowly earning Primordial Stones through missions—a single score was the quickest path to a fortune.

To think that even in such dire straits, people still harbored such intentions. They were worse than beasts. In an emergency, even the Demon Race would rely on each other.

And yet here, in such a dangerous place, humans were the ones entertaining such selfish, self-serving ideas.

"What does you being broke have to do with me?" Lin Xuan stood up, sizing up the three men before him. Their Cultivation was around the Fifth or Sixth Layer of the Essence Pill Stage.

Their Cultivation wasn’t high; they were mid-tier cultivators who were most in need of resources. Lacking the strength for anything more, they could only prey on lone travelers like Lin Xuan.

"Of course it has to do with you. Aren’t we all supposed to stick together? The more dangerous the place, the more we need unity. So, whatever you don’t need, can’t you share a little with us?" The leader, Pan Cheng, said, rubbing his palms together with a vicious grin.

"Share? And how much would I need to give you?" Lin Xuan asked coolly.

"Hehe, not much. There are three of us, so our expenses are quite high. Just a portion will be fine. How about you let us take a look at your Storage Ring?" Pan Cheng said with a smirk.

Lin Xuan’s expression darkened. ’They really are unbelievably greedy. If I actually gave them the Storage Ring, I’d never get it back. At best, they might give me a pittance in return.’

Just then, one of the three men tried to circle around behind Lin Xuan, but was immediately blocked.

"Where do you think you’re going?" Lin Xuan asked, his cold gaze fixed on the man who had tried to get past him.

"I’m just going for a stroll over there. Got a problem with that?" the man shot back, glaring at Lin Xuan.

"You’re trying to chase after the Fox Girls, aren’t you?" Lin Xuan snorted. He had seen through their intentions long ago.

"Brother, you might not be interested, but we are. Letting them go would be a waste. Or are you in league with the Demon Fox Race? If word of this gets out, it’ll be a serious problem!" Pan Cheng’s smile vanished, replaced by a grim expression.

Lin Xuan sneered inwardly. ’So, they’re finally showing their true colors. Threatening me by accusing me of colluding with the Demon Fox Race... Truly insidious.’

The rules in Unity City forbade any and all relations with the Demon Race. Friendships, in particular, were absolutely prohibited.

After all, there was no telling if someone might ally with the Demon Race and help them invade from within, which would be catastrophic.

"You’re meddling in this, too? How kind of you! But you are not getting past me. If there’s nothing else, I suggest you go back. It’s not safe here," Lin Xuan sneered. He wasn’t afraid of their threats. ’So what if I can’t enter the city? It’s no big deal.’

"Block us? You think you have what it takes? Kid, I advise you to do this the easy way instead of the hard way. As long as you’re in Unity City, you’ll listen to us!" Pan Cheng threatened.

As soon as he finished speaking, the man beside him immediately tried to get around Lin Xuan and give chase. If they didn’t go now, the two Fox Girls would be long gone.

SWOOSH!

The Chi Dragon Heavens Rod shot out sideways, blocking the man who was trying to get past.

"This path is closed. Find another way," Lin Xuan said gravely.

"Screw off!" the man roared. Done with words, he threw a heavy palm strike at Lin Xuan. The attack was utterly merciless, clearly intended to cripple him in a single blow.

A severe injury was tantamount to a death sentence out here; one could easily imagine the consequences of being abandoned in this forest. Even if the blow didn’t kill him, he would just be left to die.

A red glint flashed in Lin Xuan’s eyes. The Cloud Return Technique circulated within him as his Bloodline Power erupted. He struck back, his own palm moving even faster than his opponent’s.

CRACK!

The powerful strike sent the man flying like a sandbag, and he slammed hard against a tree trunk. His body was practically plastered to the bark, a deep indentation caved into his torso from abdomen to chest. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth; he was clearly not going to survive.

It was a fatal blow. Lin Xuan never held back. Anyone who posed a threat to him, no matter who they were, would die!

"You... you dare to kill my brother? I’ll kill you!" the second man roared, pulling out a Mountain-Cracking Saber and chopping down viciously toward Lin Xuan.

He unleashed his full power. In terms of both aura and speed, he was certainly not weak among those at his level of Cultivation; being forged in this brutal environment made a difference.

Unfortunately for him, he had run into Lin Xuan, so it was all for naught.

"Staff Martial Intent!"

Lin Xuan snorted, swinging his Chi Dragon Heavens Rod to meet the blow. Staff Martial Intent manifested around him, instantly extending his attack range.

At the same time, Pan Cheng decisively slashed in from the side, his speed also pushed to its absolute limit.

Their coordination was nearly perfect. They had likely fought together many times before. No wonder they’d managed to survive in this brutal environment, but it also begged the question of how many of their own people they had harmed to do so.

The number was surely high. For that reason alone, Lin Xuan would show no mercy!

"Die!" Lin Xuan ignored Pan Cheng’s attack, thrusting his staff directly at the incoming saber.

A pinpoint of red light flickered, and combined with the terrifying Staff Martial Intent, its power surged. To the naked eye, it looked like two red glints flashing at once!

BANG! BANG!

It was as if he’d struck twice at once. The first impact of Lin Xuan’s attack hit the Mountain-Cracking Saber, sending it flying with a new chip in its blade, while the second, a manifestation of Staff Martial Intent, pierced the man’s chest.

Two instances of damage from a single attack. Who could possibly stand against that?!

"Aargh!"

The man cried out as he was sent flying, crashing into another tree trunk and coughing up blood, grievously injured.

Pan Cheng was terrified by the sight, but the saber in his hand didn’t slow in the slightest. Gritting his teeth, he continued his downward chop. Yet when his blade struck Lin Xuan, it rang out with a sharp DING! as if hitting a block of iron. It couldn’t penetrate even half an inch.

The situation left Pan Cheng stunned. He hadn’t expected his attack to fail. He’d thought he would slice Lin Xuan in half at the waist to avenge his brothers. But not only did his blade fail to cut, a terrifying rebound force traveled up the saber. Before he could even react, the shockwave sent him flying backward.

THUD!

He slammed into a tree trunk. Though not grievously injured, he had still taken considerable damage. Lin Xuan hadn’t even attacked him, and yet he’d been thrown back by the rebound force alone. His mind reeled in shock; he had never imagined such an outcome.

"What’s wrong? Can’t cut through?" Lin Xuan turned to face him, a cold light glinting in his eyes as he slowly walked toward Pan Cheng, a cruel smirk playing on his lips.

In Pan Cheng’s eyes, this was a Demon walking toward him. His body trembled uncontrollably. This time, he had really messed with the wrong person.

His Cultivation was so much lower, yet he had not only turned the tables but utterly crushed them. This wasn’t a human; he was definitely a member of the Demon Race in human skin!