Soul Emperor Awakening

"That’s right. Are you interested? I happen to know a shortcut to get there!" The young man smiled confidently, clearly having something to back up his words.

Lin Xuan narrowed his eyes, sizing him up. The man wasn’t old, maybe around thirty, and his cultivation wasn’t low either—he was at the sixth or seventh layer of the Essence Pill Stage. His talent could be considered quite good. While his smile held a hint of confidence, what stood out more was a sharp, vigorous aura. The only issue was that he looked rather shabby. His clothes were so simple they were practically just a piece of cloth draped over his body.

’This makes me doubt his words. His cultivation isn’t bad, so how badly must things have gone for him to end up in this state? He shouldn’t be this destitute even if he just did a few random quests. After all, with his cultivation level, completing simple tasks should be no trouble at all.’

’Of course I’m interested in this quest. A Secret Treasure from the Demon Fox Race is a big deal. Especially since they had ties to the Golden Dragon Race; who knows how many treasures they once possessed. But the place has already been plundered, so heaven knows if there’s anything left.’

’But it’s precisely because most people think like that, that many opportunities are missed. The main issue is still that the place is too dangerous, especially the journey to get there.’

"I’m definitely interested. What’s this shortcut of yours? Can you tell me about it?" Lin Xuan was very interested in treasures, as they were a great help in increasing his strength.

’Wasn’t the Martial God Tower a perfect example? The treasure of an entire race would surely be incredible. If I could actually get my hands on it, my strength would definitely skyrocket.’

"The Demon Fox Ruins, I’m sure you’ve heard of them, right? The journey is incredibly dangerous, but as it happens, I have a map for a safe route there. I also have a map of the ruins themselves, so we basically can’t get lost!" The young man dropped a bombshell, practically serving the opportunity up on a silver platter.

"You make it sound so appealing and straightforward. Why don’t you just go yourself?" Lin Xuan retorted. ’If the route is safe and he won’t get lost, he could just go alone. Why try to pull me in?’

’One more person means the treasure gets split one more way. No one would be happy about that; I know I wouldn’t be. Unless it was with a close relative, sharing would be a complete waste.’

"Well, you have a point, but nothing is ever absolute. If a powerful member of the Demon Race shows up, I won’t be able to handle it alone... You can see my equipment is terrible. If you could help me buy some Spiritual Artifacts, or just get me a new set of gear, things would be much better. Otherwise, why would I ask you to join, right?" The young man rubbed his hands together, desperately hoping Lin Xuan would agree to his request.

"Hey, Wei Song, you’re trying to scam people again! You’re always roping others into quests that turn out to be fake, and you specifically pick the really difficult ones. The info for those hard quests is always unreliable—who knows if it’s true or not, and the journey is so dangerous... Hey, young man, he’s only targeting you because he sees you have money and because he lost all his own good gear on the road. Don’t be fooled."

A passerby chuckled, exposing Wei Song’s past deeds. Wei Song’s face immediately flushed red, and he hurriedly yelled in rebuttal, "What the hell do you know? There’s no point in doing easy quests! If you’re going to do something, go big or go home! This is the Demon Fox Ruins we’re talking about! Who wants in?!"

"In your dreams! You’ve already screwed over several Spirit Pill Stage experts! If your dad, Uncle Wei, hadn’t taken all the blame for you, you would’ve been beaten to a pulp long ago, you damn Wei Kengdie!" The surrounding crowd jeered, as it was clear many of them had been scammed by him in the past.

The quests he proposed were difficult, with no guarantee of success. He would only provide a tidbit of information, something far too vague and unreliable. A quest of normal difficulty, like slaying a Red Python, was a much simpler affair; as long as you were patient, you were sure to find one.

As for some so-called Secret Treasure, even if it did exist, it would have been taken by others long ago. Making the trip would just be a fool’s errand.

"I... I have a map right here!" Wei Song, flustered and exasperated, pulled out a map and waved it around. "Look! This map is incredibly detailed! The routes are all marked clearly! How could this be fake?!"

"Pfft, isn’t that the damn map you bought from Old Liu for ten Primordial Stones? Countless people have followed it already and found nothing. It’s a complete waste of time!"

"See? Wei Kengdie is at it again. Young man, with your money, you’re better off going back to have some fun. You haven’t even spent time with that Fox Girl you bought, have you? If you actually go with him and never return, you’ll have bought her for nothing!"

"You dare go to the Demon Fox Ruins with a cultivation level that low? We’re not looking down on you, but if it weren’t for our respect for Uncle Wei, we wouldn’t even bother warning you, let alone have gone on those previous quests with you. Every single time you claim you’re sure about it, and every single time we come back with nothing, right?"

The crowd of onlookers quickly dispersed, paying Wei Song no more mind. He just stood there frozen, map in hand, his face beet-red. It was clear now that he really had been scammed. In his heart, he wanted to scream, ’I spent a hundred damn Primordial Stones on this thing!’

"Uh... I guess I won’t go, then. Just pretend I never said anything," Wei Song said with an awkward smile. He never imagined so many people would know about the map; he had genuinely thought he’d found a real treasure.

In truth, for an item that seemed so promising, who would find it and not investigate? It was obvious the area on the map had been searched exhaustively before it was put up for sale. Sellers weren’t fools; would they really sell off a truly good item? The only exception might be something they couldn’t accurately appraise.

The Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion was a perfect example. You could pick from a vast selection of weapons, and if you happened to choose a Spiritual Artifact, it all came down to your own luck.

"Wait a second, let me see that map!" Lin Xuan called out, his expression suddenly serious.

"Just take it. I don’t want it anymore... I got scammed anyway." Wei Song hadn’t actually been trying to deceive Lin Xuan; he had just wanted to find a sponsor. His own equipment was terrible, mostly because he had given it all away as compensation to the people he’d led on failed quests.

After dragging people on quests that came up empty, he would be too embarrassed and would give away his possessions as compensation. It was a bleak situation. His father, Wei Jun, was at his wit’s end with him. His son had some talent, but he was far too ambitious and unrealistic!

Lin Xuan, however, paid no mind to what the others thought. From the moment the map appeared, he had been staring at it intently. The point of interest wasn’t what was drawn on the paper itself, but the small wisp of a soul clinging to it!

He took the map and immediately absorbed the soul into his Soul Pearl. A flood of memories instantly rushed into his mind. There weren’t many, but they clearly depicted the situation inside the Demon Fox Ruins. ’Of course, this is only a small fragment. The most important thing is the origin of this soul... it’s a big deal. It’s the soul of a previous Fox King!’

’Because the soul fragment is so small, its effect would be negligible even if used for possession—weaker than even a soul from the Essence Pill Stage. It’s just like those souls from the books I absorbed at the Liu Family residence. Only a complete soul is truly powerful, and the same goes for this Fox King’s soul.’

"Do you still want to go to the Demon Fox Ruins? If you do, I’ll go with you!" A smile tugged at the corner of Lin Xuan’s mouth. ’This is turning out to be an excellent quest.’