Soul Emperor Awakening

Under Lin Xuan’s lead, they charged toward the right place. Before them was a heavy door, no different from any other, but thanks to his memories, he knew it was the correct one.

The moment he rushed over, he slapped the wall hard. A section of the wall sank inward, and the great door rumbled as it began to rise.

Wei Song was completely stunned. If you didn’t look closely at the wall, you’d never see that it was a switch. ’Lin Xuan is just too familiar with this place,’ he thought. ’If he didn’t look human, I’d really think he was a Demon Fox—and one who manages this Secret Treasure, at that!’

After all, how could he not be shocked? Lin Xuan had found the correct switch without a moment’s hesitation.

"Inside!"

The moment the door opened a crack, Lin Xuan took the lead and charged through. Wei Song didn’t hesitate, darting inside right after him. As soon as they were in, Lin Xuan slammed his hand against the wall beside the door. A brick sank inward, and the door began to close.

Just then, Lin Xuan saw the figures of the Liao Brothers appear in his line of sight, speeding toward them. They had clearly tracked their direction. The brothers hadn’t bothered with the other rooms, choosing to pursue Lin Xuan directly. With their years of experience, they knew to chase the person who knew the way—after all, only that person would know where the real treasure was!

But they were a step too slow. The heavy door slammed shut with a THUD. A loud BOOM resounded from the other side, a clear sign that the Liao Brothers had struck it. Yet, the door didn’t even tremble, showing no signs of damage. If it could be destroyed so easily, this place would have been breached long ago.

"Damn it, they’re inside!" Zhang Bin and his men were the last to catch up. Seeing the sealed door, he cursed in fury, "That little bastard! He must have learned about this place from somewhere. This room has to be where the Secret Treasure is. He could have run anywhere, but no, he had to come all the way here!"

It wasn’t just Zhang Bin whose expression was dark; the Liao Brothers looked even fouler. To think they’d been played by a mere boy at the Third Layer of the Essence Pill Stage! They had worked so hard to obtain the map, only for someone else to reap the rewards.

"Brother, what do we do now?" Liao Sheng asked, his face grim. The two of them had roamed unchallenged for so many years, yet now they had been made fools of. How could they possibly be in a good mood?

"We wait," Liao Yuan snorted. "According to the map, this is a dead end. There’s no other way out. If we wait outside, they’ll have to emerge sooner or later! When they do, we’ll tear them to pieces. How dare they trick us! But for now... let’s check the other areas and see what we can find." Liao Yuan’s expression was equally grim. He shot the door one last venomous glare before turning to leave.

"Well, well. I never thought I’d see the day the Liao Brothers suffer a setback. Looks like this trip wasn’t a total waste for us after all," Zhang Bin sneered, inwardly gloating at their misfortune.

"You’re in no position to talk. Weren’t you fooled all the same? It’s the pot calling the kettle black!" Liao Yuan snorted.

"It doesn’t matter to us. What matters is that someone managed to get the better of the Liao Brothers. That’s unprecedented. Tsk, tsk. When word of this gets out, it’ll be cause for a public celebration," Zhang Bin taunted mercilessly.

The Liao Brothers’ infamy was widespread, so the news that Lin Xuan had gotten the better of them would surely bring joy to many.

"It seems you’ve grown tired of living!" A claw-like weapon materialized in Liao Yuan’s hand, a bone-chilling aura emanating from its sharp points. He was ready to fight.

"What? You got a problem? Let’s settle it right here," Zhang Bin shot back, showing no weakness. The Liao Brothers were strong, but so were they. There was no reason to be afraid.

"I’d be more than happy to oblige, but not right now!" Liao Yuan shot them a venomous glare, then turned and sped away with his brother. They rushed into the other rooms to plunder whatever treasures they could find; waiting here was not an option.

"We’ll search too. Stick together!" Zhang Bin snorted, then led his men toward the other rooms. For now, they wouldn’t actually come to blows.

Since they were evenly matched, a real fight would only result in heavy losses for both sides. If Lin Xuan and his companion emerged while they were all badly injured, the two of them would become the fisherman reaping the rewards.

This didn’t mean they wouldn’t fight. Rather, the moment Lin Xuan and his companion emerged would be the trigger for battle.

"HUFF... HUFF... Is this the room with the Demon Fox Race’s Secret Treasure?" Wei Song asked, catching his breath as he surveyed the scene.

What met their eyes was not a grand pile of resplendent treasures, nor countless Martial Arts manuals, and certainly not stacks of Elixir Pills. Instead, a single, ghostly Flame floated in the air. The entire room was filled with a bone-deep cold, but despite the terrifying chill, not a single snowflake had formed.

The chill emanated from this ethereal blue Flame—a Cold Flame! The cold it gave off was far more intense than that of Lin Xue’s Innate Ice Yin Body. This was a form of absolute cold, far beyond that of any normal constitution and surpassing even the iciest of frosts.

"Th-This is the Yulan Sacred Fire!" When Wei Song got a clear look at the Flame, he was completely dumbstruck. He had never imagined the Secret Treasure of the Demon Fox Race would be the Yulan Sacred Fire!

The Yulan Sacred Fire was a type of ultimate cold fire born of heaven and earth, capable of freezing anything—even other flames. A cultivator with a lower Level would be instantly turned into an ice sculpture upon contact, shattering at the slightest touch. Its power was terrifying. Even the Immortal Fire of a Phoenix could be frozen with ease, making it the ultimate nemesis of the Phoenix race!

Of course, the main point wasn’t the Yulan Sacred Fire itself, but the Yulan Pearl that created it! Nestled within that small Flame was a blue pearl about the size of a thumb. This was the source of the Yulan Sacred Fire and the true Secret Treasure of the Demon Fox Race.

"Yes, this is the Yulan Sacred Fire. But the most important part is the Yulan Pearl. *This* is the Secret Treasure of the Demon Fox Race," Lin Xuan said, his eyes fixed on the small, ethereal blue Flame. It was just a tiny wisp of fire, yet it made them feel a profound chill.

At their Essence Pill Stage Cultivation, ordinary cold had no effect on them whatsoever. Even the cold aura from an Innate Ice Yin Body would be useless against them unless it was used in a direct attack that penetrated their bodies. A passively released aura wouldn’t make them feel a thing.

Yet the Yulan Sacred Fire before them hadn’t even touched them. It was still a good distance away, yet they could already feel the chill. Just how cold did it have to be to have such an effect?

"So this is the Demon Fox Race’s Secret Treasure... It seems our trip was for nothing. There’s no way we can take it," Wei Song said with a bitter smile.

Was the Yulan Pearl precious? Absolutely. In terms of treasure Level, it completely overshadowed items of the Divine Artifact class, ranking far above them. However, not just anyone could handle it. For anyone who touched this Flame, there was only one outcome—death!