Soul Emperor Awakening

Lin Xuan’s words were incredibly blunt, a clear mockery of most people present and their selfishness. This talk about acting ’for the greater good’ was utter bullshit. To snatch away something someone had risked their life for—how could he not be furious?

It was a complete insult to the very concept of unity. Unity didn’t mean being forced to share everything; it meant supporting one another. That was true unity.

Lin Xuan believed he was more than capable of protecting himself. And as the old saying goes, even if he did die, he wouldn’t blame anyone else. This was like having tens of millions of Primordial Stones and having someone advise you to just hand some over, lest you get robbed.

There might be a sliver of logic in that, but the final decision should be his and his alone. He had risked his life for this. How could he not be enraged when others, who had done nothing, wanted to just take it from him?

In his anger, he’d say anything. To him, this Vice City Lord was worse than a dog. The Demon Race hadn’t even come to take his prize, yet here he was, being robbed by his own kind. The situation was utterly absurd.

His words shocked everyone. They couldn’t believe Lin Xuan actually dared to say such things, though many understood the truth in them. But reality was harsh. It was difficult to survive outside the city walls. After all, the world beyond was teeming with the Demon Race, and they showed no kindness to humans, attacking on sight.

So, most people had no choice but to stay within the city. The lucky few could follow powerful experts into the wilderness, free from such rules. But they were a minority. Many sympathized with Lin Xuan’s plight, but they knew the saying: when you live under another’s roof, you have no choice but to bow your head.

"I was going to let this go, but it seems I can’t. If you want to live in Unity City, you will obey its rules!" Ye Feng’s voice was chilling. The aura of his Core Formation Stage cultivation erupted, crashing down on Lin Xuan in an attempt to pressure him into submission.

’I am the Vice City Lord of Unity City! How can I not be furious after being called a dog by some junior?’

"Rules?! I completed the mission, and that fulfilled my obligation! In other words, while I was fighting for my life to get this treasure, on the verge of death, where the hell were you?!" Lin Xuan’s voice was ice. "Giving a small portion as a contribution for the city’s welfare, I think that’s perfectly normal. That’s mutual support. But taking the most valuable prize and offering a pittance as a reward? That’s a fucking joke!"

Ye Feng’s face turned livid. Lin Xuan was crossing the line, but every word he spoke was the truth. No one had ever dared to be so blunt. Anyone who spoke out like this would be exiled from Unity City. After all, these rules were made by the high and mighty City Lords. To deny the rules was to deny them.

"You’re getting out of line! We work hard to protect you, and this is how you repay us? With selfishness?" Ye Feng was enraged, his aura bearing down on Lin Xuan. "It seems if I don’t teach you a lesson today, you’ll forget who the Vice City Lord is!"

"You work hard to protect us, I’ll give you that. But for humanity to grow truly strong, everyone needs to improve, not just you old fossils hoarding all the resources for yourselves. What’s the point of that?" Lin Xuan shot a glance at Ye Feng, who was decked out in treasures. Heaven only knew what lay inside his Storage Ring.

’But do they ever share any of it? No, of course not. They keep it all for themselves. They’re the selfish ones!’ If Lin Xuan genuinely couldn’t protect the Yulan Pearl, he would have willingly handed it over. The problem was, they didn’t even care whether he could or not—they simply decided for him that he couldn’t.

This forced confiscation was no different from banditry.

"You’re courting death!" Ye Feng could no longer contain his rage. With a roar, he lunged forward, intending to kill Lin Xuan with a single slap.

In that same instant, Lin Xuan unhesitatingly tossed an object into the air—a miniature Phoenix he had prepared. At the same time, he grabbed the Demon Fox beside him and leaped. In the blink of an eye, a colossal Phoenix materialized beneath them, and he landed securely on its back. With a powerful beat of its enormous red wings, it shot into the sky and fled at top speed.

The move was as swift as a bolt of lightning. Ye Feng’s attack hit empty air. He stared, stunned, at the Phoenix soaring into the sky. He never imagined Lin Xuan had such a move up his sleeve—the ability to summon a Phoenix. It was a Divine Beast, and it was serving as this young man’s mount!

The onlookers were equally dumbfounded. Just when they were certain Lin Xuan was dead, he summoned a Phoenix and escaped.

"Don’t think you can escape!"

Ye Feng roared, and a pair of golden wings burst from his back. He activated his Elemental Power Wings and gave chase at extreme speed. But when their speeds were compared, the Phoenix was slightly faster. It was clear that Ye Feng would never catch up if this kept on, but he gritted his teeth and pursued him anyway.

"That’s terrifying! He can summon a Phoenix? Is he really on the side of the Demon Race?"

"But he looks human, doesn’t he? How could he be with them? If he were really one of them, that Demon Fox would have helped him fight, not just fled with him."

"Who knows. But he’s angered the Vice City Lord. He’s going to be a wanted man now..."

...

Some onlookers gloated at this turn of events, while others sighed in dismay. Unity City could have gained a peerless expert, but the Vice City Lord had driven him away. It was an enormous waste. How could someone capable of controlling the Yulan Pearl possibly have a mediocre future?

Wei Jun watched the direction Lin Xuan had flown, then glanced at his own son and let out a deep sigh, saying nothing.

A short while later, Ye Feng returned, looking thoroughly dejected. His expression was grim; he had clearly lost the trail or simply couldn’t keep up. For a dignified Vice City Lord to be given the slip by a mere Essence Pill Stage brat was utterly humiliating. After all his posturing, he had lost all face.

Not only had he failed to obtain the Secret Treasure, but he had also been thoroughly berated. His fury was boundless.

"This man is in collusion with the Demon Race! He is connected not only to the Demon Fox Race but also the Phoenix Race, posing a grave threat to all humanity. I hereby issue a warrant for his arrest! The reward for his capture is the position of Vice City Lord!" Ye Feng declared coldly. "This warrant will be sent to all other cities as well. This man must be caught!"

There was more than one city on the Demon Race Continent; besides the major cities, there were also numerous smaller villages. The continent was vast, and not every corner of it was fraught with danger, so the human population was considerable. But now, Lin Xuan would likely find it impossible to enter any of the cities.

A Secret Treasure as important as the Yulan Pearl was bound to draw major attention. It might even be enough to make the City Lord himself take action.

"Vice City Lord, I..." Zhang Bin began, his face a mask of sycophantic praise. ’I reported him, so I deserve some credit, right? Even though he got away...’

"You did well to report him. Go and collect your reward," Ye Feng snorted. With a flick of his sleeve, he departed, too ashamed to remain any longer.

"Thank you, Vice City Lord!" Zhang Bin’s face lit up with joy, and he hastily offered his thanks.

The surrounding crowd watched Zhang Bin with utter disgust. The man did no real work; all he knew was how to be an informant. As for the charge that Lin Xuan was colluding with the Demon Race, everyone would have to decide for themselves what to believe.