Soul Emperor Awakening

"You’re my hero!" Hu Hong’s beautiful eyes sparkled. "I like you!"

Lin Xuan enjoyed the first part, but the second half was rather startling. Hu Hong was unbelievably direct, declaring her feelings for him just like that. The adoration in her eyes was barely concealed—it was startlingly blunt!

Most girls were far more subtle and reserved, but unfortunately, that didn’t apply to the Demon Fox Race. Lin Xuan’s heroic display had captured the attention of many of the Demon Fox women. They admired the strong, and they revered those who had been their benefactors. Lin Xuan was both, so many of them wanted to confess their feelings to him.

Now, Hu Hong was the first to confess. And she did it right after he’d escaped danger, while he was still weak. ’This is basically taking advantage of my predicament!’

"Uh... now isn’t really the time for this, is it? Besides, I already have a wife, so I can only thank you for the sentiment." Lin Xuan took a sharp breath. He’d long heard that the women of the Demon Race were blunt and direct, that they truly admired the strong and would confess their feelings without hesitation the moment they found someone they liked.

Now he was finally seeing it for himself. It wasn’t just that they were direct; they didn’t even care about timing. Besides, he already had Lin Xue, so he could only apologize to Hu Hong.

"I like you. What does that have to do with your wife?" Hu Hong supported Lin Xuan with her petite frame, helping him walk more steadily.

"I’d say it’s pretty relevant. Can we not talk about this for now? Let’s just head back first, okay?" Lin Xuan coughed lightly and gently pulled away from her. "I’m fine now. I can walk on my own; you don’t need to support me."

’Was I overthinking it? Maybe she just wanted to state what was on her mind.’

Hu Hong nodded. Without another word, and with no hint of disappointment on her face, she simply followed closely behind Lin Xuan as they headed back to the Demon Fox Race’s secret realm.

They returned to the Demon Fox Race’s secret realm in silence. By the time they arrived, most of the others were already back, with only the Elders still missing. They must have lured the Minotaurs away and were now waiting for a while before returning. Coming back directly would have exposed the location of their secret realm.

"Excellent. You successfully rescued everyone and have passed your trial. From now on, you are the Guardian God of our Demon Fox Race." A faint smile appeared on the Fox King’s face. She had already learned about Lin Xuan’s performance from the other Demon Foxes, and it left her very satisfied. She was glad she hadn’t chosen the wrong person, nor had she wasted the Yulan Pearl.

"Thank you for your approval, Fox King," Lin Xuan said humbly. "It’s just that the trial was rather simple."

"No, it was not simple at all. Besides, great things are built from small deeds. As long as it helps, even the simplest task is still a contribution!" The Fox King’s expression was grave; she was not joking.

Lin Xuan nodded. He knew their situation was dire. Any help he could offer was enough; it wasn’t the time to complain that their own strength was insufficient.

"COUGH, COUGH..." The Fox King suddenly started coughing, her face growing even paler. Hu Hong, who was standing beside her, rushed to support her, but the Fox King just waved her hand dismissively. "I’m fine. You don’t need to hold me up."

"But you haven’t recovered yet..." Hu Hong’s eyes were filled with worry. She was frantic, but there was nothing she could do to help.

"One gets used to it..." The Fox King’s gaze shifted to Lin Xuan. "Guardian God of my people, what are your plans now?"

"As I mentioned before, I need to find the Golden Dragon Race’s current location and meet with their future heir, who is also my sister," Lin Xuan stated honestly. "Although I am the Guardian God of the Demon Fox Race, I still have many other things to do and cannot stay here indefinitely. I’m sure the Fox King understands. If you need me, I will definitely return to help!"

He had too much to do. It wasn’t that he was being heartless; his purpose was never limited to this place. The Demon Fox Race had promised him resources on par with the Fox King, but they didn’t have any resources to speak of right now. How could they give him anything? They were already facing a severe shortage; it was impossible for them to spare any. Therefore, his ultimate goals remained unchanged: he had to grow stronger, meet up with Liu Yue’Er, and then return to the Chenyuan Continent, the land of humans!

He had to return, even if his power hadn’t reached the Realm he was aiming for. He wanted to know how his family was doing. Even if it meant dying, being with his loved ones was better than being stranded out here.

"We understand. We won’t try to hold you here. You mentioned before that you know nothing of the Demon Race Continent. I imagine you’ll need a guide who is familiar with it, won’t you?" The Fox King had no intention of trying to make him stay. She knew he wouldn’t be content to remain here; she had been clear on that for a while.

"Yes, I know nothing about the Demon Race Continent. To be honest, I’m currently being hunted by humans. I was hoping to find a human to act as a guide, but that seems rather difficult now." Lin Xuan gave a self-deprecating smile. ’To think that I, a human, am being hunted by other humans. It’s truly ridiculous.’

"Rest assured, even if you weren’t being hunted, humans know very little about the Demon Race Continent. Therefore, I intend to send Hu Hong to go with you. She can help you search for news of the Golden Dragon Race, and at the same time, this will help pave the way for our own future! We will ultimately stand or fall with the Golden Dragon Race. That will never change!" the Fox King declared.

"Have Hu Hong go with me?" Lin Xuan was taken aback. ’This is the Fox King’s daughter. Is it really appropriate for her to come with me?’

Hu Hong seemed just as surprised by her mother’s words. But after a glance at Lin Xuan, she ultimately nodded. She wasn’t agreeing because she liked Lin Xuan and wanted to abandon the Demon Fox Race to follow him; she was choosing to obey her mother. As the daughter of the Fox King, she knew far more than the other Demon Foxes!

"Yes. And in this, I have a great favor to ask of you. I want you to take Hu Hong with you, and I hope you can ensure her safety along the way. This is also a task for you as our Guardian God. The Demon Fox Race cannot give you anything right now, but that doesn’t mean we won’t be able to repay you in the future!" the Fox King said. "This journey will also be a form of training for her. One day, she will become the next Fox King!"

The Fox King’s words were blunt. This meant the future Fox King would be following Lin Xuan. If he failed to protect her, the Demon Fox Race’s next leader would be gone. The responsibility was, to put it mildly, immense. If Hu Hong were captured, it would be a dereliction of his duty. He might even end up being hunted by the Demon Fox Race for it.

So much pressure. Such a heavy responsibility!

"No problem," Lin Xuan said firmly. "Since she’ll be my guide, I will protect her, regardless of her status!" He wouldn’t give her special treatment just because she was the next Fox King. To him, as long as someone was helping him, he would never abandon them!