Soul Emperor Awakening

Lin Xuan wasn’t just making an empty promise. Since they had chosen to travel with him, he certainly wouldn’t mistreat them. He treated everyone equally.

The Fox King was satisfied with Lin Xuan’s answer. She nodded and said, "In that case, go and recover. We’ll meet again in a few days."

With that, she turned to leave. But just as she did, she tilted her head and said, "Hu Hong, come with me. I have something to give you."

Hu Hong paused for a moment before following after her. Lin Xuan watched them go without another word. Other members of the Demon Fox Race then led him to a simple yet elegant room to rest. After exchanging a few flirtatious glances with him, they departed reluctantly.

Lin Xuan couldn’t help but break into a cold sweat. ’Their advances are way too direct!’ He quickly composed himself, sat down in meditation, and began to restore his Spiritual Power and Elemental Power. The last battle had consumed far too much of his energy. If he didn’t recover, it would be difficult to travel in a few days.

「A few days passed in the blink of an eye.」

A KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK came from the door, prompting Lin Xuan to get up and open it. He found Hu Hong standing there. He hadn’t seen her in just a few days, but her entire demeanor had changed dramatically. Even her Cultivation had seen a massive increase!

Her Cultivation had originally been around the Second or Third Layer of the Essence Pill Stage, but in just a few days, it had been forcibly raised to the Fifth Layer Essence Pill Stage. ’What a terrifying rate of advancement!’ He didn’t have to think hard to know the Fox King must have used some special method to make Hu Hong’s Cultivation skyrocket like that.

Beyond her increased Cultivation, her gaze had also changed. It was now filled with a greater sense of responsibility and determination. It was as if she had been entrusted with a mission, one that meant she was no longer living just for herself.

"Miss Hong..." Lin Xuan began, unsure of what to say.

"We can set out now," Hu Hong said, laying out her analysis. "Our destination is the northern region. The Golden Dragon Race is most likely somewhere in the Ice Snowfield. However, the area is vast, making it impossible for the two of us to find them on our own. The best approach is to first go to Ice and Snow City within the Ice Snowfield to gather information. We should be able to find some clues there. No matter how well the Golden Dragon Race hides, they still have to come out for resources. They might even be living in Ice and Snow City for all we know."

Hu Hong had laid out a clear plan. If it had been up to him, Lin Xuan wouldn’t have known where to even begin. The Demon Race Continent was so vast that searching it randomly would be impossible.

"Ice and Snow City is a city of the Demon Race, isn’t it? Can humans even get inside?" Lin Xuan asked.

"Ice and Snow City was built by the Demon Race. Any human who enters is almost certain to die," Hu Hong said. "But don’t worry about that. I can go in and investigate by myself."

It was just as the Fox King had said: humans were completely cut off from information on the Demon Race Continent. In this land where enemies lurked at every turn, wandering around carelessly would get you surrounded. While the various Demon Races could communicate with one another, they wouldn’t waste a single word on humans. The moment they saw one, they would surround and kill them.

Of course, this wasn’t an absolute rule. Some races had decent relations with humans, but Lin Xuan had yet to encounter any.

"So, I have to wait outside? If something were to happen to you in Ice and Snow City, I wouldn’t be able to help you, would I?" Lin Xuan frowned. The Demon Fox Race had always been in a vulnerable position; it would be a huge problem if anything happened to her.

"It’s alright. Ice and Snow City is different from other cities. Once inside, you can’t attack others wantonly. Anyone who attacks another person will suffer Celestial Punishment!" Hu Hong explained.

"There’s a rule like that!?" Lin Xuan was astonished. ’You suffer Celestial Punishment for attacking someone? Isn’t that a little... incredible?’

"It’s true. So you don’t need to worry about anything happening. It’s fine for me to go in alone," Hu Hong said.

"So, can humans enter at all?" Lin Xuan asked after a moment of thought.

"Technically, it shouldn’t be a problem. The main issue is that no human can ever get close enough. The nearer you get to Ice and Snow City, the more members of the Demon Race you’ll find. If they spot a human, they’ll surround them instantly. It’s impossible to force your way into the city," Hu Hong said with a frown. "Unless you possess the aura of the Demon Race, you’ll have to stay outside."

"The aura of the Demon Race? You mean, like this?" Lin Xuan immediately invoked the Soul Possession of the previous Fox King. An aura unique to the Demon Fox Race flared out from him. Aside from his human appearance, he felt like an authentic Demon Fox!

"Th-that’s impossible... How do you have the aura of my race?" Hu Hong was utterly shocked. As she felt the aura coming from Lin Xuan, she thought that if she hadn’t already known he was human, she would have truly believed he was one of her kinsmen.

Lin Xuan withdrew the Demon Fox Race aura, able to release and retract it with perfect ease. The Fox King’s Soul Possession was very draining. However, if he only used a fraction of its power—just a touch of the possession—he wouldn’t have the Fox King’s complete abilities, but it would be more than enough to disguise himself without issue.

He had used the Fox King’s Soul Possession before, but because it had been mixed with other souls, the aura felt impure. Now that he was focusing solely on the Fox King’s soul, the effect was completely different.

"It’s one of my abilities. I wonder if this will be enough of a disguise?" Lin Xuan said with a faint smile.

"It should be fine. You’re just missing some red fur," Hu Hong explained. "But that’s not unheard of. The offspring of unions between the Demon Race and humans almost always undergo significant transformations, so it’s normal for them to lack certain features. They’re essentially half-human, half-demon. They aren’t particularly liked among the Demon Race, so they’re considered a neutral party."

"Then I’ll go into the city with you like this. If we can’t bluff our way in, we’ll figure something else out," Lin Xuan said. He had no desire to wait outside; he was far more interested in seeing what the city was like.

By using just a sliver of the Soul Possession, relying solely on the aura it produced, Lin Xuan could maintain the effect for a very long time with almost zero energy consumption. This was the advantage of having a high Cultivation. With just a minimal possession, he didn’t need to worry about the drain at all.

Hu Hong didn’t object. After making some preparations and bidding farewell to their Demon Fox kin, she and Lin Xuan left the Demon Fox Race’s hidden sanctuary. Together, they headed for Ice and Snow City in the Ice Snowfield. Since the distance was great, Lin Xuan naturally summoned his Phoenix, and the two of them soared at top speed in the direction of Ice and Snow City.

The Phoenix’s speed saved them a significant amount of time. Still, the journey was so long that they had to fly for nearly a week before they finally reached the Ice Snowfield!

Upon their arrival in the Ice Snowfield, they were met with an extreme, biting cold. However, their Cultivation levels were high, so the chill was of little concern to them. This was especially true for Lin Xuan, as the Yulan Pearl within him made him immune to any cold.

"Ice and Snow City is just ahead. Let’s go down to avoid being spotted," Hu Hong said, signaling for Lin Xuan to have the Phoenix land after she saw the city in the distance.

"That’s Ice and Snow City?"

Lin Xuan stared at the tower in the distance that soared into the clouds, unable to believe that this was a city. It wasn’t a city at all—it was a tower! A massive, colossal tower, truly the size of a city, covering an immense area. By his estimation, Ice and Snow City was large enough to hold anywhere from several hundred thousand to a million people. And the crucial part was, this was only the First Layer!

’How is what I’m seeing a city? It’s just a towering spire. And this is what they call Ice and Snow City?’