Soul Emperor Awakening

Lin Xuan’s words made the expressions of the Demon Race members who were mocking them freeze. They hadn’t expected the Demon Fox before them to say such a thing; his delicate physique was far inferior to their own. Although they had all evolved, their physiques were still massive. They were all over two meters tall, looking like miniature giants.

Lin Xuan wasn’t short by any means, standing at around 1.8 meters tall. However, compared to his opponents, who were at least two meters tall with incredibly robust physiques, he looked like he could be easily crushed.

"What? You don’t want to fight me?" Lin Xuan said, looking at them with contempt. The ones mocking him were from the Giant Bear Race, covered in black fur, their Cultivation all around the fifth or sixth layer of the Essence Pill Stage.

"As if we’d refuse!" a Giant Bear roared. "Since you’re looking to die, let’s head to the Martial Arts Arena and trade a few blows. Life or death, no questions asked!"

Lin Xuan gave a cool smile, turned, and walked toward an empty arena without another word. Under the watchful gaze of the crowd, he strode into the Martial Arts Arena. Tens of thousands were present, and most of them immediately turned their attention to Lin Xuan. Their first reaction upon seeing him was, ’A human!’

A human, here in Ice and Snow City! But when they sensed the aura Lin Xuan released, their opinion of him instantly changed. They concluded he was a Demon Fox, and a half-human, half-demon at that.

Since Demon Foxes were known for their beauty, which appealed to human tastes, the existence of a half-blood wasn’t surprising. However, the crowd still looked on with disgust. More than that, though, they were curious. It had been many years since a member of the Demon Fox Race had appeared. Most Essence Pill Stage Demon Foxes couldn’t even make it this high up, so how was one here now?

When the Giant Bear saw Lin Xuan walk so decisively into the Martial Arts Arena, his anger flared. He immediately stomped down and entered the arena as well.

As the Giant Bear stepped inside, Lin Xuan suddenly noticed the arena change. A protective barrier had materialized, preventing anyone else from entering. This meant they had officially begun the duel; the battle could now start without any outside interference.

"Someone from the Demon Fox Race actually managed to climb up here. First time I’ve seen that in years!"

"Look at that tiny body, so frail. He’d better be careful not to get slapped to death by one of those Giant Bear brutes!"

"This won’t be much of a show. What a pity. He just got here and he’s already taking on the Giant Bear Race. Is he suicidal or just overconfident?"

"If it were me, I’d have just stayed put and focused on my Cultivation. He’s too impulsive, just asking to die!"

...

The audience focused their attention on Lin Xuan, all discussing his predicament. The consensus was that he was suicidal. The Demon Fox Race’s physical weakness was a well-known fact. A higher Cultivation level might have made a difference, but when both opponents were at the Essence Pill Stage, this was truly a death sentence.

"Kid, you’ve got some nerve!" the Giant Bear roared. "In that case, don’t blame me for what happens next! If you just wanted to hand over your badge, you could have just said so. I’d be more than happy to take it!" Its massive body charged forward, its steps making the ground go THUD, THUD, causing the entire Martial Arts Arena to tremble slightly.

Despite its massive size, its speed wasn’t slow in the slightest. It charged straight at Lin Xuan, like a small mountain bearing down on him. As it neared, it swung its heavy bear paw. There was no finesse to the move, just a simple, brute-force strike. Its palm also shimmered with a trace of Elemental Power, as it aimed to flatten Lin Xuan with a single blow!

Lin Xuan didn’t move a muscle, simply waiting for the Giant Bear to charge. Just as everyone assumed Lin Xuan was a dead man, he suddenly moved. A red light flared around his fist. Moving with even greater speed, he smashed his fist hard into the Giant Bear’s body. With a loud BANG, before anyone could react, the Giant Bear was sent flying backward.

The Giant Bear’s massive body landed back on the ground and tumbled over and over. When it finally came to a stop, its eyes had rolled into the back of its head and it was foaming at the mouth, completely unconscious. A large section of its sturdy chest was caved in. The fist-shaped indentation left no doubt that it was Lin Xuan who had delivered the blow.

After the Giant Bear was knocked unconscious, the Ice and Snow Badge on its arm transformed into a stream of Energy that flew over and entered Lin Xuan’s arm. He felt a cold Energy infuse his body. Afterward, he saw that he hadn’t gained a full Ice and Snow Badge; instead, one-third of a badge had appeared on his arm.

’Looks like I have to defeat three opponents to get a complete second Ice and Snow Badge, rather than getting one for each victory,’ he thought. ’If it were that easy, anyone could become the City Lord of Ice and Snow City, and the position wouldn’t be vacant right now.’

’So that’s how it works. It seems climbing to the Tenth Layer is going to be quite a hassle. I’ll need to defeat a lot of opponents to fight my way up, but that suits me just fine!’ Lin Xuan clenched his fists, feeling his blood boil as his fighting spirit surged once more.

This was the nature of the Lin Bloodline; his Cultivation would increase rapidly through constant battle. Everyone’s Cultivation here was within a reasonable range, allowing him to better display his true strength. If he had to face Spirit Pill Stage experts, what would be the point of fighting?

After a moment of stunned silence, the surrounding audience erupted into cries of disbelief. A slender Fox Demon had sent a Giant Bear flying with a single punch. It was unbelievable!

"The Giant Bear’s hide is pretty thick. How could he get wrecked like that from one punch? Isn’t that a bit of an exaggeration?"

"Is that really a Fox Demon? Could it be that in a half-human, half-demon state, their strength increases drastically?"

"The Giant Bear was probably too careless and got caught by a surprise attack. He’s really provoked the Giant Bear Race this time."

...

Some were shocked, others gloated, but most simply couldn’t believe a member of the Demon Fox Race could possess such immense power—enough to defeat a member of the Giant Bear Race with a single punch. While the Giant Bear Race’s strength and Defense Power weren’t the absolute best, they were certainly among the top ranks. For there to be such a vast disparity when their Cultivation levels were nearly identical was astounding.

Hu Hong’s lovely eyes twinkled. She knew this would be the outcome, which was why she hadn’t said a word to dissuade him. His ability to defeat the Giant Bear Race member so easily was exactly what she had expected.

"Does everyone here look down on my Demon Fox Race? If you’re not satisfied, feel free to come down and challenge me. I’ll be waiting right here!" Lin Xuan’s words boomed with dominance, deliberately stoking their animosity, completely unafraid of making enemies.

What he needed now were opponents, and he would take on all comers. At the same time, he was drawing more attention to himself. ’If Liu Yue’Er is here, she’s bound to notice this.’

Drawing attention was one thing, but what he really wanted was to fight his way to the top and claim that power for himself. He had a feeling that if he could collect ten Ice and Snow Badges, his strength would undergo a major breakthrough. More than anything, he was desperate to make a push for the Spirit Pill Stage Cultivation!