Soul Emperor Awakening

Only those with at least a Spirit Pill Stage Cultivation could travel to the Chenyuan Continent. A barrier separated the continents, and it was nearly impossible to pass through for anyone below that cultivation level.

If anyone could cross it at will, the Demon Race would have invaded the human-inhabited Chenyuan Continent long ago. Rumor had it that a supreme Great Power had set up the barrier to prevent a large-scale war between humans and demons, which would have surely resulted in widespread devastation.

Although those with low cultivation couldn’t pass, the highly cultivated could, which was already a terrifying thought. Generally, no expert would want to storm the opposing continent and wreak havoc—that would be a death wish.

Both continents had their own powerhouses, so launching a casual assault would be nothing short of suicide.

However, nothing was absolute. Hadn’t Lin Xuan been transported over despite his low cultivation? One could also travel between the two using a Teleportation Array, but where could one even find a Teleportation Array nowadays?

Regardless, Lin Xuan planned to focus on breaking through and raising his cultivation first. Otherwise, returning would be pointless. This created a conflict within him. He was worried about matters back home, but at the same time, he knew returning with his current strength would be useless.

When he recalled the words of his master, Qing Piaoyun, he felt somewhat at ease. Qing Piaoyun had said that everyone was settled, which proved they had made preparations in advance. At least for now, there shouldn’t be any major problems.

"The stairs to the Second Layer are just ahead. Let’s go up together." Lin Xuan led Hu Hong toward the Second Layer of Ice and Snow City. In a sense, from the Second Layer onward, the structure could be called the Ice and Snow Tower.

The First Layer had the largest area and the most inhabitants, which was obvious with a single glance. A dense crowd of the Demon Race resided here. Some who hadn’t yet adapted to the environment chose to stay for a while.

Even for those who couldn’t ascend to the Second Layer, being able to stay and cultivate here was excellent. After all, places with a gravity of 300,000 jin weren’t common, so cultivating here was a great opportunity. Most members of the Demon Race didn’t immediately pick a fight after climbing up; they usually chose to stay here for a while to acclimate.

Unlike Lin Xuan’s group, who chose to issue challenges right after arriving. Of course, people like that did exist—they were typically the ones who were extremely confident in their own abilities.

When they reached the stairs to the Second Layer, they saw the staircase was as wide as the iron chains hanging outside the tower, spacious enough for many members of the Demon Race to surge up at once. In reality, not many were going up or down; traffic was sparse. Some chose to stay on the upper floors permanently and wouldn’t come down without a good reason.

The moment they stepped onto the stairs, the Ice and Snow Badge branded on their arms flashed. Only after detecting two badges would it allow them to continue upward.

But as they continued up the spiraling staircase, the force pressing down on their bodies gradually increased. Clearly, the gravity on the Second Layer would be a significant step up. The staircase was also very long, but it was still better than climbing the iron chains. At least here, they couldn’t fall off; they just might not be able to keep going up.

"Guardian God, I... I can’t move anymore..." Halfway up, Hu Hong could no longer bear it. The gravity in this spot was at least 400,000 jin.

This was essentially Hu Hong’s limit. The reputation of the Demon Fox Race for having weak bodies was no exaggeration. Passing members of the Demon Race glanced at Hu Hong’s expression with disdain. To them, such a physique was laughably weak, unable to withstand a single blow!

"Then you should adapt here for a bit. I’m going to go on ahead." Lin Xuan didn’t choose to wait with her. He had to keep climbing. In any case, it was safe here, so there was no need for him to stay.

Once Hu Hong adapted, she would naturally make her way up. There was no point in him waiting. In truth, they could use Elemental Power to resist the gravity, which was the same principle as raising an Elemental Power Shield, but doing so was largely meaningless.

First, it provided no physical training. Second, anyone who wanted to stay in the Ice and Snow Tower long-term had to possess a powerful physique. While relying on Elemental Power to resist gravity was an option, it was only a short-term one. Elemental Power would inevitably be consumed, making it impossible to stay for long.

’If I have to spend Elemental Power to withstand the gravity now, how could I possibly keep climbing?’

After bidding farewell to Hu Hong, Lin Xuan headed for the Second Layer alone. The gravity increased as he ascended. Along the way, he saw many other members of the Demon Race meditating to adapt, proving that they had reached their limits. Not every member of the Demon Race possessed an exceptionally powerful physique.

This was especially true compared to the likes of the Golden Dragon Race. Liu Yue’Er had already charged up to the Fourth Layer, a testament to her terrifying ability. Combined with the Golden Dragon Race’s own heritage, she had undoubtedly steamrolled her way up without any difficulty.

When he finally climbed to the Second Layer, the gravity pressing on his body reached 500,000 jin, the same as the peak gravity he experienced while climbing the iron chains. It was a full 200,000 jin heavier than the First Layer. If he continued to climb, the gravity would certainly keep increasing.

This reminded him of the Martial God Tower, which was much the same—constantly increasing gravity to raise the difficulty. In his philosophy of cultivation, the body was the ultimate foundation. He placed great importance on Body Refining, and this environment was exactly what he needed.

No wonder the Demon Race’s physiques were so terrifying. They all wanted to stay on the upper levels and not come down. Only up here could they get better training; the lower levels had virtually no effect.

’So this is the Second Layer...’

Lin Xuan scanned his surroundings. The layout wasn’t much different from the First Layer. The only change was that the number of demons was much lower, though still substantial. After accumulating for years and years, the population naturally wouldn’t be small. At a rough estimate, there were at least several tens of thousands.

That was why it was called a city; only a city could be so vast. Calling it a "tower" sounded a bit paltry. How could a mere tower house so many members of the Demon Race?

"You little brat from the Demon Fox Race! I was just about to go down and look for you, but I didn’t expect you’d dare to come up here!" A few members of the Giant Bear Race strode over, their bronze-bell-sized eyes glaring at Lin Xuan. "Weren’t you so arrogant? Do you dare face me in the Martial Arts Arena? Let this bear teach you a lesson on how to be a proper demon!"

The few members of the Giant Bear Race who had approached were visibly stronger than the one he’d faced before. Their cultivation wasn’t much different, but their power had increased dramatically. This was the difference in level. The higher one climbed, the more one would encounter opponents of a comparable tier.

’Badges being delivered right to my door? Why would I be polite?’ A faint smile touched Lin Xuan’s lips. This was exactly what he wanted; he no longer had to run around looking for an opponent.

He wouldn’t stay in one place. Instead, he would keep charging upward, pushing on until he could no longer bear it! Only by reaching that limit could he squeeze out his own potential and continue to press forward.

’There’s no point in fighting those weaker than me. Only by facing those who are stronger can I become even stronger myself.’