Soul Emperor Awakening

Five days passed in the blink of an eye. When Liu Yue’Er emerged from the Recovery Chamber, her injuries had fully healed. The recovery effects here were ridiculously good; the five hundred Energy Points were not spent in vain and were well worth it.

When she learned that Lin Xuan had entered a Cultivation Chamber, she wasn’t too concerned. She just wandered around outside, checking to see if any members of the Black Dragon Race were still around. Perhaps they had been scared witless, as not a single one from the Black Dragon Race had appeared. But then, something else happened.

"I can’t believe so much happened while I was in cultivation. You lot can’t even handle a single brat from the Demon Fox Race. What are you good for?!" Xiong Ba glared coldly at the subordinates below him. Every one of them had their heads bowed, not daring to look at the Xiong Ba before them.

Seething with rage, Xiong Ba sat on his chair, propping up his chin with his palm. The brand of five Ice and Snow Badges was clearly visible on his arm, and he was even close to earning a sixth. His Cultivation had reached the Essence Pill Stage Eighth Layer. The fact that he could hold the position of Floor Master without having reached the Peak of Essence Pill Stage made it clear he was no simple character.

It had long been said that Cultivation level didn’t mean much here. As long as the difference wasn’t five or six layers, it was almost negligible. What truly mattered was combat strength—who could unleash greater power or who had better control over the Yulan Sacred Fire.

"Uh, about that... We already had him enter the Magma Cultivation Chamber. There’s no way he’s coming out... so you don’t need to worry about it, Boss," a Giant Bear subordinate said hurriedly.

"Oh? So you let him go into the Magma Cultivation Chamber?" Xiong Ba raised an eyebrow, but the fury in his eyes didn’t lessen in the slightest. Instead, he grew even angrier. "Are you implying that I can’t beat him?!"

"No, no! How could that be? We just thought it wasn’t necessary for you to waste your time on him, Boss! So, so we helped you take care of him." The Giant Bear wiped away a bead of sweat. Rumors had been circulating outside that Lin Xuan was going to challenge Xiong Ba, intending to crush the Floor Master of the Fourth Layer underfoot.

Everyone knew about this and was waiting to see if Lin Xuan would actually challenge Xiong Ba. It was bound to be a good show. After all, it had been a long time since anyone dared to challenge Xiong Ba. Although his strength was at the bottom among all the Floor Masters, even a bottom-tier Floor Master was still a Floor Master!

The key was, against a powerful challenger, he could simply refuse to fight. It wasn’t the first time he’d pulled a stunt like that. There were plenty of people stronger than him on the higher floors, but he stubbornly clung to his position.

There was another rule for challenging Floor Masters in the Ice and Snow Tower: one could only challenge the Floor Master corresponding to the number of badges they possessed. For example, someone with five badges could only challenge the Floor Master of the Fifth Layer, not the Fourth Layer. This was how Xiong Ba had avoided being challenged. Besides, by exploiting a few loopholes, he could make his opponents give up.

For the once-a-month mandatory battle, he could just grab any member of the Demon Race and report it in advance. Who could stop him?

But now things were different. So many members of the Giant Bear Race had been defeated; Lin Xuan had reached the Fourth Layer by beating them. If Xiong Ba didn’t defeat Lin Xuan, how could he quell the public opinion? How could he save face?

If news that they had framed Lin Xuan got out, Xiong Ba’s reputation would be completely ruined. People would just say he was too weak, that he didn’t even dare to accept a challenge from a brat of the Demon Fox Race!

"If word of this gets out, how can we, the Giant Bear Race, even show our faces in the Ice and Snow Tower!" Xiong Ba slammed his hand on the chair and shot to his feet. With a BANG, the chair shattered under his palm.

"Re-relax, it won’t get out..." The Giant Bear wiped away a cold sweat. ’When the boss gets angry, it’s no small matter.’

"It’s fine as long as no one finds out. If they do, you’re all dead!" Xiong Ba glared at them coldly. "Slap yourselves in the face thirty times. Hard! I have to teach you lot a lesson. If you don’t train properly, how can you expect to secure this position?!"

With bitter expressions, the few Giant Bear subordinates raised their paws and began to slap their own faces. Slapping oneself wouldn’t trigger the Celestial Punishment, and even a Floor Master wouldn’t dare to strike them casually. Unless it was a formal challenge, attacking one’s own people would ruin their reputation if word got out.

A series of SLAP, SLAP, SLAP sounds then echoed through the hall—the sound of the Giant Bears slapping their own faces.

"You stupid bear, you’re finally back! My brother will challenge you as soon as he’s out, so don’t you dare run off!"

Before they had even finished slapping themselves, Liu Yue’Er walked in from outside the hall. This was the Floor Master’s hall, which was why Xiong Ba could be found here.

"The Golden Dragon Race!" Xiong Ba narrowed his eyes at her and sneered, "I was wondering who it was. So it’s the Golden Dragon Race, hanging out with the Demon Fox Race. Birds of a feather, both families just struggling to survive on the verge of extinction. And you still dare to act so arrogantly in the Ice and Snow Tower!"

"If we’re just struggling to survive, then what does that make your Giant Bear Race? Scavengers with your heads in the dirt?" Liu Yue’Er swore, retorting without hesitation, "If my Golden Dragon Race were still prosperous, would your Giant Bear Race dare to speak to us like this? Back then, your Giant Bear Race was always trying to curry favor with us, and we didn’t treat you poorly either. I never imagined you would betray us to this extent. I’ve really seen it all now!"

The Demon Fox Race wasn’t the only vassal of the Golden Dragon Race; the Giant Bear Race had been one as well. It was only because the Giant Bear Race had betrayed them early on that they avoided annihilation.

"You said it yourself—that was the past. Times are different now! And you dare talk about my Giant Bear Race? You should worry about what will happen to you when you get out of here! If you keep climbing, forget my Giant Bear Race; even the Black Dragon Race won’t let you go!" Xiong Ba’s gaze turned icy. "I almost forgot to tell you something. That brat who was with you isn’t coming back. He went looking for death and entered the Magma Cultivation Chamber! I’ve seen stupid, but I’ve never seen *that* stupid. That room was specially prepared for the Phoenix Race. With his abilities, there’s no way he’s coming out of there alive!"

"The Magma Cultivation Chamber!"

Liu Yue’Er’s expression changed. She knew of this particular chamber. She only knew Lin Xuan had entered a Cultivation Chamber; she never expected it would be the Magma Cultivation Chamber.

"What, I take it you know about it? And you still let him go in? I really don’t know where you get your brains!" Xiong Ba laughed. "Challenge me? He’ll be lucky just to make it out alive!"

"No, impossible!" Liu Yue’Er’s gaze turned cold. "My brother couldn’t possibly die in there. He will definitely come out. He will come out today!" Her gaze was unwavering; she firmly believed that Lin Xuan would emerge, that even the Magma Cultivation Chamber would be ineffective against him.

"Oh, your ’brother’? Tsk tsk, taking someone from the Demon Fox Race as your brother... your Golden Dragon Race really has fallen. Trash is trash, it’ll never get any stronger!" Xiong Ba sneered.

"If I’m trash, then what does that make you?"

A familiar voice came from behind. Everyone looked up, stunned to see Lin Xuan walk in, perfectly composed. There was nothing wrong with him at all, except that his exposed arms had a reddish tint, and faint traces of Fire Elemental Power were being released, swirling around him!

Five days later, he had appeared!