Soul Emperor Awakening

Lin Xuan’s appearance left the Giant Bears dumbfounded. It was all too sudden. They had all been certain that Lin Xuan couldn’t possibly emerge from that Magma Cultivation Chamber, yet now he was really here. It was utterly shocking. Not only did he seem to have survived, his Cultivation had even improved!

They could all sense a stronger aura from Lin Xuan—the Fifth Layer of the Essence Pill Stage! Lin Xuan had flawlessly broken through to the Fifth Layer of the Essence Pill Stage. He was far more formidable than an average cultivator at this level, and the aura he exuded was incredibly sharp and menacing.

This transformation left the other demons in disbelief. Logically, once Lin Xuan entered the Magma Cultivation Chamber, it should have been impossible for him to ever come out. Unless he was a Phoenix! But that was clearly impossible. Lin Xuan wasn’t a Phoenix; he was just a Demon Fox. In their eyes, there was no way he could be a Phoenix.

Yet he wasn’t a Phoenix, and he had managed to stay inside for a full five days. There was a reason the time limit was set at five days. A slightly stronger individual might be able to constantly run and dodge the lava at first, but eventually, lava would be everywhere. How could anyone possibly dodge it then? After five days, there would be nowhere left to hide, and they would inevitably be consumed by the magma.

For a real Phoenix, Cultivation would be much simpler. They wouldn’t even try to escape; they would just dive headfirst into the volcano. They didn’t need to be engulfed by the magma—that was simply the most convenient and direct method for them.

They had also considered that even if his Yulan Sacred Fire was powerful, it wouldn’t be effective in there. Freezing a small patch of magma would be one thing, but what about a massive flood of it? The flow was absolutely relentless. Unless he could fly, there was no way to evade the terrifying magma inundation.

They had imagined many ways Lin Xuan might die, but they had never once thought he would actually escape! A moment ago, they were worried that their reputation would be ruined if word of this got out. Now, they didn’t have to worry about that anymore—because Lin Xuan hadn’t died at all. He had come out!

"You’re out!" Liu Yue’er ran happily to Lin Xuan’s side, grabbing his hand with a wide smile. "I knew that Magma Cultivation Chamber was no match for you! With your strength, something like this is nothing!"

She practically worshipped Lin Xuan with blind faith, believing him to be invincible. He was always creating miracles, so how could she not idolize him? This was especially true because of what happened when she was a child. Back when she was powerless, Lin Xuan had descended from the heavens and instantly annihilated a group of bandits. The memory was still vivid in her heart.

In her heart, Lin Xuan was a true hero.

"Yes, sorry to keep you waiting." Lin Xuan gave her a calm smile before turning to Xiong Ba with a sneer. "If I’m trash, then what does that make you? Something even worse than trash! You had your subordinates scheme against me. If you were afraid I’d win, you should have just said so. I could have chosen not to challenge you. I have absolutely no interest in someone who’s even lower than trash!"

His time in the Magma Cultivation Chamber had been perilous, but in the end, he had made it through. Those five days had allowed him to make a monumental leap in power. After leaving the Magma Cultivation Chamber, he had also spent half a day in the Recovery Chamber, which was why he had taken so long to appear.

’Should I thank the Giant Bear Race for this,’ he mused, ’or should I *really* thank them?’

"What did you say!" Xiong Ba stormed down from his position, his aura surging with every step. However, he didn’t dare to strike. As a Floor Master, he would be punished for attacking someone without cause. He could only glare at Lin Xuan and growl, "Are you saying I don’t have the guts to fight you? Boy, don’t get too arrogant! With your pathetic level of Cultivation, I could crush you with one hand!"

Cultivation wasn’t the deciding factor here. The two were only separated by three minor realms. As long as the gap wasn’t greater than the Spirit Pill Stage, the difference wasn’t insurmountable. However, Xiong Ba had been here for a long time. As the Floor Master, he had control over a greater amount of Yulan Sacred Fire, which naturally made him far more confident than the average person.

"Is that so? Then how about you accept my challenge, O great Floor Master of the Fourth Layer!" Lin Xuan sneered. "Let’s just see who the real trash is. If you can’t even defeat a mere Demon Fox like me, then you have no right to even speak of the Golden Dragon Race!"

No matter how patient Xiong Ba was, he was thoroughly enraged by Lin Xuan’s provocations. Although he had heard about Lin Xuan’s previous battles, he didn’t believe for a second that Lin Xuan could defeat him. But Lin Xuan was trampling all over his pride. If he didn’t eliminate this upstart now, the Giant Bear Race’s reputation would be dragged through the mud.

"Fine. Fine! FINE!" Xiong Ba roared before letting out a cold sneer. "Alright, then. Let’s go to the arena right now. After you lose, I’ll even permit that little girl of yours to challenge me!"

A cold glint flashed in his eyes. The Giant Bear Race had chosen to join the Black Dragon Race and had followed them in their campaign to take down the Golden Dragon Race. If he were to capture Liu Yue’er now, the Black Dragon Race would undoubtedly reward him handsomely. There was no way he could have held his position for so long without someone powerful pulling the strings from above.

"That won’t be necessary," Lin Xuan said coolly. "Because you’re guaranteed to lose."

"You Demon Foxes have always been all talk. And where did it get you in the end? Your entire race was wiped out. Running your mouth will only make your death that much uglier!" With a flick of his arm, Xiong Ba turned and stalked outside, heading straight for the arena.

As news spread, a massive crowd of the Demon Race flooded the Floor Master’s arena, packing the area so tightly that it became impenetrable. It had been a long time since any demon had dared to challenge a Floor Master. The fact that the challenger was from the Demon Fox Race was surprising, yet it also made a certain amount of sense.

They had heard rumors that a member of the Demon Fox Race was fighting his way up, even boasting that he would challenge Xiong Ba. They had dismissed it as a joke, but now, it was actually happening.

"Whoa, this Demon Fox is really something else. Is he actually going to challenge Xiong Ba?"

"They’re both on the stage, so it must be real. But isn’t the difference in power a little too vast? Just look at their physical builds—they’re in completely different weight classes!"

"Exactly! He’s completely outmatched, whether you look at his Cultivation or his number of badges. Has this little Demon Fox lost his mind? Aren’t Demon Foxes supposed to be the clever ones?"

"Clever? If they were so clever, their race wouldn’t have been wiped out. Don’t be an idiot!"

...

Not a single member of the Demon Race favored Lin Xuan; they all thought he was a dead man. The disparity between the two was simply too great. The crucial point was that Lin Xuan had only just arrived and hadn’t even had time to acclimate before issuing a challenge. It seemed like utter madness.

Lin Xuan took out the Chi Dragon Heavens Rod and stepped into the arena. The more knowledgeable demons could recognize it as a Divine Artifact, but upon seeing it lacked a soul, they concluded it couldn’t be a true one. Under normal circumstances, Divine Artifacts forged by humans were magnets for animosity, as they were often created using the Essence Blood of a Demon Race member, which was a recipe for trouble.

Lin Xuan’s weapon, however, was not an issue. With no soul, it was merely a Half-Divine Artifact.

Just then, Xiong Ba stepped onto the stage. A protective barrier shimmered into existence around the arena, signaling that the battle had begun. Neither combatant could now escape.

"In all these years, you’re the first person to dare challenge me! Do you know why so few ever try?" With a casual wave of his hand, a WHOOSH echoed as the Yulan Sacred Fire erupted from his palm, burning fiercely. "It’s because a Floor Master’s control over the Yulan Sacred Fire far surpasses that of any challenger at the same level. That is our privilege!"