Soul Emperor Awakening

Lin Xuan dismissed the souls and let out a long breath. The toll had been immense, but it had been worth it overall. After all, he had defeated the Floor Master of the Fourth Layer. Luckily, his opponent was a stupid bear with no real Martial Arts to speak of. He just relied on pure, brute-force attacks.

His strength was terrifying. A normal member of the Demon Race would have found it impossible to resist, but he was facing Lin Xuan. Using the Ultimate Skill of the previous Fox King, he had easily deflected his opponent’s power, allowing him to withstand the attacks.

Sensing he couldn’t match his opponent’s strength, Lin Xuan had decisively chosen to abandon his Weapon and use the Cloud Transformation Technique to defend instead. Otherwise, he really would have been sent flying.

"Lin Xuan, how does it feel to be a Floor Master now?" Liu Yue’Er asked with a smile.

"What’s there to feel? It’s the same as before, just with a few extra perks," Lin Xuan chuckled. Ignoring the stares from the crowd, he led Liu Yue’Er outside. He knew he would definitely face a compulsory challenge next month.

No one had dared to challenge Xiong Ba. His immense strength was one reason, but the main point was his protection from the Black Dragon Race. That’s why no other member of the Demon Race dared to challenge him. Plus, Xiong Ba would use a few little tricks to easily dodge any challenges.

But things were different with Lin Xuan. He was a general without an army, completely on his own. He would have to accept any compulsory challenge that came his way. ’For that reason, I have to keep getting stronger, or I’ll lose my position here.’

Just as they were about to leave, a figure blocked their path. When Lin Xuan got a clear look, he realized it was the same Demon Snake Person who had asked for directions earlier—a half-human, half-demon.

"Heh heh, you really didn’t disappoint me. You even managed to defeat Xiong Ba... However, I have no interest in this position. I’ll be waiting for you on the Fifth Layer. I hope you won’t disappoint me then," the Demon Snake man said with a cool smile, a trace of contempt in his eyes. He then turned and left.

His tone was simple and clear. It was undoubtedly a declaration that he would challenge Lin Xuan the moment he reached the Fifth Layer!

Lin Xuan frowned. ’I just came out, and someone’s already challenging me. Of course, it’s not a challenge on the Fourth Layer, but one from the Fifth Layer.’ His gaze swept over the Demon Snake man’s arm, where he saw six badges!

That’s right, the Demon Snake man had six badges—considerably more than Xiong Ba, which was proof enough that his abilities were not to be underestimated. Based on his aura, his Cultivation was at the Ninth Layer of the Essence Pill Stage, verging on the Peak of the Essence Pill Stage. However, the number of badges was still the real measure of strength here. Being able to hold his ground on the Sixth Layer meant his true power was terrifying!

"It’s the genius of the Demon Snake Race, Mo Qianji! He’s issued a challenge!"

"I thought the Black Dragon Race would be the ones to step in, but it’s the Demon Snake Race’s genius, Mo Qianji. I remember the Demon Snake Race and the Giant Bear Race aren’t on good terms, right?"

"Are you stupid? Have you forgotten how Mo Qianji operates? He specifically challenges the fastest-rising, most powerful newcomers. This Demon Fox is rising the fastest right now, so of course he’s the first target."

"Now that you mention it, I remember. Mo Qianji really does pick the strongest newcomers to challenge! Well, this is going to be interesting. In my opinion, this battle is a long shot. The one from the Demon Fox Race is bound to lose! Over the years, all the powerful newcomers who fought Mo Qianji have been defeated."

"Yeah, Xiong Ba only lasted this long because he’s protected by the Black Dragon Race. Otherwise, he would’ve been kicked down long ago. Which of the recent newcomers isn’t stronger than that Xiong Ba..."

...

Snippets of the surrounding conversations reached his ears, and he began to understand. Mo Qianji was a "newcomer killer"! He specifically challenged the rookies making the biggest waves. By defeating them, he not only gained fame but also cemented his reputation as a genius.

’No wonder Mo Qianji came looking for me. It’s because I’m the one in the spotlight.’ As the saying goes: the tree that stands tallest is the first to be felled by the wind. He hadn’t expected it to happen to him so soon. His challenger wasn’t from the Giant Bear Race, nor the Black Dragon Race, but the Demon Snake Race, with whom he had no real connection.

Lin Xuan shook his head. ’It doesn’t matter. I just have to be careful.’ In this Ice and Snow Tower, one had to watch every step. ’If I lose, I’ll have to start all over again, and I have no intention of doing that.’

He then went to the Recovery Chamber. The previous battle had taken a significant toll, so he needed to recover first. When he returned to the Cultivation Chamber, he saw the member of the Black Tiger Race again. The Black Tiger was trembling from head to toe as he looked at Lin Xuan, never having expected this Demon Fox to become the new Floor Master!

"I won’t hold the rest against you, but you can no longer keep this position. Now get out!" The Ice and Snow Badge on Lin Xuan’s arm flashed. A beam of light shot out and struck the Black Tiger, revoking his privileges. This meant he was no longer the attendant here.

"Th-Thank you, my lord!" What else could the Black Tiger say? He could only tuck his tail between his legs and flee. As long as Lin Xuan didn’t pursue his other wrongdoings, he considered himself lucky.

Lin Xuan didn’t bother pursuing the matter with such a minor character. The Black Tiger was just following someone else’s orders anyway, so there was no point.

"Recover for half a day!"

Lin Xuan was already mostly familiar with this place. After inputting the required number of Energy Points, the large door opened for him. He also noticed that the cost was reduced by thirty percent—it was now calculated at seventy percent of the original price.

Where it once cost one hundred Energy Points, he now only needed seventy. It was quite a bargain.

’So this is a privilege... it’s actually pretty nice,’ Lin Xuan mused, his eyes narrowed. He began to look forward to the privileges of the higher-level Floor Masters. The greater the privileges, the more places one could access, and the easier it would be to grow stronger!

He had a Floor Master position now, and he wasn’t going to give it up easily. According to the rules, only challengers on the same floor could challenge for its mastership; that much was clear. However, if he continued climbing and lost a match on a higher floor, he would be forced to relinquish this Floor Master position as well. Therefore, as long as he was active on the higher floors, his title would be a coveted prize for others.

Upon becoming a Floor Master, he immediately learned of all the associated privileges. The one he valued most, for example, was the right to challenge other Floor Masters!

That’s right—challenging other Floor Masters. Under normal circumstances, a challenger only had one opportunity per month, with any further chances being entirely at the whim of the current Floor Master. However, things were different for a Floor Master. They could cut in line to issue a challenge.

The higher the floor of one’s mastership, the greater the privileges. Some Cultivation Sites were accessible only to Floor Masters. Furthermore, they could exchange Energy Points for absolutely priceless items inside the Ice and Snow Tower.

But for Lin Xuan, the most crucial detail was this: to truly become the City Lord, one must first become the Floor Master of the Ninth Layer! Without being the Ninth Layer’s Floor Master, one could not become the City Lord, even after obtaining the tenth badge.

That was the most important part!