Soul Emperor Awakening

"An Hour has passed now. Looks like he'll at least get past Demon Level. I figure Earth Level should be no problem, seeing as he defeated that stupid bear so easily." After waiting for some time, Mo Qianji sneered. "The question is whether he can pass the Celestial Level. The Phoenix is not so easy to beat. His Phoenix Fire is a complete joke in front of a real Phoenix!"

Liu Yue'Er glanced at him, not paying his words much mind, and closed her eyes again to focus on recovering from her injuries.

"What, you disagree?" Mo Qianji sneered. "If his Phoenix Fire is the only thing he can use, then he's as good as dead! Phoenix Fire might be fine against other opponents, but it has no effect whatsoever on a Phoenix. We're talking about the body of a true, pure Phoenix!"

"I just find you pathetic. Nothing you say can change the outcome. My brother's true strength is far greater than you can possibly imagine!" Liu Yue'Er replied coldly, then fell silent.

Mo Qianji was stunned for a moment, then snorted. "Then we'll just have to wait and see. So what if he passes the Celestial Level? At the very least, the Reincarnation Level is absolutely impossible for him!"

They were watching Lin Xuan. The other members of the Demon Race were watching him as well, all wanting to see what qualification he would earn. Would it be Earth Level or Celestial Level? None of them let their minds drift toward the Reincarnation Level. It was simply too difficult, so they didn't even consider it a possibility.

...

Inside the Gate of Life and Death, Lin Xuan looked at the Fox King before him, inwardly ecstatic but still extremely cautious. 'At least the Reincarnation Level won't be as bad as I imagined. The Fox King is powerful, no doubt, but since I also have her memories, I at least know which Ultimate Skills she's going to use.'

'I just hope this Fox King doesn't possess the Yulan Pearl; that's all I ask. This younger version of her probably hasn't obtained it yet. She must have acquired it in a later stage of her life. Since I have no memory of her having it, it's the only logical conclusion. Besides, even if she did have it, it's unlikely she would use it in this simulation.'

'In the previous battles, none of the opponents used any weapons or wore any gear. The simulations here must be of their most basic forms. The most they have is infinite Elemental Power, which makes a battle of attrition useless. If they also had weapons, these fights would be truly impossible.'

"Reincarnation Level battle, begin!"

And with that, the Reincarnation Level battle truly began. The Fox King shot toward Lin Xuan with a nimble body, not using the Yulan Sacred Fire, which confirmed Lin Xuan's suspicions.

The moment the Fox King drew near, her pupils flashed with a multicolored light. Lin Xuan met her gaze without flinching. Almost instantly, he felt the forest scenery around him change. It had transformed into a blood-red Hell, where the ground was covered in blood that surged toward him, and countless skeletons crawled out from a Blood Pool.

Accompanying the vision, a terrifying Illusion Technique assaulted his mind, bringing a deep, stabbing pain, as if several needles were being driven into his brain. The agony grew more and more intense.

'What a powerful Illusion Technique. Worthy of the former Fox King!' Lin Xuan sucked in a cold breath. 'I thought my willpower was strong enough to resist this terrifying Illusion Technique, but who knew I'd fall for it so easily. It's even constantly attacking the depths of my soul, trying to take complete control over me.'

He had long expected the Fox King to be powerful, but he never imagined her Illusion Technique would be this absurdly strong. It was no lie that she was designated a Reincarnation Level opponent. The Demon Race always mocked the Demon Fox Race for being weak, but if they were to actually face this Fox King, who among them would dare to say a word!

A Demon Fox from the Demon Fox Race was a Reincarnation Level opponent, while the Phoenix was merely at the Celestial Level. The gap between them was immense.

"Break!"

Without hesitation, Lin Xuan activated the Soul Pearl inside him. A buzzing sound rang out, and his mind was instantly cleared. The scene before his eyes returned to normal. Just as he recovered, he saw the Fox King had appeared before him, her slender hand reaching out to dig into his chest. Her sharp nails could easily substitute for a Weapon, sharp enough to pierce through anything.

"Not so fast!"

Lin Xuan whipped out his rod. The Yulan Sacred Fire instantly extended from his arm to the Chi Dragon Heavens Rod as he swung it down heavily. The Fox King swayed to the side and unhesitatingly raised a hand to block the blow.

BAM!

The heavy strike didn't send her flying as he had expected. Instead, it felt as though he had slammed into a ball of cotton—the Cloud Transformation Technique!

The Fox King had used the Cloud Transformation Technique she herself had created, easily dissolving the terrifying force behind the blow. She deflected it to the side, making Lin Xuan feel as though the Chi Dragon Heavens Rod would be ripped from his grasp.

But a simulation was no match for the real thing. The technique had its effect, but his rod was also imbued with the Yulan Sacred Fire. Instantly, the Fox King's arm was frozen stiff. Her movements slowed, and the ice began to spread across her entire body, threatening to turn her into an ice sculpture.

'Even Phoenix Fire can be frozen by it, let alone a Fox King who doesn't have it. Unless she also possesses the Yulan Pearl, her defeat is certain!'

"I'm happy I got to spar with you, but it's time for this to end!"

A determined glint appeared in Lin Xuan's eyes as he swung the long rod and brought it crashing down. The Fox King could no longer use her hand to dissolve his attack; she could only watch helplessly as the rod descended upon her.

Engulfed by the blue Flame, the Fox King was transformed into an ice sculpture. A second strike from the rod immediately followed, shattering her into dust, which dispersed into motes of blue light that floated in the air.

He passed! He had passed the Gate of Life and Death—a trial the Demon Race considered a death sentence—without much difficulty. It just so happened that he possessed the Yulan Sacred Fire, capable of suppressing all things. In addition, the Fox King's Charm Technique was useless against him, which made defeating her all too simple.

The Fox King's Charm Technique was powerful—absolutely powerful! If he hadn't possessed the Soul Pearl, he would have been defeated long ago. He would have been severely injured, if not killed. But as luck would have it, he had the perfect counter, so the outcome was completely different.

The moment he defeated the Fox King, the surrounding scenery faded to pitch black. The entrance leading to the outside reappeared before him, the only source of light in the darkness.

Lin Xuan put away his Chi Dragon Heavens Rod and walked out with a faint smile on his face. When he emerged, the entire crowd was stunned. He was out in less than two Hours. Wasn't that a little too fast?

"Haha, out in only two Hours! He must have left right after clearing the Earth Level!"

"How gutless can you be? He gave up after only passing the Earth Level? Weren't they saying he had what it takes to challenge the Celestial Level?"

"He came out right after getting his Earth Level qualification. This Fourth Layer's Floor Master position is too easy to get, isn't it? Hurry up and tell your companions to challenge him! Let's take that Fourth Layer Floor Master title from him!"

...

A wave of ridicule swept through the Demon Race. They felt Lin Xuan was a disgrace to the Demon Fox Race, and that his position as the Fourth Layer's Floor Master was a complete fraud, far too easily won.

"Pfft... Just an Earth Level qualification, and you were telling me Reincarnation Level? Are you joking?" Mo Qianji roared with laughter, his eyes filled with contempt. His gaze on Lin Xuan was like he was looking at garbage.

Lin Xuan ignored the discussions swirling around him. Instead, he turned back to the gate and shouted, "My name is Lin Xuan!"

After he shouted, two massive, golden words materialized in the sky. With two resounding thuds, DONG! DONG!, the words "Lin Xuan" were deeply imprinted upon the Gate of Life and Death!

When the members of the Demon Race saw this, their laughter died abruptly. The entire area fell deathly silent!