Soul Emperor Awakening

'This is a true Golden Dragon Bone...'

Lin Xuan looked at the Golden Dragon Bone before him, his eyes filled with shock. If he absorbed it, the enhancement to his body would be self-evident. It was far stronger than what he had absorbed in the Bone Forging Pool. The energy there had been diluted to allow more disciples to absorb it; they would never just bring out a real bone for someone to absorb.

This Golden Dragon Bone was not large, only about the size of a palm. It looked quite small, yet it contained infinite Golden Elemental Power. This was a Golden Dragon Bone left behind by an ancestor who had passed away. Of course, it wasn't just this small piece originally; the other Golden Dragon Bones had already been absorbed, leaving only this single one.

There weren't many to begin with, so the one remaining was all the more precious. Absorbing an ancestor's Dragon Bone might seem disrespectful, but these Dragon Bones were actually the crystallized essence of Elemental Power, not a literal part of the body. It was similar to a powerful human who, before death, separates their life's Ultimate Skill and condenses it into an essence. The principle was more or less the same.

If they didn't absorb it, other members of the Demon Race would show no courtesy, absorbing as much as they possibly could. It would be of great benefit to them.

"This is the Golden Dragon Bone. I can sense a bit of the Golden Dragon Race's aura on you. I presume you've absorbed some before." Jin Wei didn't shy away from the topic. For an ordinary human, this would easily disgust them, but they could accept Lin Xuan doing it. At least he hadn't killed members of their Golden Dragon Race for it.

"Yes, I've absorbed a little," Lin Xuan answered truthfully.

"Since you've absorbed it before, you must know the pain involved. When a human absorbs a Golden Dragon Bone, the effect is different from when we do. For humans, it's extremely painful because it completely strengthens your own bones—it's almost equivalent to getting a whole new skeleton. The level of pain is naturally far greater than what we experience," Jin Wei reminded him. "If you pass out, we'll have to stop the absorption. While it won't greatly affect the final result, we'll have to wait for you to wake up to continue. The process will become extremely long. Do you understand what I mean?"

Lin Xuan nodded. "I understand." Having absorbed it before, he knew full well. Even if it didn't affect the final outcome, it would affect their mood. The interruptions would annoy them and make them think his willpower wasn't strong enough.

'Passing out occasionally is normal. The pain is like having your bones stripped from your body, so of course it's excruciating. Fainting once in a while is acceptable, but if it happens too often, it will shake the Golden Dragon Race's confidence in me.'

'If I can't even endure this, how can I even talk about becoming the City Lord?'

"Then let's begin. The two of us will help you integrate this Golden Dragon Bone. If you can fuse with it in one go, it will be much easier for us as well," said Jin Wei.

"I'm ready. We can start now!" Lin Xuan sat down in a meditative posture, waiting to absorb the Ten Thousand Year Golden Dragon Bone.

Immediately, not wanting to waste any more words, Jin Wei and the other Elder mobilized the Golden Elemental Power in their bodies. They enveloped the Ten Thousand Year Golden Dragon Bone, which dissolved into a ball of golden liquid at a speed visible to the naked eye. Once it had completely melted, it suddenly surged forward and wrapped around Lin Xuan's body.

The moment it touched his body, Lin Xuan felt a terrifying pain spread across his skin. It felt as if his skin was being peeled off, but the agony didn't make him cry out. His expression remained unchanged, his complexion steady. After all the years of hardship and suffering he had endured, this bit of pain was nothing.

Besides, this was just the beginning. As the golden liquid seeped into his body, it began to frantically merge with his bones. The instant it entered, the intense pain still forced a muffled groan from him. He could feel his own bones melting away, then being filled and replaced by the golden liquid.

This process was extremely slow and would take a very long time. One could only imagine how long the agony would last.

"Unity of Heaven and Man!"

Lin Xuan immediately sank into a deep state, completely immersing his consciousness in the surrounding area and becoming one with it. The pain instantly lessened somewhat, but he could still feel it spreading slowly and agonizingly to his limbs.

The two Elders exchanged a look, both seeing the shock in each other's eyes. They knew the pain involved; they just hadn't expected Lin Xuan to endure for so long with no sign of passing out. Not only was his will firm, but it seemed he was even adapting to the pain!

「Four months passed in the blink of an eye.」

News about Lin Xuan flew wildly throughout the Ice and Snow Tower. The most discussed topic was that the position of Floor Master of the Fifth Layer was about to be open for challenges again.

If Lin Xuan didn't return soon, the position of Fifth Layer's Floor Master would be automatically vacated, and challenges for it could resume.

As for the Fourth Layer's Floor Master, the moment Lin Xuan became the Fifth Layer's Floor Master, the position was immediately contested. It took a month for a new Floor Master to be chosen.

"Why isn't that Lin Xuan back yet? If he doesn't come back, his position as the Fifth Layer's Floor Master will go to waste."

"Does he even dare to come back? Have you forgotten what happened that day? The Black Dragon Race was surrounding the place. Even if he comes back now, so what? The Black Dragon Race has already made their arrangements. The moment he dares to return, he'll have to face four challenges in a row. That Lin Xuan will be fought to death!"

"Four consecutive battles... that rule is such a trap. You can't even rest in between. The gauntlet alone is enough to wear him down to death."

...

Four months away meant four consecutive matches upon return, with no rest or recovery in between. Unless one brought their own Elixir Pills, there was no chance to rest at all. And what if he did have Elixir Pills? Unless they had some Heaven-Defying effect, they would only restore him slowly. He would have to fight the next battle before he was fully recovered.

The rule was a trap, but there was nothing to be done about it; the rules set by the previous City Lord of the Ice and Snow Tower could not be changed. This was precisely why the Floor Masters here didn't dare to leave casually. Of course, if one was powerful enough, it didn't matter, as no one would dare to challenge them anyway.

Just as all the demons assumed Lin Xuan would never appear again, much like how the Golden Dragon Race had disappeared from the Ice and Snow Tower, a familiar yet strange figure reappeared inside the tower!

"Th-that's not... the kid from the Demon Fox Race!"

The moment a figure appeared on the First Layer of the Ice and Snow Tower, he was immediately spotted by the Demon Race. The aura of the Demon Fox Race was quickly sensed, and upon sensing it, they immediately thought of Lin Xuan!

All the demons turned to look, and they really did see Lin Xuan striding in from the main entrance. He still had six Ice and Snow Badges on his arm and didn't look much different, but his entire aura had changed dramatically.

He gave the assembled demons a feeling of being completely reborn, as if he had undergone a tremendous transformation. Yet, they couldn't pinpoint what had changed, because he looked the same as before. His Cultivation, however, had improved, breaking through from the Fifth Layer of the Essence Pill Stage to the Sixth Layer.

After four months, the King had finally returned!