Soul Emperor Awakening

Hei Yaoguang threw a heavy punch. While not his full strength, he had unleashed most of his power, which carried his signature Erosion Power! This power radiated from his body, designed to invade an enemy's system and wreak havoc from within.

Yet Lin Xuan caught it with ease, not retreating a single step as he brought the blow to a dead stop! The devouring black light aimed at Lin Xuan had no effect whatsoever. Instead, it was repelled by the tyrannical Golden Elemental Power, which then surged back toward Hei Yaoguang.

"Th-this... how is this possible...?"

Hei Yaoguang felt the Golden Elemental Power being forced into his body. As the tyrannical energy surged within him, it was as if it transformed into countless daggers, frantically tearing through his insides. It smashed through his Body-Protecting Elemental Power and even severed his meridians!

"Nothing is impossible!"

Lin Xuan swung his fist, slamming it into Hei Yaoguang's chest. His fist glowed with a golden light, shining like a dazzling sun. At the same time, real Dragon Scales sprouted from his knuckles—not scales formed from Elemental Power, but true, physical Golden Dragon Scales!

"BOOM!"

The heavy punch smashed into his chest, sending Hei Yaoguang flying backward. The black scales over his chest shattered and scattered, followed by a spray of black blood. Lin Xuan's punch had obliterated the tough Dragon Scales, nearly piercing straight through Hei Yaoguang's entire body.

He slammed into the protective barrier and rebounded off it, inflicting a second wave of damage. The barrier, it seemed, was quite a hazard in its own right.

After rebounding, he landed sprawled on the ground. Black blood flowed from his body, spreading in a pool around him. The members of the Demon Race watched, dumbfounded. Hei Yaoguang didn't get up. His body twitched slightly, and then, very quickly, fell completely still.

Lin Xuan's fist was still covered in black blood. With a casual flick, he shook it clean.

Just then, the Ice and Snow Energy within Hei Yaoguang's body floated out and flowed into Lin Xuan, adding a small amount of energy to him. They had only possessed five Ice and Snow Badges, not six, so the bonus was relatively small.

Then, Hei Yaoguang's body vanished, leaving only the pool of black blood on the ground—a shocking sight.

"Next," Lin Xuan said calmly.

It was simple, brutal strength. He hadn't used any special Martial Arts, just a head-on clash of power—a pure contest of might! Who said the Demon Fox Race couldn't compare to the Black Dragon Race? Wasn't this a complete and utter rout?

"I'll fight you!"

Another member of the Black Dragon Race immediately leaped in. The barrier had barely shimmered into place when he charged forward in a rage, his steps making the very ground tremble. In his fury, the black Dragon Scales covering his body gleamed with an even darker luster as black Elemental Power surged out, flooding his entire being.

"Black Clouds at Dawn!"

He threw his arms forward, concentrating all the black Elemental Power into them, making them look a size larger. He then unleashed a heavy punch toward Lin Xuan, as if the black sky itself was crashing down, leaving no room for escape.

As members of the Divine Beast Level Black Dragon Race, they were hardly as simple-minded as the Giant Bear Race; they had far too many inherited techniques at their disposal. They no longer wanted to rely on pure strength. Only by combining their power with their Martial Arts could they bring their might to its absolute peak.

"Too weak!"

Lin Xuan sneered. Golden light flashed across his body as golden Dragon Scales materialized all over him, making him look as if he were clad in golden armor. The swelling Golden Elemental Power took the form of a Golden Dragon coiling around his body.

With a powerful stomp, he charged straight into the descending black mist. Just as he was enveloped, the assembled members of the Demon Race saw a blinding light erupt from within the mist, like the sun bursting through black clouds!

"BOOM!"

He shattered the black fist formed of Elemental Power with a single punch, then followed up with another heavy blow that landed squarely on his opponent.

"BAM!"

His opponent threw his head back and spat a mouthful of blood. The toughest black scales on his chest were shattered. Those with sharp eyes could see a large depression caved into the Black Dragon's chest; his heart had surely been pulverized. He was as good as dead.

Lin Xuan landed, his expression calm. He showed no signs of exertion, appearing utterly relaxed and at ease.

As his opponent collapsed, the Ice and Snow Energy floated out and entered Lin Xuan's body. The battle was over. It was time for the next.

"Were those Golden Dragon Race Dragon Scales just now? And... and they're on a member of the Demon Fox Race?"

"I think he must have absorbed a Dragon Bone from the Golden Dragon Race over the past four months. How else could this be possible?"

"The Golden Dragon Race gave him a Dragon Bone to absorb? They're really sparing no expense. Why give it to a member of the Demon Fox Race and not one of their own? They treat the Demon Fox Race a little too well, don't they? But then again, I suppose the Demon Fox Race never betrayed them, so it's normal to give them a reward."

...

The onlooking Demon Race members were stunned by the Dragon Scales Lin Xuan had revealed. A Demon Fox certainly couldn't have such an ability. He must have absorbed a Dragon Bone to be able to manifest them. Without absorbing a Dragon Bone, how could Golden Dragon Scales possibly appear?

Lin Xuan had indeed completely absorbed the Golden Dragon Bone, though the process hadn't taken four months. The excruciating pain had lasted for a full half-month before it ended. He hadn't passed out during the process; instead, he had gritted his teeth and endured it, perfectly absorbing the Golden Dragon Bone.

The remaining three months were spent completely familiarizing himself with this body, accelerating the fusion of the Dragon Bone within him and increasing his compatibility with it. In a sense, it was a brand-new body, so getting used to it was essential. That was why he had spent a full four months in total.

In addition, his Cultivation had risen by one level, from the Fifth Layer Essence Pill Stage to the Sixth Layer. The increase wasn't huge, which was within his expectations. Replacing a bone was not the same as Cultivation, so it didn't result in an explosive increase, but the effect was far more potent than merely raising his Cultivation would have been.

Not only did it surpass the effects of a Golden Element Body, but his affinity for Golden Elemental Power had also increased dramatically. His physical strength, in particular, had taken a massive leap, practically doubling. Originally, his maximum tolerance in the Cultivation Secret Chamber was around 1.3 to 1.4 million jin, but now, his capacity had increased to over two million jin!

Others are born with Divine Power, but his was acquired, transforming him in every way. The terrifying level of his strength was beyond his own imagination. No wonder the Dragon Race was so formidable. As his Cultivation continued to increase, his power would become even more astonishing.

That was why crushing those two young members of the Black Dragon Race with a single punch had been so incredibly easy!

"Next." Golden light swirled in Lin Xuan's eyes, his battle lust palpable.