Soul Emperor Awakening

Stepping into the Cultivation Chamber again reminded him of his time in the Magma Cultivation Chamber. The pain he'd experienced then was simply unparalleled, and now he was entering the King's Purgatory, a place even more terrifying!

If Jin Wei and the others knew Lin Xuan was going inside, they would have certainly tried to stop him. The reason was simple: it was just too difficult. Although they wanted Lin Xuan to become the City Lord, this was far too hasty. Such things had to be taken slowly.

But Lin Xuan had no intention of taking it slow. 'If I have a chance, I have to seize it, not wait around. I'll charge straight to the Ninth Layer in one go and become the fastest person to ever do it!' Of course, Lin Xuan didn't know if he would actually be the first person in history to make it to the top, but he figured it was best to get there as quickly as possible.

At the very least, he would be the first human to climb to the Ninth Layer. No one would have ever guessed that Lin Xuan was a human.

When he entered the King's Purgatory, there was no change in gravity; it remained the same as before. He had anticipated this. 'This trial definitely won't increase the gravity. The reason the previous Fox King could only reach the Eighth Layer wasn't that she only had eight badges.'

'Completing the trial on the Sixth Layer would have earned her nine Ice and Snow Badges, so it's impossible that the Eighth Layer was her limit because of a lack of badges. The reason was simple: the gravity on the Eighth Layer had reached her physical limit. The body of a Demon Fox is inherently weak, so for her to have reached the Eighth Layer was already quite an accomplishment.'

'Therefore, the gravity here couldn't be too intense or change drastically.' Just as he'd imagined, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. The only difference was that the surrounding scenery had transformed into a barren desert.

The scenery wasn't particularly harsh, nor was there anything strange about it. However, just as he appeared, a member of the Demon Snake Race materialized before him. Unlike Mo Qianyun and his kin, this was a pure-blooded Demon Snake. His entire body was covered in a layer of silvery snakeskin that glinted under the blazing sun.

Without a word, the Demon Snake charged at Lin Xuan. Its speed was neither fast nor slow, but in Lin Xuan's eyes, it was actually a bit sluggish. As it closed in, its hand blurred, striking toward him like a venomous viper.

Lin Xuan didn't hesitate to throw a punch in return. The moment his fist made contact, it felt like striking a slippery, elusive liquid. The Demon Snake twisted its serpentine waist, using the momentum in an attempt to evade the blow.

"Scram!"

With a low growl from Lin Xuan, his fist flashed with a golden gleam. He unleashed a sudden burst of force, and the Demon Snake was sent flying back, dissolving into a wisp of white smoke that vanished into the air.

"First opponent defeated. The second battle will commence in the time it takes one stick of incense to burn!" That familiar voice drifted down from the sky again. It was the exact same one he had heard during the Reincarnation Level trial.

'So there's a second battle, huh...' Lin Xuan didn't bother resting. Dealing with that Demon Snake had been far too easy; he'd finished it with a single punch and expended practically no effort.

The time it took for an incense stick to burn passed in the blink of an eye. The moment it was up, the second battle began, and a member of the Black Tiger Race appeared before him. Its aura was slightly more powerful than the Demon Snake's, but the overall increase in strength wasn't significant—just a tiny bit stronger.

"ROAR!"

The Black Tiger let out a furious roar and pounced at Lin Xuan. The result was no different; he blasted it apart with a single punch. 'I can take out a member of the Black Dragon Race with one punch, so there's no need to even mention these weaker-defended opponents.'

"Second opponent defeated. The third battle will commence in the time it takes two sticks of incense to burn!" It was the familiar voice again. The message was slightly different, and the rest time had been extended.

'Am I just going to be fighting one after another? If it's really like this, then it's no wonder the previous Fox King was able to win. By relying on her Charm Technique, she could have entranced many of her opponents and breezed through these trials...' Lin Xuan's eyes lit up. 'If this keeps up, it's going to be a walk in the park. It's practically a freebie!'

...

Three days passed in the blink of an eye. Outside, news of Lin Xuan challenging the King's Purgatory had spread, and everyone was shocked that he had dared to take on the trial. Some believed he would never come out, while others thought he would emerge victorious. Bets were even being placed on whether Lin Xuan would come out alive or die inside.

The betting deadline was set for one week. A week was considered a very long time; if he hadn't emerged by then, it would mean Lin Xuan had died inside.

Meanwhile, inside the King's Purgatory, Lin Xuan was covered in injuries. Blood stained his clothes as he sat meditating in the desert, restoring his Elemental Power. His expression was grim; while he was certainly not at ease, he showed no signs of pain either.

"Sixty-third battle complete. The sixty-fourth battle will commence after a rest period of sixty-three sticks of incense!" the familiar voice announced.

The sixty-third battle! He had fought sixty-three consecutive battles here. Each opponent was stronger than the last. At first, the increase in strength was minuscule, but as the number of battles stacked up, the cumulative increase became substantial.

'And I have no idea when this will end. I've already fought sixty-three battles. Will the next one be the last? Or will there be many more? There's no information, just an announcement to rest and prepare for the next round.'

"This is a Reincarnation Level trial, all right. That last opponent was already on par with the Bear Dominator Level." Lin Xuan exhaled, finally feeling a bit of pressure. If the difficulty kept increasing like this, his opponents would become truly terrifying.

He hadn't used his full strength, however. There were still many abilities he had yet to unleash, as he had been ending every fight with a single punch. The only reason this was taking so long was the mandatory rest periods.

"If I keep fighting, my Cultivation will constantly improve. This place is truly a great training ground!" Lin Xuan licked his lips and stood up, the blood in his veins boiling with anticipation. By continuing to fight, his Cultivation would skyrocket.

This was the power of his Lin Family bloodline—one that grew stronger through combat.

...

A month passed in the blink of an eye. Lin Xuan still hadn't emerged, but no one believed he was dead. The reason was simple: the Token for the trial had not reappeared on the quest board. Only upon completion or death would the Token return, making the trial available for the next person.

To this day, the Token had not returned, proving that Lin Xuan was still alive!

The original seven-day bets now had to be postponed, leaving many members of the Demon Race in eager anticipation. Could it be that Lin Xuan was actually going to pass?

"Quick, look! The Token is back! Does that mean Lin Xuan is coming out?"

Someone's shout instantly alerted numerous Demon Cultivators. They all rushed over to the Cultivation Chamber, crowding around the entrance to wait for Lin Xuan to emerge. Some of them had placed considerable bets; if they lost, they would be out a significant amount of Energy Points.

'Is he really coming out?' Mo Qianyun suddenly felt a pang of fear. He found it hard to believe that Lin Xuan had actually cleared the King's Purgatory.

Most of the Demon Cultivators had gathered near the Cultivation Chamber, completely filling the area. But they were left to wait for a full day, and the great door still didn't open.

What in the world was going on?