Soul Emperor Awakening

"More qualified than me?" Mo Qianyun sneered. "You're not the first to say that to me, and you won't be the last, but this will be the last time *you* say it!"

The moment his voice fell, Mo Qianyun shot toward him. His Snake Eyes were locked onto Lin Xuan's every move. The Yulan Sacred Fire covering his body burned even more fiercely, causing the surrounding air temperature to plummet.

Lin Xuan, on the other hand, didn't use any Yulan Sacred Fire. The nine Ice and Snow Badges on his arm seemed like mere decorations, showing no sign of being activated.

"Die!"

Mo Qianyun couldn't be bothered with why Lin Xuan wasn't moving. He thrust forward with the Divine Artifact in his hand. A black gleam flashed from the blade, mixed with a faint, eerie green light—poison. Not only was the blade coated in poison, but even his own Snake Scales had taken on a greenish hue, clinging to the surface of his Ice Armor. If Lin Xuan attacked with his fists or was struck, he would surely be poisoned!

The Demon Snake Race's poison was extremely potent. While not fatal, it could cause paralysis or induce Illusions. It was an ability that was both offensive and defensive, making it a real headache for any opponent.

Just as the curved Snake Sword was about to pierce Lin Xuan, he finally moved. With a slight shift of his body and a faint wisp of green cloud appearing under his feet, he effortlessly dodged the incoming strike.

"You can't escape!"

With a twist of his wrist, Mo Qianyun made the curved Snake Sword move as if it had a mind of its own. It twisted in mid-air, curving in an arc to strike at Lin Xuan. The green light flickered, making the sword look like a lunging snake's head, snapping at him.

The curving motion wasn't slow at all; in fact, it was much faster than the initial thrust. The sound of it cutting through the air rushed toward Lin Xuan's ears. The Killing Intent locked firmly onto Lin Xuan, leaving him nowhere to run.

His sword was fast, but Lin Xuan was faster. With a slight shuffle of his feet, he drifted rapidly to the side, causing Mo Qianyun's attack to miss. Mo Qianyun could no longer keep him locked down.

Mo Qianyun was stunned, not expecting his attack to be dodged so easily. He immediately twisted the Snake Sword in his hand with all his might, attacking Lin Xuan once more. He transitioned between attacks with considerable ease.

But Lin Xuan only dodged, showing no intention of counterattacking. He just kept shifting his feet lightly, continuously evading Mo Qianyun's attacks.

"Coward! Take one of my strikes if you have the guts!" Mo Qianyun was already attacking at full speed, but he found that no matter how he pursued, he couldn't catch up to Lin Xuan.

Instead, it felt like Lin Xuan was toying with him, watching with a cold smile, mocking him for being unable to land a hit. 'So what if I have the Yulan Sacred Fire? So what if I have a Divine Artifact? I can't even lock onto Lin Xuan, so how can I possibly attack him?'

"Coward! Hit me if you have the guts!" Lin Xuan said with a calm smile, starting to taunt him in return.

Mo Qianyun was furious. With so many spectators watching him being toyed with, his anger surged, but he had no way to vent it. He wanted Lin Xuan to attack him. The Demon Snake Race's offense wasn't their strong suit; their counterattacks when struck were their greatest strength.

A cold light flashed in Lin Xuan's eyes. "Did you think King's Purgatory was some walk in the park? The opponents I faced in there had attacks far more cunning than yours! Without experiencing it, you'll never know how insignificant you are. A frog in a well!"

"Poisonous Tyrant of the World!"

Mo Qianyun didn't bother to retort. His Snake Eyes burned with fury as he abruptly twisted his Snake Sword. A wild green light flared around his body, and then countless drops of venom shot from him toward Lin Xuan. The dense poison fell like a torrential downpour, laced with the Yulan Sacred Fire—an eerie blue mixed into the dark green!

"Martial Intent!"

A light flashed in Lin Xuan's eyes as a layer of hard Martial Intent Armor quickly enveloped his body. It looked even more solid and sturdy than before.

After deploying his Martial Intent, he simply stood his ground, coldly watching the poison descend. He was immediately drenched by the venomous rain. The audience saw Lin Xuan completely engulfed by a green deluge, his figure almost entirely obscured.

"Haha, idiot! Did you think you could take my ability so easily...?" Mo Qianyun burst out laughing. But when the poisonous rain dissipated, his laughter died abruptly, as if a hand had suddenly clamped around his throat, choking off all sound.

Revealed before the eyes of the demons, Lin Xuan stood perfectly still, untouched by a single drop of venom and completely unharmed. The Martial Intent had blocked it all. There was no denying that the Poisonous Tyrant of the World was a powerful move, constantly corroding his Martial Intent, but with his formidable Spiritual Power, he had completely withstood the attack.

"Any other abilities?" Lin Xuan sneered, lightly brandishing the Chi Dragon Heavens Rod in his hand. "If not, then it's time to end this. To use you as a sacrifice for my rod right after bringing it out... I'm giving you quite the honor!"

"I... I'll kill you!" Mo Qianyun was utterly shaken. If his strongest Ultimate Skill had no effect, what else could possibly work against Lin Xuan? In a panic, he swung his Snake Sword and charged at Lin Xuan again.

"A chaotic heart means you no longer have any chance of victory..."

A rainbow-colored light flickered in Lin Xuan's eyes. His aura shifted slightly, yet it was impossible to tell what had changed. Immediately after, he powerfully swung the Chi Dragon Heavens Rod and thrust it toward Mo Qianyun.

'He's finally attacking! Courting death!' A flash of delight appeared in Mo Qianyun's eyes. This was the moment he had been waiting for.

He swung his Snake Sword to attack. He didn't try to meet the long rod head-on; instead, he intended to coil around it. This would allow him to advance along the rod to attack. Unless Lin Xuan threw the rod away, he would be entangled.

This attack, in particular, looked remarkably bland. It was just a very ordinary strike with no highlights. Not fast, not slow. In Mo Qianyun's eyes, it was simply too weak. 'So what if his defense is strong? What's the use if his attack is so feeble?'

But just as he swung his sword to make contact, the scene before his eyes instantly changed. The Martial Arts Arena transformed into a graveyard filled with countless Vengeful Spirits. Their wails and howls bored into his body, assaulted his mind, and went straight for his soul to annihilate it!

"AHHH!"

Mo Qianyun's Heart Spirit immediately faltered. A violent pain exploded in his mind. Forget the Illusion before him; even dodging felt impossibly difficult because his body was no longer under his control. The soul is the foundation of bodily control. With his soul so heavily affected, how could he possibly command his body?

THUD!

In the instant his Heart Spirit wavered, Lin Xuan's simple-looking thrust had already pierced through the tough Ice Protective Armor, striking him hard in the chest with a dull thud and sending him flying.

Mo Qianyun lay on the ground, severely injured and coughing up blood nonstop. Still clinging to life, he clutched his head and screamed in agony.

The pain of the soul was far more intense than any physical torment.

And this move was the very Ultimate Skill Lin Xuan had comprehended in the King's Purgatory, which he named: Soul Devouring!