Soul Emperor Awakening

Hei Zhenxuan, a super genius of the Black Dragon Race, had another identity: the Floor Master of the Ninth Layer. In fact, he had an even more profound background—he was the son of the Black Dragon Race’s Dragon King!

Judging by Hei Zhenxuan’s talent, he should have become a Spirit Pill Stage expert long ago. But he hadn’t broken through. Instead, he stubbornly suppressed his Cultivation, unwilling to advance. He did it all to claim the position of City Lord of this Ice and Snow Tower, and he had waited here for many years.

Lin Xuan could sense this. In terms of Realm, Hei Zhenxuan could already rival a Spirit Pill Stage expert, even surpassing experts one or two levels into the Spirit Pill Stage. His body was covered in pitch-black Dragon Scales, and whether in luster or hardness, they far surpassed those of Hei Feng.

In fact, the Dragon Scales were a way to judge the strength of a member of the Black Dragon Race. The tougher and more lustrously black the scales, the purer their bloodline and the more astonishing their power. Only a true royal bloodline could produce such radiant Dragon Scales. His physical body alone was enough to overwhelm anything in his path.

On his arm were a full ten Ice and Snow Badges; the count was already maxed out. Faintly shimmering on them was the word "King," proving that he had passed the King’s Purgatory.

The fact that he had also passed the King’s Purgatory didn’t surprise Lin Xuan. If he didn’t even have that much strength, he wouldn’t have deserved to be the Floor Master of the Ninth Layer for so long. He might as well have gone home and become a farmer.

’He’s very strong!’ Lin Xuan evaluated him internally. ’As expected of an expert who deliberately suppressed his Cultivation. Combined with his pure Black Dragon Race bloodline, his power is unrivaled!’

Facing him, even Lin Xuan felt a sense of pressure. Although the Hei Zhenxuan before him was only at the Peak of Essence Pill Stage, a mere three minor realms below Lin Xuan’s own power, it felt like facing a Spirit Pill Stage expert. This was the effect of suppressing one’s strength. After extreme compression, the aura he released was in no way weaker than that of a Spirit Pill Stage expert.

This was the first time he had faced an opponent who suppressed their Cultivation and refused to break through. ’He must have compressed the Elemental Power in his body to the absolute limit. The resulting explosion of power will be terrifying.’

"So you’re the kid from the Demon Fox Race who’s been causing such a stir lately. I’m surprised the Demon Fox Race could still produce a genius like you. Then again, you’re a mix of human and Demon Fox, so all sorts of things can get mixed into your body. That’s the only reason you’ve changed at all, but that’s as far as you’ll go. Only the purest bloodline can truly manifest one’s strength! Too much mixing, and the end result is no better than a mutt."

Hei Zhenxuan looked at Lin Xuan with contempt, as if staring at a pile of miscellaneous trash. In his eyes, an impure bloodline was garbage. He revered only the purest King’s bloodline; everything else was trash to him!

"The purest bloodline, you say? I hate to break it to you, but my bloodline is my own." Lin Xuan smiled faintly, completely unfazed by the pressure Hei Zhenxuan was releasing. He still felt relaxed and at ease.

Many things in his body had been enhanced, but his Lin Bloodline remained. Besides, in the later stages of Cultivation, the soul is what’s most important, not whatever changes the body undergoes.

"Oh, your own bloodline? The bloodline of the Demon Fox Race is considered pretty pathetic among the many clans of the Demon Race. And you’re proud of it?" Hei Zhenxuan said calmly, showing neither pleasure nor anger. "You even passed the King’s Purgatory, so it seems your strength isn’t weak. What, do you really want to challenge me?"

Hei Zhenxuan glanced at Lin Xuan’s arm, obviously having seen the mark on it. Even without looking, he had already received news about it.

"No bloodline is trash, only those who fail to utilize their own to the fullest!" Lin Xuan snorted. He wasn’t from the Demon Fox Race, but in the eyes of the Demon Race, a human bloodline was even worse, so he certainly wasn’t going to agree with that sentiment.

There was absolutely no such thing as a useless bloodline. Through one’s own efforts, any bloodline could be awakened to its full potential.

"’No bloodline is trash?’" After hearing this, Hei Zhenxuan burst out laughing as if he’d just heard the world’s biggest joke. "To even say something like that... you’re just fooling yourself. If your bloodline was so great, how come you aren’t the most powerful force on the Demon Race Continent? In the end, weren’t you nearly wiped out? Remember, the current rulers of the Demon Race Continent are my Black Dragon Race! Even the Phoenix Race has to step aside!"

A black light flashed in his eyes as a wave of arrogance surged through him. He looked down on Lin Xuan from the bottom of his heart. Even though Lin Xuan had passed the King’s Purgatory, he still despised him. Trash was trash; it would never turn into a treasure.

"You’ve got a big mouth!" Lin Xuan sneered and looked at him. "How about we go settle this in the arena right now?"

He wasn’t the least bit afraid. Even though Hei Zhenxuan’s aura was stronger, he was still confident he could defeat him. If he didn’t even have that much confidence, then all his years of Cultivation would have been for nothing.

"Challenge me? No problem. But if I kill you with a single slap, then all my waiting here will have been for nothing!" Hei Zhenxuan sneered at him. "Since you passed the King’s Purgatory, you must have seen that towering staircase. That’s the mission for the Path of the King! To open this Path of the King, you need two or more keys to actually enter."

"Dammit, a bunch of useless trash!" Hei Zhenxuan turned his head and cursed at Hei Feng and the others. "All these years, every single one of you has had such pathetic Cultivation, forcing me to suppress my own for so long! If it wasn’t for the fact that opening the Path of the King requires two or more keys, the position of City Lord would have been mine long ago!"

Hei Feng and the others lowered their heads as they were berated, not daring to talk back. They hadn’t even reached Peak of Essence Pill Stage Cultivation, so how could they dare challenge the King’s Purgatory? It was a near-certain death sentence. Hei Zhenxuan knew they weren’t capable of the challenge, which was why he hadn’t forced them to participate.

"Opening the Path of the King requires two keys?" Lin Xuan’s brow furrowed. If that was the case, he would really have to cooperate with Hei Zhenxuan. If he defeated Hei Zhenxuan, who would be left to open the Path of the King with him?

"Kid, aren’t you so confident in your own strength?" Hei Zhenxuan sneered. "What, are you afraid to take on the Path of the King mission? If you’re unwilling to accept this mission with me, then I’d have to say you’re worse than trash!"

"Fine." Lin Xuan accepted the task. His line of thought was the same as Hei Zhenxuan’s; if one of them was missing, neither could become the City Lord.

One of the conditions for becoming the City Lord was to complete these two Reincarnation Level missions. Otherwise, having a full ten badges was completely useless.

"Good!" Hei Zhenxuan’s eyes lit up as he smiled. "You’ve got guts. If you can survive the Path of the King, I’ll allow you to challenge me. If you lose, I’ll let you keep half your life!"

He spoke as if the outcome of their battle was already a foregone conclusion, and crushing Lin Xuan would be effortless.

Lin Xuan didn’t respond. He had long since stopped caring about people so arrogant their eyes were on the top of their heads. Everything would be settled after they passed through the Path of the King.