Soul Emperor Awakening

The first path was the Path of Ice, and the second was the Lava Path, two roads with completely different challenges. However, for Lin Xuan, neither posed a significant problem. He could pass them with relative ease; they were just a little troublesome.

After sprinting through, he finally passed the second trial, the Lava Path. Just as he emerged, he was greeted by a passage that had returned to its original state, paved with Ice Jade and with no further changes.

But before he could celebrate, a mental assault surged forth, ruthlessly invading his mind. The scene before his eyes transformed into a dense jungle. Immediately after, a horde of Demon Beasts charged toward him. Their sheer numbers created the feeling of a stampede, making the very ground tremble.

"An Illusion!"

Lin Xuan’s heart tightened. ’So the Path of the King isn’t that simple after all. The next stage is a path of Illusions. Beyond just Charm, it’s more about frantically assaulting my soul, trying to trap me within this Illusion.’

If his soul were to be completely compromised, he would descend into madness forever, trapped here until death. Of course, he might also turn back and run into the Lava Path, which would be a certain death sentence.

’But this is useless against me. If there’s one thing I’m not afraid of, it’s Illusions!’

A cold smile played on Lin Xuan’s lips. His eyes flashed, and the Illusion before him was shattered with ease, revealing the normal passage once more. He immediately continued running, not lingering for a moment, leaving Hei Zhenxuan far behind with an overwhelming lead.

’First was the path of gravity, then the Path of Ice, then the Lava Path, and now the path of Illusions... what’s left?’ All the trials so far had been considerably difficult. If not for Lin Xuan’s solid foundation, he truly would have been stuck. Furthermore, once on the Path of the King, there was no stopping.

The only chance to stop was before the great door at the very end. If one lacked the keys, they could be teleported out, which was why Hei Zhenxuan was so familiar with this place. But no matter how familiar he was, he couldn’t outrun Lin Xuan now.

As he pushed forward, he finally ran through the long corridor and emerged into a wide-open space. What greeted him was not another difficult trial, but a massive Stone Stele!

Aside from this Stone Stele, the area had no other paths or corridors. A single line was carved upon the Stele: "Path of the King: Only by comprehending its realm can one become a King!"

"Path of the King: Only by comprehending its realm can one become a King?" Lin Xuan stared at the inscription, stunned. ’I don’t quite understand what it means.’

As he moved closer to examine it, he felt a chilling aura emanating from within the Stone Stele. A heart-stopping tremor spread from the depths of his being, making him feel as if the stele contained an endless power that could crush him at any moment.

’This Stone Stele...’ Lin Xuan reached out and gently touched it. In that instant, he felt his soul being pulled in. The next moment, his consciousness blurred, as if he had been sucked into another dimension!

At that same moment, a floating image appeared in mid-air on every floor of the Ice and Snow Tower. The image displayed the scene of Lin Xuan touching the Stone Stele—it was essentially a live broadcast of his actions.

All the members of the Demon Race were stunned when they saw this, completely bewildered. How had Lin Xuan suddenly appeared there? And why was he touching the Stone Stele, motionless, as if he had entered a state of obsession?

"Path of the King: Only by comprehending its realm can one become a King!" An ethereal voice drifted down from the sky, echoing throughout the entire Ice and Snow Tower.

Every member of the Demon Race looked up at the image, utterly stunned. Those on the Sixth Layer and above were especially aware that Lin Xuan was participating in the Path of the King. Even some Demon Cultivators below the Sixth Layer knew, having gathered information in advance to avoid being blinded by the tempting rewards.

And now, Lin Xuan had not only entered the Path of the King but seemed to have reached a critical stage.

"Th-this looks like the legendary Mysterious Blue Holy Stele, doesn’t it? It holds the Ultimate Skill of the Youlan Emperor! If he comprehends it, won’t Lin Xuan’s power skyrocket?"

"I think you’re right! Doesn’t that mean he’s reached the reward phase of the Path of the King?"

"Speaking of which, didn’t Hei Zhenxuan enter too? How come we don’t see him?"

...

The crowd of demons erupted. The population of the Demon Race across all nine layers numbered at least a million, and seeing this, they were all in an uproar. This was the Ultimate Skill of the Youlan Emperor!

The Youlan Emperor was the title given to the creator of the Ice and Snow Tower. The Yulan Sacred Fire was merely a type of Energy, on the same Level as Elemental Power. All of the Youlan Emperor’s Ultimate Skills were based on the Yulan Sacred Fire. To fully unleash the power of the Yulan Sacred Fire, one had to learn the Youlan Emperor’s Ultimate Skill.

Now, the opportunity lay right before Lin Xuan. The only question was whether he could learn it. If he did, he would become a true King!

Looks of jealousy and envy filled the eyes of the countless members of the Demon Race. This was an immense temptation for them all, but how could any of them possibly enter with their level of strength? The Ice and Snow Tower was full of opportunities; whether one had the power to seize them was another matter entirely.

The Ice and Snow Energy rewarded from many tasks could be exchanged for all sorts of good things, but those without the ability to complete them could only watch with envy.

However, the sight of Lin Xuan alone, with no sign of Hei Zhenxuan, surprised them. They couldn’t figure out what had happened.

On the Ninth Layer, Hei Feng and his companions were dumbfounded. ’Where is our boss? Did something happen to him?’

Just as they were refusing to believe their leader could have died along the way, Hei Zhenxuan’s figure finally appeared in the image. He looked utterly wretched, his entire body scorched. Under normal circumstances, his condition would be considered quite good, but in comparison to Lin Xuan, he looked pathetic—no better than a beggar.

The expressions on the faces of the watching Demon Race members were odd. They didn’t know what Hei Zhenxuan had gone through, but they assumed both had faced the same trials. The question was, if Hei Zhenxuan looked so wretched now, ’Could it be that he’s actually weaker than Lin Xuan?’

"The Mysterious Blue Holy Stele!" Hei Zhenxuan had been about to curse, but the sight of the stele sent a jolt through him. ’This is bad! I have to start comprehending immediately, or I’ll lose! I absolutely cannot let him get ahead of me!’

He hadn’t expected Lin Xuan to be so powerful, passing through so many trials with ease and completely dominating him. It made him doubt Lin Xuan was even from the Demon Fox Race; he seemed more like a member of the Golden Dragon Race.

He quickly followed suit, placing his hand on the Mysterious Blue Holy Stele and allowing his soul to merge with it in order to comprehend the secrets hidden within.

The race had just ended, and now the competition was one of comprehension. Whoever could grasp this Ultimate Skill first would become the King!