Soul Emperor Awakening

The appearance of the two finally brought the atmosphere to a fever pitch. No one knew why the Path of the King would have such a projection, allowing everyone to see. Perhaps it was to witness this historic moment, letting everyone know who exactly passed this First Layer of the Path of the King!

The Path of the King—a road to becoming a true King. Who would it be? Hei Zhenxuan of the Black Dragon Race, or Lin Xuan of the weak Demon Fox Race?

Everyone had originally favored Hei Zhenxuan, believing he would crush Lin Xuan. But now, it seemed that wasn’t the case at all. Hei Zhenxuan looked to be in a sorry state, clearly at a disadvantage.

So what if his Cultivation was higher than Lin Xuan’s? In some respects, he was still far inferior. That being the case, what reason did those who hated the Black Dragon Race have not to support this member of the weak Demon Fox Race?

「Inside the Mysterious Blue Holy Stele.」

When Lin Xuan came to his senses, he found himself in a strange Illusion Realm, surrounded by identical Stone Steles. As far as the eye could see, desolate Stone Steles stood amidst the ice and snow, exuding an air of antiquity and sorrow.

A single glance told him that the inscription on every Stone Stele was exactly the same.

’Is this what I’m supposed to comprehend?’

Lin Xuan crouched down to carefully observe one of the Stone Steles. Carved on it were the words: Heart of the King!

The inscriptions on the other Stone Steles were identical to this one, with no differences whatsoever. The steles were all the same size; even the patterns of cracks on their surfaces were identical. ’This must be an Illusion Realm,’ he thought. ’In reality, there’s probably only one Stone Stele, just multiplied to look like countless others.’

’Heart of the King... such powerful brushstrokes!’

Lin Xuan was astonished as he looked at the Stone Steles. From the aura they exuded, he could feel the commanding power of the brushstrokes; they must have been written by the Youlan Emperor. From these four words alone, he could sense a type of Realm deeply engraved within them. It was a sensation he had experienced before in the Martial God Tower.

’The question is, why are there so many Stone Steles here? What does it mean? Is this the comprehension test? But the writing and content on all of them are identical; there’s no difference at all.’

’Heart of the King... what does it mean?’ Lin Xuan frowned. Amidst the vast, swirling snow, there wasn’t a single hint—only countless Stone Steles standing silently.

He reached out and lightly touched one of the Stone Steles. It instantly dissolved into a flurry of snowflakes and scattered. The spot where it had been was now empty, but countless other steles still stood there. Other than the steles and the endless snow, there was nothing else unusual.

Next, Lin Xuan touched another Stone Stele, with the same result—it dissolved into snowflakes and drifted away, offering no clues. After he touched several more in a row, the outcome was unchanged. The steles simply vanished, leaving no hints behind.

’How am I supposed to comprehend this?’ Lin Xuan frowned, unable to find any way to begin.

’The Heart of the King is a starting point, but that’s usually understood as a King’s mindset. And isn’t a King’s mindset just about getting stronger, about becoming more determined with every setback?’

’But what is there here to challenge me, to let me grow stronger from setbacks? In this land of endless snow, there are no hints at all. It feels like I’ve been put in solitary confinement.’

’Could it be...’ Lin Xuan suddenly had an idea. He sat down in a meditative posture, his mind becoming perfectly calm as he entered the Void Spirit Realm—or rather, he achieved the Realm of Unity of Heaven and Man.

He merged with his surroundings, becoming one with them. After an unknown amount of time, a familiar yet strange voice reached Lin Xuan’s ears.

"Fated one, I have waited for you at last..."

Suddenly, a deep voice drifted in, seeming to come from the heavens, from deep within the earth, and from the bottom of his heart all at once. The voice was filled with Magic Power, swirling around him and compelling him to walk forward.

"Who’s there?" Lin Xuan scanned his surroundings. He could hear the voice but saw no one. He then noticed that all the Stone Steles had vanished, leaving only a boundless expanse of snow.

The moment he spoke, the snow before him suddenly swirled into the air and began to coalesce into a human figure. Before it could fully form, a mass of snow shaped itself into a Palm Seal and swung at him. The snow construct was so enormous he had nowhere to run.

He wasn’t about to sit and wait for death. He leaped up, drew his Chi Dragon Heavens Rod, and with a divine glint in his eyes, swung it forward with all his might.

"Dragon-like Stick!"

A Qi Dragon shot out from the rod, transforming into a roaring Giant Dragon to meet the attack. The surrounding snow was swept up into it, forming a colossal dragon of pure snow. It opened its massive jaws and lunged forward, carving a deep trench in the ground wherever it passed.

BANG!

The dragon of snow and the giant palm of snow collided. With a deafening roar, both shattered into a blizzard of snowflakes that rained down from the sky. Before Lin Xuan could even sigh in relief, the colossal snowy palm reformed and continued to press down on him. The overwhelming pressure made him feel helpless; it had effortlessly crushed his previous attack.

His expression flickered. ’I’m done for,’ he thought. ’This palm strike is going to shatter my very consciousness.’ He could feel that his current form was not physical; it was his soul that had entered this place. An attack here wouldn’t harm his body, but it would damage his soul. Under an assault this terrifying, his mind could truly be broken, leaving him a mindless fool.

He could have unleashed a stronger attack, but everything had happened too suddenly. He could only retaliate with the strongest technique he could muster on such short notice, and it was clearly not enough. Even the power of his Soul Pearl would seem pale and insignificant compared to the giant snowy palm before him.

But just as the colossal snow palm was about to crush him, it suddenly dissolved into a flurry of snowflakes that scattered in all directions, ceasing to exist.

"Your strength is impressive, and you are quick to adapt." A handsome, middle-aged man then walked across the snow toward him, not leaving a single footprint.

The approaching man made Lin Xuan feel an unprecedented pressure, as if the man himself were the embodiment of this endless snowstorm, filled with the Power of Heaven and Earth. Lin Xuan knew he was completely unable to resist. Even the full might of his soul felt utterly insignificant before him.

"Your Comprehension is very high. For the Heart of the King, strength alone is far from enough. You must be: calm of heart, fearless, and without regret. That is a true King!" The middle-aged man stopped in front of Lin Xuan, sizing him up with a faint smile. "Good talent, good disposition... a truly ideal successor. Over so many years, far too few have truly entered the Path of the King. For you to appear here, you must be quite remarkable."

The Heart of the King: calm of heart, fearless, and without regret. To remain unshaken by events, to fear nothing, and to act without regret—that is the mark of a true King!