Soul Emperor Awakening

"Kid, how do you have the Yulan Pearl I gave to Hu Bai!?" the Youlan Emperor demanded, his eyes wide with shock.

He was utterly stunned the moment he sensed Lin Xuan release the Yulan Sacred Fire. It wasn’t just the Youlan Emperor; even Lin Xuan was shocked. ’The Yulan Pearl was actually a gift from this Youlan Emperor? Could the two of them have some kind of relationship?’

"This was left behind by the Fox King of the Demon Fox Race. Did she have some connection to you?" Lin Xuan asked, studying the Youlan Emperor’s expression. ’Logically, they should be worlds apart. Hu Bai only came to participate after the Ice and Snow Tower was built.’

’So their Cultivation levels must have been worlds apart; they couldn’t possibly be connected. Why would a peerless expert bother with a little Demon Fox?’

"She was my wife..." The Youlan Emperor sighed, his voice growing extremely heavy and tinged with sorrow.

"She was your wife..." Lin Xuan sucked in a cold breath. Although he had considered the possibility, he was still shocked. ’From this perspective, the Fox King of the Demon Fox Race must have been quite something for her husband to be the former City Lord of the Ice and Snow Tower!’

It was simply unimaginable. He had only ever heard that Hu Bai died at the hands of humans and had fallen in love with one before her death, but he never expected it to be the Youlan Emperor. ’Isn’t his Level a bit too high for that?’

"Yes. I didn’t get to see her before she passed away. I should say, I came back too late. Otherwise, things wouldn’t have ended up this way..." The Youlan Emperor sighed again, a hint of regret in his eyes.

With the Youlan Emperor’s Cultivation, his lifespan was probably measured in tens of thousands of years. The Fox King, however, was different. Her talent was good, but that didn’t guarantee she could break through to a higher realm. Without breaking through, even those at the Spirit King Stage had a limited lifespan. In truth, every Cultivation level has a lifespan; the only difference is the length.

The Youlan Emperor returned too late to help Hu Bai, not even to assist her breakthrough. In the Late Stage, it’s possible to help, but it depends on what resources the Youlan Emperor had on hand. Without resources, he couldn’t have helped much.

Lin Xuan was silent for a moment as the atmosphere grew heavy. ’It seems it wasn’t a matter of being heartless, just bad timing.’

"Don’t dwell on these things. It all happened a long time ago," the Youlan Emperor said, his gaze burning as he looked at Lin Xuan. "The key thing, which I find very strange, is that you can control the Yulan Pearl. I created it by condensing my Yulan Sacred Fire. Although it can’t compare to the purest Yulan Sacred Fire, its effect is still quite good. But when I made it, I tailored it specifically for Hu Bai. To be blunt, besides Hu Bai, it’s impossible for anyone else to control it. So how can you?"

This was his main concern. Only he could create the Yulan Pearl, and after adding Hu Bai’s Essence Blood, it became something only she could control. No one else could. No wonder no one in the Demon Fox Race had ever succeeded in controlling it. And it made even more sense now why Hu Bai, before her death, had instructed that if someone with a predestined fate obtained it, they shouldn’t be forced to return it.

It was her exclusive treasure and couldn’t be given to others. All the members of the Demon Fox Race had tried, but no matter how high their Cultivation, they couldn’t subdue it.

Ultimately, no one but Hu Bai could control it. If Lin Xuan didn’t possess Hu Bai’s soul, he wouldn’t be able to control it either. It was the resonance between their souls that allowed him to subdue the Yulan Pearl. He owed his ability to obtain the Yulan Pearl entirely to Hu Bai’s soul; one could not work without the other.

If he had really handed the Yulan Pearl over to those humans, they would never have been able to gain control of it, no matter how hard they tried—unless they possessed a Soul Pearl. But possessing a Soul Pearl was just a prerequisite. They would also need Hu Bai’s soul. Too many components were required, making it incredibly difficult.

Yet, Lin Xuan had succeeded. It wasn’t luck, but an inevitability!

Alternatively, to forcibly control the Yulan Pearl, one would need immense strength—one would need to be at least at the Youlan Emperor’s Level, or perhaps slightly below it. But for someone who could match the Youlan Emperor, the Yulan Pearl would only be considered an ordinary treasure.

The Yulan Pearl was merely an auxiliary tool, whereas the Youlan Emperor himself possessed the Yulan Sacred Fire and could cultivate it. He wouldn’t be called the Youlan Emperor otherwise. This was clear from the Yulan Sacred Fire released by the Yulan Pearl—its purity wasn’t as strong as the original, but it was still quite good.

"It was a rather coincidental opportunity, I suppose. Mostly luck. To be honest, I’m not really sure myself." Lin Xuan, of course, wouldn’t tell the truth. ’Telling the truth would be disastrous. He would never let anyone know the secret of the Soul Pearl.’

’But that explanation isn’t quite right either. Wouldn’t it indirectly imply there’s a problem with the Youlan Emperor’s ability? Or... another answer is about to emerge: that I’m Hu Bai’s son, which would also make me the Youlan Emperor’s son?’

’The Youlan Emperor is powerful, but that doesn’t mean I’ll just accept him as my father. That outcome would be way too cliché.’

"A coincidental opportunity, you say..." The Youlan Emperor didn’t press the issue. He sighed and said, "Since you were able to acquire the Yulan Pearl, we’ll call it your good fortune. Consider the first trial passed. Your control is excellent and meets the standard. If you can’t control the Yulan Sacred Fire properly, you’ll burn yourself. That’s literally playing with fire and getting burned."

Lin Xuan inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. ’Thankfully, the Youlan Emperor didn’t ask anything else. If he had, I wouldn’t have known how to answer.’

"By the way, how is the Demon Fox Race doing? This wisp of Divine Thought I left here can’t sense the outside world," the Youlan Emperor asked casually.

"Here’s the situation..." Lin Xuan then recounted everything about the Demon Fox Race and the Golden Dragon Race, down to the last detail.

"What!"

The Youlan Emperor’s voice was ice-cold. With a deafening BOOM, a blizzard swept through the area, triggered instantly. His anger alone was enough to change the environment, and his aura surged to the heavens. If the Youlan Emperor hadn’t intentionally shielded him, Lin Xuan’s soul would have been severely injured.

"How dare the Black Dragon Race do this to the Demon Fox Race!" The Youlan Emperor’s eyes glinted with a cold light. "The Black Dragon Race was always arrogant, but I never imagined they’d be this audacious! If I weren’t trapped here, I would have annihilated them long ago for daring to touch my woman’s people!"

Lin Xuan wasn’t surprised. The Youlan Emperor already felt guilty about Hu Bai; how could he not be furious now that the Demon Fox Race was in danger?

"Yes, the entire Ice and Snow Tower has been occupied by the Black Dragon Race. They control everything now," Lin Xuan added, fanning the flames. ’I’d love to see them face the Youlan Emperor’s wrath, but it’s a pity he can’t get out.’

"Speaking of which, there’s a member of the Black Dragon Race undergoing the trial here. I’ll crush his soul! I may not be able to get out, but I can still inflict trauma on any soul that enters!" The Youlan Emperor was utterly enraged.

Lin Xuan gloated inwardly. ’The Black Dragon Race has truly dug its own grave. Who would have thought that the previous Fox King was the Youlan Emperor’s woman! If word of this got out, the Black Dragon Race wouldn’t have dared to touch a single hair on the Demon Fox Race’s head. But for some reason, Hu Bai never told anyone.’

’Perhaps she felt she wasn’t worthy of the Youlan Emperor, and that’s why she kept it a secret.’