Soul Emperor Awakening

This was truly a grand gift—a gift of vengeance. It was just a shame Qing Piaoyun and his people weren't here. Otherwise, it would have been even more satisfying.

Qing Yunfeng's heart sank. 'They can even take on a Core Formation Stage cultivator? These two mysterious men are too strong! They're hiding their identities, but their erupting Golden Elemental Power is anything but weak. The force of their combined attack can actually overpower Xu Gao.'

Although Xu Gao's cultivation wasn't anything special, he was still at the Second Layer of the Core Formation Stage. Who would have thought he'd still be losing?

Jin Feng and Gold Stone didn't stop. They continued to assail Xu Gao with a frenzied barrage of attacks, their coordination flawless. They weren't brothers, but they fought with incredible synergy. Under their seamless teamwork, their power increased dramatically!

Xu Gao was forced back again and again, cursing his luck. 'I can't believe it. I'm a mighty Core Formation Stage expert, yet I'm being completely suppressed by two cultivators at the Spirit Pill Stage Level. If this goes on, death is the only way out.'

"Go!"

Qing Yunfeng's heart sank again, and the thought of escape instantly surfaced. 'As long as I can get inside the Core Hall, I can bring out the Protectors to save me.'

He no longer had any hope for Xu Gao. It was pointless; the man was completely suppressed by the two mysterious figures. Xu Gao would either flee or die here. Qing Yunfeng wouldn't feel the slightest regret if he died. The only problem was that without a protector, things would become quite troublesome for him.

Lin Xuan watched Qing Yunfeng run back toward the Core Hall and narrowed his eyes. 'It's pointless.'

Zi Yi and Liu Xin looked at each other, stunned. They never expected Lin Xuan to bring such formidable reinforcements, who could completely suppress a Core Formation Stage expert. 'A Core Formation Stage expert! That's a level of power we never even dared to imagine.'

Lin Xuan, however, was already accustomed to such sights. He had even seen Void Spirit Stage experts, to say nothing of a battle involving those at the Core Formation Stage. Only by seeing how vast the world truly was could one realize they were merely a frog at the bottom of a well.

BOOM!

Another terrifying strike sent Xu Gao flying. He coughed up another mouthful of blood, his face turning deathly pale. No matter what he did, he couldn't block their attacks. He was completely suppressed, and the beating was agonizing.

"The next time we meet will be the day you die!" Xu Gao roared indignantly. Elemental Power Wings formed on his back, and he turned and shot up into the sky.

Jin Feng and Gold Stone gave chase immediately, but unfortunately, they couldn't fly. It wasn't that they couldn't form Elemental Power Wings, but even if they did, their speed would be significantly slower. Thus, they had no choice but to stop the pursuit.

To truly master Elemental Power Wings, one needed a cultivation at the Core Formation Stage or higher. They could fight an ordinary Core Formation Stage expert, but that didn't mean they could utilize Wing Transformation. The difference was qualitative. It was like how no number of Spiritual Artifacts could ever compare to a single Divine Artifact. It wasn't that a large quantity of Spiritual Artifacts was bad, but in terms of a qualitative leap, the Divine Artifact was supreme.

"He got away? Forget it. Let's go into the Core Hall!" Lin Xuan paid no mind to Xu Gao. 'So what if he escaped? Since we could beat him back this time, we can defeat him again next time—and maybe even capture him!'

Under Lin Xuan's lead, they all entered the Core Hall. With him guiding them, they passed through the Illusionary Mist Array at the entrance with ease.

As he passed through the Illusionary Mist Array, he found himself back at the entrance. The same two Guards from before were still there, unchanged. Aside from them, no other disciples were present, as Qing Yunfeng had ordered them all to hide to avoid being killed by Lin Xuan.

"You bastard! You traitor! Haven't you done enough harm to our Qingcheng Mansion? Did you think the Qingcheng Mansion was such an easy target?" one of the Guards roared at Lin Xuan.

Lin Xuan shook his head. 'It seems these people are utterly convinced I'm the culprit. Qing Yunfeng's brainwashing was quite thorough.'

"Seniors, it seems you've all been deceived. The story is that I provoked a Super Race, and that's what brought disaster to Qingcheng Mansion. But I don't think a true Super Race would act so furtively; there would be no need. They could simply demand what they want. Why sneak around? This is all Qing Yunfeng's conspiracy! He colluded with the Royal Family to eliminate the Elders so he could usurp the position of Mansion Master!"

'I have no grudge against these people, so of course I'm not going to kill them. It would be a great loss for Qingcheng Mansion if I killed them now, only for the truth to be revealed later.'

"Utter nonsense!" Qing Yunfeng bellowed. "The Super Race you provoked just so happens to be a reclusive one! But now, I'm more inclined to suspect you did it all yourself—killing your own master and the Elders of our Qingcheng Mansion! Now you show up with two powerful helpers. If you were truly from the Lin Family, how could you have such backup? I suspect you're not from the Lin Family at all, but are merely using their name as a pretense to conquer our Qingcheng Mansion!"

"You've now killed the five experts sent by the Royal Family, showing you have no regard for them whatsoever. I believe you must be a spy sent by another Empire, aiming to annex our Soaring Dragon Empire!"

"Qing Yunfeng, I always knew you were foul-mouthed, but I never imagined you were this disgusting! To spew such lies... you're simply deranged. It seems sparing your son's life back then was a foolish mistake!" Lin Xuan's gaze grew colder. Qing Yunfeng was twisting the truth, trying to pin all the blame on him.

From the onlookers' perspective, Qing Yunfeng's words seemed plausible. How could the Lin Family possibly possess this kind of strength? The most likely explanation was an attempt to annex Qingcheng Mansion. The benefits were numerous; the Mansion possessed many sacred grounds for Cultivation.

Now, after hearing his explanation, the Protectors who had appeared began to nod in agreement. 'He shows no regard for the Royal Family. His plan must be to conquer Qingcheng Mansion first, then move on to the Royal Family. If he succeeds, the entire Soaring Dragon Empire will fall.'

This was especially convincing since the Royal Family itself seemed to have no problems. The Third Prince's status had fallen, but the other families were unaffected; there were no massacres or rivers of blood. Therefore, families like the Liu Family and Shang Family were not facing any major issues.

"It seems you admit it!" Qing Yunfeng turned to the others and said in a grave voice, "Protectors, Supreme Elder, you've all heard him. You must capture him and deliver the most severe punishment!"

The Protectors who had come as reinforcements were all at the Spirit Pill Stage Level. Even a Supreme Elder had appeared. He was extremely old, with a body that looked to have one foot in the grave, but because his Cultivation had reached the Core Formation Stage, he still possessed great strength.

"You dare to kill even members of the Royal Family. What exactly are your intentions?" The Supreme Elder didn't rush to attack. Instead, he sought clarity. He was long past his impulsive years.

"My intentions are simple. The Great Emperor of the Royal Family is one of the conspirators. Not only does he want us dead, but he also wants to swallow up Qingcheng Mansion! Qing Yunfeng taking the seat of Mansion Master is all so he can gain complete control, then coordinate with the Royal Family from the inside to annex the Mansion and thereby solidify the Great Emperor's own power!"

Lin Xuan's words stunned everyone present.

"That's right! I can prove that what Lin Xuan said is true!"

A familiar voice came from behind them. Emerging from the Illusionary Mist Array were none other than Qing Piaoyun and his companions.