Soul Emperor Awakening

After the discussion, they made detailed preparations, gathering the experts needed to enter the Divine Martial Hall. Tuo Shengfeng would lead the expedition, taking several Elders with him but leaving most of the family’s powerhouses behind. If they all went, the Tu Family could be wiped out, and they wouldn’t even know what hit them.

It wasn’t unheard of. Ambitious families would send all their experts to the Divine Martial Hall, only to return with few treasures and discover their clan had been plundered in their absence. While they were off hunting for treasure, others were hunting for treasure in their homes. A trip to the Divine Martial Hall offered no guarantees, but raiding a rival’s empty estate was a surefire way to get rich.

Thus, no one dared to deploy their full strength, especially not the Tu Family, who were being eyed like prey by their rivals. Sending everyone would be a death sentence.

Likewise, those with low cultivation couldn’t go; it would be suicide. They wouldn’t stand a chance when it came to seizing treasures. The requirements weren’t exceptionally high, but the minimum entry was the Essence Pill Stage Level. Any cultivation below that was not permitted.

"Everything is ready. We can depart now."

After a few days of rest, Tuo Shengfeng was ready to lead a few Spirit Pill Stage experts and a group of disciples to the Divine Martial Hall. Naturally, Lin Xuan was among them.

Tuo Shengfeng had a large ship prepared, and once everyone was aboard, they set off for the Divine Martial Hall. Along the way, they saw many other vessels sailing in the same direction. Although the Martial God had been a member of the Tu Family, that didn’t mean the Divine Martial Hall belonged to them. Ultimately, the place was simply too grand for the Tu Family to claim and defend on their own.

If the Tu Family tried to forbid everyone from entering, they would surely be annihilated by the combined forces of every other family in the Demon Cloud Sea. That was the price of such greed. Unless the Tu Family could gain full control over the Divine Martial Hall, they couldn’t possibly hope to hold it for themselves. It was just like the Ice and Snow Tower.

Before it had a City Lord, anyone could enter as they pleased. But once it had a master, things changed—anyone who tried to enter would die! The Divine Martial Hall surely had a similar control mechanism, it was just that no one had mastered it yet.

Since the Divine Martial Hall was not far from Divine Martial Island, they arrived quickly. The journey took only a few Hours.

When they arrived at the location, there was no sign of the Divine Martial Hall. Instead, all they could see was a vast expanse of land stretching almost to the horizon. Most people were already there, sitting in meditation as they awaited the hall’s opening.

"Where is the Divine Martial Hall?" Lin Xuan asked.

"The Divine Martial Hall is beneath the water here," Tuo Shengfeng explained. "In a few days, the water level will drop, and that will be our time to enter."

’In a few days...’

Lin Xuan scanned his surroundings and immediately felt countless gazes filled with killing intent wash over their group, with many zeroing in on him specifically!

Following the murderous stares, Lin Xuan saw that the people glaring at him were from the Lan Family. He knew from their uniform blue robes—the Lan Family’s signature dress. It was certainly eye-catching.

The middle-aged man at their head stared at Lin Xuan, his eyes narrowed with a murderous glint. This was none other than the Lan Family Patriarch, Lan Qinghua—Lan Sheng’s father! With his son’s killer standing right before him, how could he not be burning with rage? If Tuo Shengfeng hadn’t been at Lin Xuan’s side, he would have already been slapped into oblivion.

The crucial point was that news of Lin Xuan passing the Seventh Layer of the Martial God Tower had spread. It was impossible that the Tu Family didn’t have a traitor in their ranks; with so many members, an informant was inevitable. Besides, it wasn’t a huge secret, so it was normal for the news to get out.

This clearly meant that even with Lin Xuan standing right in front of him, he didn’t dare to act. He would wait until the inner gates opened to strike.

In addition, the Zeng Family was also present. As one of the major powers, they had brought many experts. All in all, the three great families of the Demon Cloud Sea were the Tu, Lan, and Zeng Families. The true contest inside would be between these three. The smaller families couldn’t even hope to interfere.

"Isle Master Tuo, this Foreign Elder of yours is quite formidable. Not only did he kill my son, but he also passed the Seventh Layer of the Martial God Tower. A true surprise," Lan Qinghua said with a cold smile, turning his gaze to Tuo Shengfeng.

"Of course he’s a surprise. I’d advise you not to get any ideas about our Elder. Don’t blame others for your own son’s incompetence!" Tuo Shengfeng shot back, the two men locking horns.

"Oh? Let’s hope you can protect him, then. If you can’t, don’t blame us!" Lan Qinghua was blunt, making it clear that he intended to kill Lin Xuan inside the Divine Martial Hall and wouldn’t rest until the deed was done.

"Interesting, very interesting. Patriarch Lan, calm your anger. No matter how much you hate the boy, let’s focus on opening the door first. Everything else can be put aside for now." The Zeng Family Patriarch, Zeng Yinghua, said with a smile. He seemed to be mediating in good faith, but in reality, all he cared about was getting the door open.

The Patriarchs of the three great families had gathered—a true meeting of titans. They rarely met under normal circumstances, only when the Divine Martial Hall was about to open. As for the patriarchs of the other families, they could only watch from the sidelines, hoping to pick up some scraps.

"Is that so? If you have the guts to try anything, we have the power to stop you!" Tuo Shengfeng sneered, refusing to back down. He then lowered his head and said to Lin Xuan, "Stick close to us later. Don’t wander off, no matter what. Too many people have their eyes on you. The slightest mistake and you’re dead!"

Tuo Shengfeng wasn’t worried about Lin Xuan finding some treasure and not handing it over; he was worried about him dying. This was the Foreign Elder who would one day pass the Eighth Layer of the Martial God Tower. He was guaranteed to become an absolute powerhouse, and his future impact on the Tu Family would be immense. They could not afford to be careless.

Especially if he were killed inside the Divine Martial Hall—what would become of the Tu Family’s reputation? Even as a Foreign Elder, he was still an Elder of the Tu Family.

"Isle Master, I understand perfectly," Lin Xuan said. "I’m not arrogant enough to think I can wander around on my own." He was speaking the truth; if he ran off, he wouldn’t even know what hit him.

Unless his cultivation rose to the Core Formation Stage, then he could fend for himself. He could do as he pleased, and no one would dare to stop him. The problem was, he was currently only at the Essence Pill Stage Eighth Layer. The gap was far too wide.

After a few more sharp exchanges, each group retreated to their own area to await the receding of the sea. The wait wasn’t long. Two days later, the sea suddenly began to recede at a rapid pace, forming a massive whirlpool as it drained away.

Most people immediately scrambled onto the land, lest they be sucked into the vortex. In the short span of an Hour, the water covering the Divine Martial Hall drained away, gradually revealing the structure’s true form. The land they stood on was, in fact, the very roof of the Divine Martial Hall.

Over countless years, the roof had become covered in so much silt and sand that it had come to resemble a natural landmass.

’So this is the Divine Martial Hall...’

As the water receded, they could see that the structure was a full hundred zhang tall. Despite being submerged for ages, the grand doors showed no signs of damage. They were perfectly intact, shining as if brand new!

The Martial God was truly an expert on par with the Youlan Emperor. It was no surprise that he had been capable of constructing such a magnificent Divine Martial Hall.