Soul Emperor Awakening

Hai Fugui’s Soul Attack was completely useless against Lin Xuan. If Lin Xuan knew any counter-attacking Martial Arts, he would have retaliated with his own Soul Attack long ago.

It was a rather awkward situation. The only way he currently used his Spiritual Power was through his Martial Intent. Besides that, there was the Soul-Devouring Break he’d cultivated himself—a Soul Attack with astonishingly powerful effects.

Its main drawback was its small range. If an opponent kept dodging, its power was meaningless. However, Hai Fugui’s attack now gave him an idea. ’It seems I really need to make a trip to the Divine Seal Sect and see if they have any Ultimate Skills worth studying.’

"AAAAHHHH..."

Hai Fugui writhed on the ground, his soul clearly having suffered a grievous wound—a massive shock. As Lin Xuan’s Cultivation had advanced, his Spiritual Power had also grown considerably. He had unleashed it all in that one strike, not holding back in the slightest.

He was facing a Core Formation Stage expert, not one at the Essence Pill Stage, so he had to use his full strength. The effect was plain to see. Hai Fugui was left without even the strength to counter-attack after a single move. What good was powerful Elemental Power when a grievously wounded soul left him completely defenseless?

This proved one thing: Lin Xuan was capable of defeating a Core Formation Stage expert, provided he could land a hit. If Hai Fugui had been more vigilant and struck out with a single palm, Lin Xuan would have been crippled, if not killed.

However, they couldn’t have done that anyway. They weren’t permitted to cripple Lin Xuan, as it would affect his Bloodline Power and, more importantly, enrage Xu Qianlong.

The scene left everyone stunned. ’An expert from the Divine Seal Sect was bested by Lin Xuan in a contest of Spiritual Power? Doesn’t that mean Lin Xuan’s Spiritual Power far surpasses Hai Fugui’s?’

Crucially, the method of attack seemed unusual—it was a Soul Attack the likes of which they had never seen.

Soul-Devouring Break was an Ultimate Skill Lin Xuan had created himself, so it was no wonder they’d never seen it before. If they knew he had conceived of it back in the Essence Pill Stage, one could only imagine their reactions.

When Qing Liuyun created the Cyan Cloud Step, he had already reached the Spirit Pill Stage. Lin Xuan had managed it a full stage earlier, at the Essence Pill Stage, which was simply unbelievable. Only an absolute genius could create such an Ultimate Skill.

In truth, it wasn’t that Lin Xuan was some extraordinary genius; it was mainly that he had accumulated a vast amount of experience, which made it natural for him to devise new Ultimate Skills. Of course, without innate talent, no amount of experience could be forged into new techniques.

"H-how is this possible? How could Hai Fugui’s Soul Attack lose to this brat!" As the Vice Sect Leader, Hai Qingdong was well aware of Hai Fugui’s capabilities. Hai Fugui was a respectable Fifth Grade Pattern Master in the Divine Seal Sect, yet he had been crushed so easily by Lin Xuan.

"That’s right... th-that brat’s soul is that powerful? Doesn’t that mean he’s already at the level of a Sixth Grade Pattern Master?"

The other Core Formation Stage experts were all stunned. If he was stronger than Hai Fugui, didn’t that mean Lin Xuan qualified as a Sixth Grade Pattern Master? Hai Qingdong himself was a Sixth Grade Pattern Master. It wasn’t that the rank was exceedingly rare, but that Lin Xuan had reached the Level of a Sixth Grade Pattern Master at such a young age. That was what was truly shocking.

Lin Xuan paid no mind to their thoughts. With a FWOOSH, the frigid Yulan Sacred Fire erupted along his arm. He then swung a palm at Hai Fugui, who was still struggling on the ground.

"Yulan’s Ultimate Skill, Dark Blue Palm!"

The frigid Dark Blue Palm, condensed from the Yulan Sacred Fire, shot forward. It surged forth with overwhelming power, its extreme cold capable of freezing everything—even the very space itself!

BOOM!

The attack struck Hai Fugui squarely. Following a final, blood-curdling scream, the rising white mist fell silent. Even if Hai Fugui wasn’t dead, he was unconscious. And here, being unconscious was no different from being dead. All that remained was to deliver the finishing blow.

"Fugui!" Hai Qingdong cried out, his heart nearly bursting with rage and grief. One of their experts had died, just like that. It was incredibly difficult to nurture a Core Formation Stage expert, and Hai Fugui had been one of the Divine Seal Sect’s Elders. The loss of an Elder was a grave blow.

"Brat, you’re courting death!" Hai Qingdong’s voice was frigid, as if he wanted to tear Lin Xuan to shreds and devour him.

"Courting death?" Lin Xuan sneered. "You’ve said that more than once, yet here I am, perfectly fine. What makes you think you can kill me?"

Qing Deyun and his allies blocked the path of Hai Qingdong’s group. At the same time, the Demon Evil Monarch and his followers moved to encircle them completely. If they lingered any longer, they would be picked off one by one!

"Vice Sect Leader, we..." one of the Elders stammered, trembling inwardly. The enemy’s morale was soaring while theirs had plummeted. They no longer held the upper hand; in fact, they were now at a clear disadvantage.

"Retreat!"

Hai Qingdong roared, unfurling his Elemental Power Wings, and turned to flee with his men. He was incensed, but they had completely lost the advantage. To remain meant certain death, a fate none of them desired, so their only choice was to beat a hasty retreat.

"Trying to escape? Not without paying a price!"

Qing Deyun sneered and immediately targeted the weakest among them. The lower the Cultivation, the easier the interception. In an instant, a group of his allies swarmed forward, ruthlessly cutting off one of the Core Formation Stage Cultivators.

Under the relentless barrage, the Core Formation Stage expert finally succumbed and plummeted from the sky. The sight made Hai Qingdong, who was flying ahead, feel his heart wrench with renewed anguish. They had brought their full might for this operation; about the only person who hadn’t come was the Sect Leader himself.

Not only had they gained nothing, but they had lost two Core Formation Stage experts. These were masters they had spent countless years nurturing, and now two were dead!

Hai Qingdong felt as if his heart were bleeding. What a foolish miscalculation. Their preparations had been more than sufficient, but an unexpected variable had emerged. Lin Xuan’s Cultivation clearly wasn’t high, yet he’d returned with reinforcements that caught them completely off guard. On top of that, Lin Xuan himself was a terrifying master of Soul Attacks.

Killing a Core Formation Stage expert while only at the First Layer of the Spirit Pill Stage was a feat no one would believe if told. While it was true that Lin Xuan had succeeded through a surprise attack that exploited his opponent’s carelessness, a kill was still a kill.

From this day forward, however, Lin Xuan knew he couldn’t dare take such risks against Core Formation Stage experts. It was a gamble that could easily get him killed. He had only acted because he saw that Hai Fugui underestimated him, assuming his Spiritual Power was weak. Who could have known it far surpassed Hai Fugui’s, rendering the Soul Attack utterly useless?

He had seized that opening to deliver a fatal blow. Capturing such a fleeting opportunity would have been impossible without both daring and precision.

If Hai Fugui had managed to suddenly counter-attack, Lin Xuan would have been gravely injured. His body was tough, but not invincible. He still couldn’t take a direct blow from a Core Formation Stage expert.

Watching the figures gradually flee into the distance, Lin Xuan let out a deep breath. "It’s finally over... for now."

His side was already battered and bruised. If the fighting had continued and the enemy had received another wave of reinforcements, they truly would not have been able to hold out.