Soul Emperor Awakening

Everyone was stunned when Lin Xuan leaped into the Blood Pool. The blood at their feet was already terrifying enough; if someone jumped into the pool itself, it would undoubtedly seep into their body and rapidly transform them into a Blood Demon.

The Blood Demon Array was designed to turn them into Blood Demon Puppets, but it was a gradual process. Those with low Cultivation would be converted easily. The experts with Essence Pill Stage Cultivation who had first charged in were already beginning to lose control, their minds slipping away.

By jumping in now, wasn’t Lin Xuan just accelerating his own transformation? He would be completely controlled, forced to do whatever Xu Qianlong commanded.

Beneath the Blood Pool.

As Lin Xuan plunged into the pool, he quickly erected a protective barrier to shield himself from the blood. It was precisely because the Blood Demon Array had no effect on him that he dared to jump. Otherwise, he would have surely been controlled by the blood, and the cost would have far outweighed any benefit.

’But even if I were to be controlled, I would still have to jump. This is the only way I can help now.’ If things continued like this, Qing Piaoyun and the others would all die here. He had to sacrifice himself!

’These are souls!’

As Lin Xuan descended, he saw numerous souls floating in the Blood Pool. He immediately recognized the soul of Hai Tiansheng among them, as well as others, like the Eldest Prince. They were all gathered here. In life, they had been terrifyingly powerful experts; now, they were nothing more than Resentful Spirits, trapped and accumulating.

Aside from being filled with resentment, they showed no aggression. It seemed that immense resentment was what allowed their souls to persist for longer. Normally, when Lin Xuan killed someone, he never saw a soul; they would just dissipate directly.

’Either their own Soul Power is too weak to coalesce, or their resentment isn’t strong enough.’ Under normal circumstances, it was usually the former. Only those with sufficient Soul Power could form a cohesive soul after death.

This was the perfect example. Hai Tiansheng’s soul was here, along with those of many other experts. Perhaps their resentment was even stronger, causing them to be sealed tightly within the Blood Demon Array, unable to pass on.

"Absorb!"

Without hesitation, Lin Xuan absorbed the souls into his Soul Pearl. In the blink of an eye, over a dozen souls were drawn inside—the most he had ever collected at once. In any case, the Soul Pearl had infinite space; it could absorb as many as there were.

"Sect Leader Hai, I never thought you’d see this day. How does it feel to be killed by Xu Qianlong? And you Princes, it seems your father, the Emperor, is truly cold-blooded. You too, great Sect Leaders!" Lin Xuan’s voice echoed inside the Soul Pearl, startling the resentful souls.

"You... how can you see me? Where is this!?" Hai Tiansheng was shocked. Trapped in the Blood Pool, he had been consumed by nothing but rage. They no longer hated Lin Xuan; their hatred was now directed solely at Xu Qianlong.

Xu Qianlong had killed even them. Beyond their anger, there was only more anger.

"You don’t need to know. Just rest in peace," Lin Xuan snorted. With a slight tremor of the Soul Pearl within him, their consciousness vanished in an instant, unable to even scream.

Inside the Soul Pearl, he was the true Sovereign. No matter whose soul entered, it could be effortlessly erased.

He felt no joy after harvesting these souls. After all, they weren’t the main point—the switch below was! This Blood Pool was incredibly deep; as he sank rapidly, he estimated it was at least over ten meters. The thought of how much human blood was needed to fill such a deep pit was horrifying.

This Xu Qianlong was truly ruthless. There was no telling how many people he had killed to fill this pool. It was only by filling the Blood Pool that the Blood Demon Array could be fully activated; otherwise, it would have been impossible.

Xu Qianlong must have been preparing for a long time, having dug this deep pit beneath his throne long ago to serve as his Cultivation Secret Chamber. It was only because he was nearing the end of his lifespan that he had unleashed his plan so brazenly.

Finally, as he reached the bottom, he spotted a hidden switch through the thick, viscous blood!

Meanwhile, the situation outside had descended into chaos. Xu Qianlong and Tuo Shengfeng’s group continued their desperate battle, determined to fight to the last, even if it meant death.

"What, is this all you’ve got?" Xu Qianlong struggled to his feet, glaring at Tuo Shengfeng and the others lying on the ground. He shouldn’t have been able to stand, but the Blood Pool had restored a good deal of his strength. "Do you have any regrets? If you had just handed over Lin Xuan and become my slaves, none of this would have happened... Especially you lot, the people from the Demon Cloud Sea who came to help. Now you can all die here!"

"Regret? I’d rather die than become a slave!" Qing Deyun gave a tragic laugh, blood continuously trickling from his mouth. Even after taking Elixir Pills, he couldn’t immediately recover from his severe internal injuries.

"Regret..." Tuo Shengfeng and Tuo Zhanhong exchanged a glance, both revealing bitter smiles. They hadn’t expected their opponent to be so terrifyingly strong that even their combined might was not enough. "But since we came here to help, we don’t have a single regret. To feel otherwise would be to break our promise!"

The ancestral teaching of the Martial God was one of loyalty and righteousness; a promise made must be fulfilled! It was precisely this unwavering principle that made their Martial Intent even stronger.

In a world so full of schemes and treachery, to still adhere to notions of loyalty and righteousness was, frankly, adorably naive.

"Is that so? Well, your regrets are useless now. All of you... stay here and become a part of me!" Xu Qianlong laughed maniacally as red Elemental Power surged from his body, causing the blood on the ground to rush toward them, threatening to engulf them.

RUMBLE RUMBLE RUMBLE!

Suddenly, the sealed Stone Gate began to open. Like the sun breaking through dark clouds, light streamed down from the opening. The eyes of the Spirit Pill Stage experts, who were on the verge of being controlled, lit up. Without a second thought, they scrambled toward the floor above. It wasn’t that they were afraid of dying, but staying here was a death sentence, and they couldn’t help anyway.

The shockwaves from the battle between Core Formation Stage experts alone were more than they could handle; it was a fight completely beyond their ability to withstand. Sometimes, courage isn’t a substitute for strength; it just gets you killed faster.

"Lin Xuan did it!" Qing Deyun’s eyes brightened. This meant Lin Xuan hadn’t been consumed by the pool.

Sure enough, not long after the Stone Gate opened, Lin Xuan shot up from the Blood Pool, not a single drop of blood on him. The sight left Xu Qianlong dumbfounded. "Wh-what is this? He’s completely unharmed!"

Xu Qianlong had been certain that Lin Xuan would be unable to open the Stone Gate, that he wouldn’t even be able to reach the bottom. But now, he had not only succeeded in swimming down, but he had emerged without a scratch!

Unexpectedly, the young man before them had once again worked a miracle, saving everyone present! And his Cultivation was merely at the First Layer of the Spirit Pill Stage, an unremarkable level... yet the things he did were always the most crucial.