Soul Emperor Awakening

"Get out of here!" Lin Xuan shouted the moment he emerged, immediately turning to flee through the Stone Gate.

In truth, they didn’t need his reminder; everyone was already scrambling for the exit. He was just proving that he was still rational and hadn’t been corrupted into a Blood Demon.

"Let’s go!" Tuo Shengfeng snorted and quickly led his men toward the Stone Gate to escape.

As long as they got out, they would have nothing to fear. They held no advantage here; Xu Qianlong was practically immortal within this place.

"Trying to escape?" Xu Qianlong roared. "Anyone else can leave, but not you!"

An even more brilliant red light erupted from Xu Qianlong’s body. Forcibly mustering his Elemental Power, he charged forward. His speed was so immense that he instantly appeared before Lin Xuan, striking out with his palm without hesitation.

BOOM!

A heavy palm strike slammed toward him. Lin Xuan reacted instantly, raising an arm covered in golden Dragon Scales to block. A shockwave of Elemental Power blasted him backward. A surge of red Elemental Power invaded his arms, and the Dragon Scales that had just appeared shattered and fell away, utterly failing to stop the terrifying blow.

A sweet taste filled Lin Xuan’s throat as blood trickled from the corner of his mouth. Xu Qianlong’s attack had been vicious. If the man hadn’t already been seriously injured himself, Lin Xuan would have been crippled by that single blow.

He had wanted to summon his Phoenix, but there was no time. As long as Xu Qianlong blocked the exit, there was no way out.

Seeing this, Tuo Shengfeng rushed to save Lin Xuan. He ran to his side, grabbed him, and growled, "Go!"

Elemental Power Wings flared to life on his back. His own injuries were not light, and he had burned his Essence Blood earlier, yet he had still come back to help. It was an incredibly moving gesture; a person’s true character is revealed in times of crisis.

"You want to leave? Impossible!"

As they flew rapidly toward the exit, Xu Qianlong intercepted them again. A red glint flashed in his eyes as he whipped a tendril of red Elemental Power forward, forming it into a giant crimson whip that lashed down.

Despite his grievous wounds, he could still unleash such a powerful attack. Its might was greatly diminished, but it was more than enough to deal with the two of them!

With a deafening crash, the two were sent flying in opposite directions. Tuo Shengfeng, who was already badly hurt, now had his injuries compounded. Lin Xuan was also wounded from the impact, feeling a wave of powerlessness wash over him. He turned to see Tuo Shengfeng sprawled on the ground, and a surge of fury rose in his heart. He whipped his head back to Xu Qianlong and roared, "You’re courting death!"

How could he not feel furious and guilty? The reinforcements he had called for were now grievously wounded. This was the Island Master! If the Island Master died, the Tu Family’s morale would plummet.

The Tu Family was already in a precarious situation. If something happened to their Island Master, they would be vulnerable to attack. Tuo Zhanhong was also stunned, having just reached the door before turning back to help.

"This is what power is! The victor is king, the loser is vilified! If you’re so capable, come and defeat me. But do you have what it takes?" Xu Qianlong sneered.

"Isn’t it me you want? Let them go, and I’ll stay here!" Lin Xuan said in a low voice.

"Oh, finally given in? But it’s useless. You were never going to escape anyway. And you want to bargain with me? Are you even qualified?" Xu Qianlong scoffed.

Lin Xuan’s pupils contracted. He instantly summoned the Phoenix, placed the heavily injured and unconscious Tuo Shengfeng on its back, and urged it to fly outside.

The Phoenix had barely flown any distance when, with a sudden BANG, it exploded into a cloud of dust. Tuo Shengfeng was flung through the air. Unexpectedly, the Phoenix’s Elemental Power had been completely drained by the blood in the chamber, causing it to detonate.

Tuo Zhanhong rushed over just in time to catch Tuo Shengfeng, landing steadily on the ground. He immediately took out an Elixir Pill and placed it in Tuo Shengfeng’s mouth.

"Island Master..." Tuo Zhanhong looked anxiously at Tuo Shengfeng. The injuries were incredibly severe, but thankfully not yet fatal. If they had been, he would have needed the Five-Colored Lotus.

Lin Xuan only had a single petal of the Five-Colored Lotus left. He had intended to give it to Tuo Shengfeng, but using it when it wasn’t absolutely necessary would be a terrible waste. It was a life-saving treasure, its effects far surpassing those of any Elixir Pills.

"Now that you’re in, don’t even think about getting out," Xu Qianlong said with a faint smile. He glanced at Qing Deyun and the others at the entrance, who were standing at the threshold, preparing to charge in and help.

He wasn’t afraid of Qing Deyun’s group attacking. His body had already recovered significantly during their exchange, so his condition was still far better than theirs.

’What do I do? What do I do...’ Lin Xuan grit his teeth, his eyes filled with fury.

’Power. I need power! I need to be stronger than Xu Qianlong, no matter the cost!’

’The Blood Pool... yes, the Blood Pool! If it’s all about blood, then maybe this will work!’ A determined glint appeared in Lin Xuan’s eyes. He spun around, charged forward, and leaped straight into the Blood Pool.

His action stunned them once again. The first time he jumped into the Blood Pool was to open the gate. Why was he doing it a second time?

"Haha, it seems you’ve given up all hope! Eager to die, are you?" Xu Qianlong laughed upon seeing this, a crimson light flickering in his eyes. "Even so, I won’t let the others leave. They are all nutrients, and I can’t let a single one get away!"

The words had barely left his lips when a vortex suddenly formed in the Blood Pool, as if something were draining it from below. Seeing this, Tuo Zhanhong and the others assumed it was another one of Xu Qianlong’s tricks, perhaps an attempt to use the Blood Pool to completely devour Lin Xuan.

"Why would he do that? If we fought together, we might have had a chance..." Qing Deyun roared. "Go! We’re getting them both out of there!"

Taking the opportunity, they charged inside. They couldn’t abandon Tuo Zhanhong. But as they rushed in, they found that Xu Qianlong paid them no mind at all. Instead, he was staring blankly at the Blood Pool, even muttering to himself, "This... what’s going on? Why do I feel the power of the Blood Pool being drained away...?"

They didn’t care what expression Xu Qianlong was making; they grabbed Tuo Zhanhong and his companion and sprinted for the exit. To their astonishment, as they reached the doorway, Xu Qianlong still didn’t try to stop them!

This shocked them. Was Lin Xuan’s bloodline really all Xu Qianlong needed? Didn’t he just say he was going to keep them all here? Had he changed his mind already?

"Mansion Master, what do we do now?" Qing Piaoyun had been watching from just outside the doorway. The power in the chamber didn’t extend past the gate, which was why they hadn’t fled immediately.

He had been dumbfounded when he saw Lin Xuan leap into the Blood Pool, and now he had no idea how they could possibly mount a rescue. Xu Qianlong was so powerful—how could they save him?

"This..." Qing Deyun sighed. If Lin Xuan were outside, it would be one thing, but he was in the Blood Pool now. How were they supposed to save him?

BOOM!

Suddenly, a figure shot out of the Blood Pool, hovering in the air on blood-red wings. It was Lin Xuan!

His eyes were crimson, his entire body glowed red, and the Essence Blood from the pool surged into him in a continuous stream. He looked like he had transformed into a berserker demon.

"Your power comes from this Blood Pool, doesn’t it? Fine. I’ll just drain it dry and see how strong you are then!" Lin Xuan stared icily at Xu Qianlong, his voice filled with unyielding resolve.