Soul Emperor Awakening

After taking care of his business, Lin Xuan headed for the Pattern Master Association. He didn’t need to buy any Elixir Pills for now. He hadn’t used up the ones from Fang Shi and Fang Qingyu yet, so he wouldn’t need to purchase more until he reached a much later stage.

When he arrived at the Pattern Master Association, he saw Shang Zhihao and Liu Menghua. They were already there waiting for him. They were set to depart for the Bone Dragon Ruins in a day or two, but they had arrived early out of sheer excitement.

"You’re both here so early." Lin Xuan walked up and greeted them.

"Brother Lin!" Shang Zhihao came forward and exclaimed in pleasant surprise, "I heard you defeated the twelfth-ranked member of the Inner Hall! That’s an astonishing achievement. And not long after, you improved again. That speed is just too fast!"

"Yes, it makes having you as our Honored Guest seem more and more worthwhile," Liu Menghua chimed in.

Many major families were keeping an eye on Lin Xuan, especially those who were his partners. They were all closely monitoring his growth. Clearly, not only had Lin Xuan not disappointed them, he had far exceeded their expectations.

"It was nothing special," Lin Xuan said with a smile. "Speaking of which, Brother Shang, are you satisfied with the negotiations with Qingcheng Mansion?"

"Of course I’m satisfied. The key was you, Brother Lin. As long as you’re the one building the bridge, everything is easy to negotiate!" Shang Zhihao said, handing over a ring. "This is your share of the allocation."

The maturing of the Five-Colored Spirit Wood meant it could be harvested immediately. The Shang Family worked without rest to get everything ready before having Shang Zhihao deliver it to Lin Xuan.

Lin Xuan accepted it without ceremony and gave it a quick inspection. Inside, besides a small amount of Five-Colored Spiritual Liquid, there was also a little Five-Colored Spirit Paper. The quantity wasn’t large, but that was about the expected yield.

However, he wasn’t particularly interested in these processed goods. What he really needed was unprocessed Five-Colored Spirit Wood. In the future, as he absorbed more souls, he would require more of the Spirit Wood for carving.

He couldn’t get any for the time being. ’I’ll go to the Shang Family and get some after this is all over,’ he thought. What he had on hand was enough for now.

Just then, Luo Xiao walked over with a smile. "You’re all here," he said upon seeing them. "Let’s set off if you’re ready. We’re a little early, but it makes no difference. We can just as well wait there."

He then looked at Lin Xuan and said with appreciation, "Good, very good. I hope this trip to the Bone Dragon Ruins helps you advance even further."

"I’ll take that as a blessing, Vice President," Lin Xuan said with a smile.

He naturally hoped to find some fortuitous opportunities within the Bone Dragon Ruins to raise his Cultivation. That way, he would be much more confident in his ability to defeat Wan Ning.

A short while later, they boarded a carriage and set off for the Bone Dragon Ruins. As the journey was rather long, they traveled by carriage. After two days on the road, they finally arrived at the location of the Bone Dragon Ruins: the Dragon Burial Land.

Legend had it that this was once the graveyard of the Dragon Race. Every living creature has a lifespan; the only difference is its length. Whenever a dragon was on the verge of death, it would come here to rest in peace, filling the land with Dragon Bones.

Whether or not that was true wasn’t entirely clear. At least, no one had ever seen a dragon nearing the end of its life fly here. In any case, it was an undeniable fact that the area was filled with a massive number of Dragon Bones.

’So this is where the Bone Dragon Ruins are located?’

Lin Xuan looked out from the carriage. In the distance, he could see a mountain range that looked no different from any other. What truly stood out was a colossal Stone Gate, hundreds of meters tall. It was absolutely immense. ’It must have been an incredible feat to build this. Then again, dragons have always been huge. They wouldn’t have been able to get in if the entrance was any smaller.’

As they drew closer, an oppressive, majestic aura washed over them. However, it was only a faint pressure, one they could all withstand without feeling too strained.

’That’s the Divine Rune Sect’s carriage... and there are others?’ Lin Xuan frowned. He hadn’t expected to run into people from the Divine Rune Sect here.

He had thought a Major Sect would conduct itself with some dignity, but the two disciples he’d met so far had been incredibly arrogant, with disgusting attitudes, leaving him with an extremely poor impression of the Divine Rune Sect.

"The entry slots for the Bone Dragon Ruins are controlled by the Pattern Master Association, the Divine Rune Sect, the Royal Family, and the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion. Each power can send three people," Luo Xiao explained. "So it’s not surprising to see disciples from the Divine Rune Sect. Never mind now, you’re bound to run into them in the future. The Divine Rune Sect is involved in so many affairs that it’s impossible to avoid them."

Lin Xuan nodded. It was no wonder Shang Zhihao had been so thrilled when he’d given up a slot. With all the entry passes in the hands of these powers, anyone else who wanted to get in would need their permission, and the price for that would be steep.

Since the slots were so few, they were naturally reserved for the most outstanding talents so as not to be wasted. Outsiders would have to pay an exorbitant price. The Bone Dragon Ruins didn’t open on a whim—it was only accessible once a year. A year might not seem long, but with such a limited number of entrants, it was extremely difficult for anyone else to get a turn.

They only stepped down from their carriages upon arriving before the great gate. The moment his feet touched the ground, Lin Xuan felt a peculiar Energy welling up from beneath the earth. He could almost hear the roar of a Giant Dragon in his ears, but the feeling vanished after just a brief impact.

The others experienced the same sensation, as if they had just been baptized by a dragon’s roar.

"Lin Yunlong!" A familiar voice called out from nearby.

Lin Xuan glanced over and saw Lü De again. Flanking him were two other disciples from the Divine Rune Sect. Their Cultivation was not low, but not exceptionally high either; both were at the Third or Fourth Layer of the Spirit Refining Stage, which was fairly decent.

Their gazes locked onto Lin Xuan. More accurately, Lü De’s shout had drawn the eyes of everyone in the vicinity. They were all curious to see what this "Lin Yunlong" looked like in person.

"Oh, we meet again. How’s that Middle Grade Treasure Artifact working out for you?" Lin Xuan was completely unfazed by Lü De, let alone the other disciples from the Divine Rune Sect. ’He probably went to the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion for that Weapon specifically to prepare for this place,’ he thought.

Lü De’s face flushed red, then drained of color at Lin Xuan’s taunt. He looked ready to fly into a rage. The others who overheard were confused, as news of their previous encounter had not spread that quickly.

"Young Master Lin, we meet again. I knew we’d see each other again soon." A familiar, graceful figure appeared before his eyes. It was none other than Zi Yi, the acting vice president of the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion.

She approached with an elegant gait, her stunning smile captivating everyone’s attention. When she reached Lin Xuan, she said with a faint smile, "I was actually planning to offer you one of our slots for the Bone Dragon Ruins, Young Master Lin. But then I figured you’d win a spot through the Pattern Master competition, so I never mentioned it."

Her words sent a shockwave through the crowd. Since when were Lin Xuan and Zi Yi on such good terms that she would freely offer him a coveted slot for the Bone Dragon Ruins?!

"Zi Yi, aren’t you going to introduce me to your friend?" a young man who had been following her asked. He was handsome and refined, with an affable smile. Dressed in white robes, he looked every bit the part of a dashing nobleman, an absolute heartthrob.

But when Lin Xuan’s eyes met his, he didn’t see an affable smile. He saw, hidden beneath that facade, a pair of eyes glinting with cold hostility.

’His Cultivation is very strong,’ Lin Xuan assessed internally. He could feel that the young man’s Cultivation was not only high but also extremely formidable—at least at the Sixth or Seventh Layer of the Spirit Refining Stage.

Zi Yi frowned and took a small step to the side, subtly distancing herself from him. She explained coolly, "He is the Chief Appraiser of the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion. As for his name... I’m sure you already heard it, Young Master Lu, so there’s no need for me to make an introduction, is there?"

Chief Appraiser!

The onlookers exchanged shocked glances. Even this Young Master Lu showed a flicker of surprise. A Chief Appraiser so young, and from the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion at that? Just how many prestigious titles did this Lin Xuan hold?

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