Soul Emperor Awakening

Lin Xuan turned to face Wan Ning. Wan Ning, however, couldn’t see him and was cautiously trying to circle around to his back. But since Lin Xuan had already turned, Wan Ning was unknowingly walking right toward him.

’So, without breaking the Illusion Array, they can only rely on memory to figure out where I am?’ Lin Xuan sneered. ’If they could actually see me, they wouldn’t have revealed themselves. They would’ve just ambushed me.’

He immediately gave the tightly gripped White Pupil Rod a slight shake. A white aura began to drift up, and the sealed White-eyed Tiger inside started to roar within the rod. A tiger’s might radiated endlessly from the weapon, simultaneously merging with his body. Even the Elemental Power inside him was affected, gradually turning into a white aura that emanated from him.

The faintly condensed aura formed into a White Tiger that appeared behind him. Power rapidly gathered in his palm, and a faint white light flickered in his eyes. This was a true Soul Possession.

The biggest difference with a Spiritual Artifact is that it allows the soul sealed within the weapon to merge with the user, greatly enhancing their power and compatibility. Of course, compared to the Heaven-Defying effects of a Soul Pearl, it was a far cry, but for others, this was an astonishing feat.

Just as he released this power, Wan Ning, not far away, seemed to sense a dangerous aura, but he couldn’t feel it very clearly. The Illusion Array didn’t just hide people; it also blocked any energy they released.

’This time, let’s see if you can take a blow from my rod!’

Lin Xuan swung the White Pupil Rod and brought it crashing down on Wan Ning. His entire body seemed to merge with the surrounding space, and a brilliant white light distorted the area.

"Shattering Heaven and Earth!"

He roared and brought the rod down with immense force. As the distorted power was about to strike Wan Ning, the man finally sensed the dangerous aura. He instinctively raised his weapon to block, but it was merely a subconscious reaction and utterly meaningless.

BOOM!

The powerful blow sent Wan Ning and his weapon flying, smashing him violently against a distant wall. The recoil made his chest tighten, and he spat out a mouthful of blood before collapsing to the ground. He quickly scrambled back to his feet, his face a mask of terror. He was a pathetic sight, his complexion deathly pale.

After getting up, he shouted in terror, "You... you can see me!"

The domineering and familiar power allowed Wan Ning to immediately identify his attacker as Lin Xuan. He took out a Light Pearl. A faint light shone from it, enveloping him, and he materialized before Lin Xuan.

’So it’s because of that Light Pearl? It can temporarily break the Illusion Array.’ Lin Xuan stared at the pearl. ’I’ll have to study it properly later.’

Upon seeing Lin Xuan, Wan Ning’s body trembled as he struggled to his feet. He hadn’t expected Lin Xuan to be able to see him. Now that his ambush had been turned against him, he was terrified.

"That’s right, I can see you. No matter where you hide, I can see you!" Lin Xuan said, slowly approaching Wan Ning with his White Pupil Rod. However, his aura had already dissipated. He could leave the rest to the Phoenix flying in the air; there was no longer any need for him to act personally.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to fight Wan Ning himself, but that he had expended too much energy. It would be foolish to fight personally when he had the Phoenix. Unless he truly needed to train himself, he wouldn’t do such a thing.

Lin Xuan had no intention of doing that right now. It was much more satisfying to let the Phoenix handle it. Besides, this was part of his power, so why not use it? If Wan Ning pulled some dirty trick and managed to trap him, he could be the one to die.

When dealing with such a treacherous person, it was best to be careful. It was just like that time with Chen Yun’s Flying Claw. If not for his Phoenix Power, he would have really died there. This was enough to show that Wan Ning had many tricks up his sleeve. A single moment of carelessness could be his downfall.

What Wan Ning feared wasn’t Lin Xuan’s power, but the Phoenix in the air. That was what he truly couldn’t handle.

"If you’ve got the guts, fight me one-on-one! Don’t rely on outside help!" Wan Ning shouted, glancing at the soaring Phoenix out of the corner of his eye. His heart was trembling; he didn’t want to die. He still had a great future ahead of him.

"A ’one-on-one fight’? Why didn’t you say that when you and Lu Sheng ganged up on me? Why didn’t you say that when you tried to ambush me just now?" Lin Xuan said coldly. "A person can be shameless, but not to this degree. You take every advantage for yourself. People like you are a disgrace to the Cultivation Realm!"

Wan Ning’s face flushed red, then went white. He had nothing to say in rebuttal. After a moment’s pause, he actually dropped to his knees. "I was wrong! I shouldn’t have done it! Please, spare me! I don’t want the tenth-place rank in the Inner Hall anymore. It’s all yours! I’ll never bother you again! Please, let me go!"

Seeing the situation turn against him, he immediately knelt and begged for mercy, completely devoid of backbone. Those who achieve some measure of success are often the most afraid of death. Once dead, they have nothing. How could they enjoy their wealth and glory? How could they enjoy being above the masses?

"Spare you? If our positions were reversed, would you spare me?" Lin Xuan retorted.

Wan Ning faltered, then a vicious glint flashed in his eyes. The Light Pearl in his hand flashed, and he disappeared again. Lin Xuan then saw Wan Ning scramble to his feet and bolt for the main gate. He ran at a speed that was his absolute limit, so fast that Lin Xuan would have a hard time catching up, even with the Cyan Cloud Step, unless he also used his Phoenix Power.

"It seems your strength isn’t in fighting, but in running away!" Lin Xuan sneered. "Did you really think you could escape? Can you outrun a Phoenix?"

Lin Xuan pointed at Wan Ning’s retreating back and said coldly, "Go!"

The Phoenix let out a cry. It had been waiting for a long time. With a flap of its Fire Wings, it flew toward Wan Ning. After circling a few times in the air, it was behind Wan Ning in the blink of an eye and pounced on him.

"No, don’t!" Wan Ning screamed when he felt the terrifying Flame behind him.

Unfortunately, screaming didn’t slow it down. The Phoenix pounced, slamming violently into his back. With a THUD, Wan Ning was sent flying as Flames quickly engulfed his body.

"AH, AH, AH!"

After being thrown to the ground, Wan Ning rolled around frantically. The Phoenix’s Flame was unlike ordinary flame; it was extremely difficult to extinguish. Even jumping into water wouldn’t weaken it in the slightest. Only by using one’s own Elemental Power to resist it could the Flame be dispelled.

Because their Cultivation was so low, the process of dispelling it was very slow. By the time the Flame was gone, their bodies would be charred black.

"Agh, it burns... Please, spare me! I’ll even be your slave! Please, let me go!" Wan Ning shrieked.

Lin Xuan felt no pity, not a shred of mercy. ’When dealing with someone so utterly cruel, a moment of weakness means your own death.’

"Let me grant you one last shred of dignity," Lin Xuan said with a frown, his voice cold.

The Phoenix attacked again. It gestured in the air, and plumes of flame were released, flying forward like a lotus of fire to completely envelop Wan Ning. The extreme heat was so intense that even Lin Xuan, standing far away, could feel it. The power was truly terrifying.

In less than a moment, the Flame penetrated Wan Ning’s internal organs, and his life signs vanished. His end was the same as Lu Sheng’s—killed instantly by the Phoenix with no effort at all.

After the Flames died down, Lin Xuan walked over to Wan Ning’s side and took the Storage Ring from his clothes. These kinds of items were rather difficult to burn, which was why he had let the Phoenix incinerate him without worry.

He took the Light Pearl from the Storage Ring and channeled a bit of Elemental Power into it. Suddenly, he sensed a ball of energy covering his own body.

Lin Xuan looked down at his shoulder. The ball of energy was right there. He then remembered how, outside the ruins, Lu Sheng had patted him on the shoulder before leaving. He hadn’t thought much of it at the time, but now he realized it had been a trap!

Activating the Light Pearl used that energy to nullify the Illusion Array’s effect on its target. Because of that connection, Lin Xuan was effectively, though temporarily, pulled out of the array as well. That was how they were able to find him.

’So they did have a countermeasure planned all along. How treacherous!’ Lin Xuan crushed the Light Pearl in his hand, turning it to dust. His gaze was ice-cold. ’That Eldest Prince... To get rid of me, he’s really willing to spare no expense.’

Fury blazed in his heart. Even though he hadn’t officially announced he was joining the Third Prince’s faction, the Eldest Prince wanted to eliminate him just to be safe. That level of ruthlessness was truly chilling.

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