Soul Emperor Awakening

"The light is still there. Can he really be on the Seventh Layer?" Huang Ming saw that nothing had changed at the Cloud Ascension Tower. He found it extremely difficult to believe that Lin Xuan could have reached the Seventh Layer and stayed there for so long.

A long time had passed. Of the more than one hundred initial participants, only a few dozen who had yet to take the assessment remained, and Lin Xuan had already been up there for several Hours. No one knew what Lin Xuan was doing; he could have been meditating to prepare for the next battle, or he might have been fighting this entire time.

The idea of him fighting continuously was a bit too terrifying, especially for such a long time. None of them had ever been to the Seventh Layer, but they were certain its trial had to be horrifying.

"That’s right. He must be on the Seventh Layer. There’s no mistake about it. But what exactly he’s doing up there isn’t clear," Elder Chen said, eagerly anticipating Lin Xuan’s performance. He hoped Lin Xuan could actually pass. If he did, he would be the second Ling Tian!

If a second Ling Tian were to emerge, his own contribution would be immense. Qingcheng Mansion’s influence was divided among several branches, each handling its own recruitment. However, the assessment content was nearly identical across all of them and rarely changed.

The assessment’s content had been the same for years, without any variation. Only for those trying to join the Inner Hall, or become Core Disciples, did the trials change.

Huang Ming sat down cross-legged and began to meditate. He refused to believe Lin Xuan could actually reach the Seventh Layer. It was just too strange. ’Did he stumble upon some lucky break? This is basically cheating!’ He was utterly unconvinced. ’Maybe Lin Xuan’s passage has a secret route! That’s entirely possible!’

If there really was a secret path, how could he ever accept it?

While the discussions continued unabated outside, Lin Xuan meditated inside the tower. After a moment, once he had recovered more than half his strength, he slowly opened his eyes. His Cultivation had been consolidated, and his Elemental Power had grown more condensed and solid. The explosive force he could now unleash was even more formidable, which was to be expected. The crucial point was that in just over a month, he had broken through two consecutive layers. Such speed was truly astonishing!

This was thanks to a combination of the Elixir Pills and his own diligent Cultivation, on top of such an extreme battle. It would have been difficult *not* to break through! A breakthrough required constant combat to temper oneself; that was the only way to advance.

’Time to go up and take a look.’

Lin Xuan stood up, picked up his Dragon Cloud Rod, and headed for the stairs. Gazing at the staircase, which looked no different from the others, he wondered, ’Didn’t they say the Cloud Ascension Tower only has seven floors? Why are there stairs leading to an eighth floor here?’

Indeed, the Cloud Ascension Tower only had seven floors. However, the spire at the very top could be considered a half-floor, and it was also possible to ascend to it.

Just as he reached the top, the light on the outside of the tower suddenly vanished. It was as if everything had fallen into a dead silence, never to reappear. This scene stunned the crowd; no one understood what had just happened. The light was gone, so why hadn’t Lin Xuan emerged? Even if he had died, he should have come out!

"Elder Chen, the light... it’s completely gone this time!" the people around him exclaimed in shock.

"I truly don’t know this time. All we can do is wait and see..." Elder Chen said, feeling a bit helpless. The passage Lin Xuan had taken was now sealed. Unless someone came out, no one else could enter.

This didn’t apply to the truly supreme powerhouses, of course, especially the top figures of Qingcheng Mansion.

...

When Lin Xuan reached the top, what greeted him wasn’t some magical artifact, but a simple Stone Stele. It stood there, covered in densely packed characters that likely recorded some kind of Cultivation Technique—and certainly not a poor one.

After all, having passed the Asura’s trial, the reward was bound to be exceptional.

That wasn’t the main point, however. The main point was that Lin Xuan saw a middle-aged man lying atop the Stone Stele, sizing him up with an intrigued expression. In a voice filled with interest, the man said, "Well now, it’s been many years since I’ve seen anyone pass the Asura’s trial. This little fella is quite young, too! Tsk, tsk, Eighth Layer of Body Refining Stage Cultivation, and you just broke through. To have learned the Unity of Heaven and Man at such a young age is truly remarkable... By the way, what was that about the statue turning into a person? Is that some new Puppetry Technique?"

Without a doubt, this middle-aged man had witnessed Lin Xuan’s battle. And he was a soul...

’I can’t believe I’d meet another soul here,’ Lin Xuan thought. ’And this soul’s Cultivation seems to be quite powerful!’

"Senior, this junior pays his respects," Lin Xuan said with a respectful smile, clasping his hands in a formal bow.

The middle-aged man tumbled right off the Stone Stele, but stopped abruptly in mid-air beside it. He then slowly floated upwards, his eyes wide with shock. "You... you can see me!"

The scene was just like when Lin Hua first saw him; both were shocked that Lin Xuan could see them. ’This person must have encountered others before, but they couldn’t see him. That’s why he’s so startled that someone finally can.’

"Of course I can see you. Might I ask for Senior’s esteemed name?" Lin Xuan’s tone was reverent. Anyone who could appear here was certainly no ordinary person, especially given his sagely air. He must have been a major figure in Qingcheng Mansion during his lifetime.

"You... You really can see me!" The middle-aged man flew a circle around him, exclaiming excitedly, "In all these years, you’re the first person who can see me! How is this possible?" He looked Lin Xuan up and down, his interest growing immensely.

"Do you want to know?" A strange smile spread across Lin Xuan’s face, making the soul’s heart—or whatever passed for it—tremble. It was the feeling of being sized up by a predator.

"Of course I do!" the soul replied after a brief pause, without the slightest hesitation.

"But before we get to that, might I ask for Senior’s esteemed name?" Lin Xuan inquired again.

"My esteemed name..." The middle-aged man shook his head with a wistful smile. "My name is Qing Liuyun. I wonder if anyone in the outside world even remembers me anymore."

Qing Liuyun!

Upon hearing this name, Lin Xuan’s heart jolted. He himself didn’t recognize the name Qing Liuyun, but the soul from the Soul Pearl did! Having absorbed the Soul Pearl, he had access to most of its memories.

Qing Liuyun was none other than the former Grand Elder of Qingcheng Mansion, a powerhouse who was just half a step away from the Core Formation Stage. He was a man of great virtue and prestige, and it was widely said that, barring any accidents, he would have been the next Mansion Master. But then, the unexpected happened. Qing Liuyun perished, disappearing without a trace, and no one ever knew what became of him.

Some believed he had died. Others thought he had traveled to a distant land. A few even speculated he had gone into seclusion and would only return after breaking through to the Core Formation Stage.

Now, the answer was obvious: Qing Liuyun was dead, and his soul resided here, in the Cloud Ascension Tower.

The most glorious achievement of Qing Liuyun’s life had been the construction of this very Cloud Ascension Tower, which had now become a crucial part of the mansion’s assessment. As for the contents carved onto the Stone Stele before him, the answer was all but obvious.

The inscription on the Stone Stele had to be Qing Liuyun’s self-created Ultimate Skill—the Cyan Cloud Step.

It was considered a Celestial Level Martial Arts, a source of pride not only for Qing Liuyun but for all of Qingcheng Mansion. Celestial Level Martial Arts were incredibly difficult to create; even a Core Formation Stage powerhouse might not be able to devise one. Yet Qing Liuyun had succeeded, and he had done so when he was merely a Peak of Spirit Pill Stage Powerhouse!

Had he one day become a Core Formation Stage powerhouse, his future would have been even more immeasurable. It was a tragedy that he perished, a loss that everyone deeply lamented.

This meant that by meeting Qing Liuyun, Lin Xuan would be able to obtain this Celestial Level Martial Arts!

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