Soul Emperor Awakening

Faced with Lin Xuan’s rebuke, they all hung their heads, unable to retort. The three guards, in particular, were at a loss for words. A guard’s duty is to protect their master, yet Liu Menghua had nearly been struck by the giant bear. With her delicate frame, she wouldn’t have even known how she died.

Moreover, when facing the two giant bears, their Cultivation at the First and Second Layers of the Spirit Refining Stage proved inferior to even Lin Xuan, who was only at the Body Refining Stage! This was to be expected. Their Body Refining wasn’t as formidable as Lin Xuan’s, their Martial Techniques weren’t as strong, and their weapons were even more lacking. The weapon in Lin Xuan’s hand was Lin Hua’s exclusive weapon, while theirs were merely Ordinary Iron Level, not Treasure Level.

With an ordinary weapon, they’d be lucky to even scratch the giant bear’s hide, let alone kill it. The main issue was their poor Cultivation. Blindly raising one’s cultivation level didn’t equate to true strength. Lin Xuan could crush those bears with his bare hands; a feat they could never hope to accomplish.

At their current level, these guards would be instantly killed by Lin Xuan. Unless their Cultivation were higher, for although their bodies were weaker than Lin Xuan’s, the density and potency of their Elemental Power would far surpass his.

Cultivation was still an insurmountable gap, especially when the difference was vast. In such cases, even a genius would be instantly killed.

"You’re on your own from now on. I won’t be helping again." Lin Xuan stood up, his face stern, and turned to leave.

"Young Master Lin!" Liu Menghua cried out anxiously. "We were incredibly rude before. Please, don’t hold it against us. I apologize for our earlier behavior!"

"Young Hero Lin, we lost our heads earlier. It was our fault for not believing you," the three guards also apologized hurriedly. "We sincerely hope you can be the bigger person and forgive our previous behavior!" They had all witnessed Lin Xuan’s strength; what more was there to say?

Lin Xuan didn’t stop walking. ’A simple apology and I’m supposed to forgive them? Is it really that easy?’ This was a matter of life and death, not child’s play.

"Young Master Lin!" Liu Menghua grabbed Lin Xuan’s arm. When he turned his head in annoyance, he was met with the sight of her eyes, brimming with tears. She looked beautiful and pitiable. "I know you know the way through the Mysterious Fragrance Forest, Young Master Lin. Please, I’m begging you, take me to find the Mystery Heart Grass! My father was afflicted with a Hallucinogenic Poison, and he desperately needs it. If we don’t find the Mystery Heart Grass soon, my father... he... he won’t be able to hold on much longer!"

In her desperation, she began to cry, shedding all semblance of a young lady’s composure. She was now clinging to Lin Xuan as if he were her last hope.

Lin Xuan was taken aback. He had suspected something was wrong with the Liu Family, and it turned out to be a serious problem indeed. The Liu Family’s Clan Leader himself was in trouble, clearly having been poisoned in a plot by some other faction. On top of that, these guards were far too weak. If they had an Essence Pill Stage expert with them, they would have passed through here unhindered.

The Mysterious Fragrance Forest was said to be terrifying, but with an Essence Pill Stage expert present, these giant bears would be a trivial matter. The only challenge would be the time it takes to find the herb. However, Essence Pill Stage experts generally avoided this place. The Mysterious Fragrance Forest held nothing of value, and cultivators of their stature couldn’t be bothered to come in.

"Can you tell me the details?" Lin Xuan asked with a frown.

"The Fang Family specializes in Hallucinogenic Poisons. The last time they clashed with my father, he won by a narrow margin, but he fell victim to their treachery... If my father doesn’t recover, the Fang Family will devour our Liu Family!" Liu Menghua’s eyes were swimming with tears that streamed down her face in her anxiety. One could only imagine the heavy burden she carried.

With the Clan Leader gravely ill, the other Elders didn’t dare to leave the family estate. Who could guarantee the Fang Family wouldn’t invade? Who would be left to protect the Liu Family? Thus, only this small group could be sent out; they had no other choice.

’The Fang Family... the Huang Family...’ Lin Xuan’s eyes turned cold. Those two families were also a thorn in the side of his own Lin Family. Seeing Liu Menghua’s sorrowful expression, his heart softened.

’There was a reason they were so desperate for the Mystery Heart Grass. It was understandable they didn’t trust me; they just wanted to find it as quickly as possible. But they don’t realize that rushing only leads to chaos. How can you rush something like this?’

"This time, you will all follow my commands. If something like that happens again, don’t blame me for being merciless!" Lin Xuan wasn’t a heartless person, but if they were going to act foolishly, he wouldn’t let them drag him down with them.

The guards had been the foolish ones. Liu Menghua was inexperienced, so her judgment was understandable.

"Of course! We will follow your every command!" Liu Menghua nodded eagerly, afraid Lin Xuan might change his mind.

"Good. We’re leaving now!"

Lin Xuan didn’t want to waste any more time with words. Every extra minute in the Mysterious Fragrance Forest was another minute of danger. The best course of action was to retrieve the Mystery Heart Grass as quickly as possible.

Lin Xuan led them forward, extending his senses to their limit to avoid any giant bears. The deeper they went, the more tense he became. The scenery was monotonous and unsettlingly gloomy, and a palpable sense of danger filled the air.

No one could guarantee what lay ahead—not even Qing Liuyun. After all, his knowledge was several years old; some discrepancies were to be expected.

He turned to Liu Menghua behind him and said, "Wait here. I’m going to get a better view." With that, he leaped up into a tree. As he scanned the surroundings, he could see a large, open space in the distance, which struck him as odd.

"Did you see anything?" Liu Menghua asked hurriedly as Lin Xuan climbed down. The sky had now completely darkened, plunging the forest into blackness. Setting aside the inherent dangers of the Mysterious Fragrance Forest, they were running out of time.

"There seems to be a clearing up ahead. We should go check it out."

They didn’t linger, quickly heading toward the spot Lin Xuan had noticed. At their pace, it didn’t take them long to arrive. As they got closer, they could see clearly through a gap in the trees. It was a large clearing—or more precisely, nestled within the forest was a vast lake!

Under the Moonlight above, the lake’s surface shimmered as gentle ripples spread across it. They were astonished. Who would have thought there was a small lake in the middle of this forest!

"It’s... it’s Mystery Heart Grass!!" Liu Menghua suddenly cried out. Before she could say another word, Lin Xuan swiftly clapped a hand over her mouth.

"Quiet! Something isn’t right here," Lin Xuan hissed. His breath brushed against her delicate ear, sending a shiver through her and making her go weak at the knees. She nearly collapsed into his arms. She had never been held by a man like this before, let alone felt his warm breath so close to her ear. Her mind went blank, and she could only nod to show she understood.

He glanced at the three guards, who all nodded in understanding.

"The Mystery Heart Grass is right there, but we can’t rush in. I sense danger ahead. Remember, not another sound." He then slowly removed his hand from Liu Menghua’s mouth. He paid no mind to her flustered state, his eyes fixed on the lake ahead. Sure enough, he could see clumps of Mystery Heart Grass growing around its edge.

But even though it was so close, they couldn’t act rashly. ’If it were that easy to obtain, Mystery Heart Grass wouldn’t be valuable, and this place would have been picked clean long ago.’

This strange lake put him on high alert; he felt as if something was guarding it. They waited for a while longer, but there was still no sign of movement.

Lin Xuan frowned. ’Was I wrong?’ Beside him, Liu Menghua did as he said, her eyes fixed on the Mystery Heart Grass by the lake. They were filled with undisguised joy, and if Lin Xuan hadn’t warned her against it, she would have already rushed forward.

’Did I sense it wrong?’ Lin Xuan’s gaze flickered with indecision.

’Your senses weren’t mistaken. There is indeed something strange about this lake!’ Qing Liuyun’s voice suddenly spoke up.

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