Soul Emperor Awakening

With just a single move, he had shattered the Cyan-Scaled Python’s fangs, sending it fleeing in disarray. It didn’t dare continue the fight against Lin Xuan. Its imposing aura plummeted in an instant. How could it possibly still dare to swallow him whole?

Lin Xuan, of course, had no intention of letting it escape. Bingxin had said she needed the Essence Blood of a serpentine beast, and wasn’t this Cyan-Scaled Python the perfect candidate? Even if Bingxin hadn’t needed its Essence Blood, he would have killed the Cyan-Scaled Python regardless. It had pursued him for so long; how could he possibly vent his anger without killing it?

Besides, the Cyan-Scaled Python was the perfect opponent for him to test his new strength, to see just how thoroughly he could dominate it now that he had broken through to the Spirit Refining Stage.

"Cyan Cloud Step!"

Lin Xuan executed the Celestial Level Martial Arts at will. With a speed completely different from when he was underwater, he transformed into a wisp of cyan cloud, tracing a cyan ribbon through the air. In the blink of an eye, he was floating in front of the Cyan-Scaled Python!

He might not have been a match for the Cyan-Scaled Python underwater, but on land, it was a different story. His speed far surpassed the beast’s!

"Get back!"

Lin Xuan furiously swung the Dragon Cloud Rod, and a terrifying Qi Force swept forward. He unleashed the full might of the Eight Extremes Staff Technique, sending waves of energy surging like a tempestuous sea. The blast sent the Cyan-Scaled Python flying backward, its thick scales cracking and bleeding from the impact. The sheer, tyrannical power was utterly overwhelming!

This was a massive change from before, when he could only knock it back a little. The gap in Cultivation was not so easily bridged. Even a genius with low Cultivation could be crushed to death by a less talented expert with a higher Cultivation.

After the blast knocked it back, the Cyan-Scaled Python came to a stop, turned, and slithered toward the forest, no longer daring to face Lin Xuan. But the moment it was unable to retreat to the bottom of the lake, its fate was sealed. It was destined to be slain by Lin Xuan!

"Where do you think you’re going!"

With a low roar, Lin Xuan leaped into the air, Dragon Cloud Rod in hand. He executed the Sea-Entry Form with all his might, causing the Dragon Power within him to erupt. Combined with the Dragon Cloud Rod, he was like a sea dragon piercing down from the heavens.

THUD!

The heavy blow struck the Cyan-Scaled Python’s body viciously, shattering a patch of its tough scales. The impact nearly snapped the beast in two! If he had been wielding a sharp greatsword instead of a rod, even if it hadn’t been sliced in half, it would have been left with a deep gash.

But every weapon has its own strengths. The heavy blow shook the Cyan-Scaled Python so hard it let out a mournful wail, its scales raining to the ground. Blood streamed from its wounds, leaving a gruesome trail on the ground.

Lin Xuan felt not a shred of pity. ’If I hadn’t managed to break through,’ he thought, ’I’d already be in the Cyan-Scaled Python’s stomach by now.’

"It’s tougher than I thought. A quick kill is going to be difficult..."

Even pushing his Lin’s Staff Technique to the limit, he was still finding it difficult to land a killing blow. The Cyan-Scaled Python’s Defense Power was simply too strong. He could wear it down eventually, but a decisive kill would still take time.

But he couldn’t afford to wait. If this dragged on, he would attract the attention of the nearby giant bears, and then things would get complicated.

Lin Xuan stood motionless as his aura rapidly intensified. He mobilized a vast amount of Elemental Power, gathering it in his arms. A faint Qi Force began to emanate from them, and a vague, dragon-shaped Qi Force could be seen coiling around his arms as a faint Long Wei began to spread.

The Cyan-Scaled Python sensed the terrifying power emanating from Lin Xuan and twisted its massive body to flee. Its injuries had slowed it down considerably, but Lin Xuan didn’t attack immediately. He was still gathering his strength.

Seeing that Lin Xuan hadn’t pursued, the Cyan-Scaled Python was overjoyed and quickened its pace. Little did it know, it had never left Lin Xuan’s sight, and that was all that mattered.

"Fifth Form, Dragon-like Stick!"

Suddenly, the stationary Lin Xuan moved. With a violent stomp of his foot that left a deep print in the earth, he shot forward like a streak of white light. A massive, dragon-shaped Qi Force could be vaguely seen coiling around his body, tyrannical and demanding submission.

BOOM!

The Dragon Cloud Rod slammed viciously into the Cyan-Scaled Python’s tail. In that instant, the dragon-shaped Qi Force around Lin Xuan roared and pierced into the python’s body. It shot straight through, exiting its head and slamming into a giant tree just beyond.

CRACK! The giant tree, so thick it would take two people to wrap their arms around it, was snapped in two by the aftershock and came crashing down.

The Cyan-Scaled Python’s body went rigid. The whites of its enormous eyes showed as they rolled back, and it collapsed, completely lifeless a moment later. While many of its scales had been shaken off, the external damage was not the true cause of death. In reality, the dragon-shaped Qi Force had pulverized all of its internal organs.

There wasn’t much change on the outside, but its insides had been completely obliterated! The Cyan-Scaled Python’s formidable external defenses were utterly useless against the concussive power of that Qi Force.

"Whew... The Fifth Form’s power really is something else!"

Lin Xuan exhaled. That move was incredibly domineering, consuming nearly half of his Elemental Power! He had managed to unleash a blow with the force of nearly 8,000 jin. But the force was just a number; the real key was the dragon-shaped Qi Force that had pierced straight through the Cyan-Scaled Python!

’Dragon-like Stick... it really did unleash a giant dragon. The Cyan-Scaled Python was just a snake. How could it possibly compare to a true dragon?’

"Store!"

Without hesitation, Lin Xuan stored the Cyan-Scaled Python in his Inner Hall Disciple Identity Token. He then turned and ran back to the lake, jumping in and swimming toward the Ice Sealed Palace. Before diving in, he also grabbed a few handfuls of Mystery Heart Grass, which he also needed.

As for Liu Menghua and her group, Lin Xuan paid them no mind. He was sure they had left already. ’I’ve been in the lake for several days,’ he thought. ’It would be stranger if they were still here.’

He had only just left when a large pack of giant bears swarmed the area. Some of them were even at the Fourth and Fifth Layers of the Spirit Refining Stage. If he had been any slower, he would have been surrounded.

Back inside the Ice Sealed Palace, he tossed out the Cyan-Scaled Python’s corpse and said, "I’ve hunted down a Cyan-Scaled Python. This is the beast I mentioned before."

"Hmm, its Cultivation is a bit low, but as long as it’s the Essence Blood of a serpentine beast, it will suffice." Bingxin was unfazed; to her, this Cyan-Scaled Python was no different from a common loach.

"What do I do next?" Lin Xuan asked.

"Do you have the Mystery Heart Grass?" Bingxin asked.

"I have that too. I just picked some!" Lin Xuan said, taking out the Mystery Heart Grass to prove it.

"Good. These two items are all we need. The rest will depend on your Willpower and Control Power!" Bingxin said, her expression turning serious. "The Array Hub of the Ice Sealed Palace is here in the center of this room. Douse yourself in the Essence Blood, then sit and meditate on the Array Hub. Wait for my guidance!"

"Douse myself in Essence Blood..."

Lin Xuan was stunned. ’What kind of bizarre method is this for breaking an array?’

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