Soul Emperor Awakening

Lin Xuan revealed the cruel truth, only to find Qing Yiyi’s expression calm, as if she had known the answer all along.

"Miss Yiyi already knew?" Lin Xuan asked. Seeing how calm she was, it was obvious she did.

"No, I didn’t. I just had my suspicions about the Second Elder. Of everyone, he had the strongest motive..." A flash of anger crossed Qing Yiyi’s eyes, but she quickly calmed down. She looked up, staring at Lin Xuan. "Are you saying you learned the Cyan Cloud Step because you accidentally found a final letter?"

"Yes, but I burned it after memorizing it," Lin Xuan added, fabricating another excuse. It was the only way he could explain it, and it was a relatively believable story. Otherwise, it would be completely unreasonable for him to suddenly offer to teach her the Cyan Cloud Step.

’He could have used a more perfect excuse, like simply challenging her to a spar to see whose Cyan Cloud Step was superior. But that way, he wouldn’t have been able to reveal the murderer. And if he didn’t tell her, how could he warn Qing Yiyi to be wary of Cyan Cloud Peak?’

Qing Yiyi stared at him for a long moment before speaking. "I understand. Thank you for your warning. I’ll be careful." She didn’t press for more details and turned to leave. Just before she went, she added, "There isn’t much I can do for you, but if you need anything, don’t hesitate to find me. I’ll help in any way I can."

As she turned to leave, Lin Xuan called out, "Miss Yiyi, you don’t doubt what I’ve said?" His excuse was full of holes, yet surprisingly, Qing Yiyi didn’t even ask where he’d found the letter. She just left him with those simple words and walked away.

Qing Yiyi stopped and turned her head, a beautiful, radiant smile blooming on her face. "For someone who can perform the Cyan Cloud Step so much like my father... even if you were a bad person, I would still accept you. At least this way, the Cyan Cloud Step won’t be lost." Without another glance back, she disappeared around the corner.

Clearly, Lin Xuan’s performance of the Cyan Cloud Step had earned him a great deal of her goodwill. How could she possibly dislike someone who could perform her father’s technique with such uncanny similarity? The feeling was so familiar, so warm; it was truly as if her father were standing right in front of her.

Besides, if he were a bad person, would he be foolish enough to name Cyan Cloud Peak as the culprit? Framing them was even less likely. After all, Qing Yiyi had investigated the matter herself. With Qing Liuyun’s formidable cultivation, how could he have simply vanished? He must have been ambushed.

Lin Xuan sighed, then turned and headed for the Cyan Cloud Tower. He didn’t have much time; he had to break through as quickly as possible. For now, he and Qing Yiyi walked different paths. One was an Inner Hall Disciple, the other a Core Disciple, so it was difficult for them to see each other often.

Most Core Disciples went straight to the Cyan Cloud Tower, rarely visiting anywhere else. For them, there was no limit on the number of days they could spend cultivating inside! This was an incredible privilege, and one that the Inner Hall Disciples envied deeply.

’But there was no point in them meeting often anyway. Qing Yiyi wouldn’t discuss countermeasures with him.’ They were neither friends nor family, and their opponent was Cyan Cloud Peak—an enemy powerful enough to crush them with ease. If Lin Xuan got involved, he would undoubtedly be in grave danger. That was why Qing Yiyi had been reluctant to say much to him; she didn’t want to bring him harm.

’Qing Liuyun had already been murdered; it was likely Qing Yiyi would be next. Anyone close to her would surely become a target. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have been so determined to leave, so insistent on pushing everyone away. It wasn’t because she was naturally cold, but because she didn’t want to bring harm to others!’

Lin Xuan understood all of this; it was easy enough to figure out. The expression on her face when he performed the Cyan Cloud Step had told him she was not a cold-hearted person.

...

「Three days passed in the blink of an eye.」

When Lin Xuan emerged from the Cyan Cloud Tower, his cultivation had broken through to the Third Layer of the Spirit Refining Stage. He had already been on the verge of a breakthrough, so three days had been more than enough time.

This time, he had chosen to cultivate on the Third Layer of the Cyan Cloud Tower, where the Elemental Power was richer and the effects were even more astounding. He had originally wanted to go to an even lower floor, but unfortunately, all the spots were taken.

Still, he could imagine that the effects on the lower floors were even more incredible.

’I should head out and find some Elixir Pills. Otherwise, cultivating at this speed is just too slow...’

Lin Xuan didn’t stay in the Cyan Cloud Tower because he felt his progress was too slow. Finding some Elixir Pills outside would undoubtedly accelerate his cultivation speed. His cultivation foundation was already solid, so speeding things up a bit wouldn’t cause any problems.

’Primordial Stones, Primordial Stones... Even a hero is helpless without money!’ Lin Xuan wanted to find some Elixir Pills but had no idea where to start. He remembered that pills were expensive, and he had no more than ten Primordial Stones on him—a pitifully small amount.

Qingcheng Mansion didn’t just hand out Elixir Pills. If they provided them for everyone, the entire mansion would go bankrupt! To get Elixir Pills, one had to exchange them for points. This was true even for Core Disciples, though their situation was slightly better.

Core Disciples were all able to have their own masters, so with a master’s help, they were certain to have plenty of Elixir Pills to consume.

’That’s right, I can go to the Liu Family!’ Lin Xuan’s eyes lit up. He remembered Liu Menghua, whom he had met in the Mysterious Fragrance Forest. Perhaps she could help him figure something out.

’Especially since I helped her get that Mystery Heart Grass. I’m not asking for a huge reward, but surely she could give me some Elixir Pills, right?’

With this in mind, he immediately set off for the Liu Family’s city—Vast Origin City!

Vast Origin City wasn’t far from the Inner Hall; it was only a day’s journey away. It was also a very prosperous city where, as long as you had Primordial Stones, you could buy almost anything you desired. Having been blind for so many years, he had seen very little of the world, so he felt it was necessary to go out and explore.

’So this is Vast Origin City?’

Lin Xuan looked up. The massive city gates were incredibly grand. Even from a distance, he could see the bustling, lively streets within. The Guards at the entrance were all experts at the Spirit Refining Stage, their sheer imposing presence enough to make people afraid to get close.

Just as he was about to enter the city, a harsh shout came from behind, "Everyone get out of the way! Don’t block the road!"

Lin Xuan turned to see a carriage barreling toward them, recklessly charging into the city and completely ignoring the pedestrians. The Guards at the gate moved to intercept it, but upon seeing the emblem on the carriage, they quickly dodged aside and began shouting as well, "All of you, get out of the way! Don’t block the road!"

The Guards were actually helping clear the path, making everyone wonder just who was inside the carriage to warrant such domineering behavior.

"Hey, isn’t that a carriage from the Divine Rune Sect? Even for them, isn’t this a bit too arrogant?"

"Arrogant? You haven’t seen real arrogance; this is nothing. Besides, the Divine Rune Sect is a Fourth Grade Sect, on par with Qingcheng Mansion. So what if they’re arrogant? You got a problem with it?"

"A problem? How could I have a problem? If getting run over meant I could join the Divine Rune Sect, I’d volunteer!"

...

The surrounding crowd erupted into discussion about the carriage, and Lin Xuan, standing to the side, pricked up his ears to listen.

’The Divine Rune Sect?’

Lin Xuan narrowed his eyes. The name sounded familiar—a Sect that had focused on Patterns for millennia. The importance of Patterns surpassed even Martial Techniques. Items enhanced with Patterns could have their effects multiplied! Whether it was a Weapon or an Elixir Pill, it could receive a massive boost.

His Dragon Cloud Rod, for example, had Patterns carved onto it that greatly increased its power.

He had long been fascinated by this art, which seemed capable of turning the mundane into the magical. He desperately wanted to learn, but he had no foundation whatsoever.

Both Lin Hua and Qing Liuyun had only a theoretical knowledge of Patterns; neither knew how to actually carve them. Both were focused on their own Cultivation and hadn’t researched the field in depth. This was especially true for Qing Liuyun—creating a Celestial Level Martial Art was already an incredible feat. Where would he have found the time to focus on Patterns?

’Things would be much easier if I could find a soul with this kind of knowledge...’ Lin Xuan thought with a wry smile.

Pattern Masters held a noble status; they could earn vast quantities of Primordial Stones just by carving a few simple Patterns. How could he not be tempted by that? But where was he supposed to find the soul of a Pattern Master?

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