Soul Emperor Awakening

"No problem." Shang Zhihao agreed to Lin Xuan’s request without hesitation. It was just a look at the Five-Colored Spirit Wood, not a big deal.

Under Shang Zhihao’s lead, they passed through the buildings at the front and headed for the mountain behind. The mountain was densely planted with Spirit Wood, which could not be harvested until it reached maturity. Therefore, even though they saw so much Spirit Wood, a great deal of it could not yet be processed into Spirit Wood Liquid, let alone crafted into Spirit Wood Paper.

Of course, they could still be processed, but the effects wouldn’t be optimal. Thus, it was better to wait until they were fully mature.

As they ventured deeper, the Elemental Power grew increasingly dense. It would be quite beneficial to practice Cultivation here, but this state would only last for a short while. After a period of time, all this Elemental Power would be absorbed by the Spirit Wood. The Elemental Power that gathered from the surroundings served as nutrients for the Spirit Wood.

Spirit Wood grows by absorbing Elemental Power, which is why it’s so precious. However, Spirit Wood Liquid contains no Elemental Power, so consuming it is useless. If it did, it would likely be a popular beverage among Cultivators rather than a crafting material for Pattern Masters.

"It’s just ahead," Shang Zhihao said as a reminder.

Lin Xuan looked up. He didn’t need Shang Zhihao’s reminder; the numerous guards ahead were a clear indicator. Moreover, they were no longer at the Refining Spirit Stage Level—they were all guards at the Essence Pill Stage Level.

To be more precise, they were the Elders of the Shang Family, and all of them were standing guard here. When they saw the group approaching, they grew vigilant. They only relaxed upon recognizing Shang Zhihao. One of them looked at him and said, "Zhihao, you’re back. I heard you took fourth place in the Pattern Master competition. That’s quite a respectable ranking... Huh? Who is this young man behind you?"

The Grand Elder, Shang Hua, who led them, stepped forward. He was the most powerful of all the Elders, his Cultivation having reached the Spirit Pill Stage. The Shang Family possessed two Spirit Pill Stage experts. For an ordinary family, having even one Spirit Pill Stage expert was an incredible feat, yet the Shang Family had two, which was enough to prove their foundation was solid.

With so much Spirit Wood and such immense wealth, obtaining items like Elixir Pills was a simple matter. It was only natural that they had many powerful experts. Overall, the Shang Family’s strength was indeed considerable, at least on par with the Fang Family. However, with their Patriarch currently injured, they were at a slight disadvantage.

"He is Lin Yunlong, the one who overpowered the disciples of the Divine Rune Sect in the Pattern Master competition!" Shang Zhihao introduced. "He also gave me his spot for the Bone Dragon Ruins, so I invited him to be our guest."

"Lin Yunlong!" Shang Hua was inwardly shaken. He sized Lin Xuan up for a moment before saying in a deep voice, "No wonder, no wonder. Your aura is completely restrained, and you unconsciously blend into your surroundings as you walk. You’ve already stepped over the threshold of the Heaven and Earth Realm! It’s truly incredible to reach such a level at your age. I had thought the rumors were exaggerated, but now I see your reputation is well-deserved."

The name Lin Yunlong now carried great weight. While not everyone had heard it, most had—they simply didn’t believe he was as miraculous as the rumors claimed.

Stepping into the Heaven and Earth Realm before the age of twenty? Anyone would scoff at that, as if the realm were so easy to enter. One could typically only touch the threshold after reaching the Essence Pill Stage Level; to do so at the Spirit Refining Stage was simply a joke.

But now, it seemed it was no joke at all.

"Thank you for your praise, Senior. This junior still has many shortcomings, so this is hardly worth mentioning," Lin Xuan said humbly.

Shang Hua nodded, satisfied with Lin Xuan’s attitude. ’Humble and not arrogant.’ Then he asked, "Are you here to see the Five-Colored Spirit Wood?"

"Yes. This junior is a Pattern Master, and I originally intended to ask Brother Shang for some Spirit Wood. I had no idea there was Five-Colored Spirit Wood here, so I hoped to witness its splendor for myself," Lin Xuan said.

"That can be arranged. Come in." Shang Hua didn’t refuse. ’Its existence will be revealed sooner or later anyway, so there’s no harm in him seeing it.’

Under Shang Hua’s lead, the guards parted to clear a path, and they continued inside. As soon as he entered, Lin Xuan could feel a Restriction array in place. The only way in was through the entrance they had just used; any other approach would require breaking through the Restriction first.

This minimized blind spots. In the event of an attack, they would know exactly where the intruders were coming from.

Just inside, what greeted his eyes was a Five-Colored Tree, a little taller than a man. It looked quite small and delicate, and a faint, five-colored halo emanated from it. Other than that, Lin Xuan didn’t sense anything particularly unusual. For instance, the Elemental Power it radiated showed no significant fluctuations.

But that wasn’t what truly caught Lin Xuan’s attention. He saw that the Five-Colored Spirit Wood actually contained a soul! ’To think there’s a soul here, and it’s even attached to the Five-Colored Spirit Wood.’

The soul had long since lost its form, a sign that its owner had already reincarnated. All that was left here was a cluster of memories.

"Senior, may I get a closer look?" Lin Xuan asked.

"You may." Shang Hua didn’t hesitate. ’I’ll be watching from the side, so I’m not afraid he’ll cause any trouble. More importantly, he’s from Qingcheng Mansion, not some person of unknown origin.’

With permission granted, Lin Xuan walked forward, his heart thrumming with excitement. ’I wonder what kind of memories are held by the soul attached to this Five-Colored Spirit Wood.’

As he drew near, he willed his Soul Pearl to absorb the cluster of memories. The soul offered no resistance as it flowed out of the Five-Colored Spirit Wood and into his mind.

The moment it merged with him, a vast flood of memories surged into his mind, and he began to process them frantically. The sheer volume of information was overwhelming, forcing him to close his eyes and carefully perceive the contents of the memory.

His action puzzled Shang Zhihao. ’Why did Lin Xuan suddenly close his eyes?’ Just as he was about to say something, Shang Hua gestured for him to remain silent, signaling him not to disturb Lin Xuan. He pulled Shang Zhihao aside and whispered, "It’s possible that seeing this Five-Colored Spirit Wood has led him to some kind of epiphany."

"An epiphany?" Shang Zhihao asked, stunned. "You can have an epiphany just by looking at a Five-Colored Spirit Wood?"

"That’s right. Otherwise, how do you think he reached such a high level at his age?" Shang Hua scoffed, glancing over at Lin Xuan.

In a sense, Lin Xuan was indeed having an epiphany. But it wasn’t from seeing the Five-Colored Spirit Wood; it was from acquiring the soul!

A moment later, Lin Xuan emerged from the torrent of memories. The sheer volume was too much to absorb all at once, so after filtering through the information, he slowly opened his eyes. A complicated expression filled them. ’This cluster of memories didn’t belong to a human... but to a Phoenix!’

The most direct explanation for this Five-Colored Spirit Wood’s mutation was that a Phoenix had died beneath it. The tree must have absorbed a great deal of Phoenix Essence Blood, which caused it to transform.

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