Soul Emperor Awakening

After taking a direct hit from Dragon-like Stick, Fang Shi crumpled to the ground. The force had shattered most of his internal organs. It was obvious he wouldn’t survive as he lay there, gasping his last breaths.

All he could do was stare at Lin Hua in utter disbelief. He couldn’t form words, only managing to make gurgling sounds as blood streamed from the corner of his mouth. The light in his eyes slowly faded, his gaze losing its focus.

Taking a direct hit from Dragon-like Stick was devastating. Forget an Essence Pill Stage cultivator; even a Spirit Pill Stage expert would be in dire straits! Unless one possessed an exceptionally tough Physique, there was no way to withstand such a powerful blow.

Lin Hua’s current attacks were incredibly domineering. Even without the Dragon Cloud Rod, his power was astonishing. After all, with the aid of the Five-Colored Spirit Wood, Lin Hua’s Cultivation had reached the First Layer of the Essence Pill Stage, putting him on par with the Phoenix.

When their power levels were so close, taking a direct hit from a fatal attack would leave one half-dead, if not outright killed.

"I’m not so arrogant as to think I can take on an Essence Pill Stage expert myself!" Lin Xuan said coldly, looking down at the collapsed Fang Shi.

With his current Cultivation, forget Soul Possession; he couldn’t have beaten Fang Shi even if he poured his entire soul into it. Soul Possession only strengthened his Realm. Perhaps he could have overwhelmed Fang Shi’s Realm in an instant, but the gap in their Cultivation was simply too great to bridge.

It wasn’t that Soul Possession had no effect; it did increase his power. But the enhancement was simply not enough to match Fang Shi.

That’s why he had deliberately had the Phoenix carry him skyward, where he secretly tossed out the Wood Carving, let it transform amidst the forest, and then had it ambush Fang Shi.

Fortunately, the surrounding area was a forest; otherwise, the ploy would have been easily spotted. And with Lin Xuan deliberately acting as a distraction, Fang Shi had fallen for the trap with ease.

"You..." Fang Shi raised a trembling finger toward Lin Xuan. He opened his mouth as if to speak but only coughed up a mouthful of blood, his eyes filled with despair.

’We gravely underestimated him. Who would have thought he had an accomplice?’

"Die!" Lin Xuan snorted. The Phoenix at his side immediately unleashed a torrent of Flame that engulfed Fang Shi in the blink of an eye. After a final, agonizing scream, he went silent, all life extinguished.

Lin Xuan then turned to look at Fang Qingyu in the distance, who was staring, completely dumbfounded. An Elder of the Fang Family had been killed just like that. What chance did that leave him?

"Weren’t you so arrogant a moment ago? Now it’s your turn to attack," Lin Xuan said, looking at Fang Qingyu with disgust. ’This man has no real skill of his own, just a habit of throwing his weight around by relying on his connections.’

’Run! I have to run!’

Snapping out of his shock, Fang Qingyu spurred his warhorse and fled toward Vast Origin City, his eyes wild with terror.

"Trying to escape?"

Lin Xuan snorted. He called the Phoenix over, leaped onto its back, and in the blink of an eye, had flown to block Fang Qingyu’s path. Its previously injured wing had fully recovered, looking no different than before. ’The Five-Colored Spirit Wood is truly miraculous,’ he thought. ’It even has regenerative properties. I just don’t know how long it will last.’

Upon catching up, he leaped off the Phoenix and threw a heavy punch at the oncoming warhorse. A pained whinny echoed as both horse and rider were sent flying. The panicked Fang Qingyu didn’t even have time to react before he was thrown from the saddle, crashing hard onto the ground.

The scene was strikingly familiar. Lin Xuan had done the very same thing when they had first met.

"Where’s all that arrogance now? Weren’t you going to kill me and take my contracted Divine Beast?" Lin Xuan said as he advanced on him. ’This time, there’s no one to save him. Fang Feng won’t be coming; they all thought sending a single Elder would be enough to annihilate me.’

’In theory, they were right. I definitely couldn’t have beaten Fang Shi; I would have just been crushed. But that doesn’t mean I don’t have other methods. If I hadn’t managed to get the Five-Colored Spirit Wood, I really would have been doomed. No matter how many Wood Carvings I summoned, they would have been shattered instantly. That’s the gap in Cultivation for you.’

"I... I was wrong!" Fang Qingyu scrambled up, then immediately dropped to his knees before Lin Xuan, kowtowing repeatedly. "I-I’ll never dare to do it again! Please, don’t kill me! I’ll give you anything you want!" He slammed his head against the ground frantically. With his family’s Elder dead, any resistance was completely futile.

He could think of no other option but to kowtow and beg for his life.

"Coward!" Lin Xuan sneered, pointing the Dragon Cloud Rod at him. The domineering Dragon Force emanating from it terrified Fang Qingyu so much that he collapsed backward, a dark patch spreading across the crotch of his pants. He had wet himself!

"No, don’t kill me! Please, I’m begging you, don’t kill me!" Fang Qingyu wailed, his limbs gone limp. Tears and snot streamed down, smearing his entire face.

Lin Xuan’s brow furrowed at the sight. ’I can’t believe he’s this pathetic. And the Fang Family made him their heir? They’re practically asking for their own ruin. If Fang Qingyu actually becomes Patriarch, I bet the Fang Family would fall into decline within a few years. How could they possibly get by with such a cowardly leader?’

"You are a true disgrace to the Fang Family. Allow me to preserve their last shred of dignity for them!" Lin Xuan said with a low grunt, signaling for the Phoenix to attack.

Without hesitation, the Phoenix unleashed a wave of Flame that surged toward Fang Qingyu. As the scorching blaze rushed at him, he desperately scrambled to his feet and tried to dodge, but he was far too slow. In the blink of an eye, the flames consumed him.

"AHH... My father won’t let you get away with this!" With one final, blood-curdling scream, Fang Qingyu was silenced forever. The future heir of the Fang Family was dead.

’It’s a good thing the Fang Family didn’t send more people,’ Lin Xuan thought. ’Otherwise, things would have been much more difficult.’

’Fang Family, you’re truly ruthless!’ Lin Xuan’s gaze turned icy. He knew he’d provoked them, but he never expected them to be so vicious as to send assassins without a moment’s hesitation. He would settle this score with the Fang Family sooner or later.

’Since they’ve made their move, they can’t blame me for being merciless in return. From this day forward, it’s a fight to the death between me and the Fang Family!’

He then turned his attention to the Phoenix and Lin Hua. A considerable amount of time had passed, yet neither had vanished. This proved that the effects of the Five-Colored Spirit Wood were long-lasting.

"Return!"

With a simple gesture from Lin Xuan, Lin Hua reverted to his Wood Carving form, ready to be summoned or recalled at will. Upon recalling him, Lin Xuan felt a drain on his Elemental Power, but it was minimal—the same base amount as before. ’It seems that for a carving made from the Five-Colored Spirit Wood, the cost is lower, but the effect is much stronger.’

’This is a powerful trump card,’ Lin Xuan thought, extremely pleased. He might not be able to use it all the time, but against certain enemies, an unexpected attack like this was absolutely necessary.

After cleaning up the scene, Lin Xuan mounted the Phoenix and set off toward Qingcheng Mansion. He wanted to see just how long this manifestation of the Phoenix would last. Besides, with the Phoenix’s speed, he could cut his travel time drastically. It was incredibly convenient.

If anyone else saw him, they would be overcome with envy. In fact, he would immediately become a target. This was a Divine Beast, after all—a creature that would make even the Elders of Qingcheng Mansion burn with jealousy.

Before departing, he glanced back one last time at Vast Origin City, his expression grim. "Fang Family," he muttered, "this isn’t over."

He knew that even if he didn’t make a move against the Fang Family, Fang Feng would surely not let him off the hook. When the men he dispatched failed to return, suspicion would inevitably fall on Lin Xuan. They might not believe he personally killed Fang Shi, but they would know he was undeniably connected to his disappearance.

From this moment on, they were mortal enemies, locked in a struggle that would not end until one of them was dead.

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