Chapter 62: The Suppression of Soul Essence

Inside the carriage, sandalwood curled in the air, and the fragrance of tea still lingered.

"Can Young Master Wan please explain what all of this is actually about?"

Third Young Master Wan suddenly收敛了笑容, his gaze turning sharp. "Brother Lin, to be perfectly honest, when I first invited you, my only intention was to test your background."

Lin Chuan's brow lifted slightly. Unperturbed, he picked up his teacup and took a gentle sip. "Oh?"

"You are merely the master of a small medicine workshop who has just arrived in Skyfortune City, yet you managed to provoke Zhenhai, disciple of the Snow Emperor, and even City Lord Qitian pays extraordinary attention to you."

Wan San's gaze was like a blade, as if attempting to slice through Lin Chuan's exterior. "One cannot help but be curious."

Simultaneously, Fatty's voice echoed in Lin Chuan's mind:

"Chuan, the Undying Heavenly Phoenix bloodline within this little bird is thoroughly mixed and quite weak compared to the rest of the Undying Heavenly Phoenix clan. The pure dragon and phoenix essence blood you refined through practicing the *Heaven-Universe Dragon-Transforming Art* has allowed her to glimpse the possibility of a bloodline metamorphosis, which is why she is so emotional."

Understanding dawned in Lin Chuan's heart, and the corners of his lips curved into an elusive smile.

He set down his teacup and looked straight at Wan San. "Young Master Wan, are you very eager to know how I acquired this pure dragon and phoenix essence blood?"

Wan San exchanged glances with Jiang Yan, who had already assumed human form, a trace of yearning flashing in both of their eyes.

"Brother Lin is perceptive."

Wan San said solemnly, "As long as you are willing to reveal the method and help my wife transform her bloodline, I am willing to pay any price."

"Any price?"

Lin Chuan let out a soft laugh, a flicker of astuteness flashing through his eyes. "Then what if I demand that you—the Third Young Master of the Wan family—swear allegiance to me?"

"What?!"

Wan San abruptly rose to his feet. His embroidered robes fluttered without wind, and the peak Venerable Martial realm aura faintly leaked out.

Anger surfaced on his handsome features:

"Lin Chuan! Do not be ungrateful! I am the Third Young Master of the Wan family, and the spirit stones I can directly mobilize number in the tens of billions, with even Saint-realm experts at my command!
Throughout the entire Azure Profound Continent, I, Wan San, can be considered a top-tier figure! A mere Profound Martial realm cultivator like you—on what grounds do you expect me to pledge allegiance?"

Jiang Yan's expression also turned frosty. Her fiery red dress fluttered without wind, and the flame pattern between her brows lit up with a dazzling brilliance:

"Lin Chuan, I admit that your phoenix bloodline tempts me, but do not forget your own status!"

Her voice was as cold as ice.

"Even Sanlang and I, while appearing to be bound by a contract, are in reality husband and wife. A human in the Profound Martial realm—are you even worthy of our allegiance?"

Lin Chuan remained seated. In the face of the fury of two peak Venerable Martial realm experts, not a shred of fear appeared on his face; instead, he wore a calm and composed smile.

The anger in Jiang Yan's eyes grew even more intense: "We can pay a price in exchange for your method, but if you do not know what's good for you—"

Crimson flames ignited around her entire body, and her form gradually elongated. "Then do not blame us for resorting to drastic measures!"

As the flames dissipated, a fiery red heavenly phoenix standing about two meters tall appeared inside the carriage.

Although she had not recovered her true form spanning hundreds of meters, the pressure of the peak Venerable Martial realm surged toward Lin Chuan like a tidal wave.

Wan San no longer concealed his power either. His embroidered robes billowed, and the formidable aura belonging to the peak Venerable Martial realm pressed down upon Lin Chuan alongside Jiang Yan.

The space inside the carriage seemed to freeze as two terrifying auras intertwined, enough to instantly force an ordinary Profound Martial realm cultivator to their knees.

Yet—

Lin Chuan still wore a smile, leisurely pouring himself another cup of tea.

The pressure capable of crushing mountains fell upon him as if it were a gentle breeze, failing to blow even a single strand of his hair.

"How is this possible?"

A flash of shock and suspicion crossed Jiang Yan's phoenix eyes.

Wan San's pupils also constricted. "An ordinary first-tier Profound Martial realm cultivator would have already been crushed to powder under our pressure..."

Lin Chuan took a sip of his tea, raised his gaze to look at them, and suddenly a flash of golden light crossed his eyes:

"You two, have you played enough?"

Before his voice faded, an indescribably terrifying pressure erupted from Lin Chuan's body!

"Boom—"

Wan San and Jiang Yan were struck as if by lightning, their entire bodies trembling violently.

The intensity of that pressure far exceeded their imagination, as if they were not facing a human, but a deity descended from antiquity!

"Thud!"

Wan San's knees softened, and he collapsed directly to the ground.

Jiang Yan fared no better; her fiery red wings drooped powerlessly, her phoenix head bowed, and her entire body shook.

Under this pressure, they felt as insignificant as ants, their life and death resting entirely on a single thought from the other party!

"This... this pressure..."

Jiang Yan's voice trembled. "It's even more terrifying than the most ancient ancestors of my clan!"

Cold sweat beaded on Wan San's forehead, his eyes filled with sheer disbelief. "Lin... Brother Lin... no... Senior..."

The pressure suddenly vanished, as though it had never existed at all.

Lin Chuan remained seated right where he was, smiling calmly, as if everything that had just happened were merely an illusion.

However, Wan San and Jiang Yan knew that it was no illusion.

They struggled to their feet, and the way they looked at Lin Chuan had completely changed, shifting from contempt to profound awe.

"Now,"

Lin Chuan set down his teacup, his voice calm, "can we have a proper conversation?"

Wan San took a deep breath, cupping his fists solemnly. "Please forgive me, Senior. Wan San was blind and failed to recognize Mount Tai."

Jiang Yan also reverted to her human form, bowing respectfully. "This junior was presumptuous; I beg Senior to be magnanimous."

Lin Chuan waved a hand. "There is no need for that. I am still merely Lin Chuan of the Profound Martial realm."

A profound glint flashed through his eyes. "As for the existence within me, it is enough that you know."

Wan San and Jiang Yan exchanged glances, colossal waves churning within their hearts.

To be able to have an entity protecting him that was even more formidable than the strongest ancestors of the Undying Heavenly Phoenix clan—Lin Chuan's background was likely terrifying beyond imagination!

One had to know that the Undying Heavenly Phoenix clan, as a pinnacle race of the Azure Profound Continent, possessed merely seven Divine Martial realm ancestors in total, and the strongest Heavenly Phoenix ancestor had reached the peak of the Divine Martial realm, merely a step away from the legendary Battle Emperor realm.

Yet the pressure emanating from within Lin Chuan just now was several times more terrifying than that of the strongest Undying Heavenly Phoenix ancestor!

"Could it be..."

Jiang Yan's thoughts drifted uncontrollably, "An existence that has surpassed the Divine Martial realm?"

While Wan San and the two of them were lost in a flurry of thoughts, Fatty's voice resounded in Lin Chuan's mind once more:

"Chuan, did you see that? This is psychological warfare."

Fatty's voice was full of smug triumph. "Those two little fellows must be guessing what my exact realm is right now."

The corners of Lin Chuan's mouth curled upward. "You certainly know how to put on a show. Clearly, you've only just recovered to the Saint realm, and your combat prowess barely rivals that of a Divine Martial cultivator, yet you act as if you're some peerless supreme being."

"Heh, you don't understand this."

Fatty chuckled merrily. "My peak in the past was too high. Even if my soul has only recovered to the Saint realm now, the suppression inherent to the soul's essence is more than enough to bluff those little fellows."

"The soul's essence?"

"It's like an ant looking at a human; even an infant appears as a gigantic entity in its eyes."

Fatty explained, "The higher the realm, the greater the gap in soul essence. Although my current strength is less than ten percent of what it used to be, my soul far surpasses the limits of the Azure Profound Continent in terms of quality."

Lin Chuan said thoughtfully, "So the pressure they felt..."

"That's right. It was mostly the natural fear of a 'lower being' toward a 'higher being'."

"Lin... Big Brother..."

Wan San carefully weighed his words. "Since you possess such a background, why go to the trouble of staying in this tiny Skyfortune City instead of going to the most prosperous star-ranked cultivation city..."

Lin Chuan cut him off. "I have my own reasons for staying in Skyfortune City. These are not matters for you to worry about."