Invincible Soul Emperor

Chapter 229: Chapter 229 Ambush in the Dark

When Elder Yang saw Ye Qingchen heading alone into the depths of the Qingyun Mountain Range, he sneered to himself. This kid is truly courting death. If you had stayed obediently by the side of the masters from the Qingyun Sect, you might have lived a few more days. Now, you’re just seeking your own demise!

However, Elder Yang didn’t rush to make his move. Now that Ye Qingchen was alone, killing him was just a matter of time. Besides, the group from the Qingyun Sect hadn’t gone far. If he attacked now, Ye Qingchen might use one of the sect’s Secret Techniques to call for reinforcements. Although Elder Yang was confident he could kill Ye Qingchen before help arrived, he knew he couldn’t escape death if a Martial Spirit Realm master intervened. So, Elder Yang waited, biding his time until the others from the Qingyun Sect were a safe distance away. This way, he could complete his mission and guarantee a clean getaway.

Ye Qingchen, for his part, was completely unaware of the danger. He had chosen to train in the Qingyun Mountain Range because he wanted to participate in the sect’s promotion competition in six months. However, his current cultivation at the Second Layer of the Great Martial Master Realm was far from sufficient. By his estimation, he had to at least reach the Ninth Layer of the Great Martial Master Realm to qualify, and perhaps even ascend to the Martial Spirit Realm.

To improve so many layers in such a short period, Ye Qingchen had to engage in continuous, frenzied combat. He needed to hone his Martial Techniques and Cultivation Technique, even teetering on the edge of life and death to stimulate his potential and achieve rapid breakthroughs. If there was a shortcut in cultivation, then growing stronger through constant battle was the best one. This was why Ye Qingchen had resolutely left the Qingyun Sect’s party.

After a full day and night of searching, Ye Qingchen was constantly fighting Monster Beasts. He deliberately chose opponents that were not too high-level; their strength was roughly equivalent to a human Second or Third Layer Great Martial Master. This was a calculated move to hone his martial arts. During these battles, he would often seal his other Martial Techniques, forcing himself to rely on just one at a time. This practice made his mastery over each technique much more profound.

Finally, after hunting dozens of Monster Beasts, Ye Qingchen set his sights on a Fourth-Tier Monster Beast, the Cang Tiger Beast, whose strength was equivalent to a Fourth Layer Great Martial Master. The Cang Tiger Beast’s strength was not its only asset. Its offensive and defensive power were outstanding among Fourth-Tier Monster Beasts, and its speed was unmatched by its peers. Therefore, Ye Qingchen approached the fight with great seriousness. The Martial Technique he chose to refine this time was his swordsmanship, Sword Dusting the Wind. However, to better temper the technique, he chose not to use his Superior-grade Spiritual Weapon, the Qingfeng Sword.

What Ye Qingchen didn’t expect was that as he battled the Cang Tiger Beast, a pair of eyes was watching him from the shadows.

Elder Yang had waited for an entire day and night. He was now convinced that the others from the Qingyun Sect had gone far enough, making this the perfect opportunity to kill Ye Qingchen. Thus, just as Ye Qingchen was engaged with the Cang Tiger Beast, Elder Yang made his move, launching a sneak attack from behind. Even though Elder Yang was confident he could kill Ye Qingchen in a direct confrontation, his long-ingrained cautiousness led him to choose an ambush.

Ye Qingchen, who was fighting the Cang Tiger Beast, hadn’t been using his full strength. Hearing a whooshing sound from behind, he was instantly alarmed and hastily sidestepped to evade. Although he detected the sneak attack and reacted in time, Elder Yang was a Ninth Layer Great Martial Master, and this was an ambush he had long prepared. It was impossible for Ye Qingchen to dodge it completely. Still, by using Mystifying Steps, he managed to avoid a fatal blow. Nevertheless, he was sent flying by the powerful palm strike, spitting up a mouthful of blood.

The Cang Tiger Beast was also bewildered by this sudden turn of events. It pawed at the ground, hesitating on whether to continue its attack. Elder Yang’s icy gaze fell upon the beast, and the powerful aura emanating from him made the beast sense a deadly threat. A single glare from Elder Yang was enough to send the frightened Cang Tiger Beast turning tail and fleeing.

Elder Yang paid the fleeing Monster Beast no mind, his surprised gaze fixed on Ye Qingchen. He was certain that his previous strike would have been instantly fatal even to a Fourth Layer Great Martial Master. From his day of observation, he knew Ye Qingchen was only a Second Layer Great Martial Master, yet the boy had managed to dodge his attack. This brat certainly has some tricks up his sleeve, but he’ll still die by my hand today.

Ye Qingchen propped himself up from the ground and swallowed a Spirit Pill to alleviate his injuries. This man who had suddenly appeared was far stronger than him, at least a high-level Great Martial Master. Ye Qingchen had no confidence in defeating him, so after taking the pill, he mentally called out to the mysterious woman hidden within his Sea of Consciousness.

”Senior, Senior! Please come help me!”

He called out three times but received no response. Just as he was about to give up, the mysterious woman’s voice finally echoed in his mind.

”What ’Senior’? You make me sound old. Call me ’Big Sis’!”

”Big Sis, Big Sis, please come help me!” Ye Qingchen quickly corrected himself.

The mysterious woman’s voice rang out again, ”He’s just a Ninth Layer Great Martial Master. Besides, this is your own problem. I’m not getting involved!”

Ye Qingchen was left speechless.

The woman’s voice was exceptionally languid. After speaking, she fell silent and, no matter how much Ye Qingchen called out, she no longer responded.

He gave a wry smile and shook his head. It’s better to rely on myself than on others. I’ll have to find a way out of this predicament on my own. But the mysterious woman had already said the old man was a Ninth Layer Great Martial Master. He himself was only at the Second Layer. With such a massive gap in cultivation, how could he possibly be his opponent?

There was only one thing Ye Qingchen could do now: flee. But how could it be easy to escape from a Ninth Layer Great Martial Master?

As Ye Qingchen’s mind raced, searching for a strategy, Elder Yang decided not to waste any more time and prepared to strike again. Just as he was about to move, Ye Qingchen summoned his Seven-Star Willow Wood Martial Soul. Instantly, several arm-thick vines materialized at Elder Yang’s feet, halting his advance.

This was the innate skill of his Willow Wood Martial Soul: Binding! It could conjure vines at an enemy’s feet to impede their movement.

However, Ye Qingchen knew that these vines were nowhere near strong enough to stop a Ninth Layer Great Martial Master. They could only buy him a moment. Therefore, the instant he used Binding, without even a backward glance at Elder Yang, he executed Mystifying Steps and fled into the distance at top speed.