Two Realms: I Will Become the Immortal Emperor

Chapter 310: Chapter 282: Soul Cloud

The Marsh Forest was silent and cold; even the birds and insects seemed to have fallen quiet.

The auras of the group were enough to make most living creatures keep a respectful distance.

Seeing so many Major Cultivators appear and surround him in an instant, on top of Chen Che who had already seized the initiative, how could Ye Jiuming not know he had fallen into a trap?

HISS—

His target had been Chen Che, who was sneaking out of the valley. He had been wary that it might be a ploy to lure him out, but Chen Che had been extremely cautious the entire way, even doubling back to check his surroundings. Ye Jiuming had expended great effort just to avoid being shaken off.

Along the way, he had long since let his guard down.

But Ye Jiuming hadn’t expected it was all an act. He feared they had known about him from the moment he left the valley.

To think that after a lifetime of fishing, he was the one being reeled in.

Chen Xi and Meng Qianxun, two at Foundation Establishment Great Perfection. Plus Chen Che and Meng Changtu, two Late-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivators. As for Layman Shuilian and Hermit Fushan, he didn’t know much about them, but since they’d been called to ambush him, their strength was clearly not to be underestimated.

A lineup like this would give even a Golden Core Cultivator a hard time.

”Who are you, and why do you insist on making an enemy of Jinyun Valley?”

Meng Qianxun asked, his eyes narrowed.

He too had heard that a Tributor in the valley had been killed and knew about the bounty. He had even asked if they needed a hand, but was told to wait.

That was why, three days ago, when he received Chen Che’s message about luring the snake from its hole, he had rushed to Ze State to lie in wait. Chen Yin had done the same, of course. Chen Che had saved his life in the battle at Juejian Mountain. Plus, he had always made a deliberate effort to stay on good terms with Chen Che, so he didn’t hesitate after getting the message.

As for Xiao Chan and Lu Qinglian, they had used the news about True Master Chixia as cover to sneak out of the valley.

”I am Xiao—”

”Don’t say you’re Xiao Chan. That kind of nonsense might fool others.”

Ye Jiuming had just begun to speak when Chen Che cut him off.

”If I’m not mistaken, you were the one who ambushed and killed the Tributor in Celestial Rift Valley in Xuzhou. And the recent, sensational rumors about True Master Chixia’s Traveling Palace—that must have been you spreading them in secret, too.”

”I thought my plan was flawless. How did you see through it?”

Ye Jiuming narrowed his eyes. Seeing Chen Che’s silent smile, he knew a fierce battle was unavoidable today. He simply took off the Illusion Mask on his face, revealing an ancient, withered visage, and said in a raspy voice:

”I never thought someone so young could be so experienced, turning my own plan against me to lure me into this trap.”

”I am Ye Jiuming.”

”As for why I’m here, I’m sure you’ve all guessed. Yunzhou can’t support four Golden Core True Masters. This business today is between me, the Meng Family, and Jinyun Valley. I hope the rest of you will give the Ye Family some face and withdraw.”

”Otherwise, I will be paying each of you a visit in the future. If you have the guts, you’re welcome to try me.”

As expected of a Golden Core Race, backed by a True Master, he was full of confidence.

Though surrounded, not only was he unafraid, but he shamelessly threatened everyone present, posturing as if he were the one surrounding the seven of them.

”Ye Jiuming?”

Hearing the name, Lu Qinglian was quite surprised. Before she had even reached Foundation Establishment, he was already a Long-term Great Demon.

He roamed the Sixteen States, striking fear into the hearts of all who heard his name. But later, after the Ye Family and the Primordial Sect issued a kill order for him, he went into hiding and was never seen again.

”But you betrayed the Ye Family over a hundred years ago. I heard you were even injured by the Ye Family’s old ancestor. Could it be...”

”It was likely all for show.”

Chen Yin picked up the thread, chuckling. ”The world views Evil Cultivators as a plague. The Ye Family naturally had to sever ties with him publicly. Otherwise, wouldn’t they be giving others an excuse to move against them?”

This was hardly surprising.

Which of the great Cultivation Races that had stood for a thousand years were truly saints? Some factions looked clean on the surface, but who knew what filth they hid in private? It was just that outsiders didn’t know.

”Excellent!”

Hearing this, Xiao Chan chuckled as well.

”In that case, even if we bring his head to the Ye Family, not only can they not cause trouble for us, but they’ll have to obediently pay the bounty. We might even be able to collect another reward from the Primordial Sect. And even if we can’t, he came here alone. If we kill him, how would the Ye Family ever know who did it?”

Seeing that after all that talk, no one was willing to leave—and some were even scheming about the bounty money—Ye Jiuming almost laughed in anger.

”Good. You all have guts.”

He tightened his grip on the black silk-wrapped package in his hands. With a twist, the golden threads on it snapped with a sharp CRACK. As he wiped a hand across it, a great banner nearly ten feet long was revealed, with a jade pole body and a gray flag face.

”It seems I have remained hidden for nearly a century, and the world has forgotten my methods. In that case, I’ll let you all have a taste today...”

”Attack!”

Almost at the same instant Ye Jiuming spoke, Chen Che shouted in a low voice. With a flick of his right hand, the Ruyi Wind and Thunder Sword appeared in his palm. As he pointed, a sky full of fireflies shot out explosively.

SWISH SWISH SWISH—

A fierce wind howled through the Marsh Forest, and firelight flared.

The dim forest suddenly brightened. It wasn’t a fleeting flash like lightning, but more like the lights of ten thousand homes, countless thousands appearing in an instant. Even those present couldn’t count how many there were as they nearly enveloped the entire area.

Although it was still the First Technique of the Taichu Haoyue Sword, it was many times more powerful than when he used it at Juejian Mountain. Even Wu Qianhai might not have been able to withstand it for three breaths. An ordinary Foundation Establishment Great Perfection Cultivator would probably be blasted into a sieve in an instant.

Xiao Chan also attacked at the same time.

He didn’t unfurl his Soul-Calling Banner; from the outside, it looked like a strange battle banner. He gripped the end of the banner pole with one hand and whipped the Soul-Calling Banner forward like a long whip.

CRACK—

The void trembled and the air exploded, revealing a patch of willow-catkin-like white mist. Vast True Essence mixed with Strong Force. A black Flood Dragon suddenly burst from the mist, shooting towards Ye Jiuming like a whirlwind sweeping away scattered clouds.

This move left both Meng Qianxun and Chen Yin astonished.

’This ’Layman Fushang’ is only at the Foundation Establishment Eighth Layer, yet his strength is so formidable, not even inferior to our own. Why would such a Spear Master be content to stay in Jinyun Valley as a Tributor?’

As they thought this, they all attacked at the same time.

Their opponent was a True Master Fake Pill; no one dared to hold back, unleashing their strongest killing moves from the start.

Within the Sixteen States, some of the strongest cultivators publicly known to be below the Golden Core realm were gathered here. The force of their combined attack was ferocious. In an instant, they had sealed off the space around Ye Jiuming, leaving him with no way to dodge and nowhere to run.

But Ye Jiuming didn’t even try to flee. As his voice fell, he brandished the Ash Banner with both hands, flicking it upward.

ROAR—

The Great Banner actually let out a hoarse roar as a gray cloud surged out, gathering around his body. The layer of gray cloud looked thin and fragile enough to burst with a puff of air, but it was harder than steel. The group’s attacks were all blocked outside the cloud.

Clearly, that was no ordinary gray cloud, but a creation formed from the fusion of souls and True Essence. The attacks of an ordinary Foundation Establishment Cultivator couldn’t even penetrate it in the slightest.

This was the Soul Cloud, refined from living beings by a Soul-Calling Banner cultivator!

BOOM!

The group’s attacks crashed against the vast Soul Cloud. With every inch they advanced, their power was worn away by the mist. As they collided mid-air, Strong Qi churned violently and torrents of energy shot out, forming an expanding ring of clouds.

In just an instant, trees exploded and waves of mud churned. Ze State seemed to have transformed into a vast, raging sea.

After a moment of deadlocked confrontation, the group’s attacks actually broke through the Soul Cloud.

RUMBLE.

An instant later, accompanied by an earth-shattering boom, rolling tides of mud surged outwards like massive ocean waves. Sword Qi, Demon Qi, and True Essence, wrapped in dust, threw the entire area into chaos.

Everything within several hundred yards was obliterated. Even the swampy ground sank, forming a depression several meters deep as if pressed down by an invisible, colossal force, creating something like a giant bowl.

And at the center of the depression, Ye Jiuming stood his ground, Great Banner in hand, having actually withstood the combined blow.

”Again!”

Chen Che spun, Ruyi Wind and Thunder Sword in hand. In the next instant, man and sword moved as one, shooting forward like a startled swan in flight. A vast Sword Qi stretched for a hundred zhang, parting the marshy ground as if to split the entire Marsh Forest in two.

”Break.”

Ye Jiuming’s expression was as tranquil as an old well. He suddenly raised his Great Banner and thrust it out like a long spear, slamming it against the sword strike that seemed to cleave heaven and earth.

Ye Jiuming didn’t move an inch, but Chen Che was sent flying back several hundred zhang by the blow.

’Such terrifying strength!’

Though he had repelled Chen Che, Ye Jiuming felt his arms tremble. The Great Banner hummed and vibrated, almost slipping from his grasp.

But before he could even catch his breath, Meng Qianxun and Chen Yin attacked from the left and right. He could only swing the Great Banner again to block. A hurricane-force wind erupted, directly blasting the two charging cultivators away. Finally, he raised the Soul-Calling Banner again, blocking the attacks of Meng Changtu, Lu Qinglian, and Xiao Chan.

BAM! BAM! BAM!

In an instant, the group had launched their siege. From a distance, it looked like seven streams of differently colored divine light constantly crashing against Ye Jiuming.

Even if Ye Jiuming knocked one person back, another would immediately take their place.

*Cough, cough!*

After just a short while, blood trickled from the corner of Ye Jiuming’s mouth. His face was flushed, and he could barely hold onto his Soul-Calling Banner. He was, after all, only a True Master Fake Pill. How could he withstand such a siege?

”BREAK!”

Ye Jiuming was enraged. He roared, his sleeves billowing and his long hair dancing like wild pythons. His white hair billowed as his Qi Mechanism climbed frantically, and the Soul-Calling Banner in his hands whipped and cracked, emitting the wails of wolves and howls of ghosts.

Clearly, he was now pushing the Power from his three hundred years of bitter cultivation to its absolute limit.

Instantly, the thin Soul Cloud swelled a hundredfold. If the previous Soul Cloud was merely the morning mist of early winter, which would dissipate at sunrise, then this Soul Cloud was a venomous, malevolent fog capable of locking down heaven and earth!

As he waved the Great Banner up and down, he churned the mist into a massive vortex. Everything within the vortex’s range was like dead wood and thin branches in a monstrous flood.

ROAR!

Amidst the roaring wind and clouds, a gray dragon formed entirely of mist shot out from the center of the vortex, covering several hundred zhang in the blink of an eye.

BANG!

Meng Changtu, Meng Qianxun, and the others, who had been charging in, were blasted away by the rampaging dragon in a single moment.

KRAK—

A gray light flashed. The dragon’s head arrived in an instant, its blood-red, mountain-sized maw snapping open as it lunged to devour Chen Che.

It was none other than Ye Jiuming’s signature ultimate technique:

Soul Dragon Devouring Heaven!