Invincible Soul Emperor

Chapter 635

Xiao Xiao nodded tearfully, though she was still reluctant. "Then I’ll work hard to get stronger so I can protect you, Young Master! Is that okay?"

These childish words instantly shattered the tense atmosphere. A gentle smile touched Ye Qingchen’s lips. Unwilling to crush her spirit, he simply patted her on the head. "Alright! Then my Xiao Xiao must work hard to become stronger!"

As soon as the words left his mouth, a fierce stream of Demonic Qi shot toward the back of his head. What Ye Qingchen hadn’t mentioned was that during his life-or-death battle with the Great Demon earlier, his cultivation had broken through from the first to the second level of the Martial Emperor Realm. This breakthrough had sharpened his perception of the dangers around him! Almost instantly, the Mu Liu that was retracted within his very bones swept backward. In less than a second, thousands of willow branches automatically wrapped around the Great Demon, binding it tightly. Each willow branch acted like a powerful talon, relentlessly tearing at the demon’s body!

The Great Demon had intended to capture the two weakest humans to buy itself a chance to escape. Yet, before it could even launch its sneak attack, it was caught by this monstrously talented child! It clawed at the Mu Liu clinging to its body, but it couldn’t get free! Left with no other choice, it channeled the Demonic Qi within its body. The surrounding temperature instantly plummeted, and a bitter chill, like the dead of winter, swept through the Devil’s Cave. The Mu Liu was caught off guard by the sudden drop in temperature and, in a moment of inattention, was frozen solid.

Seizing the opportunity, the Great Demon lunged toward Ye Qingchen and Xiao Xiao. Ye Qingchen held his Double Pupil Sword, ready to strike at any moment. But unexpectedly, the Great Demon suddenly shrank and shot out its claw, seizing Xiao Xiao and holding her tight in its grasp. Its sharp claws dug cruelly into Xiao Xiao’s shoulder, and crimson blood immediately soaked the fabric of her dress.

"Let her go!" Ye Qingchen shouted, about to charge forward, but the Great Demon issued a warning.

"You’re a monstrous one. Let us leave, and I’ll spare her life. Otherwise, don’t even think about her getting out of this alive!"

Meanwhile, the battle on Zhu Liang’s side had slowed down. Several Great Demons that had seized the opportunity to escape quickly regrouped with the one holding Xiao Xiao, lining up behind it. Li Nian’er hadn’t expected the Great Demon to be so cunning as to devise such an escape plan. With a wave of her hand, the Heaven-Devouring Azure Python that had been blocking the cave entrance instantly shrank, tracing an arc through the air before landing securely on her wrist.

The Great Demon’s claws dug in deeper, and blood gushed uncontrollably from Xiao Xiao’s wound.

Ye Qingchen was frantic. He prepared to secretly activate his Fire Spirit Charm Shadow. With that trump card, I should be able to get close enough to kill the demon in a single strike!

As he plotted, however, Xiao Xiao refused to be her Young Master’s weakness. She immediately activated her Vermilion Bird Holy Soul. A majestic wave of the Fire Element burst from her body, coalescing behind her into layered shadows of a Vermilion Bird. In that moment, her aura was so overwhelming that it forced the Great Demon holding her to take an involuntary step back.

Ye Qingchen seized the opportunity, using his Fire Spirit Charm Shadow to flash to the Great Demon’s side. In a single motion, he snatched Xiao Xiao and held her securely. Once he felt she was safe in his arms, Ye Qingchen’s pent-up fury finally had an outlet.

He glared at the bewildered Great Demons, which were now trying to flee toward the entrance of the Devil’s Cave. His Dual Pupil Martial Soul activated on its own, allowing him to clearly see the flow of Magic Power within their bodies. Then, as if by some divine intervention, the fleeing demons became entranced. They suddenly turned around and charged straight toward him.

Seeing this, Zhu Liang and the others turned pale. They raised their Longswords to meet the charge, only to watch as the out-of-control demons impaled themselves on their blades. The next second, they disintegrated into dust and smoke.

Zhu Liang and his companions were dumbfounded. They stared at the soaring points on their Jade Tokens, completely unsure how to react.

"What was wrong with those Great Demons? Weren’t they trying to escape through the entrance? Why did they make a turn and run right onto my sword?" Cheng Lu, feeling like he’d barely participated, couldn’t help but complain. "This third level was all thrills and no spills. The demons were ridiculously weak!"

Li Nian’er had her own doubts, but she suppressed them and vented her frustration on Cheng Lu instead. "Oh, save it. Do you want me to use the recording Spirit Stone to play back footage of your earlier fights? Want a reminder?"

"No, no, no! I was wrong! I shouldn’t have said anything!" Cheng Lu was instantly terrified and surrendered completely. What a joke. He and Li Nian’er had been wandering this level for a long time, and their previous encounters with Great Demons had not been pleasant at all, especially not with the powerful ones!

"Xiao Xiao, are you alright?" Ye Qingchen asked, his heart aching as he looked at the wound on her shoulder.

If only I had been more attentive, more careful, could this have been avoided? But there’s no medicine for regret in this world.

Xiao Xiao, knowing her injury had made her Young Master worry, felt deeply guilty and quickly tried to change the subject. "Young Master, did you do something just now? I could feel that those Great Demons were trying to escape, but then unexpectedly..."

Ye Qingchen quickly cut her off. "I’m not sure myself. Perhaps they were possessed. But it’s a good thing, regardless. We managed to capture them all in one fell swoop!"

"That’s right! Not only did we get them all, but our Junior Brother’s strength has also risen to the second level!" Zhu Liang, having the highest cultivation in the group, could tell at a glance that his junior brother had broken through his cultivation bottleneck.

Li Nian’er and Cheng Lu also checked, and a flicker of astonishment crossed their eyes as they realized it was true. Our little junior brother’s talent for cultivation is truly remarkable! To make such a breakthrough in such a short time... just by entering this third level, he actually managed to reach the second level of his Realm! Then again, it’s also thanks to us. Without our protection, how could our little junior brother have progressed so quickly? Thinking this, smiles of deep satisfaction appeared on the faces of the senior siblings.

"Congratulations, Junior Brother!"

Ye Qingchen was flattered. "You’re too kind, Senior Sister. Without all of your protection, I might not have even recovered from my old injuries. Thank you, my dear seniors!"

Ye Qingchen’s breakthrough had been substantial. During the battle, he had not only advanced to the second level of the Martial Emperor Realm, but his Willow Wood Martial Soul had also mastered a new skill: Myriad Willow Strangulation! With this skill, he could not only defend himself but also kill opponents of a higher cultivation with a mere thought. The Great Demon from just now was a perfect example. There was a fundamental gap in strength between them. If it hadn’t been for this new skill, combined with the movement speed of his Fire Spirit Charm Shadow, achieving such a result would have been impossible!

He had thought that simply strengthening his Willow Wood Martial Soul was a great enough reward. But as he’d rescued Xiao Xiao, he faintly felt another skill awakening within his Dual Pupil Martial Soul: Soul Pull.