Invincible Soul Emperor

Chapter 424 424: Path to the Heavens

The surrounding scenery, ferocious beasts, and even the formations all looked identical. However, it was only by using his Dual Pupil Martial Soul that Ye Qingchen discovered subtle differences in the beasts' fur and the height and size of the plants.

As long as I'm not treading the same path over again, there's no need to turn back. Even if I've chosen the wrong path, persevering is sometimes more efficient than retracing my steps and starting over.

With this in mind, Ye Qingchen resolutely walked toward the middle path.

After he experienced the repetitive scenery one more time, the three-forked intersection did not reappear. In its place was a vast plain stretching as far as the eye could see, covered with nothing but grass. A lone man was standing there.

The man seemed to sense Ye Qingchen's arrival and turned his head, a flash of surprise flickering across his face. "Ye Qingchen, I didn't expect you to get through the Tongtian Path so quickly. It seems I underestimated you."

This person was none other than Feng Yuan, who was watching Ye Qingchen with a smile that didn't reach his eyes.

Ye Qingchen ignored Feng Yuan. Instead, he scanned his surroundings, trying to decide where to go next. To his disappointment, however, the endless plains stretching for miles in every direction offered no hints whatsoever.

This is even more hopeless than the three-forked intersection. At least back there, I had options. Here, there are no paths in any direction, which means every direction is a path. I have no idea where to go from here.

Seeing that Ye Qingchen was ignoring him, Feng Yuan just laughed nonchalantly and continued, "It seems Uncle Xia really cares about you, or he wouldn't have helped you collect information on the Tongtian Path."

Ye Qingchen didn't know what this "Tongtian Path" Feng Yuan spoke of was, but from his tone, he guessed it was the three-forked intersection from before.

But Xia Chengkai never helped me gather any information about it. It's not that he was unwilling; there are just some things that a vice-city lord like him can't access.

Ye Qingchen didn't call him out on the lie. He just smiled at Feng Yuan and asked, "Did you stay here just to wait for me?"

Feng Yuan shook his head and replied, "The Tongtian Path has three routes. No matter which one you take, you can reach the end as long as you stick to your choice. However, some people are prone to doubting themselves and their own judgment. That's why they get stuck wandering the Tongtian Path for so long. The faster a person passes through, the greater their reward. I was the first, and you are the second. Once ten people have arrived, the Tongtian Path will provide a hint, but no one else will receive a reward. What we have to do now is wait for the other eight to show up."

Ye Qingchen frowned, wondering why Feng Yuan was telling him all this. Perhaps he assumes I already know this information. What truly puzzled him, however, was how different Feng Yuan seemed. The old Feng Yuan was arrogant and aggressive, always screaming to kill him on sight. He would have never spoken so calmly and peacefully. The more he acts like this, the more suspicious he is. A biting dog doesn't bark. The more calculating a person is, the harder they are to deal with.

Ye Qingchen certainly wasn't naive enough to believe Feng Yuan would just let go of their grudges and coexist peacefully, but he wasn't afraid of him either. It was the reward Feng Yuan mentioned that sparked his curiosity.

Technically, I had the chance to be the first one through the Tongtian Path. But I was too cautious, using my Dual Pupil Martial Soul to investigate every detail along the way, which delayed me.

Feng Yuan, on the other hand, had known the solution in advance. The formations and beasts on the path posed no threat to him, so he had an unobstructed journey and arrived here first. This was all thanks to the information Feng Xiao had collected for him. The Tongtian Path had appeared many times in the Central Celestial Academy's previous assessments. The scenery was different each time—sometimes it was a wide avenue, other times a narrow trail, or perhaps a path following a stream—but the underlying principle was always the same. It tested whether a person could unswervingly stick to their choice. While stubbornness isn't always a virtue, if a Martial Artist can't even stand by their own judgment, how will they ever overcome the difficulties they face in the future? Thus, upon entering the Tongtian Path, Feng Yuan quickly connected it to the information he had and figured out the secret.

Feng Yuan was biding his time, waiting until he received his reward before making a move on Ye Qingchen. If it were the old Feng Yuan, having reached the Fifth Layer of the Martial King Realm, he would have arrogantly attacked Ye Qingchen without a second thought. But the current Feng Yuan knew that Ye Qingchen had once slain the Jinxing Lion King. His combat strength was likely no less than that of an ordinary Martial Artist at the Sixth Layer of the Martial King Realm. Although he was capable of defeating Ye Qingchen, Feng Yuan wasn't completely confident he could eliminate him and get him disqualified from the selection.

Right now, I'm first in the Tongtian Path, and he's second. The difference in our rewards should widen the gap between us even further. And since the Tongtian Path has appeared, all the contestants will probably gather in one place later. My pre-arranged helpers will be there too. At that point, won't it be a simple matter to kill Ye Qingchen and rob him of his chance to enter the Central Celestial Academy?

Ye Qingchen was oblivious to Feng Yuan's scheming, but even if he had known, he wouldn't have paid it any mind.

Although the second-place reward will surely be much less than the first, I'm already at the peak of the First Layer of the Martial King Realm. I just need one opportunity to break through to the Second Layer. When that happens, my combat power will surely double. Even if Feng Yuan gets the first-place reward, I won't necessarily be afraid of him.

Time trickled by. Ye Qingchen and Feng Yuan stood watching each other from a distance, neither speaking. One by one, more Martial Artists passed through the Tongtian Path. Seeing that others had already arrived, they were momentarily surprised but didn't disturb Ye Qingchen or Feng Yuan, simply choosing a spot to wait quietly.

After a full day and night, more than two thousand people had been eliminated from the Tongtian Path. These individuals either lacked the strength and failed to break through the formations after multiple attempts, or they wandered the path until they lost all hope and chose to quit.

Outside the Secret Realm, when Feng Xiao heard that the second trial was the Tongtian Path, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief for Feng Yuan. Only Xia Chengkai remained constantly worried about Ye Qingchen. He could only relax slightly after confirming that Ye Qingchen's name was not among the eliminated.

Liu Changrun chuckled and said, "This time, the Tongtian Path is a little different from those in the past."