Invincible Soul Emperor

Chapter 431 431: 431

Feng Yuan refrained from using his martial techniques, savoring the game of cat and mouse. It seemed this was the only way he could vent the frustration from his earlier humiliation. What he didn't know, however, was that while he wasn't using his full strength, neither was Ye Qingchen.

At this point, Ye Qingchen had used his Dual Pupil Martial Soul to gauge the enhancement an Artifact provided to a martial artist. His curiosity was satisfied, but with the finish line in sight, he decided not to waste any more time. So when Feng Yuan brought his cudgel smashing down again, Ye Qingchen chose not to evade. Instead, he directly used Sword Dusting the Wind, meeting the Life-Ending Cudgel with his Flowing Cloud Sword.

BANG!

A deafening crash echoed as a ten-meter-deep pit appeared between them. The Flowing Cloud Sword in Ye Qingchen's hand trembled slightly. The power of that last strike had clearly surpassed his expectations. Feng Yuan was also stunned. Ye Qingchen had matched his Artifact blow for blow without even using his Wind Blade Sword Technique.

Daring not to be careless, Feng Yuan summoned his Vajra Martial Soul. It materialized behind him as a towering, eight-armed titan over a dozen meters tall, its enraged glare projecting an intimidating aura. The Vajra Martial Soul was an eight-star Martial Soul, and under its empowerment, Feng Yuan's body swelled until he stood three meters tall. Now, with the Life-Ending Cudgel in hand, he seemed like a vajra descended upon the world.

Ye Qingchen, in turn, activated his own Willow Wood Martial Soul, merging it with his body. Since the Spiritual Qi Infusion had mostly nourished his two Martial Souls, his Willow Wood Martial Soul was now even more powerful. A thin, pale green film of energy enveloped him as its life force continuously nourished his body.

"Ye Qingchen, what comes next won't be as simple as a spiritual energy boost," Feng Yuan declared, his confidence soaring. "I'll let you witness just how terrifying the enhancement from an Artifact to a martial technique can be!" Although he had no cudgel-specific martial techniques, he could still use the Life-Ending Cudgel to perform techniques meant for other weapons. The effect would be diminished, but with the Artifact's amplification, the power was still several times greater than before.

"Vajra Annihilation!"

With a mighty roar, Feng Yuan gripped the Life-Ending Cudgel in the stance of a saber-wielder and slashed diagonally toward Ye Qingchen. Despite the strange posture, Ye Qingchen felt an unprecedented pressure from the attack.

Is this the power of an Artifact? It seems that after I reach the Central Region, I'll be at a great disadvantage if I don't find one for myself.

Even now, he was still calmly planning how to obtain an Artifact, showing no fear of Feng Yuan's devastating blow.

"Wind Blade Sword Technique! Leaf Blade Storm! Fen Tian Earth Fire!"

After merging with the Willow Wood Martial Soul, the spiritual energy within Ye Qingchen flowed more smoothly. He unleashed two Earth Rank martial techniques in quick succession to strike at the Life-Ending Cudgel, followed by the Fen Tian Earth Fire, which erupted and burned intensely against it.

Even so, Ye Qingchen's attacks only caused Feng Yuan's strike to falter for a moment; it was not fully neutralized. Feng Yuan gave a cold sneer and continued to swing the Life-Ending Cudgel down at him. Ye Qingchen had long anticipated this. Feng Yuan's realm was four levels higher than his and he was aided by an Artifact, making it nearly impossible to block a full-power blow with just two Earth Rank martial techniques. Therefore, after launching his two sword strikes, Ye Qingchen's body twisted at an incredible angle. He abruptly changed direction, reappeared behind Feng Yuan, and unleashed another slash from his Wind Blade Sword Technique.

Feng Yuan never expected Ye Qingchen to be so fast as to circle behind him completely unnoticed. With his own attack still in motion, mounting an effective defense was impossible. As the terrifying sword qi approached, he gritted his teeth in desperation. In a most ungraceful maneuver, he rolled across the ground, tucking his now-massive body behind the Life-Ending Cudgel.

CLANG!

Feng Yuan's body was too large to completely evade the strike, forcing him to rely on the sturdiness of the Life-Ending Cudgel to block the attack. Although he managed to block the Wind Blade Sword Technique, the powerful recoil still sent him flying backward. He crashed heavily to the ground, his colossal body carving another large crater on impact.

Leaping from the pit, Feng Yuan chalked up the minor injury to his own carelessness. He immediately swung the Life-Ending Cudgel and charged at Ye Qingchen once more. Ye Qingchen retaliated in kind, repeatedly using the Wind Blade Sword Technique to parry Feng Yuan's attacks, then relying on his movement techniques to bypass the cudgel and land blows on Feng Yuan himself.

Feng Yuan fought with mounting frustration. He couldn't comprehend how Ye Qingchen could always dodge his attacks and find his openings. Moreover, Ye Qingchen was clearly using Earth Rank martial techniques, which consumed a terrifying amount of energy. Even a Martial King Realm expert couldn't use them so ceaselessly! What vexed him the most was that after fighting for so long, Ye Qingchen was still full of vigor while he was covered in numerous sword wounds.

Of course, Feng Yuan didn't know the truth. Aided by the Dual Pupil Martial Soul, Ye Qingchen could slow Feng Yuan's movements down more than tenfold in his mind. By tracking the flow of Feng Yuan's spiritual energy, he could even predict his next move. This was why he could consistently dodge the attacks and counter during the openings.

Furthermore, the effects of the Willow Wood Martial Soul were now apparent. It continuously supplied Ye Qingchen with life force, making his recovery rate outpace his consumption even as he constantly used martial techniques. As long as he remained uninjured, he could theoretically fight on indefinitely.

But Ye Qingchen also understood that defeating an opponent protected by an Artifact would take a considerable amount of time. With the finish line in sight, he had no intention of wasting any more of it here. So, after dodging Feng Yuan's attack once more, Ye Qingchen moved behind him again. This time, however, instead of using the Wind Blade Sword Technique, he produced the Ten Thousand Laws Formation Diagram.

"Seven Spirits Trapping Formation!"

With his shout, a fourth-level formation instantly materialized, trapping Feng Yuan inside. No matter how he swung his Life-Ending Cudgel, he couldn't break the formation.

Ye Qingchen gave a slight smile. "I won't waste any more time with you," he said. "I hope you can break the formation soon, or you'll lose your shot at second place!"

After speaking, Ye Qingchen ignored Feng Yuan's murderous glare and walked toward the finish line, leaving the enraged man cursing in his wake.