Invincible Soul Emperor

The Incense Burner beside Xue Wei slowly let out curling wisps of blue smoke, and a faint scent of agarwood permeated the entire room.

Ah San’s words echoed in the empty room.

Hearing this, Xue Wei’s brows furrowed slightly, a trace of astonishment flashing in his eyes.

He slowly shifted his gaze, eyes like lightning sweeping toward Ah San; however, that astonishment only lingered on his face for a brief instant before quickly dissipating, as if it had never existed.

"Oh? They broke our Formation?" Xue Wei let out a cold laugh, his voice tinged with a hint of contempt. "It seems they do have some skill. However, this is merely one Formation they’ve broken. Ye Qingchen, oh Ye Qingchen, your luck amounts to no more than this. The road ahead is not so easy to walk."

A cold gleam flickered in his eyes, and the corner of his lips curled into a cruel smile. Xue Wei had his own plans in mind; he knew full well the layered traps and mechanisms he had set. If Ye Qingchen and the others thought that breaking a single Formation meant they could rest easy, they were far too naive. The true challenge had only just begun.

Ah San, seeing this, remained silent and nodded slightly. No one knew Xue Wei’s methods better than he; though Ye Qingchen and the others had some ability, in the face of their lord’s meticulous arrangements they were nothing more than a mantis trying to stop a chariot, bringing about their own destruction.

His heart was utterly calm as he stood to the side, quietly awaiting Xue Wei’s next instructions.

Xue Wei lightly waved his hand, signaling for Ah San to withdraw.

After Ah San left, he once again closed his eyes, yet the faint smile at the corner of his mouth did not fade. The room returned to silence; only that wisp of blue smoke continued to rise in curling strands, as though heralding the approach of a storm.

On the other side, Ye Qingchen and Xue Zhao had found an exit.

However, once they stepped out, the two of them were instantly dumbfounded!

They discovered that the scene before their eyes had actually returned to the cave where they had previously fought fiercely against the Volcanic Behemoth. The rock walls within the cave still shimmered with scorching red light, and the air was filled with a strong smell of sulfur that made one involuntarily frown.

"How did we end up back here again?" Ye Qingchen said in a low voice, his tone carrying a hint of confusion and wariness.

Xue Zhao was equally surprised. She looked around, trying to find a path that led to the outside world.

However, just as they were about to continue forward, a low, rumbling tremor came from deep within the cave, as if the earth itself were groaning.

"Not good, it’s the Volcanic Behemoth!" Ye Qingchen’s expression changed; he immediately drew the Longsword in his hand, his sharp gaze fixed on the depths of the cave.

Sure enough, the Volcanic Behemoth that had once clashed with them appeared once more. Its massive figure gradually emerged from the darkness, scorching magma flowing out from its body as the surrounding temperature suddenly soared.

However, Ye Qingchen quickly noticed that the Volcanic Behemoth appearing this time was different from before.

"Its aura has become stronger." Ye Qingchen’s heart tightened. He could feel that the Behemoth’s strength had increased significantly within this short span of time.

The oppressive force crashing toward them was even more ferocious than before.

The Volcanic Behemoth let out a low roar, its enormous eyes burning like flames as they fixed on Ye Qingchen and the others, as though declaring its territory. It suddenly took a step forward, the ground trembling in response, and its gigantic magma claws swept toward Ye Qingchen.

Ye Qingchen quickly sidestepped to evade and shouted at the same time, "Xue Zhao, be careful. Its strength has increased a lot this time! Prepare for battle!"

Xue Zhao also retreated with heightened vigilance.

The Volcanic Behemoth roared again, waves of heat surging forth as though intending to burn everything to ashes. Facing this sudden, formidable enemy, Ye Qingchen gripped his Longsword tightly, blazing battle intent igniting in his eyes.

"It seems this battle will be even tougher than the last," he thought silently, yet there was not the slightest hint of retreat in his eyes.

"Ye Qingchen, let’s attack together," Xue Zhao said calmly. Her voice was as cold as frost, yet carried unwavering resolve.

"Alright, together," Ye Qingchen nodded in response.

Xue Zhao closed her eyes, an icy blue radiance emerging in her hands. Then, she suddenly thrust both hands forward.

In an instant, cold air surged in all directions, and the ice element gathered and took shape around her.

Frost spread rapidly, as if the temperature of the entire cave had plummeted in an instant. Massive ice pillars burst forth from the ground, shooting straight toward the Volcanic Behemoth.

The Volcanic Behemoth was struck by the ice pillars and let out an enraged roar. The magma covering its body boiled violently as it tried to melt those ice pillars.

However, Xue Zhao’s ice element was extremely powerful; even under the scorching of the magma, the ice pillars remained tough and unyielding, causing the Volcanic Behemoth no small amount of trouble.

At the same time, Ye Qingchen refused to be outdone. The wood element within his body surged rapidly, and the Longsword in his hand emitted a green light, like tender buds in spring.

With a single swing of his sword, the wood element transformed into countless vines that grew and spread quickly, winding toward the Volcanic Behemoth’s four limbs.

"Bind!"

The vines, like giant serpents, rapidly wrapped around the Volcanic Behemoth, binding it tightly in place.

The Volcanic Behemoth roared again and again, struggling to break free, but under the blessing of the wood element the vines only tightened further, restricting its movements.

The Volcanic Behemoth flew into a frenzy, exerting all its strength to swing its massive claws in an attempt to break the bindings.

Just as it was about to struggle free, Xue Zhao struck again. The ice element in her hands swiftly condensed into countless Ice Blades that shot toward the Volcanic Behemoth’s vital points.

"Ice Blade Thousand Phantoms!"

The Ice Blades pierced into the Volcanic Behemoth’s body like sharp arrows, surrounding it in an instant. The Behemoth howled in agony, magma splattering everywhere, yet it could not withstand the combined assault of ice and wood.

Ye Qingchen and Xue Zhao worked together seamlessly—one using the ice element to freeze the Volcanic Behemoth’s movements, the other using the wood element to wrap its body—leaving it unable to move an inch.

Under their joint offensive, the Volcanic Behemoth retreated step by step, the vines and Ice Blades entwined around its body firmly trapping it in place.

Seeing that the giant beast before them was finally suppressed, both of them let out a simultaneous breath of relief.

"It can’t hold on much longer!" Ye Qingchen gripped his Longsword tightly and nodded to Xue Zhao beside him.

"One final push and we can end this battle," Xue Zhao said coolly, Ice Blades condensing in her hands once more as she prepared for the finishing blow.

However, just as they were about to launch their final wave of attacks, the Volcanic Behemoth suddenly let out a heaven-shaking roar.

In that instant, a massive surge of black Demonic Qi erupted from its body, instantly shattering all the surrounding frost and vines.

"Not good, something’s gone wrong!" Ye Qingchen’s expression changed drastically. He quickly retreated a few steps, positioning himself in front of Xue Zhao.

They saw that the wounds on the Volcanic Behemoth where it had been pierced by the Ice Blades were actually healing rapidly under the shroud of Demonic Qi. Its once-dim eyes once again flared with a blood-red glow. Its strength seemed to have increased tremendously in that brief moment, and the entire cave trembled with its roar.

"How can this be?"

Xue Zhao stared in disbelief at the scene before her. The Volcanic Behemoth, which had been on the brink of collapse just moments ago, had not only recovered completely, but had even become stronger than before.