Invincible Soul Emperor

"Of course." Xue Wei was very certain.

Xiao Xiao averted her eyes. She couldn’t understand why Xue Wei was being so good to her, too good, to the point where it felt incredible.

Xue Wei seemed to notice Xiao Xiao’s concerns.

He chuckled, "Xiao Xiao, you know I’m vying for the Saint Position, and Xue Zhao is too. I just hope, when the time comes, you can stand neutrally between us and not show favoritism."

Xue Wei’s explanation seemed quite reasonable.

The matter of the Saint Position is not that simple. Not only does one need strong personal power, but also support from others.

If Xue Wei was helping her for the sake of his Saint Position, it made sense for him to treat her so well.

"By the way, Xiao Xiao, I have some idle people under me. If you’re really worried, I can send them to the Secret Realm to secretly guard those two. If the Family Head really tries to capture them, they can at least help delay them for a while," Xue Wei suggested.

Xiao Xiao was instantly delighted, "Really, can you?"

Xue Wei helping her like this just required her to stay neutral during the fight for the Saint Position.

As for her young master, he would definitely side with Xue Zhao, but she couldn’t interfere with the young master’s decision.

Xue Wei nodded, "Of course."

This Xiao Xiao was either truly foolish or pretending to be, giving him a legitimate reason to insert people into the Secret Realm to deal with those two!

With these people, there was no way those two would get out of the Secret Realm!

Xue Wei sneered inwardly, yet maintained a kindly smile on his face.

Xiao Xiao smiled gratefully, "Xue Wei, really, thank you!"

...

On the other side.

Ye Qingchen was trapped inside a Formation, surrounded by darkness. The scorching heat continuously assaulted their bodies, causing their internal energy to unwittingly deplete rapidly.

Both tried various methods but were still unable to find a way out.

As their internal energy continued to deplete, they had no choice but to remain calm.

Ye Qingchen focused intently, carefully observing the surroundings, hoping to find a flaw.

Xue Zhao, using her knowledge of Xue Family Formations, analyzed the structure and operation of the Formation.

After a long time, the two finally discovered that the Formation’s energy stemmed from a powerful force deep underground. This force flowed through several hidden veins, sustaining the Formation’s operation.

"Ye Qingchen, we must find the convergence point of these veins; it is likely the core of the Formation," Xue Zhao said solemnly.

Ye Qingchen nodded and continued exploring the surroundings with his Divine Sense, when suddenly, he sensed a faint energy fluctuation.

This fluctuation was weak, but in this darkness, it stood out quite clearly.

"Xue Zhao, I feel an energy fluctuation over there; perhaps that’s the convergence point we’re searching for," Ye Qingchen said in a low voice.

Xue Zhao, following the direction Ye Qingchen indicated, also sensed the energy fluctuation.

She nodded slightly, signaling Ye Qingchen to follow her in that direction.

They moved carefully, wary of triggering other traps within the Formation.

Each step consumed a large amount of energy and spiritual power, but neither dared to stop.

Because they didn’t know how long the Formation would take to engulf them if they stopped.

After a long walk, they finally arrived at the strongest point of the energy fluctuation.

Before them stood a massive Stele, covered with ancient Runes, emanating a mysterious glow. The ground around the Stele was etched with intricate Formation patterns; this was clearly the core of the entire Formation.

Xue Zhao studied the Runes carefully, discovering they were ancient Sealing Skills, and only by deciphering these Runes could they unlock the entire Formation. She pulled out a Crystal Stone, infusing her Spiritual Power into it, slowly channeling the energy from the Crystal Stone onto the Runes.

Ye Qingchen stood by, watching the surroundings vigilantly, ready to respond to any potential danger.

As Xue Zhao continued to infuse her Spiritual Power, the Runes on the Stele began to flicker, emitting increasingly intense light. Suddenly, the energy fluctuations in the Formation’s patterns became exceptionally violent, and the entire space started shaking violently, as if it wanted to engulf them.

Ye Qingchen stabilized his stance while shouting to Xue Zhao, "Careful, the Formation is retaliating!"

Xue Zhao gritted her teeth and increased the intensity of her Spiritual Power input. The Runes on the Stele finally began to fade, and the Formation’s power gradually weakened. Just then, a powerful backlash force erupted from the Stele, aiming directly at Xue Zhao.

Seeing this, Ye Qingchen quickly circulated his internal Spiritual Power, forming a Shield to protect Xue Zhao, blocking the backlash force.

Yet, just when they thought they had successfully dismantled the Formation...

The Runes on the Stele suddenly became chaotic, and the surrounding energy fluctuations grew even more violent.

Suddenly, the Stele shattered into countless fragments, vanishing into the air, and the surrounding scenery plunged into chaos once again.

Ye Qingchen and Xue Zhao felt a sinking feeling, realizing this core was just a decoy, and the real Formation core was not here.

"Damn it, Xue Wei is really despicable, this is just a trap! Luckily, we reacted quickly!" Ye Qingchen gritted his teeth.

Xue Zhao steadied her mind and sneered, "This fits Xue Wei’s style of doing things. Luckily, I didn’t use full force just now, or I couldn’t have endured that devouring power!"

"Xue Zhao, the core of the Formation isn’t here; we need to quickly search again," Ye Qingchen calmly surveyed the surroundings.

The two quickly adjusted their states and continued to explore the surroundings.

Xue Zhao recalled the workings of the Formation, suddenly having a flash of insight, "Ye Qingchen, we were misled. The real core should be in the weakest energy spot of the Formation; we need to find where the energy fluctuation in the Formation is weakest."

Ye Qingchen nodded in agreement, "Alright, let’s split up to search. Yell if anything happens."

The Formation wasn’t large, but because it absorbed their energy, every short distance drained them significantly.

They split up, cautiously exploring this dark space.

Ye Qingchen used his Divine Sense to carefully perceive, finally detecting an extremely strong energy fluctuation in a certain direction. He immediately called out to Xue Zhao, "Xue Zhao, something’s over here!"

Xue Zhao quickly arrived, and after regrouping, they followed the weak energy fluctuation further. Walking...

Before long, they reached a hidden cave, where a scorching Magma Lake appeared before them. In the center of the lake floated a massive Energy Baryte, emitting brilliant light, distorting and warping the air around it.

"This is the true core of the Formation," determination flashed in Xue Zhao’s eyes.

Ye Qingchen looked at the Energy Baryte, sensing the immense power within it, "Seems like Xue Wei was really willing to part with this, using it as the heart of the Formation. Xue Zhao, let’s be careful."