Invincible Soul Emperor

The shadow’s struggle gradually weakened, its furious strength—like that of a cornered beast—rapidly fading. Ye Qingchen watched coldly, slightly adjusting the spell in his hands. The three vines immediately came to life, coiling even tighter. The verdant light they emitted, like phosphorescence in the night, made the shadow’s outline appear even more ferocious.

"Your struggle is futile!" Ye Qingchen declared in a low voice, his tone filled with absolute authority and coldness.

The shadow’s movements grew weaker. A hint of fear and despair crept into its crimson eyes as it seemed to sense its power rapidly draining away. The vines were absorbing its energy, sapping it of even the last bit of strength to resist. At last, the shadow’s struggle ceased completely. Its body went limp, as if its very bones had been pulled out, and it hung powerlessly within the vines’ embrace.

Ye Qingchen slowly withdrew his hand seals, but the vines held the shadow fast like a green cage, trapping it completely. No matter how hard the shadow struggled, it could not escape the confinement of the three vines. The last glimmer of defiance in its eyes faded into a silent sigh, an announcement of its total defeat.

"Hmph! You won’t get away this time!" Ye Qingchen declared, looking at the shadow before him with a cold, confident smile. His eyes were filled with icy detachment, conveying an air of superiority.

"Hahaha! Ye Qingchen, do you think I am so easily defeated? Don’t forget—my body is filled with Demonic Qi." The corner of the shadow’s mouth twisted into a grim smile, a chill emanating from its voice.

Ye Qingchen’s eyebrows furrowed slightly, and a grave look flashed in his eyes. A dense black fog suddenly surged from the bound shadow. The Demonic Qi roiled as if to tear and devour the vines. The vines began to tremble violently, the green light clashing with the black fog, creating a harsh, grating sound.

"It seems I underestimated you," Ye Qingchen said coldly. His hands formed seals once more, and Spiritual Power surged from his body, pouring into the vines. The vines immediately burst into a brighter green light, as if drawing in the Spiritual Energy of the heavens and earth, becoming even more resilient and powerful.

"Foolish human, you simply can’t comprehend the power of Demonic Qi." The shadow’s laughter carried a hint of arrogance and confidence. The black fog around its body grew denser until it threatened to dye the entire space pitch-black. The vines were resilient, but they seemed to be struggling against this terrifying Demonic Qi.

"Let me show you what true power is." With a low growl, the shadow unleashed its Demonic Qi, which exploded outward like a torrential tide. Under the assault, the vines cried out as if they might snap at any moment.

A cold glint flashed in Ye Qingchen’s eyes. He took a deep breath, focused his mind, and channeled all of his Spiritual Power into the vines in a torrential flow. Simultaneously, he silently chanted an incantation, pushing his Spiritual Power to its absolute limit.

Empowered by Ye Qingchen’s full might, the vines glowed with blinding radiance, coiling around the shadow like a great green dragon locked in a death struggle with the Demonic Qi. The shadow’s expression faltered slightly as it felt an unprecedented pressure. The purity and intensity of the Spiritual Power were almost suffocating.

"What... what power is this?" the shadow ground out between its teeth.

"The power to kill you!" Ye Qingchen responded coldly. As he clapped his hands together, his Spiritual Power reached its zenith. The vines exploded with a blinding light, as brilliant as the midday sun, and instantly shattered the shadow’s Demonic Qi.

With a heartrending scream, the shadow was sent flying. Its body slammed against the wall like a torn piece of paper. The wall cracked under the tremendous impact, sending shattered stones flying as the entire space trembled from the violent collision. Blood spurted from its wounds, staining the wall a brilliant red like a morbid, visceral painting.

The shadow spat a mouthful of blood, the crimson liquid spilling from the corner of its mouth and dripping to the ground with a faint patter. Its crimson eyes were filled with panic and indignation, revealing an endless rage and despair. It was loath to be defeated like this, and even more reluctant to appear so disheveled before Ye Qingchen.

Ye Qingchen stood not far away, coldly observing the shadow’s struggles. His expression was stern, his eyes electric, exuding an unwavering resolve. Looking at that ferocious, contorted face, he felt not a trace of sympathy. In his eyes, the shadow’s pain and struggle were merely the just deserts for its evil.

"Did you think you could run rampant just by relying on Demonic Qi?" Ye Qingchen said in a low voice laced with icy disdain. He stepped forward slowly. Each step seemed to land upon the shadow’s heart, pressing down until it could barely breathe. The air grew thick with tension and a deadly stillness, as if the entire space had frozen over.

The shadow struggled to rise, but the excruciating pain in its body made even the slightest movement an ordeal. Its hands were planted on the ground, its fingernails digging deep into the soil, its crimson eyes flashing with helplessness and fury. It tried to channel the Demonic Qi within its body, only to find that the once-invincible power was now like a dried-up spring, completely unable to sustain another fight.

"You... you will regret this..." the shadow spat out with difficulty, its voice hoarse and filled with hatred and threat.

"Regret?" Ye Qingchen chuckled coldly. "I never regret standing against demons."

He lifted his right hand, where a dazzling spiritual light condensed in his palm. Its brightness, like that of the scorching sun, completely dispersed the surrounding darkness. A deep fear flickered in the shadow’s eyes. It could feel the purity and strength of that spiritual light; it was a force it could not possibly contend with.

"Goodbye, demon," Ye Qingchen murmured. The spiritual light in his hand suddenly erupted, forming a sharp Light Sword that thrust toward the shadow. The shadow had no time to react, able only to watch as the light approached, carrying with it an aura of endless majesty and judgment.

Just as the blast of Energy was about to strike the shadow, the black veil on its face suddenly fell away.

The moment Ye Qingchen saw the face underneath, his eyes widened in shock.

"Zheng Xiao! You actually escaped!"

The shadow before him was none other than Zheng Xiao, the one captured by Xue Feng!

But why is Zheng Xiao here? The Xue Family’s prison is so heavily guarded; how could she possibly have escaped? And what’s with all this dense Demonic Qi? She had it before, but she should have been able to suppress it. With it flaring up so intensely, there’s no way the Xue Family wouldn’t have noticed. Could it be... someone else is helping her?

Realizing this, Ye Qingchen immediately pulled his attack.

"Zheng Xiao!" he called out. "I can spare your life, but you have to tell me who sent you! And what happened with all this Demonic Qi?"