Chapter 248: Soul Transformation Realm
The slaughterfest continued for a few more hours before the last living enemy was reduced to a bloody mess by the saw blade of the demoness manifestation.
As the horrifying rampage came to a stop, only mangled corpses, blasted limbs, and scattered organs remained amidst the battleship wreckage, mixed with wooden debris and twisted metal scraps that had fallen from the sky.
The demoness manifestation slowly faded and disappeared, leaving behind only horror and trauma for the hidden spies and informants who had witnessed the fight... no, the massacre.
Dream Butterfly slowly drifted down from the sky. She had used her Traceless Return to Simplicity Art to hide from the detection of her opponents while controlling the demoness manifestation.
She slowly drifted toward Wei Chen and checked on his breakthrough before letting out a sigh of relief.
There was nothing wrong and no sign of interruption during the process. This meant her husband would safely emerge from his breakthrough soon.
As things settled down, a high-speed flying ark slowly appeared on the horizon and anchored near the campsite. Mo Xingyao flew off the flying ark and immediately checked on Wei Chen.
"Sister Yaoyao, he’s okay. There’s nothing wrong with him. He just trapped his enemies and used their power to help him break through to the Soul Transformation Realm," Dream Butterfly explained.
"Phew! This idiot is always making people worry... Wait...."
As if a key piece of information had finally registered after her worry subsided, she looked at Dream Butterfly.
"You said... Soul Transformation Realm?" Mo Xingyao asked.
"Umm..." Dream Butterfly nodded.
"Are you saying this guy, who was in the Nascent Soul Stage, was able to slap around people in the Void Refining Realm!?"
Dream Butterfly thought for a moment before nodding. Both she and Sister Yaoyao had seen that happen more than once.
Seeing her good sister’s confirmation, Mo Xingyao slowly let out a sigh.
This was truly ridiculous.
Her betrothed was able to beat up people two realms higher than himself, and now he had already broken through to the Soul Transformation Realm. Who in this lower realm would be able to contend with him?
"By the way, Yu’er, will this guy take a long time to break through? Shouldn’t we move him somewhere safe?" Mo Xingyao asked.
"There’s no need."
Another voice chimed in.
It was Youqi, who joined their conversation.
"Lady Youqi."
Both Dream Butterfly and Mo Xingyao immediately greeted her.
"You two don’t need to worry. We can guarantee his safety. In contrast, moving him now might be detrimental to his breakthrough. He’s trying to transform his soul into a more powerful one after all. The slightest disturbance might make the process take longer or even fail," Youqi explained.
"Then both of us will trouble you, Lady Youqi!" the two spoke at the same time.
"Don’t worry about it. He’s the rising star of our Underworld Palace. Of course we would protect him," Youqi said casually.
After a brief greeting and chat, Youqi led the two back to the campsite to rest.
— A Few Days Later —
The situation at Emerald River had become known throughout the three provinces, especially in the Vermilion Bird Province, which had received the latest updates.
It had become the talk of the town as sect cultivators and vagabonds alike gathered in inns and taverns to discuss the latest news.
As for those with a U-Phone 2, they were all waiting for updates from the people on site.
Bits and pieces of news were constantly being gathered on the cultivator news forum as countless people discussed the situation.
At the campsite, Ximen Hao, who had arrived at Emerald River around evening a few days ago, was staying at the Underworld Palace camp, enjoying the convenient facilities and the arrangements Ding Lao had prepared for him.
He was now scrolling through his U-Phone, checking the latest news and seeing what other people thought about the situation.
[Jade Warrior: Can you believe that? A Nascent Soul fighting against a sealed Great Ascension Realm!]
[Handsome Swordguy: Yeah, I wonder what kind of cultivation method that guy Wei Chen cultivates. He’s absurdly strong!]
[Lonely Sword: Nah, I think he has a special physique or something. Don’t forget, he’s a young master of the Underworld Palace, and a place like that wouldn’t keep someone without a special physique as a young master!]
[Little Bonsai: Yeah, I’m from a second-rate sect myself, and the competition is so cutthroat that I barely managed to keep my position as a core disciple. I don’t even want to imagine how brutal it is in an Ancient Hidden Clan.]
[Jade Warrior: Second-rate sect? What sect? Which province?]
[Little Bonsai: You want me to die? If I tell you which sect, and an elder reads my comment and sees me calling them second-rate, I’ll get skinned alive!]
[Lonely Sword: More importantly, three Ancient Hidden Forces have already lost their patriarchs. Do you think they’re going to seek revenge?]
[Handsome Swordguy: Heh! Hardly. I don’t think their brains are damaged enough to court death again.]
[Jade Warrior: Yeah, but the most surprising thing this time should be Lady Dream Butterfly. I never thought she would be that powerful... if what we know from the informants is to be believed.]
The situation was pretty much within Ximen Hao’s expectations. Most people were in awe of Wei Chen’s cultivation realm, and some of them, most likely those who had visited the Immortal Dream Garden, were surprised by Dream Butterfly’s strength.
"Haaaa~"
Ximen Hao let out a sigh. He had stayed here for about two days now. He had seen Lady Youqi from a distance, but he did not dare approach her.
Only a few superficial greetings as acquaintances.
It was not that he had chickened out or anything. He was just not sure whether Youqi was his good brother’s woman or not. He did not want to create any misunderstandings with his good brother, so he had no choice but to wait for him to awaken from his breakthrough.
Right now, the campsite had been turned into a fortress-like stronghold. Fortifications and arrays had been erected all around the camp.
As for the strange pillar of light, it had already been sealed.
As a layman when it came to formation arrays, he did not know a thing about how it worked. He only knew that it worked. But from what he had asked around, the seal was merely a temporary patchwork while they waited for a more permanent solution.
"Young Master, there’s a situation," Butler Ma spoke as he walked into Ximen Hao’s private tent.
"What? That bastard Ximen Ren did something again? Did he finally raise a force for a coup, or can’t he wait anymore and decide to send someone to kill me?" Ximen Hao asked with a snort.
"Well... it’s Ximen Ren, but it’s not what you think. He’s coming here on his leisure flying ark. We don’t know what he’s planning."
"What a drag... this bastard really wants every pie for himself. Now he’s aiming for my good brother’s friendship too, huh? Hmph, typical." Ximen Hao said in disdain.
As the two discussed matters concerning the clan, thunder began to rumble in the distance along with the roar of a dragon.
"What? This... this pressure!" Ximen Hao blurted out as he rushed out of the tent along with Butler Ma.
In the sky, where Wei Chen was undergoing his breakthrough, clouds of heavenly tribulation had begun to gather.
"What!? I thought heavenly tribulation only came when breaking through to the Void Refining Realm?" Ximen Hao blurted out in alarm.
"That’s normally the case, Young Master, but for those with special physiques or those who cultivate heaven-defying cultivation methods, heavenly tribulation can come much earlier," Butler Ma explained.
At this time, Youqi walked out of the command tent and looked up at the heavenly tribulation clouds.
"Go away... or else."
She muttered under her breath, glaring at the clouds as if they were some nosy troublemakers looking to stir up problems.
The moment the words left her mouth, the clouds began to disperse and sunlight shone through the gaps.
Roaaaaarrr!
With a thunderous dragon’s roar, the blue sphere finally shattered and Wei Chen emerged from seclusion.
Powerful death qi and underworld qi swirled around his body before being absorbed back into him. His hair had grown longer, making him look almost like a different person. His skin and muscles possessed the strength of dragon scales while still maintaining the softness and elasticity of human flesh.
The black sparks formed from underworld qi slowly faded as Wei Chen finally regained complete clarity.
"Hahahaha! Finally, I broke through!"
He laughed out loud, his voice bursting with power as he finally advanced into the Soul Transformation Realm.
Wei Chen could feel it. His power had risen to a level he had never experienced before. If the Nascent Soul Realm was a World War II nuclear bomb, then he now possessed the power of a hydrogen bomb. It was vastly superior to what he had before.
He imagined that he could bitch slap a hundred, no, even a thousand of his previous selves with ease!
