Chapter 168: Chapter 168: Clash of the Crane and the Clam
Suddenly—
Waves of intense Soul Power suddenly pulsed from ahead, accompanied by a world-shaking roar.
"Such a powerful Soul Power aura. It’s a Tier Four Profound Beast."
Ye Xuan was startled. He stopped absorbing Soul Thoughts and rushed forward.
In a few moments, a cave appeared before him.
Rumbling sounds and the furious roars of a Profound Beast echoed continuously from within the cave.
Confident in his abilities, Ye Xuan slipped into the cave and crept forward cautiously.
The cave was pitch-black, but that was no obstacle for Ye Xuan’s Soul Sense. Along the way, he saw many Profound Beast corpses lying scattered about.
The innermost part of the cave opened into a huge, open area, the source of the earlier furious roars.
But as Ye Xuan snuck closer, the sounds of battle from inside suddenly stopped.
’A victor was decided so quickly?’
Ye Xuan hid behind a massive boulder and peered toward the deepest part of the cave.
The entire cave was a wreck. The ground was covered in rubble, and dust filled the air.
An earth-yellow Earth Dragon, covered in blood, was coiled on a huge rock, staring viciously at the other side of the cave.
There, Mosen stood, also covered in blood. His chest and back were covered in gory wounds, and he was gasping for breath.
In another corner of the cave was a pool of water. In the pool, a purple vine was growing. At its end was a small, crimson fruit that emanated a rich fragrance.
"A Tier Four Soul Nourishing Fruit!"
Ye Xuan blinked, a flash of elation crossing his mind.
The Soul Nourishing Fruit was a Tier Four Spirit Medicine. Although its rank wasn’t exceptionally high, it was definitely considered a heavenly treasure.
So-called heavenly treasures were Spirit Medicines that had special effects on living beings.
The Soul Nourishing Fruit was one such treasure. Its effect on Martial Artists and Demon Beasts was average at best, but for Profound Beasts and Soul Refiners, its effects were nothing short of heaven-defying.
Once consumed, it could raise one’s Soul Power by an entire grade in a short time, as long as they were below the Third Grade.
In other words, if a Second Grade Soul Refiner took it, they could become a Third Grade Soul Refiner in a short time. If a Tier Two Profound Beast consumed it, it could grow into a Tier Three Profound Beast.
Ye Xuan had never expected to find a Soul Nourishing Fruit here.
"You despicable human! You dare kill so many of my kin! I will kill you today, and this place will be your grave."
A Soul Thought, carrying the words, flowed through the cave, accompanied by a booming roar.
It was the dragon-like Tier Four Profound Beast that was speaking.
Unlike Demon Beasts, which needed to reach at least Tier Seven Lord Level to gain enough intelligence to speak human language,
Profound Beasts only needed to be Tier Four or higher to possess enough intelligence to communicate with Soul Refiners through Soul Power.
"Hahaha." Though heavily injured, Mosen laughed maniacally. He sent a message back with his own Soul Power: "How arrogant. A mere Tier Four Profound Beast. You couldn’t do anything to me even at your peak. Now that your Soul Power is damaged and you’re trapped in my soul formation, you still think you can kill me? Keep dreaming."
As he transmitted the Soul Thought, Mosen’s face turned pale as paper, and he coughed up a large mouthful of blood.
Clearly, although he had trapped the Tier Four Profound Beast with the soul formation, his own injuries were not light.
However, beneath the pallor of his injuries, his face was also filled with ecstatic joy.
’It seems heaven has decreed that I, Mosen, am destined to rise! This trip to Cyan Profound Mountain not only let my Martial Soul break through to Three-Stars, but I also found a Soul Nourishing Fruit. Once I take this, won’t I immediately become a Third Grade Soul Refiner?’
He was currently a Soul Refiner at the Peak of Second Grade, just one step away from reaching Third Grade.
Who knew how long it would take to cross that step through normal cultivation alone.
But with the Soul Nourishing Fruit, things were different. As soon as he consumed it, his Soul Power could reach Third Grade, or even Mid-Third Grade, in a short time. It would save him at least ten years of hard work.
"You damn human! You dream of snatching my Soul Nourishing Fruit! I’ll destroy it before I let you have it!"
The Earth Dragon Profound Beast roared and charged toward the pool.
BUZZ!
Rainbow-colored lights suddenly flared from the ground. Beams of Soul Power formed a cage of light, trapping the Earth Dragon Profound Beast inside. This was the soul formation Mosen had laid out.
But under the Earth Dragon Profound Beast’s assault, Mosen’s soul formation shook violently, looking as if it could collapse at any moment.
"You mere beast. I was going to let you live a little longer, but since you’re so eager to die, I’ll grant your wish."
A vicious glint appeared in Mosen’s eyes. He released his Three-Stars Martial Soul, brandished the soul weapon in his hand, and lunged at the Earth Dragon Profound Beast.
The two immediately began fighting once more.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Rubble flew through the cave. The battle between the Tier Four Celestial Martial Artist and the Tier Four Profound Beast was once again a stalemate.
BOOM!
With one collision, Mosen was sent flying back wretchedly. He coughed up more blood and slammed into the rock wall behind him, his injuries worsening.
The Earth Dragon Profound Beast, however, had a fading aura. It was breathing out but not in.
"You... despicable human... you used poison!"
The Earth Dragon Profound Beast’s pupils turned green, and a trace of unwillingness flashed in its bronze-bell-like eyes.
It turned out that during their earlier clash, Mosen had not only set up a soul formation but had also used poison. After such an intense battle, the poison had spread rapidly, leaving the Earth Dragon Profound Beast on the verge of death.
Mosen smiled leisurely. "A mere beast like you, what do you know of tactics? Don’t worry, after you die, I’ll skin you, pull out your tendons, and take your Crystal Core. Haha, a Tier Four Profound Beast is a treasure trove! And with all the other Profound Beasts here, tsk tsk, I, Mosen, have struck it rich."
"Damn you... You humans are the most despicable creatures in the world! If I wasn’t trapped here, how could a mere Celestial Martial Artist like you ever have hurt me? Damn it! Damn it all!"
With every word Mosen spoke, the Earth Dragon Profound Beast’s indignation grew. It ferociously transmitted its final message: "But just you wait! One day, my Profound Beast clan will wipe out you humans completely!"
After sending out that last bit of Soul Power, the Earth Dragon Profound Beast breathed its last, its aura completely gone.
Witnessing this, Ye Xuan couldn’t help but sigh with emotion.
’Out in the mountain ranges, what Tier Four Profound Beast isn’t surrounded by hordes of Demon Beasts? A Celestial Martial Artist wouldn’t even have the right to get close.’
’But here in Cyan Profound Mountain, for so many Profound Beasts to be slaughtered by a Second Grade Soul Refiner who is also a Celestial Martial Artist... it’s quite ironic.’
"Threatening me even in death. Ridiculous."
Mosen sneered dismissively, his gaze turning feverish as he looked at the Soul Nourishing Fruit. Once he broke through and became a Third Grade Soul Refiner, he, Mosen, would receive the highest respect no matter where he went in the Thirteen Nations Alliance.
A Third Grade Soul Refiner was an elder-level existence even in the Soul Master Tower of Liuyun Kingdom.
At this thought, Mosen burst into triumphant laughter.
CLAP! CLAP! CLAP!
Just then, the crisp sound of clapping suddenly echoed through the cave.
The applause wasn’t loud, but to Mosen’s ears, it was like a bolt from the blue.
His smile froze, and a vicious glint flashed in his eyes. "Who’s there?"
He was heavily injured at the moment. If another expert were to appear, wouldn’t all his hard work have been for someone else’s benefit?
In an instant, his heart sank to the depths.
’Someone was hiding nearby and I didn’t even notice? Could it be another expert from the royal family?’
"Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant! It was truly an eye-opener."
Ye Xuan walked out from behind the boulder with a wide smile, wearing an expression of utter admiration.
"You?"
Mosen was first startled, but his shock quickly turned into ecstatic joy.
His greatest fear was the appearance of an expert at or above the Earth Martial Artist level, which would put him in grave danger. He never imagined that the person who had been hiding all along was Ye Xuan, the very person he wanted to kill.
In that moment, the heart that had been stuck in his throat dropped back into place.
"You brat, you actually dare to show yourself? Aren’t you afraid of death?"
Mosen sneered. It was ridiculous. This kid was only a Martial Master Second Layer, yet he dared to come out.
Did the boy think that just because he was heavily injured, he couldn’t deal with him?
"Why wouldn’t I dare? Tsk tsk, if I’m not mistaken, this must be the Tier Four Soul Nourishing Fruit, right? What a fine treasure."
Ye Xuan walked to the edge of the pool, looking as if he was about to pick it.
"You’re courting death!"
Seeing this, Mosen was enraged.
WHOOSH!
He summoned the last of his strength and lunged at Ye Xuan.
"A mere Martial Master, daring to act so wildly before me, Mosen! Watch me kill you!"
A ferocious killing intent bloomed in his eyes as he swung his soul weapon down in a vicious strike.
Although he had less than thirty percent of his peak strength, he was confident that killing a Second Layer Martial Master would still be effortless.
To be safe, however, as he swung his weapon, a small black stone suddenly appeared in his other hand. It shot toward Ye Xuan as a streak of light, moving even faster than his blade.
It was the same move that had killed Duan Ren and Fu Yuling.
Under these circumstances, Mosen would not allow any accidents.
A cruel sneer formed on his lips.
’At this close a distance, let’s see how Ye Xuan dodges my hidden weapon attack.’
But Ye Xuan didn’t even try to dodge. A cold smile played on his lips. "To use a perfectly good Earth Profound Stone like this... what a waste."
HUM!
An invisible wave of Soul Power suddenly shot from his eyes. It hit the black streak of light, causing its speed to plummet. By the time it reached Ye Xuan, it floated gently into his hand.
"You... you’re a Soul Refiner too?"
Mosen was utterly shocked. His black streak of light wasn’t an ordinary pebble, but the Earth Profound Stone that Ye Xuan had just mentioned.
Earth Profound Stones could be controlled by Soul Power, which was why they were immensely powerful when he threw them. Even an expert at the Earth Martial Artist level would have their head blown off if they were too slow to block it.
But now, Ye Xuan had effortlessly neutralized the Soul Power he had infused into it. Only a Soul Refiner could do that. Moreover, the other party’s Soul Power was definitely stronger than his own in his injured state.
This discovery instantly sent his mind into turmoil.
