Chapter 154: Chapter 153 Soul-shocking Valley
The Human Race’s Soul Killing Demon Emperor once made an assessment: "In this world, there are two holy lands for Soul Tao Martial Artists. One is the Soul Cleansing Mountain, used to shape the soul; the other is the Luopo Valley, used for Soul Refining."
The soul must be strengthened and, at the same time, refined.
Hong Yuan, through the constant devouring of Soul Beasts, had made his soul grow stronger, but this had also tainted it with many impurities.
Being in the midst of the Heart-questioning Trial was one thing, but if he were to return to his own body, just calming the conflict between his soul and flesh would be a huge ordeal for Hong Yuan.
He would need to sleep for years on end to survive this calamity and quell the unrest between his ill-matching soul and body.
And the Demon Clan’s imitations of the Human Race’s Luopo Valley and Soul Cleansing Mountain—the inferior secret realms of Soul-shocking Valley and Luopo Mountain—were excellent places to deal with soul impurities.
"CRACKLE! POP!"
"WHOOSH! BOOM!"
The Jade Thunder and Valley Gale continuously battered Soul-shocking Valley, polishing it to a smooth, dark sheen.
Hong Yuan did not rashly barge in; he captured a Green Jade Leopard Soul Beast and threw it into the valley to scout the path for him.
After exerting great force, the Green Jade Leopard Soul Beast was tossed high into Soul-shocking Valley, its limbs flailing in the air.
A gust of wind blew through, causing the bronze lines on the Green Jade Leopard Soul Beast’s body to condense clearly, but the consequence was its Soul Body rapidly diminishing.
Before Hong Yuan could make a careful observation, a flash of lightning struck, and the Green Jade Leopard Soul Beast instantly turned into a puff of white smoke, dissipating before him.
"HISS..."
Hong Yuan took a sharp breath, inwardly feeling the terror of Soul-shocking Valley.
My goodness, Soul-shocking Valley is just a knockoff of Luopo Valley. If it were the real deal, how mighty would it be?
At that moment, Hong Yuan felt shocked by the grandeur of the Human Race. The Human Race occupied the Five Major Continents, possessed vast resources, and generally experienced natural disasters later than the Demon Clan. With such accumulations, the gap in strength between the two would inevitably widen even more.
Sigh. Why bother thinking so much? I should just become a Demon Saint first. Hong Yuan shook his head lightly, ceasing his contemplations.
Activating his Innate Ability, ’Ice Armor,’ Hong Yuan, fully armored, cautiously stepped into the outer areas of Soul-shocking Valley.
A gust of wind blew fiercely, making Hong Yuan’s hair stand on end, as if someone was repeatedly cutting at his waist with a pig-slaughtering knife.
"AH! AH!!!"
Hong Yuan winced painfully, incessantly rolling on the ground and furiously slamming into the ground of Soul-shocking Valley, smashing deep pits one after another.
Pain, such pain, my waist is in intense agony.
For a moment, Hong Yuan felt as if he was being cut into a thousand pieces, each cut leading to a slow and painful death.
The pain was so intense that he wished for death as he rolled about miserably on the ground.
I’m never dueling with anyone again, never again.
It’s just hatred; what’s the big deal with Li Jianqiu?
I have a longer lifespan than Li Jianqiu; I can endure.
All sorts of thoughts raced through Hong Yuan’s mind.
Regret, withdrawal, hesitation, timidity... various negative emotions pounded his heart.
Although Hong Yuan was wailing like a ghost, he gritted his teeth and endured the pain of the wind scraping against his bones and the lightning strikes.
He was very clear that sometimes one can retreat, but there are times when retreat is not an option.
Now was the time when he could not retreat.
Because no matter how much pain he was in, he was still in the Heart-questioning Trial; he still had the chance to start over.
If he backed down here, he feared that he would be looked down upon by great figures like the Black Dragon Demon Saint, seen as but rotting wood.
"Qi, Guangqiao’s willpower is truly resolute," Wan Xuerou couldn’t help but raise her head, giving Hong Yuan a thumbs up as she quietly praised him.
The Black Dragon Demon Saint looked towards the Energy Mirror where Hong Yuan was, observing gales carrying meteors hammering at Hong Yuan, and loud claps of thunder cleaving at him.
In layer upon layer of grey mist, Hong Yuan’s Python Soul quickly condensed the hundredth bronze thread and began to form silver lines, awakening his second Innate Ability: ’Frost Lightning Speed.’
The function of Frost Lightning Speed was to transform Hong Yuan into swift-moving frost and lightning.
Hong Yuan’s ability to flee had once again greatly increased!
"He has reached the Hundred Python Soul. The progress is faster than I imagined," the Black Dragon Demon Saint nodded lightly in approval. "Perhaps he has the opportunity to challenge the ten thousand soul level, like Li Jianqiu."
At this, the Black Dragon Demon Saint couldn’t help but smirk, a smile spreading across his face.
His adopted son had brought him quite a few surprises.
Originally, he had intended for Hong Yuan to adapt to the environment and lay a solid foundation early on, in preparation for the next Heart-questioning Trial.
But unexpectedly, Xuan Guangqiao had amazed everyone, even catching up fiercely from the bottom, sprinting into the top three and even the top two.
Xuan Guangqiao... The Red Luck Demon Saint’s gaze was distant, staring profoundly at the Python Soul’s shadow in the Energy Mirror.
In that instant, the Red Luck Demon Saint felt threatened by Hong Yuan.
Even though his proud descendant, Li Jianqiu, had managed to gain a tenuous foothold in The Golden Land and was heading towards the Thousand Carp Soul, even beginning the ritual of the Carp Leaping over the Dragon Gate, the Red Luck Demon Saint still felt that Hong Yuan posed a threat to Li Jianqiu.
Such terrifying talent; it’s truly befitting of a fiend nurtured by the Upper Three Tao Seeds, the Red Luck Demon Saint sighed softly, eying the Black Dragon Demon Saint with extreme wariness.
Clearly, the Red Luck Demon Saint attributed Hong Yuan’s major achievements largely to the Black Dragon Demon Saint.
While Hong Yuan had arrived at Soul-shocking Valley and successfully broken through to the Hundred Python Soul, constantly strengthening his Soul Foundation in the valley, the other thirteen Demon Saints’ descendants were also making steady progress, growing stronger.
Even the weakest, Ji Qingxue, had achieved the Ten Rabbit Soul, reaching the realm of a soul increased tenfold.
Zhang Daoliu, the genius talent second only to Li Jianqiu, was even getting close to the Hundred-fold Soul realm, lagging behind Hong Yuan by just a bit.
At this moment, Ji Qingxue became the last of the trialists to reach the Silver Land.
Like a timid little white rabbit, Ji Qingxue stayed cautiously within the Jade Forest, subsisting on collecting Soul Tao herbs and other Soul Tao treasures, making slow progress, much to the consternation of the Snow Moon Demon Saint.
"My dear sister, just do your best, that’s all I ask. I do not expect you to rise as an exceptional case like Xuan Guangqiao, out of the blue, but at least make me proud," the Snow Moon Demon Saint said with a sigh, covering her face.
In her view, it would be quite remarkable if her sister could grow to the level of a Hundred Rabbit Soul.
And indeed, at that moment, Ji Qingxue was being chased by a pack of Turtle-Backed Wolf Soul Beasts, fleeing in a sorry state.
The Turtle-Backed Wolves had broad, sturdy bodies, dark green skin, and deep blue eyes. Each bore a turtle-like shell on its back, making them the most defensively powerful Wolf Soul Beasts among the wild wolf species.
As the pack of wolves ran, the earth itself began to tremble.
"Don’t eat me, don’t eat me! SOB, SOB..."
Ji Qingxue clenched a big red carrot in her mouth, her eyes brimming with tears, fleeing without regard for direction.
The outside world was far too dangerous, nothing like the kindness her sister had described.
Zhang Fan, Cheng Dongqing, and Xuan Guangqiao... these guys were all so strong-willed, completely lacking the grace of the clan’s elders.
SOB, SOB... May a peerless fiend come save me, Ji Qingxue silently prayed for divine favor.
As the Turtle-Backed Wolf Soul Beasts drew near, Ji Qingxue had no choice but to use her Innate Ability.
A flash of Great Moon Light whisked by, and Ji Qingxue’s feet moved with remarkable speed, soon helping her to shake off the pursuit of the Turtle-Backed Wolves.
Ji Qingxue ran and ran, her feet pounding wildly in her escape.
Eventually, she found herself in a terrifying valley!
This valley was filled with gales and thunder, and there was a massive figure up ahead receiving the tempering of the storm and thunder.
Having no choice, Ji Qingxue cowered in a corner, shivering as she watched the imposing figure.
"Who has intruded?" Hong Yuan turned to look back. Snow Shadow Rabbit Ji Qingxue, that naive dual-cultivation demoness...
Hong Yuan didn’t rush to deal with Ji Qingxue; instead, he checked the data recorded on his proficiency panel.
[Soul Tao +99]
[School: Soul Tao (Master 56%) → Soul Tao (Master 57%)]
Now I have reached more than a five hundred seventy-fold soul, achieving an incredibly powerful Hundred Python Soul. Still, my growth rate is a bit slow, he mused.
The path of devouring other strong trialists and Soul Beasts must not be forsaken.
Perhaps I could use the seemingly harmless Ji Qingxue as ’bait’!
Seeing that pitiful rabbit-like figure, Hong Yuan immediately thought of Ji Qingxue’s previous silly demeanor and a plan formed in his mind.
Ji Qingxue would have to take part whether she wanted to or not. Weren’t they allies, after all? Allies were supposed to help each other...
If help didn’t arrive in time, it would merely reflect that such was Ji Qingxue’s Luck Tao; I couldn’t be blamed.