Invincible Soul Emperor-Chapter 126: Entering the Heavenly Pond Sea of Fire

AWOOOO—

The Flame Tiger let out an unwilling, desperate howl as its burly body collapsed heavily onto the ground. After an hour, Ye Qingchen had finally worn the Flame Tiger to death.

"Junior Brother Qingchen is truly formidable! To defeat a fourth-realm martial master Flame Tiger while only in the second-realm is something not even I could do!" Seeing the Flame Tiger fall with a thud, Zhao Jiehui walked over, laughing heartily as he spoke.

Zhao Jiehui had assumed Ye Qingchen would need to use the Ice Armor to defeat the Flame Tiger, as a mid-tier Spiritual Artifact could make fighting above one’s level possible. But to his surprise, Ye Qingchen had killed the fourth-realm martial master Flame Tiger using merely a specific tactic, without even employing the Ice Armor.

"Hmph! Just exploiting a loophole!" Zou Mei’s cold snort cut in at an inopportune moment. Zhou Quan and Wang Tao also walked over, adding with disdain, "The Fire Rock Beasts in the Heavenly Pond Sea of Fire are much faster than Flame Tigers. If you think you can use such opportunistic tricks then, you’ll be courting death."

Faced with the trio’s mockery, Ye Qingchen was left speechless. He naturally had other methods to swiftly defeat the Flame Tiger. But since there’s such an effortless strategy, why wouldn’t I use it?

However, Ye Qingchen disdained to justify himself. He ignored the three of them and went directly behind the mound, where he harvested the Fire Dragon Grass and handed it to Zhao Jiehui.

The group of five set out once more. Since they had acquired most of the necessary herbs, they headed directly toward the center of Redflame Mountain, the Heavenly Pond Sea of Fire. What puzzled Ye Qingchen was that the path Zhao Jiehui was leading them on was entirely different from the one he had taken previously.

As if noticing the confusion in Ye Qingchen’s mind, Zhao Jiehui took the initiative to explain, "Junior Brother Qingchen might not be aware, but there’s a secret path into the Heavenly Pond Sea of Fire. The temperature there is much lower than outside, and there are relatively fewer Fire Rock Beasts—perfect for our entry."

Ye Qingchen nodded. It seems there really is strength in numbers. If not for Zhao Jiehui leading the way, even if he had the strength to enter the Heavenly Pond Sea of Fire, he couldn’t have avoided a tough fight.

After they had traveled for a while, Ye Qingchen estimated they should be very close to the Heavenly Pond Sea of Fire, yet the surrounding temperature, just as Zhao Jiehui had said, had not significantly increased. He recalled how he had been sweating profusely the last time he reached this location. It seems teaming up this time was the right choice!

「Meanwhile...」

In Ye Qingchen’s small courtyard, Xiao Xiao had already prepared a meal and invited Yao Yue to sit down and eat with her. Yao Yue’s cultivation had long reached the point of Fasting, but what girl could resist delicious food?

"Xiao Xiao, I never expected you to have such amazing culinary skills. These dishes are absolutely delicious," Yao Yue couldn’t help but praise after taking a bite.

Hearing Yao Yue’s compliment, Xiao Xiao felt a little proud. But then, as if remembering something, her expression fell and she lowered her head.

Seeing this, Yao Yue asked with concern, "What’s wrong, Xiao Xiao? You were fine just a moment ago."

Xiao Xiao shook her head. When she looked up again, the rims of her eyes had turned red. "Sister Yao Yue, I was just thinking that after I leave the Young Master, he’ll be so busy cultivating that he might not even have time to eat."

Yao Yue gave a helpless smile. Xiao Xiao possessed the Vermilion Bird Holy Soul, a power envied by countless people. She was a peerless genius whose future achievements were bound to be limitless, yet she willingly chose to be Ye Qingchen’s Maid, always putting him first in everything. This depth of feeling was something Yao Yue couldn’t quite understand, but also envied.

However, seeing Xiao Xiao’s distressed look, she offered some comfort. "Xiao Xiao, from what I’ve seen, although Ye Qingchen’s aptitude doesn’t match yours, he seems to have endless lucky encounters. His progress in Alchemy, in particular, is quite rapid. I believe it won’t be long before he becomes famous. If he hasn’t forgotten you by then, he’ll be qualified to enter Wuji Immortal Palace to see you."

Hearing this, Xiao Xiao was suddenly filled with hope. "Really, Sister Yao Yue?" she said joyfully. "I believe the Young Master will definitely not forget me."

Yao Yue was a bit taken aback by Xiao Xiao’s sudden mood swing but continued to comfort her. "As far as I know, Ye Qingchen went to Redflame Mountain this time to find the Fen Tian Earth Fire. If he can successfully merge with it, not only will his Alchemy skills improve by leaps and bounds, but his cultivation will also truly touch the threshold of the powerful."

What Yao Yue didn’t know was that Xiao Xiao hadn’t heard the latter part of her sentence at all. Her attention was entirely captured by the name Fen Tian Earth Fire. She didn’t know what it was, but the name alone sounded terrifying, and she couldn’t help but ask worriedly, "Sister Yao Yue, will the Young Master be in danger?"

Yao Yue sighed. "There shouldn’t be much danger. Since he dared to go, he must have made thorough preparations. And with so many people in his group, they should be able to overcome any dangers they encounter."

Yao Yue didn’t say it explicitly. With Ye Qingchen’s current strength, trying to merge with the Fen Tian Earth Fire was a life-and-death gamble with almost no chance of survival. However, she was afraid of worrying Xiao Xiao too much, so she phrased it tactfully. Now, Yao Yue could only hope that Ye Qingchen would know to retreat in the face of such difficulty and not risk his life for immediate gains.

Although Xiao Xiao was young and sometimes seemed naive, she wasn’t foolish. From Yao Yue’s sigh and the subtext of her words, Xiao Xiao could sense a different, more somber meaning.

After their simple meal, Yao Yue said goodbye, urging Xiao Xiao not to forget her cultivation. After all, it would be a tremendous waste to neglect a constitution like the Ten-Star Vermilion Bird Holy Soul.

But what Yao Yue didn’t know was that not long after she left, Xiao Xiao quietly slipped out of the courtyard and headed toward Redflame Mountain. My Young Master might be in danger! I can’t just stand by and do nothing! It was with this thought that Xiao Xiao made her decision: she had to go to Redflame Mountain to find Ye Qingchen.

At that moment, Ye Qingchen and his companions, led by Zhao Jiehui, had already reached the edge of the Heavenly Pond Sea of Fire.

The area was just as Zhao Jiehui had described. Not only was the temperature significantly lower, but Fire Rock Beasts were also scarce. The few that occasionally sprang out were swiftly killed by the group’s combined efforts.

The group advanced slowly, killing no fewer than a dozen Fire Rock Beasts along the way, yet only a single Fire Crystal had been dropped. This low drop rate was making Zou Mei and her companions quite impatient. Especially at the thought of having to share their hard-earned Fire Crystals with Ye Qingchen, the three of them grew even more furious. Their gazes toward him became increasingly annoyed.