Invincible Soul Emperor

Chapter 25: Chapter 25 Entering the Qingyun Mountain Range

”Attack! Kill him for me!”

At Li Zhe’s command, the dozen or so Li Family experts behind him drew their weapons and charged toward Ye Qingchen.

”Hold on!” Qin Yue shouted sternly, stretching out her hand to block the Li Family experts.

Her expression then instantly darkened as she looked at Li Zhe. ”Family Head Li, to move against a person recruited by my Rising Sun Pavilion without my permission... you clearly have no respect for my Pavilion!”

Li Zhe was taken aback but quickly forced a smile. ”Pavilion Master Qin, this is a grudge between the Li Family and the Ye Family. I hope you will do us this one favor!”

Without a moment’s hesitation, Qin Yue shook her head. ”I’m sorry, but I have already promised Old Master Ye that I would ensure Ye Qingchen’s safety! Do you want me to break my word? The Rising Sun Pavilion values its reputation above all else!”

Li Zhe’s face darkened. ”In that case, we’ll have to risk offending you!”

The next moment, he waved his hand sharply. ”Get them!”

Disregarding Qin Yue’s obstruction, the dozen or so Li Family experts surged forward once more.

”Elder Du, stop them!” Qin Yue’s pretty face turned icy. With a cold snort, the old man behind her stepped forward and slammed his palms out in front of him.

BOOM!

A powerful wave of air erupted, sending all of the Li Family experts tumbling to the ground.

”So strong!”

”He’s a martial master!”

Li Zhe could not help but cry out in alarm. Elder Du’s cultivation was on par with Wang Hu’s, if not stronger!

Qin Yue looked coldly at Li Zhe. ”Elder Du was holding back just now. If Family Head Li continues to be so obstinate, Elder Du will not show any mercy next time!”

”Let’s go!” Qin Yue gestured, and the caravan followed her, heading toward the Qingyun Mountain Range.

Watching Ye Qingchen brush past him, so close he could almost touch him, Li Zhe burned with rage. He said coldly, ”Ye Qingchen, what kind of man hides behind a woman? If you have any courage, step forward!”

Ye Qingchen had not intended to pay Li Zhe any mind, but upon hearing his words, he stopped in his tracks and sneered. ”And what’s wrong with being protected by a woman? I, too, once foolishly tried to protect a woman. What did I get in return? They coveted my life and my Martial Soul! Tell me, do you think their consciences were eaten by dogs?”

With that, Ye Qingchen couldn’t be bothered to wait for Li Zhe’s reply and simply walked away.

Watching Ye Qingchen’s departing figure, Li Zhe’s eyes filled with rage. That brat dared to humiliate him! It was a blatant provocation! At that moment, Li Zhe wanted nothing more than to skin Ye Qingchen alive and rip out his tendons.

But after glancing at Elder Du beside Qin Yue, he forcefully suppressed the anger in his heart.

”Father, what should we do?” a young man in white robes who bore a strong resemblance to Li Zhe asked from behind him. He was Li Zhe’s second son, Li Mingliang, twenty years old, whose cultivation had already reached the second level of the Martial Warrior Realm.

Li Zhe stared coldly at Ye Qingchen’s distant back. ”Ye Qingchen wouldn’t leave the Ye Family and take such a great risk for no reason. He must have another purpose for this trip to the Qingyun Mountain Range! I refuse to believe he can stay with the Rising Sun Pavilion’s caravan forever!”

As he spoke, Li Zhe’s gaze fell upon Li Mingliang. ”Take our clan’s experts and follow the Rising Sun Pavilion’s caravan closely. The moment Ye Qingchen leaves them, seize the opportunity to kill him. Understand?”

Li Mingliang nodded emphatically. ”Yes, Father! I will keep a close eye on Ye Qingchen! The moment he is alone, we will strike!”

Li Zhe nodded. With Li Mingliang and more than a dozen of the Li Family’s Martial Warrior Realm experts acting together, Ye Qingchen would certainly die the moment he dared to leave the Rising Sun Pavilion’s group.

***

The Rising Sun Pavilion’s caravan traveled imposingly along the road from Qingyun Town to the Qingyun Mountain Range. One hundred martial artists recruited by the Rising Sun Pavilion protected the front and rear of the procession. The herb-gathering team formed the center of the caravan.

The Rising Sun Pavilion’s destination was the border between the outer and inner regions of the Qingyun Mountain Range. The Spiritual Energy there was denser, and with fewer martial artists visiting the area, it was an ideal place for Spirit Grass to grow. This made it easier for them to find and gather medicinal herbs.

Coincidentally, Ye Qingchen’s destination was the very same place, which was the perfect environment for the Ironwood Soul Flower to grow.

A great number of Monster Beasts lurked within the Qingyun Mountain Range, a constant danger. The caravan was massive, and its presence deterred many of the Monster Beasts in the dense forest. They kept their distance, so the initial part of the journey went smoothly.

However, as they ventured deeper, the Monster Beasts grew stronger, and attacks became increasingly frequent. Although no one died at first, several people were injured in ambushes.

The first day was relatively peaceful, but on the second day, the caravan began to suffer casualties. Three of the hired martial artists were killed in battle with Monster Beasts. This made Ye Qingchen realize that no matter how strong one was, one could never be careless in the Qingyun Mountain Range, or one might very well die here.

Fortunately, after nightfall on the second day, the caravan finally reached the border between the outer and inner regions of the Qingyun Mountain Range.

This was an expansive valley filled with all kinds of wild Spirit Grass. The fresh, pleasant scent of medicinal herbs wafted through the air, refreshing the soul.

The team rested for a night. On the third day, following Qin Yue’s arrangements, most of the martial artists guarded the perimeter of the valley, while a smaller group protected the herb-gathering team inside.

Ye Qingchen happened to be assigned to protect the herb-gathering team inside the valley.

Xiao Xiao, you have to hold on. I will find the Ironwood Soul Flower!

Relying on the information about the Ironwood Soul Flower he had obtained from the Supreme Elder, Ye Qingchen began searching carefully within the valley.

However, to his disappointment, after searching for four to six hours and scouring nearly the entire valley, he found no trace of the Ironwood Soul Flower.

”Are you looking for medicinal herbs?”

Just then, a voice as clear as a songbird’s came from behind him. Ye Qingchen turned to see Qin Yue standing behind him. ”I’ve observed you on our journey,” she said with a smile. ”You’re different from the other martial artists. After they kill Monster Beasts, they all scramble for the corpses and materials, but you show no interest. Therefore, I’m guessing you joined my caravan to the Qingyun Mountain Range because you need to find a specific medicinal herb. Am I right?”

Ye Qingchen was taken aback, then nodded without hesitation. ”Pavilion Master Qin is indeed perceptive. That’s correct. I do need to find a special medicinal herb to save a loved one’s life. As for what herb it is... I’m afraid I cannot tell you.”

Not expecting him to be so frank, Qin Yue’s pretty face showed a flicker of surprise, followed by a smile that revealed two pearly white canines. ”You’re quite honest! Well then, how about I try to guess what you’re looking for? This valley has many kinds of Spirit Grass, but none of them are what you want. Obviously, you’re not after some ordinary Spirit Grass, but an extremely rare treasure of heaven and earth. Right?”

Ye Qingchen just smiled, neither confirming nor denying.

Qin Yue continued, ”You won’t find the treasure you’re looking for by sticking with the caravan. You’ll have to leave the group and venture deep into the Qingyun Mountain Range! But with your current level of strength, that would be incredibly dangerous. Not to mention, I’m sure you’ve noticed by now that the Li Family’s men have been tailing our caravan.”

”The moment you leave the caravan, they will definitely rush out and kill you!”

Ye Qingchen smiled and looked at Qin Yue. ”Pavilion Master Qin, if you have something to say, just say it directly. There’s no need to beat around the bush.”

Qin Yue blinked her beautiful eyes and leaned close to Ye Qingchen’s ear, her breath as fragrant as an orchid. ”Why don’t we cooperate? That way, we can both get what we need. What do you think?”