Invincible Soul Emperor

Chapter 271: Chapter 271: The Regretful Cai Yunji

After Qin Zhantian finished speaking, he turned and left the room.

Ye Qingchen struggled to calm the excitement in his heart. He sat down cross-legged again and circulated the Divine Wood Technique, consolidating and familiarizing himself with his new power.

Early the next morning, Ye Qingchen went to find Qin Zhantian. By that time, all the experts of the Rising Sun Pavilion had already assembled. Seeing Ye Qingchen arrive, Qin Zhantian roared with laughter.

”I never noticed before, but you, my boy, are quite an impatient one.”

Ye Qingchen scratched his head in embarrassment. After greeting Elder Wang and the others, he turned to Qin Zhantian and asked, ”Old Master Qin, when do we set off?”

Qin Zhantian nodded. ”Qin Yue is not only your wife but also my granddaughter. I’m even more anxious than you are! We set out for Dragon Tiger Mountain right now!”

With that, Qin Zhantian led Ye Qingchen and the host of experts from the Rising Sun Pavilion out of their headquarters.

Meanwhile, due to her association with Ye Qingchen, Cai Yunji had been deliberately obstructed by Dragon Tiger Mountain. They only relented after confirming she had no direct relationship with Ye Qingchen, finally gathering the fifty million low-grade Spirit Stones and handing them over.

As a result, Cai Yunji and her party had been forced to wait on Dragon Tiger Mountain until now, only able to descend after finally receiving the Spirit Stones.

Cai Yunji was extremely dissatisfied with Dragon Tiger Mountain’s actions. However, thinking it best to avoid further trouble, she decided to bring the Spirit Stones back to the Northern Desolate Country first and held her tongue.

Continuing their disguise as a merchant caravan, Cai Yunji led her party toward the border between the two nations. Once they were within the territory of the Northern Desolate Country, they would be safe.

However, she never expected that she had barely left Dragon Tiger Mountain when Fei Hu ordered Ba Hu to lead a group of powerful warriors in pursuit. Their plan was to wait for a secluded spot and snatch the Spirit Stones back.

Anxious to deliver the Spirit Stones, Cai Yunji ordered the caravan to quicken its pace. Soon, they were only a few dozen miles from the border.

Seeing the border marker so close, Cai Yunji finally breathed a sigh of relief.

”Stop! Hand over all your valuables!”

A loud shout echoed as Ba Hu and a group of Dragon Tiger Mountain experts blocked the caravan’s path.

Ba Hu and his men were all masked, so Cai Yunji didn’t recognize them. She assumed they were common bandits.

But upon sensing the terrifying auras emanating from the group, she grew alarmed.

The Royal Bodyguards immediately formed a protective circle around Cai Yunji’s carriage.

Ba Hu was on a mission to rob them. Since Fei Hu had also dispatched numerous Martial Spirit Realm experts to assist, he wasted no words with Cai Yunji and directly ordered the Dragon Tiger Mountain disciples to attack.

Although the Royal Bodyguards were powerful, Ba Hu had come prepared. In a short time, the guards could no longer hold their ground and began showing signs of defeat.

Cai Yunji panicked inside her carriage. If her Royal Bodyguards couldn’t handle these bandits, she would not only lose the fifty million low-grade Spirit Stones, but her own life might be at risk!

As she watched her bodyguards fall one by one, a sense of helplessness washed over her. Her mind spiraled with dreadful possibilities, and she gradually began to despair.

”Scum of Dragon Tiger Mountain! Have you no shame, stooping to such despicable acts?”

The loud cry brought the one-sided battle to a brief halt.

Ba Hu was stunned that his identity had been exposed. He turned to see Ye Qingchen walking slowly out of a nearby forest, a cold sneer on his face. Behind him stood a group of strangers, each one radiating an immense aura.

Realizing Ye Qingchen had recognized him, Ba Hu dropped the pretense. He ripped the mask from his face and sneered, ”Kid, you injured me last time, and I haven’t even gotten my revenge. You dare show your face before me today?”

From her carriage, Cai Yunji saw Ba Hu remove his mask and recognized him as a man from Dragon Tiger Mountain. She was inwardly shocked.

She couldn’t believe Dragon Tiger Mountain could be so shameless—selling her the Spirit Stones only to send men to ambush her and steal them back.

Ye Qingchen was anxious to rescue his father and Qin Yue and didn’t want to waste any time. He said to Ba Hu, ”Tell me, where on Dragon Tiger Mountain are Qin Yue and my father being held captive?”

Ba Hu roared with laughter. ”That little bitch and that miner? They’re locked in Dragon Tiger Mountain’s most secret chamber. You’ll never get them out. Not unless you pay the ransom!”

Ye Qingchen’s brow furrowed. Wasting no more words, he lunged at Ba Hu.

The Dragon Tiger Mountain disciples moved to intercept him, but whether they were at the Great Martial Master Peak level or even Martial Spirit Realm experts, none could withstand a single blow from the current Ye Qingchen.

He tore through their ranks like a force of nature, steadily closing in on Ba Hu. Seeing Ye Qingchen’s overwhelming ferocity, Ba Hu was terrified to his core. Disregarding the safety of his fellow disciples, he turned and fled.

But Ye Qingchen wouldn’t let him escape. He instantly executed the Mystifying Steps, caught up to Ba Hu, and pierced his chest with the Qingfeng Sword.

From the moment Ye Qingchen attacked to the end of the battle, a mere two minutes had passed.

Cai Yunji stared at Ye Qingchen in utter amazement. She hadn’t expected him to become so formidable in just a few days. Her Royal Bodyguards had been no match for Ba Hu and his men, yet before Ye Qingchen, those same men were slaughtered in an instant.

Cai Yunji hurriedly alighted from her carriage. ”Ye Qingchen, thank you for helping us.”

Anxious to rescue Qin Yue and his father, Ye Qingchen didn’t bother with pleasantries. He replied indifferently, ”Eldest Princess, you need not thank me. You helped me at Dragon Tiger Mountain, and now I have helped you in return. From this moment on, we are even. We owe each other nothing.”

With that, Ye Qingchen nodded to Qin Zhantian and the others, then headed toward Dragon Tiger Mountain.

Cai Yunji watched them depart, her heart filled with immense regret. If she had chosen to help Ye Qingchen on Dragon Tiger Mountain that day, perhaps he wouldn’t have treated her with such a cold attitude now.

With Ye Qingchen growing so powerful so quickly, he was destined to become a mighty figure who could dominate an entire region. Combined with his exceptionally rare talent for Alchemy, the Northern Desolate Country had just lost its greatest potential benefactor and a golden opportunity—all because of her momentary hesitation.

As this realization dawned, Cai Yunji steeled her resolve.

No, I have to find a way to salvage this connection!

She returned to her carriage and immediately began using the Royal Secret Art to contact her Father Emperor, Cai Wentao, and the Retired Emperor, relating everything that had just transpired in full detail.