Invincible Soul Emperor

Chapter 665: Chapter 665: The Man-Eating Flower

As the group ventured deeper, their surroundings became increasingly eerie. A typical forest would be teeming with life, filled with the chirping of birds and all manner of other sounds. Yet the forest before them was terrifyingly silent. The only noises were their own footsteps on the dry leaves; even the rustling of their clothes seemed unnaturally amplified in the stillness.

Wu Chang led the way. Elder Yang and Xiao Xiao followed closely, with Ye Qingchen bringing up the rear.

Beneath their feet, wisps of green smoke gradually began to thicken. Soon, those following Wu Chang sensed that something was amiss.

”Young Master, why do I have such a strange feeling about this place?” Xiao Xiao asked, looking around curiously. However, all she could see were towering ancient trees that blocked any other view.

Ye Qingchen also scanned the area. ”Don’t be afraid. Even if there is something here, it won’t be able to harm us.”

Walking ahead, Wu Chang’s lips curled into a cold smirk upon hearing Ye Qingchen’s words. He waved his hands behind him, and two invisible protective shields materialized over Xiao Xiao and Elder Yang. Elder Yang shifted slightly but said nothing.

The group continued forward as the green smoke at their feet grew ever denser. ”Everyone, the mist at your feet has hallucinogenic properties,” Wu Chang whispered. ”If someone suddenly goes missing, it’s because of the mist. Don’t panic or ask questions. Just keep following me.”

No sooner had Wu Chang finished speaking than Xiao Xiao turned to find Ye Qingchen had vanished. ”No, this can’t be! Young Master is gone!” she cried, instantly panicked.

Wu Chang frowned. The next second, an apparition of Ye Qingchen appeared behind Xiao Xiao. This version of him seemed different, however; his gaze was hollow, like that of a walking corpse.

”Little Girl Xiaoxiao, Ye Qingchen is right behind you,” Wu Chang said. ”You just can’t see him because of the green mist’s illusions.”

When Xiao Xiao turned her head again, Ye Qingchen was gone once more.

”Little Girl Xiaoxiao, don’t panic,” Wu Chang said, turning to take her hand. ”The more you panic, the greater the danger Ye Qingchen might be in. Just follow me.” Throughout their journey, he hadn’t paid any attention to Elder Yang. In his eyes, since he couldn’t determine Elder Yang’s strength, he naturally categorized him with the likes of Elder Chen—merely a powerful Alchemist. Therefore, he wasn’t at all worried that Elder Yang would stop him from making a move on Ye Qingchen.

Of course, Elder Yang could see through these petty tricks. He simply chose not to bother. If Ye Qingchen couldn’t even handle a minor scheme like this, he would be unworthy of being his disciple. Regarding Wu Chang’s actions, Elder Yang chose to turn a blind eye.

Seeing Wu Chang take her hand, Xiao Xiao wanted to resist. However, fearing any struggle would put her Young Master in jeopardy, she reluctantly followed him forward.

「Meanwhile.」

As Ye Qingchen walked, the scene before him suddenly changed. He found himself trapped inside a vast, green cage. Outside the bars, ancient trees towered over everything. The cage itself was woven from countless Teng Man. Ye Qingchen took two slow steps forward.

RUMBLE...

Suddenly, the ground beneath him began to shake violently. From the earth ahead, a giant shadow burst forth.

”ROAR! Fresh humans! It’s been so long since I’ve seen humans this fresh!”

When the shadow fully revealed itself, even Ye Qingchen couldn’t help but be startled. The creature was as tall as a five-story building. Its massive head bristled with fangs, its body was a long stem, and its two leaf-like petals were each three meters long. It was clearly a man-eating plant, though it appeared to be mutated. Most terrifying were the rows of fangs in its head, which glinted like countless steel swords. The wood element surrounding it also seemed mutated, its green so dark it was nearly black.

”Heh, it seems that fellow Wu Chang sent you to deal with me,” Ye Qingchen said, standing his ground with a smirk and his arms crossed. He didn’t seem to consider the man-eating plant before him a worthy opponent in the slightest.

”Human! You are far too arrogant! No wonder the Saint Heir tasked me with teaching you a proper lesson. If not for his order not to take your life, you would already be a corpse in my belly!” the man-eating plant’s harsh, grating voice echoed within the cage.

Ye Qingchen nonchalantly cleaned out his ear. ”Heh, so by your logic, I should be thanking your Saint Heir?”

The man-eating plant lunged, bringing its massive head right up to Ye Qingchen. ”You brat, you dare disrespect our Saint Heir? He merely wanted to teach you a lesson, yet here you are with your snide remarks. It seems today’s lesson won’t be so simple! I will also make you realize that our Saint Heir is not someone a thing like you can afford to bully!” the man-eating plant roared at Ye Qingchen.

Ye Qingchen squinted, wrinkling his nose at the foul stench wafting from the creature. For a moment, he was genuinely puzzled. Why would something so disgusting exist on the outskirts of the Wuji Immortal Palace? Or perhaps this thing was one of Saint Heir Wu Chang’s little quirks?

”You’re just a trivial third-layer Martial Emperor Realm! You’re no match for me at the Fourth Layer!” the plant boomed. ”Human! I disdain to even attack you. If you stand there obediently and let me hit you, I might consider going a little easier on you! If you’re unwilling, heh heh!” The man-eating plant straightened up, its face a mask of derision, as if to say Ye Qingchen was nothing but trash.

”Haha, then I’m afraid I must disappoint you! A mere Martial Emperor Realm Fourth Layer is nothing special!” The moment Ye Qingchen finished speaking, he vanished from his spot.

”Heh, you overestimate yourself. This is my cage. No matter how you run, you can’t escape!” the man-eating plant scoffed. It spun around, its gaping maw snapping toward the spot where Ye Qingchen had just been.

RUMBLE!

At that same instant, the ground beneath the plant’s mouth collapsed. Immediately after, countless thick Teng Man erupted from the earth. As if they had eyes, the Teng Man swarmed toward the man-eating plant’s ravenous mouth. The plant, which had been about to capture Ye Qingchen, was momentarily stunned by their sudden appearance. After a brief shock, it began tearing at them furiously. However, it had only one mouth to fight against countless Teng Man. Its powerful jaws stood no chance against the endless assault.

Before long, the man-eating plant’s entire body was bound tightly by the Teng Man. Its massive mouth was forced shut, leaving it no opportunity to even open it.

”ROAR! ROAR! ROAR!”

The restrained man-eating plant roared in fury. But with its mouth bound, it could only rage impotently.

”I told you already, you’re just a fourth-layer Martial Emperor Realm. To think you’d dare to show off your meager skills before me... how laughable.” It had taken Ye Qingchen less than a minute to resolve the entire situation.

The man-eating plant’s eyes widened in terror.