The bright moonlight in the heavens had been swallowed by dark clouds, with only sparse starlight filtering down, preventing the night from becoming absolute blackness; yet, in such vague gloom, discerning direction remained impossible…
Chi Yixiu and Hu Yanqi stood outside Ye Jingyu’s modest courtyard when a sudden, chilling gust of wind swept past them, causing them to instinctively tighten their frames. Having grown up in the Southern Barren Forest, their proximity to nature had gifted them spiritual senses far sharper than ordinary people, even though they weren't Soul Masters…
“Qi, did you sense something?” Chi Yixiu frowned slightly, speaking in a level tone…
“Just the wind, perhaps. It seems the winters here are colder than in our Forest,” Hu Yanqi admitted, having also felt the shift, but upon closer scrutiny, he could detect nothing…
Chi Yixiu scanned their surroundings once more but found nothing amiss, nodding faintly…
They were layered in defense; he refused to believe anyone could breach their perimeter…
At that moment, on the eaves above, a dark shadow slowly materialized—the indistinct outline of a human figure. However, in the pitch black of the night, even the sharpest eyes could not perceive it…
“I truly didn't expect these barbarians from the Southern Waste to possess such keen perception; we were nearly discovered,” the shadow paused, then—whoosh—it slipped directly into the room…
Inside, Ye Jingyu was immediately visible, seated on his ung [Note: Keeping 'ung' as a proper noun/term], eyes tightly shut, seemingly engrossed in some form of cultivation…
A Martial Master at the Soul Transformation realm? How could this boy cultivate so quickly? Practicing both Soul and Martial arts simultaneously—it was utterly unbelievable…
But even if you are a heaven-defying genius, facing me, the Yin Yang Daoist, you are destined only for death…
The shadowy figure, referring to himself as the Yin Yang Daoist, muttered these words, and a sneer twisted across his vague features…
Just then, Ye Jingyu abruptly opened his eyes. A crescent moon appeared between his brows, and a flash of light shot out, striking the figure of the Yin Yang Daoist directly…
“Who are you?” Ye Jingyu spoke no words, instead transmitting his inquiry via mental waves…
“Heaven’s Eye? You’ve actually opened the Heaven’s Eye? A miracle, a true miracle! That’s something only a Saint-level Martial Artist should be able to unlock. You, a mere Martial Master, possess the Heaven’s Eye? It seems you hold many secrets…” The Yin Yang Daoist did not answer Ye Jingyu’s question, his blurred face instead showing stark surprise…
“Who are you, exactly? State your true name quickly, and I might show you great mercy and allow you to leave…” Ye Jingyu maintained the bearing of a supreme master…
“Hahahaha… Boy, don't think I am just at the nascent stage of Soul Departure, the Soul Transformation realm, like you! Let me tell you, I have reached the peak of the Soul Condensation realm, just one step from the Spirit Manifestation realm! My Daoist title is Yin Yang Daoist; life and death are but a matter of my single thought…” Hearing Ye Jingyu utter such arrogant words, the Yin Yang Daoist burst into roaring laughter…
However, all their exchanges were conducted through spiritual waves; no one outside could hear a thing…
“Yin Yang Daoist? Heh heh, daring to call yourself ‘this Venerable One.’ Today, this young master will send you to see the true underworld… Swiftly…” Ye Jingyu coldly sneered, and a crimson gleam shot forth from within his body, soaring toward the soul of the Yin Yang Daoist…
This was the Blood Needle gifted to him by Chi Yi, a top-tier Soul Artifact, one that could wound not just the physical body, but was even more potent against the soul…
“A Blood Needle? I hadn't expected you to possess such a treasure, boy. But do you truly believe such paltry tricks can handle this Venerable One? … Spiritual Storm?” Seeing Ye Jingyu unleash the Blood Needle, the Yin Yang Daoist merely scoffed, drawing his hands forward. An invisible tempest instantly materialized. The moment the Blood Needle shot into the storm, it felt like a stone tossed into the vast ocean, losing all responsiveness; no matter how hard Ye Jingyu probed, the needle vanished without a trace…
“I shall confiscate this Blood Needle for now. Let’s see what other treasures you carry… Soul Grasping Claw…” The Yin Yang Daoist roared with laughter, his black silhouette transforming into a massive, inky hand that lunged directly for the crown of Ye Jingyu’s head…
This was a genuine hand conjured by a powerful expert of the Soul Condensation realm, capable of truly seizing souls—unlike the illusory hand Ye Jingyu had once manifested merely to frighten people…
In the blink of an eye, Ye Jingyu felt an overwhelming pressure descend, as if the attacking hand were not just a limb, but a colossal mountain. It was a pressure emanating from the soul itself, allowing for absolutely no resistance…
Faced with such a massive hand, Ye Jingyu felt utterly powerless to fight back…
Is this the oppressive might of the Soul Condensation realm? A mere Soul Grasping Claw carries such terrifying pressure. Just how powerful must Chi Yi, who is in the Spirit Manifestation realm, be?
Although resisting this move seemed impossible, Ye Jingyu’s mind turned to other strategies; fear found no purchase in his heart…
This was indeed the conflict between Soul Masters: superficially simple, yet one wrong move could shatter the soul—exceedingly perilous…
“Roar…” At that very moment, the Yin Yang Daoist was suddenly struck by a colossal roar, and the giant hand formed from his soul power was shattered into pieces by the sheer sound…
Startled, he saw a vague black shape dart out from the corner, opening its massive maw to lunge directly at him…
A vicious beast…
The Yin Yang Daoist was inwardly alarmed. There was actually a vicious beast specialized in devouring souls—a Taotie! This kid actually keeps a Taotie by his side…
Only then did the Yin Yang Daoist realize that the figure slumped in the corner was an ancient ferocious beast, the Taotie…
However, he was, after all, a Soul Master of the Soul Condensation realm; his soul power was immense. After a moment of stunned disbelief, he instantly regained his composure…
“It’s just a little Taotie. Do you truly think you can eat me? Soul Twisting Break…” He cursed loudly, his figure shifting. With a pull of one hand, the very void let out a sizzling sound, and an invisible stream of energy instantly formed, spinning relentlessly as it rushed toward the beast manifested by Little Tao Tao… Such terrifying energy caused even Little Tao Tao to show a grave expression; the beast’s form did not lunge forward again but instead retreated steadily…
Soul Twisting Break—that was a soul technique capable of tearing souls apart…
“Heh heh, you’re still so small, yet you dare try to eat me? You are far too greedy…” The Yin Yang Daoist sent out an icy, cold spiritual wave. The energy vortex before him grew larger and larger, and its pulling force intensified, as if it would not rest until the vicious beast was sucked in…
“So what if I eat you? Dragon-Woven Battle Wave…” Little Tao Tao roared fiercely as the vortex grew unstoppable… In an instant, an invisible ripple exploded outward, instantly smashing the vortex into dust. Before the Yin Yang Daoist could react, the wave struck his soul, causing the Yin Yang Daoist’s entire soul to violently burst apart…