Seeing Ye Jingyu charge toward him with reckless abandon, Wu Yuan's eyes held not a flicker of spirit, yet the slender sword in his hand suddenly shot forth rays of brilliant light. The blood-red sword aura above Ye Jingyu’s head simultaneously became even more dazzling at this moment…

In what felt like an instant, this single sword beam arrived directly above Ye Jingyu's head. At this point, let alone Ye Jingyu choosing not to resist—even if he offered his full defense, it would have been too late.

A cold sneer, much like the one seen on Wu Qing, even touched Wu Yuan's lips. Had this fellow become so arrogant? His strength hadn't yet reached the Demon King realm; on what grounds could he withstand the combined attack of the three of them?

Truthfully, Wu Yuan had his own agenda when he initially accepted Ye Jingyu’s challenge. All three of them were Ninth Grade Demon Sovereigns. If they faced Ye Jingyu separately, they likely wouldn't have much of a chance. But if the three attacked together, the situation changed entirely; their combined strength was certainly far more than that of merely three Ninth Grade Demon Sovereigns.

When the three joined forces, they were capable of confronting a Demon King. This was precisely why the Eight Great Royal Clans desired to conquer the Blood Eye Clan but dared not act.

If it were just a single Ninth Grade Demon Sovereign, or even several of them, as long as there was no Demon King expert present, they would be vulnerable. After all, reaching the Demon King realm marked an entirely different plane of existence, one that mere numbers could not compensate for.

With their combined strength capable of challenging a Demon King, even if they couldn't completely defeat any single Demon King, no Demon King would risk a prolonged fight with them. What if one of them got injured, creating an opportunity for other Demon Kings to exploit?

It was because of this assurance that when Ye Jingyu proposed foregoing the great formation, Wu Yuan happily accepted the challenge. Without that terrifying formation, what means did Ye Jingyu possess to contend with a Demon King realm master?

Therefore, in Wu Yuan’s eyes at this moment, Ye Jingyu was certainly doomed, unless he summoned the great formation. But once he deployed the formation, it would count as breaking his word—meaning he had lost and would have no grounds to press his clan further, right?

Yet, just as the sword beam was about to pierce Ye Jingyu’s skull, a colossal azure bell materialized above his head.

"Buzz, buzz, buzz…" That dazzling sword energy struck the ancient azure bell head-on, immediately exploding outward. Immense energy radiated in all directions, violently shattering the void into fragments, while the frenzied power tore at everything nearby.

The crimson, blood-colored light illuminated the entire sky, shooting out in every direction. Liang Xiaoke and the others in the distance watched this display of power, their hearts seizing with shock. They immediately soared into the air, weaving several hand seals that cracked the void itself, only then managing to absorb the rampant energy and avert disaster for their own people.

Jiu Feng and the others had not noticed Ye Jingyu summon the East Emperor Bell. When they felt the magnitude of this power, their faces shifted drastically. Under such destructive force, how could Ye Jingyu possibly survive?

Wu Yuan, Wu Hui, and Wu Qing, also suspended in the air, experienced a sudden change in expression. However, their change wasn't due to concern for Ye Jingyu; it was because they clearly witnessed the sudden appearance of the ancient azure bell completely neutralizing the attack's force. What kind of magic treasure was this? How could it withstand a strike from a Demon King level master?

Ye Jingyu himself was far from unscathed. Although the East Emperor Bell was an ultimate divine artifact, he had not fully recovered, and Ye Jingyu lacked the necessary power to fully command it. While it had blocked the sword strike, the impact still sent his blood and spirit surging violently, nearly forcing him to spew a mouthful of vital blood.

But he rigidly suppressed that breath, instantly surging toward Wu Yuan. The Heavenly Venerate Saber in his hand erupted with seven-colored light, cleaving directly at Wu Yuan.

He knew this was his best opportunity. The coordinated attack of these three was too terrifying. If he couldn't force one of them to retreat now, he would have no chance of winning.

It was only then that Wu Yuan reacted. Seeing the rapidly approaching blade light, his figure retreated swiftly, and the blood-red longsword in his hand thrust mercilessly toward Ye Jingyu's heart.

He understood that it was too late to fully block the incoming blade. Even if he managed to intercept it, the immense power would shock him into losing combat capability, leaving his two brothers potentially defeated.

Therefore, he stabbed toward Ye Jingyu, disregarding his own safety.

Ye Jingyu’s expression tightened in surprise. He hadn't expected Wu Yuan to attack him so recklessly, risking his own life to strike. Now, only two choices lay before him: either continue his downward strike, allowing Wu Yuan to pierce his heart, or immediately retract his blade to intercept the thrust, only to be besieged once more by the three, enduring an assault equivalent to that of a Demon King powerhouse.

They now knew he possessed the East Emperor Bell and certainly wouldn't make the same mistake twice. Furthermore, he himself was injured. If he were hit by their combined assault again, even with the East Emperor Bell, victory wouldn't be guaranteed—unless he unleashed the Twelve Heavenly Witch Annihilation Great Formation.

Ye Jingyu would never activate the Twelve Heavenly Witch Annihilation Great Formation. What he desired was a truly loyal Blood Eye Clan, not one subjugated purely by martial might.

Facing Wu Yuan's desperate, self-sacrificing strike, thousands of thoughts flashed through Ye Jingyu's mind. But in the end, the Heavenly Venerate Saber in his hand chopped down without mercy.

Seeing Ye Jingyu proceed with his strike, ignoring his own life-threatening blow, Wu Yuan’s eyes showed a flash of astonishment, quickly followed by deep despair. Such a terrifying blade could tear him to shreds. Had he underestimated Ye Jingyu this much?

But it didn't matter much. Even if he died, having taken this sword strike, could Ye Jingyu possibly survive? He only hoped Wu Hui and Wu Qing could properly lead the Blood Eye Clan.

Wu Yuan’s gaze swept over Wu Hui and Wu Qing, seeing their faces frozen in shock. He offered a faint smile, his face now devoid of any resentment...

Wu Yuan...

With a "swish," Ye Jingyu's strike completely enveloped Wu Yuan...

"Big Brother!" Wu Yuan and Wu Hui cried out in grief. They truly hadn't expected Ye Jingyu to withstand their full-force combined attack, nor had they anticipated Ye Jingyu would seize this chance to deliver a killing blow to their elder brother. Their bodies lunged madly toward Ye Jingyu...

With a "sizzle," Wu Yuan’s sword plunged unimpeded into Ye Jingyu’s body, piercing his Battle Soul Divine Armor, tearing through his outer skin, and finally driving straight through his heart...

Yet, upon Ye Jingyu's face, there was a solemnity never seen before...

(This chapter is an extra release for hitting 2000 Gold Bricks. I woke up before seven this morning, originally planning to write more during the morning to build up stock for a burst release this week to surprise everyone. Who knew that because I hadn't explained things clearly, misunderstandings arose? Seeing the abuse in the review section, I felt utterly bewildered; I was truly trembling with anger at the time. Stars [votes/support] are the most numerous—we are the largest group in 3G. As long as we unite, we fear no challenge. Xingchen truly does not wish to see Xingchen's Gold Bricks and votes fall behind other books! So, brothers and sisters, everything rests on you! Throwing a brick or casting a vote is just a small effort for you, but it is the source of Xingchen’s motivation. For an online writer to persist in typing out words daily relies solely on everyone's support. One person’s [energy] will eventually run out, but with a large group of supporters, what is there to worry about?

Furthermore, some brothers are comparing Battle Soul to Evil God. Before Evil God, I wrote several urban novels, so Evil God had some experience, but Battle Soul is Xingchen’s first fantasy novel. I admit there are shortcomings in many areas. You say Battle Soul isn't as good or exciting as Evil God; I won't argue much. Perhaps tastes differ, or perhaps Battle Soul truly isn't at Evil God's level yet, but as long as I keep working hard and have everyone’s support, I believe Battle Soul will only get better!

But many people always say Battle Soul's updates are less frequent than Evil God's, which makes me feel deeply wronged. Since Battle Soul was uploaded, not a single month has had less than 250,000 words updated, while Evil God averages less than 240,000 per month. This truly makes me feel wronged and unfairly treated. I ask the brothers, friends, and sisters who genuinely support Xingchen to please be more understanding and more forgiving!

Whether a chapter is over 2000 words or only a thousand, you can count it yourselves; I wouldn't falsify that, would I? As for why it might only show two pages, that is a setting issue, perhaps a system problem. If you find any day where the word count is less than six thousand words, you can curse me out or despise me; I won't say a word in protest!

Alright, I seem to have spoken too much today, but I truly place my readers first, which is why I pay such close attention to the comments in the review section! Please forgive me!)

For more novels, visit storyread.net.