Chapter 557: Martial Soul Self-Detonation

"Damn it."

Crazy Battle was so enraged he spat out a mouthful of blood. The fight in Santafe City had made it very clear that he was no match for Ye Xuan. Because of this, he had only been trying to distract Ye Xuan, looking for an opportunity to land a decisive blow. Who would have thought Ye Xuan was so cunning? He had struck first, completely ruining Crazy Battle’s plan.

If he had known it would turn out this way, he should have attacked just now. At least then he would have had a fighting chance. Now, all he felt was regret.

Knowing he couldn’t escape, Crazy Battle snarled, "Don’t get cocky, kid. You’ve offended the Profound Mystery Sect, so you’re a dead man. Gale Light Academy can’t protect you."

Ye Xuan’s heart stirred. He had been about to deliver the killing blow but paused, sneering. "Is that so? Your Profound Mystery Sect is merely one of the three top powers on the Dream Realm Plain. At best, it’s on par with Gale Light Academy. What gives you the right to be so arrogant?"

"Hahaha." Crazy Battle burst into wild laughter, his eyes filled with venom. "Gale Light Academy? What is Gale Light Academy? Before long, it will be wiped from the Dream Realm Plain, and then you won’t escape death either."

"Oh? Then I’d love to hear how the Profound Mystery Sect plans to wipe the great Gale Light Academy from the Dream Realm Plain."

"Hahaha, trying to get information out of me? It’s useless! Kill me if you have the guts. You won’t live for long anyway, hahaha."

Crazy Battle laughed, a savage expression on his face. But his eyes were filled with absolute certainty; he didn’t seem to be spouting nonsense at all.

Ye Xuan frowned. ’The Profound Mystery Sect is only on par with Gale Light Academy. In terms of reputation, Gale Light Academy is even slightly stronger. How can Crazy Battle be so confident that the Profound Mystery Sect will win?’

A thought struck him, and Ye Xuan said with narrowed eyes, "I’ve heard that one before. That useless trash named Gale said the same thing when he died. But look at me now, I’m still alive and well. As for Gale, not even his bones remain. Oh, perhaps that so-called Gale has become food for some Demon Beast and turned into a pile of shit by now."

Crazy Battle suddenly became agitated, writhing frantically with crimson eyes. "Aaaargh! Damn you! I’ll kill you, I’ll kill you!"

"I don’t think you’ll get the chance. If you don’t want to suffer the same fate as your son, I suggest you cooperate a little."

Crazy Battle spat a mouthful of bloody saliva. "Pah! You want me to cooperate? In your dreams."

Ye Xuan’s face turned grim. "It seems you won’t talk unless I teach you a lesson."

WHOOSH!

An ethereal flame shot out from between his brows, enveloping Crazy Battle and beginning to burn his body.

The first thing to melt was the damaged armor on Crazy Battle’s body. Under the heat of the Endless Molten Flame, the array patterns and talismans on it had no resistance whatsoever, instantly softening and gradually turning into liquid.

And Crazy Battle’s Tier Seven Profound offered no resistance either.

"This..." A look of shock and anger appeared in Crazy Battle’s eyes as he said in horror, "This flame... Celestial Fire! This is Celestial Fire!"

After experiencing the power of the Endless Molten Flame firsthand, Crazy Battle finally realized that what Ye Xuan had unleashed was the legendary Celestial Fire.

Ye Xuan sneered. "That’s right. I’m sure you’re well aware of a Celestial Fire’s power. If you don’t tell me something, I wouldn’t mind burning you to a crisp, bit by bit."

"Aaaargh! You devil! You beast! I’ll kill you! I’ll kill you!"

Crazy Battle howled in pain as his body began to melt under the heat of the Endless Molten Flame.

But he kept his teeth clenched and refused to say a single word.

Ye Xuan’s eyes were icy. ’I’m not a cruel person, but I know full well that mercy toward an enemy is cruelty to oneself. The Profound Mystery Sect’s actions are too bizarre. I have to know what they’re up to.’

The Endless Molten Flame continued to burn, and the surface of Crazy Battle’s body began to char.

Crazy Battle finally couldn’t take it anymore and roared, "I’ll talk! I’ll talk!"

Ye Xuan retracted the Endless Molten Flame and watched him coldly.

"I’ll talk..." A strange glint suddenly flashed in Crazy Battle’s eyes. Above his head, a golden fish-like martial soul instantly appeared, surrounded by six orbiting star rings. A terrifying martial soul power began to spread rapidly from it.

Ye Xuan’s expression changed. ’Crazy Battle is going to self-detonate his martial soul!’

"Hahaha, die!" Crazy Battle laughed savagely as his six-star martial soul rapidly swelled, on the verge of exploding.

"Seal!"

Ye Xuan’s gaze was cold. He continuously formed a series of Soul Skills with his hands, which sank into Crazy Battle’s martial soul. At the same time, an invisible Soul Power enveloped the area.

Crazy Battle’s martial soul, which was about to explode, faltered.

"You actually..." Crazy Battle was stunned. He hadn’t expected Ye Xuan to be able to stop even the self-detonation of his martial soul. His eyes were utterly crazed as he yelled, "It’s useless! I’m going to self-detonate my martial soul, and no one can stop me!"

Amidst intense Soul Power fluctuations, the six-star martial soul, which had just been suppressed with great difficulty, went berserk once more.

"Is that so?" Ye Xuan’s gaze was cold. An ethereal black figure appeared above his head—it was the Devouring Martial Soul. Four star rings shone as a powerful suction force materialized out of thin air and began to devour Crazy Battle’s golden fish-like martial soul.

Crazy Battle immediately felt his martial soul being devoured bit by bit. As its power drained away, he could no longer self-detonate it.

"What the hell is this thing?"

He stared blankly in horror at the Devouring Martial Soul above Ye Xuan’s head and exclaimed in shock, "A martial soul... dual martial souls! You’re actually a dual martial soul wielder!"

Crazy Battle could hardly believe his eyes. ’Celestial Fire, dual martial souls... just what kind of monster is this guy?’

WHOOSH!

In just an instant, Crazy Battle’s six-star martial soul was completely devoured by Ye Xuan. A pleasant sensation transmitted from the Devouring Martial Soul.

Visible to the naked eye, the aura of the Devouring Martial Soul grew more solid, and its humanoid phantom became clearer.

Retracting the Devouring Martial Soul, Ye Xuan sneered, "What other tricks do you have? Bring them all out."

Crazy Battle looked at Ye Xuan in terror. "Just who are you?"

’Celestial Fire, dual martial souls... this is no genius the Dream Realm Plain could have produced.’

Ye Xuan gave a cold smile. "Do you still think the Profound Mystery Sect can kill me now?"

"So what?" The shock on Crazy Battle’s face faded, replaced by venom. "I admit, you’ve surprised me. I have no complaints about failing to kill you. But someone will kill you eventually. When that day comes, you will regret ever offending my Profound Mystery Sect! Hahaha!"

Crazy Battle’s laughter was demonic and incomparably shrill.

BOOM!

Amidst his laughter, Crazy Battle’s body suddenly exploded. A powerful shockwave swept out in all directions, pulverizing the surrounding rocks and trees into dust.

Ye Xuan was also blown away. He struggled to stabilize himself, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and cursed with an ugly expression, "Damn it. He actually self-detonated."

He had wanted to get some information out of Crazy Battle, but who knew the man would rather self-detonate his Profound Sea than reveal anything.

Of course, even if Crazy Battle hadn’t self-detonated, Ye Xuan wouldn’t have let him live.

Ye Xuan stood silently in the forest, his expression dark and uncertain.

’Martial soul self-detonation and Profound Sea self-detonation both require a Secret Technique to trigger. And such Secret Techniques are not something an ordinary sect would possess.’

’And that Blood Burst Demon Transformation Pill... it all indicates that the Profound Mystery Sect is anything but ordinary.’

’I wonder how Elder Dong and the others are faring.’ Ye Xuan shook his head, shot up into the air, and vanished over the horizon in an instant.

Half an hour later, Ye Xuan rendezvoused with the others at the agreed-upon location.

Celestial Wheel and four others were already waiting there. Beside them, Leng Wuji lay unconscious on the ground, his entire body bound by Profound Chains.

Seeing Ye Xuan, Celestial Wheel and the others all came forward and asked, "Xuan Ye, what about Crazy Battle?"

"He’s dead." Ye Xuan shook his head. "He self-detonated."

Celestial Wheel and the others were all startled. "Self-detonated? That Crazy Battle had that much backbone?"

Those who could become Martial King experts were all elites among Martial Artists. To reach the Martial King realm, one had to have lived a life of constant danger and experienced countless life-and-death situations.

Experts of this caliber rarely chose to self-detonate. After all, while there is life, there is hope.

"Perhaps."

Ye Xuan just smiled. He knew, however, that Crazy Battle had chosen to self-detonate simply because he knew he would never survive in Ye Xuan’s hands. Thus, he had made a last-ditch effort to injure him, or even drag him down with him.

SWOOSH!

A short while later, Elder Dong also returned. He was carrying Evil Kill. This Supreme Elder of the Profound Mystery Sect had lost both his arms and was drenched in blood. His Profound Sea had also been completely sealed, and he could no longer use even a sliver of Profound.

Even in this state, his face was still savage and an evil aura emanated from him. He laughed sinisterly, "You lot from Gale Light Academy, you captured me but didn’t kill me. What are you planning? Heh heh heh, are you trying to get some information out of me? Or perhaps use me to threaten the Profound Mystery Sect? Heh heh heh."

His eyes darted about, bizarre and chilling.

After hearing that Crazy Battle had self-detonated, Evil Kill gave a grim laugh and looked at Ye Xuan, his voice hoarse. "That old bastard Crazy Battle actually chose to self-detonate. Doesn’t he know that a wretched life is better than a good death? Or... did he know some secret and got himself silenced?"

Ye Xuan shot him a cold glance. "One more word of nonsense, and I’ll make you regret ever having a mouth."

SWOOSH.

Another streak of light shot over. Everyone looked up and saw it was Elder Yao, but he was alone. Zhou Zhanlun was not with him.

"Elder Yao, are you all right?"

"What about Zhou Zhanlun?"

Everyone asked one after another.

Elder Yao’s face was ashen as he said, "He escaped."

Escaped?

Everyone was stunned. When they had split up to give chase, they had all analyzed each other’s strengths. With Elder Yao’s power, Zhou Zhanlun shouldn’t have been able to escape.

Elder Yao said in a grave voice, "While I was fighting Zhou Zhanlun, another Martial King suddenly appeared. He joined forces with Zhou Zhanlun, and I could only manage to suppress them. At the last moment, Zhou Zhanlun abandoned his mutated Demon Beast, Kuidi, in exchange for a chance to escape. By the time I killed Kuidi, I couldn’t find any trace of them."

Everyone’s heart sank. ’Zhou Zhanlun was rescued? Then could something have happened to Officiant Jiuchen?’

Everyone’s heart filled with unease.