Chapter 711 - 712: Black Toad

How is this possible?

His mind was screaming. ’The boy looks so young, how can he have such a cultivation level? Even if he started cultivating the Path of Beast Taming from the moment he was born, it’s impossible for him to be this strong! And he’s a terrifying Soul Refiner on top of that.’

The ugly man knew perfectly well how difficult the Path of Beast Taming was. It was by no means something an ordinary person could cultivate.

Likewise, the path of Soul Refining was also extremely difficult; each required a tremendous amount of time and effort.

But this young man before him, who looked to be less than twenty, not only had a Martial Dao cultivation at Tier Seven Second Layer, but had also definitely stepped into the Seventh Grade in Soul Refining. And now, he even possessed a powerful Beast Tamer’s cultivation!

This...

The ugly man’s mind went blank, his face a mask of disbelief.

Moreover, the pangolin Demon Beast’s previous attack was definitely top-class even among Tier Eight beings. To enslave it, one would need at least a Tier Eight Beast Tamer cultivation. But the young man was clearly only a Tier Seven Martial King. No matter how heaven-defying he was, how could he possibly subdue a Tier Eight Demon Emperor?

For the first time, a sliver of fear crept into the ugly man’s heart, and he was filled with boundless regret for having attacked.

"Spare my life! I’m willing to give you all the treasures I have."

The ugly man had lost all confidence in fighting Ye Xuan. He spoke hurriedly, his face pale.

He was now severely injured, with less than thirty percent of his strength remaining. If the fight continued, he would be the one to die.

A cold sneer touched the corner of Ye Xuan’s mouth. ’This ugly man was just trying to kill me, and now that he sees he’s not strong enough, he wants me to spare him? How naive.’

He completely ignored the ugly man’s pleas and once again summoned the Zhenyuan Stone.

The ugly man had been clinging to the hope that Ye Xuan might let him go, but after seeing the expression on Ye Xuan’s face, he knew it was impossible. Before Ye Xuan could activate the Zhenyuan Stone, the man suddenly took out a talisman and crushed it.

VMMMM!

A hazy white light enveloped the ugly man, then transformed into a streak of light imbued with a powerful spatial aura, about to whisk him away.

"Master!"

Seeing her master about to abandon her and flee alone, the charming young woman—who had been used as a human shield and was already injured—cried out in panic.

But the ugly man paid her no mind. Enshrouded in the white light from the talisman, he instantly vanished from the world.

Activating the Zhenyuan Stone, Ye Xuan made no move to stop the ugly man. He simply watched with a cold sneer, his gaze then turning to a patch of empty space not far away.

BANG! The void there suddenly rippled with a dense spatial fluctuation. An invisible spatial barrier appeared between heaven and earth. The ugly man, wrapped in white light, slammed into the barrier and fell to the ground with a thud.

Only then did Ye Xuan speak, a cold smile on his face. "You thought you could escape from me with a single Tier Eight Sky-Breaking Talisman? You must really look down on me."

"You... you’re also an Array Master!"

The ugly man coughed up blood, staring in horror at the spatial barrier that had blocked his Sky-Breaking Talisman. His eyes were filled with despair.

He had even forgotten to beg Ye Xuan for mercy. As a Peak of Tier Eight Second Layer Martial Emperor, he held some status in the lower Third Heaven of the Profound Domain and had seen a great deal of the world.

But in all his years, he had never seen such a terrifying Tier Seven Martial King. Not only a Soul Refiner and a Beast Tamer, but also an Array Master—and one with such terrifying strength.

’To think such a genius exists in this world.’ The ugly man’s mind was reeling. It was simply unbelievable.

’If heaven gave me another chance, I would never have chosen to offend this young man.’ But alas, he had realized his mistake far too late.

Before the ugly man could recover his senses, Ye Xuan activated the Zhenyuan Stone and brought it crashing down. Amidst the man’s terrified gaze, the Zhenyuan Stone slammed into him with a THUD, crushing him into a bloody pulp.

Even in his final moments, the ugly man probably couldn’t have imagined that he, a mighty Peak of Tier Eight Second Layer Martial Emperor, would die at the hands of a Tier Seven Second Layer Martial King—and in such a pathetic way.

After taking the ugly man’s Storage Ring, Ye Xuan turned his icy gaze toward the young woman.

"I..."

The young woman was completely terrified, her face deathly pale. When she saw Ye Xuan look over, sheer horror and fear filled her eyes.

But she quickly recovered, doing her best to conceal her panic and replacing it with a pitiable, charming expression.

"Young hero, please, don’t kill me! I was forced by that man. He insisted I become his disciple, but his real goal was just to possess me. I’m innocent!"

It had to be said that while the young woman wasn’t a peerless beauty, she did possess a unique charm. As she begged for mercy so pitifully, she exuded an aura that inspired compassion, yet that aura was simultaneously laced with a seductive flavor.

The combination of these two temperaments would make it impossible for most men to resist.

Seeing that Ye Xuan remained unmoved, the young woman swayed her hips and let the top of her dress slip down, revealing a flash of snowy skin. Her face adopted an expression of utter submission, as if she were a delicate flower waiting to be plucked and cherished, a truly pitiable sight.

The young woman was secretly smug. ’A little brat like him has probably never seen a display like this. He must be completely stunned.’

’Tsk, tsk. A genius like this must be a core prodigy from some top power. If I can get my hooks into him, I’ll never have to worry about cultivation resources again.’

’As for my former master, he was so ugly. Every time I had to... be with him, I had to suppress my disgust. If it weren’t for his decent cultivation, I would’ve dumped him long ago. To think he’d be so useless.’

With these thoughts in mind, the young woman’s pitiful act intensified. She knelt on the ground, leaning forward to reveal a large expanse of her snowy chest, a tantalizing scene.

Seeing this, Ye Xuan could no longer stand it. He was utterly disgusted.

’Others might not see it, but how could I not? The only reason this woman is so seductive is that she has cultivated some sort of Charming Skill. Her movements and expressions are so artificial, they make me sick to my stomach.’

At that moment, Ye Xuan inexplicably thought of Yao Yue Martial Emperor.

’In this world, the only one who was ever truly real with me was Yao Yue Martial Emperor. But... where is Yao Yue now? Is she still in the Profound Domain?’

A faint smile appeared on Ye Xuan’s face. The thought of Yao Yue Martial Emperor completely calmed his heart, but it also killed any mood to continue watching this woman’s disgusting performance.

He sent a command with his mind. Before the young woman could say another word, the pangolin shot out with a SWOOSH and killed her instantly.

Until the moment of her death, the young woman couldn’t understand why this young man, who was only about twenty, could resist the allure of a mature woman like herself.

After using his Profound Fire to burn the bodies of the young woman and the ugly man to ash, Ye Xuan rested and recovered for a bit before turning his gaze back to the valley.

He had sustained some minor injuries in the fight with the ugly man, and had also consumed a good deal of his Profound energy.

Although there was no one else around now, Ye Xuan’s expression grew slightly solemn as he looked into the valley.

Just as he was about to enter the valley to collect the Golden Jade Fragrant Fruit, the sound of two figures breaking through the air suddenly came from the distance.

Ye Xuan’s brow furrowed. ’There are far too many Martial Artists in this mysterious place. In just a short while, this is already the second group to arrive.’

With this thought, Ye Xuan’s figure flickered. Instead of proceeding to pick the Golden Jade Fragrant Fruit, he instantly found a place to hide.

Before long, two streaks of light landed in front of the valley at extreme speed. Judging by their auras, they were merely Tier Seven Third Layer Martial Kings.

The moment they landed, their eyes lit up as they gazed into the valley.

"Huh, I was wondering what that special fragrance was. It’s Golden Jade Fragrant Fruit! Our luck is incredible!"

One of the Martial Kings cried out in pleasant surprise, his voice full of excitement and elation.

The other Martial King’s face also lit up with ecstatic joy.

"Enough chatter. Let’s hurry up and collect this Golden Jade Fragrant Fruit. The fragrance travels too far; we can’t let it attract other Martial Artists."

"You’re right. Let’s move now."

After speaking, the two of them transformed into streaks of light and shot into the valley.

"AHHH!"

The instant they entered, a blood-curdling scream rang out. White smoke immediately started rising from the two Martial Artists’ robes, and blood-filled blisters erupted on their faces.

"It’s poisonous! This mist is poisonous!"

The entire valley was filled with a faint layer of mist. The two had never imagined the mist would be poisonous. The moment they entered, their flesh began to rot away. Even bodies as strong as those of Tier Seven Third Layer Martial Kings were completely unable to withstand it.

"Retreat! Get out!"

They panicked. The intense pain made them scramble to escape the valley.

But just as the two were about to leave the valley, a black shadow suddenly leaped out from within. SWOOSH! It was a black toad. It opened its massive maw, and an invisible suction force erupted from its mouth. A vortex appeared, violently pulling the two Martial Kings toward it.

"No!"

The two Martial Kings let out a final, miserable cry as they were instantly swallowed by the toad.

The moment the two Martial Kings entered the toad’s mouth, Ye Xuan saw clearly that they dissolved into a pool of bloody pus right inside its mouth. Even their robes and armor were not spared, melting into liquid and being swallowed.

’What terrifying corrosive power.’

Ye Xuan sucked in a sharp breath.

"CROAK!" The toad let out a cry that sounded surprisingly like a frog’s. Then, its bell-like eyes glared toward Ye Xuan’s hiding spot, a vicious glint flashing within them that made one’s hair stand on end.

However, it didn’t leave the valley. After hopping a couple of times, it disappeared back into the mists.