Battle Against the War Drum Toad King, Part Two (10k, Please Vote OTZ)

Watching the weeds it had always ignored wrap around it once again.

The War Drum Toad King's eyes filled with fury. It silently swore that if it escaped this time, it would destroy every last Blue Silver Grass plant in the area.

But it no longer had the chance. Ah Yin's true body, the Blue Silver Emperor, had already quietly begun entwining hundreds of trees throughout the forest before the battle even started.

Now, the Blue Silver Emperor wrapped around the War Drum Toad King as though hundreds of ropes had bound the entire forest. Unless the War Drum Toad King possessed hundreds or even thousands of tons of strength, it would never break free from this terrifying pulling force.

Seeing this, Ye Wen knew his chance had finally come.

The earlier Creation of Gravity had merely been a probing test of the War Drum Toad King's physical toughness. He had not used its full power.

"Creation of Gravity—Maximum Power."

Ye Wen's eyes widened in fury as he opened the spatial openings to their greatest extent. Twenty enormous swords, each as wide as an adult human, raced through them at high speed.

These twenty greatswords differed from the refined iron longswords from before. Every one of them had been forged from fine steel. Their average durability was twice that of the previous refined iron swords, while their weight was dozens of times greater.

The resulting change in kinetic energy was even more immense, utterly incomparable to the earlier refined iron swords' childish little skirmish.

More than ten seconds passed. The War Drum Toad King on the ground was still struggling madly. In its prime, it might have been able to use the Empty Roar Cannon to shatter the surrounding Blue Silver Grass and escape.

But in its current weakened state, even its mouth had been bound shut by the Blue Silver Emperor.

The greatswords' rapid movement through the air generated heat through friction. The swords that had originally gleamed with metallic luster now carried a faint crimson glow amid the silver streams.

"It's over, War Drum Toad King."

Ye Wen's gaze turned icy, and he released the spatial passage.

The greatswords shot forth like wild horses breaking free of their reins, ruthlessly smashing into the War Drum Toad King struggling desperately on the ground.

Their tremendous kinetic energy and hard mass mercilessly pulverized the War Drum Toad King's body, which had grown powerful over tens of thousands of years.

For a moment, blood and flesh flew everywhere. The once-lush forest looked as though it had been struck by a meteor, transformed into a field of craters and pits, with dark red blood flowing everywhere amid a foul stench.

Half of the War Drum Toad King's body had been crushed into mush. It was clearly on the verge of death.

In the distance, Ah Yin looked at it with a hint of sorrow in her eyes. It was not sympathy for its fate, but a reminder of the Soul Beasts that had likewise been hunted and killed by human Soul Masters under the rules of this world.

If she had not happened to take human form by chance, then as a 100,000 Year Blue Silver Emperor, once she was discovered by humans, she would likely have drawn the siege of numerous factions.

Yet it was also because of that chance that she had met Brother, and come to understand that this world held not only the law of the strong devouring the weak, but such beauty as well.

Thinking of this, Ah Yin's mood improved considerably, and a gentle smile appeared on her lips.

In the air, Ye Wen saw that the War Drum Toad King's Life Force was unexpectedly tenacious. Half its body had been smashed apart, yet it still had not fully died and condensed its Soul Ring.

It had to be said that this was another form of favoritism toward humans under the world's rules. In his Previous Life, even a decapitated snake could still bite. It was not as though these enormous ancient Soul Beasts lacked the ability to drag their enemies down with them before dying.

Ye Wen silently formed another Creation of Gravity and drove it directly into the War Drum Toad King's forehead. The War Drum Toad King, which had still been lingering on with its last breath and trying to take him down with it, finally died in frustrated resentment.

Damn it, what a sneaky bastard!!!

Only when the Soul Ring, as deep and black as ink, condensed in midair did Ye Wen finally let out a sigh of relief.

The two stood before the War Drum Toad King's massive corpse, quietly counting their blessings.

Fortunately, this big idiot liked swallowing its food whole. Otherwise, it might have noticed even the slightest strange taste and seen through them.

Or perhaps the War Drum Toad King had eaten recklessly because its poison resistance was unmatched among Soul Beasts. Then again, toads had been regarded as one of the five poisons in his Previous Life. Aside from small insects, they seemingly did not even spare venomous bugs.

Unfortunately for it, after living for tens of thousands of years, it had never encountered a sneaky bastard who slipped laxatives into its food.

If it could do it over again, the War Drum Toad King would surely swear never to eat anything indiscriminately again.

Ye Wen looked somewhat regretfully at the mutilated remains on the ground.

In his Previous Life, Toad Venom produced by toads had been a precious traditional medicinal ingredient. It could detoxify, relieve pain, clear the mind, and awaken the senses. What kind of effects would Toad Venom from an eighty-thousand-year-old toad have?

With that thought, Ye Wen's hands began to itch. As a medical student in his Previous Life, he had coveted this precious medicinal material for a long time. Aside from seeing it with his teachers, he normally could not even touch it.

After all, this stuff cost seventy or eighty thousand per jin, averaging around one hundred and fifty per gram. How could a poor student like Ye Wen afford to get his hands on it?

Thinking this, Ye Wen extended his wicked little hand.

Ah Yin, standing nearby, could not understand why Ye Wen was collecting that disgusting white venom instead of absorbing the Soul Ring. She frowned, but she knew Ye Wen had his own plans, so she merely moved a little farther away from him.

At that moment, Ye Wen was fully focused on collecting the venom and paid no attention to Ah Yin's thoughts.

Within his Between Mimicry Soul Skill, this venom was an incomparably lethal toxin. Even an ordinary Soul Emperor would suffer full-body decay and die upon touching it.

Still, that was perfectly normal. Traditional medicine was not all about nourishing one's health. Some of its substances were strange indeed, and it included plenty of highly poisonous materials. Even cinnabar and arsenic counted as traditional medicine.

But traditional medicine had one saying right: discussing toxicity without considering dosage was simply hooliganism.

After special preparation, Toad Venom, when combined with other medicinal ingredients, was an excellent antidote and painkiller. It was also a living fossil of the fact that the East had applied the concept of chemistry earlier than the West.

After half a day of collecting, Ye Wen had gathered an entire large vat of Toad Venom, more than two hundred jin in total.

Moreover, while gathering the Toad Venom, Ye Wen discovered an emerald-green Soul Bone in the War Drum Toad King's head. It looked alluringly beautiful.

Ye Wen was not tempted by this head Soul Bone from an eighty-five-thousand-year Soul Beast. As a wielder of Twin Martial Souls, he would undoubtedly hunt many 100,000 Year Soul Beasts in the future. A mere eighty-five-thousand-year Soul Bone, even a head Soul Bone, was not worth much in his eyes.

Still, it was a head Soul Bone, so it would certainly strengthen Spiritual Power. Ye Wen asked Ah Yin whether she wanted it. Ah Yin considered it, then refused, saying that the Soul Bone did not suit her attributes.

"Are you done, Brother? If you don't hurry up and absorb the Soul Ring, other Soul Beasts will come soon."

Ah Yin walked over with a look of disgust and urged Ye Wen.

Ye Wen scratched his head awkwardly. When he got immersed in his work, he easily overlooked other people's presence. It was one of his bad habits.

"Right away, right away."

He summoned Nab Cloth, his Martial Soul, and drew in the darkly gleaming Soul Ring floating in the air.

The massive energy of the Soul Ring surged into Ye Wen's body, making every cell feel the joy of being strengthened.

Having been tempered countless times and already possessing eighty-five thousand jin of strength, Ye Wen absorbed that energy with an unchanged expression. This was merely an appetizer. The true main course was the soul impact that would follow.

Ninety thousand jin, one hundred thousand jin, one hundred fifty thousand jin, one hundred seventy thousand jin.

After absorbing the last trace of energy from the Soul Ring, Ye Wen once again felt as though he could hold up the heavens with no ring above and lift the earth with no handle below.

It was the self-deception people felt after suddenly becoming wealthy or undergoing a massive leap in strength. Ye Wen quickly calmed himself.

He silently sensed his Soul Power. Since this was neither limit absorption nor absorption beyond his limit, Ye Wen's Soul Power had only reached around Rank 61.

Suddenly, a surge of Spiritual Power forcibly dragged Ye Wen into his spiritual world.

Looking at the remnant soul of the War Drum Toad King before him, its eyes filled with hatred and rage, Ye Wen sneered disdainfully. It had lived so many years, yet its Spiritual Power was only form without substance. Compared to his own, it was far inferior.

Because he possessed a Spiritual Power cultivation method, Ye Wen's Spiritual Power had continually improved. When he broke through to Soul Emperor, it had already reached the level of the Spirit Sea Realm from Soul Land 3.

However, Ye Wen had never read Soul Land 3. He only knew that he had opened a sea of consciousness and could enter and leave it freely.

Though it was still inferior to a Titled Douluo's Spirit Abyss Realm, it was already much stronger than the War Drum Toad King's.

Ye Wen crooked a finger in provocation and said, "I know you're furious. After all, the method I used was indeed rather underhanded.

"But wisdom is also a form of strength. The strong devour the weak—it is the way of heaven. I have no desire to defy heaven, so War Drum Toad King, become the stepping stone for my further progress."

Faced with Ye Wen's mockery, the War Drum Toad King opened its bloody maw, its furious tongue shooting out.

Within this spiritual space, all Soul Skills were ineffective. What mattered was the purest Spiritual Power and the most primitive combat techniques.

The War Drum Toad King had not only lost its monstrous body, but also its innate talent, the Empty Roar Cannon. It was now left only with a toad's most instinctive method of fighting, which Ye Wen did not consider worth mentioning.

The instant the Toad King opened its mouth, Ye Wen had already predicted its attack. By using Spiritual Power to simulate the exertion method of the Six Styles' Flash Step, Ye Wen instantly closed the distance.

What awaited the War Drum Toad King next was Ye Wen's unending barrage of blows, as relentless as raging waves.

Every strike landed on its joints, preventing it from continuing its attack. Having lost its poison, it was helpless against an opponent in close combat. After a vicious beating, the Toad King could only transform into fragments in the spiritual space and merge into Ye Wen's spiritual world in humiliated defeat.

Ye Wen slowly exhaled a breath of stale air. There was not a trace of fatigue in his eyes; instead, they shone with even greater vigor.

His already vast sea of consciousness became broader still, seemingly carrying a faint hint of profundity. This was the sign that he was about to enter the Spirit Abyss Realm.

At this rate, Ye Wen's Spiritual Power would not be long from officially reaching the level of a Titled Douluo.

Combined with his exceptionally powerful body, which could now absorb a 100,000 Year Soul Ring, Ye Wen was confident that he could hunt a 100,000 Year Soul Beast for his seventh Soul Ring. In Soul Land 2, only a handful of Limit Douluos possessed such aptitude.

At this point, Ye Wen could truly be said to possess peerless talent.

"So, Brother, did you get the Soul Skill you wanted?"

Ah Yin's curious question pulled Ye Wen out of his self-satisfaction. Smiling faintly, he said, "Stand behind me and keep your distance. I'll show you the power of my Sixth Soul Skill."

Seeing Ye Wen's confidence, Ah Yin was curious, but obediently did as told, moving more than a hundred meters away from him.

Ye Wen's eyes widened as Nab Cloth instantly wrapped around his hand.

Yellow—Purple—Purple—Purple—Black—Black!!!

Six Soul Rings beyond the common knowledge of ordinary Soul Masters revolved around Ye Wen. The darkest sixth ring flickered with light, and Nab Cloth wrapped around his hand instantly became invisible as a halo enveloped his fist.

"Sixth Soul Skill—Space Shockwave!!!"

Ye Wen threw a full-powered punch forward. Cracks like shattered glass appeared in the previously calm air before him.

In the distance, Ah Yin tilted her head in confusion. What were these cracks that had suddenly appeared in the air? With her knowledge, she could not recognize them.

But if a One Piece fan had been present, they would have known that these fractures were created when immense shockwave force shattered the atmosphere.

And the next second, Ah Yin finally witnessed the terrifying effects of this Soul Skill.

Starting from Ye Wen's fist, the forest before him was mercilessly uprooted. Terrifying cracks spread across the ground, and hundreds of meters of once-lush forest were turned into complete devastation.

Ah Yin stared at the scene in astonishment.

He had not even reached Soul Saint and awakened his Martial Soul Avatar, yet he could already cause such large-scale destruction. The effect of this Sixth Soul Skill was simply terrifying.

But quick-witted Ah Yin suddenly remembered that Ye Wen's sixth Soul Ring was no ordinary Soul Emperor's Soul Ring. It was a top-tier Soul Ring worthy of even a Titled Douluo's ninth Soul Ring.

In other words, Ye Wen's single strike was essentially equivalent to a Titled Douluo's attack.

And judging by the devastated sight before them, if such an attack had not struck empty air but hit a person directly, even a Titled Douluo might be torn to pieces if caught off guard. After all, it was likely a terrifying Soul Skill that condensed all of Ye Wen's strength.

Ye Wen looked at the destruction he had caused and laughed heartily.

After all, every support-type Soul Master dreamed of being a strong attacker.

Creation of Gravity was certainly immensely powerful, but its wind-up time was too long, making it unsuitable as a direct offensive Soul Skill.

Space Shockwave's instant activation was entirely different. Furthermore, because his foundation was so solid, Ye Wen believed he could use Space Shockwave four times in a row. In other words, he had now truly become a miniature earthquake maker.

Ah Yin stepped forward and offered Ye Wen her heartfelt congratulations.

In Ah Yin's eyes, she had only been able to grow quickly by relying on the foundation of a 100,000 Year Soul Beast. Ye Wen was completely different. He had relied entirely on his own wisdom to surpass the common sense of ordinary Soul Masters step by step.

As for being jealous that a human was stronger than her, that simply did not exist.

After tidying up a little, the two set out on their return journey.

Another thing worth mentioning was that after absorbing this extremely high-age Soul Ring, Ye Wen's Martial Soul Space had expanded to one thousand cubic meters—an epic-level expansion.

Ye Wen estimated that after absorbing his next Soul Ring, it might reach two thousand cubic meters. After all, each time he absorbed a Soul Ring, his Martial Soul Space generally expanded by about onefold.

Ye Wen had originally wanted to capture a few thousand-year War Drum Toads and bring them back to see whether they could be raised artificially. Who would have thought that Soul Beasts were so stubborn? They directly killed themselves.

Ye Wen could only smack his lips at that. He had not expected artificially taming Soul Beasts to be so difficult. He had originally thought Yu Xiaogang had simply made it up in the original work.

Still, in Soul Land 2, a complete industry chain seemed to have formed. Shrek Academy even had a beast-taming department.

Ye Wen did not dwell on it too much. The materials he had on hand were already enough. He had only tried to catch those Soul Beasts on the off chance it worked. Since they could not be raised for the time being, he could wait until he felt like trying again. There was not much need in that area right now anyway.

After returning to the increasingly ethereal Heavenly Path Academy, life once more returned to its usual peace.

During that time, Ye Wen also opened a Heavenly Path Medical Hall in Nuoding City.

Through Ye Buyi's connections, he spread word of the medical hall throughout the hundred or so nearby villages.

Business was not bad. After all, in such a remote place, Ye Wen had never intended to charge exorbitant medical fees.

His main purpose was to test whether the medicines he had researched could be promoted in this world. Too many people at the bottom of society died every year from diseases and infections they could not afford to treat, and the sight was deeply shocking to Ye Wen.

Ye Wen did not consider himself a good person, but he would still help others when it was within his ability.

Though the fees were low, the medical hall could still earn around ten Gold Soul Coins per month.

Ye Wen naturally did not care about such a small sum, so he gave it directly to Lan Lan and Su Qiaoqiao as their personal spending money.

After all, the medical hall's operations mainly depended on the two of them.

One used the Needle Martial Soul to handle external wound suturing, while the other used the Life Force attribute of Blue Silver Grass to aid recovery and prescribe medicine.

Some of Ye Wen's former lackeys also came to visit him, and Ye Wen briefly greeted them.

The strength Ye Wen displayed now was that of a four-ring Soul Ancestor who had broken through after a fortunate encounter.

It was not that Ye Wen wanted to stop hiding his strength, but the situation at Heavenly Path Academy had become too conspicuous. From time to time, some overconfident Soul Masters tried to enter the academy to probe around, only to be blown apart by the Blue Silver King.

Thus, to avoid trouble, Ye Wen openly displayed his four-ring cultivation. In this remote region, that already made him a local overlord, and it completely halted some unfavorable developments.

Ye Wen was now a highly sought-after figure in Nuoding City. Xiao Lie, once his strongest lackey, had also come to visit him.

The current Xiao Lie had shed his youthful immaturity and arrogance. He had become much more composed, and carried an air of nobility.

Through their conversation, Ye Wen learned that Xiao Lie's elder brother had unfortunately encountered a Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beast while hunting for a Soul Ring outside and had died on the spot.

Now twenty-one years old, Xiao Lie had reached the Soul Elder realm thanks to Ye Wen's guidance back then. Though it meant little in Ye Wen's eyes, it was enough for Xiao Lie to officially become the next successor being trained by the City Lord.

So, without exaggeration, Ye Wen's network of connections throughout the Nuoding City region now made him a major figure with influence in both legitimate and underground circles.

As for the City Lord's original wife? Heh. Word was that she had gone insane.