Furnace Refines Great Pill (5)

Furnace Refines Great Pill (5)

He bent his knees and charged!

At a speed of 1,440 meters per second, the two Thousand Jun Ant Kings that had just crawled out from a pile of rocks over five hundred meters away had no time to react.

After nearly a third of a second.

Ye Qingcang, like a god or demon, rushed right in front of them.

He was faster than sound.

Only when a mushroom-shaped cloud rose five hundred meters away—

Did the four sonic booms overlap, shrieking as harshly as a knife scraping across glass. Together with the four rings of white airwaves spreading from start to finish, they delivered an ultimate audiovisual shock to everyone present.

There was no technique, only strength and speed.

The aesthetics of violence were displayed to the fullest.

Two black shadows flew out of the mushroom cloud.

Their miserable shrieks seemed to imply that they had reached the end of the road.

But they only seemed to imply it. To people like Yue Guan, Gui Mei, and Dugu Bo, who could not understand ant language, it indeed meant they had reached the end of the road. But to Ye Qingcang, who could understand ant language, the meaning behind that miserable shriek was extremely clear: Run!

If you could not win, then run.

That was the consistent style of soul beasts.

When facing an opponent only slightly stronger than themselves, these soul beasts did not lack the courage to make a last stand. But when the gap was too great, refusing to cling to battle, conserving their strength, and avoiding the enemy's edge was the best tactical response.

In the Star Dou Great Forest, only the law of the strong devouring the weak mattered.

Even after losing their territory, they could seize another from other soul beasts.

Only life was most important.

To live meant possessing everything.

To die meant losing everything.

Still, these three Thousand Jun Ant Kings, each more than ninety thousand years old, were ultimately three brothers. Able to understand human speech and possessing the intelligence of normal humans, they had developed brotherly feelings between themselves.

After hearing the command issued by the strongest Green Thousand Jun Ant King, the Purple Thousand Jun Ant King, which had lost one eye, leaped with all its might. It turned into an afterimage and crashed toward Ye Qingcang from more than seven hundred meters away.

It roared in words humans could not understand.

Yet through its actions, it fully conveyed its determination to die.

"Leave?"

"You'll cover the rear?"

As if he had heard something laughable, another four layers of sonic boom clouds spread out. The destructive force of a one-way charge could never compare to the destructive force of two opponents colliding head-on at the same level. Before this ninety-thousand-year Thousand Jun Ant King, which even Dugu Bo found troublesome, could reach Ye Qingcang more than seven hundred meters away, Ye Qingcang turned and shattered its two spear-like forelegs with a single punch.

Ye Qingcang stopped.

But the Thousand Jun Ant King did not.

It crashed through two low hills in succession and landed in a dense forest two thousand meters away.

Its roars also became weak and feeble.

They had merely not yet vanished.

Screech!!!

The winged Green Thousand Jun Ant King swung its forelegs and courageously dived toward Ye Qingcang, trying to create an opportunity for its younger brother to escape.

Unfortunately, it possessed no heaven-defying soul skills.

Such as the Titan Giant Ape's gravity control.

Or the Sky Azure Bull Python's Sluggish Domain.

Or the two heaven-defying soul skills of the 100,000-year Soft Bone Rabbits represented by Xiao Wu and her mother Ah Rou: Invincible Golden Body, which was immune to any attack below god-level, and Intangibility, which was immune to all physical attacks and reduced non-physical damage by fifty percent.

The Thousand Jun Ant clan was not suited to such heaven-defying soul skills.

What the Thousand Jun Ant clan excelled in was physical combat.

Its physical offense, physical defense, and magical defense were all maxed out.

This strength gave the Thousand Jun Ant clan extremely formidable close-combat abilities, but it also meant they were exceptionally easy to wear down with kiting tactics.

They had taken three attacks from Ye Qingcang in his magnetic field state head-on.

The Purple Thousand Jun Ant King still had the strength to cry out.

The crimson Thousand Jun Ant King could still crawl back to its feet.

And the emerald-green Thousand Jun Ant King still had the strength to resist.

Of all the soul beasts Ye Qingcang had seen, these three had the strongest defenses. Even the 100,000-year Blood-Red Nine-Headed Bat King was not as tough as these three ninety-thousand-year Thousand Jun Ant Kings.

A 100,000 Year Soul Beast and a ninety-thousand-year soul beast were two entirely different concepts.

Just as a rank ninety-nine Titled Douluo and a rank ninety-eight Titled Douluo were two entirely different concepts.

Though the difference was only one rank.

Rank ninety-nine Tang Chen dared call himself Invincible on Land.

Rank ninety-nine Qian Daoliu was known as Invincible in the Sky.

Rank ninety-nine Bo Saixi was known as Invincible in the Ocean.

Yet rank ninety-eight Golden Crocodile Douluo was nothing of the sort.

For that very reason, if this emerald-green Thousand Jun Ant King broke through the limit of 99,999 years and entered the ranks of 100,000 Year Soul Beasts, even Ye Qingcang in his magnetic field state would have to spend some effort dealing with it. But this emerald-green Thousand Jun Ant King had not yet reached 100,000 years, so it clearly lacked the ability to contend with Ye Qingcang.

"Get back!" Ye Qingcang clenched his fist and casually threw a punch. Like a surging ocean, it roared as it swept the Thousand Jun Ant King into the depths and suppressed it. A distinct fist mark was branded onto the Green Thousand Jun Ant King's head, bursting all five of its remaining eyes at once. "I tried talking to you properly, but you refused to listen. Now you want to leave... don't you think it's a little too late?"

The pain of all its eyes bursting and the terror of losing its vision drove the Thousand Jun Ant King madly forward. Even though it was charging in the wrong direction, toward Yue Guan, Gui Mei, Dugu Bo, and the others, it clearly could not care about that now.

The others felt rather panicked.

But Yue Guan and Gui Mei were filled with rage.

If they were asked to take down all three ninety-thousand-year Thousand Jun Ant Kings at once, they would only say it could not be done.

But if they joined hands to kill one ninety-thousand-year Thousand Jun Ant King, they were completely confident.

A blind beast with even its skull cracked dared charge at them. Did it really think these two Titled Douluo were Soft Persimmons?

They truly could not crack open a Thousand Jun Ant King's skull with one slap like Ye Qingcang, that monstrous genius, but trapping this Thousand Jun Ant King would be child's play!

However, before Yue Guan and Gui Mei could make a move, a streak of blood-red light cut across the sky. Like a blade slicing through iron, it pierced the Thousand Jun Ant King's hard carapace and nailed it to the ground!

The carapace Ye Qingcang needed to clench his fist to crack!

The carapace that even those below Titled Douluo could not break through!

The carapace that gave Titled Douluo like Yue Guan, Gui Mei, and Dugu Bo such headaches!

Before that streak of red light, it was fragile beyond measure!

Only after the dust kicked up by the emerald-green Thousand Jun Ant King's fall dispersed did everyone see what that fleeting red light had been!

A sword!

A two-meter-long sword resembling a Miaodao!

Its blade was forged from an unknown material, colored like red gemstones and red crystal. Yet the white mixed with the red gave the sword a jade-like quality, warm and lustrous without losing its sharpness!

The instant anyone saw this sword, they fell into an environment of mountains of corpses and seas of blood.

Had the shrieks of the Green Thousand Jun Ant King nailed to the ground not awakened them and scared them into a cold sweat, this sword might have left a lifelong shadow on them.

"This is..." Hu Liena squeezed her legs together. The sensation of a blade moving along her spine was far too stimulating. "His martial soul?"

"It should be." Xie Yue stroked his chin. Even without looking at the sword, the faint Killing Intent made him extremely uncomfortable. "I never expected his martial soul to be so powerful, so sharp. If he fought with this sword in hand, these three ninety-thousand-year Thousand Jun Ant Kings would probably have been killed long ago... But why can't I see his soul rings?"

Gui Mei raised a hand to his forehead, hesitating to speak.

Yue Guan's lips also twitched slightly.

Why could they not see soul rings?

Good question!

"Because that is not a martial soul at all!" Yue Guan understood the temperaments of powerful people well, because he himself could be considered a powerful man. Ye Qingcang dared to lay his cards on the table with Spirit Hall, which meant he had already obtained enough bargaining chips. Otherwise, Ye Qingcang would not have remained obscure in previous years. This showed that Ye Qingcang did not fail to understand the value of keeping a low profile; he simply no longer needed to. Thus, since Ye Qingcang dared take out this divine weapon, Yue Guan dared introduce it to everyone. "Do you know the Angel Holy Sword?"

"The one enshrined in the Worship Hall."

"The Angel Holy Sword that Spirit Hall's records say was the weapon of the Angel God."

"Do you all remember it?"

The people from Spirit Hall nodded one after another.

Dugu Bo, Liu Erlong, Shui Feng, Flender, and the others nodded as well.

Even young people from Heaven Dou's circles, such as Shui Bing'er, Huo Wu, and Feng Xiaotian, nodded upon hearing this story that had existed since their childhood.

"But isn't that just a rumor?" Ning Rongrong had also heard such fairy tales, and she did not understand why Yue Guan, a Titled Douluo, had brought up the Angel Holy Sword. "They all say there is another realm above rank ninety-nine Titled Douluo: gods. But whether they truly exist, no one knows. People always treat their own fantasies as reality..."

"That is not fantasy!"

"It is because you have never come into contact with it!"

"It is because the history of your Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect is too short!"

"It is because your Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect has never produced a Deity!"

Yue Guan had submitted to Bibidong, but that did not mean he bore any ill will toward the Angel God. On the contrary, he was actually grateful for what the Angel God had done.

Because if not for the Angel God, and if not for the Spirit Hall established by the Angel God, people like Gui Mei would have long been labeled Evil Spirit Masters. It was Spirit Hall that gave Gui Mei a new life and taught him how to control his martial soul instead of being controlled by it. For that reason alone, Yue Guan held the Angel God, who founded Spirit Hall, in the highest respect.

Thus, he would never allow the Angel God's story to be labeled a fantasy!

That was an insult to the Angel God!

You could choose not to believe it, but you could not slander it!

Yue Guan's intense reaction instantly made everyone realize something was wrong!

"Yes, the Angel God truly existed." Gui Mei admired the longsword in the distance. Two meters long, resembling a Miaodao, warm as jade yet indescribably sharp, it filled his eyes with envy. "The origin of any story is never merely fantasy. Just because you have not seen something does not mean it does not exist. The proof that one can become a god at rank one hundred, and that the Angel God existed, is recorded in ancient texts. In earlier years, the High Priest also sailed out according to other records in those texts, searching for Poseidon Island recorded within them. That was the territory of the Sea God, and the Sea God and Angel God were once old friends before going their separate ways over differing ideals..."

"So, did he find it?" Ning Rongrong seemed to understand something. She turned to look at the longsword pinning the ninety-thousand-year Thousand Jun Ant King to the ground in the distance. "Could this sword be the Sea God's weapon?"

"He found it." Yue Guan took over. "But unfortunately, this sword is not the Sea God's weapon, because the Sea God's weapon is a trident. Immortal Deities choose successors over the course of their long lives, successors who become one of this world's guardians. That is the annotation in the texts. According to the High Priest, it was written in the Angel God's own hand, though I do not know whether that is true. You only need to know this: when someone bears a mark between their brows, possesses a crystal plaque, and has an extraordinary weapon, if that person is highly talented, then they are a God Trial Taker—a God Trial Taker outstanding enough for a Deity to consider them a potential successor!"

"We also do not know which Deity's divine weapon this sword is..." Gui Mei had no intention of concealing anything. Since Ye Qingcang was no longer hiding it, neither did he need to, especially when Ye Qingcang's stance leaned toward Spirit Hall. There were many who added flowers to brocade, but few who offered charcoal in the snow. Blue Tyrant Academy had endured such great pressure to befriend Spirit Hall back then. Even if they were being courted now as well, Spirit Hall's offer and sincerity far exceeded those of other forces. "But one thing is certain: Student Ye of Blue Tyrant Academy must be a God Trial Taker!"

Everyone rolled their eyes.

Nonsense. With Ye Qingcang's strength, using rank forty to crush three ninety-thousand-year Thousand Jun Ant Kings, if he was not qualified, they could not imagine who would be.

Still, compared to a fairy tale becoming reality, what they found even harder to accept was the transformation in Ye Qingcang's identity—both reasonable and absurd.

"Congratulations, Dean Liu." Huo Lie cupped his fists.

"Yes, a mother rises in status through her son." Feng Wuji echoed him.

Shui Feng glanced at Liu Erlong.

After thinking it over, she decided not to stab her close friend in the heart.

But how could Liu Erlong fail to understand Shui Feng's restraint?

Her peripheral vision swept across the Shrek group, each wearing a different expression.

Her gaze passed over Yu Xiaogang, who had forced out a smile, as though he were a stranger. What welled up in her heart was neither guilt toward Yu Xiaogang nor nostalgia for the past, but guilt toward Ye Qingcang.

Meanwhile, on the distant battlefield, Ye Qingcang had finally dealt with the last Thousand Jun Ant King.

Dragging along two Thousand Jun Ant Kings whose six legs had all been broken, whose eyes had all gone blind, and who had only a breath remaining, he stepped through the air and flew over from afar.

He tossed the two Thousand Jun Ant Kings onto the ground, gripped the Asura God Sword with one hand, and pulled it free. A golden-foil-like ring suddenly appeared in the air behind him and gradually swallowed the Asura God Sword.

"Ye Qingcang..." Poor Ning Rongrong still believed Ye Qingcang was her senior brother's friend. That was not entirely wrong, because when they had become master and disciple, it had been Qian Renxue who became Ning Fengzhi's disciple, not Xue Qinghe. Ning Fengzhi had only one disciple, and that was Qian Renxue. The relationship was easy enough to sort out, but Ning Rongrong was wrong to always treat Qian Renxue as Xue Qinghe. Fortunately, Ye Qingcang did not care. "Are you really a God Trial Taker?"

Ye Qingcang had already exited his magnetic field state.

He sliced a hand behind his back.

His long hair immediately returned to short hair.

The greater part of the severed hair turned to ashes in the blink of an eye, leaving nothing behind.

Hearing Ning Rongrong speak, he turned around.

He was not surprised, and answered frankly, "Yes. In your terms, I am a God Trial Taker."

"Then what would you call yourself?"

"In my terms, I am certainly Ye Qingcang. Being a God Trial Taker is merely one of my identities, not all that I am. First and foremost, I am myself. Then I am someone's son, someone's friend, someone's enemy. Only last am I a God Trial Taker." The sound of blood rushing like a tsunami came from within Ye Qingcang's body. An illusory Qi and Blood Furnace emerged from him, and he placed the three dying Thousand Jun Ant Kings into the furnace before igniting Blood Flame. "Violet?"

"Understood!" Violet took more than a hundred kilograms of gold from her soul tool storage device and placed it on the ground. A miniature Alchemy Array floated above her palm, using the gold to transform it into the medicinal ingredients Ye Qingcang required one by one. "Three taels of Soul Devouring Grass, one jin of Tianshan Blood Lotus, half a Dragon Blood Grass, three jin of Ice Heart Bamboo, twenty-five liters of Water of Life, one tael of Fine Gold, four jin of Spirit-Sealing Sea Silver, one jin each of the Five Elements Amber, twenty jin of phoenix blood..."