Invincible Soul Emperor

Chapter 616: The Powerful Zhu Liang

Xiao Xiao was in tears, and due to her emotional turmoil, the Vermilion Bird Holy Soul behind her began to erupt completely. The phantom of the Vermilion Bird instantly expanded. From a distance, it looked as if the ancient Vermilion Bird High God had once again descended upon the mortal realm.

Zhang Guangling, who was confronting Xiao Xiao, was momentarily stunned by the sight. In that brief moment of distraction, flames from the Vermilion Bird engulfed him. In an instant, Zhang Guangling, a cultivator at the Martial Emperor Realm Sixth Layer, was incinerated to ash.

With her eyes bloodshot, Xiao Xiao had nearly lost all reason.

"Xiao Xiao, I’m alright..."

A weak voice pulled her back to her senses.

Xiao Xiao turned her head in surprise and saw Ye Qingchen standing there, supported by a plump young man with a warm, gentle smile.

Though weak, Ye Qingchen smiled at Xiao Xiao and spoke again, "Xiao Xiao, we’re safe now..."

Overjoyed, Xiao Xiao ran to Ye Qingchen’s side, all traces of the Vermilion Bird High God’s divine majesty gone. Her face streaked with tears, she supported Ye Qingchen and sobbed, "Young Master, as long as you’re alright, that’s all that matters. As long as you’re alright."

In truth, if that last blow had really struck Ye Qingchen, he would have been utterly annihilated, even if he had ten lives to spare. Thankfully, Zhu Liang had arrived at the last possible moment and saved him.

Ye Qingchen was now at the very limit of his strength, but seeing Xiao Xiao on the verge of a rampage, he had forced himself to speak. After all, the last time she lost control in Qingyun Town, it had left her with serious lingering side effects. He didn’t want her to go through that again.

Zhu Liang handed Ye Qingchen over to Xiao Xiao and said with a smile, "You must be Little Girl Xiaoxiao, right? You take care of our little junior brother first. I’ll go deal with that other man."

Xiao Xiao nodded in surprise. She had previously met Li Nian’er and Cheng Lu, but not Zhu Liang. But hearing Zhu Liang call Ye Qingchen "little junior brother," she understood who he was and felt a little more at ease.

Zhu Liang took out a Spirit Pill, gave it to Xiao Xiao, and then walked toward Wang Ziping.

Wang Ziping was also astonished. He had thought Ye Qingchen was dead after that last attack, only for him to be saved at the final second. Moreover, despite his own perception, he hadn’t detected Zhu Liang’s arrival at all, which meant his opponent’s strength was not to be underestimated.

However, when Wang Ziping sensed that Zhu Liang was also at the Eighth Layer of the Martial Emperor Realm, he felt somewhat relieved. Since they were at the same realm, he figured that even if his opponent was skilled at concealing his presence, he still stood a fighting chance.

What Wang Ziping didn’t know was that Elder Yang had once described Zhu Liang as invincible among those at the same level. The weight of that statement was something Wang Ziping couldn’t possibly comprehend.

Watching Zhu Liang approach, Wang Ziping said coolly, "May I know who you are?"

Zhu Liang, still smiling and looking completely harmless, replied, "Ye Qingchen is my junior brother. I’ve come today to stand up for him."

Wang Ziping quietly breathed a sigh of relief. Ye Qingchen was from Central Celestial Academy. While it was one of the four great academies of the Central Region, it was still a far cry from a Nine-Star Sect. Therefore, at the same cultivation level, this Zhu Liang would be no match for a disciple like himself.

Still, adhering to the principle of avoiding unnecessary trouble, Wang Ziping tried a different approach. "Friend, I’ll be frank. The Saint Heirs of the Ten Ancient Clans want Ye Qingchen dead. I advise you not to meddle in this affair."

Zhu Liang’s smile only widened. "Apologies, but I don’t think much of the so-called Saint Heirs of the Ten Ancient Clans. You can’t scare me with their title."

Wang Ziping’s eyes narrowed. He let out a cold snort and said, "Are you certain you want to wade into these troubled waters?"

Zhu Liang shook his head and smiled. "You should make your move. I have other things to attend to, and I’d rather not waste too much time on you."

Wang Ziping had never been mocked like this before. His anger flared, and he attacked. The water membrane formed once more, its power even more terrifying than when he had used it against Ye Qingchen.

In an instant, a water membrane enveloped Zhu Liang as dozens of roaring waves materialized and surged toward him. But Zhu Liang simply stood there, a smile on his face, making no move whatsoever as if he hadn’t noticed a thing.

Although puzzled, Wang Ziping still directed the dozens of water waves to strike Zhu Liang all at once. Yet, just as the waves were about to crash down on him, Zhu Liang’s figure vanished.

Wang Ziping was greatly alarmed. He channeled all of his Vitality Force to locate Zhu Liang, but to no avail. No matter how he tried to commune with the surrounding nature’s spiritual energy, he couldn’t detect the slightest anomaly.

The next moment, Zhu Liang appeared right in front of him.

Before Wang Ziping could even register his presence, the blade in Zhu Liang’s hand had already pierced through his chest. Feeling the life force draining from his body, Wang Ziping’s eyes filled with utter disbelief.

I was defeated... just like that? How did he dodge my foolproof attack? And how did he appear in front of me?

Only now did Wang Ziping understand why Zhu Liang had told him to make the first move. Zhu Liang was afraid that he wouldn’t even get a chance to act.

Zhu Liang withdrew his blade and then casually waved a hand toward the spot where the water attack raged on. Having lost their master’s control, the waves had erupted in a chaotic display of power. Yet with a simple gesture from Zhu Liang, all of that terrifying energy dissipated into nothing.

After finishing, Zhu Liang lightly brushed the dust from his clothes, still smiling as he watched Wang Ziping collapse into a pool of his own blood.

As if nothing had happened, Zhu Liang collected Wang Ziping’s storage ring and token, then walked back toward Ye Qingchen and Xiao Xiao with a smile.

Having swallowed the Spirit Pill from Zhu Liang, Ye Qingchen was meditating to recover and didn’t see what had just happened. Xiao Xiao, however, had witnessed everything. As Zhu Liang approached, her mouth hung agape in shock.

The earlier battle had made it clear just how powerful Wang Ziping was.

But Young Master’s senior brother killed him so easily... Just how powerful is he?

Xiao Xiao didn’t know the answer, but she was certain that among the younger generation of disciples in her Wuji Immortal Palace, absolutely no one could have accomplished such a feat.

Zhu Liang looked at Ye Qingchen, whose complexion was gradually improving, and said with a smile, "Luckily I was in Eternal City, so it wasn’t far. I managed to arrive a step early. Otherwise, if anything had happened to our little junior brother, I’m sure our senior brother and little junior sister would never forgive me!"