15: Soul-wounding Emperor, escape

Boom!

The eagle spread its wings, looking exactly like the scene in mythology where the Golden Crow was conceived within the sun.

The scorching energy emitted by the blazing sun was drawn in, constantly gathering towards Su Ye's Martial Soul, causing the sky to turn a fiery red.

A bizarre heart-beating sound, like the low growl of a hellish demon, echoed. The circular fireball grew incessantly, its diameter exceeding ten meters in the blink of an eye.

Green leaves turned yellow, and the lake water boiled.

Deadwood ignited, bursting into flames.

Everything before them seemed like a harbinger of the apocalypse.

"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"

"How can a thousand-year Soul Skill possess such immense power!"

Zhu Zhuyun was completely dumbfounded. Under the terrifying fireball, she actually felt a sense of being unable to resist.

"Kid, stop quickly!" Zhu Changlin's face turned furious, and he immediately shouted, wanting Su Ye to stop.

But Su Ye was waiting for this moment, waiting for Zhu Changlin to want to see the effect of his thousand-year Soul Skill. How could he stop easily now?

"Future Crown Princess, I really want to see if you can be saved!"

"You even dare to ambush me here, do you really think I'm made of mud?"

Speaking with a tough, cold laugh, Su Ye's situation was not optimistic. Blue veins pulsed on his forehead, and his face was crimson red, clearly showing he was desperately holding on.

At this moment, he was barely maintaining this Soul Skill with the help of the Three Flower Fruit, and he knew this was his best chance to escape.

He didn't believe Zhu Changlin wouldn't save Zhu Zhuyun first and instead choose to chase him.

Chirp—

A sharp bird cry pierced the sky.

Boom, a ten-meter-long giant flame bird spread its blazing wings from within the fireball.

All the flames at this moment merged into the giant bird's body, carrying flames that could burn the sky and boil the sea, and it crashed down towards Zhu Zhuyun.

"Damn brat, you just wait for me!"

Being outsmarted by a junior, the utterly humiliated Zhu Changlin was about to explode with rage, but at this moment, he could only use a speed Soul Skill to rush to Zhu Zhuyun's side.

His third Soul Ring pulsed beneath his feet. Zhu Changlin clasped his hands above his head, and his ten finger claws quickly merged into a sharp blade.

"Third Soul Skill, Netherworld Slash!"

Swish!

A black light blade formed a straight line and slashed down directly at the giant flame bird.

The giant flame bird had condensed the power of fire, the sun, and the surrounding heat. Its power was indeed terrifying, already exceeding the scope of a one-thousand-year Soul Skill...

But Su Ye was only a level 20 Soul Master after all, so the power of his Soul Skill could not be maximized.

With a tearing sound, the black light blade successfully split the giant flame bird in half.

Just as Zhu Zhuyun's brows relaxed, thinking the trouble was resolved, Zhu Changlin's eyelids twitched, and he cried out that something was wrong.

This was because the split giant flame bird did not immediately dissipate. Instead, the flame power at the cut area found an outlet and was completely released.

Rumble!

The explosive flames were like a raging fire python, instantly engulfing the two of them, causing a massive explosion.

Zhu Zhuyun was blasted away and fainted. The unprepared Zhu Changlin was also in a bad state, his clothes torn, his body scorched black, looking utterly dishevelled.

"Kid, you... cough—"

Before he could finish speaking, Zhu Changlin, with bloodshot eyes, coughed up traces of blood from the corner of his mouth.

Unfortunately, Su Ye, the instigator, was unable to appreciate his feat, having already flown a mile away.

With his Soul Power completely depleted, he couldn't even maintain his Martial Soul form and was forced to descend from the sky.

"The speed of Soul Power increase can't keep up with the speed of ring fusion. This is going to be deadly."

"Forget it, it's best to leave first. If I get caught up to, it'll be all over."

Clutching his aching chest, Su Ye quickly rushed towards the location of the cave.

As for how his first Soul Skill, Scarlet Sky Fire, could unleash such powerful force, it was mainly because the fusion added many additional effects.

For example, the Red Flame Wolf's Red Flame Bath, the Light Flame Spirit Fox's ability to absorb light and heat, and the Firey Bird's Fire Shadow Assault, etc.

These good Soul Skill effects combined together ultimately formed the comprehensive Soul Skill, Scarlet Sky Fire.

After knowing that the effects would merge, Su Ye intentionally hunted Soul Beasts that could enhance the power of his Soul Skills, which is how he obtained this relatively fixed Soul Skill – Scarlet Sky Fire.

However, now, Su Ye also realized a big problem.

Although he could increase his Soul Power level by fusing Soul Rings, a single absorbable Soul Ring could at most increase his level by one, and it was very likely less than one level of Soul Power.

But by adding other Soul Ring effects, the Soul Power he needed to expend when using Soul Skills also increased.

Simply put, if he kept fusing other types of Soul Rings, he would eventually be unable to use his Soul Skills.

Outside the cave, Zhu Zhuqing was dressed in black, her figure graceful, her brows tightly furrowed, her cold and beautiful face showing unease. Only when Su Ye appeared did she finally let out a sigh of relief.

"You... are you injured?" Noticing the bloodstain on Su Ye's chest, Zhu Zhuqing's heart immediately clenched.

"Minor injury, let's hurry and go."

"Now I've completely offended your sister. I estimate she wants to kill me even more now, so you're free."

Su Ye said jokingly, urging Zhu Zhuqing to leave. He had already put his bow and arrow back into his storage Soul Tool.

As for the sword and those various scattered medicinal herbs, he could only pretend to be generous and abandon them to lower Zhu Changlin's guard.

From the results, he succeeded!

"It's good that you're okay, let's hurry and go." Hearing that Su Ye had encountered Zhu Zhuyun, Zhu Zhuqing was also startled.

She knew that Zhu Zhuyun had a clan uncle protecting her, and that person seemed to be a Soul Emperor.

For Su Ye to escape from the two of them was considered a narrow escape from death. Even she couldn't imagine how dangerous it must have been.

Swish!

The two dared not linger and immediately rushed towards the border of the Heaven Dou Empire.

But they hadn't gone far when Su Ye slowly felt something was wrong with his body, and his steps gradually stopped.

With a muffled "bang" inside his body, Su Ye's body was as if struck by a heavy blow. He suddenly coughed up a large mouthful of blood and fell straight to the ground.

"Su Ye—!" Zhu Zhuqing, who turned back and saw this scene, was greatly alarmed. She immediately rushed over and picked him up.

"You..."

Looking at the painful expression on Su Ye's face, as if his tendons were being pulled, Zhu Zhuqing's gaze instantly swept towards Su Ye's chest, and she said in horror:

"This injury of yours, did you get hit by that woman Zhu Zhuyun's Soul Skill, Netherworld Hundred Claws?"

Having the same Netherworld Spirit Cat Martial Soul, she naturally knew about Netherworld Hundred Claws. It would send Soul Power into the opponent's body, frantically damaging their meridians.

If the Soul Master had abundant Soul Power, this Netherworld Soul Power would actually be slowly offset, and there shouldn't be any major problems in theory.

The current situation could only mean that Su Ye's Soul Power had been completely drained.

With only one injury, Zhu Zhuqing initially didn't think it was from the Netherworld Hundred Claws. At this moment, she finally reacted.

Su Ye didn't explain. He took out the only remaining Three Flower Fruit from his storage Soul Tool and swallowed it.

As some Soul Power was replenished, the situation within his body was contained.

However, his meridians were damaged and could not recover for a while. His arm trembled uncontrollably, and even standing straight became difficult.

"Go first!"

Enduring the intense pain in his body, Su Ye almost gritted his teeth as he gave orders to Zhu Zhuqing. Now was not the time to consider his injuries; they had to leave this place immediately.

Hearing this, Zhu Zhuqing could only carry Su Ye in a princess carry and hurry on their way.

A moment later.

The girl's silver teeth ground together, and she almost threw the person in her arms out.

"Move your head!"

"Tch, as expected, you're really fierce~"