C4 Killing Blood Striped Leopard

Nestled in the northern reaches of Heavenly Cloud City lay the Spiritual Mist Mountain Range, a place notorious for its treacherous depths. Enshrouded in a perpetual veil of mist, the mountain paths twisted and turned, fraught with peril. Demon Beasts roamed in abundance, and even a warrior at the Martial Soul Stage could meet an untimely end with a single misstep.

Ye Chen, however, harbored no desire to venture into the heart of the range. His plan was to hunt Demon Beasts along the outskirts, feeding their essence to his Heaven Devouring Dragon Soul to bolster his cultivation and strength.

Upon entering the range, Ye Chen's senses sharpened, his vigilance at its peak.

"Roar!"

Despite his caution, a Blood Spot Leopard with Level Three Cultivation at the Martial Soul Stage locked onto him as soon as he set foot in the range, lunging towards him with deadly intent.

"You're courting death!"

Recognizing the leopard's cultivation level, Ye Chen's eyes narrowed, and he bellowed a challenge.

No sooner had the echo of his voice dissipated than he summoned the power of the Heaven Devouring Dragon Soul, launching a ferocious counterattack at the onrushing predator.

"Pu!"

In a flash, the Heaven Devouring Dragon Soul, cloaked in a radiant golden aura, struck like lightning, piercing the leopard's throat and slaying it instantly.

"With the Heaven Devouring Dragon Soul now at the Third Grade Yellow Rank, its power is truly fearsome!"

Ye Chen couldn't help but smile in satisfaction as he observed the vanquished Blood Spot Leopard.

The leopard's prowess, particularly its speed and attack, had surpassed that of Ye Yang, whom Ye Chen had previously defeated. It was a testament to the Heaven Devouring Dragon Soul's might that it could dispatch such a formidable beast in a heartbeat, far exceeding Ye Chen's own expectations.

Yet, should a martial artist with a fifth-grade Yellow Rank Martial Soul—or higher—witness this feat, they would undoubtedly be astounded beyond belief. After all, for any martial artist of the same rank with a third-grade Yellow Rank Martial Soul, conquering foes like Ye Yang or the Blood Spot Leopard was akin to scaling the heavens—an insurmountable challenge.

Ye Chen, standing before him, was only at the tenth level of the Body Tempering Stage, yet he managed to instantly slay a Level Three Martial Soul Stage Blood Spot Leopard with a single blow from the Heaven Devouring Dragon Soul. This feat was far beyond the capabilities of an average martial artist.

With a piercing "Chi!" sound, Ye Chen ripped open a gash in the back of the Blood Spot Leopard's carcass and extracted a thumb-sized red crystal from its belly. This crystal brimmed with immense Spirit Energy, the very core of the Demon Beast, and its most vital essence.

Summoning the Heaven Devouring Dragon Soul, Ye Chen watched as it devoured the red crystal without a moment's delay.

"Boom!" A vast and pure energy surged into Ye Chen's body, which he could feel distinctly. He immediately activated the Nine Dragon Heaven Swallowing Technique, guiding the powerful Spirit Energy through a complete cycle within him before fully absorbing it.

As the energy integrated into his being, Ye Chen's aura soared, his power growing explosively stronger. His meridians expanded, becoming more robust and resilient. Suddenly, Ye Chen's eyes snapped open, and a sound akin to popping beans echoed from his body.

"Crack!" In the next instant, he delivered a crushing punch to the Blood Spot Leopard's corpse beside him. The body was pulverized, reduced to a gruesome, unrecognizable mass, its bones and organs shattered beyond recognition.

In that moment, Ye Chen's body jolted with a powerful realization. During the technique's circulation, he had elevated the Nine Dragon Heaven Swallowing Technique to the fourth level of the Dragon Blood Stage, and his strength had soared to an astonishing 12,000 Jin.

"However," he noted, "the core's quality within this Blood Spot Leopard is too inferior, nowhere near the purity of Ye Yang and Ye Xuan's Martial Souls. Consequently, neither the Heaven Devouring Dragon Soul nor my cultivation base saw any increase—only the Nine Dragon Heaven Swallowing Technique advanced, reaching the fourth tier of the Dragon Blood Stage."

"If I'm going to quickly boost my Heaven Devouring Dragon Soul and level up my cultivation, I'll need to find some demon beast cores to consume," Ye Chen mused, feeling a twinge of frustration as he detected no signs of progress in his powers. With a shake of his head, he dismissed the thought for the moment.

Just then, the sound of footsteps echoed from the dense forest nearby. Ye Chen looked up, a cold smirk playing on his lips. The timing of these two arrivals couldn't have been more perfect.

The figure leading the way was Yang Wei, a fellow Outer Academy disciple of the War Cloud Sect, known for his flamboyance and a ranking within the top five hundred. Yang Wei had once bullied a female disciple, an act that had earned him a harsh reprimand from Ye Chen six months prior. Now, as they locked eyes, the animosity was palpable.

Trailing behind was Yang Wei's crony, Tu Qi.

"Well, well, if it isn't Ye Chen, the 'celebrated genius' of our War Cloud Sect Outer Academy," Yang Wei sneered upon spotting Ye Chen, his voice dripping with sarcasm as he emphasized the word 'genius' as if mocking the lowest of the low.

The entire outer sect was abuzz with the tale of Ye Chen's stripped Bone Structure and shattered Martial Soul. To Yang Wei, Ye Chen was nothing more than a defeated cur, ripe for humiliation.

"Brother Wei, remember how this nobody embarrassed you in front of all those Outer Academy disciples half a year ago? What better chance to settle the score than now?" Tu Qi chimed in with a sneer, noting Ye Chen's current tenth level Body Tempering Stage cultivation.

"Exactly," Yang Wei replied, his eyes alight with anticipation. "This dog had his day, but as the old saying goes, fortunes change. Now it's my turn to put Ye Chen in his place and reclaim my pride!"

With a gleeful smirk, Yang Wei stepped forward, relishing the opportunity to confront Ye Chen.

In Yang Wei's eyes, the Ye Chen of today might not even be able to defeat Tu Qi, let alone himself with his Martial Soul Stage Level Two Cultivation.

After all, Ye Chen, stripped of his Bone Structure and Martial Soul, was a far cry from the prodigy who once ranked in the top ten at the War Cloud Sect Outer Academy. He was indistinguishable from trash!

"Thirty years on the east bank, thirty years on the west? Yang Wei... let me remind you, your elder is always your elder!"

Ye Chen responded to Yang Wei's taunts not with anger but with laughter, his face etched with scorn.

"You... You dare to speak to me like that, you piece of trash?"

Yang Wei initially froze at Ye Chen's retort, then his face flushed crimson, shifted to purple, and finally, he couldn't contain himself and bellowed in rage.

"Boom!"

No sooner had his words died away than a wild beast's roar thundered from behind him.

A colossal beast, towering dozens of meters tall with a red-purple hide and fur sharp as steel needles, its eyes gleaming with a blood-red light, slowly materialized behind Yang Wei.

Clearly, this Demon Beast was Yang Wei's Yellow Rank Sixth Grade Martial Soul, the Scarlet Flame Bear.

"Tsk tsk, Ye Chen, wasn't your Martial Soul a Yellow Rank Grade Nine? Why not bring it out and let's see how it measures up against my Yellow Rank Sixth Grade Scarlet Flame Bear?"

Yang Wei pointed at the Scarlet Flame Bear behind him and looked at Ye Chen with a smug sneer.

"Why should Brother Wei bother with such a worthless cur? Let me take care of this trash and save us all some time."

Tu Qi, standing behind Yang Wei, let out a cold laugh upon noticing Ye Chen's inaction, then spoke with a tone dripping with derision.

"Boom!"

Right after he spoke, a wolf bristling with earthy yellow fur and brandishing a pair of sharp fangs slowly emerged at Tu Qi's feet.

This Demon Beast was clearly Tu Qi's Yellow Rank Fourth Grade Martial Soul, the Ironback Jackal.

But Tu Qi, having summoned the Ironback Jackal, didn't rush to attack. Instead, he watched Ye Chen with a taunting look, eager to spot even a hint of fear or astonishment on his face.

After all, the prospect of humiliating one of the top ten prodigies from the outer academy—perhaps to the point of death—held a certain appeal.