Gentlemen, it's time to enter the Banner of Ten Thousand Souls.

Chapter 397 A transaction

Chen Ye hadn't expected to be able to easily defeat a Demonic Sect Master, so he wasn't surprised at all when something in the temple tried to rush out.

If it were just a few hastily cultivated Nascent Soul Realm cultivators, Chen Ye would worry that it might be a trap.

Deep within the temple, a powerful evil aura suddenly erupted.

A roar that shook the mountains and forests was heard, and a pitch-black demonic shadow rose from the ground. Its body rapidly expanded, becoming as large as a mountain in an instant.

With a single gesture, the temple shattered completely, the earth cracked, and dust flew everywhere.

This demonic figure was ten feet tall, surrounded by thick black mist. Human faces rolled and appeared all over its body, as if constantly emitting painful howls. Its shape was extremely hideous and grotesque.

The demonic shadow was on par with the Emperor of Fengdu. Its giant hand, formed from demonic energy, suddenly swung, shaking the Emperor of Fengdu's Fivefold Hell Shadow and causing it to tremble violently.

In this way, many of the vengeful spirits that had just been trapped inside took the opportunity to escape and merge into the demonic shadow. In an instant, they were refined into part of the demonic energy, which further enhanced its power.

But the Emperor of Fengdu is no longer the illusory being he once was. Having received countless offerings from the Northern Frontier, his power has far surpassed what it once was.

Without Chen Ye's prompting, this deity automatically activated its hellish divine powers, manifesting the illusions of the five levels of hell, transforming them into five different magical treasures and spells, which were then hurled at the demonic shadow.

Fire serpents, bronze bells, ghostly shadows, mirror images, and even lightning that materialized... all bombarded the demonic shadow, causing it to scream in agony.
The collision of the two colossal creatures produced a deafening roar, and each clash caused the spiritual energy of heaven and earth to become disordered, and the mountains and forests to sway.

At the same time, Su Chunyi finally drew her sword.

The longsword in her hand transformed into a silver streak, carrying the unique and sharp sword intent of the Qinghe Sword Sect, slashing straight at the demonic shadow. The sword light pierced into the demonic shadow's body, and then a blue lotus flower bloomed within its abdomen.

Flowers bloom, flowers fall.

In an instant, millions of sword energies sliced ​​the demonic shadow into fragments smaller than withered leaves in the mountains.

This was the first time Chen Ye had ever seen Su Chunyi go all out. The Azure Lotus Sword Qi was truly formidable; it could kill instantly with a single strike.

However, before Chen Ye could clap his hands in celebration, the severed demonic shadow fragments did not dissipate. Instead, they turned from black to gray and then merged back together, transforming into a gigantic demonic shadow once more.

However, its momentum seemed to have weakened considerably.

Chen Ye frowned. Why did this gray fog look somewhat familiar?
Su Chunyi didn't think much of it. Since one sword strike wasn't enough to kill him, he would strike again.

The Azure Lotus Sword Qi bloomed once more, this time releasing even denser sword energy, as if it truly intended to finely chop it into minced meat.

But as the lotus bloomed, the gray demonic shadow, like ripples on water, only caused a few waves before disappearing without a trace.

Chen Ye exclaimed in surprise, "Miss Su, this is the art of summoning ghosts!"

Back then, the Tiger Lord used this secret technique to create an army of millions of immortal and indestructible ghosts, which even a righteous sect like the Cloud Peak Immortal Sect could not withstand.

Chen Ye sensed something was wrong. The Tiger Servant Lord had long since died and vanished, yet this secret technique had not been lost.

When did Soul Master learn the methods of Tiger's Accomplice?
A name flashed through Chen Ye's mind—Youluozi.

Within the underground demonic sect, only Youluozi is said to know all the essentials of the demonic path. This witch's eavesdropping skills are unparalleled; there is no secret that can be kept from him.

She might know some of the Azure Dragon Lord's secret techniques, and she might also know the Tiger's accomplice's secret techniques.

So, these ghostly beings before us are Youluozi's doing? She's actually cooperating with the Soul Master again?

Why are the leaders of this demonic sect acting like they're from the Three Kingdoms period, playing the same old game of division and reunification?

Although the vengeful spirits are troublesome, Chen Ye happens to have a way to deal with them.

Chen Ye's body was filled with surging spiritual energy as he circulated the Eight-Nine Arcane Technique, his figure rapidly changing in mid-air.

In the blink of an eye, a fat, big-eared monster appeared, which was none other than the Dream Eater.

As if telepathically connected with Chen Ye, Su Chunyi unleashed her sword energy once more, slicing the gray demonic shadow to pieces.

Chen Ye seized the opportunity. The Dream Eater opened its huge mouth, and a powerful suction force arose out of nowhere, like a whale swallowing the sea, instantly sucking away half of the scattered gray mist.

The demonic shadow roared repeatedly, but it was unable to resist the devouring power and rapidly shrank.

Although the Dream Eater was delicious, Chen Ye's transformation severed his connection with the Emperor of Fengdu. This deity had come in response to a summons, and the Emperor of Fengdu quickly vanished after Chen Ye changed his appearance.

However, each has its own specialty, and the Dream Eater is more effective at dealing with the Entangled Ghost.

Chen Ye was preparing to devour the ghost in one fell swoop, but the scattered gray mist seemed to have learned its lesson and directly split into several streams, escaping into the distance through the gaps in Su Chunyi's sword energy, thus avoiding the Devourer's sucking.

Chen Ye was helpless. The Dream Eater couldn't fly and was too big to run fast. If he wanted to catch up, he could only ask Su Chunyi to use his sword energy to carry him.

But before Chen Ye could speak, the remaining gray mist did not completely escape. Instead, it re-aggregated in the air and transformed into the shape of a young boy.

The young man had delicate features, and his eyebrows bore a resemblance to Chen Ye's, though his eyes held a hint of wickedness.

The young demon hovered in mid-air, cupped his hands in greeting to Chen Ye, who was in the form of a dream-eating beast, and said quite politely, "As expected of the Sect Master of the Yellow Springs Sect, seeing is believing. I am Ye Chen, and I have long admired Sect Master Chen's name. Perhaps..."

Before Ye Chen could finish his opening remarks, Su Chunyi had already caught up with Chen Ye in his Dream Eater form, and Chen Ye once again opened his mouth and swallowed.

Who would listen to the nonsense of a demon? Kill him first!
However, the young demon was no ordinary being. With a flicker, he instantly created hundreds of identical clones, which coalesced and dispersed at will, like phantoms. While the Dream Eater devoured a dozen or so clones, the remaining ones spoke in unison: "Sect Master Chen, please calm down! I'm actually on your side. You've come here to investigate the Soul Venerable's secrets, and I know that, and I can tell you!"

Chen Ye finally returned to his human form from his dream-eating tapir form. He hovered in the air, staring at the hundreds of clones, feeling somewhat troubled.

Without the Fengdu Emperor's seal, he could escape at any time, but if he summoned the Fengdu Emperor, Chen Ye would not be able to maintain his Dream Eater transformation, and if he couldn't devour these accomplices, he would only waste time.

Chen Ye gave Su Chun a wink, indicating that he was preparing to ask for help.

As long as we throw out that communication flying sword and invite the Qinghe Sword Sect leader over, I don't believe we can't kill this brat.

But Ye Chen seemed to have seen through Chen Ye's thoughts and quickly said, "Sect Master Chen, this is just an avatar of mine. Even if you kill it, it won't matter. But if you don't listen to me, you'll probably have to spend a lot of time investigating, and by then it will be too late."

After a moment's thought, Chen Ye transformed back into human form. At the same time, with a thought, the phantom of the Fengdu Emperor reappeared. The shadows of the five layers of hell, like an invisible net, completely enveloped Ye Chen's hundreds of ghostly clones.

“Okay, we can talk now,” Chen Ye said calmly.

Ye Chen gave a wry smile. He really hadn't expected Chen Ye to even target his clone. However, there's no such thing as a free lunch. Without paying a price, it would be impossible to gain Chen Ye's trust.

Ye Chen said frankly, "If Sect Leader Chen likes this clone of mine, then feel free to take it. However, since Sect Leader Chen is willing to give me a chance, I would like to make a deal with you."

Chen Ye raised an eyebrow and asked, "What kind of deal?" Ye Chen stated bluntly, "I'll use the secret of the Soul Master in exchange for a promise from you."

Upon hearing this, Chen Ye shook his head without hesitation, his tone resolute: "It's impossible for me to collude with you, and it's impossible for me to let you go. Yu Xing was my closest friend, and you killed him and refined him into the Myriad Soul Banner. How could I possibly let you go?!"

Ye Chen's expression immediately turned strange.

This Yellow Springs Sect Master can lie so easily he can't even keep his mouth shut; he's more skilled at lying than a demon.

He had no connection with Yu Xing whatsoever; they were clearly enemies. If he hadn't interrogated Yu Xing so thoroughly before, he would have been completely fooled by Chen Ye's superb acting skills.

However, Ye Chen dared not expose him. Chen Ye had already dared to lie in public, so he wasn't afraid of Ye Chen exposing him. And now Ye Chen needed Chen Ye's help, so he could only go along with what Chen Ye said.

"I was unaware that Fellow Daoist Yu Xing was a close friend of Sect Master Chen. It was Ye Chen's fault. Please rest assured, Sect Master Chen, I will send his soul back to you as an apology." Ye Chen's tone was respectful, but his heart was bleeding.

"No need for that," Chen Ye blurted out, his tone carrying a hint of disdain.

Who wants that guy's soul? Chen Ye gets annoyed just seeing him.

Ye Chen: ...

Chen Ye thought for a moment and said to Ye Chen, "Just send him back to the Mirage Sect. He's a disciple of the Mirage Sect. What kind of logic is it to give him to my Yellow Springs Sect?"

Ye Chen didn't want to bring up Yu Xing anymore, otherwise he didn't know what other nonsense this Sect Master Chen could make up. He just wanted to get back to the main topic as soon as possible.

“Alright, I’ll send him back later. But, is Sect Leader Chen going to agree to my deal?” Ye Chen asked tentatively.

"Why don't you tell me what you want me to do first?" Chen Ye remained unmoved.

“It’s very simple.” Ye Chen took a deep breath and stated his conditions, “I will tell you the secret of the Soul Venerable, but soon I will have a duel with Sect Master Chen. I would like to ask Sect Master Chen to admit defeat. I want to compete for the title of the number one in the Profound Realm.”

Upon hearing this, a hint of amusement flashed in Chen Ye's eyes, and he laughed, "You're not confident you can beat me?"

Ye Chen made no attempt to hide his true feelings, saying frankly, "To be honest, the reason I waited here tonight was because I anticipated Sect Master Chen's arrival, so I made preparations in advance. While you were making your move, I launched a sneak attack and transformed three Nascent Soul Realm demons under Soul Venerable's command into this clone. You could say I used every secret technique imaginable. But even so, those three Nascent Soul Realm demons couldn't withstand more than a few moves from you, Sect Master Chen. I knew then that they were no match for you."

Chen Ye listened to the man's flattery without changing his expression. Perhaps among cultivators in the Profound Realm, Chen Ye could be considered powerful, but he was currently dealing with Demon Lords and was on equal footing with the leaders of other sects. The flattery of a mere demon meant nothing to him.

Chen Ye asked, "Then why are you so determined to win first place? You must have been instructed by Lord Feilian, right?"

"Sect Master Chen is indeed omniscient." Ye Chen flattered him again before continuing, "Lord Feilian ordered me to first go to the Mirage Sect, then to Tianxin Island, and then become the number one person in the Tongxuan Realm. Sect Master Chen is an insurmountable mountain for me. I can only ask Sect Master Chen to be lenient, otherwise I will surely die at the hands of Lord Feilian."

"Why does Fei Lian want you to become the number one in the Tongxuan Realm?" Chen Ye tried to tempt you, "Since you're going to betray Soul Venerable anyway, why not sell Fei Lian as well? You can get a good price for it."

Ye Chen gave a helpless bitter smile: "Hehe, I would like to, but unfortunately I don't know the inside story. How could Lord Feilian tell me the secret? I am just a mere Tongxuan Realm cultivator, merely a puppet in their hands."

Chen Ye shook his head and refused, saying, "Then there's no need for me to cooperate with you. I will continue to investigate the matter of the Soul Master myself."

Ye Chen became anxious and tried to persuade him again: "Sect Master Chen, you don't need to be seriously injured. It's just a show between us during the duel. Once you admit defeat, I'll find another opportunity to lose to you. You will still be the number one in the Profound Realm. And since you know the secret of the Soul Venerable, you won't have to waste a lot of time. You might even be able to save the lives of many innocent people."

Chen Ye hesitated for a moment, his gaze falling on Su Chunyi. Seeing her nod slightly, she seemed to think the deal was feasible. He finally spoke, "Alright, I can agree to your terms. If you challenge me to a duel in the future, I will admit defeat on the spot and let you become the number one in the Profound Realm. Now, tell me the secret of the Soul Venerable."

Ye Chen thought he would have to pay a high price to win Chen Ye's heart, but he didn't expect Chen Ye, who had just been so assertive, to change his tone so quickly, which made him suspicious.

Ye Chen asked doubtfully, "Sect Master Chen is a big shot, he wouldn't be lying to a little devil like me, would he?"

Chen Ye retorted, "Do you want me to swear an oath?"

Upon hearing this, Ye Chen quickly said, "No need for that, I trust Sect Master Chen. Alright, I will tell you the secret of the Soul Venerable. Since Sect Master Chen has already found this temple, he should know that many scholars in the world come to ask for a Light Time Arrow because of the imperial examination, exchanging their lifespan for time so that they can take the exam."

He paused, his tone becoming solemn: "But in fact, those Arrows of Time are not merely a divine power unleashed by the Soul Venerable, but also a means by which he splits his soul and creates new forms. Each Arrow of Time actually contains a wisp of the Soul Venerable's soul. Now, he has transformed into tens of thousands of these forms, hidden throughout the Central Plains Dynasty, omnipresent!"

Upon hearing this, Chen Ye and Su Chun both showed expressions of surprise; such methods were truly unheard of!

Chen Ye quickly pressed, "Why would he do that?"

Ye Chen explained, "Because the Soul Venerable was severely injured before, and his subordinates were puppets of the Netherworld Lord, coupled with the recent deaths of several Lords, the Soul Venerable has become a frightened bird. He was afraid that he would be the next one to be plotted against, so he came up with this way to save his life."

"His Eight-Nine Arcane Arts went astray, failing to seize the body of the Demon Lord Wujiu. Therefore, he always had a fatal flaw: he couldn't achieve immortality. However, his soul was cultivated to be just like the body of the Eight-Nine Arcane Arts, able to gather and disperse at will, changing in countless ways. So he simply hid himself among mortals. Unless the entire Central Plains Dynasty was destroyed, he would have a sliver of hope to survive and never perish!"

Chen Ye frowned as he listened.

He had been circulating the "Other-Transformation Freedom Mind Method" for a while, carefully sensing what Ye Chen said. The vague feeling told Chen Ye that what this man said was probably true.

Ye Chen may not know all these secrets, but Youluozi certainly does, so these must have been told to Ye Chen by Youluozi.

This little devil actually has two Venerable Lords behind him.

No wonder Youluozi has been refusing to exchange information with Chen Ye recently; it seems that Feilian and she must be plotting something big.

Even if Ye Chen was telling the truth, Chen Ye still felt something was off. A Soul Master shouldn't be so cowardly; the fire hadn't even reached him yet, and he'd already chopped him up and hidden himself away? That didn't make sense. Even if the first part was true, there must be some other conspiracy.

Regardless, the information Ye Chen provided was quite valuable. At least it clarified why even Daoist Yuji couldn't find the Soul Venerable's location. It turned out that he was already omnipresent, incarnating in countless forms and hiding in the mortal world.

Even if those talented men seem to have no problems, how could the Demon Lord's divided soul be harmless? Sooner or later, it will devour them completely.

It seems difficult to find a solution, and it's unknown how many people have been struck by the arrow of time.

From what Chen Ye saw tonight, it's clear that the Arrow of Time isn't just aimed at high-ranking officials and nobles. The mother and child he saw earlier were clearly just ordinary people, yet they too had their souls implanted in them.

Unless all the living people in the Central Plains are wiped out, there will definitely be some who escape.

However, if left unattended, the entire dynasty will be controlled by the Soul Lord, which would be troublesome.

"Indeed, each Venerable Lord has several unique skills, and they are not to be underestimated."

Chen Ye sighed, then said to Ye Chen, "This deal is done. I'll admit defeat whenever you come to challenge me to a duel."

Ye Chen said, "Thank you, Sect Leader Chen. I will come again in three days at most."

"Three days? Didn't you want to challenge Tianxin Island first?"

Ye Chen smiled and said, "Just now, I intercepted the flying boat of Tianxin Island. With six consecutive victories, Tianxin Island has already lost."

(End of this chapter)