Invincible Soul Emperor-Chapter 196 Ambush

Ye Qingchen was indifferent to imperial power. The Emperor had invited Pavilion Master Zhang and Deputy Pavilion Master Liu solely due to their status. If he went along, he would only make things awkward. Moreover, Ye Qingchen truly had no enthusiasm for such social occasions.

With this in mind, Ye Qingchen cupped his fists toward Deputy Pavilion Master Liu and said helplessly, "I would really like to follow the two of you to broaden my horizons, but the Alchemy Dao Competition is about to start, and I’m still feeling a bit anxious. So, I want to take these next few days to prepare."

Deputy Pavilion Master Liu nodded approvingly and said to Ye Qingchen, "It’s good that you’re always thinking about improving yourself. You don’t need to go today. But Qingchen, you must also understand the principle that haste makes waste. A balance of work and rest on the path of cultivation might just make your efforts twice as effective."

Pavilion Master Zhang also spoke up, "Qingchen is still young; there will be plenty of opportunities to see the world. Since you want to go back and practice alchemy, you can head back first."

Ye Qingchen nodded. He watched as Pavilion Master Zhang and Deputy Pavilion Master Liu walked off with the guards, and only then did he turn to leave.

The venue for the Alchemy Dao Competition was still bustling with activity. Ye Qingchen didn’t have much in common with the other disciples of the Qingyun Sect, including Li Zongrui, so he decided to return to his residence alone.

Right now, Ye Qingchen’s mind was completely occupied by the mysterious jade. If he could break it open, extract the Spirit Fire Seed inside, and successfully fuse with it before the Alchemy Dao Competition, both his alchemy realm and his cultivation would undergo a qualitative change. His chances of securing a high rank in the competition would then increase dramatically.

Although Ye Qingchen wasn’t particularly concerned with such honors, it was said that the royal family had spared no expense for this competition, so the rewards would be exceptionally generous. If there was one thing Ye Qingchen lacked, it was cultivation resources. The fastest way to obtain those was to have a large number of Spirit Stones to spend freely.

Therefore, Ye Qingchen did not linger at the venue. Rather than wandering around aimlessly, he was better off returning to study the jade.

「...」

Beside a plank walkway, the brothers Zhang Long and Zhang Hu were finalizing their plan. Having received orders from Qin Xi to assassinate Ye Qingchen, they had already discovered that this was the only path he would take to return.

At the same time, they had some reservations. After all, Ye Qingchen was a disciple of the Qingyun Sect. Although they weren’t afraid of him, their assassination attempt would become extremely difficult if there were Qingyun Sect experts with him. However, to be freed from their servitude, the brothers knew they had to succeed. Failure was not an option. That was why they had come to wait here early to discuss their strategy.

As the elder brother, Zhang Long had a steady temperament, and Zhang Hu always deferred to his judgment. After a moment of discussion, Zhang Long devised a plan.

"Brother," he said to Zhang Hu, "that kid is only at the Ninth Layer of the Martial Master Realm. Either one of us could easily take him down. Our only worry is that he might have Qingyun Sect experts with him. To avoid alerting our target, the safest approach is to wait until he’s alone before we make our move."

Zhang Hu nodded. His elder brother’s analysis made sense, but he was still at a loss as to how they should proceed.

Zhang Long pondered for a moment before continuing, "Brother, here’s my idea: you wait here. I’ll head a mile or two toward the Alchemy Dao Competition venue to scout ahead. If the kid comes alone, I’ll send you a signal. You then get ready to strike from the shadows. When he gets here, kill him in a single blow!"

Zhang Hu nodded and asked, "What if he has someone with him?"

Zhang Long thought for a moment and replied with a helpless sigh, "If an expert is accompanying him, we’ll give up for today. Just let him pass. We’ll have to find another opportunity to assassinate him."

Patting Zhang Hu’s shoulder, Zhang Long added, "Besides, with me scouting ahead, if your first strike fails, I can cut off his retreat from behind!"

Zhang Hu nodded. His elder brother’s plan was watertight. Now, everything depended on Ye Qingchen’s own fate.

After their discussion, Zhang Long turned and headed toward the competition venue, while Zhang Hu hid himself in the shadows, ready to strike at any moment.

Meanwhile, Ye Qingchen was walking along, lost in thought about how to open the jade stone. Before he knew it, he had arrived on the plank walkway. Normally, upon reaching such a dangerous place, Ye Qingchen would have been on high alert and proceeded with caution. But now, completely absorbed in his thoughts, he stepped onto the walkway without a moment’s hesitation.

Hidden in the shadows, Zhang Long watched Ye Qingchen walk past. He compared the man’s features to the portrait in his hand and let out a cold sneer at his retreating figure.

Seeing that Ye Qingchen had actually come alone, Zhang Long was secretly overjoyed. Some people are just determined to walk into their own doom. A mere Ninth-Layer Martial Master dares to offend our Miss Qin Xi, and he still swaggers down a deserted path like this. It seems the heavens have finally smiled on us. My brother and I are about to be freed from servitude.

With that thought, Zhang Long imitated three bird calls, signaling his brother Zhang Hu to prepare to strike and kill Ye Qingchen.

However, Zhang Long had no idea that those three bird calls had just shattered Ye Qingchen’s train of thought, snapping him out of his deep contemplation.

Ye Qingchen couldn’t help but frown. Although high mountains flanked this place, they were barren. With no flowers or trees, there was nothing to attract any birds or beasts. Therefore, the sudden bird calls sounded particularly jarring.

Instantly, Ye Qingchen grew alert. His hand secretly gripped his Qingfeng Sword as he continued forward, but on the surface, he feigned a casual, unconcerned expression.

Meanwhile, the hidden Zhang Hu heard the signal from Zhang Long and immediately drew his saber, his gaze sharpening as excitement surged through his heart.

I can’t believe he actually came alone. That means he’s as good as dead today! Even if he’s lucky enough to survive my first strike, the moment he tries to flee, my elder brother will be right there to block his escape. A mere Ninth-Layer Martial Master facing two experts of the Grand Martial Master Realm? He’s a lamb for the slaughter!

As he dwelled on this, a cruel smile spread across Zhang Hu’s face.