When Xiao Xiao and the others saw Ye Qingchen make his move, they also began to gather their Spiritual Energy, wanting to lend him a hand.
But how could Ye Qingchen allow them to get involved in his grudge with the Saint Heirs of the ten Ancient Clans?
So, Ye Qingchen quietly sent a voice transmission to Xiao Xiao.
"Xiao Xiao, you four should leave for now. Iâll deal with these three myself."
Xiao Xiao urgently transmitted back, "No, Young Master! These three brothers from Houtu Palace are all incredibly strong. I want to fight by your side."
Ye Qingchen gave a helpless, wry smile and continued his transmission, "Xiao Xiao, be good. Youâre the captain of a team now, and you have to protect your teammates. Besides, donât worry. These three are no match for me. If you stay here, youâll only hold me back."
After hesitating for a moment, Xiao Xiao nodded to Ye Qingchen and led the other three disciples of the Wuji Immortal Palace away.
The three Hou Family brothers didnât stop them. After all, their main objective this time was Ye Qingchen. As long as they killed him, they could report back to the Saint Heir. Moreover, Zhang Guangling had a way to locate Xiao Xiaoâs group, so even if they left, finding them again would be easy.
After watching them leave, Ye Qingchen heaved a sigh of relief as the Willow Wood Martial Soul slowly materialized behind him.
The moment the Willow Wood Martial Soul appeared, the Wood Attribute Energy in Ye Qingchenâs body surged. He immediately harnessed its power to summon the Admiring Willow Protection to defend himself.
Ye Qingchen had just realized that the three Hou brothers all possessed Earth Attribute Energy. According to the five elements, wood overcomes earth, which gave him a natural advantage with his Wood Attribute. Furthermore, while Earth Attribute Energy had astonishing defensive power, it was somewhat lacking in offensive strength. With Ye Qingchenâs current control over Wood Attribute Energy, amplified by his Willow Wood Martial Soul, the defense provided by Admiring Willow Protection was more than enough to handle their attacks.
After finishing his preparations, Ye Qingchen activated the Fire Spirit Charm Shadow once more, leaving an afterimage behind as he prepared to launch another round of attacks.
Having just been sneak-attacked, Hou Shui couldnât help but shout to his brothers when he saw Ye Qingchen vanish, "Brothers, this kidâs movement technique is tricky! Everyone, be careful!"
Hou Long and Hou Hu nodded. A layer of earth-yellow armor, formed from pure Earth Attribute Energy, materialized around each of them. In terms of defensive power, it could rival an ordinary low-grade treasure.
The next moment, Ye Qingchen suddenly appeared behind Hou Shui and swung the Double Pupil Sword again, unleashing the Wind Blade Sword Technique with a piercing whistle.
Compared to the last attack, its power had at least doubled thanks to the summoning of the Willow Wood Martial Soul.
Although Hou Shui was prepared this time, he was still sent flying by the strike, and fine cracks appeared on his earth-yellow armor. He hurriedly circulated his Earth Attribute Energy to repair the damage.
Just as before, by the time Hou Long and Hou Hu rushed to assist, Ye Qingchen had already vanished. He immediately replicated his earlier tactic and continued to attack Hou Shui.
This left Hou Shui feeling incredibly frustrated.
There are three of us brothers, so why does he keep targeting me?
What frustrated the three brothers even more was that Ye Qingchenâs speed was simply too fast. Their attacks couldnât even touch him, forcing them to serve as passive targets.
After several more attacks, Hou Shui had exhausted most of his energy. What terrified him more was the strange energy he could feel inside his body, constantly devouring his life force. This sensation left him horrified. If he allowed this energy to continue consuming him, he wouldnât be killed by Ye Qingchenâs attacks but would instead be drained of life.
Hou Shui told his brothers what was happening. Hou Long and Hou Hu exchanged a look before moving to protect Hou Shui between them, allowing him to focus on purging the strange energy from his body.
Seeing the three of them gathered together, Ye Qingchen knew his previous method of attack would no longer be effective. He switched strategies and unleashed the Leaf Blade Storm.
The Leaf Blade Storm had once been Ye Qingchenâs signature Martial Technique, not only capable of focused bursts but also remarkably effective against groups. Now, as his Realm had continuously advanced, especially after mastering Wood Attribute Energy, the power of the Leaf Blade Storm had undergone a dramatic transformation.
Unlike before, this Leaf Blade Storm erupted directly from beneath the Hou brothersâ feet, with countless Leaf Blades constantly eroding their earth-yellow armor.
After doing this, Ye Qingchen didnât stop. He continued to swing his Double Pupil Sword, relentlessly slashing out with the Wind Blade Sword Technique. He didnât care which of the three he hit; they were so close together that a strike on one would inevitably affect the other two.
Hou Long was filled with unbearable frustration. Originally, all three brothers had Realms far surpassing Ye Qingchenâs. Although they were shocked that he could comprehend Wood Attribute Energy at the Martial King Realm, they were still completely confident in killing him. This was why they had scoffed when Zhang Guangling suggested they find more help. But from the moment they faced Ye Qingchen, the brothers hadnât landed a single proper blow and were constantly on the defensive.
By working together, the three brothers could barely withstand Ye Qingchenâs current attacks and had avoided injury so far. However, they now faced the new danger of the Wood Attribute Energy penetrating their bodies. The Leaf Blade Storm Ye Qingchen had unleashed was insidious. Its Wood Attribute energy was continuously seeping into the three Hou brothersâ bodies, slowly corroding their life force.
Hou Long realized that if this continued, he and his brothers would be drained to death by Ye Qingchen. Gritting his teeth, he said to his two brothers, "Cover me for a moment! If we donât find a way to counterattack, weâre going to die by this bratâs hand today!"
Hou Hu and Hou Shui understood. Their energy surged as they blocked all the incoming attacks for Hou Long.
Meanwhile, Hou Long rapidly executed a series of Seal Formulas. Watching the relentlessly attacking Ye Qingchen, a cruel expression appeared in his eyes. He roared, "Damn brat, die! Earth River Carriage, appear!"
As Hou Longâs voice fell, the ground around Ye Qingchen began to tremble violently. Earthen flood dragons erupted from below, lunging toward him.