"Even if it’s difficult, we must capture him!"
The Eldest Prince said solemnly. After losing so many demonic eagles and death warriors, if Chu Ming were to escape, not only would his prestige in the royal family be tarnished, but the other princes would also mock him behind his back. It might even affect his future inheritance of the throne.
Old Qing nodded slightly. He was aware of the stakes and, besides, his previous attack was merely a test. He hadn’t used his true skills yet.
Chu Ming killed the last demonic eagle with a single slash, and now, only three remained on the battlefield.
Chu Ming, the Eldest Prince, and Old Qing.
Chu Ming’s steps pounded on the ground rapidly, like a concentrated gust of wind. His figure flickered quickly and vanished from the sight of the other two in an instant.
"Old Qing, don’t let him escape!"
Watching Chu Ming’s figure fade into the distance, the Eldest Prince grew anxious.
Old Qing grabbed the Eldest Prince’s shoulder and, with a slight shake, they appeared a hundred meters away. Old Qing was not only adept in soul attacks but also a martial artist at the Seventh Layer of True Dao, his speed almost matching Chu Ming’s.
Chu Ming, speeding ahead, was constantly alert to the situation behind him. Seeing Old Qing and the Eldest Prince catching up, he unleashed all his spiritual power at once, which roared with hidden flames, instantly boosting his speed.
Silently, countless illusory small swords appeared next to Old Qing, radiating unsettling waves that seemed to penetrate one’s soul.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
As soon as these soul swords formed, they instantly arched towards Chu Ming, causing the air to ripple silently with their illusory waves.
With a thought, Chu Ming formed a solid soul barrier in his Sea of Souls, blocking all the incoming soul swords.
Soft sounds echoed. The soul swords, which could turn an ordinary martial artist into an idiot in an instant, shattered upon hitting Chu Ming’s barrier, dispersing into pure soul power and dissipating into the air.
Even though all the soul swords shattered, Old Qing persisted in his attacks relentlessly. His soul power seemed endless as he continued his assault on Chu Ming’s soul.
Slowly, a tiny crack appeared on Chu Ming’s soul barrier, and over time, it steadily widened.
Chu Ming thought with a grave expression. Despite his strong soul, he couldn’t withstand such reckless consumption forever.
Another round of small soul swords battered Chu Ming’s soul barrier, widening the crack even more.
"I need to try and understand his attack method."
If ordinary martial artists knew his thoughts, they would be dumbfounded. An inexperienced martial artist trying to figure out the use of soul power based on someone else’s attack method in such a short time was sheer madness.
While flying, Chu Ming’s mind worked rapidly, pushing his comprehension to the limit as he continually simulated and deconstructed Old Qing’s attacks.
Countless stars flickered in Chu Ming’s mind. Gradually, a sense of soul power spread around him.
A soul sword appeared in Chu Ming’s mind, stabbing forward. But as soon as it left his body, it rapidly dispersed in mid-air. He had failed.
"It’s only the form, not the essence."
Chu Ming was not discouraged. He knew if he could succeed in one attempt based on Old Qing’s attack method, he would truly be an extraordinary genius.
With each experiment, the soul sword lasted longer, slowly extending away from his body and shooting into the distance.
"Not good, he’s learning!"
At first, Old Qing hadn’t noticed, but gradually, he realized something was wrong. Despite his attacks, the soul power fluctuations around Chu Ming grew stronger and more familiar – he was using Old Qing’s unique soul attack method.
Realizing this, his eyes were filled with surprise. Few people on the continent could use soul attacks. Those who’d delved deepest into the Path of the Soul were likely the Spirit Kings among the Life and Death Realm Kings.
Due to the scarcity of soul power practitioners, most martial artists dreaded those skilled in soul techniques. They had no understanding of such attacks, and these unseen and formless assaults left them defenseless unless they too knew the way of the soul.
He had never seen anyone like Chu Ming, who could research the Path of the Soul while fleeing.
"In that case, I can’t let you live!"
Old Qing understood that if a genius like Chu Ming didn’t die now, they would be doomed in the future.
Countless soul powers drew from Old Qing’s mind, forming an illusory green arrow in front of him. The arrow glowed with a faint green light, exuding powerful soul energy.
In the air, the fiery illusionary waves formed countless white currents, constantly tumbling. The Eldest Prince beside him turned pale, his eyes briefly glazed, his soul power still too weak. If Old Qing had targeted him, he would have been turned into an idiot in an instant.
Chu Ming, speeding ahead, focused his gaze. All his soul power gathered, forming a dense array of green illusory small swords that shot towards Old Qing, with faint whooshing sounds in the air.
But Chu Ming’s soul swords were feeble, merely a façade with negligible true attack power. When they clashed, his illusory swords shattered instantly.
Before launching his attack, Chu Ming had built numerous illusory defense walls in his mind. As the green arrow shattered the swords, it slammed into these defenses.
The illusory walls were pierced one after another. Each time one was penetrated, Chu Ming quickly rebuilt it. Over time, the green arrow slowly started showing signs of dispersal.
Chu Ming could hold out thanks to his powerful soul power. Though he lacked techniques, his formidable soul strength couldn’t be underestimated.
Old Qing relied on his attack techniques.