Chapter 324: I Returned Too Late

Chapter 324: Chapter 324: I Returned Too Late

In the days that followed, Yi Xiaoyao remained in the cliffside cave, recuperating from his injuries.

However, the Soul-Collecting Bees clinging to him showed no sign of leaving on their own, which made Yi Xiaoyao increasingly anxious.

But there was one piece of good news. As time passed, not only did his soul injuries gradually heal, but his soul, nourished by the Soul Honey from the Soul-Collecting Bees, had actually grown stronger than before.

This wasn’t a simple expansion of his soul, but a refinement. It had become more condensed and resilient.

In other words, his soul’s defense ability had increased.

If he were to suffer the same Soul Attack from the Second Lord now, he could undoubtedly withstand it multiple times without his soul shattering as it did before.

Moreover, this enhancement to his soul’s defense was still ongoing.

And that wasn’t all. Yi Xiaoyao’s Cultivation was increasing at the same time.

Yi Xiaoyao discovered that his soul couldn’t fully absorb the Soul Honey. The excess energy that leaked out was all converted into Cultivation Power, which he then absorbed.

No wonder Chong Li had been so pained about his Soul-Collecting Bees. It had to be said, these Spirit Insects were truly priceless treasures for Cultivation.

Another seven days passed, and the Soul-Collecting Bees still hadn’t left.

Yi Xiaoyao gradually reined in his anxiety, understanding that it was useless to worry.

Then, on the following day, a peculiar fluctuation emanated from the cave.

"Xiaoyao, did you have a breakthrough?"

Xuan Mo asked in surprise as he walked into the cave.

Yi Xiaoyao nodded. His Cultivation Realm had already been well-consolidated during his previous battles. Coupled with the Cultivation Power he had absorbed from the Soul Honey these past few days, the breakthrough was a natural progression.

"But these Soul-Collecting Bees still haven’t left," Yi Xiaoyao said to Xuan Mo with a wry smile.

Xuan Mo explained helplessly, "Every time Master kills a Demon Beast or an enemy, he releases the Soul-Collecting Bees to absorb their souls. Over time, the amount of Soul Honey contained within each bee has become astonishing. Plus, your Cultivation isn’t as high as Master’s, so your absorption of the Soul Honey is naturally going to be exceptionally slow."

’Insect Cultivators really are on another level compared to ordinary Cultivators,’ Yi Xiaoyao couldn’t help but marvel. ’In some ways, this method of collecting souls with Soul-Collecting Bees is even more powerful than my Soul-Devouring Forbidden Technique.’

Before he knew it, Yi Xiaoyao had been recuperating for nearly a month.

Just a few days ago, his soul had made a full recovery, and his soul defense had reached an astonishing level.

At this moment, Yi Xiaoyao was cultivating with his eyes closed, refining the Cultivation Power he had absorbed from the Soul Honey.

BZZZ—

Another wave of energy from a Cultivation breakthrough spread out.

"Fifth Layer of the Nascent Soul Transformation Realm!"

A sharp light gleamed in his eyes, and a smile touched the corners of Yi Xiaoyao’s lips.

But the smile quickly vanished. The thought of the Carefree Alliance’s unknown fate, and the fact that he had been delayed here for a whole month, filled him with unease.

The Soul-Collecting Bees had finally all flown off of Yi Xiaoyao. He immediately stood up and walked out of the cave.

Just as he stepped out, Chong Li and Xuan Mo approached, one after the other.

"Kid, another breakthrough?" Chong Li frowned at Yi Xiaoyao. Without waiting for permission, he grabbed his shoulder, closed his eyes, and began to investigate.

Yi Xiaoyao felt a strange soul fluctuation probing his own soul.

A moment later, Chong Li released his hand.

"You’ve recovered well. Your Power of the Soul has now reached the level of the Half-Step Void Realm."

Chong Li continued, "Although your Cultivation hasn’t caught up, preventing you from using your soul to attack, your soul defense ability is now strong enough to resist a Soul Attack from a Half-Step Void Realm expert."

Yi Xiaoyao’s face lit up with joy at his words. This meant that the Second Lord’s insidious Soul Attacks would no longer be able to harm him so easily.

He quickly bowed in gratitude. "Thank you, Senior. If you hadn’t generously parted with your Soul-Collecting Bees for my sake, I would not only be dead but would have never received such a great opportunity."

"Hmph! Those Soul-Collecting Bees had enough Soul Honey to raise a Cultivator at the Third Layer of the Nascent Soul Transformation Realm by three or four layers. You only advanced two layers. What a criminal waste of a treasure!"

Chong Li snorted, shook his head, and turned to leave.

Yi Xiaoyao just smiled at this. After all, how could Chong Li know that he possessed three Nascent Souls, and that the energy he required to advance his Cultivation was far greater than that of an ordinary person?

At that moment, Xuan Mo spoke up. "Xiaoyao, are you leaving?"

"Yes." Yi Xiaoyao nodded. "I’ve been delayed here for a month. I have to go back immediately."

"Unfortunately, I can’t go with you. The Insect Mother is about to be born, and after I get it, I have to leave the Great Xia with Master."

Xuan Mo sighed. "Say goodbye to Three Treasures for me."

"Don’t worry. The three of us are brothers; we’ll meet again sooner or later!" Yi Xiaoyao said with a smile. "And by then, we’ll definitely be even stronger than we are now!"

Then, Xuan Mo gave Yi Xiaoyao another Spirit Insect, and the two parted ways.

...

High in the void, Yi Xiaoyao recalled being hunted down by the Second Lord and nearly having his soul shattered. A cold glint flashed in his eyes.

’Now, with my soul defense ability and Cultivation, if I run into the Second Lord again, his only option will be to flee!’

A slight smile tugged at the corner of his mouth at the thought.

"I will have my revenge for my shattered soul!"

After muttering this to himself, Yi Xiaoyao’s figure blurred. He transformed into a streak of black light and shot toward the Chaotic Alliance Domain at his top speed.

’Chaotic Alliance Domain, Carefree Alliance, wait for my return!’

...

「Chaotic Alliance Domain.」

"Sigh, the Chaotic Alliance Domain today is nothing like it used to be!"

"It’s all that Yi Xiaoyao’s fault! How could he be so arrogant as to lead his men to challenge the Great Xia!"

"That’s right! If it weren’t for him, why would the balance in the Chaotic Alliance Domain have been broken? Why would the Imperial Army Mansion dispatch a Lord of the Mansion to suppress our domain?"

In a tavern, Yi Xiaoyao listened to these comments as he drank, merely shaking his head with a small smile.

Suddenly, a big, burly man with a thick beard slammed his hand on a table and roared.

"You cowards! What right do you have to pass judgment on the Grand Alliance Leader of my Carefree Alliance?"

"If we in the Chaotic Alliance Domain stood united, why would we fear a single Lord of the Mansion from the Imperial Army Mansion? We wouldn’t even fear the entire Great Xia!"

"But it’s because of cowards like you, each only concerned with your own wretched survival, each alliance carving out its own territory, that no one dares to stand against the Great Xia!"

"What face do you have, settling in the land that Cang Tianxing fought to establish?"

"Our Grand Alliance Leader of the Carefree Alliance, what magnificent spirit he has! He’s in no way inferior to the Cang Tianxing of old! To protect the lives of his brothers, he stayed behind alone to fight the Second Lord. He was glorious even in defeat! And yet you call him a criminal! Your slander is unforgivable!"

As soon as he said this, the surrounding people shot to their feet, their gazes filled with Killing Intent fixed on the bearded man.

"So, a remnant of the Carefree Alliance. Look at the state your Carefree Alliance is in, and you still have the guts to call us cowards? You’re courting death!"

"Brothers, what do you say? Should we hand this guy over to the Imperial Army Mansion for a reward, or should we kill him ourselves to let off some steam?"

The men all looked at the bearded man with playful smirks, grinning cruelly.

The bearded man instantly grew vigilant, drawing his blade to face them.

Just then, an indifferent voice drifted from a table in the corner. "Kill him directly, of course."

Hearing this, the men chuckled. "Alright! Then we’ll kill him directly!"

But then, the indifferent voice spoke again. "I meant, kill you directly."

Everyone’s expression changed, and their murderous gazes all turned toward the source of the indifferent voice.

The bearded man, however, looked utterly astonished. ’That voice... it’s so familiar!’

"Are you... the Grand Alliance Leader?" the bearded man asked tentatively.

Instantly, everyone’s expression changed drastically.

"What? He’s Yi Xiaoyao?"

"Impossible! Yi Xiaoyao was already killed by the Second Lord of the Imperial Army Mansion!"

"Putting on an act! Watch me teach you a lesson—"

The next moment, their voices died abruptly, as if their throats had been seized by an invisible hand, unable to make a sound.

Because, from the direction of the indifferent voice, a man in a Black Robe had stood up and raised his head. His demonically handsome face was looking at them as if they were already dead.

"It... It really is Yi Xiaoyao?!"

"Run!!!"

Everyone let out a trembling, desperate roar and fled for the tavern entrance for their lives. They knew exactly what they had said, and they knew even better just how terrifying the man in the Black Robe was.

But in the next instant, a flash of bloody light, too fast for the naked eye to see, streaked through the room. The fleeing figures all froze, their faces filled with disbelief and absolute terror.

THUD, THUD, THUD, THUD...

Like ripe melons falling to the ground, heads tumbled onto the wooden floor, making a series of dull thuds.

Only the bearded man remained, frozen in place, tears of excitement streaming down his face.

He had heard the man in the Black Robe say something to him apologetically.

"I came back late. I’ve made the brothers suffer. But that ends now."

With a flick of his black robes, Yi Xiaoyao smiled. "Let’s go."

...