Chapter 158: The Tempering of Ye Guyi
The Holy Spirit Cult's several carefully arranged capture plans had all failed. Far from discouraging this behemoth lurking in the shadows of the continent, it instead thoroughly incited the fierce and suspicious nature inherent in the evil instincts of its high-level members.
Having stood on the continent for thousands of years, the higher-ups of the Holy Spirit Cult were by no means stupid. In several operations, the opponent always seemed to have foreknowledge, silently escaping the trap's range before the encirclement could form. This near-eerie insight could not be explained by mere coincidence.
They suspected that this being they were hunting seemed to possess some incredible power of precognition or investigation, allowing them to precisely avoid their traps.
Since traps personally arranged by the Holy Spirit Cult's own experts would be sensed in advance, they decided to change their approach.
A more sinister plan, specifically targeting the potential investigative weaknesses of that 'Hunter,' soon took shape under the deduction of several elders of the Holy Spirit Cult.
The core of their plan was simple and effective: kill with a borrowed knife.
Since that 'Hunter' seemed extremely sensitive to the aura of Evil Soul Masters, they would simply stop using the Holy Spirit Cult's direct forces. Instead, they would invite experts from non-Evil Soul Master forces on the continent who had countless connections to or were subordinates of the Holy Spirit Cult to take action.
These forces were either sects or families. Their members did not practice pure evil arts, but they acted ruthlessly and used any means to achieve their goals. They were closely related to the Holy Spirit Cult, and among them were many experts at the Soul Douluo or even newly-entered Titled Douluo level. If they took action, they wouldn't carry the aura of an Evil Soul Master, and might be able to evade the 'Hunter's' eerie perception.
The high-level members of the Holy Spirit Cult held great expectations for this plan. They spared no expense, promising heavy rewards and even secretly using certain taboo methods to control them, quickly organizing a team of non-Evil Soul Masters.
A fatal death trap targeting Ye Guyi, bypassing her greatest reliance, quietly unfolded.
...
Within the Plane Origin Sea, Lei Chen calmly 'watched' the conspiracy of the Holy Spirit Cult's high-level members. He watched the team composed of non-Evil Soul Masters as they, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit Cult, headed like sharks smelling blood toward the valley where Ye Guyi was briefly resting after completing a hunt.
A look of understanding and reflection flashed in his eyes.
"After losing so many people, the Holy Spirit Cult has indeed become much smarter," Lei Chen whispered to himself. "However, this girl Guyi has been a bit careless; she's relied too much on the Evil Soul Master investigation permissions I gave her."
This strategy of the Holy Spirit Cult had indeed struck precisely at the 'blind spot' of Ye Guyi's current abilities.
The 'Full Map Cheat' he had previously granted Ye Guyi was only to facilitate her hunting of Evil Soul Masters. Therefore, it would only show the aura of Evil Soul Masters. For non-Evil Soul Master existences, this Full Map Cheat was useless. With this oversight by Ye Guyi, things were about to get dangerous.
At this moment, in Lei Chen's perception, Ye Guyi was hiding in the shadow of a naturally formed rock crevice in the valley. Her aura was restrained, like a crouching leopard. She was silently circulating her Soul Power, calming the consumption and agitated emotions brought about by her previous over-leveled kill of that Evil Soul Master.
In her brilliant golden eyes, the sharpness remained, yet she did not realize that an invisible web of death was slowly closing in from three directions, moving from far to near.
Lei Chen's gaze lingered for a moment on Ye Guyi's slightly tense but still determined profile, then swept over the approaching Soul Masters, weighing whether or not to intervene.
"One Titled Douluo, two Soul Douluos, and over a dozen Soul Saints... such a lineup is indeed exceptionally dangerous for this girl Guyi." Lei Chen's mind whirred as he assessed the combat power of both sides.
Although Ye Guyi was exceptionally gifted, she was currently only in the 70s. Although she could exert Titled Douluo-level combat power due to condensing her Soul Core early and the enhancement of the Angel Sword, such strength was already at its limit when killing a newly-entered Titled Douluo Evil Soul Master over her level. Now, facing a Titled Douluo without the advantage of attribute suppression, plus the siege of two Soul Douluos and over ten Soul Saints, her chances of winning were minuscule.
However, after a moment of contemplation, the look of reflection in Lei Chen's eyes gradually faded, replaced by a deeper calm. He slowly shook his head, having already reached a decision.
"Forget it. A greenhouse flower cannot withstand the wind and rain. Although her record of hunting Evil Soul Masters using the 'Full Map Cheat' over the past few years is brilliant, the process has been too smooth after all. She lacks tempering on the edge of life and death and an explosion of potential under crisis. This is not a good thing for her future growth, especially if she wants to inherit the Angel God Throne and ascend to the divine throne once more."
Lei Chen knew very well that the inheritance of a God Position was not just about the accumulation of Soul Power and the comprehension of laws; it also required an unyielding heart that had been tempered a thousand times and could still shine with the light of conviction in desperate situations.
Ye Guyi needed such a test. She needed to squeeze out all her potential in this seemingly certain-death situation, comprehending the essence of combat and the power of conviction between life and death.
"I'll let her handle it herself." Lei Chen finally made up his mind, restraining the Plane Laws that were about to fluctuate around him. "This battle is a calamity, but also an opportunity. Let's see if she can grasp it."
Of course, not intervening did not mean complete abandonment.
Lei Chen's divine sense remained like the most precise radar, firmly locked onto that valley. His bottom line was clear: if Ye Guyi truly reached a dead end, he would descend in an instant to pull her out. Training was fine, but losing this future Angel God was absolutely not allowed.
But before that, all the pain, struggle, and despair needed to be endured and broken through by Ye Guyi herself.
The very next moment after Lei Chen made his decision, within the valley, Ye Guyi, who had been closing her eyes to adjust her breathing, suddenly snapped her brilliant golden eyes open. Her sharp gaze instantly shot toward the entrance of the valley.
Her powerful Spiritual strength captured several unmasked, rapidly approaching auras. These auras varied in strength, but even the weakest had reached the Soul Saint level, and there was one aura like a torch in the dark night, majestic and heavy—it was a Titled Douluo!
Ye Guyi's heart tightened, and her body instantly tensed. The phantom of the Angel Sword was already flickering in her palm. Her first instinct was to activate the'special sensing ability' granted by the Plane Master—the light map that could clearly mark the positions of all Evil Soul Masters within range unfolded in her mind.
However, after quickly scanning the light map, Ye Guyi's tense nerves relaxed slightly, and her furrowed brows smoothed out a bit.
On the light map, the crimson dots representing Evil Soul Masters were at least dozens of miles away. As for these powerful auras approaching the valley entrance... they were not displayed on the light map!
"They aren't Evil Soul Masters..." Ye Guyi thought to herself, breathing a slight sigh of relief.
She restrained some of her hostility but did not completely let down her guard. She remained hidden in the shadows, calmly observing the movements at the valley entrance, her mind quickly calculating the intentions of these unknown experts.
Could they be... just passing by? Surely they aren't coming for me?
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