Chapter 41: The Great Battle with the Battle Drum Toad King – Part 2

Thank you to our new Patrons: jostein kildal, Anaral, Benjamin Louri, Mürsel Kenan, Nanu and Volrith! Your support means the world to me :) We are up to Chapter 160: Bibi Dong's Scheme on Patreon.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Looking at the once-ignored weeds now binding him again, the Battle Drum Toad King's eyes filled with rage. He silently vowed that if he escaped this time, he would destroy every single Blue Silver Grass in this area.

But it was too late. Before the battle even began, Ah Yin's true form as the Blue Silver Emperor had already quietly entangled hundreds of trees in this forest. Now, the Blue Silver Emperor vines wrapping around the Battle Drum Toad King were like hundreds of ropes binding the entire forest. Unless the Battle Drum Toad King possessed hundreds or even thousands of tons of strength, there was no way it could break free from this terrifying pulling force.

Seeing this, Ye Wen knew his chance had finally arrived. His initial use of Gravity Slash had only been a test to gauge the Battle Drum Toad King's physical resilience—it hadn't been unleashed at full power.

"Gravity Slash – Maximum Power!"

Ye Wen's eyes widened with intensity as he opened the largest spatial rift he could manage. Twenty massive swords, each as wide as an adult, darted through the rift at incredible speed. These swords were not the same as the refined iron ones used before—they were forged from high-quality steel, with double the strength and dozens of times the weight of the previous ones. The kinetic energy they generated was immense, far surpassing the earlier, weaker attempts.

Ten seconds passed. On the ground, the Battle Drum Toad King continued to struggle wildly. If it had been at full strength, it might have been able to shatter the surrounding Blue Silver Grass with its Void Roar Cannon and escape. But now, weakened to this extent, even its mouth was bound tightly by the Blue Silver Emperor.

The friction between the rapidly moving swords and the air generated heat. The metallic sheen of the swords turned a faint crimson, glowing like silver ribbons streaked with red.

"It's over, Battle Drum Toad King."

Ye Wen's gaze hardened as he released the spatial channel. The swords shot out like untamed horses, mercilessly crashing down onto the struggling Battle Drum Toad King below. The combination of their immense kinetic energy and unyielding mass shattered the body that had grown strong over tens of thousands of years.

In an instant, blood splattered everywhere. The once lush forest now resembled a meteorite impact site—pockmarked and drenched in dark red blood, reeking of gore.

By now, half of the Battle Drum Toad King's body had been reduced to rubble, and it was clearly on the verge of death.

From afar, Ah Yin watched with a hint of sorrow—not out of empathy for the dying creature, but because it reminded her of other spirit beasts hunted by human soul masters under the same rules. If she hadn't coincidentally taken human form, as a hundred-thousand-year-old Blue Silver Emperor, her discovery by humans would likely have drawn the attention of countless powerful factions.

But thanks to this twist of fate, she had met "Brother." She had come to understand that while the world operated on the principle of survival of the fittest, it also held moments of beauty.

With these thoughts, Ah Yin's mood lightened, and a serene smile graced her lips.

High above, Ye Wen observed the Battle Drum Toad King's tenacious vitality. Even with half its body destroyed, it still hadn't completely died and formed its soul ring. This was a subtle favor the world's rules granted to humans. After all, in the original world, decapitated snakes could still bite, and ancient soul beasts often dragged their enemies down with them in their final moments.

Silently, Ye Wen gathered another Gravity Slash and drove it directly into the Battle Drum Toad King's forehead. The creature, which had been clinging to life and attempting mutual destruction, finally succumbed with a resentful last breath.

Damn sneaky bastard!!!

Watching the deep, ink-like soul ring coalesce in midair, Ye Wen finally exhaled in relief.

The two stood before the colossal corpse of the Battle Drum Toad King, silently grateful. Fortunately, this brute had a habit of swallowing things whole; otherwise, any strange taste might have tipped it off. Or perhaps its confidence in its unparalleled poison resistance among spirit beasts had led it to eat recklessly. Thinking back, toads were one of the Five Poisons in his previous life, consuming not only insects but even venomous creatures.

Too bad it had lived tens of thousands of years without encountering anyone who would dare slip it a laxative.

If given another chance, the Battle Drum Toad King would surely swear never to eat recklessly again.

Ye Wen looked regretfully at the scattered remains on the ground. In his past life, the toad venom produced by toads was a precious medicinal herb, known for detoxifying, relieving pain, and awakening consciousness. He wondered what effects the venom from an 80,000-year-old toad might have.

Thinking about this, Ye Wen's hands itched. As a former medical student, he had always coveted such rare herbs. Aside from seeing them in his teacher's possession, he had never been able to afford them—each gram cost around 150 yuan, with a kilogram priced at 70,000 to 80,000 yuan. Such luxuries were far beyond the reach of a poor student like him.

Lost in thought, Ye Wen extended his mischievous little hand.

Ah Yin, standing nearby, didn't understand why Ye Wen wasn't absorbing the soul ring but instead collecting that disgusting white venom. She frowned slightly but knew Ye Wen had his reasons, so she simply distanced herself from him.

Fully focused on harvesting the venom, Ye Wen paid no heed to Ah Yin's thoughts.

Under his Void Mimicry, these toxins were deadly—any ordinary Soul Emperor who touched them would suffer complete bodily decay and die.

This was normal. Not all traditional Chinese medicines were nourishing tonics; some were bizarre, even highly toxic substances. Even cinnabar and arsenic were considered part of the pharmacopeia. 

However, one principle of traditional Chinese medicine rang true: discussing toxicity without considering dosage was pure nonsense.

After special preparation, toad venom could be combined with other herbs to create excellent antidotes and painkillers. This was a living fossil of how the East had embraced chemistry long before the West.

After half a day of collection, Ye Wen had amassed over 200 kilograms of toad venom. During the process, he discovered a vibrant green spirit bone embedded in the Battle Drum Toad King's head—it was stunningly beautiful.

Though this 85,000-year-old head spirit bone was impressive, Ye Wen wasn't tempted. With his twin martial souls, he was destined to hunt many hundred-thousand-year spirit beasts in the future. A mere 85,000-year-old spirit bone, even from the head, didn't hold much value for him.

Still, being a head spirit bone, it undoubtedly enhanced spiritual power. Ye Wen asked Ah Yin if she wanted it, but after some thought, she declined, citing incompatibility with her attributes.

"Are you done yet, Brother? Hurry up and absorb the soul ring, or other spirit beasts will come," Ah Yin said impatiently, walking over to urge him.

Ye Wen scratched his head sheepishly. Losing himself in work and ignoring others' presence was one of his bad habits.

"Just a moment!"

Summoning his Void Space martial soul, he guided the dark, shimmering soul ring floating in the air.

The immense energy of the soul ring surged into Ye Wen's body, causing every cell to rejoice in the strengthening process.

Having trained his body to withstand 85,000 jin of force, Ye Wen absorbed this energy with a calm expression. This was merely an appetizer—the real challenge lay in the subsequent soul shock.

90,000 jin… 100,000 jin… 150,000 jin… 170,000 jin!

After absorbing the last traces of energy from the soul ring, Ye Wen once again felt the illusion of limitless potential—a self-deception common when experiencing sudden leaps in power. He quickly steadied his mind.

Quietly sensing his soul power, Ye Wen noted that since this wasn't a limit-breaking absorption, his current level hovered around Rank 61.

Suddenly, a surge of spiritual energy forcibly pulled him into his spiritual world.

Facing the hateful and angry residual soul of the Battle Drum Toad King, Ye Wen sneered. Despite its long lifespan, its spiritual power lacked substance compared to his own.

Thanks to his cultivation method for spiritual power, Ye Wen's abilities had steadily improved, reaching the Spirit Sea Realm upon breaking through to Soul Emperor. Though unfamiliar with Douluo III's terminology, he knew he had opened his Sea of Consciousness and could freely enter and exit it.

While not yet at the Spirit Abyss Realm of Title Douluo, his spiritual power far surpassed that of the Battle Drum Toad King.

Provocatively, Ye Wen crooked a finger. 

"I know you're angry—I admit my methods were underhanded. But wisdom is a form of strength. Survival of the fittest is the natural order. I don't seek to defy heaven, so, Battle Drum Toad King, become the stepping stone for my further advancement."

Enraged, the Battle Drum Toad King opened its massive maw and lunged forward with its tongue. 

In the spiritual realm, all soul skills were nullified. What mattered was pure spiritual power and primal combat techniques. Without its monstrous body or innate Void Roar Cannon, the toad king was reduced to its most instinctual fighting style—something Ye Wen found laughable.

Anticipating its attack the moment it opened its mouth, Ye Wen used his spiritual power to mimic the Six Steps of Instant Movement, closing the distance instantly.

What followed was a relentless barrage of strikes targeting its joints, rendering it unable to continue attacking. Deprived of its toxins, the toad king was helpless against Ye Wen's close-range assault. After a brutal beating, its soul fragmented and merged into Ye Wen's spiritual world.

Exhaling deeply, Ye Wen's eyes gleamed with vitality. His already vast Sea of Consciousness expanded further, hinting at profound depths—a sign of nearing the Spirit Abyss Realm. At this rate, it wouldn't be long before his spiritual power reached Title Douluo levels.

Combined with his body's ability to absorb hundred-thousand-year soul rings, Ye Wen was confident in hunting a hundred-thousand-year spirit beast for his seventh soul ring—a feat achievable only by a few Limit Douluo in Douluo II. 

At this point, Ye Wen truly embodied extraordinary potential.

"How did it go, Brother? Did you get the soul skill you wanted?" Ah Yin asked curiously, snapping Ye Wen out of his self-admiration.

He smiled. "Stand back a bit—I'll show you the power of my sixth soul skill."

Seeing Ye Wen's confident demeanor, Ah Yin obeyed, retreating over 100 meters away.

Ye Wen's eyes narrowed as his *Void Space* martial soul enveloped his arm. 

Yellow—Purple—Purple—Purple—Black—Black!!!

Six soul rings, defying conventional understanding, surrounded Ye Wen. The darkest sixth ring glowed faintly. The *Void Space* around his hand turned invisible, replaced by a glowing circle.

"Sixth Soul Skill—Spatial Oscillation!!!"

Ye Wen unleashed a full-powered punch. Cracks resembling shattered glass appeared in the air before him.

Ah Yin tilted her head, puzzled by the sudden fractures in the air. Her knowledge wasn't sufficient to identify them.

But any fan of the sea would recognize them as ripples caused by powerful oscillations shattering the atmosphere.

A second later, Ah Yin witnessed the terrifying effect of this soul skill.

Starting from Ye Wen's fist, the forest ahead was mercilessly uprooted. Deep fissures tore through the ground, and the lush forest within several hundred meters was reduced to ruins.

Ah Yin stared in disbelief. Without even awakening his martial soul's true form, Ye Wen had caused such widespread destruction. The power of this sixth soul skill was undeniably terrifying.

Quick-witted Ah Yin suddenly recalled that Ye Wen's sixth soul ring wasn't an ordinary Soul Emperor-level ring—it was top-tier, worthy of being a ninth soul ring for a Title Douluo.

In other words, this single strike equated to the power of a Title Douluo's attack. Looking at the devastation before her, such an attack—if directed at a person—could tear even a surprised Title Douluo

------------------------------------------------------

Support my writing journey: patreon.com/EphemeralShadow