168: Chapter 168: Leaving the pass and heading straight for Huanglongfu, the first battle saw the capture of Xifeng Pass.

After his Breakthrough to the Spirit Severing Realm, Ye Qing did not rush to trouble the core of the Heavenly Demon Imperial Court. Instead, he set his sights on the strongholds they had planted like nails on the border of the Human Race's territory.

He needed actual combat to consolidate his Realm, needed massive resources to continue driving the evolution of his Cave Heaven World, and even more so, he needed the blood of the Heavenly Demon Imperial Court to announce that the Human Race now had another expert in the Spirit Severing Realm.

His first target was chosen as "Xifeng Pass," eight thousand li west of Black Wind City.

Xifeng Pass was less of a pass and more of a military fortress built by the Yao Race upon the ruins of the Human Race. It was originally the first line of defense against the eastward advance of the Yao Race, but it had been breached three years ago, becoming a base for the Yao Race to enslave the Human Race, stockpile supplies, and transfer troops.

It was said that the one guarding Xifeng Pass was a Yao King under the Heavenly Demon Imperial Court named "Tu Lie," who possessed Nascent Soul Perfection cultivation. He was known for being cruel and bloodthirsty, and his hands were stained with the blood of countless Human Race Cultivators.

Ye Qing did not hide his tracks, nor did he have any intention of launching a sneak attack.

He simply walked, openly and honestly, step by step toward the city gate of Xifeng Pass, which was dozens of zhang high and forged from white bones and black iron.

"Stop right there! This is the Xifeng Pass of the Heavenly Demon Imperial Court! Take one more step forward, and you will be executed without mercy!"

On the city wall, a Harpy responsible for guarding the perimeter spotted Ye Qing's figure from afar and issued a sharp warning.

Ye Qing turned a deaf ear and did not stop his pace.

"Courting death!"

A flash of ferocity crossed the Harpy's eyes. She flapped her wings, and dozens of feathers shimmering with cold light shot toward Ye Qing like sharp arrows!

Ye Qing did not even look up; he just continued walking forward.

Those feathers, capable of piercing metal and stone and imbued with Yao power, struck an invisible wall three feet in front of him and fell weakly to the ground, one after another.

On the city wall, the Harpy's expression changed. Realizing she had encountered a tough opponent, she hurriedly sounded the alarm.

A shrill horn blast echoed over Xifeng Pass.

The entire fortress instantly boiled over, as if a hornet's nest had been poked.

Countless Yao Race soldiers swarmed onto the city walls, and the lights of various defensive formations began to shine.

A burly Yao King, three zhang tall, covered in dark gold mane with a head like a lion, appeared on the city tower, surrounded by a group of Yao generals.

He was the guardian of Xifeng Pass, Tu Lie.

Tu Lie looked down from a high vantage point at the seemingly insignificant Human Race figure below the city. A flash of contempt and cruelty crossed his bell-like eyes: "Where did this Human Race ant come from, daring to run wild at my Xifeng Pass? State your name. This King does not kill nobodies under his hand!"

Ye Qing stopped, finally looked up, and gazed calmly at Tu Lie on the city tower. He said indifferently: "Loose Cultivator, Ye Qing. Today, I have come specifically to borrow your head."

"Ye Qing?" Tu Lie was stunned for a moment, then, as if he had heard some huge joke, he threw his head back and laughed, "Hahaha! You are that Ye Qing who luckily killed Patrol Inspector Lietian? I thought you were some figure with three heads and six arms, but it turns out you are just a wet-behind-the-ears brat! Do you think that by killing that trash Patrol Inspector Lietian, you have the qualifications to be presumptuous in front of this King?"

His laughter ceased, and killing intent was laid bare in his eyes: "Since you have delivered yourself to my doorstep, it saves this King the trouble of looking for you! Today, I will use your head to pay tribute to Patrol Inspector Lietian!"

Before the words had even faded, he suddenly opened his bloody mouth and let out a lion's roar that shook the heavens and the earth!

That roar, like a tangible sound wave, transformed into an invisible shockwave and blasted fiercely toward Ye Qing!

This roar was Tu Lie's famous ultimate technique—the "Soul-Shattering Lion's Roar"! It specifically targeted the Divine Soul and was impossible to guard against! Countless Human Race Cultivators with lower cultivation than his had had their Divine Souls shattered by his roar, dying with blood flowing from their seven orifices!

Ye Qing stood amidst the violent sound wave impact, his robes fluttering, but his figure remained motionless.

There was not even a change in his expression.

"Is this it?"

He softly spat out two words.

Tu Lie's expression changed, and a look of disbelief flashed in his eyes!

His Soul-Shattering Lion's Roar had absolutely no effect on this Ye Qing?!

How could this be?!

Just as his mind was shaken, Ye Qing moved.

He slowly raised his right hand, pointing his fingers like a sword, and slashed through the air at Tu Lie on the city tower.

A condensed, dark silver sword Qi that seemed capable of severing Karma and destroying all laws appeared silently, instantly crossing the barrier of space and appearing before Tu Lie.

Tu Lie only felt an indescribable, terrifying sense of crisis instantly envelop his entire body! He wanted to dodge, but found that he seemed to be imprisoned by an invisible force, unable to move even a single finger!

He could only watch helplessly as that dark silver sword Qi, like a hot knife through butter, easily sliced across his neck.

Puchi!

A soft sound.

A massive lion head with an expression of disbelief soared into the sky!

Blood sprayed out like a fountain from the smooth, mirror-like severed neck!

The Nascent Soul Perfection guardian of Xifeng Pass, Tu Lie, had been killed by Ye Qing from afar without even being able to take a single move!

On the city wall, those Yao Race soldiers and Yao generals looked at their master's headless corpse crashing to the ground and were stunned for a moment.

Immediately following, a boundless fear spread rapidly throughout the entire Xifeng Pass like a plague!

Even the Nascent Soul Perfection Lord Tu Lie had been slaughtered by the other party like a chicken; wouldn't they, these small fries, be throwing their lives away if they went up?

"Run!"

Not knowing who shouted first, the entire Xifeng Pass instantly fell into complete chaos!

Countless Yao Race soldiers threw away their armor and fled in all directions like headless flies!

Ye Qing did not pursue the fleeing soldiers.

He took a step, and his figure appeared above Xifeng Pass.

He extended his right hand and pressed down vaguely toward the huge fortress made of white bones and black iron below!

"sword, suppress!"

An invisible, intangible, yet terrifying power that seemed capable of suppressing a region of heaven and earth descended with a roar!

The entire Xifeng Pass, along with its foundations, seemed to be pressed by an invisible giant hand, sinking downwards with a jolt!

Immediately after, the white bones and black iron that made up the fortress began to groan under the unbearable weight, and fine cracks appeared on the surface, rapidly spreading throughout the entire fortress!

Rumble—!!!

Amidst a deafening roar, this Yao Race fortress, which covered dozens of li and was as solid as a rock, collapsed and disintegrated like a sandcastle!

Countless dust and smoke rose to the sky!

Xifeng Pass had become history!

Ye Qing did not even look at the pile of ruins. With a sweep of his Divine Sense, he locked onto the medium-sized Spiritual Vein beneath the fortress, which the Yao Race had imprisoned with secret techniques to supply the operation of the entire fortress.

"This Spiritual Vein is of decent quality. Just right to nourish my Cave Heaven World."

He waved his hand, and an invisible devouring force, like a whale inhaling water, extracted the imprisoned medium-sized Spiritual Vein, along with the essence of the Earth Vein it was rooted in, and sent it directly into the Cave Heaven World.

After absorbing this medium-sized Spiritual Vein, the Cave Heaven World expanded outwards by another few tens of thousands of zhang; the land became thicker, and the Spiritual Qi became even richer.

Having done all this, Ye Qing turned around, and his gaze turned toward the next Yao Race stronghold.

"Xifeng Pass has been broken. The next one should be the turn of 'Blood Tooth Fort.'"