Chapter 162
Chapter 162 - Avenge Me
“Go ahead,” Ye Hao said coolly.
“They're all dead.” No sooner had the words left the man's mouth than Ye Hao felt an immense restraining force envelop him.
This was Divine Sense!
Divine Sense is an intangible power, akin to psychic force.
Physical energy struggles to counter Divine Sense because it is formless and cannot be severed.
Suddenly, a commanding Divine Sense emerged within Ye Hao's consciousness sea. After escaping the Divine Sense that had ensnared him, it lunged at the black-robed hag.
“Soul Refining.” The black-robed hag's face registered shock.
She hadn't anticipated Ye Hao's level of cultivation to be so advanced at his young age.
But then, her face twisted into a vicious snarl.
Divine Sense surged from her forehead, clashing directly with Ye Hao's Divine Sense.
This was a clash of Divine Senses!
Ye Hao's face darkened.
He hadn't expected the black-robed hag to be such a formidable opponent.
A battle of Divine Senses is perilous; the loser risks irreparable soul damage.
Such a confrontation is usually reserved for deep-seated grudges, not taken lightly.
Yet, with the black-robed hag initiating this battle of Divine Senses, Ye Hao had no choice but to engage.
Their Divine Senses collided in the air before them, the intense vibrations startling Xiao Ming from a short distance away.
Xiao Ming arrived on the scene at once.
“A Divine Sense showdown,” Xiao Ming muttered, his face turning pale.
Only then did Xiao Ming realize Ye Hao's cultivation had reached the Soul Refining realm.
Xiao Ming stood powerless to intervene in the Divine Sense duel between Soul Refining adepts.
As Xiao Ming arrived, the black-robed hag struck him with a fierce blast of Divine Sense.
Xiao Ming collapsed instantly.
He managed to look up at Ye Hao, uttering a few words.
Ye Hao understood; Xiao Ming was asking him to seek revenge.
Seeing blood trickle from Xiao Ming's mouth, Ye Hao's eyes blazed red with fury.
His rage intensified his Divine Sense, and the black-robed hag's expression shifted with alarm.
Initially, her Divine Sense could slightly suppress Ye Hao, but as Ye Hao's Divine Sense grew stronger, the black-robed hag's advantage vanished. Yet, she remained unflustered. Having dwelled in the realm of Soul Refining for many years, she was confident that Ye Hao's Divine Sense could not match her own. Her assumption proved accurate.
After roughly thirty seconds, Ye Hao began to feel pain in his consciousness sea, a clear indicator of insufficient Divine Sense. He couldn't afford to let his guard down; any lapse could result in his Divine Sense harming his soul. But further use of his Divine Sense risked injury to his consciousness sea, which was equally challenging to heal. Ultimately, Ye Hao opted to safeguard his soul.
Despite the risk of soul injury, Ye Hao knew the black-robed hag wouldn't spare him. Resolute, he clenched his teeth and endured. At the critical moment when his consciousness sea was on the brink of damage, the Dragon Orb within his dantian quivered. A soothing energy flowed into his consciousness sea, instantly replenishing his Divine Sense. Ye Hao swiftly regained his psychic force.
The black-robed hag's face contorted in shock as she realized Ye Hao's Divine Sense attacks had intensified significantly, and he was recklessly engaging her in a head-on clash. During their third Divine Sense collision, she coughed up blood and stumbled backward. With a venomous glare at Ye Hao, she vanished from sight.
Exhausted, Ye Hao resisted the urge to pursue her and instead approached Xiao Ming. “Xiao Ming,” he called out. Ye Hao had few friends and had always considered Xiao Ming one of them. But today, Xiao Ming had perished. Chillingly, Xiao Ming responded. After wiping the blood from his mouth, he sat up, glanced around, and asked, “Did you manage to drive off that old hag?”
”You're not dead?” Ye Hao exclaimed in anger.
“No, I'm not dead,” Xiao Ming replied, clearly surprised.
“Then why did you tell me to avenge you?”
“Does my being alive or dead matter in that regard?” Xiao Ming asked earnestly.
In frustration, Ye Hao kicked Xiao Ming and turned to leave.
Xiao Ming let out a cry of pain and got to his feet.
“I'm hurt,” he said, spitting out blood and managing a wry smile.
From a distance, Ye Hao noticed Ming Yue approaching with two security guards.
Relieved to see Ye Hao unharmed, Ming Yue quickly inquired, “Are you okay?”
Ming Yue was astute. Ye Hao's unusual behavior had tipped her off to the danger posed by the black-robed figure, prompting her to seek out the security guards without delay.
Had she been like some girls, needing to unravel the truth first, it could have led to dire consequences.
“I'm fine,” Ye Hao reassured her, shaking his head.
“I'm the one who's injured,” Xiao Ming interjected.
“What happened here?” the security guards asked, alarmed at the sight of Xiao Ming's bloodied state.
“I was investigating a case,” Xiao Ming explained, producing his police badge.
“Can we assist you with anything?” the guards offered immediately.
“No, thank you,” Xiao Ming declined.
He had already pieced together the cause of the girls' deaths.
The black-robed hag was certainly from a nefarious cult.
Afterward, Ye Hao said his goodbyes to Ming Yue.
Back at the Supernatural Bureau, Ye Hao reported, “The cultivation level of that black-robed hag is at least at the second layer of the Soul Refining Realm.”
“Before we discuss that, may I ask you a question?”
“Sure, what is it?”
“When did you make your breakthrough to the Soul Refining Realm?”
“Not too long ago.”
“Do you realize how rapidly you're cultivating? It's so fast that it's left me without the courage to even try to keep up.”
Ye Hao smirked and responded, “You're advancing quickly as well. You've reached the second layer of the Blood Refining Realm.”
It dawned on Ye Hao why the Keepers of Forbidden Lore had assigned Xiao Ming to operate solo in Glento.
Xiao Ming's spirit root had to be exceptional for him to have progressed so swiftly.
Ye Hao was confident that it wouldn't be long before Xiao Ming advanced to the Soul Refining Realm.
“Compared to a genius like you, I'm nothing but trash,” Xiao Ming admitted, recognizing that his cultivation speed, though fast, paled in comparison to Ye Hao's.
“What's your plan for dealing with that old crone?” Ye Hao deftly steered the conversation in a new direction.
“I was thinking of asking the sect to dispatch some powerful figures to take her out. But since you've managed to severely wound her, it's clear you're capable of finishing the job,” Xiao Ming said with a sly grin, then added, “I've placed a Pursuit Charm on her. Once you've recuperated, we can go and finish her off.”
“I'm not going,” Ye Hao stated flatly.