Chapter -35. The bizzare "Exercise" voucher.

Chapter -35.

A powerful suction erupted from Ye Chen's mouth, sending pure white soul energy swirling above his head and throughout his body. Miraculously, it transformed mid-air into a giant mouth that completely consumed Qiu Xiaoxiao's 'Spatial Distortion' attack.

The furious soul energy from the disrupted space was like a feast, and Ye Chen devoured it without leaving a single trace behind.

The sight was so strange that Qiu Xiaoxiao stood there in stunned silence, her mouth agape, unable to speak for quite some time.

Qiu Bin was equally astonished. In all his life, he had never seen someone consume a soul skill directly, yet here he was, witnessing such an outrageous event firsthand.

"What kind of monster are you? That's a martial soul skill! Most people would be harmed, or even killed, upon contact, yet you just... ate it?"

When he said the word "ate," he was baffled that it had come out of his mouth, but the reality was undeniable.

"Uh!" Letting out a contented burp, Ye Chen patted his stomach and remarked, "Since I'm probably going to die anyway, I might as well share a few things with you." After a moment to gather his thoughts, he continued, "Divine skills are martial soul techniques meant only for gods. My Fallen Angel martial soul is unique; it inherently possesses four divine skills: Devour, Self-Heal, Curse, and Resistance! No matter if I become a god or not, these are the only four skills I will ever have, even if I surpass godhood."

Ye Chen smirked at this moment. He wasn't sure if having these innate divine skills was a blessing or a curse, but having four divine skills before reaching godhood would grant him unparalleled combat prowess. So far, however, he could only utilize Devour, Self-Heal, and Curse effectively. These skills would strengthen as his soul power increased, making them incredibly valuable. As for the 'Resistance' skill, he had yet to see it in action, leaving him curious about its true potential.

"Huh, divine skills?" After hearing Ye Chen's brief explanation, Qiu Bin and Qiu Xiaoxiao felt a wave of despair wash over them. Their most powerful attack had just been gobbled up; how could they stand a chance now?

"How are you so powerful? You're just a kid with level 41 soul power and twin martial souls! It feels like I'm not facing a Soul Leader, but a Soul King!" With a bitter smile, Qiu Bin gazed upon Ye Chen, who was flapping his black wings like an ethereal being, and the overwhelming sense of helplessness made him feel utterly defeated.

"You aren't human; you're a devil." Qiu Xiaoxiao stood in shock, staring at Ye Chen, unsure of her next move.

"Don't give up just yet; stick around and fight me a bit longer," Ye Chen insisted as he noticed their dwindling spirits. This was his first real battle with the Fallen Angel martial soul, and he was eager to experiment with his other divine skills.

He had a basic understanding of the Self-Heal ability from his interactions with Hu Liena, but he was equally curious about the Curse skill.

"Just because you say you don't want to fight, does that really mean you won't? What do you think I am?" The Seven-Star Demon Abyss Sword appeared in Ye Chen's hand, and his expression sharpened with newfound resolve.

Seeing this, the siblings understood that avoiding the fight would only lead to greater danger. If they were going to perish anyway, they may as well fight for their freedom. Qiu Xiaoxiao and Qiu Bin exchanged determined glances, and with a flick of her elegant hand, the Duankong Pohun Wheel returned to her grasp from the sky.

Without uttering another word, Qiu Bin summoned the Destruction Spear, gripping it with determination.

"Soul Skill: Spiral Slash!"

"Soul Skill: Sky-Piercing Spear!"

Qiu Xiaoxiao attacked first, hurling the void breaker soul wheel, which spun wildly and created a massive wind wheel that expanded rapidly.

The Spiral Slash was astonishingly quick, slicing effortlessly through Ye Chen's waist as it aimed to continually assault him under Qiu Xiaoxiao's command.

The scene turned bloody, but it didn't stop there. As Qiu Bin activated his martial soul skill, the God-Slaying Spear in his hand grew rapidly before he launched it with all his might, aiming it directly at Ye Chen.

As expected, the colossal 'Sky-Piercing Spear' pierced through Ye Chen's chest, shattering a large portion of it and splattering blood everywhere.

Oddly enough, moments later, the scattered remnants seemed to gather together, almost as if they had a mind of their own, and soon enough, a fully restored Ye Chen stood before the bewildered siblings.

Ye Chen didn't even try to defend; he actually wanted to see how far his Self-Heal divine skill could go. To his surprise, the divine skills offered recovery powers beyond his expectations, yet their strength had a significant drawback.

Perhaps due to being on the verge of death, during this healing process, Ye Chen expended half of his mental energy permanently, resulting in his soul power decreasing a level—almost dropping below level 40.

Despite the setbacks, he concluded he now understood the cost of self-healing from fatal injuries. In the grand scheme, this experience was not a loss.

Once his body was back to normal, Ye Chen looked at Qiu Bin and Qiu Xiaoxiao, a sly grin spreading across his face: "Divine skills!"

"Curses: Weakness!"

"Curses: Aging!"

"Curses: Extreme Negativity!"

As the three curses were unleashed in quick succession, Qiu Bin and Qiu Xiaoxiao's faces shifted dramatically.

Suddenly, they felt their soul power draining away uncontrollably, as if a dam had burst. In moments, 50% of their power evaporated, and their appearances aged visibly, as if decades had passed in an instant, transforming them into worn-out and exhausted versions of themselves.

Their bodies hunched, hair turned white, they looked like elderly versions of their former selves.

But that was just the beginning. Once the last curse was activated, both siblings had no choice but to cancel their soul skills and sank down to the ground, appearing lifeless and despondent, mumbling to themselves.

"I've trained for 20 years and I'm worse off than a stray dog. Maybe I should just give up."

"Yeah, brother! I've become so unattractive. Why don't the soul beasts in the bamboo forest eat me already?"

"We have no reason to live; even breathing feels like a waste. I'm really sorry, world!"

"Brother, let's end it all!"

With that, Qiu Xiaoxiao and Qiu Bin summoned their martial souls and, without hesitation, aimed them at their chests, without a hint of retreat.

Noticing the two "old folks" trying to end their lives, Ye Chen raised his sword to block their martial souls, lifted the curse, and allowed them to regain their former selves.

As they revived, Qiu Xiaoxiao and Qiu Bin sprang back several dozen meters, fear etched on their faces as they stared at Ye Chen.

"You're a devil from hell; no, you're even scarier than the devil."

They vividly recalled everything they had just experienced—the feeling of being utterly worthless and insignificant, a sensation worse than being trapped in the deepest depths of hell. It was an experience no one wanted to relive, where only death felt like an escape from such profound negativity.

"Isn't that a bit over the top?"

Ye Chen scratched his head, realizing this was his first attempt at a 'Curse' skill, leaving him unsure of its complete ramifications.

Recognizing Ye Chen's curiosity, Qiu Xiaoxiao and Qiu Bin quickly grew serious and shouted, "If you want to keep going, just kill us already!"

Their resolute attitude left Ye Chen astonished. Was it really that they couldn't handle just three curses?

From what he understood, the types of divine skill curses would expand as his own cultivation progressed. Cumulatively, he could have over 300 curse types if he achieved godhood!

As he contemplated their willingness to die, Ye Chen smirked at the thought of how they would react if they knew of the numerous curses he secretly harbored.

Shaking his head, he laid out two choices: "You have two options: one: die! Two: submit to me."

The sudden proposition took the siblings aback.

"Why don't you just kill us? We came here tonight to do you in." They exchanged glances filled with disbelief and suspicion.

Hearing this, Ye Chen chuckled: "No particular reason, just think it would be a shame for you two to die. You still have some value in living."

Die or live!

It was a no-brainer. Qiu Xiaoxiao and Qiu Bin knelt on the ground, bowing their heads in loyalty to Ye Chen with no hesitation whatsoever.

Seeing this, Ye Chen remained silent, simply sending beams of golden light from his eyes into their minds before releasing them to leave freely.

In the desolation of the bamboo forest, Ye Chen stood alone, gazing toward the Elder Hall in the distance, and coldly mused, "If you want me dead, I'll give you a proper showdown."

[Beep! Congratulations to the host for completing the sign-in task. Your reward is a 100% increase in cultivation speed and a favorability boost of 300% with target Hu Liena!]

The system chime echoed in his mind, and Ye Chen had grown accustomed to these sudden interruptions, so he brushed it off.

But then, the next notification from the system caught him off guard.

[Beep! Congratulations to the host for completing 4 goddess sign-in tasks, earning a one-time system prize: 'Exercise' voucher!]

Ye Chen stood frozen at the announcement.

[The system cannot clarify its meaning. If the host wishes to understand the 'Exercise' voucher, you can inquire at any time.]

The system's emotionless voice made it all the more perplexing, leaving Ye Chen to helplessly ask, "Can you please explain what this prize is used for?"

As soon as he finished his inquiry, the system responded immediately in his mind.

['Exercise' voucher is a one-time system prize that can be used collectively with others; after use, it will be completely expended. Effect: Gains up to 1000% increase in host's mental power, boosting soul strength by 500%!]

[System prompt: The exact outcome of the 'Exercise' voucher will depend on the number of individuals the host chooses to utilize it with, with no upper limit and a minimum of one person.]

As Ye Chen absorbed this information, he couldn't shake the feeling that this 'Exercise' voucher was shrouded in mystery since the system had never explained what would actually occur after it was used.

Not willing to dwell on it, he shivered slightly. Seeing that dawn was breaking, Ye Chen decided not to linger in the bamboo forest any longer and headed straight back to the Martial Soul Hall Academy.

Now, he had become the academy's strongest figure, not only completing the sign-in task but quite possibly fulfilling Bibi Dong's expectations.

With any luck, Ye Chen might be able to leave the Wuhun Hall and reconnect with Rong Rong and Zhu Qing, who he hadn't seen in a while. He was eager to find out how they were doing.

Soon, Ye Chen returned to the Wuhun Hall Academy, only to find Hu Liena waiting for him in front of the West Building, ready to escort him to the Pope's Hall.

At the grand hall, Bibi Dong sat on the throne. Upon his arrival, she stated directly, "In three months, there will be an exchange conference for various academies. This year, you will lead the team!"

Tl/N: If you want to read more [upto Ten chapters] while supporting me, you can join me on patreon.com/EmptyThoughts ;Thanks.

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Note : Guys, some power stones will be really helpful.

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Next Update :-

36. First meeting with Dugu Yan.

37. Encounter with pervy yellow dog.

38. A sleepless Night.