Body Seizure!
Looking at this old man before his eyes, Ye Yunfei immediately understood what was happening.
It turned out this old man within the thatched hut had left behind a remnant soul, waiting specifically for someone to deliver themselves to him so he could seize their body.
"It's said that during the Ancient Era, body seizure was a common occurrence. Many people from that time cultivated relatively sophisticated body seizure secret arts," Hun Lao, aware of what was transpiring within Ye Yunfei's Soul Sea, immediately sent a mental transmission to Ye Yunfei. "So long as one retained a remnant soul after death, they could seize another's body, devour their Soul Body, make it their own, and live a second life in that stolen vessel.
However, many of the ancient body seizure secret arts have been lost over time. The ones that survive to the present are relatively simple and low-level. Most of the truly profound ones have vanished."
Even as he spoke, Hun Lao, Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm, Hu Miao, and Huang Chang had already mobilized their Soul Force energy and charged into the Soul Sea to confront the old man.
"What?
You actually have a deity following you?
And a member of the Ancient Era's remnant beast race, the Divine Skysilk Fox Clan?"
The old man, sensing Hu Miao's aura, immediately recognized her as a deity and identified her origins, feeling somewhat shocked.
"A mere Early Stage Void God is no obstacle to my seizure," the old man snorted coldly, regaining his composure quickly.
"And what's this? Boy, you actually possess a Soul-Nourishing Tree? Splendid! This remnant soul of mine has suffered significant energy depletion during its long vigil here. To encounter a Soul-Nourishing Tree now is perfect! I can use it to properly nurture myself.
With this Soul-Nourishing Tree, this remnant soul of mine might one day have the opportunity to restore itself to its former peak state. Only then would it truly count as living a second life.
Hahaha...
Boy, I never would have thought! You are my lucky star, bringing me such excellent fortune.
Rest easy, after I devour your Soul Body, I will live a fine life using your form and your identity.
In the future, this vessel of yours will become one of the most prominent figures in the world. So you can rest in peace."
Discovering and recognizing the Soul-Nourishing Tree within Ye Yunfei's Soul Sea sent the old man into an even more excited state, knowing the immense benefits such a tree held for a Soul Body.
In truth, one of the reasons why Ye Yunfei's Soul Power had always been far stronger than others of the same cultivation level was precisely because of the Soul-Nourishing Tree.
"Now then, boy, stop struggling. Submit obediently and let me devour your Soul Body," the old man declared, and with a flicker of movement, he appeared right before the Soul-Nourishing Tree.
"Get away!" Huang Chang roared, using his Soul Force energy to conjure a multitude of malevolent ghosts and vengeful wraiths that pounced towards the old man.
Hun Lao, Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm, and Hu Miao also unleashed their respective Soul Force martial arts against the old man.
But even though this old man was merely a remnant soul, the Soul Force energy he possessed was truly terrifying. Furthermore, he had cultivated some highly sophisticated soul secret arts from the Ancient Era, allowing him to directly ignore the combined resistance of Huang Chang, Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm, Hu Miao, and Hun Lao. He threw a punch towards the Soul-Nourishing Tree, intending to forcibly enter it.
He had already discerned that Ye Yunfei's Soul Body was concealed within the Soul-Nourishing Tree.
"Excellent. Boy, in the future, I shall also conceal this soul of mine within the Soul-Nourishing Tree, nurturing it every moment," the old man remarked, growing more and more smug as he gazed upon the towering tree before him. He seemed to already be envisioning a glorious future where he dominated the world after his rebirth.
However, at this precise moment, a longsword surged towards him from behind, carrying immense Soul Force energy like a tide. Moreover, over twenty gigantic planets descended upon him from all directions like enormous stones.
At this moment, all the Soul Force energy within Ye Yunfei's Soul Sea had been mobilized.
"What is this?" the old man exclaimed in surprise, quickly spinning around and throwing a fist to meet the longsword. *Clang!* The Soul Sword and the old man's fist collided, their attacks locked in a stalemate.
"So it's a soul-type magical treasure. The power is acceptable. It'll serve as a passable defensive artifact for my soul in the future," the old man commented, nodding with a measure of satisfaction as he felt the force of the Soul Sword.
Right then, a massive fist materialized behind him, striking towards him, while countless green branches transformed into long, writhing green dragons that sought to entangle his body.
"Boy, you dare resist me still!" the old man roared, his other fist swinging back to block the strike. *Boom!* The two fists collided.
"I must say, boy, I didn't expect your Soul Force to be this strong. But I advise you to stop struggling," the old man said, though inwardly he was beginning to feel panicked. He had suddenly realized that Ye Yunfei's Soul Power was astonishingly potent, far beyond what any ordinary Perfected Demigod should possess.
No sooner had he spoken than over twenty colossal Soul Force planets came rolling towards him, crashing against his form.
"Damnation!" the old man erupted in fury, instantly releasing vast amounts of Soul Force energy that condensed into numerous giant palms, swatting towards the incoming planets.
With a roar, Ye Yunfei's primary Soul Body suddenly appeared above the old man's head, striking down with a fist aimed at his skull.
As Ye Yunfei moved, Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm, Hun Lao, Huang Chang, and Hu Miao swarmed forward, launching their own assaults.
"I'll cut the chatter, boy. I only need to devour *this* Soul Body of yours," the old man growled. His form flashed and he shot upwards towards Ye Yunfei's main Soul Body. His speed was so incredible that he managed to wrap himself around Ye Yunfei's Soul Body in an instant.
"Be careful! This old monster's Soul Power level isn't all that formidable, but he cultivated truly refined Soul Force martial arts in the past, making him quite tricky to deal with," Hun Lao urgently sent Ye Yunfei a warning.
The next moment, Ye Yunfei sensed the old man activating an extremely profound body seizure secret art, attempting to forcibly devour his primary Soul Body. Thankfully, Ye Yunfei's Soul Body was like tempered steel, forged through countless tribulations. Its quality was exceedingly high and not so easily consumed.
Ye Yunfei's main Soul Body and the old man grappled together, tearing at each other. They resembled a pair of rabid dogs locked in combat, viciously biting and rolling around.
"Hahaha... Boy, I admit your Soul Body is of exceptional quality, and your Soul Power is remarkably strong. But it's useless! The body seizure art I cultivate is infamous for its ferocity from the Ancient Era. It can even allow the weak to devour the strong! Consider your fate sealed upon meeting me!" The old man laughed wildly even as he relentlessly attempted to consume Ye Yunfei.
Ye Yunfei responded with a cold snort. *Buzz!* The Soul Sword came roaring down towards the old man's head. In truth, Ye Yunfei's second Soul Body was concealed within the Soul Sword, guiding it in its frenzied attacks. At the same time, over twenty Soul Force planets swarmed in, each transforming into an image of Ye Yunfei's Soul Body.
Thus, it was as if over twenty Ye Yunfeis rushed into the fray simultaneously, all ganging up on the old man, pounding and clawing at him.
Ye Yunfei currently possessed twenty-five Soul Force planets, plus his main Soul Body, bringing the total number of his combat avatars to twenty-six.
For a time, the old man, besieged by so many incarnations of Ye Yunfei, found his situation growing increasingly desperate.
"How can this be? Boy, what Soul Force martial arts have you cultivated that allow you to project so many avatars?"
Despite the old man's considerable strength, being besieged by twenty-six Ye Yunfeis quickly began to overwhelm him. To make matters worse, the Soul Sword, guided by another Soul Body, continuously hacked at his form.
The Soul-Nourishing Tree also released countless green branches, transforming into green dragons that coiled unceasingly around the old man's frame.
"How is this possible?! Boy, I've captured your Soul Body and sealed it with a secret art! Even if your Soul Body isn't fully sealed, it should be suppressed, unable to continue employing these Soul Force martial arts!
Yet here you are, still able to wield them, and with such might! What's going on?!" The old man's initial astonishment turned to fury as he faced the endless assault of the Soul Sword and the green dragons formed of branches.
He had no inkling that Ye Yunfei possessed two separate Soul Bodies. He had managed to seize one, but the other remained utterly unaffected.
Moreover, each of Ye Yunfei's Soul Force planets could act as an independent combatant.
Thus, restraining a single one of Ye Yunfei's Soul Bodies was nearly meaningless. Instead, by becoming entangled with one Soul Body, the old man inadvertently allowed Ye Yunfei's other Soul Body and his twenty-five Soul Force planets to attack him more effectively, throwing him into disarray.
In other words, his attempt to control Ye Yunfei's soul had resulted in him being suppressed and manipulated by one of Ye Yunfei's own Soul Bodies.
"What's happening? I've completely subdued this Soul Body of yours! Why can you still continue attacking me with these Soul Force martial arts? What in the world is happening?" The old man bellowed, now gripped by genuine panic as he was held fast by one of Ye Yunfei's Soul Bodies while being savagely beaten and kicked by twenty-five others. He was completely swarmed by hostile figures.
"Damn it all! How was I supposed to know a mere Perfected Demigod could be so troublesome? Had I known, I never would have provoked him!" Regret began to seep into the old man's heart. Initially, when he had carefully scanned the group of three—Ye Yunfei, Cui Hong, and Xiao Xiao—he had detected only a Perfected Demigod level of cultivation in Ye Yunfei, along with his outstanding physical constitution. That was why he'd chosen him without hesitation as his target for seizure. But now, he found himself trapped and unable to advance or retreat.
Concurrently, Cui Hong and Xiao Xiao had noticed something amiss with Ye Yunfei. He stood frozen in place, and chaotic fluctuations of Soul Force energy emanated from his Soul Sea.
"Young Master Ye, what's happened?" Cui Hong immediately stepped forward, projecting his Soul Force energy into Ye Yunfei's Soul Sea. Upon witnessing the struggle unfolding there, he let out a furious roar and immediately unleashed his own Soul Power, hurling it violently against the old man.
With Cui Hong joining the fray, the pressure on the old man increased dramatically.
Shortly after, Xiao Xiao's Soul Power also rushed into Ye Yunfei's Soul Sea, lending her strength to combat the old man.
Thus, with their combined forces, they relentlessly stormed the besieged old man.