Devouring Soul Emperor

Time flew by, and soon it was the last day of the ten-day deadline the Celestial Wind Army Master had set for Chu Qingyun.

That morning, Chu Qingyun, having fully adjusted his condition, headed for the Merit Assessment Office to begin his Illusion Realm trial.

This day also happened to be the final day of the Four Races Martial Arts Competition. The last four contestants from the younger generation of the Four Races were set to compete for the final rankings.

The Celestial Wind Army Master also left the encampment to observe the event, bringing with him a group of his Grand Commanders, along with several Guard Generals and Gold Medal Captains.

"Lord Military Commander, Xiao Feng and his group of four went out on a mission to practice their coordination and teamwork. When we go to spectate at the Four Races Martial Arts Competition, we’re certain to be challenged. To play it safe, should we bring Chu Qingyun along...?"

Grand Commander Chu Yu said to the Celestial Wind Army Master just before they departed.

Liu Taian, who was standing nearby, interjected, "We’re just dealing with some juniors from the Four Great Clans. The Gold Medal Captains under my command are more than sufficient! If we have to go out of our way to summon someone, acting so anxious, wouldn’t that tarnish the prestige of our Great Xia Dragon Guard?"

He wanted his subordinate, Huo Pengzhan, to earn merit, so he naturally didn’t want Chu Qingyun to interfere.

The other Grand Commanders nodded in agreement as well.

The Celestial Wind Army Master smiled. "As far as I know, Chu Qingyun should be heading to the Merit Assessment Office for his trial today. Let’s not disturb him. Dealing with the younger generation of the Four Races shouldn’t pose much of a challenge."

At almost the exact same time, the four Celestial Spirit Realm Elders from the Four Great Clans who were presiding over the martial arts competition also gathered together.

"For this competition, it’s the Celestial Wind Army’s turn—the weakest of the Great Xia Dragon Guard’s Six Armies. And their most formidable Gold Medal Captains are all out on a mission. This is a golden opportunity we absolutely cannot afford to miss!"

"The Four Races Martial Arts Competition is meant to be an event to bolster the prestige of our Four Races, yet every year we’re overshadowed by the Great Xia Dragon Guard. It’s infuriating!"

"This time, we’re playing both of our trump cards, Jintai and Ye Junhao. We will definitely put the Great Xia Dragon Guard in their place!"

...

It was still early, so there weren’t many people at the Merit Assessment Office.

When Chu Qingyun walked in, someone quickly came out to greet him. Upon seeing it was Chu Qingyun, the person’s expression became even more respectful.

"Captain Chu Qingyun, are you here for the Illusion Realm trial? Please, follow me."

The man smiled, leading Chu Qingyun further inside.

"Oh? You recognize me?" Chu Qingyun asked with a smile.

"Heh heh. I was in the crowd watching the other day when you, Captain Chu, challenged eighteen captains in a row on the dueling platform. You might not know this, Captain Chu, but the story has been spreading like wildfire among the captains of the Six Armies these past few days."

Places like the dueling platform, the exchange office, and the Merit Assessment Office are communal facilities for the entire Great Xia Dragon Guard, not exclusive to any single one of the Six Armies.

So on that day, while most of the spectators at the dueling platform were from the Celestial Wind Army, there were also people from the other Five Armies, as well as staff from various other departments.

Along the way, Chu Qingyun glanced around curiously.

He realized the two of them seemed to be walking through a massive array.

The array not only consisted of components around them, but it also seemed to have a layer above them.

Noticing Chu Qingyun’s curiosity, the man explained, "Captain Chu, while these arrays are quite large, they are all just peripheral, auxiliary arrays. The true core is a very small area in the very center. But as for that core... even we in the Great Xia Dragon Guard have never fully understood it."

These staff members would normally be too lazy to say much to an ordinary captain.

But for Chu Qingyun, it was a different story.

They already saw Chu Qingyun as a future Guard General, or even a Grand Commander, so naturally, they wanted to chat a bit more to leave a good impression.

After a bit more small talk, they arrived at the core area the man had mentioned.

It was a space the size of a room. A stone bed was placed in the very center. Directly above it floated a semi-transparent sphere of light the size of a carriage wheel, shimmering with a strange, iridescent glow.

Other than that, there were only a few staff members from the Merit Assessment Office already waiting there.

Clearly, the core of this entire place was that semi-transparent sphere of light.

After handing his token to them for registration, Chu Qingyun was instructed to lie down on the stone bed.

"Captain Chu, a beam of light will soon shine on your head. You must remain relaxed. Do not harbor any strong feelings of resistance, or you won’t be able to enter the Illusion Realm."

"Absolutely no one else will ever know what you experience inside the Illusion Realm. Not even we will know the slightest detail, because even the Great Xia Dragon Guard has never fully understood this Illusion Array."

"Because you’ve chosen the Difficult Level, your mission, once you enter the Illusion Realm, will be to obtain the Gold Medal."

"Once you’re inside, if you close your eyes and focus, you’ll be able to sense the location of the Gold Medal."

"Your consciousness will return to your body once you either obtain the medal or die within the Illusion Realm."

"This Illusion Array is completely safe. No matter what you experience inside, it will have no effect whatsoever on your physical body."

A staff member finished explaining the procedure.

Soon, a hazy, iridescent beam of light shot out from the sphere floating in mid-air and shone down on Chu Qingyun’s head.

Chu Qingyun did as he was told, trying his best to remain relaxed.

Then, he felt an unbearable wave of drowsiness wash over him. His eyelids grew heavier and heavier until, a few seconds later, they closed, and he fell into a deep sleep.

It felt as if he had been asleep for a very long time.

When he opened his eyes again, Chu Qingyun found himself lying on a grassy field. Above him was a vast, blue sky dotted with white clouds.

"Where... am I?" 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

Chu Qingyun sat up, feeling a bit dazed for a moment.

’That’s right, the Illusion Realm. This is the Illusion Realm. I’m undergoing the Great Xia Dragon Guard’s merit assessment trial. I need to sense the location of the Gold Medal... sense its location...’

Focusing his mind and thinking of the Gold Medal, he soon felt a faint sensation, giving him a general idea of its direction.

He stood up and walked in that direction for about five minutes before two paths appeared in front of him.

One path grew progressively darker the further one looked, until its depths were pitch-black, obscuring all sight.

From the cavernous depths of that dark road, faint, eerie green lights flickered, and the intermittent sound of low growls drifted out, sending a chill down one’s spine.

The other path, however, was a peaceful, tranquil scene shaded by willow trees, giving one the pleasant sensation of a spring breeze.

Furthermore, the more Chu Qingyun looked at this road, the more familiar it seemed, and the stronger his urge to set foot on it became.

Suddenly, he remembered—this was the road to Chu Family Village!

When he was in Qingshan City, Chu Qingyun had taken this very road back to Chu Family Village twice. He was even ambushed by Chu Gang and Chu Lie on it once.

The longer he looked, the more astonished Chu Qingyun became. The road was identical to the one in his memory!