Devouring Soul Emperor

Chu Qingyun had effortlessly shattered Ye Junhao’s Sword Momentum twice in a row.

Around the fighting ring, jaws dropped to the floor.

Even on the Observation Platform, a hush fell over the crowd. Everyone stared, dumbfounded, at Chu Qingyun in the ring, simply unable to believe their own eyes!

Ye Junhao, the one they had all favored, was being effortlessly handled by Chu Qingyun with nothing more than a few casual swings of his sword!

What... what in the world was happening!?

Across the entire Observation Platform, only the Celestial Wind Army Master and Grand Commander Chu Yu wore faint, knowing smiles.

At that moment, their hearts were finally at ease.

The Celestial Wind Army had won this year’s challenge at the Four Races Martial Arts Competition!

"Wha-what in the world was that? Just now, that was..."

Someone on the Observation Platform murmured, voicing the question on everyone’s mind.

"It was Sword Qi," the Celestial Wind Army Master stated calmly.

There were plenty of Celestial Spirit Realm experts present. Even if the idea didn’t immediately occur to them, they would surely figure it out after giving it some thought, so there was no need to hide it.

Upon hearing this, a wave of realization washed over the crowd.

Of course. The only thing that could so thoroughly crush Sword Momentum was Sword Qi.

But immediately after, their hearts couldn’t help but fill with utter shock. ’He’s only a level-eight Martial Artist, and he has already cultivated Sword Qi! If he becomes a Martial Spirit in the future, or an expert of an even higher Realm... It’s terrifying just to think about!’

"The Great Xia Dragon Guards truly live up to their name as the most powerful force in Lianshan County City! To think they have such a genius!"

"Haha, congratulations, Celestial Wind Army Master! With such a genius under your command, he’s sure to become an invincible Guard General, an invincible Grand Commander!"

After snapping out of their shock, many people began to congratulate the Celestial Wind Army Master. Those who felt they lacked the status to do so congratulated the Grand Commanders instead.

This was tantamount to congratulating the Celestial Wind Army in advance for once again grinding the Four Great Clans underfoot at the Four Races Martial Arts Competition!

The expression on the face of every single member of the Four Races, from the highest to the lowest, turned foul.

’They had spared no expense cultivating Jintai and Ye Junhao, hadn’t hesitated to offend the Six Armies of the Great Xia Dragon Guards, and had even torn all pretenses with the Celestial Wind Army. And this was the result?’

Almost winning and actually winning were two completely different things!

Although Jintai and Ye Junhao had both displayed astonishing strength, whenever people spoke of this Four Races Martial Arts Competition, they would still be remembered as the losers.

The name Chu Qingyun would forever loom over their heads!

"Damn little bastard, he actually cultivated Sword Qi..." The Ye Family’s Great Elder stared grimly at the ring, his hands hidden in his sleeves clenched so tightly that the veins bulged.

However, he still held onto a sliver of hope in his heart. ’As long as Ye Junhao takes the elixir I gave him, there’s still a chance to turn this around!’

On the fighting ring.

Ye Junhao’s chest was now stained with blood. With his hair disheveled, he looked like a madman, completely devoid of the graceful bearing he’d had when he first landed on the ring.

But his eyes were locked firmly on Chu Qingyun, and they seethed with unwillingness and venomous hatred.

Ye Junhao had lain low for years, all in preparation to use the Great Xia Dragon Guards as a stepping stone at the Four Races Martial Arts Competition and soar to prominence. He never expected to run into Chu Qingyun, who had just unceremoniously slammed him back down!

’How could he possibly tolerate this!’

"You little bastard! If you dare to stand in my way, I’ll send you to hell!"

A vicious glint flashed in Ye Junhao’s eyes. With a flip of his hand, he produced the brocade box his grandfather had given him. He opened it and quickly swallowed the elixir inside.

After he swallowed the elixir, a deep, majestic roar, like that of a tiger, emanated from Ye Junhao’s throat.

Afterward, faint black tiger stripes began to appear on his exposed skin. On his forehead, a twisting, somewhat illusory tiger-stripe pattern in the shape of the character for "King" materialized.

When both of his eyes turned a dark amber, the elixir’s effects were fully unleashed.

A ferocious aura slowly emanated from his body. Along with those two dark amber, beast-like eyes, it locked firmly onto Chu Qingyun.

A Spirit Level elixir, the Fierce Tiger Divine Pill.

It was refined from the Heart Essence Blood of a Tier Three tiger-type Demon Beast, combined with a large amount of Spiritual Medicine. Even among Spirit Level elixirs, it was one with a particularly complex refinement process and exceptionally high value.

Its effects were also incredibly potent. The faintly visible tiger stripes provided a massive boost to a Martial Artist’s overall strength.

An ordinary level-nine Martial Artist, after consuming it, could even briefly contend with a Half-Step Martial Spirit.

And Ye Junhao had already used a Secret Technique to elevate himself to the level of a Half-Step Martial Spirit. Adding the Fierce Tiger Divine Pill on top of that was like giving wings to a tiger, making him a formidable presence even among Half-Step Martial Spirits!

Seeing Ye Junhao take an elixir, the crowd below the ring burst into an uproar. Many of the Great Xia Dragon Guards couldn’t stop themselves from cursing aloud.

The atmosphere on the Observation Platform also grew strange.

The Grand Commanders of the Celestial Wind Army were all seething with rage, glaring murderously at the members of the Four Great Clans as if they were ready to attack at the slightest provocation.

The Celestial Wind Army Master’s expression turned frigid as well. He said coldly, "Elders, I believe you owe the Celestial Wind Army an explanation."

"This..."

The three Celestial Spirit Realm Elders from the Zhou, Xiao, and Jin Families all turned to look at the Ye Family’s Great Elder. They knew nothing about this matter either.

The Ye Family’s Great Elder snorted. "What is there to explain? The rules of the Four Races Martial Arts Competition never said anything about not being allowed to take elixirs. Jun Hao hasn’t broken any rules."

"If you’re so capable, by all means, go give an elixir to that Chu Qingyun of yours."

Everyone was stunned yet again. Thinking about it carefully, it seemed the Four Races Martial Arts Competition really didn’t have any rules regarding elixirs.

This was because the participants in the Four Races Martial Arts Competition were almost all level-nine Martial Artists. With their resources, it was nearly impossible for them to obtain an elixir. Even if one got lucky and found one, no one would be willing to waste it in the ring.

One only had to look at the exchange post of the Great Xia Dragon Guards to see it. Forget level-nine Martial Artists; even Small Spirit Realm experts who managed to acquire an elixir would treat it as a treasure to be saved as a life-saving trump card.

Only someone like Ye Junhao, whose own grandfather was an Alchemist, would use an elixir in a ring match—and a Fierce Tiger Divine Pill at that!

"This match is over. My Celestial Wind Army will not acknowledge such a result," the Celestial Wind Army Master said in a heavy voice, signaling Grand Commander Chu Yu to stop the fight.

This course of action would undoubtedly affect the Celestial Wind Army’s prestige.

But there was no other choice. ’If Chu Qingyun loses, the outcome will be even worse.’

Hearing this, Grand Commander Chu Yu gritted his teeth and said, "Lord Military Commander, please give Chu Qingyun a chance. Let’s see what he can do."

The Celestial Wind Army Master frowned. "You’re saying... he has a chance to win?"

Grand Commander Chu Yu nodded. "There’s a chance. If I’m not mistaken, he still has his most powerful finishing move up his sleeve!"

As he spoke, Grand Commander Chu Yu couldn’t help but recall the single sword strike Chu Qingyun had used to assassinate the Half-Step Martial Spirit, Zhao Xiaolong.

’Chu Qingyun is much stronger now than he was back then. If he uses that strike, dealing with Ye Junhao shouldn’t be a problem... right?’