Devouring Soul Emperor

The seal is broken!

The entire area fell eerily silent.

The dozen or so remaining members of the Martial Soul Hall, Tunfeng included, stared wide-eyed at the black iron box, backing away slowly, step by cautious step.

THUMP... THUMP... THUMP...

From within the black iron box, a series of deep, powerful heartbeats rang out, growing steadily louder.

Cold sweat beaded on the foreheads of the Martial Soul Hall members. The sound alone was enough to make their hair stand on end.

Something inside the iron box seemed to be awakening.

Frenzied, bone-chilling, evil, scorching... A medley of auras blended together, fusing into a chaotic and bizarre presence that seeped from the iron box.

BAM!

The sudden crash shattered the silence, making everyone’s heart skip a beat.

The side of the iron box facing Chu Qingyun’s group was smashed open from within, and a colossal figure slowly emerged. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

Once it had fully emerged and everyone got a clear look at it in the moonlight, they all felt their stomachs churn, including Tunfeng and his men. The urge to vomit was overwhelming.

The creature was vaguely pig-like in shape, but far more vast and bloated.

It had four short, stout hooves, but sprouting from its chest between its forelegs was a fifth limb—thin, grotesque, and tipped with a four-fingered, sharp-clawed hand.

Higher up, where its neck should have met its jaw, a repulsive maw gaped open, constantly drooling viscous fluid. Its foul stench was palpable even from a great distance.

Where a mouth ought to be, there was nothing. And where a nose should have been, a long, pig-like snout protruded.

The flesh around the snout was split open as if sliced in a circle, and from the gash, dark red tendrils of meat, like parasitic worms, emerged and wriggled ceaselessly.

On its forehead, three fist-sized, ghastly green eyes blinked, gleaming with a greedy and ferocious light.

The only way to describe the monster was:

Twisted!

Vile!

A single glance was enough to instill an overwhelming urge to destroy it. This was a thing that should not exist!

After emerging from the box, the monster fixed its three eyes on Chu Qingyun and his companions.

Just then, a level-nine Martial Artist from the Martial Soul Hall flinched in fear, taking an involuntary half-step back.

"GRRR..."

The monster let out a guttural roar, its head snapping around to lock onto the unfortunate man.

Then, two of the grotesque tendrils by its snout shot out like lightning, snaring the hapless man’s body and dragging him toward it.

Its clawed fifth limb seized him. The monster opened its stinking maw and, amid the man’s terrified and despairing screams, bit off his head and shoulders in a single go. It then began to chew, making loud, wet sounds.

The monster seemed to possess a special power that prevented the dead Martial Soul Hall member’s body from dissolving into Martial Soul Power.

After devouring the level-nine Martial Artist bite by bite, the monster let out what sounded like a satisfied burp.

At that moment, Tunfeng plucked up his courage, pointed at Chu Qingyun’s group, and let out a series of sharp, whistling hisses.

Hearing the sound, the monster shook its head. Its four hooves began to move, carrying it step by step toward Chu Qingyun’s party. The aura around it grew increasingly frenzied.

"Get ready! Xiao Feng and Chen Yu, you take the front. I’ll be in the middle. Huang Yinghao and Xia He, take the rear. This monster is no pushover. Huang Yinghao, focus on defense!"

At Chu Qingyun’s command, the five of them quickly fell into formation.

"Overlord Spear—Overlord’s Fury!"

Chen Yu attacked first. He unleashed his Soul Technique, and his Overlord Spear Martial Soul flared with an eerie, blood-red light as he thrust it fiercely toward one of the monster’s forelegs.

THUMP!

A dull thud echoed as the Overlord Spear struck home. It felt like stabbing into tough rubber; the spearhead sank in and was immediately stuck. No matter how hard Chen Yu pushed, he couldn’t drive it any deeper!

The monster’s three eyes swiveled down to the bottom of its forehead, locking onto Chen Yu. Its sharp-clawed fifth limb swept down, slashing violently at him.

"Tree Demon Guardian!"

On high alert, Huang Yinghao instantly cast his Soul Technique, enveloping Chen Yu in the Tree Demon Guardian.

Meanwhile, Chu Qingyun controlled a vine to wrap around Chen Yu’s waist, yanking him back to hasten his retreat.

However, while the monster appeared sluggish, the swipe of its claw was so fast it left an afterimage!

CRACK!

The Tree Demon Guardian shattered instantly. The claw struck Chen Yu, tearing open deep gashes across his body.

Having shattered the Tree Demon Guardian, the monster pressed its advantage, moving to drag Chen Yu toward it.

Thankfully, Chu Qingyun gritted his teeth and poured all his strength into the vine, snatching Chen Yu from the monster’s clutches in the nick of time!

A Tier Three Defensive Soul Technique and a Gold Medal Captain of the Great Xia Dragon Guard... neither could withstand a single blow from the monster!

From that single strike, Chen Yu was severely wounded and had lost all ability to fight!

No wonder the level-nine Martial Artists of the Martial Soul Hall, and even Tunfeng himself, were so terrified of this creature!

The monster didn’t seem to be very intelligent.

It brought its fifth limb to its maw, extended a huge, deathly-pale tongue slick with slime, and licked the blood from its claws before promptly spitting it out.

It then threw its head back and let out a piercing howl at the moon.

The howl was filled with exhilaration and savagery, like a wild beast that had been caged for far too long and was now, at long last, unleashed!

The expressions on the faces of Chu Qingyun’s party turned grim.

Xiao Feng tightened his grip on his Wolf Fang Club and started to move forward, but Chu Qingyun held out a hand to stop him. "Let me," he said in a low voice. "Even Chen Yu’s Overlord Spear couldn’t hurt it. I doubt you’ll be able to either."

Against a foe with similar strength, if a piercing weapon like a spear couldn’t break through, a blunt weapon like a club would be even less effective.

Xiao Feng understood this as well.

As an experienced Gold Medal Captain, he knew not to let pride get in the way at a critical moment, so he silently fell back.

"Wind-Soaring Wings!"

"Tree Demon Guardian!"

Xia He and Huang Yinghao each cast their Soul Techniques on Chu Qingyun. Then, flapping his new wings, Chu Qingyun flew toward the monster as it howled at the sky.

Tunfeng and his men gathered together, sneering. "Going up against that monster alone? He’s asking to be killed! Its aura may only be at the Martial Master Realm, but not even a Half-Step Martial Spirit could defeat it!"

Seeing another person flying toward it, the monster snorted twice. A glob of mucus shot from its snout as two dark red tendrils whipped out, trying to ensnare Chu Qingyun.

Xia He and the others tensed up instantly.

They knew from their earlier encounter how incredibly tough those tendrils were—they had been completely unable to sever them.

Tunfeng and his men, on the other hand, grew excited, eagerly anticipating the sight of Chu Qingyun being dragged in and devoured in a single bite!