Devouring Soul Emperor

Sun Daxiong took a deep breath, closed the jade box, and handed it back.

"Chu, this Nascent Condensation Pill is too precious. I can’t take it. You’ve just reached the Half-Step Martial Spirit realm, so you’ll still need a lot of resources for your future cultivation. You could easily sell this."

Although Sun Daxiong had initially befriended Chu Qingyun because he saw his potential, all he had hoped for was that Chu Qingyun might become a Guard General or even a Grand Commander someday and could help him out, giving him someone to rely on.

He had never dreamed of receiving something as valuable as a Nascent Condensation Pill from him.

Chu Qingyun smiled and pushed Sun Daxiong’s hand back. "Sun, if you still consider me a friend, don’t refuse. I have to go out for a while. I hope to see you as a Half-Step Martial Spirit when I return."

With that, Chu Qingyun stopped the polite back-and-forth and walked directly toward the mission assignment area in the back.

At that moment, the surrounding members of the Great Xia Dragon Guard were all staring at Sun Daxiong and the jade box in his hands, their eyes filled with unconcealable envy and fervor.

As for Zhao Jing, his face was a mask of jealousy and hatred, and his heart was filled with deep regret.

Ever since their time in Flame City, he had been working for Liu Canghai. He had originally thought he’d made the right choice, but in the past few months, he had received nothing from Liu Canghai but verbal abuse.

And now, Sun Daxiong had actually gotten a Nascent Condensation Pill!

Sun Daxiong’s aptitude wasn’t genius-level, but it was far from poor. With a Nascent Condensation Pill, he would likely soar in power and break through to the Martial Spirit Realm.

The two of them had been more or less equals under the same Guard General, but soon, there would be a fundamental gap between them.

And all of this stemmed from a single choice made back then!

’Chu, I definitely won’t let you down.’ Clutching the Nascent Condensation Pill, Sun Daxiong silently made a resolution. "Move, move! I’m going back to cultivate!"

Watching the envied Sun Daxiong push his way out of the crowd, and then glancing at Chu Qingyun, who was still accepting a mission, a sinister glint flashed in Zhao Jing’s eyes. ’Hmph, go ahead and be smug. You’re dead men walking!’

At the mission office, Chu Qingyun successfully accepted a level-one mission: to kill the chieftain of Cloud-Mo Village, Heaven-Reaching Clouds. Upon completion, the mission would reward 1,200 Military Merits.

There was actually also a level-two mission available: to annihilate Cloud-Mo Village, which offered a reward of 2,400 Military Merits.

However, this level-two mission was too troublesome. It not only required killing the three chieftains of Cloud-Mo Village but also involved requesting troop-leading Guard Captains from the Great Xia Dragon Guard to completely wipe out the village from top to bottom.

So, Chu Qingyun simply chose the level-one mission instead.

After all, once Heaven-Reaching Clouds was dead, Cloud-Mo Village would lose its Martial Spirit Realm backing and wouldn’t be much of a threat. The City Guard Armies from the cities below could annihilate them with some effort.

According to the regulations of the Great Xia Dragon Guard, one could only rent a Flying Demon Beast when undertaking a mission of level three or higher, or with special permission from a Lord Grand Commander or Lord Military Commander.

Of course, Chu Qingyun wasn’t going to bother the Lord Grand Commander over such a small matter, so he chose to travel by horse.

Fortunately, Iron Blade Gorge wasn’t too far from the County City—only a four or five-day journey. With Chu Qingyun’s current strength as a Half-Step Martial Spirit, spending four or five days on horseback was nothing.

Just as Chu Qingyun walked out of the mission office, Zhao Jing sidled up to the counter where Chu Qingyun had just been.

"Ahem, buddy, can I ask you something? Which mission did that Chu Qingyun just accept?" Zhao Jing asked the staff member with a smile, his eyes flickering.

The man looked up at Zhao Jing, frowned, and said, "That’s not something you should be asking about."

"This... come on, friend, be a little flexible..."

Zhao Jing glanced around and, seeing no one was looking, slipped a drop of Primordial Spirit Liquid into the man’s hand.

The man glanced at it, discreetly slid the small vial in his hand into his sleeve, and whispered, "Iron Blade Gorge, Cloud-Mo Village."

"Thank you."

After getting the information, Zhao Jing didn’t linger and ran straight out.

He sprinted all the way to Liu Canghai’s quarters.

"Guard General Liu, I staked out the mission office for two days and got news! That Chu Qingyun just accepted a mission to go to Iron Blade Gorge and Cloud-Mo Village!"

Zhao Jing said excitedly, not even pausing to catch his breath.

Hearing this, Liu Canghai shot to his feet in excitement. "Good, well done! Hmph, Chu Qingyun, you finally took a mission after all. This time, it will be your doom..."

Muttering to himself, Liu Canghai looked back at Zhao Jing and saw him wringing his hands, looking as if he wanted to say something but was hesitating.

"Zhao Jing, is there something else?" Liu Canghai asked with a frown.

Zhao Jing froze for a moment. He opened his mouth, but in the end, he didn’t voice his thoughts. "N-no, nothing..."

"Alright. If there’s nothing else, you can go. I’ll have someone call for you next time I need you."

Zhao Jing walked out, his face full of resentment, cursing inwardly: ’Bah, what a piece of work. That tight-fisted bastard didn’t give me a single thing. He even made me lose a drop of Primordial Spirit Liquid out of my own pocket, and he has the nerve to say he’ll call me next time he needs something...’

Of course, Liu Canghai neither knew nor cared about Zhao Jing’s thoughts, as he simply treated him like a servant.

After Zhao Jing left, Liu Canghai didn’t dare to delay. He quickly left the Great Xia Dragon Guard’s encampment and went to that same place in the Xicheng District from last time.

Mu from the Martial Soul Hall had been staying there this whole time.

Seeing Liu Canghai, Mu was somewhat surprised and said, "It’s only been two days, and Chu Qingyun has already gone to accept a mission?"

He had thought that after completing that special mission and receiving a huge reward, Chu Qingyun would need some time to digest his gains. He hadn’t expected Liu Canghai to show up again so soon.

Now that the moment had come, Liu Canghai began to hesitate again.

His expression was grim and conflicted. He paced back and forth, clenching his fists, unable to make up his mind.

Liu Canghai knew very well that once he took this step and revealed the mission Chu Qingyun had accepted, he would be considered a traitor to the Great Xia Dragon Guard.

Betraying one of his own comrades, and to a great enemy like the Martial Soul Hall at that—it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to charge him with treason!

If this was ever exposed, he himself, along with accomplices like Liu Cangyi and Zhao Jing, would undoubtedly face a death sentence!

Even Liu Taian would be implicated!

"Liu Canghai! You’ve already come this far, what’s there to hesitate about now!"

Just as he was hesitating, Mu suddenly sneered and shouted.

Liu Canghai gritted his teeth and said, "If I tell you which mission Chu Qingyun accepted, can you guarantee that you’ll kill him?"

"Do you still not understand the power of our Martial Soul Hall? Killing a mere Half-Step Martial Spirit who just broke through is an effortless task."

Mu said nonchalantly, his words filled with immense confidence.

Over the past few days, the first batch of Level 1 Martial Spirits, who had been forcibly promoted using potions, had been handed over to him.

Adding them to his original subordinates, even if Chu Qingyun had cultivated Sword Qi, and no matter how monstrously talented he had appeared as a level-nine Martial Artist, his death was now a certainty!

"Iron Blade Gorge... Cloud-Mo Village!"