Devouring Soul Emperor

Surrounded by a crowd of Martial Artist Realm underlings and flanked by two Martial Masters, a middle-aged man with sinister eyes walked out from the village.

The moment he appeared, a powerful aura erupted from him. Even the two Martial Masters at his side were sent stumbling back, nearly falling over.

In an instant, his entire presence locked onto Chu Qingyun. The immense momentum of a Half-Step Martial Spirit surged forward, attempting to overwhelm him.

However, Chu Qingyun was also a Half-Step Martial Spirit.

He showed no reaction whatsoever to the suppressive pressure.

"A Half-Step Martial Spirit?"

The man’s expression turned grave. He cupped his fist and said, "Friend, I am Cui Yanghong, the second-in-command of Cloud-Mo Village. May I ask why you have forced your way in? If we have offended you, please say so, and we will be sure to make it right."

Cloud-Mo Village was unwilling to needlessly offend a Half-Step Martial Spirit.

’Cui Yanghong, a Half-Step Martial Spirit. One of my targets...’

A cold sneer touched Chu Qingyun’s lips. "I am a Guard Captain of the Great Xia Dragon Guards," he said. "I have come on orders to take the heads of your leaders."

"What?! The Great Xia Dragon Guards!?"

Cui Yanghong’s face fell, and his breathing grew ragged.

He remembered with perfect clarity how, five years ago, Cloud-Mo Village had been besieged by the Great Xia Dragon Guards.

At that time, a large force had been mobilized—over two hundred Great Xia Dragon Guards, led by two Guard Generals, had surrounded the village.

The three leaders at the time hadn’t even considered resisting. The moment they received the news, they fled through a secret tunnel, narrowly escaping with their lives.

After all these years, to think they were once again in the sights of the Great Xia Dragon Guards.

The other bandits were terrified, their hearts pounding in their chests. They couldn’t help but retreat two steps in unison.

In the Great Xia empire, the reputation of the Dragon Guards was legendary. Their name was known to every household, let alone to bandits and robbers like them.

"Friend, you’re not joking, are you? This isn’t something to be taken lightly," Cui Yanghong said, his face grim as he stared at Chu Qingyun.

He was still suspicious.

’Cloud-Mo Village is overseen by our Eldest Brother, a true Level One Martial Spirit. Even if this man is a Dragon Guard, a single Half-Step Martial Spirit shouldn’t be this arrogant.’

Though it was only a single step, as a Half-Step Martial Spirit himself, Cui Yanghong knew just how immense the gap in power was.

"Do I look like I’m joking?" Chu Qingyun said with a smile.

He had absolute confidence in his own strength and was in no hurry at all.

Cui Yanghong’s expression turned completely grim. It seemed a fight was unavoidable.

However, just at that moment, a young man pushed his way through the crowd from behind. "A Great Xia Dragon Guard! Where is he? I want to see what a Dragon Guard is made of!"

His voice rang out from behind the crowd before he even appeared.

Hearing this voice, a look of exasperation flashed in Cui Yanghong’s eyes.

Soon, a young man dressed like a noble’s son—looking completely out of place among the bandits—pushed his way out of the crowd.

The moment he broke through the crowd, he locked his eyes on Chu Qingyun, sizing him up. "Second Uncle? He’s the Great Xia Dragon Guard? A Half-Step Martial Spirit, too? Let me teach him a lesson!"

’Second Uncle?’

Hearing this, Chu Qingyun’s eyes lit up.

’He’s a Half-Step Martial Spirit and calls the second-in-command of Cloud-Mo Village ’Second Uncle’. Then he must be my primary target for this mission—the possessor of the pure Flame Martial Soul, Mo Feiwen!’

"Fei Wen, stand down! The Great Xia Dragon Guards are no joke. If anything happens to you, how am I supposed to answer to your father!" Cui Yanghong said, frowning at Mo Feiwen.

"Hmph, the Great Xia Dragon Guards again. All I ever hear from you people is ’Great Xia Dragon Guards, Great Xia Dragon Guards.’ I don’t see what’s so tough about that brat."

Mo Feiwen snorted, his gaze fixed on Chu Qingyun, brimming with hostility.

Cui Yanghong felt a sense of helplessness.

Because they had too many enemies, Mo Feiwen had been hidden and raised by his father, Heaven-Reaching Clouds, from a young age. After the village was rebuilt, he had never left it.

’He’s only ever spent time with a bunch of Martial Artists and low-level Martial Masters. How could he possibly understand the terror of the Great Xia Dragon Guards?’

"Second Uncle, just let me go! It’s been almost a year since I broke through to the Half-Step Martial Spirit realm, and I haven’t even fought an outsider yet!"

Cui Yanghong hesitated for a moment before finally nodding.

’They’re both Half-Step Martial Spirits,’ he thought. ’Even if Mo Feiwen can’t win, he won’t lose too badly. I can always step in to help. A two-on-one fight is much safer than me taking him on alone.’

"Excellent!"

"Great Xia Dragon Guard... Hmph. Today, you’ll witness the might of Mo Feiwen."

"Flame Martial Soul!"

"Blazing Flame Pillar!"

Mo Feiwen leaped from the crowd with a low shout, instantly unleashing one of his Soul Techniques. A flash of fire seemed to flare up before him.

The ground in a two-meter radius around Chu Qingyun instantly turned crimson, as if it had ignited. A scarlet pillar of fire then erupted from the earth, shooting more than twenty meters into the sky!

The scarlet pillar of fire enveloped Chu Qingyun, swirling as it burned. The searing heat forced even Cui Yanghong, another Half-Step Martial Spirit, to retreat two steps.

The other bandits had already retreated a great distance long before he even attacked.

In a battle between Half-Step Martial Spirits, the slightest shockwave could be fatal for those at the Martial Artist Realm!

Staring at the raging pillar of fire, Mo Feiwen roared with laughter. "Hahaha! Second Uncle, is this the supposedly incredible Great Xia Dragon Guard you’re always going on about? He’s nothing but trash!"

"Hmph, my Martial Soul is Tier Three! Inside this Blazing Flame Pillar, even a Half-Step Martial Spirit will be burned to a crisp!"

Behind them, Cui Yanghong frowned deeply. ’Could a Half-Step Martial Spirit from the Great Xia Dragon Guards really be this weak?’

’But that Blazing Flame Pillar is a genuine Tier Three Soul Technique. After burning for so long, even with the protection of Primordial Power, he shouldn’t be able to hold out...’

The pillar of fire raged for a full minute before slowly dissipating.

Then, everyone present, including Mo Feiwen and Cui Yanghong, stared with wide, astonished eyes.

From within the dissipating flames, a figure glowing with a cyan light emerged. Protected by that light, after being scorched for a full minute by the Blazing Flame Pillar of a Tier Three Martial Soul, Chu Qingyun was completely unscathed!

’The Third Layer of the Profound Celestial Divine Pattern, pushed to its limit, is more than capable of blocking a Tier Three Soul Technique from a Half-Step Martial Spirit.’

Chu Qingyun’s hand, glowing with cyan light, reached out and grasped a wisp of scarlet flame. He sensed it carefully. ’As expected... very pure Flame Power...’

"Mo Feiwen, you can die now," Chu Qingyun declared. "Your Martial Soul is mine!"

A silent roar echoed in Chu Qingyun’s mind, and a murderous glint flashed in his eyes.

"Watch out! Fei Wen, run!"

As a battle-hardened veteran, Cui Yanghong instantly recognized Chu Qingyun’s killing intent and couldn’t help but cry out in alarm.