Devouring Soul Emperor

BOOM!

A deafening roar erupted.

The Sword Aura tore through the blood-red light and shattered the bloody claw, triggering a violent explosion.

From within the blast of blood-red light and Sword Aura, Qi Fan suddenly charged out. His right hand, enveloped in a thick, bloody glow, clawed for Chu Qingyun’s neck.

"Hahaha! Kid, you may have blocked my first move, but you won’t block my second!"

"Now, die!"

Qi Fan roared with laughter, his face already filled with the certainty of victory.

With this move, Qi Fan had timed his attack perfectly, striking at the precise moment when Chu Qingyun’s old power was spent and his new power had yet to gather.

His advantage was that he had acted a split second before Chu Qingyun, giving him that tiny bit of extra time to prepare.

But in a duel between masters, seizing that fleeting, hair’s-breadth opportunity is everything!

However, Qi Fan was far too confident.

Amid his wild laughter, he failed to notice that the Martial Master Level experts nearby, like Housekeeper Qin and Gang Leader Qi, were all gently shaking their heads.

’Hmph. I was waiting for you.’

"Five-Star Vine, go!"

Chu Qingyun let out a low shout. Five ink-green vines erupted from the ground, whipping about wildly and unpredictably as they wrapped around Qi Fan from all directions.

Caught completely off guard, Qi Fan was bound tightly in an instant, wrapped up like a rice dumpling.

The moment he had drawn his sword, Chu Qingyun had already made full preparations, activating his Five-star Vine Soul and secretly laying a trap on the ground.

"Damn it! Bastard! Break! Break for me!"

Qi Fan struggled frantically, bursts of bloody Martial Soul Power erupting from his body and hands from time to time.

Unfortunately for him, these were five fifty-meter-long, Tier Two Five-Star Vines enhanced with Tough Soul Techniques, all fueled by Chu Qingyun’s endless supply of Primordial Power.

Not even a Level Eight Martial Artist could break through them in a short amount of time.

"Young Gang Leader Qi, you’ve lost."

Having subdued Qi Fan, Chu Qingyun drifted forward and placed his sharp Fine Steel Long Sword against his neck.

Feeling the cold steel at his throat, Qi Fan shot Chu Qingyun a vicious glare and gritted out, "I surrender!"

After Chu Qingyun retracted the Five-Star Vine, Qi Fan scrambled to his feet, snorted angrily, and walked back toward the Blood Wolf Gang members.

"That’s great! Now that you’ve beaten Qi Fan, victory is pretty much 80% certain."

"I’ve never even heard of the other guy, Liu Ming!"

Ye Qi said happily, looking at Qi Fan’s sour expression.

However, Chu Qingyun shook his head, his expression grave. "I’m afraid that Liu Ming is no simple opponent."

Steward Qin, who was standing to the side, also nodded. "That’s right. There must be a reason Liu Ming was scheduled to fight after Qi Fan. You must be careful in the next match."

Over with the members of the Blood Wolf Gang, Qi Fan sidled up to Liu Ming, his face venomous. "Liu Ming," he said in a sinister tone, "if you fight him normally, you’re no match for that guy."

"Later, just use *that* move right away. Kill the kid before Chief Steward Qin even has time to react!"

Liu Ming frowned.

’Kill Chu Qingyun?’

’He’s someone Housekeeper Qin brought here.’

’If I kill him and Housekeeper Qin decides to pursue the matter, a mere Level Eight Martial Artist like me won’t be able to handle the consequences.’

"Heh heh, don’t worry. Swords have no eyes in a duel; injuries and death are normal."

"Besides, that kid is just from some backwater village. Housekeeper Qin won’t move against our Blood Wolf Gang for an insignificant country bumpkin."

After some persuasion from Qi Fan, Liu Ming finally nodded in agreement.

After a short break, the second match began: Chu Qingyun versus Liu Ming.

"Chu Qingyun, you are strong. You’re the strongest Level Seven Martial Artist I have ever seen. Even I am no match for you."

"So, for that, I can only apologize."

"Blood Burning!"

Liu Ming let out a low roar, his face twisting into an expression of immense pain.

After using the Burning Blood Secret Technique, the blood throughout Liu Ming’s body began to feel like it was boiling, and his face turned completely crimson.

But his aura skyrocketed, soaring all the way to the strength of a Level Nine Martial Artist.

"So this... is what it feels like to be a Level Nine Martial Artist. This feeling of being filled with power..."

Amidst the extreme pain, a hint of intoxicated bliss showed on Liu Ming’s face, a twisted expression that was chilling to behold.

"Die!"

As his aura peaked, Liu Ming attacked without hesitation. He vanished like a phantom, reappearing to send a full-power palm strike hurtling toward Chu Qingyun.

’Danger!’

’Extreme danger!’

The tyrannical aura of a Level Nine Martial Artist made Chu Qingyun’s heart pound wildly in his chest. THUMP, THUMP, THUMP.

Chu Qingyun had killed a Level Nine Martial Artist before, but that was through assassination, with the help of a Poison Crossbow.

He had never imagined that the explosive power of a Level Nine would be this terrifying!

With Chu Qingyun’s current strength, dealing with a Level Eight Martial Artist was more than manageable, but he was far from a match for a Level Nine Martial Artist!

"Five-Star Vine!"

Chu Qingyun roared, and five fifty-meter-long, ink-green vines grew at an incredible speed, lashing out toward the charging Liu Ming.

"It’s useless!"

"Shatter!"

Liu Ming bellowed as a surge of Power erupted from his palm, blasting all five vines to pieces!

"Kid, now you die!"

Reaching Chu Qingyun, Liu Ming leaped into the air and descended upon him, striking down with a palm aimed at his head.

If this palm landed, with his current Level Nine power, he could absolutely smash Chu Qingyun to a pulp!

"Profound Celestial Divine Pattern!"

"Sword Drawing Technique!"

At this critical moment, Chu Qingyun gritted his teeth and unleashed his strongest move—one he had not used since mastering it.

The dark golden Divine Pattern on his right arm lit up as Chu Qingyun gripped the hilt of his sword.

SHING!

A cold light flashed.

Liu Ming’s body seemed to pause in mid-air for a moment before he was sent flying backward, spraying a trail of blood as he crashed heavily more than ten meters away.

Both of his hands had been severed at the wrist!

The sword was already back in its sheath. Chu Qingyun’s right arm trembled for a moment before slowly returning to normal.

Previously, when he used the Sword Drawing Technique without the Profound Celestial Divine Pattern’s enhancement, his arm would sting with pain for over an hour.

But with the enhancement from the Profound Celestial Divine Pattern, his arm recovered in less than ten seconds.

Furthermore, under the Divine Pattern’s enhancement, the power of the Sword Drawing Technique was greatly magnified. A full-power palm strike from a Level Nine Martial Artist had been cleaved apart by a single sword strike, which had even gone on to sever both his hands!

But Chu Qingyun understood that he had only faced a half-baked Level Nine Martial Artist.

Someone who had used a Secret Technique to forcibly raise his cultivation to Level Nine but couldn’t even use his Martial Soul Techniques, relying only on his surging Primordial Power to fight.

If he were to face a true Level Nine Martial Artist, Chu Qingyun feared that even using the Sword Drawing Technique might not be enough to secure victory!

’My Realm is still too low... I hope this Spiritual Pool doesn’t disappoint me...’

Chu Qingyun thought to himself, glancing at the Spiritual Pool.

Only then did the surrounding crowd react. Liu Ming... had lost in an instant!

"That last sword strike... was that the Sword Drawing Technique?"

Housekeeper Qin’s eyes flickered as he stared at Ye Qi and asked.