Devouring Soul Emperor

Using Stealth, Chu Qingyun made his way toward the homes of the five targets he had chosen.

Previously, when he was a seventh-level Martial Artist, he only dared to ambush the Blood Wolf Gang’s Protectors when they were at a brothel or a mistress’s place—where their guard was at its lowest.

But now that he was a ninth-level Martial Artist, Chu Qingyun dared to infiltrate even their heavily guarded homes.

According to the intel he’d purchased from the Assassin Alliance, all five men would be home tonight.

’First target: Blood Wolf Gang Protector, Zheng Chang.’

Employing his Stealth Soul Techniques and Hidden Qi Technique, Chu Qingyun seemed to melt into the night, arriving outside the walls of Zheng Chang’s home without alerting a single soul.

He easily vaulted the courtyard wall and slipped inside.

After silently capturing a night watchman, Chu Qingyun used his Black Iron War Crossbow to force the guard to lead him to Zheng Chang’s bedroom.

Unwilling to harm an innocent, Chu Qingyun knocked the guard unconscious. He then quietly pushed open the door, raised his Black Iron War Crossbow, and pulled the trigger on the man in the bed.

For anyone in the Martial Artist Realm, the Rhino Horn Poison was fatal upon drawing blood.

Zheng Chang let out a soft, reflexive grunt, his body turned purple, and then he was dead.

The woman sleeping beside him never even noticed. She remained fast asleep, still clutching his arm.

Using the same methods, Chu Qingyun moved from one location to the next, successfully assassinating four Blood Wolf Gang Protectors in their heavily guarded homes.

His ability to kill so stealthily was owed in no small part to his Stealth Soul Techniques, Hidden Qi Technique, Black Iron War Crossbow, and Rhino Horn Poison.

The Stealth Soul Techniques and Hidden Qi Technique allowed him to move silently, at times even flitting past an entire squad of guards without being detected.

The Black Iron War Crossbow and Rhino Horn Poison, meanwhile, were perfect tools for a quick kill, felling a ninth-level Martial Artist before they even had time to react!

Of the four he killed, only one possessed a Tier Two Martial Soul.

However, it was nothing special, so after devouring it, Chu Qingyun decided to use its power to strengthen his own Devouring Martial Soul.

PATTER, PATTER...

Just as Chu Qingyun arrived outside the estate of his final target—the Blood Wolf Gang’s newly promoted Elder, Zhu Xilin—it suddenly began to rain.

Fat raindrops fell from the sky, quickly merging into sheets of water in a torrential downpour that soaked Chu Qingyun to the bone.

But the storm didn’t make him retreat. He knew that if he missed this chance, security around the Blood Wolf Gang’s leadership would become even tighter, making his mission far more difficult.

With a light tap of his toe on the top of the wall, Chu Qingyun floated down into the courtyard like a feather.

Once inside, Chu Qingyun moved forward, using the shadows cast by trees, rockeries, and pillars for cover.

As an Elder and a Martial Master Level expert, his residence was far larger than a Protector’s, and the security was much tighter.

Less than ten minutes after sneaking in, Chu Qingyun had already evaded five patrolling squads of guards.

Fortunately, the downpour both obscured their vision and muffled any sounds, and incredibly, none of the five squads had detected him.

Soon, Chu Qingyun spotted a servant in his underclothes. He hid around a corner, quietly waiting for the man to pass.

"Damn it, this rain came out of nowhere. I got soaked just from taking a piss."

The servant grumbled about the rain as he hurried along, completely oblivious that he had just walked past someone hiding in the shadows.

Chu Qingyun struck in a flash. His left arm snaked around the servant’s neck, and one hand clamped over the man’s mouth while the cold edge of a black blade pressed against his throat.

"Don’t make a sound, or I’ll kill you right now!"

Chu Qingyun said in a low, muffled voice, his hand clamped tightly over the man’s mouth.

The servant’s eyes went wide with terror, and he nodded frantically, not daring to make a sound.

"Take me to Zhu Xilin’s bedchambers."

The servant raised a trembling arm and pointed. Chu Qingyun dragged him along, carefully making their way through the shadows.

After several turns, the servant’s directions led Chu Qingyun to a courtyard. At its far end stood the largest building, which had to be Zhu Xilin’s bedchambers.

At that critical moment, the servant took advantage of a lapse in Chu Qingyun’s attention, struggled free, and shouted, "Master, an assassin! There’s an ass—"

’Damn it!’

Chu Qingyun cursed inwardly and struck like lightning. A palm slammed into the servant’s back, and a surge of Power passed through the man’s body, shattering his heart and killing him instantly.

His four previous successes had made him careless. He never expected to encounter someone so blindly loyal that they’d sacrifice their life to expose him.

Martial Master Level experts possessed an incredibly powerful Spiritual Sense.

Despite the howling wind and rain, the servant’s shouts had still alerted Zhu Xilin inside the room.

BANG!

The bedroom door was thrown open, and a powerfully built, middle-aged man with graying temples walked out, exuding a dense Evil Qi.

’That’s him!’

A cold glint flashed in Chu Qingyun’s eyes as he pulled the trigger. Under the cover of darkness, a black Crossbow Arrow shot toward Zhu Xilin with a SWOOSH.

’Not good, an ambush!’

Zhu Xilin felt a chill run down his spine and hastily dodged to the side.

But the Crossbow Arrow, coated with Rhino Horn Poison, still grazed his arm before embedding itself deep into the pillar behind him with a THUD.

Although it had only been a scratch, the Rhino Horn Poison spread rapidly. Within two breaths, Zhu Xilin’s entire arm had begun to take on a faint purple hue.

"This is... Rhino Horn Poison! It’s you!"

Zhu Xilin recognized the poison and hurriedly circulated his Primordial Power to suppress it.

Rhino Horn Poison was fatal to a ninth-level Martial Artist, but a Martial Master’s Primordial Power was strong enough to suppress the toxin.

Besides, he had only been grazed, so the amount of poison that entered his system was minimal.

’Good, now’s my chance!’

Seizing the opportunity while Zhu Xilin was reeling in shock and trying to suppress the poison, Chu Qingyun’s right hand gripped the hilt of his sword, and he lunged forward.

He planned to use the Profound Celestial Divine Pattern and his Sword Drawing Technique—his strongest combination—to finish Zhu Xilin off in one blow!

But after taking just two steps, another thought stopped him.

’Zhu Xilin only recently became a Tier One Martial Master, and now he’s poisoned and weakened. Why not take this rare opportunity to truly fight an expert of the Martial Master Level?’

"Profound Celestial Divine Pattern!"

"Dawn Wind and Waning Moon!"

He acted on the thought instantly. Chu Qingyun changed his attack, drawing his Longsword as a dark golden Divine Pattern lit up on his right arm. Wreathed in sharp Sword Qi, he slashed at Zhu Xilin.

"That move... It’s you, Chu Qingyun! You’re the assassin who’s been killing members of my Blood Wolf Gang!"

"Damn it! My saber!"

Zhu Xilin’s expression changed. He recognized Chu Qingyun; he had watched his fight against Qi Fan earlier in the day and had seen him use this exact move.

Zhu Xilin flipped his palm, and a somewhat ethereal white long saber materialized in his hand.

This was Zhu Xilin’s Martial Soul, a Tier One Sword Martial Soul.

He infused it with the pure, tyrannical Primordial Power of a Tier One Martial Master, causing the long saber to glow with a blinding light as he swung it to meet Chu Qingyun’s Sword Aura.