Devouring Soul Emperor

Not one to give up, Chu Qingyun asked two more times.

However, You Yun was tight-lipped and simply refused to tell him what it was, much to his frustration.

"Oh, right. Back on the fighting stage, I think my sword broke. I have 245 Upper Grade Primordial Stones. Is that enough to buy a good one?"

Chu Qingyun drew his longsword and pointed to a crack a few inches from the hilt.

He had been using this Fine Steel Long Sword from his home ever since he started cultivating. He never thought it would break after enduring just one month of his Martial Master Level Primordial Power.

"The Primordial Power of a Martial Master is too strong. Ordinary weapons can’t withstand it. Come with me, I’ll find a suitable one for you."

You Yun took his pouch of stones and led Chu Qingyun to the front counter.

After rummaging for a moment, she found a longsword and tossed it to Chu Qingyun. "See how this one feels."

Chu Qingyun flicked the scabbard, and the longsword shot out with a SHING, which he caught neatly in his hand.

The sword was about five feet long and three fingers wide, with a central ridge running down its jet-black blade. The moment it left the scabbard, Chu Qingyun felt a faint chill emanate from it.

The longsword felt a bit heavy in his hand, and he wasn’t quite used to it.

However, this was actually perfect for him. When he used the Profound Celestial Divine Pattern, his strength was greatly amplified, making a lighter sword unsuitable.

"A Black Iron Long Sword, forged entirely from Black Tungsten Iron. It leaves no shadow in the night and no trace of blood. It can withstand the Primordial Power of a ninth-level Martial Master."

You Yun explained as Chu Qingyun swung the sword.

"A fine sword. I’ll take it. How much is it?"

Chu Qingyun asked with a smile as he sheathed the longsword.

"One hundred and fifty Upper Grade Primordial Stones. But since we’re so well-acquainted, I’ll sell it to you for 145. And if we count that Top-Grade Primordial Stone from before, we’re all even."

You Yun dangled Chu Qingyun’s money pouch, then turned and walked away.

It wasn’t until You Yun had vanished that Chu Qingyun snapped back to his senses. ’She... she took all my money!’

What’s more, he’d never imagined that You Yun, who had always seemed so mysterious and powerful, had this side to her!

’Well, so much for trying to get a bargain...’

Resigned to his fate, Chu Qingyun left the Assassin Alliance.

According to You Yun, the seal on the Canglang King’s Tomb would reach its weakest point in three days. When that happened, someone was bound to make a move.

Without a single Lower Grade Primordial Stone to his name, Chu Qingyun had no choice but to find a weaponsmith. He traded his broken Fine Steel Long Sword for some silver taels, the currency of common folk, then found a rundown inn. He spent the next three days scrimping and saving to get by.

An ordinary Martial Artist might not have been able to stand such conditions, but Chu Qingyun had grown up in a farming family, so he didn’t mind at all.

His only regret was leaving his Black Iron War Crossbow at home; otherwise, he could have sold it for a decent amount of Primordial Stones.

On the day You Yun had mentioned, Chu Qingyun rose at dawn and left the city, heading for the Cold Cyan Mountain Range.

Both inside and outside the city, he could see many Martial Artists traveling in groups toward the Cold Cyan Mountain Range. To his surprise, most of them were only in the Martial Artist Realm.

Chu Qingyun couldn’t help but shake his head. ’If these people dare to go inside, they’ll be nothing but cannon fodder!’

The Cold Cyan Mountain Range wasn’t far from Qingshan City. Riding at a leisurely pace for a little over half an hour, Chu Qingyun soon arrived at the foot of the mountain.

Once there, he saw that someone had set up a roadblock on the path leading up the mountain.

"Pay up, pay up! Anyone who wants to go up the mountain for treasure pays one Middle Grade Primordial Stone per person!"

"What? By what right are you charging us?" "By the right of the Blood Wolf Gang, that’s what! Now pay up or get the hell out!"

The base of the mountain was a chaotic mess thanks to the Blood Wolf Gang. Many people were unhappy about it, but most still grumbled as they obediently paid and continued up the mountain.

After all, you couldn’t fight the powers that be. Most of the people ascending from this direction were from Qingshan City, where the Blood Wolf Gang’s name still carried a lot of weight.

"Hey, kid. Pay up! Two Middle Grade Primordial Stones!"

When it was Chu Qingyun’s turn, a thuggish-looking Martial Artist held out his hand with a sleazy grin.

"Oh? How come it’s one for everyone else, but two for me?"

Chu Qingyun chuckled.

"Heh heh. No reason. I just don’t like your face. I’ll give you two choices: either you pay up and head up the mountain, or me and the boys will rob you blind and toss you back down."

The Blood Wolf Gang member sneered, his shifty eyes roving up and down, sizing up Chu Qingyun for anything valuable.

He’d had his eye on Chu Qingyun for a while. ’He’s alone and young—must be an easy target.’

"Sorry, I choose the third option. And that is for you to get the hell out of my way!"

Chu Qingyun grabbed the man by the collar and tossed him aside like a bag of trash. The man tumbled several times across the ground before crashing into a tree.

"Damn it! You dare hit someone from the Blood Wolf Gang? You’re dead meat!"

"Fatty Bear! Fatty Bear! Someone’s making trouble! He’s hitting people!"

At the man’s shouts, a hulking figure nearly seven feet tall with dark skin and an enormous build came walking over step by step.

"Who dares to make trouble?! And to attack one of my Blood Wolf Gang men?!"

Fatty Bear roared. His bellow, combined with his massive frame and ferocious expression, really did make him resemble a bear. The few Martial Artists standing near Chu Qingyun were so frightened they backed away, keeping their distance.

"You’re the one... uh, wait. You’re Chu Qingyun!"

"Damn it, San Gouzi! Didn’t I tell you not to mess with a Martial Master? You blind, worthless piece of crap!"

Once he got a clear look at Chu Qingyun, Fatty Bear shuddered. He viciously slapped the thug who had called him over, then turned tail and ran.

Fatty Bear had been sitting in the stands when Chu Qingyun had ruthlessly crippled Zhang Han and mercilessly twisted his head off.

He would never forget that scene as long as he lived.

’That kid looks rather handsome, but when he fights, he’s more ruthless than anyone!’

When the surrounding crowd heard the name Chu Qingyun, they immediately began to murmur among themselves.

They had never seen Chu Qingyun in person, but they’d heard his name. A Martial Artist from the countryside who wasn’t even afraid of the Blood Wolf Gang—his name had long ago spread throughout Qingshan City.

Seizing the opportunity while the Blood Wolf Gang members were in disarray, many people surged forward and rushed up the mountain.

Only after Chu Qingyun was far in the distance did the Blood Wolf Gang dare to set up their roadblock again and resume collecting money.

However, not two minutes later, another group on horseback came barreling through, sending a few of the gang members flying as they charged up the path.

Left in a cloud of dust, the Blood Wolf Gang members just looked at each other, fuming but not daring to say a word.

Those were men of the City Guard Army, backed by the City Lord’s Mansion. They couldn’t afford to provoke them, either.

At the summit of the Cold Cyan Mountain Range, inside a wide, deep crater, stood a massive stone gate. The tops of a cluster of buildings and pavilions were also visible, half-buried.

It was surrounded by a dense crowd, packed several layers deep with Martial Artists and Martial Masters who had rushed here from all over Lianshan County.

Someone, out of curiosity, heaved a boulder half the height of a man into the crater.

However, as soon as the boulder entered the crater’s perimeter, a faint film of energy, shaped like half an eggshell, lit up around it and instantly blasted the rock into dust.

That film of energy was the tomb’s seal!