Devouring Soul Emperor

After refining that power, Chu Qingyun not only advanced to become a Third-level Martial Artist, but his injuries also healed completely, not leaving even a scar.

Snapping back to his senses, he finally took stock of the situation.

The power had neutralized the Fire Poison in both of them, and they were now completely clear-headed.

Looking at the practically perfect body beneath him, Chu Qingyun steeled himself. ’To hell with it! If I’m going to die, I’ll die!’ He lowered himself once more and got back to his arduous work.

"Ngh... Mmm... Mmm..."

Half an hour later, Chu Qingyun scrambled to put on his clothes, put away the Puppet, and then ran outside at full speed.

A blast of Primordial Power shot past, flying over his head and slamming into a wall, causing the entire area to tremble.

Chu Qingyun was so scared he didn’t even dare to look back, simply sprinting for his life.

"Bastard, I’m going to kill you!"

Ning Xue looked at the scratch marks on her chest and her disheveled lower body, waves of killing intent radiating from her.

After taking a change of clothes from her Storage Ring and putting them on, she chased after Chu Qingyun, her face an icy mask.

By the time Chu Qingyun burst out of the Martial King’s Tomb, the sun was sinking in the west, and dusk was falling.

The outer rooms had already been picked clean, and there were barely any people left in the Cold Cyan Mountain Range.

However, halfway down the mountain, Chu Qingyun was stopped by someone.

It was Jintai of the Jin Family!

After being teleported away by the Canglang King’s statue, Jintai discovered that not only had he failed to obtain the King-level Sword Technique inheritance, but he had also been afflicted with Fire Poison.

After refining away the Fire Poison, he left the Martial King’s Tomb.

However, the more he thought about it, the more furious he became.

He had no idea who had obtained the Sword Technique inheritance. On this trip, he had not only lost twenty drops of Primordial Spirit Liquid but had also come away with absolutely nothing—except a body full of Fire Poison.

Frustrated, his thoughts turned to Chu Qingyun.

’That brat was not only disrespectful to me, but he also made out with so many benefits. If I can just rob him of his Ice Heart Leaf, Extraterrestrial Meteorite Iron, and Primordial Spirit Liquid, this whole trip will have been worth it.’

So, after meeting up with Ye Can and Zhou Li, he pretended to leave but slipped back midway, sending only the Jin Family’s Golden Light Eagle back on its own.

A Third-level Martial Artist!

Chu Qingyun had just broken through, and his aura was still unstable. Jintai saw his Realm with a single glance.

But Jintai didn’t care at all.

’Whether he’s a first-level or a third-level, it makes no difference before the power of an Eighth-level Martial Artist. He’s pathetically weak either way!’

"Brat, hand over the Ice Heart Leaf, the Extraterrestrial Meteorite Iron, and all your Primordial Spirit Liquid. Then, cripple your own Qi Sea and kowtow to me in apology. If you do that, I’ll spare your life today. Otherwise, hmph!"

Jintai’s eyes were filled with contempt as he looked at Chu Qingyun.

"An Eighth-level Martial Artist..."

Chu Qingyun’s expression turned grim. A thousand thoughts flashed through his mind like lightning. With a flick of his finger, he summoned the Puppet to stand before him.

A Third-level Martial Artist facing an Eighth-level Martial Artist... even if he and the Puppet fought with their lives on the line, their chances of winning were slim.

But Chu Qingyun had no other choice. He had to risk it all.

Jintai, however, was already staring wide-eyed, his entire body trembling with excitement.

"A Puppet... and a Storage Ring!"

"HA, HAHAHA! The heavens are truly blessing me, Jintai! I just came back to score a little something, but I never imagined I’d run into such a jackpot! HAHAHA..."

Jintai couldn’t help but roar with laughter. He felt as if a pie had just fallen from the sky and landed in his lap.

"Go!"

Chu Qingyun slapped a stream of Primordial Power into the Puppet and barked a command in his mind. The Puppet’s eyes flashed, and it stomped two deep craters into the ground before shooting toward Jintai like a cannonball.

"Hmph, a mere Puppet dares to act so presumptuously! Elder Huai, this Puppet is all yours," Jintai said without moving a muscle.

A grating laugh echoed. "Rest assured, Young Master. It’s merely a damaged high-level Puppet. Leave it to this old servant."

The voice came, but no figure could be seen.

And it was hoarse and grating, enough to give anyone who heard it goosebumps.

Soon, a figure materialized in front of Jintai.

It was a gaunt old man, shrouded in a large black robe, revealing only a wrinkled old face. His eyes, however, glinted with a sharp light, as if they could pierce a person’s heart.

Elder Huai extended a skeletal right hand, like a chicken’s claw, and caught the Puppet’s fist.

The grab seemed light and effortless, as if devoid of any power, yet it instantly brought the Puppet to a dead stop. The Primordial Power coursing through the Puppet’s arm was shattered and dispersed in an instant.

A full-power punch from the Puppet, strong enough to severely injure a Seventh-level Martial Artist, had been effortlessly neutralized by Elder Huai’s casual grab!

Seeing this, Chu Qingyun’s heart sank to the pit of his stomach.

’This old geezer is so powerful. Is he a Ninth-level Martial Artist, or something even more terrifying... a Martial Spirit?’

"Haha, brat! Seeing as you’ve delivered such treasures to my doorstep, I’ll give you a choice. Hand over the Storage Ring, and I’ll leave you with an intact corpse!"

With a wave from Jintai, Elder Huai grabbed the Puppet’s arm and retreated to the side.

Held in Elder Huai’s grip, the Puppet was completely immobile, unable to break free no matter what commands Chu Qingyun gave it.

’Hand over the Storage Ring?’

’Leave me an intact corpse?’

’In your dreams!’

With a SHING, Chu Qingyun drew his longsword. At the same time, he unleashed his Five-star Vine Martial Soul. Five hundred-meter-long, dark green vines whipped around him as he prepared for a life-or-death struggle!

’It’s already dusk. In a little while, it’ll be completely dark. When that happens, I can use the Soul Skill Stealth from my Shadow Martial Soul. I’ll definitely have a chance to escape.’

’The most important thing is to stall for time—stall until nightfall!’

’As for the Puppet... where there’s life, there’s hope. Saving my own skin is what matters most.’

In a flash, Chu Qingyun had devised the best possible plan.

’Not only am I facing Jintai, an Eighth-level Martial Artist, but there’s also the unfathomably powerful Elder Huai. A direct confrontation is impossible. I have to find a way to escape.’

"Jintai! Back in the tomb, I was the one who broke the Four-direction Illusionary Fire Array for you, helping you get the Martial King’s inheritance! Aren’t you afraid you’ll bring shame to the Jin Family by biting the hand that fed you!?" Chu Qingyun shouted, on full alert. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

Jintai sneered. "Shame? Once I kill you, who’s going to know I, Jintai, was even here?"

"As for repaying kindness, I didn’t even get the Martial King’s inheritance! Those two little bastards, Ye Can and Zhou Li, both claim they didn’t get it either. Who the hell knows who walked away with it!"

Chu Qingyun cursed inwardly. ’Among the Four Great Clans, the people from the Jin Family are truly the most detestable.’

From the Jin Family members fighting over the Primordial Spirit Liquid in the great hall to Jintai now, every single one of them acted bold and generous on the surface, but in reality, they were sinister, cunning, and completely unscrupulous.

"Brat, stop trying to prolong the inevitable. Today, I’ll show you the power of an Eighth-level Martial Artist and make you understand just how pathetic your resistance is!"

As Jintai spoke, a terrifying aura erupted from his body, pressing down on Chu Qingyun.

Under the pressure of Jintai’s terrifying aura, Chu Qingyun’s manifested Martial Soul trembled violently, on the verge of collapse. Cold sweat beaded on his forehead, and he could barely keep a steady grip on his sword.