Chapter 163: Chapter 163: Flying Soul Techniques
Even hiding behind his Defense Shield, Xia He still felt a massive impact.
The black energy on his shield could block the Thunder Power, but it couldn’t stop the force of the Sword Momentum embedded within it.
The immense force traveled up the shield and into his arm, instantly numbing it completely. The shock even rattled his internal organs, and a trickle of blood seeped from one of his nostrils.
Although he had temporarily pushed Xia He into a desperate corner, Chu Qingyun didn’t let his guard down. He remained wary of Xia He’s Tier Four Soul Techniques.
The power of a Tier Four Martial Soul far surpassed that of a Tier Three one. It stood to reason that Tier Four Soul Techniques would also be vastly superior to Tier Three, possessing terrifying strength.
Moreover, the fact that Xia He possessed a Storage Ring was a huge surprise. And that shield... it was a Spirit Level Defense Shield.
’This guy’s background must be extraordinary...’ Chu Qingyun thought to himself.
After taking one of Chu Qingyun’s strikes head-on, Xia He had already judged that he was no match for this guy.
A Level Nine Martial Artist losing to a Level Seven Martial Artist... It was a difficult pill to swallow, but as arrogant as Xia He was, he wasn’t an idiot. He wouldn’t lie to himself.
’As long as I’m alive, I can get my revenge later!’
Xia He roared and poured a massive amount of Primordial Power into his shield. The black light on it flared as if it had been given a powerful stimulant, instantly dissolving all the Thunder Power.
"Wind-Soaring Wings!"
Seizing the opportunity, Xia He unleashed his Soul Technique. Two beams of dense, cyan light shot from the Martial Soul behind him, forming a pair of wings nearly two meters long on his back.
"Hahaha! Chu Qingyun, you didn’t expect me to have Flying Soul Techniques, did you? Next time we meet, I’ll beat you to a pulp!"
Xia He let out a hearty laugh, then kicked off the ground and shot toward the sky.
With a few flaps of his wings, he quickly ascended over ten meters, carefully climbing higher through the forest canopy.
’So he can fly... too bad he ran into me.’
"Ten-Star Vine!"
With a low shout from Chu Qingyun, ten vines shot out, growing at an incredible speed as they flew toward the blurry figure in midair.
Hearing the terrifying, air-ripping sound, Xia He suddenly remembered Chu Qingyun’s Martial Soul. His heart sank, and he frantically tried to fly upward faster.
But he was no match for the speed of the Ten-Star Vine. In moments, the vines had wrapped around his limbs and torso.
Suspended in midair, he had no leverage. The wings had enough power to lift him, but they were helpless against the combined pulling force of ten vines.
Like a great bird with a broken wing, Xia He spiraled out of the sky and crashed to the ground with a heavy THUD.
"Thunder Sword Momentum!"
A ferocious sword strike followed instantly. Xia He’s heart clenched as if gripped by an iron fist, and his face went white as a sheet.
’It’s over!’
But the sword only grazed his scalp before flying past and exploding violently behind him.
The Thundercloud Sword pressed against Xia He’s throat. Chu Qingyun stood over him and said, "Xia He, do you still want me to submit?"
Xia He’s expression turned bitter, but he knew his loss was fair. His Wind-Splitting Finger was no match for the Thunder Sword Momentum in a direct confrontation, and his Martial Soul was at a disadvantage.
"Chu Qingyun, you win this time. I admit defeat. The Assessment Token is yours," Xia He said, decisively tossing his Assessment Token to Chu Qingyun.
At this moment, a sense of dread crept into Xia He’s heart.
’I revealed my Storage Ring and my Spirit Level Defense Shield to him. Normally, his next move would be to kill me and take my treasures!’
’Is revealing my identity my only option? I wonder if he’ll even believe me.’
’Xia He, Xia He... to think that you, a magnificent Prince of Great Xia, would be brought so low...’
Just as Xia He’s mind was racing, Chu Qingyun gently moved his Treasure Sword away. "You can go."
"What? You’re not killing me?"
Xia He eyed Chu Qingyun suspiciously. ’Does this guy have some weird habit of stabbing people in the back? Is he just waiting for me to turn around?’
"What? Are you hoping I’ll kill you?" Chu Qingyun said with a slight smile as he sheathed his Treasure Sword.
Chu Qingyun truly had no intention of killing Xia He. There was no real benefit to it, and he would likely make a powerful enemy.
Xia He’s Martial Soul was Tier Four, which his Tier Three Devouring Martial Soul couldn’t absorb yet.
As for the Storage Ring, it wasn’t very useful to him even if he took it. He didn’t have a good channel to sell it through, and doing so would risk exposure and attract unwanted attention. He already had one, so a second was pointless.
Therefore, killing Xia He was a high-risk, low-reward proposition.
’Besides, even if I were to kill him, I’d be better off waiting until my Devouring Martial Soul reaches Tier Four. At least then I could absorb his Martial Soul.’
Seeing that Chu Qingyun truly had no murderous intent and wasn’t interested in his Storage Ring, Xia He climbed to his feet, straightened his clothes, and brushed the dust from his robes.
For a Level Nine Martial Artist, the pain from a twenty-meter fall was only temporary.
Seeing how calm he was, Chu Qingyun grew even more certain of his earlier suspicion. ’This guy’s background is definitely not simple!’
An ordinary person would have scrambled away in relief, not paused to straighten their clothes.
"Chu Qingyun, from your reaction, I’m guessing you haven’t seen many Tier Four Martial Souls. Since you let me go, I’ll tell you some of their secrets as compensation."
"Tier One, Tier Two, and Tier Three Martial Souls are known as Low Tier Martial Souls. Tier Four, Tier Five, and Tier Six are known as Middle Tier Martial Souls."
"The biggest difference between a Tier Four and a Tier Three Martial Soul is the ability to actively channel some of your Martial Soul Power into your own body. For example, when I use the power of my Wind Feather Crane Soul, it makes my body lighter and more nimble, making it easier to dodge attacks."
Xia He said slowly, watching Chu Qingyun.
He knew it was Chu Qingyun’s first time encountering a Tier Four Martial Soul because his reaction had been so obvious.
When facing a tiger for the first time, an ordinary person might be so scared their knees go weak. But if they saw one every day, they might still be afraid, but they wouldn’t have such an extreme reaction.
Chu Qingyun listened intently.
When Xia He mentioned being able to actively use Martial Soul Power, Chu Qingyun’s eyes lit up. He couldn’t help but think of his Devouring Martial Soul.
Chu Qingyun had witnessed the terrifying nature of its Devouring Power many times. ’If I could actively control that...’
’I have to reach Tier Four as soon as possible!’
"Xia He, I have one more question for you," Chu Qingyun said, holding Xia He’s Token. "Why did you trade for the Zhao Family brothers’ Military Merits?"
