Devouring Soul Emperor

Chapter 332: Chapter 332: Iron Law

Even if Chu Qingyun hid his aura, strength, and speed again, Dong Jingshan wouldn’t fall for the same trick twice.

The final result would be the same. He would still have to take another elixir, and at best, he’d only be able to kill one more third-level Martial Spirit.

But compared to killing one more third-level Martial Spirit, Chu Qingyun was more interested in seeing the spectacular expression on Dong Jingshan’s face.

Just like the one he was wearing now!

Shock, indignation, rage, dejection, despair—a kaleidoscope of emotions flickered across Dong Jingshan’s face.

In the end, however, all he could do was sigh in defeat.

He forced out the words, "I give up. The Dong Family... concedes."

There was no point in holding out any longer. He now had only one second-level and one third-level Martial Spirit left. Sending them both up would be nothing but a suicide mission.

Besides, losing more than ten Martial Spirit Level experts at once—even if they were all in the Small Spirit Realm—was an unbearable blow to the Dong Family.

For a family, top-tier combatants in the Earth Spirit Realm and Celestial Spirit Realm were, of course, crucial.

But their core strength—the Small Spirit Realm experts—could not be overlooked. If their Small Spirit Realm cultivators were wiped out, it would undoubtedly trigger a series of severe consequences.

Therefore, Dong Jingshan could no longer bear the weight of it all.

Leaping off the battle stage, Chu Qingyun first approached Zou Kai and the other Celestial Spirit Realm experts.

"My lords, thank you for your righteous intervention today," Chu Qingyun said gratefully.

The Celestial Spirit Realm experts all laughed.

"Haha, no need for thanks. We were only following the Lord Military Commander’s orders. Still, you really know how to hide your strength. A Tier Four Martial Soul, no less."

"And you don’t just hide it well—your control over your Martial Soul is probably second to none. To think you could disguise an Iron Thread Ten-Star Vine as a regular Ten-Star Vine... no wonder your control was so flawless."

"Sigh. You talented youngsters are all the same, always hiding your true abilities. First that Xia He, and now you..."

The Celestial Spirit Realm experts were all smiles, assuming that Chu Qingyun’s Martial Soul had always been the Tier Four Iron Thread Ten-Star Vine and that he had simply been hiding its true nature.

Not a single one of them would have guessed that Chu Qingyun’s Martial Soul could evolve.

Because Martial Souls were innate and could not evolve. This was an ironclad law of the Martial World, a law that no one would ever question.

It was like seeing a pool of black water. One would assume it was a trick of the light, or that there were impurities in the water, or even that they were still half-asleep and their eyes were deceiving them.

But no one would ever consider the possibility that the water itself was simply black.

Because water is transparent—this was an axiom accepted by all, another ironclad law.

And yet, the Devouring Martial Soul was that very pool of inherently black water. It was the exception that broke the ironclad law of the Martial World...

After the Celestial Spirit Realm experts departed, Chu Qingyun, Xia He, and Xiao Feng started to head out, the group clamoring to find a place to celebrate Chu Qingyun’s victory.

However, to Chu Qingyun’s surprise, after the life-and-death challenge concluded, Elder Qin found himself swarmed by a crowd of people.

"Lord Qin, that Green Wind Swift Shadow Pill... could I trouble you to sell me one? The price is absolutely negotiable!"

"Elder Qin, do you have any Giant Elephant Frenzy Pills left? Sell one to me! I’ll pay a high price, and I’ll owe you a favor."

"Lord Qin, I want to purchase your Violent Yuan Pills! I’ll take as many as you have. Name your price!"

A noisy crowd had gathered, all of them clamoring to buy elixirs.

Clearly, they all assumed the elixirs Chu Qingyun had taken on the stage were provided by Elder Qin. Otherwise, how could a mere first-level Martial Spirit possibly get his hands on so many!

Elder Qin was rendered speechless. He shot a helpless glance at Chu Qingyun, who was just about to leave.

Chu Qingyun hadn’t expected this to happen either. He had clearly underestimated the appeal of the three elixirs he had consumed.

From across the crowd, Chu Qingyun gave Elder Qin a cupped-fist salute.

The gesture clearly meant, ’Sorry, but you’ll have to handle this...’

Seeing this, Elder Qin was even more exasperated. He knew Chu Qingyun didn’t want his identity as an Alchemist revealed, so he could only bite the bullet and, with a wry smile, begin trying to placate the crowd.

The moment Chu Qingyun, Xia He, and Xiao Feng were stepping out the door, Chu Qingyun’s heart skipped a beat. He felt a sudden, slight tremor from the Devouring Martial Soul within his Qi Sea.

’That feeling... it only ever happens when I encounter someone from the Martial Soul Hall.’

Chu Qingyun whipped his head around, his gaze locking onto another exit along the same wall.

He thought he saw a familiar silhouette in profile. ’Is that... Liu Canghai?’

He couldn’t get a clear look at the figure, and the tremor from his Devouring Martial Soul had only been faint.

So, Chu Qingyun shook his head and didn’t dwell on it. He let Xia He and Xiao Feng drag him off to find a place to eat and celebrate.

Meanwhile, just after the life-and-death challenge, two figures hurried from the Great Xia Martial Palace in the Dongcheng District, weaving through the streets on their way to the Xicheng District.

Upon entering a familiar house, both of them visibly relaxed.

These were the two individuals Chu Qingyun had sensed as he left: Liu Canghai and Mu of the Martial Soul Hall.

"Mu, have you lost your mind? You actually went to watch Chu Qingyun’s life-and-death challenge, and you even sent someone to fetch me? Did you know there were eight Celestial Spirit Realm experts from the Great Xia Dragon Guard there!?"

Liu Canghai glared at Mu, clearly furious with his recklessness.

Mu, however, was completely unfazed. He chuckled and said, "Ever since I arrived in your Lianshan County City, the name I’ve heard most often is Chu Qingyun. I was curious, so I went to take a look."

"Besides, it allowed me to confirm something. Blue Ink... he was almost certainly killed by Chu Qingyun."

Mu had previously sent Blue Ink to ambush and kill Chu Qingyun. He had thought the plan was foolproof, but in the end, Blue Ink was the one who died while Chu Qingyun returned to the County City unscathed.

At first, he had assumed that Blue Ink had met with an accident or been killed by someone else.

But after seeing the power Chu Qingyun displayed today, along with his Tier Four Martial Soul, he was now fairly certain that Blue Ink had indeed died at Chu Qingyun’s hands.

"So what if he did? He was just one of your subordinates. Are you telling me you’re going to take a risk just to avenge him?" Liu Canghai said, his expression turning sour.

"Avenge him? Of course not. But since that Chu Qingyun has a Tier Four Martial Soul and is such a talent... he must die!"

A cold glint flashed in Mu’s eyes as he spoke.

The Martial Soul Hall, at every level, spared no effort in eliminating human geniuses.

"Hmph, you’re getting ahead of yourself," Liu Canghai snorted. "That Chu Qingyun got a huge reward from his special mission, and now he’s earned at least ten thousand units of Primordial Spirit Liquid. He won’t be taking on any missions for a while. Your last chance was just a fluke."