Devouring Soul Emperor

"Iron Wire Ten-Star Vine Soul Power!"

"Senluo Iron Wall Soul Power!"

"Black Arrow Soul Power!"

"Thunder Light Sword Qi!"

Facing Dai Linggang’s fierce halberd strike, Chu Qingyun’s expression turned grave. He drew his Strange Sword, unleashed his Thunder Light Sword Qi, and met the attack head-on.

However, while it looked like a single sword strike, Chu Qingyun had actually unleashed the power of three Martial Souls!

Once a Martial Soul reached Tier Four, one could invoke its Martial Soul Power.

Each type of Martial Soul Power could strengthen a Martial Artist, but different types focused on enhancing different attributes.

The Iron Wire Ten-Star Vine Soul Power provided a degree of defense and healing.

The Iron Wall Martial Soul, after advancing to Tier Four, had evolved into the Senluo Iron Wall Martial Soul. When active, its Senluo Iron Wall Soul Power vastly increased one’s defensive capabilities.

Chu Qingyun infused the Black Arrow Soul Power into his Primordial Power, making it sharper and more potent.

But Chu Qingyun had already experimented and found that no matter how many types of Martial Soul Power he used simultaneously, the increase in his overall strength was the same as using just one.

In other words, aside from certain unique effects, the boost to common attributes like strength and speed did not stack with the number of Martial Soul Powers activated.

SHIIING!

The Thunder Light Sword Qi was incomparably sharp. It instantly tore through the Primordial Power coating the Martial Soul Battle Halberd and sliced a third of the way into the weapon itself.

Immediately after, however, Chu Qingyun felt a tremendous force travel through the Battle Halberd and his Strange Sword, surging into his body.

With a loud BANG, the ground where Chu Qingyun stood caved in, the area several meters wide cracking and splintering.

Yet, protected by the Senluo Iron Wall Soul Power, Chu Qingyun’s body remained ramrod straight. He gripped his Strange Sword with both hands, holding the Battle Halberd at bay!

"How can this be!?"

Dai Linggang’s eyes flew wide with astonishment.

His full-power strike had actually been caught by Chu Qingyun—he hadn’t been crushed!

A head-on clash, and it was a draw!

The Ninth Prince and the others also stared, their eyes wide with shock. A Tier Four Martial Spirit had attacked, even using a Soul Technique, but couldn’t defeat a Tier Three Martial Spirit?

The surrounding Great Xia Dragon Guards quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

What none of them noticed was that not far away, two other people were also watching the scene: the two Celestial King Realm experts, Lord Lan and Prince Duan.

The Ninth Prince and his group, thinking they were clever, had snuck off the Flying Ship, believing their departure had gone unnoticed.

They had no idea that someone had reported their actions to Prince Duan the moment they left the Flying Ship.

However, upon seeing the Ninth Prince go looking for trouble with Chu Qingyun, the two of them didn’t intervene. Instead, they watched from a distance with keen interest.

They had only heard rumors of Chu Qingyun’s strength and had never witnessed it for themselves.

Although they had given him a spot in the sect assessment because of his merits, they both wanted to see if Chu Qingyun truly had the ability to fight a Tier Four Martial Spirit.

"He actually blocked it. Is that a Secret Technique?" Prince Duan said with a frown.

Lord Lan, who stood beside him, shook his head. "It’s not a Secret Technique. He has a Tier Four Martial Soul, so he must have used its Martial Soul Power just now. But even so, this shouldn’t be possible..."

The two Celestial King Realm experts actually found themselves unable to see through Chu Qingyun.

With the interference from the Iron Wire Ten-Star Vine Soul Power, not even these two Celestial King Realm experts could tell that Chu Qingyun was using the power of three Martial Souls at once.

By using three types of Martial Soul Power simultaneously, Chu Qingyun’s strength was already on par with that of an ordinary Tier Four Martial Spirit!

"Damn it! You just got lucky!"

"Take another one of my moves!"

Facing the doubtful stares from the crowd, Dai Linggang grew furious from embarrassment. With a roar, the skin on his arms suddenly turned black as an immense power once again surged into his Battle Halberd.

Clearly, he was now using a Secret Technique!

Seeing this, Chu Qingyun simply smiled.

From the moment he blocked Dai Linggang’s first attack, Chu Qingyun knew that Dai Linggang’s defeat was certain.

Because he also had a Secret Technique he hadn’t used, and even a Martial Soul he hadn’t revealed!

"Profound Celestial Divine Pattern!"

"Iron Wire Ten-Star Vine!"

As he activated his Secret Technique and summoned his Martial Soul, Chu Qingyun began to glow with a hazy, earth-yellow light. Behind him, a tall Martial Soul Illusion materialized, its terrifying Tier Four Martial Soul aura instantly locking onto Dai Linggang.

"Up you go!"

After activating the Profound Celestial Divine Pattern, Chu Qingyun gave a low shout. Gripping his sword with both hands, he forcefully threw it upward, actually managing to knock Dai Linggang’s Martial Soul Battle Halberd into the air.

Moreover, his Sword Qi sliced across the weapon, extending the gash in the halberd until it was halfway through!

While Dai Linggang was still off balance, ten vines shot out like lightning, swiftly wrapping around him and binding him tightly from head to toe.

Dai Linggang’s expression changed drastically, and he was just about to struggle.

But in that instant, Chu Qingyun flashed forward, his Strange Sword resting lightly against the man’s throat.

Feeling the cold intent from the Strange Sword prickling his skin, Dai Linggang’s lips twitched, and he dejectedly gave up the struggle.

He had come here to teach Chu Qingyun a lesson, but to his surprise, he was the one who had been defeated.

A dignified Tier Four Martial Spirit, an expert who had stepped into the Earth Spirit Realm, had actually lost to someone in the Small Spirit Realm!

As for Chu Qingyun, he was feeling rather emotional himself.

’This battle may have looked easy, as if I subdued Dai Linggang in just a few moves, but in reality, I had to use almost every trick up my sleeve.’

’It seems these are the Earth Spirit Realm geniuses the Lord Military Commander mentioned would be taking the sect assessment. They’re certainly not simple...’

Chu Qingyun glanced over at the Ninth Prince and his entourage. Although he had defeated Dai Linggang, he still felt a faint sense of crisis in his heart.

Just then, a familiar voice called out from the edge of the crowd. "Captain, you’re here too..."

Chu Qingyun turned to see Xia He walking toward them.

But upon seeing the Ninth Prince, Xia He froze. The Ninth Prince, in turn, was also stunned to see Xia He.

"Heh heh, and who might this be? If it isn’t Seventh Brother. Long time no see, Seventh Brother..." Upon seeing Xia He, the Ninth Prince spoke with a sinister tone, completely ignoring Dai Linggang, who was still at the mercy of Chu Qingyun’s sword.

"Ninth Prince... Yu Chen!"

Xia He stared at the Ninth Prince, his face twisting slightly as he bit out each word through clenched teeth.

"Seventh Brother, I haven’t seen you in over a year. So this is where you’ve been hiding. Oh, right, Lin’Er asked me to send her regards," the Ninth Prince said, looking at Xia He with a malicious smirk.

Hearing that name, Xia He could no longer hold back.

"Yu Chen, you bastard!"

Xia He roared, a mass of cyan Primordial Power mixed with Martial Soul Power erupting from his hand as he charged at the Ninth Prince and threw a punch.