Devouring Soul Emperor

"What, you don’t dare to admit it?"

Chu Qingyun said with a sneer.

He wasn’t worried about Lord Ming discovering his location. Even if he did, he wouldn’t be able to catch Chu Qingyun—a fact Lord Ming had already learned the hard way.

"What’s there not to admit? That’s right, I’m from the Martial Soul Hall!"

Lord Ming had his own pride and admitted it directly.

At once, the eyes of those around Lord Ming filled with even greater fear. Many couldn’t help but back away, putting as much distance as possible between themselves and him.

’A man from the Martial Soul Hall, and this powerful on top of that... He’s terrifying!’

"Chu Qingyun, don’t play these games with me. Are you hoping these people will attack me? Are you looking to die?"

"Let me be blunt. I came here for one reason: to kill you. The sword is right here. If you have the guts, come and take it. Of course, if you’re gutless, you can always run. You’re used to being a coward, after all!"

Lord Ming’s voice boomed.

However, his attention remained fixed on Tu Qiang and the others to prevent their escape, as his own speed wasn’t much greater than a Level Six Martial Spirit’s.

With the other part of the Strange Sword so close, Chu Qingyun was naturally unwilling to give up easily.

If it fell into Lord Ming’s hands, getting it back would be nearly impossible.

But rushing out blindly would be suicide.

’I have to think of a plan...’

Chu Qingyun pondered for a moment before his eyes suddenly lit up with an idea. He recalled seeing a massive pack of Black-Maned Demon Wolves deep in the forest earlier that evening.

The Black-Maned Demon Wolf was a common Tier Three Demon Beast in the forest, known for the distinctive ring of black mane around its neck.

An adult Black-Maned Demon Wolf was as powerful as an Earth Spirit Realm expert, while a pack’s Wolf King could even rival a Celestial Spirit Realm master.

Some exceptionally powerful Black-Maned Demon Wolves could even break through to Tier Four, becoming formidable Demon Beasts!

With this in mind, Chu Qingyun silently retreated, slipping into the darkness and sprinting deeper into the forest.

His goal, of course, was to lure the pack of Black-Maned Demon Wolves. In the chaos of the fight that would follow, both Lord Ming and the other opportunists would be distracted by the Demon Beasts, paying far less attention to him.

And that would be his chance to take the sword.

The Black-Maned Demon Wolf pack typically hunted during the day. Now, deep in the night, nearly all of them were resting in their den.

Using his Hidden Qi Technique and Shadow Martial Soul, Chu Qingyun silently crept to the edge of the den.

As the overlords of this region, it had been a long time since any human or Demon Beast had dared to challenge their pack. All the Demon Wolves were sprawled on the ground, fast asleep, completely oblivious to Chu Qingyun’s arrival.

The adult Black-Maned Demon Wolves were as large as oxen, their heavy breaths exhaling a foul stench.

"Thunder Light Sword Qi!"

Chu Qingyun drew the Strange Sword and instantly unleashed Thunder Light Sword Qi.

The moment the Sword Qi materialized, its piercing aura instantly startled three nearby Black-Maned Demon Wolves. Instinctively, the black manes on their necks bristled.

But their reaction came too late.

A three-meter-long, pale purple slash of Sword Qi cut through the air, and one Black-Maned Demon Wolf was decapitated before it could even resist.

After killing one Black-Maned Demon Wolf, Chu Qingyun didn’t hesitate. He immediately blasted a Thunder Sword Momentum strike deeper into the den, waking even more of the Demon Wolves.

After unleashing two attacks in the blink of an eye, Chu Qingyun turned and bolted toward Tu Qiang’s position without a second glance.

In the brief flash from his attack, Chu Qingyun had glanced around and estimated there were well over a hundred Black-Maned Demon Wolves in the den.

And that was only what he could see!

Every single Black-Maned Demon Wolf possessed the strength of an Earth Spirit Realm practitioner. Furthermore, Demon Beasts were far more ferocious in combat than human Martial Artists; a primal instinct and viciousness were ingrained in their very bones.

AWOOO!

AWOOOO!!

A series of rage-filled howls erupted behind Chu Qingyun.

He didn’t need to look to know that a horde of Black-Maned Demon Wolves was now chasing him with rabid fury.

Some of the adult Black-Maned Demon Wolves were even faster than a Level Six Martial Spirit. Soon, a dozen agile, wolf-like shadows were weaving through the night, rapidly closing in on him.

Unlike humans, wolves had night vision. Even if they couldn’t make out Chu Qingyun’s features, they could see a dark figure sprinting ahead of them.

Chu Qingyun was prepared for this.

"Iron Thread Ten-Star Vine!"

With a single thought, Chu Qingyun activated his Iron Thread Ten-Star Vine Martial Soul.

Ten vines sprouted from the Martial Soul on his back, shooting out behind him and lashing about in a chaotic, aimless attack.

Cries of pain and low, threatening growls instantly erupted from behind him.

Tier Three Demon Beasts were considerably more intelligent than ordinary animals, but they had not yet undergone a true Spirit Awakening and lacked human-like sapience.

Thus, when attacked and provoked, they began assaulting the ten vines even as they continued their pursuit of Chu Qingyun, tearing at them with sharp fangs and claws.

This slowed their pursuit considerably, allowing them to maintain a relatively stable distance from Chu Qingyun.

If he could maintain this state of affairs until he reached Tu Qiang, it would be the ideal outcome.

But things didn’t go according to plan. As more Black-Maned Demon Wolves joined the chase, the ten vines couldn’t withstand the assault and were easily torn to shreds by the pack.

Even when they regrew, it was useless; the wolves destroyed them far faster than they could regenerate.

The Demon Wolves that caught up were the elites of the pack, their strength comparable to a human Level Six Martial Spirit. Not only were they immensely powerful, with sharp teeth and claws, but the Primordial Power within their bodies was also more potent than that of the other wolves.

AWOOO...

GRRR...

The figures of the Demon Wolves drew closer and closer.

Once they closed the distance to within four meters, all the Black-Maned Demon Wolves leaped into the air, jaws wide, fangs and claws bared.

A thin layer of Primordial Power shimmered over their glinting fangs and claws.

"Senluo Iron Wall!"

Chu Qingyun let out a low growl. In an instant, a massive, square Martial Soul Illusion materialized out of thin air behind him.

As he poured Primordial Power into it, the Martial Soul Illusion instantly solidified, transforming into a true Iron Wall that slammed back toward the attacking Black-Maned Demon Wolves.