Devouring Soul Emperor

All eyes were locked on Chu Qingyun, waiting to see his choice.

Both the Celestial Sword Sect and the Saint Extreme Sect were among the most powerful sects in the Northern Domain. Geniuses from the Hundred Dynasties would do anything just to get in.

And now, Inner Sect Disciples from two major sects were competitively laying out offers for a single person!

Such a thing was simply unheard of, completely unimaginable!

"Thank you for your generous offer, Chen, but I've decided to stay with the Saint Extreme Sect," Chu Qingyun said to Chen Yuqi, cupping his hands.

Since he had already given his word, Chu Qingyun had no intention of backing out.

Hearing this, Chen Yuqi frowned, his expression wavering.

Qi Hao, on the other hand, breathed an inward sigh of relief. His gaze toward Chu Qingyun filled with satisfaction.

"Chen, that Chu Qingyun not only injured our Celestial Sword Sect recruiter yesterday, but he also hurt Huo Yuguang today. We can't let him off!"

A Celestial Spirit Realm expert from the Dark Moon Dynasty, who was with the Celestial Sword Sect, spoke to Chen Yuqi.

"Shut up! You're a disgrace. Help your Fourth Prince and follow me."

Chen Yuqi shot back with a cold expression, then turned and stormed off.

'Of course, I know what that Celestial Spirit Realm expert was trying to do,' Chen Yuqi thought. 'He just wanted to use my anger to target Chu Qingyun.'

'But Qi Hao from the Saint Extreme Sect is here. Even if I wanted to do something, I wouldn't dare.'

The sect's Forbidden King Order was no joke.

If he, a King Realm disciple, dared to attack an Examiner from the Hundred Dynasties, not even the Celestial Sword Sect could protect him!

After Chen and his group left, Qi Hao looked at Chu Qingyun and said with a smile, "Junior Brother Chu, with your talent, joining the sect is a certainty. Do you want to go directly to the Saint Extreme Sect, or would you rather temper yourself in the ruins of the Blood Sect?"

'Go straight to the sect...'

Chu Qingyun thought for a moment before replying, "Since I'm already here, I might as well go and gain some experience in the Blood Sect ruins."

He made this decision for two reasons. First, he was interested in the Secret Manuals and Secret Techniques within the Blood Sect ruins. Second, he, Mu Xiaoxiao, and Dai had all been accepted into the Saint Extreme Sect early, and it wouldn't feel right to just leave them behind.

Qi Hao nodded. "Very well. Gaining more experience is never a bad thing. Then it's settled. As we agreed, everyone from the Saint Extreme Sect will be under your command for this expedition."

At Qi Hao's words, Zhou Wushang's expression immediately soured.

'He's clearly stripping me of my authority and giving it to Chu Qingyun!'

'It's true Chu Qingyun is a genius, but I, Zhou Wushang, am a dignified Celestial Spirit Realm expert! And my background is extremely noble—I'm the most favored Prince of the Qianshui Dynasty, one of the Ten Great Dynasties!'

However, Zhou Wushang didn't dare to say a word.

Although geniuses from the Qianshui Dynasty had joined the Saint Extreme Sect for generations, building up a powerful faction within it, he, Zhou Wushang, wasn't even an official disciple yet. He certainly didn't dare to offend an Inner Sect Disciple like Qi Hao.

But Chu Qingyun shook his head again. "Qi, let's forget it. I'm not interested in being the leader."

'Being the leader means dealing with all sorts of problems. I'd rather not get involved in that mess.'

"Haha, it seems I was overthinking things. The rest of you can go on ahead. Junior Brother Chu, come with me for a moment..."

Qi Hao dismissed the others. As they walked, he handed Chu Qingyun a Jade Pendant. "Junior Brother Chu, it's good to get more experience, but your Realm is still quite low, after all. The Blood Sect ruins could be very dangerous."

"I got this Jade Pendant from the Talisman Puppet Sect. If you crush it, it can block one full-power attack from a Level Nine Martial Spirit. I'm giving it to you now. On this trip to the Blood Sect ruins, what you gain is secondary; your safety is what's most important."

Chu Qingyun stared at the Jade Pendant, a little stunned.

"Qi, I can't possibly accept this. Something so valuable... I can't take it," Chu Qingyun refused.

A Treasure that could block a single full-power attack from a Level Nine Martial Spirit was essentially priceless.

"Haha, I got this back when I was in the Spirit Realm and never had a chance to use it. I broke through to the King Realm over two years ago, so it's useless to me now."

"Junior Brother Chu, you called me Senior Brother, and that title should mean something. Take this Jade Pendant."

Qi Hao laughed and pressed the Jade Pendant into Chu Qingyun's hand.

Chu Qingyun had shown such incredible talent and strength; his future achievements were sure to be boundless. Because of this, Qi Hao was determined to form a genuine connection with this junior brother.

At this point, Chu Qingyun couldn't refuse any longer. He had no choice but to accept it with thanks.

「Meanwhile.」

After leading the dejected group back, the Celestial Sword Sect's Inner Sect Disciple, Chen Yuqi, grew more and more furious and frustrated the more he thought about what had happened.

'Not even twenty years old, a Level Four Martial Spirit, and he's already grasped Sword Intent. Even if it's not fully mastered, that kind of talent is surely top-tier among this batch of Examiners, and probably among the last several batches as well.'

'And a genius like that slipped through my fingers, right under my nose!'

The very thought made Chen Yuqi burn with frustration.

'And when I look at the people I did manage to recruit from the Dark Moon Dynasty and the others... they just look more and more like trash.'

Comparisons are odious.

Everything comes down to comparison. Next to Chu Qingyun, these "geniuses" were instantly reduced to morons.

"Who was recruiting at the city gate yesterday?! How could a genius like that end up with the Saint Extreme Sect? Are you all blind?!"

Back in his own quarters, Chen Yuqi couldn't stop himself from berating them.

The Celestial Spirit Realm and Earth Spirit Realm experts all ducked their heads, not daring to breathe too loudly, terrified of setting him off while he was in such a foul mood.

"Huo Yuguang, can your injuries even be healed? The Blood Sect ruins open the day after tomorrow. Are you going to be of any use?"

"Useless waste, getting beaten into this state by a Level Four Martial Spirit!"

When no one answered, Chen Yuqi turned his glare back to Huo Yuguang.

Huo Yuguang flinched and glanced fearfully at Chen Yuqi. "Don't worry, Chen. I have a Healing Elixir. I can recover overnight."

"Hmph. A Healing Elixir... wasted on you!" Chen Yuqi snapped.

"Yes, yes..." Huo Yuguang didn't dare to talk back, lowering his head meekly.

Meanwhile, Huo Yuchen, who was standing off to the side, felt a surge of secret delight. 'This is great!'

'Come to think of it, the one I hate most isn't Chu Qingyun, who defeated me, but this Fourth Brother of mine who has always held me down.'

Huo Yuchen considered himself superior to his Fourth Brother in every way—intelligence, talent, and social grace.

But in terms of sheer power, he was just one step behind Huo Yuguang. As a result, both of the Dark Moon Dynasty's Celestial Spirit Realm experts, and the vast majority of its Earth Spirit Realm cultivators, had chosen to follow Huo Yuguang, not him.

Huo Yuchen suddenly stepped forward. "Chen," he said to Chen Yuqi, "I have a matter to report, though I'm not sure if this is the right time to say it."

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