Five days passed in the blink of an eye.

Over these five days, Chu Qingyun consumed some Lower Grade Primordial Stones to consolidate his cultivation.

While taking stock of the bundle he had gotten from Zhao Lan, Chu Qingyun received a pleasant surprise.

Inside the bundle, besides over two hundred Lower Grade Primordial Stones, there were actually three Middle Grade Primordial Stones!

Middle Grade Primordial Stones are white, and the Primordial Power they contain is more than ten times purer than that of Lower Grade Primordial Stones.

A single Middle Grade Primordial Stone was equivalent in value to one hundred Lower Grade Primordial Stones.

Although the Yuan Stone Ore Vein was abandoned and produced only a few Lower Grade Primordial Stones, even the most barren mining area would have some essence.

Soon, the day arrived for Zhao Yishui to come to Chu Family Village for the wedding procession.

On this day, the friends and relatives of Chu Qian's family in Chu Family Village were all beaming with joy.

After all, for someone from their village to marry the son of the Zhao Family Castle's Fortress Lord was a matter of great pride for them.

As for Chu Xiaocui's parents, they had been bustling about for the past two days.

They directed people to hang red banners and colorful decorations, making the home look very festive.

They had even invited nearly everyone from Chu Family Village, determined to make the wedding procession a lively and grand affair.

The wedding procession from Zhao Family Castle arrived at Chu Family Village around noon, accompanied by the festive sounds of music and drums.

The man at the lead wore a grand red robe and rode a tall horse. He was quite handsome.

He was Zhao Yishui, the son of the Zhao Family Castle's Fortress Lord and the groom for the day.

Behind Zhao Yishui, a dozen or so other young men followed on horseback.

Every one of them had a sharp glint in their eyes and a steady aura, clearly not ordinary people.

"Zhao Feilong, the wedding challenge in a bit will be up to you."

Zhao Yishui turned his head slightly and spoke to the man behind him.

The man laughed heartily and slapped his chest, assuring him, "Don't worry, Yishui. In Chu Family Village's younger generation, only that dead ghost Chu Meng was any good. I don't give a damn about the rest."

"Besides, even if I lose, we still have Huang. Yishui, just relax and wait to claim your beautiful bride."

Zhao Yishui nodded, then sighed with a touch of emotion. "With Zhao Huang as backup, I'm naturally not worried. It's a shame, though. We were supposed to have Zhao Lan, but that guy actually died in the Yuan Stone Ore Vein."

The younger generation of Zhao Family Castle originally had three great experts: Zhao Yishui, Zhao Huang, and Zhao Lan. All three were Level Four Martial Artists.

Nearby, a bald young man snorted. "Hmph, that idiot Zhao Lan. I told him countless times not to mess around with that shady business in the Yuan Stone Ore Vein."

"Play with fire, and you'll get burned. That guy must have picked a fight with the wrong person."

Zhao Yishui shook his head, his expression suddenly turning serious. "Don't forget the most important objective of this trip!"

"Picking up the bride is one thing, but more importantly, we need to display the might of our Zhao Family Castle and make Chu Family Village understand who's really in charge around here!"

The wedding procession was soon welcomed into the village, and the arena for the most important event, the challenge, had already been built.

"Haha, Zhao, you've finally arrived! I have been waiting for quite some time."

As the wedding procession arrived, Chu Qian went up to greet them with a hearty laugh.

The Zhao Family Castle's Fortress Lord, Zhao Zhiyi, would of course not come to Chu Family Village in person.

Therefore, the elder in charge of the procession was Zhao Zhiyi's younger brother, Zhao Yishui's uncle, Zhao Zhimo.

Zhao Zhimo, however, remained on his horse with no intention of dismounting.

He cupped his fist toward Chu Qian on the ground below and said, "Chu, lead the way."

The broad smile on Chu Qian's face instantly froze, leaving him looking extremely awkward.

'Lead the way?'

'If Zhao Zhimo, Zhao Yishui, and the others stay on horseback while I lead the way, wouldn't that make me, the bride's father, look like a stable hand?'

For a moment, Chu Qian was stuck, not knowing whether to move forward or stay put.

Fortunately, at that moment, someone in the crowd stepped in to defuse the situation.

"People from Zhao Family Castle! If you want to marry a girl from our Chu Family Village, you'll have to beat our young men first!"

"That's right! If you can't win the wedding challenge, don't even think about taking the bride today."

The surrounding crowd jeered and laughed along.

Chu Qian, seemingly having found a way out of his predicament, forced a smile and said, "Yes, yes, yes! First, the challenge! Let's start with the wedding challenge."

At this, the people from Zhao Family Castle all revealed strange, knowing smiles.

The wedding challenge—that was the most important part of their visit today.

"Fine. A wedding challenge it is. Chu, you're the host. You call the shots."

"Zhao Feilong, go and 'play' with our brothers from Chu Family Village. Remember, don't kill anyone. Wouldn't want to hurt the harmony."

Zhao Zhimo said with a smile that didn't reach his eyes, deliberately emphasizing the word "harmony."

Without dismounting, Zhao Feilong leaped from his horse's back and landed steadily on the arena platform.

"People of Chu Family Village, who's coming up to the arena?"

"Don't worry. I, Zhao Feilong, will be sure to leave you with your lives."

Zhao Feilong shouted from the arena, his face a mask of wild arrogance.

The members of the Zhao Family Castle contingent, still on their horses, all smiled and nodded.

Zhao Feilong's actions were indeed perfectly in line with the purpose of their trip, much to their satisfaction.

The people of Chu Family Village, on the other hand, all looked rather grim.

Everyone knew that the so-called wedding challenge was just something for the young people to have fun with, purely for entertainment. But the Zhao Family Castle seemed intent on playing for real...

Caught in the middle, no one was more awkward and uncomfortable than Chu Qian.

'I can't afford to offend the Zhao Family Castle. If I do, won't my daughter be mistreated after she marries into their family?'

'But Chu Family Village is where I've lived my whole life; I can't neglect my own people either.'

"Ahem. Chu Si, why don't you go up and 'play' a bit with the man from Zhao Family Castle."

Chu Qian said to a young man beside him.

The young man's name was Chu Si. He was Chu Xiaocui's cousin. Although he had awakened his Martial Soul two years ago, his talent was poor, and he had never broken through, remaining a Level One Martial Artist.

"Alright, Second Uncle. I'll go have a friendly match with our brother from Zhao Family Castle."

Smiling, Chu Si stepped onto the arena.

"Brother Feilong, we'll be family from now on. For my cousin's sake, please go easy on me in a moment, haha."

Chu Si said with a smile, cupping his fist.

Zhao Feilong shot him a disdainful glance and said, "Fine. For my future sister-in-law's sake, I'll let you leave the arena on your feet."

Hearing this, many people from Chu Family Village showed looks of anger.

Zhao Feilong clearly had no respect for Chu Family Village.

Chu Si's expression changed as well.

'But I'm already up here. Retreat isn't an option.'

"Zhao, my apologies."

"Fire Fox Cannon!"

As Chu Si spoke, he thrust a palm forward.

A crimson energy gathered in his Palm Heart, and after two breaths' time, it shot fiercely toward Zhao Feilong.

'A Level One Martial Artist... too weak.'

Zhao Feilong shook his head. Without even using the power of his Martial Soul, he enveloped his hand in Primordial Power and caught Chu Si's Soul Technique, the Fire Fox Cannon.

BANG!

With a hard squeeze, Zhao Feilong crushed the Fire Fox Cannon, causing it to explode without doing him any harm.

"Zhao, you are impressive. I admit defeat."

After saying this, Chu Si turned to leave the arena.

However, a vicious glint flashed in Zhao Feilong's eyes. "Giving up just like that? It's not nearly enough fun..."

...

Chu Si's expression suddenly turned foul.

Before he could even react, Zhao Feilong—a Tier Three Martial Artist—had already charged right up to him.

"Don't worry. I said I'd let you leave on your own two feet, and I'm a man of my word."

"Eat my fist!"

Zhao Feilong sneered viciously and slammed a heavy fist into Chu Si's gut, sending him crumpling to the stage floor.

Then, he ground his foot into Chu Si's face before kicking him across the stage until he slid to a stop at the very edge.

Having dealt with Chu Si so easily, Zhao Feilong's grin grew even more smug.

"Get off the stage, kid."

"Is the younger generation of Chu Family Village all trash? Or are you all just cowards, afraid to come up here?"

Zhao Feilong stood on the stage, shouting triumphantly.

Chu Si got off the stage, glared resentfully at Chu Qian, and turned to go home.

To be stomped on in the face, on a stage, in front of the entire village... The humiliation was immense.

And it was all Chu Qian's fault.

'If Chu Qian had just kept his mouth shut, I never would have gone up there and provoked Zhao Feilong.'

"Ahem, Zhao, your nephew Feilong... isn't he being a little excessive?"

Chu Qian said cautiously, standing beside Zhao Zhimo.

His spineless demeanor only made the people of Chu Family Village feel even more stifled and resentful.

"Excessive? Not at all. It's just kids having a bit of fun, nothing serious. But tell me, is there really no one left in your Chu Family Village?"

When Zhao Zhimo said this, everyone present understood immediately.

It was clear they were just using the wedding tournament as an excuse to flex their muscles and put on a show of force.

Soon enough, another person from Chu Family Village couldn't take it anymore and leaped onto the stage.

"That's Chu Ping! He's a Tier Three Martial Artist! He'll definitely be able to beat Zhao Feilong!"

"Chu Ping awakened his Martial Soul five years ago! Zhao Feilong is no match for him."

Everyone from Chu Family Village watched the man on the stage, their eyes full of hope.

"Chu Ping of Chu Family Village. I've come for a lesson."

Chu Ping said, cupping his fist as he stepped onto the stage.

"Chu Ping? I've heard of you. You can't even beat Chu Lie. You're no match for me."

"This time, you'll be leaving on a stretcher."

Zhao Feilong said with a light chuckle.

"Arrogant!"

Enraged, Chu Ping lunged at Zhao Feilong.

The two clashed in an instant.

Unfortunately, after a dozen moves, Zhao Feilong found an opening and landed a fist on Chu Ping's chest, defeating him.

After defeating Chu Ping, Zhao Feilong pressed his advantage mercilessly. He took the opportunity to break two of Chu Ping's ribs with a kick, sending him flying off the stage.

Though they were both Tier Three Martial Artists, Zhao Feilong had long been at the peak of his tier, just one step away from breaking through to the fourth.

The gap between him and Chu Ping was considerable.

Another one defeated, and a Tier Three Martial Artist at that. A silence fell over many of the villagers from Chu Family Village.

On the stage, Zhao Feilong shook his head and sighed. "Chu Family Village... you're really pathetic."

Hearing his taunts, the people of Chu Family Village wanted nothing more than to drag him off the stage and give him a savage beating.

But they all understood that it was impossible.

The might of the Zhao Family Castle was far beyond what the Chu Family Village could match.

"Look, the Village Chief is here!"

"It's not just the Village Chief! Several captains from the village guard are here too!"

"That's Chu Guangyuan! I heard he's been training directly under the Village Chief. Now we have a chance!"

Seeing the Village Chief and his entourage arrive, new hope sparked among the people of Chu Family Village.

At the Village Chief's arrival, Zhao Zhimo and his men no longer dared to act high and mighty. They all obediently dismounted and offered respectful, cupped-fist salutes.

After all, not even the Zhao Family Castle would dare to casually offend a Tier Nine Martial Artist.

"Village Chief Chu, you're as hale and hearty as ever."

Zhao Zhimo said with a smile.

The Village Chief shot him a look and said, "I'm getting old, losing my touch. Now even young pups like you dare to come to my Chu Family Village and throw your weight around."

Zhao Zhimo's heart skipped a beat. He quickly forced an apologetic smile and said, "Not at all, not at all! It's just the younger generation having a bit of fun."

Zhao Zhimo held Chu Qian in utter contempt.

But he wouldn't dare show the slightest disrespect to the Village Chief of Chu Family Village.

"'Fine. 'Having fun,' you say. Chu Guangyuan, you get up there. Go and 'play' with our guests from the Zhao Family Castle."

the Village Chief said to a man behind him.

The man nodded. Without a word, he silently walked onto the stage.

"So you're the strongest of Chu Family Village's younger generation?"

"You don't look like much. Forget it, I'll just beat you quickly. Fighting a bunch of nobodies on this stage is getting boring."

Zhao Feilong sneered as he saw Chu Guangyuan take the stage.

"Then I ask for your guidance, Zhao."

Chu Guangyuan said calmly, his face an emotionless mask.

'He wasn't provoked?'

A trace of surprise showed in Zhao Feilong's eyes.

Watching the composed Chu Guangyuan on the stage, Zhao Zhimo, who stood below, nodded as well. "This young man has talent," he said.

The Village Chief stroked his beard and also smiled.

He had always been very pleased with Chu Guangyuan, often keeping the young man by his side for personal instruction.

On the stage, the two began to fight.

Chu Guangyuan's Martial Soul was a Tier One Martial Soul, the Pangolin.

And his Soul Techniques were primarily defensive in nature.

Thus, the fight appeared to be a relentless assault from Zhao Feilong, with Chu Guangyuan calmly defending, only occasionally striking back.

Ultimately, however, Chu Guangyuan's strength was still a cut below Zhao Feilong's.

After more than fifty exchanges, he slowly began to lose ground.

After a hundred moves, his defense gradually crumbled.

Finally, Zhao Feilong found an opening and sent him flying off the stage with a punch to the shoulder.

Chu Guangyuan, too, was defeated.

Everyone in Chu Family Village fell into silence.

Even the faces of the Village Chief and his guard captains darkened.

"Is Chu Family Village out of people? Everyone you've sent up has been useless!"

Zhao Feilong sneered from his position on the stage.

Having defeated three opponents in a row, including the highly-touted Chu Guangyuan, his confidence swelled to incredible heights.

The people of Chu Family Village were speechless. They could only lower their heads in silence, allowing the members of the Zhao Family Castle to lord their victory over them.

The world of a Martial Artist was just that cruel. In the end, strength was the only thing that mattered.

If the younger generation of Chu Family Village had an expert who could go up there and break Zhao Feilong's legs, the Zhao Family Castle wouldn't be able to say a word.

But they had no one, so they could only swallow their pride and endure.

"Zhao Feilong, what are you so smug about? You're only a Tier Three Martial Artist. Zhao Yishui and Zhao Huang haven't even made a move!"

Zhao Zhimo deliberately put on a stern face and chided Zhao Feilong.

But his face and eyes were brimming with amusement; there was no trace of a real reprimand in his voice.

He only said it to emphasize that the one from their Zhao Family Castle who had been fighting was merely a Tier Three Martial Artist, while their two Tier Four Martial Artists had yet to step forward.

Instantly, a profound sense of helplessness washed over everyone in Chu Family Village, from the elders to the youngest child.

The gap in strength between the younger generations of the two villages was simply too vast.

"Ahem, let's end the tournament here. Spring Orchid, go call Xiaocui out. It's time to fetch the bride, time to fetch the bride."

Chu Qian said, stepping forward.

With Village Chief Chu present, Zhao Zhimo couldn't very well make any more trouble. Besides, he had already achieved his objective. So he nodded and said, "Let's fetch the bride. Have your daughter come out quickly."

Chu Qian nodded and bowed obsequiously in response, then went inside to prepare.

This scene made the surrounding people of Chu Family Village feel utterly suffocated with frustration.

Normally, during a wedding procession, it was the bride's family that gave the groom's side a hard time. But now, the roles were reversed. It was as if Chu Qian's family were paying to marry their daughter off.

But there was nothing to be done. What could they do when they were the weaker party?

Soon, Chu Xiaocui walked out, her head covered by a red wedding veil.

She had, of course, seen everything that had just transpired.

But she wasn't the least bit angry. In fact, she was quite happy. 'Once I'm married,' she thought, 'I'll be one of the Zhao Family Castle.'

Seeing Chu Xiaocui emerge, Chu Qingyun pushed his way out of the crowd.

"Chu Xiaocui. So you're finally willing to come out."

...

Hearing the somewhat familiar voice, Chu Xiaocui's expression changed from beneath her red veil.

But a moment later, she scoffed.

'Chu Qingyun doesn't even have a Martial Soul. What can he do by showing up? He's just asking to be humiliated.'

"Chu Qingyun? What's he doing here?"

"Have you forgotten? The day they broke off the engagement, Chu Qingyun swore he wouldn't let Chu Xiaocui's wedding procession go smoothly."

"Heh, I'd love for Chu Qingyun to teach those people from the Zhao Family Castle a harsh lesson. Too bad he doesn't have the strength."

The people in the crowd murmured amongst themselves.

"Chu Xiaocui, don't forget what you said that day."

Chu Qingyun shot a glance at Chu Xiaocui before turning and stepping onto the arena stage.

"Qingyun, what are you doing? Stop this nonsense and get down from there, now!"

Beside the village chief, Chu Hua's face was etched with anxiety as he yelled at Chu Qingyun.

During a normal wedding procession, an ordinary person could go up and have some fun.

But this time, the people from the Zhao Family Castle were clearly here to cause trouble. That Zhao Feilong was ruthless; if Chu Qingyun went up there, he would end up dead or maimed.

"Hua, don't worry," Chu Qingyun said with a smile. "I know what I'm doing."

"So you're Chu Qingyun? That piece of trash who doesn't even have a Martial Soul?"

On the stage, Zhao Feilong sneered, his face twisting into a savage grin.

Chu Qingyun's expression remained impassive. He ignored him.

A mere third-level Martial Artist wasn't even worth Chu Qingyun's notice. His only target today was Zhao Yishui.

"You pretentious little brat. How many moves do you think it'll take me to cripple you?"

Facing an ordinary person, Zhao Feilong's face was filled with derision. He wanted to toy with Chu Qingyun and break him down psychologically.

Unfortunately for him, Chu Qingyun paid no mind to his theatrics.

"You damn little mongrel, congratulations. You've successfully pissed me off."

"I've decided. One move. I'll cripple you in one single move!"

The aura of a third-level Martial Artist erupted from Zhao Feilong. Primordial Power flashed around his fists as he threw a vicious punch straight at Chu Qingyun's chest.

A full-force punch from a third-level Martial Artist was enough to kill an ordinary man!

Below the stage, everyone's hearts leaped into their throats.

The village chief and Hua clenched their fists, their eyes blazing with fury.

Zhao Feilong had truly gone too far this time.

But in the face of this menacing punch, Chu Qingyun simply smiled.

"If you want to settle this in one move, then one move it is."

With a soft chuckle, Chu Qingyun sidestepped slightly, deftly dodging Zhao Feilong's punch.

Then, joining his index and middle fingers to form a sword, he thrust them sharply at Zhao Feilong's back.

The instant his fingers struck Zhao Feilong's back, a piercing Primordial Power erupted from his fingertips like a Sword Aura. With a sickening THUD, it blasted clean through Zhao Feilong's chest.

"How could this happen!?"

Zhao Feilong stared in utter disbelief at the blood soaking the front of his robes.

'Just now, I clearly defended myself with Primordial Power.'

'But Chu Qingyun's piercing finger strike tore through my Primordial Power defense in an instant, even shattering my sternum!'

"You... COUGH! COUGH! COUGH..."

Zhao Feilong tried to demand an answer, but with his lungs severely injured, he could only kneel on the stage, coughing up blood violently, unable to utter a single word.

Zhao Feilong, who had been so arrogant and domineering just moments ago, was now severely wounded, kneeling wretchedly before Chu Qingyun.

"I defeated you in one move. Now, you can get off the stage."

"In fact, why don't you get down your favorite way? Go on, fly."

Chu Qingyun walked up to him and kicked him squarely in the face, sending him flying off the stage to land in front of the crowd from the Zhao Family Castle.

Every single person from the Zhao Family Castle had a grim expression.

However, since they had been the ones to start the provocation, there was nothing they could say.

Besides, Chu Qingyun had indeed held back. If he had aimed for Zhao Feilong's left side, it would not have been his lung that was pierced, but his heart.

A lung injury could still be slowly healed with the help of Primordial Power.

But if his heart had been struck, he would have died on the spot.

"He won! He actually... won!"

"Amazing! So strong! He beat Zhao Feilong with a single finger strike!"

"But doesn't Chu Qingyun lack a Martial Soul? How is he so powerful!?"

The people of Chu Family Village were all frozen in place, stunned.

They had imagined countless possibilities, but not a single one of them had expected Chu Qingyun to be the victor—let alone for him to win so effortlessly.

"I knew it! A fifteen-year-old at the Martial Disciple Ninth Layer is no ordinary person! Well done, Qingyun!"

"Well done, Chu Qingyun!"

"Beautifully done! That was so satisfying to watch!"

"Qingyun! Qingyun! Qingyun!"

Having been suppressed for so long, the people of Chu Family Village erupted into excited cheers.

After losing three matches in a row and being provoked by Zhao Feilong from beginning to end, they had finally turned the tables. At last, they could hold their heads high with pride!

"That kid... to think he had this kind of strength and didn't tell me. He's really asking for it, haha..." Chu Hua's face was alight with excitement.

"Fifteen years old... reached the third level of Martial Artist in less than a month after awakening his Martial Soul, and defeated Zhao Feilong in a single move. Chu Family Village... has produced an incredible genius..."

Zhao Zhimo's expression turned grim as he muttered to himself.

'What's going on? Why isn't it over? Why is everyone shouting Chu Qingyun's name?'

Beneath her red veil, Chu Xiaocui was bewildered, unable to see what was happening.

'Damn it, what on earth is happening...'

In the end, Chu Xiaocui couldn't bear it any longer. She lifted her veil and looked toward the stage.

"Impossible!"

Her eyes fell on the scene just as Zhao Feilong was kicked off the stage.

'How can this be? Doesn't Chu Qingyun... doesn't he lack a Martial Soul!?'

Chu Xiaocui couldn't believe her eyes.

But the sight of the youth standing proudly on the stage was a cruel reminder that all of this was real.

'Chu Qingyun... he's not trash!'

Just as the people of Chu Family Village were cheering nonstop, a bald young man, Zhao Huang, walked onto the stage with a dark expression. He carried a Refined Iron Long Staff over two meters long on his back.

"You little brat from Chu Family Village. Forcing my hand can only be considered your misfortune."

"When I, Zhao Huang, take action, I show no mercy, no matter who my opponent is. Use your strongest move, or you won't get another chance."

The cheers from below the stage gradually subsided.

Zhao Huang was a renowned expert among the younger generation of the Zhao Family Castle. Not only was he a fourth-level Martial Artist, but he was also exceptionally skilled with his Refined Iron Staff.

Even some experts from the older generation dared not cross him.

"That move isn't meant for you."

Chu Qingyun said calmly, giving him a single glance.

At once, the expressions on the faces of everyone below the stage became a sight to behold. Chu Qingyun's words were simply too arrogant.

But the people of Chu Family Village felt it was incredibly satisfying. Truly, satisfying.

Zhao Huang's eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Brat, if I don't cripple you today, I'll renounce my own name!"

...

"Kid, if I don't cripple you today, I'll take your surname!"

Zhao Huang roared and leaped in front of Chu Qingyun in two bounds. Gripping his long staff with both hands, he brought it smashing down.

"Well met!"

"Spring Rain!"

Chu Qingyun's eyes lit up. His longsword flashed from its sheath as he executed the first move of the Gale Seven Swords, using the principle of Yirou Ke Gang to meet Zhao Huang's ferocious blow.

Chu Qingyun was a Level Three Martial Artist, while Zhao Huang was a Level Four Martial Artist.

Furthermore, both his Sword Technique and Zhao Huang's Staff Technique were formidable, making for a spectacular battle.

Flashes of Sword Aura and the shadow of the staff crossed, carving deep grooves into the arena stage.

Even the village head, Chu Hua, and Zhao Zhimo stared without blinking, captivated. They would nod one moment and shake their heads the next, completely engrossed in the fight.

A fighter like Zhao Feilong, who relied solely on brute force, would never catch the eye of a true expert.

But fighters like Chu Qingyun and Zhao Huang were the real deal—true masters, true Martial Artists.

"That's the Gale Seven Swords. I never thought Qingyun could master it to this level in just a month."

The village head was all smiles, nodding repeatedly.

For the longest time, he had felt it was a great pity that Chu Qingyun didn't have a Martial Soul.

Now, that long-standing worry was finally put to rest.

It wasn't that Chu Qingyun lacked a Martial Soul; his had just been slow to awaken.

On the stage, the two fought for over ten minutes with no clear winner. It was impossible to tell who had the upper hand.

"Zhao Huang, this warm-up has gone on long enough. Let me show you my recent insights into Sword Technique," Chu Qingyun said with a smile, parrying Zhao Huang's long staff with a flick of his sword.

Zhao Huang's brow tightened. If anyone else had said that to him, he would have scoffed and perhaps even struck them down with his staff.

But after more than ten minutes of fighting, he had discovered that Chu Qingyun's Sword Technique was every bit as good as his Staff Technique. He didn't dare take such a declaration lightly.

"Watch closely!"

"Gale Seven Swords, Four Seasons Sword Song!"

Chu Qingyun let out a low cry and struck in an instant.

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! Their weapons met in another flurry of blows.

Below the stage, many in the crowd shook their heads and started to mutter.

"Four Seasons Sword Song? It's just the same old moves."

"He's just trying to be intimidating. It's the same swordsmanship as before."

But on the stage, Zhao Huang felt like he was about to cough up blood.

The Sword Techniques were the same, but he found that Chu Qingyun's moves seemed to have come alive.

One moment they were gentle and soft, the next, bitingly sharp. It was impossible to guard against.

And for some unknown reason, Zhao Huang felt the power behind Chu Qingyun's Sword Techniques growing with every change.

At first, he could defend with ease. But after a while, he found he needed to use his full strength just to block the unpredictable longsword.

"That is… Sword Momentum!"

"That finger against Zhao Feilong earlier… I thought I'd seen wrong. I can't believe it! Qingyun has actually comprehended Sword Momentum!"

Below the stage, the Chu Family Village head's eyes were filled with excitement.

"Sword Momentum? Qingyun… he's really comprehended Sword Momentum?!"

"This is wonderful! Once Sword Momentum is condensed to its peak, he can form Sword Qi! That would be truly incredible!"

Beside him, Chu Hua was overjoyed, his fists clenched in excitement.

"Hmph, Sword Qi?"

"Among powerful Martial Artists, those who can condense Sword Qi are as rare as a phoenix feather. You think *he* can do it?"

Zhao Zhimo, who stood nearby, snorted coldly.

"It's true that Martial Artists who can condense Sword Qi are rare. But how many Martial Artists do you know who have comprehended Sword Momentum?" Chu Hua shot back with a merciless sneer.

With his nephew demonstrating such strength, he, the uncle, found a new confidence in his own voice.

Zhao Zhimo fell silent.

'To comprehend Sword Momentum while still a Martial Artist… he's an absolute genius of the Sword Dao. Even in Qingshan City, he'd be the kind of genius major powers would fight over. With this kind of comprehension, breaking through to the next realm will be almost effortless for him. The insurmountable barrier that stumps countless Martial Artists is nothing to a genius like him.'

'Chu Family Village… what shitty luck to produce a kid like this…'

'No. I absolutely cannot let this kid continue to develop!'

A flicker of killing intent rose in Zhao Zhimo's heart.

But after a glance at the Chu Family Village head beside him, he wisely buried it deep within his heart.

While they spoke, the match on the stage was decided. Having comprehended Sword Momentum, the power of Chu Qingyun's Sword Techniques grew exponentially, stacking until Zhao Huang couldn't have withstood it even with his Martial Soul.

"One last strike! Get down from here, Chu Huang!"

Chu Qingyun bellowed and unleashed his final slash.

The vicious Sword Aura from this strike tore through the air with a piercing shriek before smashing down hard on Zhao Huang's long staff.

CRACK!

The Fine Steel Long Staff, forged specifically for Martial Artists, couldn't take the force and snapped in half.

Zhao Huang himself was sent flying by the blow, landing hard on the ground below the stage.

"He won again?!"

"Qingyun! Qingyun is incredible! What a fight!"

"Haha, who was it that said if he lost, he'd take Qingyun's surname?"

With another victory, the crowd from Chu Family Village erupted in cheers again.

As for Zhao Huang, he was overwhelmed with shame. He hid among the crowd from Zhao Family Castle, not daring to utter a word even when people taunted him by calling him "Chu Huang."

He had lost. A Level Four Martial Artist, defeated by a Level Three.

But he was utterly convinced by his defeat.

He knew very well that Chu Qingyun's mastery of Sword Technique was far superior to his own.

"Zhao Yishui, it's your turn."

Chu Qingyun stood on the stage, his eyes filled with fighting spirit as he looked at the man in the center of the adoring crowd from Zhao Family Castle.

'For the past month, I've risked venturing into the Yuan Stone Ore Vein, risked my life for the Primordial Spirit Fruit, and endured agony practicing the Sword Drawing Technique.

Everything I've done… it was all so I could defeat Zhao Yishui today!

To prove, in front of everyone, how foolish Chu Qian and Chu Xiaocui's decision was!

To make Chu Xiaocui apologize to my parents in front of all these people!'

Under the watchful gaze of the entire crowd, Zhao Yishui chuckled softly, removed his crimson wedding robes, and walked onto the stage step by step.

"There are always overconfident fools who beat a few weaklings and suddenly forget their place."

"Chu Qingyun, today I will make you understand what a true genius is, and what true strength is."

As he walked, Zhao Yishui released the aura of a Level Four Martial Artist.

He and Zhao Huang were both Level Four Martial Artists.

But Zhao Yishui's aura was clearly far more condensed and powerful than Zhao Huang's. Such was the strength of a Tier Two Martial Soul.

The power of a Martial Soul is not only reflected in its Soul Techniques, but also in the overall boost it provides to a Martial Artist.

"Yishui has a Tier Two Martial Soul! He's guaranteed to win!"

"Exactly! That kid is dead for daring to make Yishui take the stage himself!"

The people from Zhao Family Castle gazed at Zhao Yishui on the stage with looks of pure adoration.

From the moment his Tier Two Martial Soul awakened, Zhao Yishui had become a legend in Zhao Family Castle. No one at his level had ever been his match, let alone someone like Chu Qingyun, who was a level below him.

"His opponent is Zhao Yishui… Will Qingyun be alright?"

"Don't worry, he'll be fine. Remember, Qingyun hasn't even used his Martial Soul yet!"

"That's right! I wonder what Qingyun's Martial Soul is?"

Conversely, some on the Chu Family Village side were not so sure.

After all, Zhao Yishui was a powerhouse of the younger generation who had been famous for years, while Chu Qingyun had only just begun to make a name for himself.

...

"Chu Qingyun, today, I'll show you the power of a Tier Two Martial Soul!"

"Flame Gun!"

A crimson longspear materialized between Zhao Yishui's hands. Flames occasionally erupted from its shaft, and a powerful, scorching aura instantly swept across the entire arena.

Even the people below the stage were overwhelmed by this aura and took a few steps back.

This was his Tier Two Martial Soul, the Flame Gun!

Chu Qingyun's expression grew more serious than ever before.

He had seen ordinary Artifact Martial Souls many times, but they were mostly common items like scythes and hammers. Weapon types like swords and sabers were rare.

But this Tier Two Martial Soul actually possessed its own element!

"I'll finish you in one move! Flaming Slash!"

Zhao Yishui roared, swinging his longspear down through the air. A crescent-shaped flame, as tall as a man, shot out from the spear's tip. It left a scorched black mark on the stage as it rushed menacingly toward Chu Qingyun.

"Arrogant!"

"Three-Star Vine!"

Facing this ferocious attack, Chu Qingyun didn't dare to be careless and immediately summoned his Martial Soul.

With a cold shout, he raised one of the vines high and then lashed it down at the Flaming Slash like a whip.

The vine, whistling through the air, shattered the Flaming Slash with a THWAP, turning it into scattered embers.

However, the vine itself was burned dry and yellow, and a large section of it broke off.

"A Martial Soul… it's the Three-star Vine Martial Soul!"

"So it's a Tier One Three-Star Vine."

Chu Qingyun had finally used his Martial Soul, causing another considerable stir among the crowd below the stage.

But Chu Lie, Chu Xingwei, and Chu Bo's eyes suddenly widened in shock.

"Xingwei, doesn't it look familiar?"

"It does… It's too, too similar…"

Chu Xingwei nodded mechanically.

Chu Qingyun on the stage, from his posture to his movements, was just too similar to the masked expert who had saved them that day!

"Hahaha, Chu Qingyun, I'm a level higher than you! And fire overcomes wood. My Flame Gun is the perfect counter to your Three-Star Vine."

"This time, your defeat is certain!"

Zhao Yishui laughed heartily, gripping his Flame Gun as he charged at Chu Qingyun. He thrust his spear, and three fiery spear-points bloomed, stabbing toward Chu Qingyun simultaneously.

'Counter my ass!'

Chu Qingyun tapped his feet lightly to evade the thrust, while his other two vines whipped out from tricky angles, attempting to strike and entangle Zhao Yishui from behind.

Meanwhile, the vine that had been burned was rapidly regenerating under the nourishment of his Primordial Power.

On the stage, the two instantly became a blur of combat.

Zhao Yishui held an absolute advantage in both his Realm and his Martial Soul.

Relying on his superior strength and rich combat experience, he consistently interrupted Chu Qingyun's Sword Momentum at critical moments, preventing him from accumulating enough power.

However, Chu Qingyun's control over his Martial Soul far surpassed Zhao Yishui's.

With his clever and flexible use of the three vines, combined with his Sword Technique that possessed Sword Momentum, he was no weaker than Zhao Yishui.

For a while, they were evenly matched, neither able to gain the upper hand.

Ten minutes passed, and the battle on the stage remained at a tense stalemate.

Each of Chu Qingyun's three vines had been burned through twice, and a large patch of his clothing was scorched.

But Zhao Yishui wasn't faring much better. He had been viciously struck once on the back by a vine, and every major movement sent a tearing pain through it.

After fifteen minutes of intense fighting, both had consumed a great deal of their Primordial Power.

But now, the advantage of Zhao Yishui being a level-four Martial Artist became apparent.

If they continued at this rate, Chu Qingyun would definitely be the first to run out of Primordial Power.

'Hmph, you little bastard. Once your Primordial Power is gone, we'll see how I deal with you!'

Zhao Yishui's face was grim.

At this point, he was no longer looking for an opportunity to defeat Chu Qingyun. Instead, he chose to clash head-on repeatedly, doing everything possible to drain his opponent's Primordial Power.

"How despicable! Using such a method to drain Qingyun's Primordial Power."

"Zhao Yishui is too shameless!"

This tactic was clearly dishonorable. The young people from Chu Family Village couldn't help but curse out loud.

The people from Zhao Family Castle knew they were in the wrong and didn't talk back.

After another two minutes, Chu Qingyun's Primordial Power was nearly depleted.

He suddenly retreated a few steps, retracting his Martial Soul. He also sheathed his sword.

"Not even using your Martial Soul anymore? You want to surrender? It won't be that easy!"

Zhao Yishui thought Chu Qingyun was about to surrender. He tightened his grip on the Flame Gun and charged forward, intending to teach him a lesson.

A cold smile appeared on Chu Qingyun's face.

'Surrender?'

'Impossible!'

'This battle is for the dignity of my parents.'

'I would rather die fighting than surrender!'

"Sword Drawing Technique!"

A chilling, cold light flashed across the stage and vanished.

In the blink of an eye, the sword was already back in its sheath.

Chu Qingyun remained in his previous stance, while Zhao Yishui stood frozen on the stage, completely motionless.

"What's going on? Why isn't Zhao Yishui moving?"

"What was that flash of light just now?"

Many people hadn't seen clearly and didn't know what had happened.

But where the village chief was sitting, everyone shot to their feet at once.

Those seated there were the true experts of Chu Family Village.

They had vaguely seen it—it was a flash of white light. It was a sword strike from Chu Qingyun!

But the strike was too fast, so fast that even they had only seen an afterimage.

Perhaps only the village chief had been able to see it clearly!

"Such… such a fast sword…"

"Just a level-three Martial Artist, yet he can execute such a strike!"

Chu Hua and the others, including Zhao Zhimo, couldn't help but ponder a question.

'If it were us facing that strike, could we have dodged it?'

Everyone sighed internally.

Not even they could say with certainty that they could have dodged that strike!

Thud.

That soft sound was Zhao Yishui's Flame Gun breaking in two at its midpoint.

A line was torn across his body. The clothing from the left side of his forehead down to his right thigh was completely shredded, revealing a long, bloody gash underneath.

Chu Qingyun's single strike had severed his Flame Gun, shredded his clothes, and left a nearly two-meter-long gash on his body.

Snapping back to his senses, Zhao Yishui's heart was suddenly filled with lingering fear.

'If… if Chu Qingyun had been standing a little closer, if he had drawn his sword a moment later, I would have been sliced in two!'

"I… I surrender. I surrender."

Zhao Yishui said in a trembling voice, dejectedly dispelling his Flame Gun.

'In the face of that stunning sword strike, what did being a level-four Martial Artist or having a Tier Two Martial Soul even matter? It was all bullshit!'

After Zhao Yishui surrendered, the people from Chu Family Village below the stage were stunned for a moment before erupting into earth-shattering cheers.

They chanted Chu Qingyun's name over and over again.

The one he defeated this time wasn't Zhao Feilong or Zhao Huang, but Zhao Yishui—the man known as the number one of Zhao Family Castle's younger generation!

In the future, even if their village's strength was inferior to Zhao Family Castle's, they could still say with pride:

"Our village's younger generation is stronger than Zhao Family Castle's!"

In the world of Martial Artists, strength was capital, strength was glory, strength was everything!

As for Chu Lie, Chu Xingwei, and Chu Bo, they were now certain: Chu Qingyun was the masked expert who had killed Zhao Lan and his men, saving them that day.

"Heh heh, Xingwei, you had your arm slung around Qingyun's neck that day, telling him how amazing the masked expert was. I bet you never thought that amazing masked expert was right there under your arm, huh?"

Chu Lie and Chu Bo couldn't help but tease him.

Chu Xingwei's face turned beet red. "Lie, Bo, stop making fun of me! That guy Qingyun… being so strong and not telling us, that's just not cool…"

...

The people of Chu Family Village were ecstatic, their spirits soaring.

Meanwhile, the people from Zhao Family Castle all wore grim expressions, remaining silent.

They had originally come to show off their power and remind Chu Family Village of Zhao Family Castle's might.

But they never expected a Chu Qingyun to appear out of nowhere. Not only had he defeated Zhao Feilong and Zhao Huang one after another, but he had even beaten Zhao Yishui.

It was a classic case of shooting themselves in the foot.

They had failed to make a show of force, and in the process, Zhao Yishui had lost his standing as the top talent of the younger generation.

Chu Qingyun, however, turned his gaze to the pale-faced Chu Xiaocui.

"Chu Xiaocui, now is the time to fulfill your promise! Kneel before my parents and admit you were wrong!"

Chu Qingyun shouted, his voice resonant and full of energy.

Everything he had now, he had earned himself through sweat and pain!

The countless times he'd sweat while practicing with his Martial Soul, the countless times he'd endured the piercing pain of drawing his sword—it was all for this very moment!

It was all to restore his parents' honor in front of everyone!

"Qingyun, why don't we... why don't we just let it go?"

"I apologize. It was all my fault. I never should have broken off the engagement."

"But as for kneeling... we don't have to go that far, do we...?"

Chu Xiaocui's expression was ghastly. She looked up at Chu Qingyun, her tone almost pleading.

"Absolutely not!"

"Get over there and kneel!"

Chu Qingyun commanded, his face cold as he pointed toward his parents.

"Chu Qingyun, don't you go too far! Yishui! Yishui..."

Chu Xiaocui looked toward Zhao Yishui.

But Zhao Yishui wanted nothing to do with her. He shot her a vicious glare before turning his head away.

"How did it come to this... Village Chief! Village Chief, please, say something for me!"

Chu Xiaocui then turned to the village chief.

But the village chief only sighed and shook his head.

The choice between Chu Qingyun and Chu Xiaocui was an obvious one.

As village chief, he couldn't possibly risk alienating a young expert like Chu Qingyun just to save face for a single Chu Xiaocui.

Suddenly, a profound sense of powerlessness and helplessness washed over Chu Xiaocui.

Chu Qingyun's dominant performance on the stage had shattered every bit of support she had.

Zhao Yishui, Chu Family Village, and even her own father—none of them dared to speak up for her now.

Deep down, Chu Xiaocui knew that this was all her own doing. She had brought this entirely upon herself.

She could have been down there with the crowd, happily sharing in the glory of Chu Qingyun's victory over Zhao Yishui.

But because of her snobbery, because of her desire to climb the social ladder...

Everything had changed.

Dejected and lost, Chu Xiaocui dragged her feet over to Chu Qingyun's parents and knelt.

"I-I'm sorry. Everything before... it was all my fault. I shouldn't have broken off the engagement, and I shouldn't have been so arrogant."

Under the gazes of the crowd, Chu Xuan and Liu Lanfang were also at a loss. Unsure of what to do, they looked to Chu Qingyun on the stage for guidance.

Chu Qingyun snorted coldly and said, "Scram!"

As if granted a pardon, Chu Xiaocui scrambled to her feet and fled without a backward glance, her eyes filled with humiliation and venomous hatred.

Chu Qingyun knew that by forcing Chu Xiaocui to kneel, he would make a bitter enemy of her, Chu Qian, and the rest of their family.

But he didn't care!

If Chu Xiaocui had only targeted him, Chu Qingyun might have swallowed his anger.

But she had humiliated his parents and family as well. How could he possibly tolerate that!

After the utter disaster at the bridal tournament, Zhao Zhimo, Zhao Yishui, and the others were too ashamed to stay. They made a quick excuse and left Chu Family Village.

The crowd gradually dispersed. What was meant to be a bride-welcoming procession had turned into a complete farce.

Chu Qian's family, who should have been the center of attention, was now completely ignored. Instead, everyone in Chu Family Village was excitedly talking about one name: Chu Qingyun.

It was clear that before long, Chu Qingyun's name would be known throughout all the surrounding villages.

"Chu Qian, this is all your fault! If you hadn't been so eager to break the engagement, would things have ended up like this?"

Chu Xiaocui's mother, Qian Chunlan, couldn't help but complain.

"Blame me? If you hadn't contacted the matchmaker from Zhao Family Castle, would I have even thought of breaking the engagement? If anyone's to blame, it's you!"

Not to be outdone, Chu Qian shot back, and the two of them began to argue.

Chu Xiaocui let out a weary sigh and shuffled into the house like a zombie.

'They brought it all on themselves.'

Meanwhile, after the contingent from Zhao Family Castle returned, Zhao Zhimo and Zhao Yishui went to find Fortress Lord Zhao Zhiyi.

"Father, we can't just swallow this humiliation!"

Zhao Yishui said through gritted teeth, his face contorted with rage.

He'd had a smooth and easy life, never suffering a setback like this. To think he was nearly cut down by a single strike from Chu Qingyun!

Zhao Zhiyi smiled. "Can't swallow it? Are you suggesting we go to war with Chu Family Village? That old geezer Chu Jinglei is not to be trifled with."

"Besides, Yishui, experiencing a little setback isn't a bad thing for you."

At his side, Zhao Zhimo mulled it over for a moment before speaking. "Big Brother, I'm with Yishui on this one. That Chu Qingyun cannot be allowed to live."

"Oh? A fifteen or sixteen-year-old brat is worth all this fuss?" Zhao Zhiyi asked curiously.

"Yes. He's fifteen. He awakened his Martial Soul less than a month ago and has already reached the level of a Level 3 Martial Artist."

"He's been practicing with a sword for less than a month, and he's already grasped Sword Momentum."

"And that Sword Drawing Technique of his... I'm afraid no one below a Level 6 Martial Artist could block it."

"Big Brother, I guarantee it. Give him three more years, and the entire Zhao Family Castle will have to bow its head to him."

Zhao Zhimo said grimly, his expression dark.

With every sentence Zhao Zhimo spoke, the smile on Zhao Zhiyi's face faded, replaced by a deepening gravity.

Zhao Zhiyi stood up, paced around the room once, and made his decision.

"In that case, don't blame us for being ruthless. If anyone's to blame, it's Chu Qingyun for being born in the wrong place."

"Zhimo, go to Qingshan City. Hire someone from the Assassin Alliance. Offer a bounty of five thousand Lower Grade Primordial Stones for his life."

"The position of the Zhao Family Castle must not be shaken!"

Zhao Zhimo and Zhao Yishui were both startled.

Five thousand Lower Grade Primordial Stones... that was usually the price to assassinate a Level 5 or even a Level 6 Martial Artist.

Zhao Zhiyi truly lived up to his title as Fortress Lord. He didn't make a move lightly, but when he did, it was to kill.

That very night, Zhao Zhimo took fifty Middle Grade Primordial Stones and rode for Qingshan City at top speed.

For a full day after his victory over Zhao Yishui, Chu Qingyun's home knew no peace. A constant stream of well-wishers came to offer congratulations, threatening to wear down the Chu Family's very doorstep.

Chu Xuan and Liu Lanfang were grinning from ear to ear.

They knew Chu Qingyun had a Martial Soul, but they had no idea their son had become so powerful.

Even the village chief held them in conversation for a long time, endlessly praising Chu Qingyun.

As night fell and the boisterous day came to an end, Chu Qingyun sat on his roof, pondering the path ahead.

Despite defeating Zhao Yishui, Chu Qingyun wasn't complacent.

Having witnessed Ye Qi's power, he was keenly aware that there were always new heights to reach and stronger people out there.

Never mind more distant and greater places; he might be considered an expert in Chu Family Village, but in Qingshan City, he would be a nobody.

'Cultivation, cultivation... I'm still short on resources. It looks like I'll have to make a trip to the Yuan Stone Ore Vein after all...'

'And that strange feeling from last time... what exactly was it...'

...

Early the next morning, Chu Qingyun left his home and headed back to the Yuan Stone Ore Vein.

Since his true strength had already been exposed, he couldn't be bothered to wear a mask and made a beeline for the place where he had discovered the Primordial Spirit Fruits.

The vast cavern was as dim as ever.

The Primordial Spirit Fruit Trees twinkled with a milky-white glow, while a dense swarm of Elemental Ore Rats covered the cavern floor like a writhing carpet.

'Now that I'm a Third-Level Martial Artist, my Primordial Power is much more abundant.'

'This time, I'll probe deeper into the cavern.'

By now, his Three-star Vine Martial Soul could reach a maximum length of a full ten meters.

He controlled two of the vines, using them like ten-meter-high stilts to move forward, his body nearly scraping against the cavern ceiling.

This time, however, Chu Qingyun was extremely careful. He used the vines to gently push aside the Elemental Ore Rats below, taking care not to kill a single one. He also left the Primordial Spirit Fruits along his path untouched.

Although this agitated some of the Elemental Ore Rats, the swarm as a whole remained calm.

After cautiously advancing another two hundred meters or so, Chu Qingyun discovered that the deeper he went, the more Primordial Spirit Fruit Trees there were.

However, the Elemental Ore Rats deeper inside were also much larger and fatter than those in the outer areas.

After another hundred meters, he suddenly spotted a Primordial Spirit Fruit Tree in the deepest part of the cavern, more than twice the size of an ordinary one.

Furthermore, the tree bore only a single Primordial Spirit Fruit, one marked with several thin, golden threads.

'A Golden Thread Primordial Spirit Fruit!'

Chu Qingyun was so excited he nearly lost his balance and fell.

Ordinary Primordial Spirit Fruits were only Tier One Spiritual Medicines that could assist in cultivation.

A Golden Thread Primordial Spirit Fruit, however, was a Tier Two Spiritual Medicine. Legend had it that a Martial Artist who consumed one could, with a bit of luck, advance three levels consecutively. Even with the worst luck, they were guaranteed to advance at least one level.

'A Golden Thread Primordial Spirit Fruit...'

'Too bad I can see it but can't have it...'

Tempting as the treasure was, Chu Qingyun didn't let it cloud his judgment.

Surrounding the Golden Thread Primordial Spirit Fruit were numerous burly Elemental Ore Rats, far larger than the average adult of their kind.

They likely possessed the strength of Tier One or Tier Two Martial Artists. Coupled with their sheer numbers, they were a force that could not be taken lightly.

Moreover, from this spot, the strange sensation he'd felt before grew even more intense.

Chu Qingyun could clearly feel his Devouring Martial Soul vibrating gently.

'I should get out of here for now...'

Instead of pressing further, Chu Qingyun began a slow retreat.

He was afraid he wouldn't be able to stop himself from making a suicidal attempt for the Golden Thread Primordial Spirit Fruit. After all, the temptation to jump two levels was simply too great.

After retreating to the edge of the Elemental Ore Rat swarm, Chu Qingyun set his sights on the three outermost Primordial Spirit Fruit Trees.

After a moment's hesitation, Chu Qingyun decided to make his move.

Hugging a rock on the cavern ceiling, he freed up all three of his vines.

The three vines crept forward, silent and slow. Each one coiled itself several times around the main stalk of a Primordial Spirit Fruit Tree, securing a firm grip on the three of them.

'Heave!'

Chu Qingyun roared in his mind.

The three vines yanked in unison, pulling the three Primordial Spirit Fruit Trees up, roots and all.

Simultaneously, he kicked off a protruding rock behind him, his body plummeting like a cannonball toward the stone platform at the cavern's entrance.

In mid-air, Chu Qingyun caught two of the vine-wrapped Primordial Spirit Fruit Trees with his hands. He then used two of the vines to land, launched himself onto the stone platform with a powerful leap, and sprinted out of the cavern without a backward glance.

The Elemental Ore Rat swarm instantly went berserk. Enraged, the rats on the outskirts flooded the stone platform like a tidal wave, chasing him out of the cavern.

However, upon being hit by the sunlight outside, they quickly scurried back into the cavern's shadows, howling in anger and threatening Chu Qingyun from a distance.

"Quite the haul!"

Chu Qingyun waved the fruit trees tauntingly at the Elemental Ore Rats in the cavern before vanishing.

His rough method of uprooting the trees had knocked several Primordial Spirit Fruits loose, but eight still remained on the three trees.

Chu Qingyun found a secluded spot, sat cross-legged, ate a Primordial Spirit Fruit, and began to cultivate.

Using the abundant yet gentle energy from the Primordial Spirit Fruits, Chu Qingyun spent nearly two hours opening his fourth meridian, becoming a Fourth-Level Martial Artist.

He threw a couple of punches, the air whistling with the force. A satisfied smile spread across Chu Qingyun's face.

'Now, I could probably defeat Zhao Yishui even without using my Sword Drawing Technique!'

'Time to test the length of my Three-Star Vine again!'

Chu Qingyun infused one of the vines with Primordial Power, and it began to grow rapidly.

Five meters.

Ten meters.

Fifteen meters...

Twenty meters!

The vine continued to grow until it reached twenty meters, then stopped.

'Twenty meters! Excellent! I can go try to snatch those other two Primordial Spirit Fruit Trees now!'

Unable to contain his excitement, Chu Qingyun started walking back out.

He was currently in a crevice between two rock walls.

As he reached the exit of the crevice, a sudden gust of wind funneled into the narrow space, creating powerful resistance.

Even with his Fourth-Level strength, Chu Qingyun felt his movement stutter.

'The resistance of the wind.'

'That was it... the Momentum of the wind!'

A flash of insight sparked in Chu Qingyun's mind.

After the tournament battle yesterday, the village chief and the others had told Chu Qingyun about the concepts of Sword Momentum and Sword Qi.

Chu Qingyun had been pondering ever since how he could unleash the power of Sword Momentum.

In that instant the wind had funneled in, he felt he had grasped something.

'Wind... sword... Momentum...'

'To build Momentum, you don't have to accumulate it strike by strike. You can unleash all of it in a single blow!'

Chu Qingyun's eyes lit up. He leaped out, drew his longsword, and began to practice.

Spring Rain!

He practiced the first form of the Gale Seven Swords over and over again. He repeated it endlessly, trying to feel the power in every single movement of the technique.

Fierce blades of Sword Aura left a crisscrossing pattern of Sword Marks on the nearby ground and rock walls.

To an observer, it would seem that Chu Qingyun was merely repeating the same move.

However, a master of the Sword Dao would have noticed that with each repetition, Chu Qingyun performed one less action.

Yet, despite the fewer movements, the marks left by his Sword Aura grew deeper and deeper!

After practicing this first form dozens, even hundreds of times, Chu Qingyun had managed to condense the originally intricate and complex Sword Technique into a single strike.

"Spring Rain!"

On his final repetition, Chu Qingyun's eyes shone with unprecedented brightness.

He thrust his sword forward, and a fierce Sword Aura seemed on the verge of flying from the blade.

The Refined Iron Longsword plunged into the incredibly hard black rock, all the way to the hilt. But the rock for several meters behind it was pierced clean through by the ferocious Sword Aura!

Though it was just a single strike, it contained the full power and Sword Momentum of the entire Spring Rain Swordsmanship!

'So that's how it is... that's how it is! This is what it means to truly comprehend Sword Momentum. This is how you truly apply it.'

Chu Qingyun withdrew his longsword and began practicing the second form, Xia Feng Wuyan.

He continued to practice like this until dusk, by which time he had finally mastered the first four forms of the Gale Seven Swords.

He had condensed all of the techniques into just four strikes.

But with the power of these four strikes, Chu Qingyun felt confident he could face a Fifth-Level Martial Artist!

As night fell, Chu Qingyun caught a small beast and brought it to a remote cavern. He started a fire to roast it, preparing to spend the night.

He failed to notice, however, that while he was hunting, he had been spotted by a figure dressed in black.

...

'Just as the mission described. This kid must be Chu Qingyun.'

A slender man in black hid about thirty meters from the mine's entrance, watching the situation inside from the corner of his eye.

Strangely, not a single trace of Qi emanated from his body.

This man was, of course, an assassin from the Assassin Alliance.

Zhao Zhimo had posted a mission in the Assassin Alliance: a bounty of five thousand Lower Grade Primordial Stones for the assassination of the Level 3 Martial Artist, Chu Qingyun.

The bounty for an ordinary Level 3 Martial Artist was typically just over five hundred Lower Grade Primordial Stones, so when this bounty appeared, it was quickly accepted.

The sky turned completely dark. Chu Qingyun leaned against the rock wall, closed his eyes, and rested quietly.

Chu Qingyun had personally experienced the chaos of the Yuan Stone Ore Vein; he had even killed people here before.

Because of this, he slept lightly, his vigilance never wavering.

"Stealth."

In the dead of night, the assassin whispered a single word. His body was then cloaked in a layer of black, his figure blurring as if melting into the boundless darkness.

The assassin cautiously approached the cave, making not a single sound.

However, just after entering the cave, he suddenly felt his foot step on something.

In that instant, Chu Qingyun's eyes snapped open.

"Who's there!"

He sprang to his feet and drew his longsword in a flash.

Before resting, he had activated his Three-star Vine Martial Soul, coiling and hiding the three vines at the cave's entrance.

They were set up to wake him the moment anyone stepped on them.

'Cunning brat!'

The assassin cursed inwardly, leaping backward to flee the cave.

Chu Qingyun, longsword in hand, gave chase.

By the light of the moon, which flickered in and out of view behind the clouds, Chu Qingyun saw him.

The man was slender and clad entirely in black.

Even his face was covered by a black cloth, revealing only a pair of cold, glittering eyes.

"Three-Star Vine!"

Not daring to be careless, Chu Qingyun unleashed the Three-Star Vine.

After advancing to a Level 4 Martial Artist, the length of his Three-Star Vine had reached a terrifying twenty meters.

Three dark green vines, like specters, whipped and coiled through the night.

"The Three-star Vine Martial Soul. It's you, alright."

"Now die!"

The man in black shouted coldly. With a shake of his arm, a black dagger slid from his sleeve, and he lunged at Chu Qingyun.

The black dagger reflected no light at all.

Under the cover of darkness, it was like a hidden viper, striking silently toward Chu Qingyun.

"Don't even think about it."

Chu Qingyun controlled two of the vines, sending them twisting toward the black figure in a pincer attack.

"Break!"

The man in black grunted, slashing his dagger at the vines.

However, the blow felt like striking rubber. A massive force rebounded, nearly jarring the dagger from his grip.

"Such tenacious vines!"

The man in black said in surprise.

But he showed no sign of panic, as if he was completely confident he had Chu Qingyun cornered.

As Chu Qingyun's Realm had advanced, the power of the Three-Star Vine's Tough Soul Techniques had gradually begun to show.

Although the assassin's dagger was sharp, it was ultimately just an ordinary iron weapon and couldn't sever his vines.

After dodging the two vines, the man in black pressed his attack again.

This time, when he was about ten meters away from Chu Qingyun, he suddenly let out a cold laugh.

And then, he vanished!

'What's happening!'

Chu Qingyun was horrified. It was as if his vision had blurred for a moment, and the man in black had simply vanished into thin air!

Two breaths later, a chill suddenly ran down Chu Qingyun's spine. Without a second thought, he instinctively dove forward.

Behind him, a black dagger appeared, grazing past his skin.

If he had dodged a second later, he would have been severely wounded.

"Oh? Your Spiritual Sense is quite sharp."

"But it's useless!"

After reappearing, the man in black grunted in surprise and then vanished once more.

'He's coming again!'

Cold sweat drenched Chu Qingyun's entire body.

'Could it be Instant Teleportation!?'

'Calm down, stay calm…'

Chu Qingyun forced himself to calm down, trying to sense his surroundings carefully while thinking of a countermeasure.

'Here he comes!'

This time, the man in black attacked from the right. Chu Qingyun sidestepped again, dodging to his left.

SHRED!

A sharp surge of Power shredded the clothes on his right side to pieces.

Another near miss!

"Hmph, let's see how long you can keep dodging. I can, after all, appear right next to you in an instant."

The man in black snorted and disappeared into the night again.

Just then, the clouds parted, and the moon emerged, its cold light illuminating the land.

Aided by this moonlight, Chu Qingyun seemed to catch a glimpse of a black shadow flashing in the corner of his eye.

A flash of insight struck Chu Qingyun's mind, and he understood.

'This guy isn't using Instant Teleportation at all. He's just using the power of his Martial Soul to hide in the darkness.'

"You sneaky bastard, go to hell!"

Chu Qingyun roared. The three vines of his Three-Star Vine, each forming a circle, began to whip around him wildly and erratically.

Chu Qingyun was now using the vines like tentacles. As long as one of them touched the man in black, he would immediately know his location!

Amidst the impenetrable and unpredictable flurry of vines, the man in black was soon struck.

'He's right there!'

"Autumn Leaves!"

Having found the assassin's position, Chu Qingyun didn't hesitate, sweeping his sword out.

This one strike contained the full might of his Swordsmanship. Its vast momentum swept toward the hidden assassin like an autumn wind sweeping away fallen leaves.

In the night, a black figure flickered into view, frozen in place, completely still.

A moment later, blood gushed from the figure's chest.

With a single sword strike, the black figure had been unable to resist and was slain outright!

"H-How could this be..."

The man in black murmured before collapsing to the ground, dead.

He couldn't understand why, as a fellow Level 4 Martial Artist, his Primordial Power defenses couldn't even block a single one of Chu Qingyun's strikes.

After the man in black died, Chu Qingyun collapsed, slumping to the ground.

The fight hadn't been long, but it had taken a tremendous toll on his heart and mind.

The assassin's ghostly, elusive movements had put him under immense pressure!

This battle had made him truly feel the presence of death.

The slightest misstep, and the outcome would likely have been completely reversed!

'This guy was definitely a professional assassin!'

Chu Qingyun gritted his teeth, thinking to himself.

Neither his ghostly stealth technique nor his perfectly concealed Qi were abilities an ordinary Martial Artist would possess.

Furthermore, his clothes and weapon were clearly prepared specifically for stealth assassinations!

'Someone wants me dead!'

Several figures flashed through Chu Qingyun's mind in an instant.

'Zhao Zhimo, Zhao Yishui, or Chu Qian?'

He thought for a while but came to no conclusion. Chu Qingyun shook his head, setting the matter aside for now.

After using the power of his Devouring Martial Soul, he saw a black mass emerge from the assassin's corpse.

The thing seemed to have no definite shape, but he could vaguely make out what looked like a human-shaped shadow.

...

"A Martial Soul?"

'Devour it.'

Without any hesitation, Chu Qingyun used his Devouring Martial Soul and directly swallowed the Assassin's Martial Soul.

Chu Qingyun suspected that the Assassin's elusive abilities likely came from the power of this Martial Soul.

He was quite curious about it.

After searching the Assassin's body, Chu Qingyun found only two items.

One was a black short blade that didn't reflect a single trace of light.

The other was a Token, about half the size of a palm. On its face was a skull, its eye sockets faintly glowing with a dark red light.

"Dongliu Alley... What's that place?"

On a corner of the Token's back, Chu Qingyun saw two words, which looked to have been carved on later.

'Forget it. I should get out of here first.'

Putting away the short blade and the Token, Chu Qingyun departed quickly.

He found a mine tunnel to rest in for the night. The next morning, Chu Qingyun felt refreshed and revitalized.

Not long after he set out, however, he witnessed a strange scene.

Three Fifth Level Martial Artists, making no effort to conceal their tyrannical presence, were escorting four low-level Martial Artists past the place where Chu Qingyun had rested.

One of them, a Fifth Level Martial Artist with a big beard, spotted Chu Qingyun, pointed at him, and shouted, "Hey, kid! Get your ass over here!"

Chu Qingyun looked around and, seeing no one else, realized the man was shouting at him.

'Three Fifth Level Martial Artists... It's not like I couldn't handle them...'

However, after a moment of silent consideration, Chu Qingyun decided to approach them and see what they were up to.

"Kid, you know what's good for you. Not like this lowlife!"

Seeing Chu Qingyun approach obediently, the big-bearded Martial Artist gave a satisfied smile and viciously kicked a Level 3 Martial Artist beside him.

"You called for me? Is there something I can help you with?" Chu Qingyun asked.

"Stop asking questions and just walk!"

Another Fifth Level Martial Artist shoved him, and the group started walking again.

Along the way, the three Fifth Level Martial Artists rounded up several more Martial Artists from the nearby villages and towns. From Level 4 down to Level 2, they didn't even spare Level 1 Martial Artists.

Soon, the group of captives had grown to thirteen people.

Two of them had their arms brutally broken for resisting.

"Huzi, we've grabbed ten. That should be enough, right?" one of the Fifth Level Martial Artists said to Big Beard.

Big Beard nodded. "Yeah, that's about right. Let's deliver this batch first."

With that, they changed direction, herding Chu Qingyun and the other nine captives toward a different area.

'This direction... It seems to be toward the Elemental Ore Rat Swarm Mine.'

A bad feeling suddenly surfaced in Chu Qingyun's heart.

Partway there, a Level 3 Martial Artist suddenly unleashed a Soul Technique into the crowd, throwing out a cloud of black mist to obscure everyone's vision before turning to flee.

"Hmph! Courting death!"

A vicious glint flashed in Big Beard's eyes. A powerful surge of Momentum erupted from him, instantly scattering the black mist.

He then flicked his wrist, sending a Willow Leaf Dart through the fleeing Martial Artist's heart for an instant kill.

"Anyone else who tries to run will share his fate!"

Big Beard threatened them with a glare and led the group onward.

Chu Qingyun collected the miniature octopus Martial Soul that had materialized over the man's corpse and silently continued on with the group.

After seeing this example, the rest of the captives became much more docile. No one else dared to attempt an escape.

Upon arriving outside the Elemental Ore Rat Swarm Mine, Chu Qingyun was shocked to find that nearly a hundred low-level Martial Artists had already been gathered there!

These Martial Artists were all from the surrounding villages. Chu Qingyun even spotted two Martial Artists from Chu Family Village!

Surrounding them, a dozen or so guards patrolled, each one making no attempt to conceal their powerful presence and murderous Qi.

The weakest among them were Fifth Level Martial Artists, and the two strongest made even Chu Qingyun's heart pound with alarm!

'Damn it. Looks like I've gotten in way over my head this time...'

Chu Qingyun felt a faint pang of regret.

But what was done was done. All he could do now was take things one step at a time.

"Eh? Huzi, how did you only manage to bring back nine?"

a large, scar-faced man shouted to Big Beard with a laugh.

Big Beard snorted and said, "One of the little shits tried to run, so I dealt with him."

"You nine, get in the middle with the rest of them! Don't wander off, and stay put!"

Once inside the main crowd, Chu Qingyun and the other eight new captives dispersed to find people from their own villages.

Chu Qingyun made his way over to the two people from Chu Family Village.

"Qingyun, you don't even have a Martial Soul. What are you doing in the Yuan Stone Ore Vein?"

The two of them had been in the Yuan Stone Ore Vein for the past few days, so they were unaware of Chu Qingyun's recent developments.

"Gang, Yun, there's no time to explain. Do you know what those people have captured us for?"

Chu Qingyun asked, squatting beside Chu Gang and Chu Yun.

"No idea. We were just captured ourselves. Those Fifth Level Martial Artists... they're too strong. Just their terrifying Momentum is enough to make your heart tremble."

Chu Gang and Chu Yun both shook their heads.

Both had only recently become Level 3 Martial Artists; faced with Fifth Level Martial Artists, they couldn't even think of resisting.

Chu Qingyun nodded, a few theories already forming in his mind.

"Gang, Yun, no matter what happens later, both of you stick with me and follow my lead."

Hearing Chu Qingyun's words, both Chu Gang and Chu Yun felt it was strange.

An ordinary person without even a Martial Soul was telling two Martial Artists to follow him and obey his commands.

But there was a calm confidence about Chu Qingyun that made them nod in spite of themselves, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

As they waited, more people were brought in sporadically.

By noon, the crowd in the center had swelled to nearly two hundred low-level Martial Artists, all from the surrounding villages and towns.

Most of the people who came to the Yuan Stone Ore Vein were young Martial Artists below Level 4, so Big Beard and his men hadn't run into much trouble.

「Elsewhere」

In a shaded spot, a young man in blue brocade robes, looking every bit the part of a wealthy young master, was sipping wine, attended by two servants, waiting with an air of boredom.

"Xiaosi, what's the count?"

the young master asked lazily.

One servant bowed obsequiously and said with a fawning smile, "Young Master, we've caught nearly two hundred. We've probably rounded up just about everyone here."

The other servant frowned. "Young Master, these are all the youths from the nearby villages and towns. If their families find out, I'm afraid..."

"Afraid of what? It's a blessing passed down from their ancestors that these peasants get to risk their lives for our Young Master Ning! Besides, since when would Young Master Ning be afraid of some damn peasants!?"

the servant named Xiaosi said, puffing out his chest.

"Haha, well said!"

"They're just a bunch of peasants from dirt-poor villages. Not a single one of them has even reached Level 5. What could they possibly do to me?"

"Father and the others are always calling me useless. This time, I'm going to get that Golden Thread Primordial Spirit Fruit and show them just how capable I am!"

"It's about time. Send the signal for everyone to fall back. We're getting ready to enter the mine."

Young Master Ning tossed his wine flask aside and strode forward, taking the lead.

...

Young Master Ning walked out and stood before all the captives.

"Everyone, the reason I've brought you all here today is to propose a partnership."

"In the mine tunnels behind me, there are many Primordial Spirit Fruit Trees. Deeper still, there's even a Golden Thread Primordial Spirit Fruit."

"Let's work together to retrieve the Primordial Spirit Fruits inside. I, Zhang Ning, guarantee that we only want the Golden Thread Primordial Spirit Fruit. The rest of the Primordial Spirit Fruits will be all yours."

"Of course, there is a small complication inside. We just need to take care of a few pesky Elemental Ore Rats."

Hearing this, everyone's faces drained of color in horror.

Anyone who frequented this Yuan Stone Ore Vein knew how terrifying the Elemental Ore Rats were.

That was no 'small complication'!

No one would be afraid of a few Elemental Ore Rats, but who could possibly stand against the overwhelming tide of them in the main tunnel?

Young Master Ning made it sound so nice, calling it a partnership.

In reality, he just wanted these low-level Martial Artists to act as his cannon fodder and human shields.

"I'm not going! Going into that mine is a death sentence!"

"The Primordial Spirit Fruits are great, but what's the use if you get them but don't live to enjoy them!"

Immediately, four people stood up, loudly protesting their refusal.

Young Master Ning smirked sinisterly and gave his two subordinates a look. "Da. Er."

Two exceptionally burly men, both over two meters tall, rushed into the crowd. Each wielded a massive Wolf Fang Club, and with a few swings, they smashed the upper bodies of the four who had stood up into a bloody pulp.

Bits of flesh, blood, and bone splattered everywhere.

After killing the four men, the two brutes let out excited roars. A terrifying, baleful aura instantly enveloped everyone present.

Martial Disciple Seventh Layer!

These two were the ones who had given Chu Qingyun that sense of danger earlier.

'Even I can't guarantee I could defeat a Martial Disciple of the Seventh Layer,' he thought. 'After all, the gap in Primordial Power is just too great.'

The overwhelming power and brutal methods instantly cowed everyone into submission.

Many people sighed, resigning themselves to their fate. They were outmatched; there was nothing more to be said.

And all of this drove home the sheer cruelty of the Martial World for Chu Qingyun.

Strength was the foundation of everything!

"Heh, it seems we had a bit of a disagreement."

"But it's no great matter. Now, I trust you will all cooperate obediently?"

Young Master Ning chuckled as if it weren't four people who had just died, but four flies.

He had planned to use these nearly two hundred people as cannon fodder from the beginning, so of course he didn't care about their lives.

Forced by Young Master Ning's henchmen, Chu Qingyun and the nearly two hundred others were all herded into the mine tunnel.

The moment he stepped inside, a message surfaced in Chu Qingyun's mind.

The devouring of the Assassin's Martial Soul was complete.

Now enhanced to 60%, his Devouring Martial Soul could devour another Martial Soul in less than a day.

This time, Chu Qingyun naturally chose to keep the Martial Soul.

Inside the dim mine tunnel, an inconspicuous shadow materialized in front of Chu Qingyun, unnoticed even by Chu Gang and Chu Yun standing right beside him.

After communing with it for a moment, Chu Qingyun learned the Martial Soul's details.

It was a Tier One Shadow Martial Soul, possessing the Soul Technique: Stealth.

Chu Qingyun didn't have to think hard to guess that the Assassin's ability to appear and disappear like a ghost in the darkness must have come from this very Soul Technique.

'With this Martial Soul, my chances of survival should be a little higher now,' Chu Qingyun sighed to himself.

Not far from the entrance was a stone ledge. Below it lay the main cavern, swarming with Elemental Ore Rats.

The small ledge couldn't possibly hold two hundred people. Soon, those at the front, hesitating to jump down, were being shoved from behind.

"Who's pushing me? Stop it! One more push and I'm gonna fall!"

"Don't look at me! I'm not the one pushing, someone's pushing me from behind!"

"Hey, in the back, stop pushing!"

"We can't stop! Those two from the Martial Disciple Seventh Layer are behind us, driving people forward with their Wolf Fang Clubs!"

The ledge instantly descended into chaos.

"Gang, Yun, listen. Whatever happens, stick close to me," Chu Qingyun said, one hand gripping the hilt of his sword.

Outside the mine, Young Master Ning waited for a moment, apparently dissatisfied with the dawdling inside.

"Let's go. We're going in too."

At his command, his henchmen also began to push their way into the mine.

A large group of Level 5 and Level 6 Martial Artists squeezed in, and the people at the front of the ledge were instantly shoved off.

As Young Master Ning's men pressed forward, more and more Martial Artists were pushed off the ledge.

The Elemental Ore Rats on the periphery were relatively weak.

There were few at even the Martial Disciple Ninth Layer; the vast majority were at the Seventh or Eighth Layer.

So, despite their vast numbers, they couldn't overwhelm the fallen Martial Artists, at least not at first.

A bloody battle erupted instantly.

Though none of them were above Level 4, nearly two hundred Martial Artists still represented a formidable force. They quickly established a foothold within the mine.

The low-level Elemental Ore Rats were cut down in swathes, tens of thousands dying in an instant.

Yet, the area covered by the Elemental Ore Rats in the mine didn't shrink in the slightest.

From the depths of the mine, more Elemental Ore Rats continuously swarmed in to take their place.

This was what made the Elemental Ore Rats truly terrifying—they were endless!

After the last of the captured Martial Artists had been pushed down, Young Master Ning and his men stood on the ledge, complacently watching the slaughter below.

"You know, I'm finding that just watching the show is quite entertaining."

"Next time, I'll invite Young Master Ma and Xiao De. We can round up more of this rabble for our amusement."

Young Master Ning's eyes were slightly bloodshot, stimulated by the overwhelming stench of blood rising from below. He spoke with a sinister grin.

"Ahem, Young Master Ning, we should probably make our move soon," one of his men advised. "It will be dangerous for us if this rabble is completely wiped out."

'If all the cannon fodder they'd captured died, then they would be the ones sent to their deaths at the front.'

"Fine. Let's go down."

Young Master Ning and his people also leaped down, falling in behind the large group that included Chu Qingyun.

The mine's area was limited, so Chu Qingyun's group formed a thick human wall, completely shielding Young Master Ning and his men from the Elemental Ore Rat Swarm.

"My Martial Artist brothers at the front! Hurry up and charge! You can't kill all the Elemental Ore Rats, you know,"

"Only by breaking through and taking the Golden Thread Primordial Spirit Fruit can we retreat!"

Young Master Ning yelled from the very back of the group.

The people at the front couldn't help but curse him and his eighteen generations of ancestors in their minds.

But he was also speaking the truth. Wasting their energy on the low-level rat swarm here was pointless. The only path to survival was to push forward.

It wasn't that they didn't want to turn back and fight for their lives. It was just that the vast majority had been scared witless by the two Martial Disciples of the Seventh Layer and were completely unable to organize themselves.

Chu Qingyun's group was positioned somewhere in the middle, not on the front lines.

In that short time, he had already used his Devouring Martial Soul to collect seventeen Martial Souls.

That meant seventeen Martial Artists had already died, devoured by the Elemental Ore Rats. Every last one of them had been gnawed clean to the bone.

The ferocious Elemental Ore Rats didn't even spare their own kind, let alone the human Martial Artists who had invaded their territory.

...

The Martial Artists at the front fought with their lives on the line.

The Martial Artists at the rear weren't idle either. They all unleashed their Soul Techniques, blasting the swarm of rats ahead.

At this point, it was safe to say that aside from Young Master Ning, everyone was in the same boat. If those at the front fell, those at the back had to take their place.

After pushing forward more than a hundred meters, over thirty Martial Artists were already dead.

It seemed like an acceptable number.

After all, the Golden Thread Primordial Spirit Fruit was only about three hundred meters from the cave mouth.

But Chu Qingyun knew this was only the beginning.

The truly powerful Elemental Ore Rats wouldn't bother with the periphery. They would only stay in the deeper, darker parts of the mine.

In other words, the deeper they went, the harder this bloody advance would become, and the more people would die!

Besides, ever since he'd jumped down from the stone platform, he'd had a very bad feeling.

It felt as if a pair of eyes was hidden in some dark corner of the mine, staring at them.

That strange sensation that made his Devouring Martial Soul tremble was also growing much stronger.

After pushing forward another fifty meters or so, all the Martial Artists in front of Chu Qingyun and his two companions were dead. They were now on the front line, facing the direct assault of the rat swarm.

All of the Elemental Ore Rats here were at the Martial Disciple Ninth Layer.

Each one had dark fur and razor-sharp teeth. A single bite would tear off a huge chunk of flesh.

The plump Elemental Ore Rats, with bodies over thirty centimeters long, not only attacked from the ground but would also leap up to attack from the front, or even from overhead.

The Martial Artists at the forefront had no capacity to counterattack. They could only grip their weapons and defend against the frenzied assault of the Elemental Ore Rats.

As for the Primordial Spirit Fruits they were after, no one had the energy to pick them. They were all trampled underfoot.

"Autumn Leaves!"

"Xia Feng Wuyan!"

Chu Qingyun unleashed one move after another from the Gale Seven Swords. His Sword Aura, infused with Sword Momentum, was immensely destructive. Any Elemental Ore Rat it grazed was torn to shreds.

But even the most powerful attacks were futile against the endless swarm of rats.

"Gangzi, watch out!"

Chu Yun, on Chu Qingyun's right, suddenly swung his blade to the left, cutting down an Elemental Ore Rat that had leaped up, pouncing at Chu Gang's face.

Chu Gang broke out in a cold sweat. Before he could even say thanks, he caught sight of something out of the corner of his eye. An Elemental Ore Rat, jaws agape, leaped from the shoulder of the person beside them, aiming for Chu Yun's neck.

"Yun, behind you!"

However, Chu Yun had no time to react.

At the last possible second,

THWIP!

A long, thin black shadow shot through the dim mine, pierced the Elemental Ore Rat, and flung it back into the sea of rats.

"Gang, Yun, just focus on what's in front of you. Don't get distracted."

"Leave the rest to me!"

Chu Qingyun said, his expression serene.

With the three of them together, Chu Qingyun's incredibly powerful Sword Aura was the main driving force of their advance, while his three elusive vines were the perfect tool for shoring up their defenses.

Chu Qingyun's control over his Three-star Vine Martial Soul was far beyond that of any ordinary person, earning him the genuine admiration of Chu Gang and Chu Yun.

The people on the front line were replaced wave after wave. They finally managed to push forward another hundred meters, leaving only about fifty meters to the Golden Thread Primordial Spirit Fruit.

But at this moment, there were only a little over forty low-level Martial Artists left.

Two hundred and fifty bloody meters. Over one hundred and fifty Martial Artists had been devoured, leaving not even bones behind!

Of course, the number of dead Elemental Ore Rats was even greater, definitely calculated in the tens of thousands.

The remaining Martial Artists could no longer fully hold back the Elemental Ore Rats. Hordes of rats slipped through the gaps in their defense and got behind them.

Some pounced towards Young Master Ning and his guards further back.

Others attacked from the rear, trapping Chu Qingyun and his group in a pincer attack.

As a result, the pressure on the front line increased instantly. In less than a minute, nearly ten more Martial Artists fell.

"That bunch of lowlifes are almost done for. They're about to break."

"Da, Er, protect me. The rest of you, get up there and fill the gaps!"

From the rear, Young Master Ning commanded in a cold voice.

The thick stench of blood made his eyes turn red.

But within those reddened eyes was an even greater, fervent desire for the Golden Thread Primordial Spirit Fruit.

To be honest, a Tier Two Spiritual Medicine wasn't hard for someone of his status to buy.

But, Zhang Ning just had to get this Golden Thread Primordial Spirit Fruit by his own means so he could go back to Qingshan City and show off, to prove himself.

As for how many people had to die for his pride, for his bragging rights, he couldn't care less.

Even if the ones dying were his own men!

Big Beard and the others were utterly helpless, but they drew their weapons and charged forward to plug the gaps in the front line's defense.

Although they were very reluctant, they had no choice. Young Master Ning's status left them no room to disobey.

With the addition of a large number of Level 5 and Level 6 Martial Artists, the situation immediately stabilized, and their advance also became much faster.

They pushed forward another thirty meters, and were now only twenty meters away from the Golden Thread Primordial Spirit Fruit.

If Chu Qingyun wanted to, he could even use his Three-star Vine Martial Soul to snatch the Golden Thread Primordial Spirit Fruit right now.

But he didn't.

He understood the principle that the nail that sticks out gets hammered down.

If he snatched the Golden Thread Primordial Spirit Fruit, he would instantly become the target of every single Elemental Ore Rat.

Having reached this point, Chu Qingyun suddenly felt something was strange.

According to his previous observations, they should have already encountered those exceptionally plump Elemental Ore Rats—the ones with the strength of Tier One and Tier Two Martial Artists—before the thirty-meter mark.

But now that they were here, they were still facing Martial Disciple Ninth Layer Elemental Ore Rats.

Using the fleeting flashes of light from the Soul Techniques used by those around him, Chu Qingyun suddenly glimpsed hordes of exceptionally plump Elemental Ore Rats crawling along the cave walls on both sides, moving toward their rear!

'Crawling toward the rear?'

'They're trying to... surround us!'

'Wipe them all out!'

The thought suddenly flashed through Chu Qingyun's mind.

These Elemental Ore Rats weren't just mindless beasts that only knew how to fight head-on.

They also knew how to surround their prey!

"Gang, Yun, don't say anything. Just listen to me."

"Don't resist. Do exactly as I say."

Chu Qingyun took a deep breath, suddenly unleashing a few sword strikes to scatter the Elemental Ore Rats in front of him, and spoke quietly to Chu Gang and Chu Yun.

Chu Qingyun controlled two vines, wrapping them several times around Chu Gang's and Chu Yun's waists.

Then, the two vines suddenly grew, reaching twenty meters in length in an instant.

The vines violently flung Chu Gang and Chu Yun backward, throwing them to the rear with all their might.

"Gang, Yun, run!"

"Don't look back! Run for the exit!"

The instant he threw them, Chu Qingyun roared.

Chu Gang and Chu Yun flew over Young Master Ning and his two guards at the rear and landed with a THUD.

After landing, the two of them still hadn't processed what happened, but hearing Chu Qingyun's roar, they instinctively bolted toward the outside without a second thought.

"What!? Such long vines!"

"Kid, you're courting death! How dare you let two of them escape!"

"Brother, help me! I'm begging you, throw me out too!"

In an instant, Chu Qingyun became the center of everyone's attention.

The low-level Martial Artists pleaded with him, wanting Chu Qingyun's help to get them out.

Meanwhile, Young Master Ning and his men stared at Chu Qingyun with savage expressions.

Just then, from the deepest part of the mine, an exceptionally sharp and long cry echoed out.

"Screee—!"

...

Upon hearing this sound, Chu Qingyun's expression changed, and his heart skipped a beat.

'They're here!'

All the Martial Disciple Ninth Layer Elemental Ore Rats retreated like a receding tide.

But before the human Martial Artists could rejoice, even larger and fatter Elemental Ore Rats quickly took their place.

Each of the new Elemental Ore Rats was over half a meter long. Their sharp fangs, like daggers, curved into a vicious arc.

Moreover, these Elemental Ore Rats, whose strength had reached the Martial Artist Realm, didn't just attack from the front. They also pounced on Chu Qingyun and the others from the walls on both sides, and even from behind.

All the human Martial Artists were surrounded!

"What... what's happening!"

"We're surrounded! We're surrounded..."

Everyone descended into a panic, their hands trembling as they gripped their weapons.

Before, a sliver of hope still remained in their hearts.

'If we just grab the Golden Thread Primordial Spirit Fruit, we can run back and survive.'

But now, that single sliver of hope had been extinguished. In their hearts, most of them had already given up.

"How could this happen? How?! How could I be surrounded by this pack of filthy, mongrel rats!"

Even the instigator, Young Master Ning, was now descending into madness.

He had schemed against Chu Qingyun and the others, never imagining that he himself would end up being outsmarted by a pack of rats.

Seeing the stronger swarm of rats about to charge them, some people even gave up resisting and dropped their weapons.

Others, unwilling to be eaten alive by the Elemental Ore Rats, chose to take their own lives.

But there were still some who, in their final moments, erupted with all their strength and charged fearlessly toward the Elemental Ore Rats.

In the face of death, all of humanity's true nature was laid bare.

But Chu Qingyun's mind remained perfectly clear.

He still had hope. Even surrounded by the rat swarm, there was a chance to escape.

'Fortune favors the bold. I'll risk it all!'

A ruthless glint flashed in Chu Qingyun's eyes. He flung out a vine, which rapidly grew to its maximum length of twenty meters, wrapped around the Golden Thread Primordial Spirit Fruit, and with a hard tug, pulled it into his hand.

With the Spiritual Medicine in hand, Chu Qingyun grew his other two vines to nearly ten meters. They propped him up near the ceiling of the mine tunnel, and like a giant on stilts, he strode toward the exit.

At that moment, facing the human Martial Artists' most frenzied counterattack, the Elemental Ore Rat Swarm was in disarray, its attention divided.

And at the same time, Da and Er flanked Young Master Ning on the left and right, protecting him as they charged out.

"The Primordial Spirit Fruit! Go get the Primordial Spirit Fruit! That lowlife stole my Primordial Spirit Fruit!"

Young Master Ning was in a frenzy, even wanting to lunge forward and snatch the Primordial Spirit Fruit from Chu Qingyun.

However, his two guards, who were thankfully still sane, held him back tightly. Wielding two Wolf Fang Clubs, they brutally smashed open a bloody path and dragged him toward the exit.

"Young Master! Young Master, save me! Take me with you, Young Master!"

The sycophantic servant, Xiaosi, desperately clung to Young Master Ning's leg, trying to escape with him.

"Get off! Get the hell off me, you damn dog!"

Enraged, Young Master Ning landed two heavy kicks and sent Xiaosi tumbling away.

Xiaosi rolled twice on the ground and was instantly engulfed by the swarm of rats. Within a few breaths, he was devoured down to a clean skeleton.

Chu Qingyun, striding along as if on stilts, wasn't having an easy time either.

Below, Elemental Ore Rats constantly latched onto his vines, gnawing at them fiercely.

Moreover, some daredevil Elemental Ore Rats even scrambled up the vines, trying to attack Chu Qingyun directly.

Chu Qingyun had to control his Primordial Power to repair the vines as best he could, all while being distracted by the Elemental Ore Rats climbing up from below and leaping down from above.

For a moment, he was in a frantic scramble.

If not for his third vine held in reserve, he probably wouldn't have been able to hold on.

Taking advantage of his long strides, Chu Qingyun leaped onto the stone platform near the tunnel entrance and rushed out of the mine, well ahead of Young Master Ning and his men.

Less than a minute later, Young Master Ning and his two guards also charged to the platform and escaped.

Although the Elemental Ore Rat Swarm was powerful, the two Seventh-Level Martial Artists' desperate charge was enough to get Young Master Ning out alive.

Of course, by the time they got out of the mine, Chu Qingyun was long gone, not even a shadow of him remaining.

"AHHH! DAMN IT, DAMN IT, DAMN IT!"

"That lowlife! He deserves to die!"

After escaping the hellish mine, Young Master Ning's eyes were bloodshot with rage as he howled furiously.

After all his scheming and the deaths of so many of his men, the final fruit had been snatched away by Chu Qingyun.

The sheer frustration was enough to drive him mad!

"Young Master, this whole affair is too strange. I've never heard of low-level Elemental Ore Rats using such cunning tricks. We should head back to Qingshan City," Da advised, holding his blood-drenched Wolf Fang Club.

"No! Find him! Find that lowlife for me!"

"I'm going to kill him with my own hands! And I'll slaughter his entire family!"

Young Master Ning's face was twisted in a vicious snarl as he roared.

Da and Er were both helpless. They could only follow Young Master Ning, searching for the man like a pair of headless chickens.

When their young master went into a frenzy like this, no one could stop him.

Not far from the mine entrance, hidden in a crevice between the rocks, Chu Qingyun's expression turned chillingly cold.

'Slaughter my entire family?'

'I'll slaughter you first!'

With a flicker of his figure, Chu Qingyun vanished, heading in the opposite direction from Young Master Ning and his men.

After Chu Qingyun and Young Master Ning's group escaped, the remaining human Martial Artists were quickly annihilated by the Elemental Ore Rat Swarm.

After all the humans were dead, a massive rat, two meters long with two golden stripes on its body, suddenly emerged from the rock face next to the Golden Thread Primordial Spirit Fruit Tree.

When this giant rat appeared, all the other Elemental Ore Rats prostrated themselves obediently on the ground, not daring to even lift their heads.

The golden-striped rat straightened up, stroking its chin in a very human-like manner as it muttered to itself.

"That kid's use of the Three-Star Vine was truly brilliant. What an incredible human genius. A shame he was too vigilant, or I could have finished him off."

"Still, where on earth is the Vermilion Bird? It's clearly somewhere nearby. Don't tell me I'll have to sneak into Qingshan City..."

The golden-striped rat muttered a few more words in human language before burrowing into the ground and disappearing.

Silence returned once more to the dim mine tunnel.

But the thick stench of blood would likely take a very long time to fade.

After leaving the area around the mine, Chu Qingyun found a secluded spot, ate the Golden Thread Primordial Spirit Fruit, and began to cultivate.

After entering his stomach, the Golden Thread Primordial Spirit Fruit transformed into a strange power.

This power, without any need for Chu Qingyun to control it, surged toward his blocked fifth meridian on its own and began to batter against it fiercely.

An hour later, the fifth meridian was completely opened.

'Fifth Level Martial Artist!'

More than half of the strange power remained, and it began to assault his sixth meridian.

Another hour and a half later, the sixth meridian was completely opened.

'Sixth Level Martial Artist!'

However, a great deal of the Golden Thread Primordial Spirit Fruit's power was still left, and it once again charged toward the seventh meridian.

'Am I going to break through to the seventh level?'

'Forget it. An opportunity like this can't be missed. Break through!'

After a moment's hesitation, Chu Qingyun didn't stop the power, allowing it to surge toward his seventh meridian.

After it forced open more than half of the seventh meridian, all the power was depleted.

At this moment, however, Chu Qingyun took out a large amount of Primordial Stones and began to absorb the Primordial Power within them to continue assaulting the seventh meridian.

After using up almost all the Primordial Stones he had acquired on this trip, the seventh meridian was finally opened.

Seventh-Level Martial Artist!

He had jumped three levels in a row!

Chu Qingyun's eyes snapped open, and a sharp, murderous intent erupted from him.

"Young Master Ning, I hope you haven't gone far!"

...

It was already noon when Chu Qingyun and the others had entered the mine.

Now that he had completed his breakthrough, the sky had long since turned completely dark.

Most of the people had died in the mine, leaving the entire abandoned Yuan Stone Ore Vein unnaturally quiet.

"Shadow Martial Soul!"

"Stealth!"

Under the cover of night, Chu Qingyun began to practice with his newly acquired Martial Soul.

His body was veiled in a layer of black, his entire figure becoming illusory. Even when he looked down at himself, it was as if he had merged into the night.

'Indeed, only a Martial Soul can grant this miraculous power to merge with the darkness.'

The power of the Shadow Martial Soul lay in making one's form illusory, allowing one to blend into the darkness.

For an Assassin who operated from the shadows, this was a dream-come-true ability.

Moreover, strictly speaking, applying the Shadow Martial Soul was much simpler than using the Three-star Vine Martial Soul.

Because it was a Martial Soul tailor-made for him with the highest degree of compatibility and affinity, Chu Qingyun needed only a little over half an hour of practice to completely master its power.

'That should be enough. Time to find Young Master Ning and his men.'

'With his crazed and perverse temperament, he should still be looking for me right now...'

Chu Qingyun's figure flickered as he sped off, beginning his search for Zhang Ning and his two men.

He searched until the latter half of the night before finally finding the three of them in a patch of woods.

By then, they were already asleep next to a bonfire that was about to die out.

'Hmph. They actually dare to sleep. How nice for them.'

With a soft snort, Chu Qingyun used a Soul Technique from his Shadow Martial Soul.

"Stealth!"

After merging into the darkness, he moved lightly and nimbly, stealthily approaching Da from behind.

With a slight shake of his arm, the Black Saber hidden in his sleeve slid into his hand.

The blade was frigid and dark, absorbing all light. Despite being next to the fire, it didn't reflect a single glint.

'Die.'

Chu Qingyun's arm moved slightly, and the sharp blade instantly slit Da's throat.

After the successful throat-slitting ambush, Chu Qingyun did not linger, silently retreating under the cover of night.

"Big Bro, what's wrong!?"

The moment his throat was cut, both Da and Er were startled awake.

But it was too late. Da could only clutch his neck powerlessly, watching blood gush out like a fountain.

And Er could only watch helplessly as he died.

"What happened? Er, what happened!?"

Young Master Ning woke up, saw Da convulsing on the ground, and couldn't help but let out a piercing scream.

A flash of disgust and anger crossed Er's eyes, but he quickly concealed it.

"I don't know, Young Master Ning. Be careful. Judging by the style of this attack, it looks like the work of the Assassin Alliance."

With a wary expression, Er shielded Zhang Ning behind him.

If this had been the old Chu Qingyun, he might have charged out to defeat them in a head-on confrontation.

But for the current Chu Qingyun, who possessed the Shadow Martial Soul, the night was his domain!

Activating his Stealth Soul Techniques, Chu Qingyun silently and soundlessly approached Young Master Ning from the darkest shadows behind Er.

'Die!'

Chu Qingyun roared coldly in his heart and thrust his blade toward Young Master Ning's back.

"Hm? Killing intent!"

Er's expression changed, and he yanked Young Master Ning aside.

The sharp edge of the Black Saber sliced through Young Master Ning's flesh as it scraped across his back.

"AH! It hurts, it hurts so much!"

"You bastard, I'm going to kill you!"

Young Master Ning had never experienced such pain in his life. The madness in his bones immediately flared up again, and he struggled violently in Er's grip, not knowing what he was even trying to do.

At that moment, Er was filled with terror and rage.

Hiding in the shadows was an opponent like a venomous snake, ready to deliver a fatal blow at any moment.

And in his hands was a mad young master who he could neither hit nor scold.

If not for his fear of Zhang Ning's father, Er would have slapped this idiot to death long ago.

In the darkness, Chu Qingyun whispered softly.

"Three-Star Vine."

Then, three vines shot out from the darkness, instantly binding the unprepared Er and Young Master Ning tightly.

After Chu Qingyun advanced to a Level Seven Martial Artist, the tenacity of the Three-Star Vine's vines had reached a whole new level.

And their length had reached a terrifying fifty meters!

"The Three-star Vine Martial Soul! It's you!"

Seeing this Martial Soul, Er instantly recognized him. This was the guy who had escaped at the end and taken the Golden Thread Primordial Spirit Fruit!

"That's right. It's me."

Chu Qingyun deactivated his Stealth and walked out from the shadows.

"A Level Seven Martial Artist!"

"He actually jumped three levels!"

Er's pupils suddenly shrank. The Primordial Power he had been gathering in his hands quietly dissipated.

He had originally planned to put up a desperate fight, but after seeing that Chu Qingyun was also a Level Seven Martial Artist, Er gave up.

Not to mention he was already at a disadvantage, bound by the Three-Star Vine.

Just dealing with a useless lunatic like Young Master Ning was already a huge drain on his combat strength.

"Friend, let's talk this out..." Er said, his voice tinged with panic.

Before, the lives of nearly two hundred people, including Chu Qingyun's group, had been in the hands of Young Master Ning and Er. Back then, the two of them had acted with absolute impunity, doing whatever they pleased.

Who would have thought that in less than a day, the tables would be completely turned.

Fate, sometimes, is just that fickle.

"Talk this out? Do you have any idea how many people died because of this damn lunatic?"

"I'll tell you. Two hundred and thirty-four!"

Chu Qingyun sneered, his eyes filled with killing intent.

"The people who died have nothing to do with you. You already saved the two from your village," Er explained hastily.

Chu Qingyun suddenly smiled, but it was a cold smile.

"And after he got out, he threatened to annihilate my entire family. Does that also have nothing to do with me?"

Chu Qingyun had long since decided that Young Master Ning had to die.

A madman like him was capable of anything. Letting him go would be the same as releasing a tiger back into the mountains.

'Damn it!'

Er's face was filled with anxiety as he cursed Young Master Ning endlessly in his heart.

To be stuck with a young master who was more of a hindrance than a help... he must have been cursed with eight lifetimes of bad luck.

"Die, both of you!"

With a cold shout, Chu Qingyun thrust his Black Saber twice, killing both Young Master Ning and Er.

After searching the three bodies, Chu Qingyun didn't find anything special, just a dozen or so Middle Grade Primordial Stones and some Lower Grade Primordial Stones.

However, one item did catch his attention.

It was a piece of Blood Jade, carved with a lifelike wolf howling at the sky.

'Blood Jade? A wolf? Blood... wolf...'

"The Blood Wolf Gang!"

Chu Qingyun's eyes instantly widened.

Young Master Ning was in his twenties and from an extraordinary background, yet he was only a Level Two Martial Artist. But he possessed a Jade Pendant that looked anything but ordinary.

Clearly, his status must be very high.

At the very least, neither Da nor Er had any such token on them.

'I can't believe I just killed a big shot from the Blood Wolf Gang...'

A heavy feeling settled in Chu Qingyun's heart.

The Blood Wolf Gang was a major power in Qingshan City, renowned for their savagery and bloodshed. They were a force that struck fear into the hearts of all who heard their name.

However, he had no regrets. Those who deserved to be killed must be killed.

Chu Qingyun couldn't possibly wait for him to make a move against his family before fighting back!

...

After burning the three bodies, Chu Qingyun returned to Chu Family Village under the cover of night.

At the village entrance, he ran into Chu Gang and Chu Yun, who were waiting anxiously.

"Qingyun! Qingyun is back!"

"Haha, that's great! Qingyun, you're alive! That's wonderful!"

Seeing that Chu Qingyun was safe, they were both incredibly emotional.

They had spent the better part of the night waiting, nearly driven mad with worry. They had wanted to go back and check but feared they would just be a burden and get in Chu Qingyun's way. Yet, the thought of returning to the village to sleep filled them with guilt.

Now, everything was finally alright.

Chu Qingyun sighed softly, his expression heavy. "Gang, Yun, let's go back and rest for now. After sunrise, we'll go see the Village Head. This matter… has gotten a little out of hand."

Back home, Chu Qingyun lay on his bed, but sleep wouldn't come.

The image of Young Master Ning's crazed expression kept replaying in his mind, sending a chill down his spine.

'To raise a child like that, his parents must either be just as crazy as he is, or they spoil him rotten, letting him do whatever he wants.'

'Either way, it's a disaster for my family and for Chu Family Village!'

With a heavy heart, Chu Qingyun climbed back onto the roof.

In the darkness, the entire Chu Family Village was silent. The peaceful and serene atmosphere slowly calmed Chu Qingyun's heart.

An idea began to take shape in his mind.

'No matter what, I have to protect Chu Family Village. I have to protect the place where I was born and raised.'

「The next morning」, Chu Qingyun, Chu Gang, and Chu Yun went to the Village Head's home.

Due to the gravity of the situation, the Village Head also summoned several captains of the village guard, including Chu Hua, to discuss the matter.

Leaving out only the part about his Devouring Martial Soul, Chu Qingyun recounted everything from beginning to end. Afterward, he took out the blood-red Jade Pendant and handed it to the Village Head.

"The Cyan Wolf Blood Jade... *Sigh*... this is indeed a token of the Blood Wolf Gang. Moreover, it's a token that only high-ranking members at the Guardian Level or above can possess."

The Village Head had adventured in Qingshan City in his youth and was worldly and knowledgeable. He recognized the origin of the Blood Jade at a glance, and it was more or less what Chu Qingyun had guessed.

"But Village Head, that Young Master Ning was clearly only a Tier Two Martial Artist!"

Chu Gang said hastily.

The Village Head shook his head, his expression growing even graver. "Then there is only one possibility. That Young Master Ning is the beloved son of a Blood Wolf Gang Elder, or perhaps even the Gang Leader himself. Only then would he be granted this Cyan Wolf Blood Jade."

'An Elder... the Gang Leader…'

In an instant, a heavy mood fell over everyone.

Anyone who could become the leader of the Blood Wolf Gang had to be a Martial Master Level expert at the very least!

Martial Master. Just those two words were enough to place infinite pressure upon them.

Although the Village Head was said to be only one step away from becoming a Martial Master, that single step had been an impassable chasm that had held him back for over twenty years...

Taking a deep breath, Chu Qingyun said, "Village Head, I'll take full responsibility for my actions. Leave this matter to me."

"Nonsense! What do you mean you'll take full responsibility!"

"Qingyun, don't be ridiculous. You did nothing wrong."

"That's right. If it weren't for you, Gang and Yun wouldn't have made it back. We'll figure this out together."

The Village Head, Chu Hua, and the others all tried to talk him out of it.

Hearing their words, Chu Qingyun was touched.

"Village Head, Hua, I've actually thought it all through."

"I'm already a Level Seven Martial Artist. Staying in the village will only limit my development. I'm planning to go to Qingshan City to make a name for myself."

"That way, I can also gather information and keep an eye on the Blood Wolf Gang."

Chu Qingyun said with a smile.

There was one more thing he didn't say.

He planned to draw the Blood Wolf Gang's attention, to keep them from focusing their energy on this matter.

Hearing Chu Qingyun's explanation, the Village Head and the others all nodded in agreement.

"Qingyun, with your talent, going to Qingshan City is the right choice. Once you get there, you'll understand just how small Chu Family Village truly is."

Since the Village Head had spoken, the others naturally had no objections. They all encouraged Chu Qingyun to train hard and become Chu Family Village's first Martial Master Level expert as soon as possible.

After returning home, another Martial Soul had just finished being devoured.

From his trip to the Yuan Stone Ore Vein, Chu Qingyun had harvested over two hundred Tier One Martial Souls. No matter what, it would definitely be enough to upgrade all of his Martial Souls to Tier Two.

Unfortunately, all two hundred-plus of these Martial Souls were very ordinary, with no special characteristics.

He had no interest in them and didn't plan on keeping them.

After strengthening the Devouring Martial Soul to 70%, its devouring efficiency increased again.

By the next evening, the Devouring Martial Soul had been strengthened to 90%, and the devouring progress for the next Martial Soul had reached 99%.

Chu Qingyun waited quietly. In just a little while, he would be able to raise his Devouring Martial Soul to Tier Two.

At this moment, he felt just as he had over a month ago when he devoured his first Three-Star Vine Martial Soul.

A faint CRACK seemed to sound from within his body.

The devouring progress reached 100%. Without hesitation, Chu Qingyun chose to strengthen his Devouring Martial Soul.

The Devouring Martial Soul emerged and began to absorb the power it had just generated.

After devouring all the power, the nebulous Devouring Martial Soul began to churn violently.

About a minute later, the Devouring Martial Soul returned to a state of calm, seemingly unchanged from before.

"That's it?"

Chu Qingyun was a little surprised.

'A Martial Soul advancement is an incredible event. Even if there's no earth-shattering spectacle, there should at least be *some* kind of change, right?'

But by communicating with the Martial Soul, he confirmed that the Devouring Martial Soul was indeed now a Tier Two Martial Soul.

He checked several times, but Chu Qingyun still found nothing new.

'The only change to the Devouring Martial Soul is probably that it can now devour Tier Two Martial Souls.'

"*Sigh*. Well, so be it. Time to devour the next Martial Soul."

Chu Qingyun sighed in resignation and decided to give up trying to find a difference.

But the instant he gave the command, a Tier One Orchid-Grass Martial Soul was devoured completely.

Having advanced to Tier Two, the Devouring Martial Soul's speed at devouring Tier One Martial Souls had become instantaneous!

"Finally, a little surprise."

"Strengthen the Three-Star Vine Martial Soul."

The Three-Star Vine Martial Soul was already strengthened to 23%. This time, after using four more Tier One Martial Souls, the Three-Star Vine Martial Soul was also successfully strengthened to Tier Two.

The advancement of the Three-Star Vine Martial Soul was much more dramatic than that of the Devouring Martial Soul.

A somewhat illusory, miniature Three-Star Vine writhed wildly in Chu Qingyun's palm.

From its base, two more vines gradually sprouted. The new vines grew rapidly, and within two or three minutes, they had grown to be identical to the original three.

"A Tier Two Martial Soul... the Five-Star Vine!"

It had transformed from a Three-Star Vine into a Five-Star Vine. While it seemed to have only gained two vines, this was a massive enhancement to Chu Qingyun's power.

For an ordinary Martial Artist, having two extra vines might even be meaningless, as controlling just three vines was already an extremely difficult task.

But for Chu Qingyun, it was a different story.

He could perfectly control his Martial Soul. Two more vines meant he had more, and more flexible, tactics at his disposal.

"Strengthen the Shadow Martial Soul!"