After Mr. Zhu died, just like Qian Sanpang and Mr. Hou, there wasn't a single drop of blood. His body quickly transford into a mass of dark golden gas and was devoured by the Devouring Martial Soul.
A new option then appeared before him: Tier Two Martial Soul, Demon-Slaying Staff. Retain or Enhance.
After choosing to enhance, Chu Qingyun stood where he was, pondering for a mont as a guess secretly ford in his mind.
'Based on my repeated clashes with the people from the Martial Soul Hall, it's highly likely that You Yun was right. They aren't human. They're... Martial Souls!'
'A special kind of Martial Soul, capable of existing independently of a human host and freely switching between a human form and a Martial Soul form!'
'That's the only way to explain why they don't leave behind bodies of flesh and blood when they die, but instead leave behind Martial Soul Power that my Devouring Martial Soul can absorb directly.'
'It would also explain why they can unleash their Soul Techniques with such fluid grace—smoother even than my own, which was tailor-made for . It's because those techniques are fundantally a part of their own bodies!'
As he thought about it, Chu Qingyun suddenly shivered, a sense of horror washing over him.
Martial Artists rely on their Martial Souls as they would their own hands and feet, treating them as parts of their bodies, as their most trusted assets.
'Just imagine,' he thought, 'if a part of your body—a hand or a foot—developed its own thoughts, its own independent will and power... It's simply too terrifying.'
In the world of human Martial Artists, humans hold absolute dominion over their Martial Souls, maintaining a position of complete superiority.
But in the world of the Martial Soul Hall, Martial Souls can exist independently of any Martial Artist. In other words, they have their own power—power that might even surpass that of human Martial Artists!
'No wonder You Yun said the Martial Soul Hall is a public enemy of the continent, an enemy to all human Martial Artists!'
Both Mr. Zhu and Mr. Hou were dead, leaving only Ma Zhiyong.
At that mont, he was still held fast by the Puppet. No matter how fiercely he struggled, he couldn't budge it in the slightest.
"Chu Qingyun, I admit defeat. I've fallen into your hands. Give a chance, spare my life, and I can work for you. I'll agree to any condition. You know what I'm capable of."
"As for your mission, I can provide you with enough keepsakes and evidence to make the Great Xia Dragon Guards believe you've already killed !"
Ma Zhiyong stared at Chu Qingyun with a fervent gaze. Though captured alive, he still clung to the hope of survival.
He knew just how special his Martial Soul Power was. While useless in a direct confrontation, its bizarre, ever-changing nature was imnsely useful.
Anyone would be tempted by such a subordinate.
Of course, he had no real intention of submitting to Chu Qingyun. As long as he could survive this ordeal, he could easily escape with his Martial Soul that allowed him to change his appearance at will.
"Lord Chu, help kill him! I'll give you anything you want! You can even have my life!"
Just then, Tie Mingyuan, who was on the ground and had just caught his breath, spoke through gritted teeth.
He glared viciously at Ma Zhiyong, looking as if he wanted to eat him alive.
"Hmph. You? A re third-rank Martial Artist? What use is a piece of trash like you? Lord Chu, I can be your slave! You know what my Martial Soul is capable of... AARGH!"
Ma Zhiyong was cut off mid-sentence by a blood-curdling scream.
Chu Qingyun had suddenly struck, a single finger puncturing and destroying his Qi Sea. The Thunder Power from his fingertip burrowed into Ma Zhiyong's ridians, wreaking havoc and shattering all nine of them, crippling him completely.
With his Qi Sea and ridians destroyed, Ma Zhiyong deflated like a punctured ball. His vitality and spirit rapidly withered, and in the span of a few breaths, he seed to age several decades.
"Wh-why? Why?"
Ma Zhiyong stared at Chu Qingyun in disbelief. He couldn't understand why Chu Qingyun would attack him. 'Isn't he even the slightest bit tempted by my unique power?'
Chu Qingyun, of course, had no intention of explaining himself.
Perhaps many people would have shown Ma Zhiyong rcy, tempted by his transformative Martial Soul Power into trying to recruit him. But Chu Qingyun was clearly not one of them.
Yes, Chu Qingyun did indeed covet the Martial Soul's unique power. But if that was the case, why take on a disloyal subordinate when he could just take that power for himself?
Possessing the Devouring Martial Soul, Chu Qingyun was never going to be swayed by Ma Zhiyong's offers. In fact, it was precisely because Chu Qingyun coveted the very Martial Soul that Ma Zhiyong was so proud of that he had to die!
After crippling Ma Zhiyong, Chu Qingyun glanced at Tie Mingyuan on the ground and said, "Iron Chief, I'll give you five minutes with Ma Zhiyong. But you can't kill him. After five minutes, I'll be back to finish him off."
Having said his piece, Chu Qingyun turned impassively and walked out of the courtyard.
Ma Zhiyong had put Tie Mingyuan through utter hell. Not only had he been used and toyed with from start to finish, but even the woman he loved most had been brutally violated by Ma Zhiyong.
If he wasn't given a chance to vent his rage, Tie Mingyuan might snap from the prolonged suppression, either going insane or becoming twisted himself.
In the end, Chu Qingyun had cooperated with him, after a fashion. Delaying for five minutes was a way of helping Tie Mingyuan.
"No, don't! Please don't! Chu Qingyun, just kill !"
Seeing the savage expression on Tie Mingyuan's face, Ma Zhiyong's heart went cold. He shrieked in terror, even begging Chu Qingyun to be the one to kill him.
Clearly, he understood just how much suffering he had put Tie Mingyuan through, and just how deeply he was hated for it.
Standing outside the courtyard, listening to the succession of blood-curdling howls from within, Chu Qingyun felt not a shred of pity.
That Ma Zhiyong, relying on his bizarre Martial Soul Power, had committed countless depraved acts. Letting Tie Mingyuan have at him for five minutes was nowhere near enough to atone for his cris.
If the Underworld Hell truly existed, a man like him would undoubtedly be sent to its eighteenth and lowest level.
And Ma Zhiyong's case also showed him how dangerous a high-level Martial Artist could be to a small town if they were determined to do evil.
Take Ma Zhiyong, for instance. Even with just the strength of a seventh-rank Martial Artist, San Yang Town was helpless against him, forced to passively await aid from the City Guard Army or the Great Xia Dragon Guards.
The City Guard Army rarely ventures far from the city, which ant their only hope was the Great Xia Dragon Guards.
'No wonder the Great Xia Dragon Guards are so arrogant and wield so much power,' Chu Qingyun mused. 'The responsibilities they bear are imnse...'
Five minutes later, the tortured screams from the courtyard began to fade.
Chu Qingyun hurried back inside. If Ma Zhiyong died and his Martial Soul dissipated, it would be a major loss.
Ma Zhiyong's condition was... well, even Chu Qingyun found it hard to look. He flicked a bolt of Primordial Power through Ma Zhiyong's head, putting an end to his suffering.
Soon, a Martial Soul floated up from the mangled corpse. It was as thin as paper, its facial features constantly shifting.
After devouring it, Chu Qingyun chose to retain. He instantly obtained the Martial Soul.
A Tier Two Martial Soul, nad "Thousand Faces."
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