Chapter 601 - 601: Mysterious Special Envoy

As the Devouring Power consumed it, the withered wood monster immediately went berserk. All of its branches and roots began to lash wildly toward Chu Qingyun.

It sensed a mortal threat from the Devouring Power.

However, such attacks were utterly useless. With the Thunder Shock Sword in hand, Chu Qingyun unleashed his Thunder Light Sword Qi and effortlessly blocked every assault.

Streams of Primordial Power and a dark green energy were continuously channeled by the Devouring Power into his Devouring Martial Soul.

The Primordial Power was refined into Primordial Liquid, replenishing his Qi Sea.

As for the dark green energy, it was of no use, so Chu Qingyun casually dispersed it.

When the devouring first began, the withered wood monster still fought back with all its might.

But as time went on, its counterattacks grew weaker and weaker. In the end, all its branches and roots drooped limply, leaving it completely at his mercy.

It took a little over a minute for Chu Qingyun to completely devour the withered wood monster. Aside from a few broken branches, it had turned entirely to ash.

Chu Qingyun was pleasantly surprised to discover that the Primordial Power gained from this single withered wood monster was more than what he would get from devouring three ninth-level Martial Spirits.

It was a small but welcome surprise.

However, that was the extent of it. Now that Chu Qingyun was an eighth-level Martial Spirit, even the Primordial Power from a ninth-level Martial Spirit yielded a very limited increase in his Primordial Liquid.

After he finished off the withered wood monster, the sky had grown almost completely dark.

In the darkness, trees swayed and rustled in the wind, making one wonder if one of those withered wood monsters was lurking nearby.

Chu Qingyun, however, felt no fear. After activating his Shadow Martial Soul and the Hidden Qi Technique, he seemed to vanish into thin air as he continued his advance into the depths of the forest.

The withered wood monsters could blend into the forest to launch surprise attacks.

But Chu Qingyun could also use the power of his Shadow Martial Soul to melt into the darkness.

Besides, even if he were ambushed, those withered wood monsters were no match for him.

Chu Qingyun spent most of the night traveling.

Along the way, he came across a dozen or so withered trees, but only three turned out to be actual monsters that tried to ambush him.

The outcome was a foregone conclusion. All three fell to Chu Qingyun's Devouring Power.

Monsters of this level no longer posed any real threat to Chu Qingyun unless they attacked in large numbers. After familiarizing himself with their attack patterns, he could defeat them with ease, without even needing to draw his sword.

But that entire night, aside from the three withered wood monsters, he didn't encounter a single person.

In the beginning, everyone was relatively scattered, and all were heading toward the center of the Withered Wood Forest.

Therefore, it was difficult to run into anyone unless you were actively looking for them.

However, as everyone ventured deeper, the distances between them would shrink, and they would be able to sense more and more of the imprints around them.

Thus, the further in and closer to the center of the Withered Wood Forest they got, the higher the chance of encountering others and sparking conflict.

In the final two hours before dawn, Chu Qingyun found a relatively secluded spot to rest for a while.

Taking time to prepare is never a waste.

A short rest wouldn't cost him much time, but it would ensure he could face the next day's events with his full energy.

A Celestial Spirit Realm expert could go more than ten days without sleep, but it would inevitably take a toll on their stamina and mental focus.

While Chu Qingyun rested...

Far away from the Withered Wood Forest, a young-looking man stood with several others, seemingly waiting for something.

If Chu Qingyun were present, he would have immediately recognized them. They were all from the Martial Soul Hall, and every single one was in the Martial King Realm!

Soon, someone came running from a distance.

Upon arriving, the man cupped his fist in salute to the young man and said, "Your Excellency, Special Envoy, the Outer Disciples of the Fifteen Major Sects all entered the Withered Wood Forest this evening!"

"And Chu Qingyun and Shi Cheng? Were there any issues with them?" the young man asked.

"No problems. Shi Cheng went in with that item, and Chu Qingyun entered the Withered Wood Forest normally. What's more, they aren't too far apart. They should run into each other soon!" the man answered at once.

"Excellent. Chu Qingyun, you'd best be ready to receive the grand gift I've prepared for you..."

As the young man spoke, he held the index and middle fingers of his right hand together before him. Suddenly, a hazy, dreamlike, seven-colored light suffused his eyes.

At the sight of the light in his eyes, all the others hurriedly lowered their heads, seemingly terrified of the seven-colored glow.

The young man appeared to be concentrating, performing some kind of technique.

Two breaths later, a light flashed in his eyes.

At that very moment, deep within the Withered Wood Forest, a ninth-level Martial Spirit and Outer Disciple of the Stone Spirit Sect abruptly froze. He lowered his head, and when he lifted it again, his eyes were filled with a crazed, paranoid hatred.

"Saint Extreme Sect... Chu Qingyun... Kill..."

He growled in a low, muffled voice, stopped heading deeper into the Withered Wood Forest, and changed direction. He began searching for the aura of a Saint Extreme Sect imprint, hunting for Chu Qingyun.

The savage look on his face was that of someone who shared an irreconcilable blood feud with Chu Qingyun.

Back in the other location, after the young man finished, one of the men behind him frowned. "Your Excellency, Special Envoy, that should be enough, don't you think? This is Celestial Sword Sect territory. It's extremely dangerous here. Besides, you just tampered with a Sect Disciple."

The young man shot him a look. "I never asked you to follow me. If you're scared, feel free to leave."

Another man chuckled, trying to smooth things over. "Heh heh, Your Excellency, you jest. We are under orders to protect you, so naturally, we must stay by your side. But we were wondering... what exactly is it that you want from this Chu Qingyun? If you tell us, perhaps we can help you get it..."

But the young man only sneered. "Hmph. This is one task you truly can't help me with. What I want... is the Blood Origin..."

...

Early the next morning, Chu Qingyun awoke from his light sleep.

Once day broke, he naturally resumed his journey.

However, his luck didn't hold out on the second day. Before long, Chu Qingyun could clearly sense through his imprint that three people had grouped together and were rapidly approaching.

One from the Tianya Sect, and two from the Purple Cloud Sect!