C25 The Spoils of War

The Sword Soul's speed was astonishing; by the time the two had begun to speak, it had already transformed into a nimble streak of sword light, causing the very air to tremble. It surged forward, carrying a wave that concealed its traces, and struck Zhang Loong directly.

"Puchi!"

Without any forewarning, a spray of blood erupted under the sword light wielded by the Sword Soul. It passed through Zhang Loong's body like a beam of light. From a distance, it appeared as a dreamy, insubstantial void, showing no signs of destruction or injury. It was as if the sword hadn't harmed Zhang Loong at all.

However, once the Sword Soul came to a gentle halt behind Zhang Loong, reality struck. Zhang Loong stood there, dumbfounded, as blood began to trickle down from his forehead. Then, blood flowed from all over his body, and in an instant, he was transformed into a blood-drenched figure. This was because, as the Sword Soul had rushed through his body, it had not only completely devoured his soul but had also shattered every blood vessel, muscle, and bone in his body. Now, he was nothing more than a heap of broken flesh, helplessly watching his life force slowly ebb away... "No..."

With his final breath, Zhang Loong let out a pained roar.

Qin Fei, who was some distance away, watched in horror as Zhang Loong's body began to swell like a balloon being filled with oxygen. As it reached its breaking point, an explosion seemed inevitable.

"Not good..."

Qin Fei realized too late as cracks appeared in Zhang Loong's body, which had grown to at least three times its normal size.

"Boom!"

A deafening explosion followed, and Zhang Loong's body burst into a cloud of blood mist, scattering blood, organs, and flesh in all directions.

Qin Fei stood there, muttering to himself in shock. He was acutely aware of the Sword Soul's terrifying power. Its presence had compelled Qin Fei to remain in hiding. The Sword Soul's origins were too fearsome; one misstep could mean certain death. Yet, the scene before him left Qin Fei completely aghast. It was not just the horror that struck him, but the sheer cruelty of it all. Devouring a person's soul was evil enough, but this spectacle made Qin Fei shudder. He realized that he hadn't exerted any control over the Sword Soul's actions—it was acting on its own volition.

Under such control, if he were to lose his grip on it, could it turn and devour him one day? "Buzz!"

At that moment, the Sword Soul began to hover in the air.

It circled the area once, and a beam of light emerged from the Sword Soul's rippling form.

This light enveloped Zhang Hu's corpse, and an ethereal shadow appeared within it, identical to Zhang Hu. The shadow was then absorbed into the Sword Soul and effortlessly consumed.

Without its soul, the body withered away gradually.

As the Sword Soul's light withdrew, the corpse disintegrated into dust and vanished.

"This..."

Qin Fei's eyes quivered.

Something felt off. The Sword Soul's actions seemed less like cruel slaughter and more like a methodical erasure of evidence.

"Swish!"

After consuming two souls, the Sword Soul circled back and floated above Qin Fei's head.

Then, its light slowly dissipated, merging with the air and disappearing.

"The capabilities of this Sword Soul are truly fearsome. After absorbing the soul of the Sword-toothed Pig, the water wave sword form it has taken on can not only detach at will, but its attacks are also incredibly formidable. Unfortunately, I can't control it myself."

Qin Fei felt a surge of nervousness and panic.

It was all too terrifying.

It was as though a powerful monster was lurking inside him, ready to devour him at any moment.

"No matter, the Sword Soul chose me for a reason, and it must be a special one."

After pondering for a while and taking a deep breath, Qin Fei's gaze finally settled on the mangled remains.

On the Heavenly Stellar Continent, martial artists live by an unwritten rule: they carry their lives as precariously as if their heads were tucked into their belts, never knowing when death might strike.

Thus, they keep their possessions close at hand.

Take Qin Fei, for instance; though not a master, he always had his significant belongings on him.

But for someone like the Zhang brothers, who had reigned over the Outer Sect for years, it was inconceivable that they wouldn't carry treasures for self-defense.

Of course, what Qin Fei coveted most was the Sword Talisman.

Had the Sword Soul not emerged unexpectedly, he would surely have been the one to perish today.

The Sword Talisman was a source of terror. For someone like Qin Fei, it was an unbeatable force.

"Silver? That's not too shabby!"

As Qin Fei removed the worn-out clothes left behind by Zhang Hu, he discovered some pieces of silver and a few banknotes hidden within.

On the Heavenly Stellar Continent, silver and gold were the standard currencies, indispensable to both martial artists and commoners alike.

"It's just a few hundred taels, but it's certainly better than nothing," Qin Fei chuckled.

He thoroughly searched through the clothes and even unpacked his bundle. Aside from some garments, there were only a few hundred taels of silver. He found no trace of any cultivation techniques or Profound Skills. These items, if they existed, would likely be hidden away or committed to memory for later practice.

"Hmm?"

Arriving at a gruesome scene, Qin Fei's gaze was drawn to a blood-soaked hand, not because of its grisly state, but because it bore a black ring. The ring was unassuming, its simplicity reminiscent of a stone carving.

"An Interspatial Ring?" Qin Fei's eyes gleamed with a mischievous joy.

The Interspatial Ring, a storage treasure, couldn't enhance its owner's combat abilities or offer significant other benefits. Its unique feature was its boundless space, capable of holding an immense quantity of items. The small ring before him, for instance, contained a space of over a hundred square meters.

Such a wondrous item could fetch tens of millions, even hundreds of millions of taels of silver, and was often beyond price.

Qin Fei could hardly believe that Zhang Loong had possessed an Interspatial Ring.

"Legend says that an Interspatial Ring requires a drop of blood to recognize its master. Only upon the master's death does the ring become masterless, ready for a new owner. Now that Zhang Loong is dead, this ring is mine."

Qin Fei's excitement surged. Over the years, he had poured over countless books, uncovering fascinating artifacts like the Interspatial Ring, which he had stumbled upon in one such tome.

"Buzz!"

"Whoosh!"

Qin Fei had just clasped the Interspatial Ring in his hand when he sensed a nimble surge of energy streaking towards him from a distance.

"An expert is here!"

His eyes flickered, and his expression became guarded. He slipped the Interspatial Ring onto his finger, his earlier enthusiasm extinguished.

"It looks like the recent skirmish has drawn quite a bit of attention. Best to make a swift exit!"

Qin Fei had no intention of meeting an untimely end. In the world of martial arts, one must always be vigilant, or risk dying in ignorance.

Besides, this was not his first encounter with such a predicament.

"Whoosh!"

He swiftly hoisted his massive sword onto his back and dashed off towards the opposite side of the woods.

Leaving aside the unknown strength of the other party.

He also did not wish to linger and risk revealing the Sword Soul's lethal deed.

Qin Fei had been gone from the forest for less than three minutes when two silhouettes, one from the left and one from the right, flashed into the blood-strewn clearing.

"What vile tactics. Big brother, who do you think is responsible for this?"

The two newcomers, each in their forties or fifties, were clad in robes—one white, the other black.

Both carried large blades and exuded formidable auras, leaving a palpable tension in the air.

"This wasn't the work of a human. I sense a horrifying presence of a soul. Such an aura couldn't possibly belong to just one person."

The man in the white robe narrowed his eyes, a mix of bewilderment and astonishment flickering within.

"Not a human's aura? Yet it possesses a terrifying soul. What could it be? Perhaps a mighty Demonic Beast?"

The man in the black robe asked, taken aback.

"No!"

The man in white shook his head, his thoughts deepening. "The presence of a Demonic Beast is easy to identify. Moreover, a Demonic Beast kills for sustenance, not with the intent to reduce a body to countless fragments."

He approached the scene of carnage, his expression darkening.

After a moment, his eyes bulged.

"Sword Qi?"

"Sword Qi?" The man in the black robe was taken aback.

"We, the Black and White Duo Demons, have roamed the martial world for many years, yet today marks the first time we've stumbled upon such a peculiar scene. Hehe! It appears that a moment ago, an earth-shattering treasure emerged here."

The man in the white robe let out a sinister laugh, a glint of light flickering in his eyes.

"Let's move!"

Bai Sha sprang into action, swiftly pursuing the direction Qin Fei had escaped.

Hei Sha quickly caught on and followed suit.

To possess such a potent soul aura and the ability to effortlessly shred a person to pieces, not to mention the presence of sword Qi—what kind of treasure could this be?

Qin Fei had been running for roughly two hours.

Only when he sensed no trace of pursuit or any sign of followers did he finally halt, taking refuge in a cave nestled within a valley.

His venture was meant for training, to enhance his strength, not to invite trouble at every turn.

He preferred to avoid such needless complications; it was wiser to make a swift exit.

Upon entering the cave, Qin Fei made some quick adjustments to conceal the entrance, ensuring that no one outside could peer in.

Then he settled down and took out the Interspatial Ring. With a pinch, he drew a drop of blood and let it fall onto the ring.

Just as the books had described, the ring absorbed the blood and burst into light, seeming to merge with Qin Fei's very being, becoming an extension of his consciousness.

"Truly worthy of an Interspatial Ring crafted from special materials," Qin Fei mused in astonishment.

His consciousness expanded, and before him unfolded a vast, empty expanse—a boundless vista that filled his mind.

As this new awareness took shape, Qin Fei felt as though he had entered a room of about two hundred square meters, furnished with bookshelves, treasures, weapons, and an assortment of other items.

"Tsk tsk! To be the owner of an Interspatial Ring... This Zhang Loong is wealthier than I imagined."

Qin Fei's spirit surged with excitement as he explored the contents of the ring.

"Great Strength Pill, Small Revitalizing Pill, Great Revitalizing Pill? Tendon Cleaning Pill, excellent! These pills will certainly aid in bodily healing. Oh! A Qi Gathering Pill?"

At that moment, Qin Fei found himself drawn to a small golden bottle, from which a rich medicinal fragrance wafted.

This potent aroma was unmistakably not from a pill; it was a kind of natural spiritual energy.