Chapter Forty-Three: The First Signs of Devouring
“Boom!”
The force of this punch was diminished by the protective shield, losing a third of its power, yet it remained formidable. When it struck Qin Shaoming’s body, a thunderous crash rang out, but Qin Feng furrowed his brows, sensing trouble.
Within the battle circle, Qin Shaoming, struck squarely by the blow, stood unmoving, allowing Qin Feng’s fist to slam into his chest without flinching. Qin Feng’s gaze darkened; the torn fabric revealed that his opponent wore a mid-grade mystical armor.
A defensive mystical artifact, and a mid-grade at that! This clearly indicated the high status Qin Shaoming held within the clan—armed to the teeth, and yet still fighting. What was the point?
“Haha! Qin Feng, you’re out of tricks now! It’s my turn!”
Qin Shaoming was elated but also deeply shaken. Who would have expected the seemingly harmless Qin Feng to possess such explosive power? Anyone would be terrified in his place. If not for the mid-grade defensive mystical artifact his father had gifted him upon advancing to the Human Gang realm, Qin Feng’s punch would have left him bedridden for half a year, if not dead.
Therefore, Qin Shaoming dared not be careless any longer. He unleashed his mystic-grade Dragon Soul. A resonant dragon’s roar echoed, sending invisible sound waves outward, instantly plunging Qin Feng into a brief stupor.
Heavenly Dragon Chant!
Only dragon souls above mystic-grade possessed this innate ability—a sonic attack that could render opponents mentally stunned for a moment. This technique was especially effective against ranged attackers and cultivators of qi.
Though Qin Feng had trained in the “Tai-A Forge of Consciousness,” he was simply too close, caught at the very heart of the Heavenly Dragon Chant’s sound wave, struck directly. Thus, the duration of his stupor was much longer than when Qin Hongyu had used it before.
For Qin Shaoming, who stood mere steps away, even a fleeting moment was more than enough.
Next—
His right fist blazed with gang energy, and Qin Shaoming’s punch mercilessly swung toward Qin Feng’s head.
“You little bastard, die!”
Yet, at this critical instant, a strange sensation surged within Qin Feng’s body. Qin Shaoming’s mystic-grade Dragon Soul triggered a resonance with the blood in Qin Feng’s veins.
It was a primal hunger for blood, an aching desire for power—a tremor that radiated from his very bones.
In that moment, Qin Feng snapped awake, though unaware of what was happening within him.
At the same time, an aged voice, from nowhere, whispered into Qin Feng’s ear—
“Hurry, unleash your Bloodline Soul!”
The voice was somehow familiar, but the situation was urgent; Qin Feng had no time to dwell on it.
---
His Bloodline Soul responded to his will; there was still time to release it.
With a thought, the Bloodline Soul emerged from his right arm. The black serpent seemed to come alive, swiftly coiling up his arm. In the instant before Qin Shaohong’s fist landed on Qin Feng’s chest, it darted forth, jaws wide, and bit down on the neck of Qin Shaohong’s Dragon Soul.
“Ah!”
Qin Shaoming suddenly howled, his scream piercing the night, agony tearing through him. Even Qin Feng, so close, felt a strange shudder.
“Boom!”
Qin Shaoming’s fist still struck Qin Feng’s chest, but without his control, its power faded by seven-tenths at the crucial moment. Qin Feng’s hardened chest absorbed two more-tenths of the force, leaving only a fraction to actually hit him, sending Qin Feng flying.
“Puh!”
A mouthful of blood sprayed forth; Qin Feng was injured, though not seriously.
In contrast, Qin Shaoming had fallen into a semi-conscious state, his eyes vacant, his body reduced to instinctive howling. His mystic-grade Dragon Soul writhed in place, desperately trying to shake off Qin Feng’s black serpent soul. Yet the serpent clung tenaciously, refusing to release its grip, forcing the Dragon Soul into endless contortions of pain.
Qin Feng was dumbstruck.
“Quick, retract your Bloodline Soul, or he will die!”
As Qin Feng hesitated, the aged voice sounded again.
Qin Feng realized the gravity of the situation. Qin Shaohong’s mystic-grade Dragon Soul was shrinking, showing signs of dropping in rank.
He dared not delay. With a thought, he withdrew the Bloodline Soul.
Though the Bloodline Soul resisted with a bloodthirsty urge, Qin Feng forced it back and fled toward his living quarters.
On the ground, only three figures—Qin Shaohong and his companions—remained unconscious.
Back in his room, Qin Feng’s body trembled violently—partly from fear, but more from excitement.
He was truly shocked by himself this time.
It took a long while for Qin Feng to calm his mind.
Tonight’s events were far too strange—so strange that Qin Feng could scarcely believe he had nearly devoured Qin Shaoming’s Bloodline Soul!
His Bloodline Soul could consume another’s Bloodline Soul!
---
The Bloodline Soul was the very essence and foundation of a person’s flesh and blood; if it died, so did the person.
Just now, Qin Feng had nearly devoured Qin Shaoming, who stood a whole realm above him!
This power was terrifying—unprecedented in the clan’s thousand-year history, a feat never before seen or heard of!
If word of this spread, the consequences would be unthinkable. He might be branded a demon, imprisoned at best, executed at worst!
Such power would shake any possessor of a Bloodline Soul to the core!
Even members of the Qin clan would fear him!
The more Qin Feng thought, the more uneasy he felt, and hurried back outside.
But something even more unexpected occurred—
The three who had lain unconscious were gone—vanished without a trace!
It was truly uncanny!
“Wait, there was another person present tonight! Yes, that’s it—the one who urged me to unleash the Bloodline Soul, then warned me to retract it!” Qin Feng slapped his forehead, recalling the sequence of events.
“But who was that person? That voice…”
Qin Feng closed his eyes, straining to remember the voice that had sounded in his ear. It was familiar, and as the image of an elder’s face surfaced in his mind—
Suddenly—
Qin Feng’s eyes snapped open, filled with disbelief.
How could it be… him!
…