Chapter One Hundred Twenty-Two: Claiming

Ye Tianyou was now completely plunged into chaos.

What exactly did the Star Core Realm signify? The transition from the Spirit Convergence Realm to the Star Core Realm was immensely difficult; many martial artists remained stuck at this juncture, unable to make a single step of progress. Thus, every martial artist who attained the Star Core Realm possessed truly exceptional talent. To become a Star Core Realm warrior was to be a genuine master, one whose status leaped several tiers, far beyond the reach of those in the Spirit Convergence Realm.

Ye Tianyou was now deeply fearful that the Blue Soul Dagger would be seized by Chu Jie, causing him to abandon any thought of killing his opponent. "Once I return the Blue Soul Dagger to the family ancestral tomb, the clan elders will naturally understand everything and will surely come to slay Chu Jie and avenge me!" Thinking this, he transformed into a blue streak of light and fled into the distance.

He had to escape! He needed to reach a place where the golden-armored warrior could not catch up, allowing the Blue Soul Dagger to fly back to the family tomb on its own. If he let the dagger leave his body in the presence of the golden-armored warrior, it would certainly be plundered.

"Pursue!" Chu Jie roared.

Zhou Jie transformed into a golden light and trailed closely behind. Flying at full speed, Zhou Jie was incredibly swift, far faster than Chu Jie’s own maximum speed. With Chu Jie leading his men in pursuit and Zhou Jie leading the charge, the chase continued. Having fused with the Blue Soul Dagger, Ye Tianyou was terrifyingly fast—remarkably, he was keeping pace with Zhou Jie.

During the chase, several bolts of lightning struck the earth, illuminating the surroundings in a stark white glare, the thunderous booms causing one’s blood and energy to roil.

"If I don’t catch him, I will surely be exposed, and that could affect many others." Chu Jie looked toward the direction of Ye Tianyou’s flight; it led directly toward the center of the abyss. At the center of the abyss now, the beams of light shooting into the sky had diminished significantly, appearing only sporadically to drift into the vortex above.

As he flew at extreme speeds, Ye Tianyou felt a series of palpitations in his soul. "I thought I could maintain this state until I killed Chu Jie, but it seems I cannot hold on for much longer. Soon, I will descend into an unconscious state. Is this where my life ends?" A sense of melancholy and confusion washed over him.

The Blue Soul Dagger within his body emitted a series of suction pulses. Everything that had transpired began to flash through his mind; if he hadn’t been so greedy, he would not have met this fate. But it was too late; there was no room for redemption.

At this moment, Zhou Jie’s golden light flared intensely as he surged forward, though he remained several yards away. Ye Tianyou’s speed did not falter, but his vision began to blur. The Blue Soul Dagger had never been successfully forged, which was why it continued to consume the souls of his clansmen to complete its refinement. To nurture this dagger, they had practiced a specialized technique dedicated to tempering the soul. This dagger was the ultimate treasure of their clan, and it could not be lost. Holding onto this thought, Ye Tianyou continued to fly, his hatred for Chu Jie deepening.

Because Zhou Jie and Ye Tianyou were moving so quickly, no matter how Chu Jie and his party followed, they could only see a golden blur chasing a blue one in the distance.

"I will catch up soon," came the message from Zhou Jie via the connection of the Blood Dragon Ring.

Chu Jie felt a wave of relief, but at that moment, the blue light where Ye Tianyou was positioned suddenly exploded, rippling outward like an ocean. Within the range of this blue light, Zhou Jie’s speed was hindered.

Ye Tianyou had sacrificed most of the life force within his body to gain a burst of speed, widening the gap to allow the Blue Soul Dagger to escape. For now, he had managed to pull away from Zhou Jie and was temporarily safe.

He vomited mouthfuls of blood as his body withered at a visible rate; his flesh and bones began to melt away. His soul transformed into a blue streak of light and flew out from his body. Once his physical form had completely dissolved, the Blue Soul Dagger finally revealed itself, hovering in the air. Seemingly unsatisfied with the consumption of Ye Tianyou’s body, it emitted a suction force that swallowed his soul into the blade.

Beneath the Blue Soul Dagger, a blue spiritual array appeared, ripples spreading outward as countless faces of evil spirits emerged, struggling as if to break free from the formation. The most violent of these was the soul of Ye Tianyou, which had just been absorbed. His features were no longer discernible; only the shape of a head repeatedly slammed against an invisible membrane—the barrier between the living and the dead.

As the Blue Soul Dagger manifested, Chu Jie sensed the powerful and evil fluctuations emanating from it. "The Blue Soul Dagger has appeared! Don't let it escape!" Chu Jie anxiously ordered Zhou Jie.

However, the feedback from Zhou Jie indicated that he was now too far from the dagger and might not be able to catch it. Chu Jie sighed; it seemed the dagger would ultimately escape. If Ye Tianyou hadn’t squeezed out the last of his life energy, the dagger might not have gained this chance to flee.

"Damn it!" The thought of someone eventually discovering his connection to the golden-armored warrior through the dagger gave Chu Jie a splitting headache. Though he felt it might be impossible to catch, he continued to fly toward Zhou Jie’s position; he would not abandon the final shred of hope.

Meanwhile, at the location of the Blue Soul Dagger, the blue spiritual array swirled and retracted into the blade. The dagger showed no intention of leaving; it seemed fully capable of controlling itself now. Guided by instinct, it sensed that the souls of the people behind it were incredibly delicious—a feast that could make it perfect.

The Blue Soul Dagger turned around and flew toward Zhou Jie. Freed from the constraints of a physical body, its speed became lightning-fast. The original crafters of the Blue Soul Dagger likely never imagined it would reach such a state, autonomously choosing whom to consume.

Sensing the abnormality, Chu Jie’s hope was reignited. He squeezed the last of his spiritual energy to push his speed to the limit. A bolt of blue lightning struck; the Blue Soul Dagger arrived before Zhou Jie, immediately releasing a powerful soul-sucking force. Beneath it, the blue spiritual array reappeared, filled with wailing, struggling evil spirits whose demonic cries made one’s soul tremble.

Chu Jie felt the connection between the Blood Dragon Ring and Zhou Jie weaken significantly. He was desperate; he was only a moment away from the dagger’s location. Just as the connection with Zhou Jie grew tenuous, Chu Jie finally arrived. Zhou Jie was striking the dagger with his blood-colored sword, but his attacks were blocked by the suddenly manifesting evil spirits.

As Chu Jie approached, the Blue Soul Dagger hummed, seemingly in a state of great excitement. Chu Jie unleashed the Universe Treasure Wheel, attacking the blue spiritual array beneath the dagger. He realized that if he could shatter the array, he could subdue the blade.

"Strike the blue spiritual array!" Chu Jie commanded Zhou Jie.

Even with his golden armor, Chu Jie felt the impact of the soul-tearing force radiating from the dagger. It was terrifying that the weapon possessed such might before even being fully forged. Under the combined assault of Chu Jie and Zhou Jie, the spiritual array beneath the dagger began to falter.

The Blue Soul Dagger seemed to realize it was outmatched and attempted to flee, but it was too late. Chu Jie summoned the Savage Cauldron; he dared not touch the eerie weapon directly. The cauldron expanded in mid-air, its mouth aimed at the dagger, exerting a powerful suction force. Chu Jie’s remaining spiritual energy poured into the cauldron in massive amounts. If he were absorbing inanimate objects, it would cost little, but for an item that resisted, the drain was immense.

Chu Jie felt a bitter ache; he wondered if he could suppress the dagger before his spiritual energy ran dry. At that moment, Duan Kun arrived and immediately launched his shuttle-shaped treasure at the dagger. A moment later, Wu Long and the others arrived. Unable to fly, they attacked from the ground with their own treasures.

It was truly astonishing that the Blue Soul Dagger could withstand such an onslaught without a wielder. However, it was growing weaker, and the spiritual array flickered, on the verge of dissipation. Chu Jie swallowed a Blue Jade Pill, recovering a portion of his energy, and poured everything he had into the Savage Cauldron.

Just as the Blue Soul Dagger prepared to break away, the cauldron’s suction intensified, dragging the weapon inside. Once within the Savage Cauldron, the blade was subjected to the vessel's influence, rendered immobile and thoroughly suppressed.

Chu Jie took a deep breath; he had finally subdued the Blue Soul Dagger. He would have to investigate the state of Ye Tianyou’s family; they would certainly not let this rest. He had already invited endless pursuit by stealing the Luo family’s Universe Treasure Wheel; now, having taken an even more powerful weapon, the clan would likely exhaust every resource to retrieve it.

Still, having subdued the dagger, he had left himself enough time before the enemy discovered his involvement. Their commotion here had likely drawn the attention of others. It was a pity that others might have already gone to the previous battlefield to scavenge, but his harvest today was bountiful: twenty-five purple flames and this Blue Soul Dagger. Most importantly, Chu Jie had gained a great asset: the Star Core Realm warrior, Zhou Jie.

"Let’s go. We need to find a place to recover," Chu Jie said. They were all utterly exhausted.

Chu Jie instructed Zhou Jie to separate from them temporarily and lurk nearby. As a major asset for future rivalries over treasures, Chu Jie decided not to dispose of him just yet.