Gu He Arrives on the Wedding Day

In Qing Mu's eyes, Su Tian's body was not merely a replacement that would free him from the Netherworld Poison Seal. It was also his opportunity to reach a higher realm.

Even by Qing Mu's standards, Su Tian's cultivation aptitude and talent for soul power were exceptionally outstanding.

That was precisely why Qing Mu was determined to obtain Su Tian's body. No matter what, he had to claim it for himself.

And after Qing Mu learned how highly the Great Elder valued Su Tian, and that the Great Elder wanted him to marry Queen Medusa, that desire only grew stronger.

"Although I don't know what secrets you possess that make the Great Elder value you so highly, that no longer matters. Once I possess your body, all of it will belong to me!"

Greed covered Qing Mu's face. He could not help licking his lips, his gaze growing increasingly heated as he looked at Su Tian.

It was as though, in Qing Mu's eyes, Su Tian had no choice left but to surrender. However astonishing Su Tian's talent for souls might be, his current soul power was clearly no match for Qing Mu's.

"Senior Qing Mu, I believe I've always treated you with the utmost respect. Surely what you're doing today is rather inappropriate?"

Upon hearing Qing Mu's words, Su Tian's expression remained calm. He smiled faintly, then spoke in an even voice.

There was not the slightest hint of panic in his tone despite this sudden turn of events.

It was as though everything remained within his grasp.

"Were it not for circumstances I cannot speak of, I would never do such a thing to a junior like you. But rest assured, I will take good care of this body for you in the future. I certainly won't disgrace your talent."

Qing Mu smiled faintly. Naturally, he could hear the mockery in Su Tian's words, but for the sake of his future, he had no intention of giving up.

"If I could, I truly would like to take you as my disciple. Unfortunately, for now, I can only send you on your way!"

"Pah! A cat weeping over a mouse-nothing but false compassion! After all that talking, it turns out you just want my body. What the hell is the point of all those twists and turns?"

Seeing the regret on Qing Mu's face, Su Tian scoffed. His expression turned icy as he spat out those words.

"You're so damn old already. Where did all your brains go?"

"You..."

Qing Mu's face darkened at those words. Clearly, he had not expected Su Tian to dare remain so brazen even now, sparing him not the slightest shred of dignity.

After all, Qing Mu was a distinguished Fifth-Rank Alchemist.

Even Queen Medusa treated him courteously. How could he endure being cursed to his face by a wet-behind-the-ears brat like Su Tian?

"I originally intended to let you die quickly, out of consideration for our past relationship. But now, I've changed my mind."

Qing Mu's expression grew as dark as ink, a vicious killing intent flashing in his eyes.

"This time, I'll torment you slowly until you draw your final breath!"

"Pah! Seriously, you're so old, yet still so shameless. Are you really that certain you can steal my body?"

Su Tian scoffed at Qing Mu's threats. His eyes filled with ridicule as he looked calmly at Qing Mu's soul form and sneered.

"Enough nonsense! Your body will be mine today!"

Qing Mu could not be bothered to waste any more words on Su Tian. Now, he only wanted to seize Su Tian's body as quickly as possible, before anything unexpected happened.

After all, Su Tian was extremely important to the Great Elder now!

If the Great Elder suddenly came here and discovered this scene, Qing Mu's plan would inevitably fail.

Qing Mu had waited so many years. Now that a glimmer of hope had finally appeared, he naturally refused to let it slip away so easily.

"Soul Transfer Fusion Art!"

Qing Mu uttered a low shout, his hands abruptly forming a series of strange seals. In an instant, an invisible force spread around his soul form.

Then his translucent soul form began to fluctuate violently.

From a distance, he looked like boiling water, churning incessantly as an eerie black glow gradually emerged within his soul form.

At that moment, Su Tian's soul form underwent the same strange transformation.

"This sensation..."

Su Tian's eyes flashed. He vaguely sensed the power within his soul form gradually draining away, drifting toward Qing Mu's soul form.

Likewise, the power within Qing Mu's soul form was visibly draining away, seemingly about to undergo some eerie fusion with the power escaping from Su Tian's soul form.

Once the power from Su Tian's soul form and Qing Mu's soul form completed that fusion-

It would mean that Qing Mu had devoured Su Tian's soul. Ultimately, through some special transformation, he would be able to possess Su Tian's body.

You want my body? Heh, heh, heh... let's see if you live long enough to take it!

Su Tian paid no attention to the power draining from his soul form. He continued watching Qing Mu calmly, a mocking curve lifting his lips as he murmured inwardly.

Qing Mu, meanwhile, looked excited and exhilarated, as though he had already successfully seized Su Tian's body.

Soul Slave Contract Book.

Activate!

The next instant, a cold shout rang out within Su Tian's mind as he fixed Qing Mu with an icy gaze.

Soul Slave Contract Book activated. Please select a target.

"Target: Qing Mu!"

The system's voice suddenly sounded in his mind. Without hesitation, Su Tian raised his right hand and pointed at Qing Mu's soul form, which had already turned half black.

Then a strange purplish-black rune resembling lightning abruptly appeared within Su Tian's body.

Boom...

The instant the strange rune appeared, it unleashed an immensely oppressive pressure. As though capable of suppressing all things, it slowly manifested before Qing Mu.

Qing Mu froze at the sight of the strange rune that had suddenly appeared before him.

Even the power draining from his soul form came to a halt, as though mercilessly suppressed by that strange rune.

"This is..."

Qing Mu's eyes widened in disbelief. As he stared at the strange rune, a powerful sense of unease instantly rose within him.

It felt as though everything would be completely overturned by the appearance of this rune.

"This is a greeting gift from me to you, Senior Qing Mu. I do hope you like it."

Just then, Su Tian spoke with a smile, yet his eyes were filled with bitter cold.

Seeing the smile on Su Tian's face, Qing Mu felt a chill run through him.

"Damn it! No wonder he was so calm before. He was prepared all along!"

Qing Mu knitted his brows and gritted his teeth, cursing under his breath. "I never gave myself away before. When exactly did he see through my plan? And where did he obtain this utterly bizarre rune?"

At that moment, Qing Mu's mind teemed with questions, but he could find no answers.

The preparations Qing Mu had considered foolproof had now suffered an abrupt reversal with the appearance of that strange rune.

Although he did not know what the rune did, it would clearly determine whether he succeeded or failed this time.

"Whatever tricks you have, I will obtain your body today!"

Qing Mu let out a furious roar. A dazzling black-and-white radiance erupted from his soul form as he tried to resist the crushing pressure emanating from the strange rune.

Yet imagination was plump, while reality was all skin and bones.

No matter how desperately Qing Mu exerted himself, he could not break free of the strange rune's restraints. He could only watch helplessly as it slowly approached.

"Impossible! There's no way I can fail!"

Qing Mu's eyes turned bloodshot, and a crazed aura erupted from his soul form as he roared, "Burst! Burst! Burst!"

With those three cries, a violent fluctuation surged from within Qing Mu's soul form.

Qing Mu actually intended to burn his soul form for power, using it to break through the strange rune's suppression.

"Nothing but a futile effort. How laughable."

Watching Qing Mu struggle repeatedly, Su Tian merely smiled faintly and spoke coldly.

Boom...

The moment Su Tian finished speaking, the strange rune erupted with a thunderous roar and shot straight toward Qing Mu's soul form.

Under Qing Mu's horrified gaze, it slammed into his soul form.

"No..."

Qing Mu managed only that single word before vanishing within a mass of purplish-black light. Like a round egg, it hovered silently within Su Tian's mind.

An invisible thread extended from that round egg, swiftly connecting to Su Tian.

"Is this what control feels like?"

Through his perception, Su Tian understood that once the egg cracked open, he would be able to control Qing Mu through that invisible thread.

He could even determine whether Qing Mu lived or died.

If the thread broke, Qing Mu would die.

Such was the domineering nature of the absolute control granted by the Soul Slave Contract Book.

Buzz, buzz, buzz...

Suddenly, a low humming sound emerged.

Su Tian quickly looked up. The sound was coming from the round egg, and his eyes immediately brightened.

Then a dazzling purplish-black radiance appeared, and Qing Mu's soul form slowly stepped out of it. He did not seem much different from before.

But Su Tian noticed that Qing Mu's eyes now held greater respect and obedience toward him.

His earlier killing intent and madness had completely vanished.

In Qing Mu's eyes, Su Tian was his sole master. All he needed to do was obey.

Even if Su Tian wanted his life, Qing Mu would now surrender it without hesitation.

At that moment, Su Tian finally regained control over his body. The injuries within him had also mostly healed under the nourishment of the Profound Spirit Soul-Recovery Pill.

With a thought, Su Tian expelled Qing Mu's soul form from his body.

"Your old servant Qing Mu pays his respects, Master!"

As soon as he appeared, Qing Mu immediately knelt before Su Tian, lowering his head and respectfully clasping his fists.

Looking at Qing Mu kneeling before him, Su Tian felt refreshed and utterly at ease.

Qing Mu, who had just been dreaming of seizing his body, now knelt before him with such loyalty. That stark contrast made Su Tian marvel at the domineering power of the Soul Slave Contract Book.

"Do you have any vessel that can house a soul form?"

"Yes!"

Upon hearing the question, Qing Mu quickly nodded. With a movement of his right hand, a Storage Ring detached from his physical body and landed in his hand.

"This is a specially crafted bracelet that can house a soul form. It's a treasure this old servant obtained by chance many years ago, but I've never had a use for it."

"From now on, you'll hide within this bracelet and await my orders at all times."

Su Tian took the bracelet and examined it curiously before speaking calmly to Qing Mu.

"Your old servant obeys!"

"For now, return to your own body, so we don't give anything away within the Snake-People Tribe."

Seeing how obedient Qing Mu was, Su Tian nodded in satisfaction. After a brief moment of thought, he gave his instructions.

"Your old servant obeys!"

Qing Mu immediately moved, his soul form returning to his body. When he opened his eyes again, they held a little more vitality.

Watching the change in Qing Mu, Su Tian could not help marveling once again.

After dealing with matters here, Su Tian thought for a moment and decided not to return. Instead, he stayed at Qing Mu's residence to continue studying alchemy.

And with the contract book's influence, Qing Mu held nothing back while teaching Su Tian.

As a result, Su Tian's alchemy improved considerably once again.

While Su Tian studied, time quietly slipped by.

Today was the day Su Tian would marry Queen Medusa. He deliberately rose early, washed up, and waited for the Great Elder to arrive.

It was not until noon that Su Tian sensed the Great Elder's aura rapidly approaching.

"Has this day finally come?"

Su Tian could not help clenching his hands. He could not tell whether he felt nervous, excited, or both.

Just thinking about marrying Queen Medusa made Su Tian swallow repeatedly.

"Great Elder..."

But just as Su Tian was about to greet the Great Elder, a deafening crash suddenly came from outside Temple City.

Rumble!

Immediately afterward, Mo Bass's icy shout, carrying a trace of chill, echoed repeatedly across the skies above Temple City.

"Humans, why have you trespassed into our territory without permission? If you don't want to provoke a war between the Jia Ma Empire and the Snake-People Tribe, I advise you to go back where you came from!"

"Hehe, you must be Chief Mo Bass of the Ink Snake Tribe?"

Then a smiling voice drifted down from the sky. It sounded like a middle-aged man of extraordinary bearing, calm and unhurried, without the slightest trace of fear in the face of Mo Bass's intimidating shout.

"Who are you?"

After a brief silence, Mo Bass's cold voice echoed out again.

Ignoring the killing intent Mo Bass displayed, the middle-aged man chuckled softly and spoke in a gentle voice.

"Hehe, I am Gu He!"