Overkill—Testing It Out on Wolf Bandits First

"The Sword Formation is impressive!"

"But that's not all I want to see!"

"Use your Fourth Spirit Skill. Let me see how powerful it is!"

Although Ji Wushuang's Fourth Spirit Skill was far inferior to the Eternal Creation of his Second Martial Soul, it was already exceptionally remarkable. A spirit skill capable of breaking defenses would be extraordinarily effective against Soul Masters who specialized in defense.

"Fourth Spirit Skill, Sky-Rending Sword Wave!"

With a sweep of Ji Wushuang's sleeve, all ten flying swords let out crisp rings. Dense sword intent flowed around them as they flickered with icy cold light.

They turned into streaks of light, weaving through the air at speeds too fast for the naked eye to follow. Their sword qi resonated with one another and converged.

A massive crescent-shaped sword wave formed and swept toward Bibi Dong.

Bibi Dong did not move, allowing the sword wave to approach.

In an instant, the sword wave brushed past Bibi Dong and plunged into the Bamboo Forest behind her.

"Slash—"

A large swath of green bamboo fell at once, and a trench dozens of meters long appeared in the ground.

Bibi Dong turned to look, studying it for a long while before saying, "Not bad spirit skill!"

Ji Wushuang smiled. "Teacher, can you rest assured now?"

Bibi Dong sighed softly and walked over to Ji Wushuang. Staring at his handsome face, she instructed, "Don't show off when you encounter Wolf Bandits! And don't hold back when you attack! As a swordsman, you must achieve a One-Hit Kill against your enemies! If you encounter danger you can't handle, run immediately. Your safety is the most important thing, understand!?"

"This disciple will remember." Ji Wushuang smiled faintly.

Bibi Dong let out a long sigh. "I really don't know what to do with you. I never wanted you to come into contact with these things so early, but thinking about it now, you truly aren't a child anymore. The strength you possess is not something ordinary Soul Masters could have."

"Remember, Wolf Bandits are extremely dangerous creatures. They have long plagued the border between the Two Great Empires. Both empires have sent armies to exterminate them, but each time, they suffered devastating losses."

"Wushuang, be careful on the way. Stay safe."

"If anything happens, let the others go first."

With that, Bibi Dong flew away.

Watching Bibi Dong's retreating figure, Ji Wushuang smiled and waved.

Bibi Dong's final words were simply words of wisdom!

"Bang!"

The ten swords returned, and the Peerless Sword Casket closed before vanishing along with the Spirit Rings.

"I need to go back and recover."

Just as Ji Wushuang left the Bamboo Forest, he noticed three figures sneaking around in the darkness.

"Come out already. I've found all three of you."

Hu Liena, Xie Yue, and Yan emerged from the darkness with embarrassed expressions. Yet all three wore the same excited look, their eyes gleaming like hungry wolves.

"Why are you all looking at me like that?" Ji Wushuang frowned.

He did not mind Hu Liena looking at him that way.

But Xie Yue and Yan were both men...

Being stared at with those looks made him feel rather strange.

"Brother Wushuang, you're Your Excellency the Pope's disciple. Does that mean you get to see Your Excellency the Pope every day?" Hu Liena asked curiously, her eyes full of curiosity.

Ji Wushuang smiled. "I do see her every day. Unless something unusual happens, I undergo Combat Training with Teacher every morning and evening."

Tears of envy streamed from the corners of Yan's eyes. "I'm so jealous of you! You get to see Your Excellency the Pope every day, and you even get Combat Training with her twice a day. No wonder you've improved so quickly!"

"We were so lucky today to actually meet Your Excellency the Pope! Your Excellency the Pope is even more beautiful than I imagined! She truly is every woman's idol!" Hu Liena's eyes shone as though she were an obsessed fan.

Seeing this, Ji Wushuang shook his head and sighed. "Can't you learn something from Xie Yue?"

Xie Yue spoke up then. "I'm quite envious of you too. I just can't say things like they do."

"Then stay here and envy me. I need to go back and rest. I'm leaving early tomorrow morning." Ji Wushuang waved his hand.

Yan said, "Wushuang, be careful on the road! You're the target I'm chasing after, so don't go dying at the hands of Wolf Bandits. I heard those Wolf Bandits are all murderous bastards who kill without blinking. They're incredibly vicious!"

Xie Yue said, "Wushuang, be careful!"

"Brother Wushuang, you absolutely have to return safely. Don't try to show off if you encounter danger. You can let the others go first!" Hu Liena said with a smile.

"Don't worry, nothing will happen to me!" Ji Wushuang replied confidently.

The next day.

When the morning sun rose over the horizon, a group of thirteen had gathered outside Spirit City: the designated ten Soul Emperors, one Soul Saint, Ji Wushuang, and Ye Lingyuan.

"Bishop, why are you here too?" Ji Wushuang asked in surprise.

Ye Lingyuan smiled and asked in return, "Don't you know why I'm here?"

"I'm leading this mission!"

"Everything on the road is under my command. Without my orders, no one is to act on their own!"

Ye Lingyuan swept her gaze over the others before finally looking at Ji Wushuang. Leaning forward, she poked his forehead with a jade-like finger. "That includes you, Wushuang."

Ji Wushuang nodded with a smile. "Don't worry, I definitely won't cause trouble for you, Lord Bishop."

Ye Lingyuan said, "Stop calling me Lord Bishop. It sounds too distant. Just call me Aunt Ye."

"Alright, Aunt Ye," Ji Wushuang said.

Ye Lingyuan smiled faintly, then looked at the others. "I know you're all curious about his identity, so I can tell you directly. His name is Ji Wushuang. He is exceptionally gifted and is currently a Soul Ancestor. He is Your Excellency the Pope's only disciple, one whom His Excellency has always treated as his own child and personally trained for many years."

"Your Excellency the Pope ordered us to take him out to see some blood."

Upon hearing this, everyone looked at Ji Wushuang with disbelief in their eyes.

Ye Lingyuan looked toward the only Soul Saint in the group. "Sax, you take the lead and clear the way. I'll bring Wushuang up the rear."

Sax replied, "As you command!"

Along the way.

Ji Wushuang asked softly, "Aunt Ye, is it really alright for you to reveal my identity like this?"

Ye Lingyuan smiled. "This was arranged by Your Excellency the Pope."

"Teacher arranged it...?" Ji Wushuang was somewhat surprised.

Ye Lingyuan said, "Before long, more people will know your identity. One person will tell ten, ten will tell a hundred, until everyone in Spirit Hall and all the various powers know."

Ji Wushuang said in surprise, "That high-profile!?"

Ye Lingyuan asked with a smile, "What? Are you afraid of being high-profile?"

Ji Wushuang nodded and smiled. "Actually, I prefer keeping a lower profile and attracting less attention."

Ye Lingyuan smiled. "Being appropriately high-profile is good. Look at your name—it's already very high-profile. If you keep too low a profile, it won't really match your name."

Ji Wushuang felt rather awkward upon hearing that.

The layout of Douluo Continent was quite interesting.

The Two Great Empires had been established around the Star Dou Great Forest.

Spirit City was the human city closest to the Star Dou Great Forest.

It also stood directly on the border between the Two Great Empires.

The group traveled in a straight line, without taking detours or crossing mountains and ridges.

However, everything within sight appeared somewhat desolate.

After traveling intermittently for seven days, the group arrived at a cool mountain valley and rested briefly.

Some plants grew within the valley, adding a few distinct touches of color to this desolate borderland.

Ye Lingyuan said, "Everyone, rest for the time it takes an incense stick to burn. Then we'll continue on."

As soon as she finished speaking.

Ye Lingyuan flicked out an incense stick and embedded it into a rock. A small flame followed, lighting the incense.

She then took Ji Wushuang aside to rest.

"Wushuang, take this opportunity to replenish your energy. It'll be difficult to find another valley like this as a place to rest later on," Ye Lingyuan said with a smile.

Ji Wushuang asked, "Aunt Ye, do we know the location of the Wolf Bandits' nest?"

Ye Lingyuan nodded. "Mongrels like Wolf Bandits are a gregarious species and generally won't easily relocate their nests. Perhaps that has something to do with their origins—they retain certain... human living habits."

"Wushuang, do you know about the origins of Wolf Bandits?"

Ji Wushuang nodded and answered, "Gale Demonic Wolves are cruel and lustful by nature, especially fond of mating with human women. The unions between the two gave birth to the special mongrels known as Wolf Bandits!"

"Wolf Bandits are naturally endowed with the physique, speed, and certain innate abilities of Gale Demonic Wolves. They also possess a measure of human intelligence. Yet they are even more vicious and brutal than Gale Demonic Wolves—veritable sex fiends, more terrifying than Fallen Spirit Masters!"

"And like Spirit Beasts, Wolf Bandits will also produce Spirit Rings after death."

Ye Lingyuan smiled. "You understand them very thoroughly."

Ji Wushuang asked again, "Aunt Ye, Wolf Bandits born from Wolf Bandits and human women produce Spirit Rings after death. Then would offspring born from other Spirit Beasts and human men also produce Spirit Rings after death?"

Ye Lingyuan's willow brows furrowed tightly. After pondering for a long time, she said, "I really don't know much about that. Spirit Hall has no records of such cases either. Your question has touched on a gap in my knowledge."

"I was only asking casually. Please don't take it too seriously," Ji Wushuang said with a smile. He then ate a bite of food and took a drink of water, replenishing his energy.