Self-Destruction

The Thousand Jun Ant's nest looked like a squat tower built of mud.

Unlike other ant-type Spirit Beasts, Thousand Jun Ants were solitary by nature and never formed colonies.

There was no need to worry about being attacked by its companions when dealing with this kind of Spirit Beast.

Qin Yuan immediately gave his orders.

"Little Chen, cover me. Everyone else, spread out, keep an eye on your surroundings, and protect Miss Rongrong!"

It was only a three-hundred-year-old Spirit Beast. Qin Yuan chose to handle it himself to avoid any possible mishaps.

Sensing the threat, the Thousand Jun Ant crawled out of its nest.

With only three hundred years of cultivation, the Spirit Beast had no intelligence to speak of. Faced with being surrounded, it didn't retreat. Instead, it saw Qin Yuan as the greatest threat and attacked him.

Ant-type Spirit Beasts were renowned for their strength. Their forelimbs could easily lift a thousand-jin boulder.

Unfortunately, against an overwhelming difference in strength, that was nothing.

The Battle Saber Martial Soul appeared in Qin Yuan's hands. As the Thousand Jun Ant charged at him, he shifted slightly and leaned back to dodge. Then, gripping the hilt with both hands, he brought his blade down in one smooth motion and cut it in half at the waist.

The Thousand Jun Ant didn't die immediately. Qin Yuan followed up by severing its limbs, leaving Ning Rongrong to land the finishing blow.

A Hundred-Year Spirit Ring rose from the Thousand Jun Ant's corpse, filling the Soul Hunting Squad members present with envy.

Soul Hunting was a line of work, and most members of the squad were ordinary Soul Masters from commoner backgrounds. Most of them had only obtained a ten-year First Soul Ring.

A noblewoman like Ning Rongrong started out with a Hundred-Year Spirit Ring. It was enough to make anyone envious.

But little by little, that envy turned into jealousy.

Following her guards' instructions, Ning Rongrong sat cross-legged and guided the Spirit Ring to attach itself to her Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda Martial Soul.

As she sat down, the purse hanging at her waist slipped off without her noticing. Gold Soul Coins and various gemstones spilled across the ground.

At once, greed took root among the Soul Hunting Squad.

Qin Yuan snapped, "Don't look where you shouldn't, and don't even think about doing anything foolish."

The guards beside Ning Rongrong were unfathomably powerful, and there could well be even stronger people protecting her in secret.

The squad members had come together for profit and felt no particular loyalty to one another. But Qin Yuan wasn't about to let a bunch of useless fools ruin his reputation!

Still, how much weight could his words carry in the face of profit?

Zhao San, a Peak Soul Ancestor in the squad, shouted angrily, "Qin Yuan, quit pretending to be righteous! They gave you twenty thousand Gold Soul Coins, but the rest of us didn't get a single coin."

Grinning viciously, he turned to the others. "Brothers, that's the young lady of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. There are valuable gemstones right in her purse. Who knows how many priceless treasures she's got in her Soul Tool?"

"If we pull this off, we'll never have to worry about money again!"

Fools!

Qin Yuan gave a cold laugh.

They didn't even understand the difference between having the chance to take the treasure and living long enough to spend it. What a bunch of utter fools!

Only Chen Ze was close to Qin Yuan. Seeing the others' hostile intentions, he stepped in front of Ning Rongrong and sneered, "You've got a death wish? Don't drag me and the boss down with you!"

Zhao San paid him no heed. "Qin Yuan's just an ordinary Soul King. We've got three Peak Soul Ancestors. What's there to fear?"

A fight was inevitable, and Qin Yuan couldn't be bothered to talk them out of it.

Besides, he'd been through this sort of thing many times and already had a tried-and-true way of handling it.

He turned to Ning Rongrong's guard and explained, "I'm sorry you've been dragged into this for no reason. I'll deal with my own people. Please keep Miss Rongrong safe. Afterward, we'll explain everything to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect."

Ning Rongrong's guard remained calm. To her, this was nothing more than a minor scuffle, and her strength was enough to intimidate everyone there.

After a pause, she replied coolly, "See that you do."

Qin Yuan nodded. Five Spirit Rings—yellow, purple, purple, black, and black—shone beneath his feet.

He wasn't a peerless genius, but in his previous life, he'd read about the effects of Whale Rubber.

He'd also been older when he obtained his second and fourth Spirit Rings, which was how he'd managed to absorb multiple Spirit Rings beyond his level.

His Spirit Ring Configuration was astonishing, but his limited talent meant it wouldn't draw much attention. In fact, plenty of people suspected he'd used some kind of special Soul Tool to disguise the colors of his Spirit Rings.

Zhao San sneered. "Qin Yuan, have you really started thinking of yourself as a dog for the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect? You're willing to be their dog, but do they even want you?"

Qin Yuan didn't bother to explain.

The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect was certainly powerful, but not so powerful that he'd bow and scrape before them.

He had his principles. Ning Rongrong had paid him, so he had to protect her!

"Enough talk. Fifth Soul Skill, War God Blade."

Flames enveloped the Battle Saber Martial Soul, making its power surge dramatically.

Qin Yuan darted forward and swung. The air filled with trails of flame from his blade. The fierce force of the attack intimidated Zhao San, who lost his nerve and backed away again and again.

Realizing he was outmatched, Zhao San shouted, "What are you waiting for? Attack!"

High above Sunset Forest, Sword Dao Chenxin hovered in midair, dressed in white and standing atop his sword.

He watched what was happening below, but didn't rush to intervene.

The Soul Hunting Squad was a loose group brought together by profit. It was hardly surprising that they'd turned on one another.

What surprised him was that Qin Yuan could hold fast to his principles in such circumstances. That alone was rare.

And with Sword Douluo's discerning eye, how could he fail to tell whether Qin Yuan's Spirit Ring Configuration was genuine?

"How did he manage to absorb Spirit Rings beyond his level? Does he have a special method, or is it something to do with his Martial Soul?" Chen Xin couldn't figure it out. But from that moment on, Qin Yuan had caught his attention. Even a veteran Titled Douluo like him couldn't afford to take the man lightly.

As for the battle below, if Qin Yuan could handle it, all the better. Even if he couldn't, as long as Ning Rongrong wasn't harmed, Chen Xin would turn a blind eye.

Qin Yuan's Martial Soul wasn't top-tier, but his combat prowess far surpassed that of an ordinary Soul King.

Three Peak Soul Ancestors joined forces against him, while several Soul Elders and Soul Grandmasters closed in from all sides. Yet they not only failed to bring him down—they only made him fight harder.

"Fourth Soul Skill, Earth Splitting Chop!"

Gripping the blade with both hands, he swung with all his might. The blade's energy tore across the ground, leaving furrows in its wake, yet it lost none of its force.

Zhao San grabbed two Soul Elders and held them up in front of him. The blade energy easily tore through their bodies and left Zhao San badly injured.

"Did you forget about me?" Chen Ze sneered as he came up behind him.

He and Qin Yuan came from the same village. They had the same Martial Soul and were as close as brothers.

Chen Ze followed through with a slash, taking Zhao San's head!

With their "backbone" gone, the others lost the will to resist. They dropped their weapons and fled in every direction.

But Ning Rongrong's guard wasn't about to let any of them get away!

They'd just harbored ill intentions toward Ning Rongrong. They could pay for it with their lives.

Her Martial Soul was a Shadow Leopard, and her speed was astonishing. In the span of a single breath, she took them all down.

Qin Yuan cupped his hands toward her. "Many thanks, Soul Saint. You've helped us clean house!"

The guard couldn't help but think more highly of him. "You could tell my Spirit Rank from my Spirit Rings. You've got some skill."

"Clean up the area. Don't spoil the young lady's mood!"