Knocking Out Zhu Zhuqing with One Punch!

"Soul Master squad, four need one. Looking for a support healer, loli or royal sister preferred!"

"100 gold soul coins to join. We can help you obtain a Soul Venerable spirit ring. We have a Soul Ancestor leading the team, safety guaranteed!"

The bluestone path of Soto City connected to the outer perimeter of the Star Dou Forest.

Looking out from here, almost everyone in sight was a soul master.

They were either soul master squads earning fees by helping others hunt for spirit rings, or lone wolves traveling by themselves.

Qin Jiuxiao arrived here with his guards, and many people lowered their heads as soon as they saw him.

In Soto City, the reputation of the Qin family was at its zenith.

Not to mention that Qin Yuntian was the city lord, Qin Jiuxiao himself was a genius, not to mention the group of formidable Soul Kings following him.

"This lord, this is my permit to enter the Star Dou Forest. Also, these 10 gold soul coins are a small token of appreciation for you," a Soul Venerable who had just broken through level 30 said, his face full of humble flattery as he fawned over the guard at the gate.

The soldier took the token without even glancing at the bag containing the gold soul coins.

After a brief inspection, he looked at the Soul Venerable with a straight face.

"The permit is fine, but you still need to wait in line."

"You are currently 100th in line. Also, is this behavior of yours an attempt to bribe a righteous soldier of the empire?"

"We are officially commissioned, so please do not engage in such misleading behavior."

The Soul Venerable was stunned, momentarily dumbfounded. Since when was there a line at this entrance? Didn't everyone just pass through once their permit was checked?

But he quickly understood the implication and slapped himself across the mouth.

"Oh, look at my big mouth!"

"I remembered wrong. This is the money bag you dropped at my house last time, sir. I'm just returning it to you."

"Is that so? Then I've troubled you."

A smile finally appeared on the soldier's face, and he took the money bag and tucked it into his pocket as a matter of course.

"The 99th person just went in. You are the 100th, so you can go in now."

He waved his hand, and the Soul Venerable ran into the Star Dou Forest, bowing and expressing his gratitude as he went.

This scene was already a common sight to those around; it was an unspoken rule that everyone understood.

Qin Jiuxiao raised an eyebrow. Sure enough, worldly wisdom was unavoidable everywhere, even here on the Douluo Continent.

As their group approached, the guards stationed there noticed them.

In Soto City, there was almost no one who didn't recognize Qin Jiuxiao.

The soldier who had just taken the money wore a fawning smile and hurried over.

"Greetings, Young Master Qin. Are you heading out to obtain a spirit ring?"

"Yes, I've been cultivating for so long, it's only natural to see some results."

Qin Jiuxiao didn't put on airs. He took a token from his waist and handed it to the soldier; it bore two patterns, a sword and a hammer.

This was a level-two permit, allowing free access to the inner perimeter of the Star Dou Forest to hunt thousand-year spirit beasts.

However, Qin Jiuxiao's spirit rings could be generated on their own. Bringing people in was merely to deal with the Star Luo Empire soul masters hunting Zhu Zhuqing.

[Ding! Contacted a Heaven Dou Empire soldier, obtained the entry "Judging People by Their Cover (Blue)": Allows you to see the micro-expressions of everyone; a great helper for dealing with superiors!]

As expected, another entry without much combat power, though the spirit power within his body increased by a tiny bit.

"Young Master Qin, your permit is definitely in order. Your team may enter. I wish you a safe journey."

The soldier bowed slightly and respectfully handed the token back, signaling those guarding the entrance to step aside.

His attitude was a world of difference compared to how he had treated the Soul Venerable earlier.

The "Judging People by Their Cover" entry was indeed accurate.

Taking back the permit, Qin Jiuxiao and his group entered the Star Dou Forest.

The Star Dou Forest was the largest gathering place for spirit beasts, spanning across the Heaven Dou and Star Luo Empires.

Zhu Zhuqing had to pass through here to get from the Star Luo Empire to the Heaven Dou Empire.

He only needed to wait for her along the way and do some searching.

Walking along the path, Qin Jiuxiao turned his head to look at his guards. His father had prepared five guards for him this time.

"What are your names, and what are your respective levels?" he asked casually.

The burly man half a step behind him replied respectfully:

"Replying to the young master, I am the captain of this squad, Yan Shi, martial soul Blazing Mad Lion, level 58 assault-type battle Soul King!"

"These four are Shi Kuang, Shi Wang, Liu Qing, and Wu Rong!"

"The Shi brothers both have the Sacred Heart Shield as their martial soul, level 55 defense-type Soul Kings. Liu Qing is a level 54 control-type Soul King with the Ghostly Nether Thorns martial soul, and Wu Rong is a level 50 healing-type Soul King with the White Lotus martial soul."

"We are all people the city lord once saved, and we have sworn to go through fire and water for the Qin family for the rest of our lives."

Qin Jiuxiao nodded. It seemed these were his father's personal guards. The old man was still looking out for him, sending people he could trust.

"Uncle Yan, I'll have to trouble you all on this journey."

"Young Master, please don't belittle us. Ever since the city lord saved our lives, our lives have belonged to the Qin family."

Yan Shi was somewhat flattered to hear the title 'Uncle Yan'. He thumped his chest with a loud thud and gave a solemn promise, while the others' eyes also shone with firm resolve.

On the road ahead, they encountered quite a few spirit beasts, mostly hundred-year ones, and even a thousand-year Scale Armor Beast.

What shocked Yan Shi and the others was that the thousand-year Scale Armor Beast had its head shattered by a single punch from Qin Jiuxiao.

One had to know that this was a thousand-year spirit beast known for its physical defense.

Even a Soul Ancestor wouldn't dare claim they could do that.

And Qin Jiuxiao was only a one-ring soul master; what kind of talent was this!

This only strengthened their resolve to protect Qin Jiuxiao well.

Perhaps in the future, they might truly witness the rise of a Titled Douluo in the Qin family.

Before coming to the Star Dou Forest, Qin Jiuxiao had prepared a map in advance.

Now, they were approaching the border between the Heaven Dou Empire and the Star Luo Empire.

Night gradually fell.

Yan Shi and the others surrounded Qin Jiuxiao, their bodies tense as they vigilantly scanned their surroundings.

In the Star Dou Forest, one could not be careless, even against a small hundred-year spirit beast.

If one were bitten by a Mandala Snake or a Human-Faced Demon Spider, known for their stealth and toxins, even a defense-type soul master would have a hard time.

"Old Liu, how is the scouting? Is the area suitable for resting and camping?" Yan Shi asked, remaining vigilant.

Liu Qing was a control-type Soul King with quite powerful mental strength, and his martial soul could also rule out most dangers hidden in the shadows.

Even those spirit beasts that were hiding were hard-pressed to escape his perception.

Liu Qing slowly retracted his martial soul and relaxed his body; clearly, the result was quite good.

"There are no large spirit beasts nearby, and the terrain is flat. There is also a river not far away. We can spend the night here."

"Young Master, what do you think?"

Qin Jiuxiao nodded. It was already late.

"Then we shall rest here for the night."

The Shi brothers began to set up the campfire and tents, while Yan Shi and Liu Qing kept watch from the trees.

After walking for a day, Qin Jiuxiao wanted to wash his face by the nearby stream. He informed Yan Shi and the others and stood up.

"Young Master, would you like me to accompany you?"

Wu Rong walked over gracefully and spoke softly, the faint fragrance on her body drifting into Qin Jiuxiao's nose.

Qin Jiuxiao raised an eyebrow slightly. He hadn't noticed during the day, but now that they had stopped, he realized this healing-type Soul King was a beautiful woman with a generous bosom.

At the very least, she was well-endowed.

"Then let's go together, Sister Wu?"

Qin Jiuxiao smiled at Wu Rong and did not refuse.

Wu Rong smiled knowingly and followed behind Qin Jiuxiao, swaying her waist.

Splash!

The river was not far from where they had set up camp, and they arrived in less than two minutes.

Qin Jiuxiao crouched down and cupped a handful of cool river water to his face, washing away more than half of the day's fatigue.

"Sister Wu, the water here is very refreshing. Why don't you come over and wash your face too? We can help each other wipe off the sweat."

He looked at Wu Rong with a smile. Wiping sweat was the excuse; exchanging pleasantries was the goal.

Wu Rong did not act coy. Having walked all day, she naturally felt sticky, and she did indeed want to wash up and help Qin Jiuxiao wipe away his sweat.

She walked gracefully to Qin Jiuxiao's side, crouched down, and cupped some water to her face.

Water droplets slid down her snow-white swan-like neck, leaving a trail on her collarbone.

Her green clothes were soaked, clinging tightly to her body and outlining a perfect silhouette, giving Qin Jiuxiao a feast for the eyes.

Wu Rong naturally noticed Qin Jiuxiao's gaze; not only did she not stop him, but she even gently puffed out her chest.

This was her capital of pride; why would she need to hide it?

Moreover, the young master was handsome and had a good background; she wouldn't be at a loss either way.

Qin Jiuxiao sighed inwardly. Sister Wu was truly a good person, a real saint.

"Young Master, it seems some sweat has gotten into my clothes here. Could you come over and see if my clothes are wet?"

Wu Rong spoke in a coquettish voice, taking one of Qin Jiuxiao's hands to test his heartbeat.

Just as the atmosphere was reaching its peak, he froze, turned his head, and sensed a figure hiding in the shadows not far away.

Wu Rong was a Soul King, so her mental strength was naturally not weak; she discovered it too.

Qin Jiuxiao and she exchanged a secret glance, putting away the ambiguity. The former channeled his spirit power and flicked a stone toward the shadow.

The figure was startled and dodged quickly.

Immediately after, it transformed into a black shadow and attacked Qin Jiuxiao with extreme speed.

Qin Jiuxiao reacted very quickly, raising his fist and striking the black shadow with a heavy blow.

The black shadow flew backward and hit a tree. It seemed to want to struggle to get up and flee, but due to being too weak, it fainted directly.

Qin Jiuxiao and Wu Rong slowly approached.

By the moonlight, they saw the appearance of this black shadow.

A young, delicate, and pretty face, with fine eyebrows slightly furrowed in pain, yet looking pitiful.

The tight black leather suit on her body highlighted her perfect figure to the fullest.

The roundness and fullness that defied her age were eye-opening, and her long legs were straight and slender—a classic S-shaped beauty.

However, the tight leather suit was covered in wounds and bloodstains; she was clearly seriously injured.

This person was none other than the target of Qin Jiuxiao's trip.

Zhu Zhuqing, who had fled all the way from the Star Luo Empire.

[Ding! Contacted target character Zhu Zhuqing, obtained the entry "Heaven-Defying Comprehension (Colorful)": All kinds of ultimate skills, mastered at will, as easy as turning over one's hand!]