He had not expected to obtain a Seven-Colored Trait so quickly. It seemed his previous guess had not been wrong; at least, he had been heading in roughly the right direction.
"Young Master, should I kill her outright?"
Wu Rong spoke softly, showing no pity for Zhu Zhuqing's condition.
She was even somewhat annoyed that Zhu Zhuqing had ruined their plans.
But Qin Jiuxiao waved his hand. Setting aside the fact that Zhu Zhuqing had contributed a Seven-Colored Trait to him, she herself was one of his targets.
Besides, the system had never said a single person could yield only one Seven-Colored Trait. Perhaps he could exploit a loophole.
"She'll be of great use to me. Sister Wu, heal her with a soul skill."
Though Wu Rong did not quite approve, she would not disobey the Young Master's orders. She raised her hand, summoning a White Lotus that emitted a faint glow before her.
"First Soul Skill: Hibiscus Rising from Water!"
Wu Rong's first soul skill could help injured people recover more quickly and replenish their Soul Power.
The wounds on Zhu Zhuqing's body quickly healed. Though bloodstains still marked her leather outfit, the crease between her brows gradually smoothed away.
Nearby, Qin Jiuxiao vigilantly watched their surroundings.
Since Zhu Zhuqing was here, Zhu Zhuyun and the Star Luo Empire's assassins could not be far away.
"Hehehe, little handsome, you're quite vigilant. Big Sister likes that."
Sure enough, a seductive laugh echoed through the forest.
Qin Jiuxiao fixed his gaze on the trunk of a large tree not far away. Standing there was a curvaceous woman dressed in similarly tight leather clothing.
Zhu Zhuyun looked seventy percent similar to Zhu Zhuqing, but her features carried more allure and maturity.
Compared with Zhu Zhuqing, every smile and frown of hers was more capable of stirring a man's desire.
"Young Master, we're surrounded."
Wu Rong moved to Qin Jiuxiao's side. Compared with Zhu Zhuqing, her first priority was protecting the Young Master. His safety outweighed everything else.
Qin Jiuxiao casually glanced in several directions around them. Figures slowly emerged one after another, faintly forming an encirclement.
Their auras were all formidable. The weakest were at the Soul Elder level, most were Soul Ancestors, and there were even two Soul Kings.
Yet neither Qin Jiuxiao nor Wu Rong showed the slightest fear.
Though he was only a one-ring Soul Grandmaster, his strength was no weaker than that of any Soul Elder. He could even fight a Soul Ancestor.
Wu Rong was a healing-type soul master, but with her own Soul Power, she did not fear any Soul Ancestor either.
Moreover, Yan Shi and the others were nearby. They had already noticed the situation and hidden themselves in the shadows, waiting at any moment for Qin Jiuxiao's command.
"Little handsome, how about we make a deal?"
"Hand that girl over to me, and I'll spare your lives. How does that sound?"
Standing behind the gathered soul masters, Zhu Zhuyun spoke with a coquettish smile, her eyes carrying hidden meaning.
Though she could not sense an especially powerful aura from Qin Jiuxiao, she did not recklessly approach him.
It was not impossible to capsize in a gutter. She would not do anything so foolish.
Qin Jiuxiao chuckled and helped Zhu Zhuqing up from the ground, his palm gently stroking her waist.
A fierce glint flashed through Zhu Zhuyun's eyes at that sight, and her killing intent vanished in an instant.
"That won't do. This little kitty is already my spoil of war. I happen to be short on a maid to serve tea and pour water."
"If I'm not mistaken, you're hunting her down, right? Since she's fallen into my hands, shouldn't you be happy instead?"
Qin Jiuxiao raised a brow. "Unless you never intended to kill her at all."
Zhu Zhuyun narrowed her eyes. This man had guessed her intentions from only a few words. It was terrifying.
Indeed.
She had brought such a lineup to hunt Zhu Zhuqing, a mere level-twenty-seven Soul Grandmaster. How could she possibly fail to kill her?
Her true intention had been to make Zhu Zhuqing leave and never return. She did not wish for the sisters to turn against each other.
But the assassins around her did not know that. Some of them even belonged to Dai Weisi.
To avoid exposing herself, she had to keep up the act. As for this man—
All she could say was, sorry.
Only the dead kept secrets.
"Little handsome, you certainly have quite the imagination. But cleverness can backfire."
"Since that's the case, don't blame Big Sister for being ruthless."
Zhu Zhuyun still wore that seductive smile, but her voice now carried icy killing intent.
"Attack!"
At her command, the soul rings of the soul masters surrounding them lit up in an instant.
Yellow and purple light illuminated the dark forest as brightly as day.
"Tsk, tsk. Looks like reason won't get us anywhere."
"Fortunately, I know a thing or two about fighting."
"Perfect. I also want to see what level my current combat strength is at."
Qin Jiuxiao grinned and passed the unconscious Zhu Zhuqing in his arms to Wu Rong.
Then he revealed his soul ring. A purple thousand-year Soul Ring slowly rose, while the golden Heavenly Horned Ant behind him raised its head and roared.
This was the first time he had revealed his Soul Ring before others.
Even his father did not know that his first ring was a thousand-year one.
The surroundings fell silent for a moment, then the assassins all sucked in sharp breaths.
"A thousand-year first ring!"
"How is that possible? Isn't the limit for a first ring four hundred and twenty-three years? What the hell is this thousand-year ring?"
"Could this guy be a disciple of some great faction? With talent like this, could he be from Spirit Hall?"
"Who cares whether it's the Seventh Hall or the Eighth Hall? He's only a one-ring soul master. No matter how heaven-defying he is, what can he do? As long as we silence him here, no one will know it was us!"
The Soul Elder with the lowest cultivation sneered and charged forward first.
His martial soul was a leopard, and his speed was rather fast. In a single breath, he had reached Qin Jiuxiao.
"First Soul Skill: Leopard Shadow Fist!"
Golden Soul Power gathered around his fist as he viciously smashed it into Qin Jiuxiao's forehead.
"Die!"
Wu Rong's expression changed drastically at the sight.
Even she had not known that the Young Master's first ring was a thousand-year ring.
If word of this got out, it would likely cause a sensation across the entire continent.
These people could not be allowed to escape. They had to die!
But seeing Qin Jiuxiao's confident expression, Wu Rong relaxed slightly.
Still, her body remained tense as she prepared to help him eliminate his enemies at any moment.
Bang!
It sounded like a fist striking refined iron.
Qin Jiuxiao did not move a single step, a teasing smile on his face.
"Didn't eat? Is that all the strength you have?"
The smiles on the faces of the assassins watching with folded arms gradually froze.
They stared at the scene before them in disbelief.
The sight they had imagined—Qin Jiuxiao's head bursting like a watermelon—did not appear.
Instead, the Soul Elder had been sent stumbling back several steps after punching Qin Jiuxiao in the forehead.
Crack, crack, crack!
Qin Jiuxiao rolled his neck. That little bit of power had neither hurt nor tickled him.
This "Fleshly Sanctification" Trait truly deserved its Seven-Colored rank.
His physical body alone was now comparable to that of certain defense-type Soul Ancestors.
"I took one of your punches. Now try taking one of mine."
"First Soul Skill: Ultimate Power!"
The purple Soul Ring around Qin Jiuxiao shone. The phantom of the Heavenly Horned Ant behind him roared toward the sky, turning into light and merging into his body.
His strength, speed, and all other attributes increased by 100%!
Boom!
Qin Jiuxiao threw a punch, and even the air exploded with a thunderous burst.
"No, don't!"
"My lord, save me!"
Sensing the terrifying force of Qin Jiuxiao's punch, the aura of death instantly enveloped the Soul Elder.
His pupils shrank to pinpricks as he screamed for help.
But before aid could arrive, Qin Jiuxiao's fist crashed into his head.
Splat!
His head exploded!
A Soul Elder died just like that before everyone's eyes.
The surrounding Soul Ancestors were stunned by the sight, unable to react for a moment.
[ Ding! You have come into contact with Star Luo Empire assassin Bai Shi and obtained the trait "Fist Mastery (Blue)": Able to skillfully use all kinds of boxing techniques! ]
The next moment, Qin Jiuxiao felt additional boxing techniques appear in his mind. They were far superior to the street-brawling punches he had previously known.
With these techniques, combined with the "Heaven-Defying Comprehension" Trait he had obtained earlier, he might even be able to develop his own Self-Created Soul Skill.
Before, he had not been certain he could defeat a Soul Ancestor. Now that he had these techniques, perhaps he could truly defeat a soul master at the Soul Ancestor level.
Qin Jiuxiao grinned, revealing two rows of pearly white teeth.
He could no longer wait to find a Soul Ancestor to test his skills on.
His gaze swept across the assassins as he crooked a finger at them arrogantly.
"Come on, attack together!"
"Use all your strength. Don't disappoint me!"
The assassins' eyes reddened. How could they endure such provocation from a one-ring soul master?
Their soul rings shone with dazzling light as they roared and charged forward, unleashing all manner of soul skills.
"Brat, die!"
Before you continue