He boarded the carriage the Qin Family had prepared.
Qin Jiuxiao hurried toward the imperial palace.
The distance from Suotuo City to Heaven Dou City was no short one. Even on a fast horse, the journey would take a full day and night.
During this idle time, he calmed himself and quietly sensed his second Soul Ring.
He spread open his right palm, and several bolts of lightning emerged from his fingertips, converging in his palm.
Moreover, the lightning could take different forms according to his thoughts.
Qin Jiuxiao lifted the curtain and flicked a strand of lightning from his fingertips.
Boom!
A boulder half a man's height away exploded outright, fragments scattering in every direction.
"What a tyrannical attack!"
"As expected of the Thunder Emperor who hunts on behalf of heaven. This second Soul Skill of mine probably rivals the sixth Soul Skills of some Soul Emperors."
Qin Jiuxiao withdrew his hand in satisfaction.
Then, he carefully sensed his physique. After being tempered by lightning, his body had improved tremendously.
Even without Soul Power, he could likely beat a Soul King to death through physical strength alone.
Not to mention the bodily enhancement of Ultimate Power.
However, this trip to Heaven Dou City...
Things were probably not that simple.
Qian Renxue was not the Heaven Dou Crown Prince Xue Qinghe. Snake Lance and Pufferfish, two Titled Douluos, were hidden at her side.
He still lacked the ability to contend against Titled Douluos.
He had to be careful in all things.
Was there any way to narrow the gap between himself and a Titled Douluo?
Qin Jiuxiao fell into deep thought.
Suddenly, an idea flashed through his mind. He recalled the sensation of the phantoms within his two Soul Rings merging into his body when he had resisted the Lightning Tribulation.
At that time, Soul Kings had seemed so weak in his eyes.
Now that his physical constitution had improved enormously and the Heavenly Horned Ant Soul Ring had risen to twelve thousand years...
If he fused them again, how far would his strength rise?
If possible, he could integrate the power within every Soul Ring into himself in the future. Could that become a new trump card?
The more Qin Jiuxiao thought about it, the more feasible it seemed.
Closing his eyes, two black Soul Rings surfaced around his body.
He began recalling the sensation of those powers blending together.
At this moment, the Heaven-Defying Comprehension trait granted him formidable insight.
The details of countless fusion methods instantly became clear in his mind.
When one focused intently on something, time always passed quickly.
He had set out in the morning, and in the blink of an eye, it was already afternoon.
When Qin Jiuxiao opened his eyes again, he seemed to have undergone some sort of transformation.
Faint golden patterns appeared across his skin, while lightning flashed deep within his eyes.
The powers of the Heavenly Horned Ant and the Thunder Emperor had truly fused within his body. He could feel that his strength had increased dramatically once more.
He only needed a battle to test it.
"Neigh!"
Suddenly, the carriage shook violently.
As though it had sensed something that terrified it beyond measure, the horse reared up on its hind legs.
It whinnied loudly in fright.
Yan Shi, who was driving in front, shouted sharply and controlled the horse, barely preventing the carriage from overturning.
"Young Master, something seems to be happening ahead. This horse refuses to move forward no matter what!"
Yan Shi reported from outside the carriage.
Qin Jiuxiao immediately got down. They were still half a day's journey from Heaven Dou City.
There were only two reasons a fast horse would react like this.
Either it had been startled, or it sensed some danger ahead.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
The sound of high heels striking the ground rang out.
Qin Jiuxiao and Yan Shi instinctively looked over, only to see a voluptuous woman in a purple gown approaching with graceful steps.
The gown's bodice covered just over half of her round, full breasts, while her purple-black hair drifted in the wind.
Her long legs were straight, her slender waist seemed as though it could be grasped in one hand, and the purple hem of her dress trailed slowly behind her.
Bright purple lipstick, purple eye makeup, and a frivolous gaze that regarded everyone as trash.
She was every inch a queen.
Had he encountered such a once-in-a-century beauty under ordinary circumstances, Qin Jiuxiao might have whistled twice and invited her for a drink.
But now, he only felt a chill run down his back.
For such a beauty to appear in this sparsely populated place...
Such abnormality was no good sign.
"Stop!"
"Take one more step, and don't blame me for being rude!"
Yan Shi warned sharply, instantly summoning his Martial Soul. Five Soul Rings appeared around his body.
A lion wreathed in flames roared behind him, ready to attack at any moment.
Yet from beginning to end, the woman did not spare Yan Shi a glance. Her gaze remained fixed on Qin Jiuxiao.
Qin Jiuxiao instantly understood that this woman had come for him.
With every step she took, the darkness around them swallowed another fraction of the surroundings.
She did not say a word or make any move.
Yet the overwhelming pressure she exuded made Qin Jiuxiao's heart pound wildly.
Who exactly was this woman?
Qin Jiuxiao's entire body tensed as the powers of the Heavenly Horned Ant and the Thunder Emperor slowly fused within him.
The moment he wished it, he could unleash a thunderous strike.
"Second Soul Skill: Flame Lion Clone!"
"Fifth Soul Skill: Lion-Tiger Blazing Strike!"
Unable to withstand the pressure any longer, Yan Shi launched the first attack.
Two lions covered in flames charged at the woman.
Yan Shi held nothing back with this move, using his full strength from the outset.
But the woman did not even look at him. With a casual wave of her hand, the darkness beneath her feet surged forth and swallowed the two flaming lions whole.
She flicked a finger, sending a burst of Soul Power that blasted Yan Shi away, though she did not kill him.
"Young Master... this woman is too strong. Run..."
In the second before he lost consciousness, Yan Shi fulfilled his final duty.
But Qin Jiuxiao had no intention of leaving.
"He told you to flee. Why didn't you?"
The woman finally spoke her first words.
Her voice was filled with amusement as her eyes assessed Qin Jiuxiao from head to toe, as though she were observing something.
Qin Jiuxiao was observing her as well.
Such an unfamiliar powerhouse had intercepted him midway, yet she had not dealt Yan Shi a killing blow.
That meant she bore no hostility. The chances of her being an enemy were low.
If this woman had wanted to kill him, she would not have merely knocked Yan Shi unconscious.
But who was she?
Qin Jiuxiao enjoyed teasing beautiful women, but he was not foolish enough to provoke women he could not afford to offend.
He had not had much contact with Spirit Hall so far, so this woman was most likely not from Spirit Hall either.
That left only one final possibility.
This woman was connected to the Star Dou Forest.
Only yesterday had he caused any major commotion in the Star Dou Forest.
Then the woman before him was a Ferocious Beast in human form.
Among the Ferocious Beasts, only the clan leader of the Hell Demon Dragon King matched her appearance.
Hell Demon Dragon King Zi Ji.
But he had never interacted with Zi Ji before. The only possibility was that she had seen him condense his second Soul Ring yesterday.
She had mistaken him for a Soul Beast that had taken human form to cultivate again.
Perhaps he could use this point to draw some information out of her.
Now came the time to test his acting.
Qin Jiuxiao gained a measure of confidence. His expression darkened, and his voice became low.
"Zi Ji, why have you left the Core Area of the Star Dou Forest to intercept me here?"
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