Qian Chen nodded. "Yes, my Martial Soul is the Seven Kill Sword!"
"Wonderful, wonderful! The Seven Kill Sword Martial Soul has appeared in the world again! I'm Ning Ke'er, a disciple of the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect. You must be a descendant of Sword Douluo Chen Xin's family from ten thousand years ago!" The girl was so excited she nearly cried. Not only had she been saved today, she had also found the successor to the Seven Kill Sword for her sect.
Qian Chen neither denied nor confirmed it, merely saying calmly, "We're still facing off against a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast."
Just then, the senior sister leading the Shrek group also snapped, "Ning Ke'er, get back to your position!"
At her senior sister's shout, Ning Ke'er realized she had lost her composure. She smiled at Qian Chen. "That's our senior sister Zhang Lexuan calling me. I'll head back first." With that, she hurried back to her position.
Qian Chen and his two companions quickly joined the Shrek students' battle formation. Qian Chen strode up to Zhang Lexuan and went straight to the point. "Miss Zhang, my name is Qian Chen. I'll speak plainly. I just broke through to level eighty, and I happen to need a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring. Once we kill this Soul Beast, the Soul Ring goes to me, and the Soul Bone goes to you."
Qian Chen sensed that Zhang Lexuan had likewise reached the cultivation level needed to absorb her eighth Soul Ring. He intended to put his terms forward openly, betting that Zhang Lexuan was sensible enough not to foolishly try to take all the benefits for herself.
Zhang Lexuan hesitated for only an instant before nodding in agreement. "All right. The Soul Ring goes to you, and the Soul Bone goes to us."
When the remaining Shrek students heard this, they first felt a surge of reluctance, then breathed sighs of relief. If Zhang Lexuan demanded both the Soul Ring and the Soul Bone, Qian Chen, who had no ties to them whatsoever, could simply leave with his companions and let them face the Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast alone. How many of them would come back alive then?
Looking at the two lifeless bodies on the ground and Wang Feng, who had been reduced to a puddle of blood and flesh, the Shrek students felt it was a pity, but none voiced any objection.
"Hahaha! You ants think you can kill me? You even dare divide up my Soul Ring and Soul Bone in advance!" the Saber-Toothed Tiger King laughed wildly. Once its laughter ended, it prepared to attack again.
Seeing this, Zhang Lexuan was about to step forward. Even with Qian Chen's help, she could not let anything else happen to her junior brothers and sisters. But a hand suddenly barred her way. It was Qian Chen who had stopped her.
"Protect the others. Leave the main attack to me."
Looking at the firm, dependable expression on Qian Chen's sharply defined face, Zhang Lexuan felt inexplicably reassured and, as though under a spell, nodded. "All right. Be very careful."
Qian Chen immediately shouted, "Ning Ke'er, give me your Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda's speed boost!"
"Yes!" Ning Ke'er answered loudly. "Seven treasures turn forth, revealing glazed tile. Second: Speed!"
Qian Chen felt his speed soar in an instant.
Just then, the second Soul Ring beneath his feet lit up, activating his second Soul Skill, Swift as the Wind! In an instant, Qian Chen's speed surged again.
Qian Chen moved so fast that only an afterimage remained as he charged alone at the Saber-Toothed Tiger King. The instant he closed in on it, Qian Chen activated his fourth Soul Skill, Sword Shadow Clone!
Four identical Qian Chens appeared at once, leaving the Saber-Toothed Tiger King stunned and momentarily unsure which one to attack.
Immediately afterward, the four figures leaped into the air around the Saber-Toothed Tiger King. The fifth Soul Rings beneath all four clones lit up simultaneously as they shouted in unison, "Fifth Soul Skill, Killing Sword Qi!"
Four fierce streams of Sword Qi slashed out from the four clones at once. The Saber-Toothed Tiger King could not tell which one to defend against and could only circulate its Soul Power at full strength to raise its defenses.
The four streams of Sword Qi easily slipped into the Saber-Toothed Tiger King's body through its existing wounds. The Saber-Toothed Tiger King felt only a slight sting in its wounds and thought nothing of it.
The Saber-Toothed Tiger King laughed loudly. "Human ant, you think you can kill me with that paltry attack power?"
Qian Chen did not reply, merely maintaining his tremendous speed as he maneuvered around it. The Shrek students' hearts rose into their throats, and they hardly dared breathe.
Zhang Lexuan's heart was racing even faster. It was her first time seeing someone so talented, and Qian Chen's subordinate had just saved her life. As she watched the figure darting across the battlefield, she unconsciously clenched her hands until her palms were slick with cold sweat.
The two brothers, Feng Luan and Bing Ling, knew the outcome was decided the instant they saw their eldest brother's Killing Sword Qi slip into the Saber-Toothed Tiger King's body.
The Saber-Toothed Tiger King wanted to clash head-on with Qian Chen, but ever since his Sword Qi had struck it, Qian Chen had kept skirmishing around it, refusing to engage it directly.
The pain where the Sword Qi had struck gradually faded, replaced by a tingling numbness. Without its noticing, its speed dropped considerably.
The Saber-Toothed Tiger King roared furiously again, its terrifying tiger's roar carrying a powerful mental attack in every direction.
Qian Chen possessed the spiritual power of a Super Titled Douluo and was entirely unaffected. He was not controlled, and his speed did not diminish. The Saber-Toothed Tiger King's attacks could not catch him at all.
"Damn brat, fight me head-on if you've got the guts!" the Saber-Toothed Tiger King roared indignantly.
"Catch me first," Qian Chen taunted.
The sight left the Shrek students dumbstruck. They all wondered whether Qian Chen intended to run the Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast to death.
Only the Saber-Toothed Tiger King knew its own suffering. After dozens of minutes of pursuit, the wounds struck by Qian Chen's Killing Sword Qi had first ached, then his entire body had tingled and gone numb. Now he had nearly lost all sensation throughout his body.
After chasing Qian Chen for another ten-odd minutes, the Saber-Toothed Tiger King retched and spat out a great mouthful of black blood. Immediately afterward, its enormous body crashed to the ground, unable to rise again.
It lay sprawled on the ground, wanting to move but unable to muster any strength. Soon, more breath was leaving it than entering.
Qian Chen walked up to the Saber-Toothed Tiger King. Looking into its resentful, bewildered eyes, he said calmly, "Once my fifth Soul Skill, Killing Sword Qi, enters an opponent's body, the Sword Qi continually worsens their injuries until they die. If you hadn't had any wounds, I really couldn't have done anything to you. Now that I've satisfied your curiosity, go in peace."
Without the slightest hesitation, Qian Chen thrust the longsword in his hand straight into the Saber-Toothed Tiger King's weak point. Its body trembled slightly, as though it had finally been released, and it fell utterly still.
A moment later, a blood-red Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring slowly rose from the corpse.
Qian Chen smiled at Zhang Lexuan. "Miss Zhang, as agreed, the Soul Ring goes to me, and the Soul Bone goes to you. I'm going to start absorbing the Soul Ring."
Zhang Lexuan nodded solemnly. "All right. Thank you for everything today."
Qian Chen exchanged no further pleasantries. He sat down on the spot and began absorbing the Soul Ring, while Feng Luan and Bing Ling stood guard on either side of him.
Before long, the Shrek students retrieved a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone from the Saber-Toothed Tiger King's corpse. Holding the Soul Bone, Zhang Lexuan recalled the three inner court classmates who had died. Her heart ached, and tears welled in her eyes. But she was their senior sister, so she could only force them back.
A long time later, an aged voice seemed to drift down from the horizon. "Little Lexuan, how are you all doing?"
The next second, an old man covered in grease appeared before them.
"Xuan Zi, I'm fine," Zhang Lexuan answered dejectedly.
Xuan Zi swept his gaze around the group and immediately spotted Qian Chen absorbing the Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring. He instantly roared in fury, "Where did this stray brat come from? How dare you steal our Shrek Academy's Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring!"