"Chhh!"
Even with the slowing effect of the Gale Wolf's twin wings, the force of their fall couldn't be completely negated. Together, they plummeted to the ground at a speed of at least a hundred miles per hour!
"Boom!"
A deafening crash echoed through the forest, sending up clouds of dust that stretched over a hundred meters before finally settling.
"Brother Jian!"
Ning Rongrong sprinted frantically in the direction where Qin Jian and the Gale Wolf had fallen. It took her a full five minutes to arrive.
By the time she reached the site, the dust had begun to clear...
Ning Rongrong, along with all the onlookers, fixed their gazes on the scene.
What they saw was the massive body of the Gale Wolf sprawled lifelessly on the ground, a pool of blood spreading beneath it.
On its back, Qin Jian stood unsteadily, leaning on his purple longsword for support.
"Brother Jian, are you... are you okay?" Ning Rongrong cried out anxiously.
Qin Jian turned his head and saw her small figure below.
A faint smile appeared on his face. "Rongrong, hurry and finish off this wolf... It's almost dead..."
"But are you hurt?"
It was as though Ning Rongrong hadn't heard his request; she was already trying to climb up to him.
"I'm fine," Qin Jian said helplessly. "Just exhausted. Quickly, finish it off, or all my efforts will go to waste..."
Only then did Ning Rongrong relax. She hurriedly retrieved a dagger from her soul tool and approached the wolf's head.
"Roar..."
But just as she was about to strike, the dying wolf bared its fangs, startling her into taking a step back.
"Bang!"
At that moment, Qin Jian stomped on the wolf's head and growled, "You're dying anyway, so stop being fierce!"
"Rongrong! Finish it off!"
His tone was so intense that Ning Rongrong, caught off guard, nearly dropped her dagger.
"Uh... Rongrong, I wasn't angry at you..."
Qin Jian felt a pang of embarrassment.
He realized once again that a sword truly was an instrument of slaughter. During fierce battles, his martial soul's influence always made him exude a murderous aura.
"Oh... okay..."
Ning Rongrong quickly moved forward.
This time, there were no more mishaps. With one decisive strike, she ended the Gale Wolf's life.
A yellow soul ring appeared over the wolf's body.
Outside the Hunting Forest, the observers finally let out a collective sigh of relief.
The sequence of events had been so nerve-wracking that no one had dared to breathe too loudly while watching. Even now, their hearts were still racing.
"That boy, Jian, has a natural killing intent in his bones. No wonder his martial soul is a sword," muttered Sword Douluo, finally retracting his Seven Kill Sword martial soul.
Ning Fengzhi nodded in agreement. "At first, when I saw how calmly he intervened in the disputes of others, I thought it was a pity he wasn't a control-type Soul Master. But watching him hunt soul beasts just now, it's clear..."
He paused, then smiled. "He's a born assault-type battle Soul Master. And with Rongrong... they're a perfect match!"
Sword Douluo shot him a glance, sensing that his sect leader seemed especially fond of Qin Jian at the moment.
"Fengzhi, you're not considering pairing Jian with Rongrong, are you?" he asked tentatively.
Ning Fengzhi nodded. "Though it's a bit difficult for me as her father, Qin Jian's devotion to Rongrong has been beyond reproach. Whether it was yesterday or today, he's proven himself. I feel there's no reason to hesitate anymore..."
Sword Douluo lowered his gaze, unsure of how to respond.
One was his direct disciple, the other the treasured daughter of the sect. If they were engaged, it truly would be a match made in heaven.
But Qin Jian was a million-year-old soul beast in human form, bearing the trials of the God of Emotions—an inherently heart-wrenching existence.
If they were bound together now, what untold complications and heartbreak would arise in the future? He truly didn't know...
While the outside world buzzed with speculation and admiration, inside the forest, Ning Rongrong began absorbing her second soul ring.
Nine hundred years—just at her limit.
Though her body trembled incessantly, she gritted her teeth and endured...
Half an hour later...
"Brother Jian, I did it!"
Ning Rongrong stood up cheerfully, a bright yellow soul ring rising beneath her feet.
"My second soul skill consumes about the same soul power as my first, but it boosts speed," she explained excitedly.
Her words made Qin Jian's eyes light up.
Typically, as soul skills progressed, their power increased along with their soul power consumption.
But for Ning Rongrong, thanks to her martial soul's auxiliary nature and the constant amplification of her abilities, the higher the level of the soul ring absorbed, the relatively lower the soul power consumption.
"All my effort was worth it," Qin Jian said with a satisfied nod.
Ning Rongrong threw herself into his arms. "Hehe, thank you, Brother Jian."
Qin Jian patted her head gently. "Alright, let's head out. I'm sure everyone's waiting for us..."
When they emerged from the Hunting Forest hand in hand, they were met with the gaze of everyone present.
To be precise, all eyes were on Qin Jian.
Even in his tattered, dust-covered state, no one mocked him.
Even his former rivals, Huo Wu and Yu Tianxin, were silent, the image of Qin Jian slaying the Gale Wolf still fresh in their minds, leaving them deeply unsettled.
"Qin Jian, Ning Rongrong, congratulations on obtaining your desired soul rings," Meng Shenji said warmly, addressing the crowd afterward. "With that, this year's Hunting Expedition comes to a close. I wish all of you great success in the future."
He finished speaking and, without waiting for the crowd to disperse, hurried off with the other two board members, their demeanor suspiciously evasive.
But avoiding fate only invites it.
"Three esteemed elders, don't rush off," Sword Douluo called out, folding his arms as he stepped forward. "Have you forgotten our agreed sparring session?"
The crowd, who had been about to leave, immediately perked up.
A duel between a Pinnacle Douluo and three Soul Douluos was a rare spectacle!
Meng Shenji and his companions turned back with resigned expressions, their plans to sneak away thoroughly foiled...
"Although there were many twists and turns this time, Jian and Rongrong still achieved their goals. I won't make things too difficult for you..."
Sword Douluo's nine soul rings lit up as he continued, "Just take one strike from me."
The three board members exchanged glances before nodding in unison.
If they couldn't even withstand one strike from Sword Douluo, they'd lose all face in front of the students!
Two of them were control-type Soul Douluos, and the third specialized in defense. If they went all out, they might just manage to block a single attack.
"Jian, watch closely. This is what it means to truly merge man and sword!"
Sword Douluo's figure floated into the air. With his right hand raised to the sky, his Seven Kill Sword martial soul appeared above him.
"Zheng! Zheng! Zheng!"
Countless sword energies condensed into ethereal blades, swirling and dancing within a radius of a mile.
"Clang!"
In the next instant, like a flock of birds returning to their nest, all the sword energy converged on the main blade—the Seven Kill Sword.
"Hum!"
A colossal sword, hundreds of meters long, materialized before everyone's eyes...
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