Ye Qing's eyes narrowed slightly as he watched!
He never expected to encounter a Divine Artifact here once again!
Encountering a Divine Artifact here pleased Ye Qing, but he certainly didn't appreciate being ambushed just moments ago.
"To think that someone at the end of their rope could still block my bullet," said the leader, blowing a puff of black smoke from the barrel of the long rifle in his hand.
Could this be?!
A Weapon Spirit!
A Weapon Spirit capable of transforming into a firearm!
This was the first time Ye Qing had ever witnessed such a thing!
Based on the force of the attack he had just felt, these individuals were only slightly stronger than the Eight-Armed Fiery Ape. If he hadn't just broken through, dealing with them might have taken a bit more effort, but now!
Especially with the Shennong Cauldron right before his eyes!
He was certainly not going to let this opportunity slip away!
"Who the hell are you?!"
"Us? Ever heard of the Demon Spirit Guard?"
The Demon Spirit Guard!
Ye Qing's memory immediately stirred.
These fellows were no different from the bandits and outlaws of the past, making a living through robbery and pillaging.
They frequently infiltrated various Barriers to engage in petty and nefarious deeds.
Moreover, their strength was by no means negligible, and they had numerous factions scattered about. It was rumored that their headquarters housed powerhouses exceeding the Grandmaster level.
Because of this, the Military Department had issued bounties for their capture.
It was evident that the young woman trailing behind them was likely the spoils of war they had just acquired.
"Alright, judging by that look on your face, you must have heard of the Demon Spirit Guard's formidable reputation. Hand over all the crystal cores from the Feral Beasts you've slain."
"That sword in your hand looks decent, too, and I want its Weapon Spirit as well. Hand them all over," An Fei said, his tone entirely casual and unconcerned.
After all, upon seeing the aftermath of this battle, he knew he had this punk firmly in the palm of his hand.
This brat only possessed the strength of a Tier 4 Early Stage at best, or at most, a strength approaching the Tier 4 Late Stage like his own!
Otherwise, it would have been impossible for him to fight the Eight-Armed Fiery Ape to such a standstill and leave the battlefield in this ruined state!
Right now, this punk was completely exhausted!
As for them, they were fully armed and well-manned, with himself at the Tier 4 Early Stage, along with several underlings at the Tier 4 Late Stage.
The outcome was already self-evident.
Nearby, several of the underlings looked on, listening to the words of the Dark Guard commander with smiles plastered across their faces.
Once this fellow handed over everything shortly,
they could simply execute him on the spot!
"Brat, we're talking to you. Are you deaf?"
One of the underlings marched right up to Ye Qing.
"You—"
The next word was cut abruptly short!
His pristine head was cleanly sliced off by Ye Qing in a single stroke!
Splat!
The Weapon Spirit in his hand instantly reverted from its transformed state!
You!
How dare you!
An Fei never expected Ye Qing to be so audacious as to fight back!
While his underling was walking over, he had already raised his rifle!
Without a moment's hesitation, he pulled the trigger!
Bang!
A black bullet shot out like a streak of light, hurtling straight toward Ye Qing!
Splat!
The sound of flesh being pierced echoed instantly!
However, it wasn't Ye Qing's flesh that was pierced!
Dragging the woman who had just reverted from her weapon form, Ye Qing looked at the gaping hole blasted through her chest.
That firepower was truly formidable!
Thinking this, Ye Qing exerted force with the hand gripping the woman's neck—*crack!*
The sound of shattering bones echoed out!
The moment the woman's corpse hit the ground, Ye Qing lunged forward like a phantom to slaughter the rest!
"You're courting death!"
With an angry roar from An Fei, several more rounds burst from the rifle chamber!
*Clang!*
*Clang!*
With two crisp metallic sounds, Ye Qing directly batted both bullets away!
Immediately afterward, the Xuanyuan Sword came crashing down vertically!
Right against the bullets!
He brought the blade down in a single downward slash!
*Clang!*
The sound of colliding gold and jade rang out!
The bullets were sliced directly in half!
This!
In an instant, even An Fei felt his scalp go numb!
No!
This brat's Weapon Spirit was entirely abnormal!
Why was it so immensely powerful?!
And on top of that!
This kid's speed didn't look like a Tier 4 Early Stage at all!
He had let his guard down!
"Fall back!"
Just as An Fei opened his mouth to speak,
he caught sight of a chilling gleam emerging from an underling's back!
Then came a horizontal sweep!
Cut cleanly in half at the waist!
"Ah!"
A scream instantly burst from the underling's lips.
That shriek, laden with excruciating agony, stabbed like a sharp knife into the hearts of the remaining Demon Spirit Guard members.
It also landed squarely in Liu Lianmeng's field of vision.
Though she had witnessed bloody scenes in this apocalyptic era, she had never laid eyes on such unbridled brutality and gore!
It was far too ferocious!
*Urgh!*
Even she couldn't help but dry-heave!
Those exposed intestines and viscera seemed branded into her mind, refusing to fade away!
"You bastards!"
Seeing this situation, An Fei and the remaining underlings twitched at the corners of their mouths!
They never expected to kick such a solid iron wall this time!
"What are you waiting for?! Waiting to die?! Charge! All of you, charge together!"
"I refuse to believe that after finishing a battle, he still has much energy left!"
"You guys attack, I'll provide cover fire from behind!"
An Fei immediately barked out orders!
Though reluctant, the remaining underlings charged forward regardless!
Bang!
Another muffled shot from the dark firearm!
Fixing his gaze on An Fei, Ye Qing understood the tactic of capturing the ringleader first!
Without hesitation, he shot forward toward An Fei like an arrow!
Swinging the Xuanyuan Sword down, he once again cleaved another pitch-black bullet in mid-air!
With a few rapid strides,
Ye Qing closed the distance and materialized right in front of An Fei!
"I wonder how your ranged Weapon Spirit holds up in close combat!"
A chilling declaration, accompanied by a ferocious grin!
Ye Qing swung the Xuanyuan Sword in a full circle, aiming straight to slice off An Fei's head!
"You!"
Gazing into Ye Qing's mocking sneer, An Fei felt his heart skip a beat!
So fast!
How could he be this fast?!
This strength was unquestionably far superior to his own!
Coupled with the longsword in this fellow's hand—
Damn it!
However, An Fei had no leisure to dwell on it now; he instinctively raised his black long rifle to block!
*Clang!*
The sound of striking metal instantly erupted!
At the point of impact between the black rifle and the Xuanyuan Sword,
the metal even began to undergo severe deformation!
Then!
*Bang!*
The rifle was knocked clean out of his grip!
In mid-air, it reverted from its transformed state! A woman tumbled backward through the air, crashing hard into a tree!
*Thud!*
A giant tree was instantly shattered into fine dust upon impact!
Without losing momentum, the woman's body flew backward, her face dragging violently across the ground.
By the time she finally came to a halt, her features were completely mangled beyond recognition.
Nearby,
just as An Fei witnessed this and prepared to utter something,
Ye Qing spun around and delivered a vicious kick straight to his face!
*Thud!*
Following the heavy blow, An Fei's body was sent flying backward, a stream of bloody mist mingled with shattered teeth erupting from his mouth!
Mid-air,
An Fei struggled to force his eyes open.
Yet, his very last sight was the chilling gleam of the Xuanyuan Sword blooming right before his eyes!
*Swoosh!*
A split second later!
Ye Qing grabbed An Fei by the hair, hoisting his severed head as he stood firmly in place!
Meanwhile, An Fei's headless torso was sent spinning backward through the air on its own trajectory!
"Ahhh!"
In the distance, the remaining few members watched An Fei's tragic end and were utterly paralyzed with terror!
They wanted to flee, but
upon taking a single step, they found their legs far too weak to even budge!
*Thump!*
Without a second thought, they collapsed directly onto their knees.
*Clang, clang, clang...*
Behind them, Ye Qing walked toward the remaining survivors, the tip of the Xuanyuan Sword dragging along the ground and kicking up sparks.
The scraping sound, coupled with the heavy footsteps,
echoed in their ears like the Grimpat pulling its soul-reaping chain!
"Spare us!"
"We'll be your beasts of burden from now on!"
"Consider this life a wash; you can be my beasts of burden in the next life," Ye Qing tossed out casually, and a split second later, several pristine heads went flying into the sky.
Nearby, Liu Lianmeng watched this scene, her eyes beginning to tremble violently!
This spectacle was simply far too bloody and ruthless!
Ye Qing gathered the heads of the Demon Spirit Guard members, stacking them together since these items could be traded for rewards back at base.
Afterward, he headed off into the distance, knowing there was still one more left.
Arriving at the spot, he hoisted the unconscious woman up. Fortunately, only half of her face was scraped off—it wouldn't affect claiming the bounty.
*Slash!*
With a swift motion, Ye Qing severed the woman's head.
"To think there are Weapon Spirits capable of transforming into firearms. Still, this firepower is vastly superior to those conventional firearms from before," Ye Qing muttered to himself.
He then walked back toward Liu Lianmeng.
At that moment, Liu Lianmeng watched Ye Qing approach, her complexion turning a shade paler with every single step he took.
Presently, she noticed that Ye Qing appeared to be nothing more than a student.
This realization offered her a slight modicum of comfort.
Stepping forward, Ye Qing used the edge of the Xuanyuan Sword to gently slice through her bindings.
Moments later, Zhou Lingxue reverted from her weapon form.
Looking at her, Ye Qing remarked, "You managed to hold out for quite a long time today."
Zhou Lingxue: "..." Your phrasing carries a rather ambiguous undertone!
Liu Lianmeng stared at Zhou Lingxue in stunned silence.
So beautiful!
Not only breathtakingly gorgeous, but she could also transform into a formidable Weapon Spirit.
She was vastly superior to someone like herself, who amounted to nothing more than a useless vase.
Her own survival in this world had depended entirely on her father's shelter.
"Thank you for saving me," Liu Lianmeng said, though she remained seated flat on the ground.
After all, having been plundered earlier and then witnessing such a bloody spectacle, simply not losing control of her bladder was already her absolute limit.
"Whatever you want, I'll have my—"
Liu Lianmeng stammered out, but the next moment,
her chin was pinched firmly between Ye Qing's fingers.
Her words were cut abruptly short.
Her face was dangerously close to Ye Qing's, close enough that she could feel the warmth of his breath.
*Gulp!*
Liu Lianmeng's heart hammered frantically in her chest.
What does this mean?!
What is this guy trying to do?!
"I'll give you one minute to form a contract with me, and we can establish a deep contract back home, or I'll kill you right here."
What?!
Liu Lianmeng's eyes widened in sheer disbelief, utterly unable to process what she had just heard!
She had just escaped the dragon's lair only to plunge straight into a tiger's den!
Why was her fate so tragic?!
At that, a sudden sourness pricked her nose, and she burst into tears!
"Oh?" Ye Qing hadn't expected this girl to actually start crying. Following that, he casually reached out and patted Liu Lianmeng on the head.
Feeling Ye Qing's gesture, Liu Lianmeng's sobbing hitched. Could it be that this guy was just teasing her a moment ago?
That had to be it!
This fellow already possessed a Weapon Spirit!
How could he possibly want to form a contract with her?!
Wasn't this guy afraid of damaging his soul origin?!
Or afraid that his current Weapon Spirit would abandon him?!
Thinking this, Liu Lianmeng heard Ye Qing's voice drift into her ear, "Crying? Crying counts against your time, you know."
Chapter 13: King Rank, Gatling Gun Breathing Blue Fire!
Liu Lianmeng: "..."
Ahhhh!
A horror movie!
An absolute horror movie!
Without missing a beat, she wailed aloud, and then, opening her eyes, she looked straight at Zhou Lingxue standing right there!
This Weapon Spirit, has she no reaction at all?!
Why isn't she stopping him?!
Yet, the moment she looked at Zhou Lingxue, she surprisingly caught a glimpse of excitement and thrill gleaming within Zhou Lingxue's eyes!
She's insane, completely insane!
This world has officially gone mad!
Why did she have to run into these two lunatics today?!
"Half a minute left!"
Hearing Ye Qing's pronouncement,
Liu Lianmeng gritted her teeth hard.
Since both of you are reckless enough to throw caution to the wind!
What do I have to lose?!
It's worth it!
I've always been a mere E-grade Weapon Spirit, a useless vase!
No one else has ever wanted to contract with me anyway!
To encounter a Spirit Tamer this powerful—
Besides, I still have the ability to shatter his soul origin!
It's worth a shot!
A sudden thought of retaliation flashed through Liu Lianmeng's mind. Looking straight at Ye Qing, she declared, "I agree!"
Hm?
Why did this girl's gaze change so drastically in such a short span of time?
Regardless, the outcome was favorable.
Ye Qing extended his hand.
Instantly, a surge of energy flowed into Liu Lianmeng's body.
However, it encountered a barrier.
Without hesitation, he pushed harder!
*Pop!*
Liu Lianmeng instantly experienced a bizarre sensation as warmth flooded her entire body. Was this what forming a contract felt like?
"Accept it!"
Ye Qing's voice rang out.
Liu Lianmeng complied and accepted the bond.
Following that,
a screen of light popped up right in front of Ye Qing.
[Congratulations to the host for a successful contract, acquiring the Tier 1 skill: Vajra Indestructible, which is Liu Lianmeng's contractual innate talent! The physical body becomes tougher and more resilient, accompanied by extremely powerful self-healing capabilities. As the skill is upgraded, physical strength and self-healing will be massively enhanced!]
Well, well!
Vajra Indestructible, is it?!
Tempering the physical body alongside formidable self-healing made for a rather powerful skill indeed!
Without further ado, Ye Qing hoisted Liu Lianmeng over his shoulder.
"Ah!"
Feeling the sudden sensation of being lifted skyward, Liu Lianmeng couldn't help letting out a soft yelp as her body instinctively began to struggle.
"Still struggling?"
Ye Qing remarked, casually bringing his hand down to slap her squarely on the backside!
"Ow!"
A flush instantly bloomed across Liu Lianmeng's face. Her Weapon Spirit was standing right beside them, after all!
How could he subject her to such an intimate gesture in front of others?!
For a fleeting second, she even felt like a mistress caught in the act.
Afterward, Ye Qing unceremoniously dumped Liu Lianmeng onto the back of An Fei's mount.
He then signaled for Zhou Lingxue to climb up as well.
"Good sister, from now on, we're all one big family."
Zhou Lingxue chimed in with a bright smile.
Liu Lianmeng: "..."
Lunatics, absolute lunatics!
These two were a match made in heaven—a pair of certified madmen!
Don't you feel even a shred of jealousy?!
In fact, there was genuine joy in her tone?
What is wrong with you people?!
Meanwhile, Ye Qing bundled up a pile of heads using their own cloth sacks and clothing.
He then thoroughly looted the rest of their belongings.
"Damn, what a bunch of broke losers."
With only a few Tier 4 Early Stage crystal cores to show for it, the loot failed to spark any real interest in Ye Qing.
Comparatively speaking, the bounty on these men's heads was far more valuable.
Once everything was securely tied down,
he hung the bundle of heads directly from An Fei's horse.
The beast couldn't even be classified as a low-tier Feral Beast; it was only good for transportation.
"Let's move, time to head back!"
Ye Qing glanced at Liu Lianmeng. Tonight, there was still a major battle awaiting them!
A short while later,
they entered the Barrier.
Ye Qing headed straight for the Military Department's bounty reward center.
Stepping inside alone,
he found quite a few people claiming bounties, mostly bearing pelts and meat from Tier 3 and Tier 4 Feral Beasts in exchange for crystal cores.
Before long, Ye Qing spotted a familiar face.
"Captain? Your injuries seem to have healed quite rapidly."
Ye Qing greeted him cheerfully. The person standing here was none other than the captain of yesterday's squad.
Upon seeing Ye Qing, the captain returned the greeting with a smile.
"The Military Department ordered us to take some time to recover, so they temporarily reassigned me from the hunting unit to hold down the fort here."
"Speaking of which, I still have to thank you. Thanks to you guys, our casualties yesterday were kept to a minimum."
"Oh, right, we reported your contributions yesterday. The Military Department will issue rewards and certificates and have them delivered directly to your school."
Rewards?
"Aw, why go through the trouble of sending them specially? I can just take them right now."
Ye Qing said, a greedy expression flashing across his eyes.
The captain: "..." Why do I get the distinct feeling that if these rewards were handed to you, no one else would ever see a dime of them!
Still, he kept those words to yourself.
"It's better if we have them delivered."
"Huh? What, you don't trust me? Or are the rewards too meager to show your face? Surely the Military Department isn't that stingy?"
Ye Qing asked with an indifferent shrug.
The captain: "..." Trying to use reverse psychology on me, are you?
Nice try, I'm not falling for it!
As for the others present, watching the two chat left them rather impatient.
This student-looking punk needed to hurry up and get to the back of the line!
"Young man, claiming bounties requires standing in line. Don't waste everyone's time."
"Exactly, and hey comrade, we got here first. Process our transaction first."
"Little Zhang, go ahead and process their paperwork." The captain waved dismissively, instructing another clerk to handle the others.
Those guys couldn't possibly hold a candle to Ye Qing.
He had heard firsthand accounts from the other squad yesterday; this young man had a boundless future ahead of him!
"By the way, what brings you here today?"
As the captain spoke, Ye Qing felt a surge of boredom. It seemed the captain had no intention of handing over the rewards designated for Xu Bing and his classmates on the spot.
Otherwise, he could have padded his pockets with another hefty haul.
After all, most of the heavy lifting yesterday was done by Teacher Xu and himself—Teacher Xu, well, they were practically family; taking a little cut of his rewards shouldn't invite any complaints, right?
"I'm here to claim a bounty today."
With that, Ye Qing walked back outside.
Noticing the fresh blood stains on Ye Qing's clothes, the captain figured he must have harvested a bountiful catch today.
However, a short moment later,
Ye Qing walked back inside carrying only a few cloth sacks.
"Huh? What's in those?"
The captain immediately furrowed his brow in confusion, while the surrounding people turned their gaze toward him, equally bewildered.
What the hell kind of items were those?
Were those materials harvested from Feral Beasts?
They looked round and lumpy.
Could they possibly be Feral Beast eggs?
Yet, they were stained with fresh blood.
While everyone exchanged puzzled glances,
Ye Qing casually untied the cloth sacks.
*Clatter, clatter.*
A cascade of severed heads rolled across the floor in every direction!
"Holy shit!"
"What the—!"
"What are those?!"
In an instant, the entire room erupted in panic, every single person besides Ye Qing bristling with terror!
So many heads!
Was this kid some kind of psychotic serial killer?!
If you knew him as a student, fine, but to anyone else, he looked like a die-hard member of the Demon Spirit Guard!
Standing nearby, the captain couldn't help the severe twitch in the corner of his mouth.
"Ye Qing, what on earth are you..."