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After exploring the Star Dou Great Forest for a while, Yang Xiong and his group quickly located the three Qian Jun Ant Emperors based on Xiao Wu's directions.
When everyone saw these three Qian Jun Ant Emperors, they were all astonished—it was hard to believe that Qian Jun Ants could grow to such a level.
Each of these three Qian Jun Ants was about three meters long. In terms of size, they were extremely small compared to most spirit beasts. For instance, the Titan Ape stood over ten meters tall, and its volume was several dozen times greater than that of the three Qian Jun Ants combined. The Azure Sky Python was even longer, stretching dozens of meters—its single head alone was larger than all three Qian Jun Ants put together.
However, these massive Qian Jun Ants still drew attention.
Qian Jun Ants were a very common type of spirit beast in forests, found in nearly every spirit forest. Like the Soft Bone Rabbit, they were considered pests due to their rapid reproduction and survival capabilities.
Both Qian Jun Ants and Soft Bone Rabbits were known for their resilience, but most only lived for a hundred years. Very few reached the thousand-year mark.
The reason Qian Jun Ants survived so well was their incredibly tough vitality, exceptional physical defense, and immense strength far exceeding their body weight.
Even Yang Wudi was surprised: "How can there be Qian Jun Ants this large? Back then, Titan's eighth soul ring was only from a thirty-thousand-year Qian Jun Ant, yet the power boost it provided was terrifying. If I'd known about Qian Jun Ants at this level, Old Rhino, you should've chosen one of these as your ninth soul ring."
Niu Gao was also quite familiar with Qian Jun Ants. Their defense was indeed formidable, making them highly suitable for the defense-oriented Yu Clan.
Each of these three Qian Jun Ant Emperors had bodies about three meters long, covered in a layer of dark golden shell armor. They had six sturdy legs each and could stand upright. On their heads were six eyes—two large and four small—emitting an eerie green glow.
Generally speaking, a ten-year-old Qian Jun Ant was only about three inches long, with a pair of saber-like fangs capable of biting through hard objects. A hundred-year-old specimen wouldn't exceed six inches in length, and only after a thousand years might it grow to a foot. At thirty thousand years, it might reach over a meter. In the history of the soul master world, the largest known Qian Jun Ant was just about a meter long—the one used by Titan for his eighth soul ring.
Yet here were three Qian Jun Ants, each over three meters long. Judging by their age, they likely exceeded ninety thousand years. Considering the strength attribute of Qian Jun Ants, their power must have reached a terrifying level.
Everyone looked at the three Qian Jun Ant Emperors with great seriousness. In terms of pure combat ability, these three were comparable to hundred-thousand-year spirit beasts. Especially in terms of strength, they rivaled even the Titan Ape.
Lin Gong asked in confusion: "Little Xiong, are you planning to make one of these Qian Jun Ant Emperors your seventh soul ring? With our combined strength, we should be able to restrain two of them and heavily wound one without much trouble."
Yang Xiong shook his head: "Not just one, but all three. I plan to simultaneously inflict heavy damage on all three Qian Jun Ant Emperors."
Lin Gong was shocked: "How is that possible? You only need one soul ring right now. If we kill all three, isn't that a bit wasteful?"
Yang Xiong replied: "Let's start first. I want to try a little experiment. If it fails, at worst I'll waste two top-tier soul rings. If it succeeds, I'll get the soul ring I desire."
Hearing this, no one said anything further. Instead, they began strategizing how to deal with the three Qian Jun Ant Emperors.
In an instant, everyone rushed toward the three Qian Jun Ant Emperors, summoning their martial souls and soul rings. Attacks flew out with incredible speed and force.
Whether it was Sword Douluo's Seven Kill Sword or Yang Wudi's Soul-Piercing Spear, the attacks were fierce and overwhelming. Lin Gong's Purple Glazed Bamboo spread across the battlefield, swiftly enveloping the three Qian Jun Ant Emperors.
Facing the sudden assault, the three Qian Jun Ant Emperors reacted with extreme speed. Despite being attacked by multiple Title Douluos, they showed no sign of retreat, instead exuding an incredibly terrifying aura.
Neither the Soul-Piercing Spear nor the Seven Kill Sword could penetrate the defenses of the Qian Jun Ant Emperors. Even Sword Douluo and Yang Wudi were astonished, as their attack power was considered peak-level among peers.
Ignoring the attacks, the three Qian Jun Ant Emperors charged together, directly smashing into Lin Gong's Purple Glazed Bamboo.
Although the Purple Glazed Bamboo was exceptionally resilient, even ordinary Title Douluos couldn't easily break it.
But under the relentless charge of the three Qian Jun Ant Emperors, the bamboo shattered instantly, leaving even Lin Gong stunned.
Niu Gao immediately stepped forward, attempting to block the Qian Jun Ant Emperors' retreat.
However, the three Qian Jun Ant Emperors showed no fear, charging straight into Niu Gao's armored rhinoceros. The impact sent Niu Gao flying, along with his martial soul, which seemed somewhat suppressed.
Everyone was shocked. The strength of these three Qian Jun Ant Emperors was far beyond their expectations, especially their terrifying power. Moreover, the three worked together seamlessly, almost resembling the Spirit Fusion Techniques of soul masters.
Even before Yang Xiong made contact with the Qian Jun Ant Emperors, he could feel a terrifying force emanating from the ground—a force comparable to that of the Demon Bear Douluo. Together, the three Qian Jun Ant Emperors were even stronger.
At this critical moment, Sword Douluo shouted: "Don't underestimate these three Qian Jun Ant Emperors! They possess the strength of hundred-thousand-year spirit beasts, have extremely high intelligence, and are incredibly skilled in battle. Stop holding back and attack with everything you've got—don't hesitate to kill them!"
"Lin Gong, you need to separate them. Otherwise, we won't be able to kill them."
Sword Douluo gripped his Seven Kill Sword, transforming into a massive blue figure wielding an incredibly fearsome sword—his seventh soul skill: Seven Kill True Body.
A colossal Seven Kill Sword descended from the sky, unleashing endless sword qi that directly struck the three Qian Jun Ant Emperors. Despite their formidable defenses, the terrifying sword qi sent them flying, leaving deep, gruesome gashes on their bodies.
Even so, the Seven Kill Sword hadn't inflicted fatal wounds, only causing strange blood to seep out.
Lin Gong activated his eighth soul skill: Purple Glazed Bamboo Forest. Instantly, countless Purple Glazed Bamboo stalks appeared within a hundred-meter radius, forming a massive bamboo grove that isolated the three Qian Jun Ant Emperors.
This technique, Purple Glazed Bamboo Forest, seemed to sever their spiritual connection. Any soul master or spirit beast entering it would experience diminished mental focus and sensory perception, and even their soul skills' effectiveness would weaken.
This was a control-type eighth soul skill with potent mind-control effects.
Seeing this, the others quickly split up. Yang Wudi, Sword Douluo, and Long Gong She Po concentrated their attacks on one Qian Jun Ant Emperor, while Niu Gao and Yang Xiong used their powerful physiques and defenses to prevent the other two from breaking free of Lin Gong's control.
Ning Fengyuan and Ning Rongrong quickly provided auxiliary support to Yang Xiong and the others.
As for Oscar and Qin Shuang, they were unable to handle spirit beasts of this caliber.
Bai He observed the battlefield from the perimeter, ready to prevent any unexpected developments and provide timely support to stop the three Qian Jun Ant Emperors from escaping.
Unwilling to be defeated individually, the three Qian Jun Ant Emperors let out a strange cry, seemingly communicating with each other. In an instant, they all took flight, charging in the same direction. The Purple Glazed Bamboo Forest was shattered, countless bamboo stalks broken.
Lin Gong sneered coldly. The Purple Glazed Bamboo Forest suddenly transformed as all the bamboo rapidly grew, blocking the path of the three Qian Jun Ant Emperors.
Niu Gao and Yang Xiong exchanged a glance from afar, quickly consuming Flying Mushroom Sausages to take to the air, blocking two of the Qian Jun Ant Emperors.
Niu Gao unleashed his True Body, transforming into a colossal armored rhinoceros to block one Qian Jun Ant Emperor.
Yang Xiong simultaneously activated his third soul skill, Tyrant Dragon's Fury, and his fourth soul skill, Dragon Elephant Steel Body. His body grew immensely tall, and his strength and defense skyrocketed, allowing him to withstand the charge of one Qian Jun Ant Emperor.
Meanwhile, Sword Douluo's attacks became even fiercer. Countless sword qi rained down from the sky, accompanied by Yang Wudi's Soul-Piercing Spear and Long Gong She Po's Spirit Fusion Technique, Dragon Snake Assault, all targeting another Qian Jun Ant Emperor.
Despite their immense strength and solid defenses, the Qian Jun Ant Emperor struggled to cope under the combined assault of three Title Douluo-level experts.
Especially Sword Douluo, who had reached level ninety-seven. His Seven Kill Sword was exceedingly sharp, and his attacks were as swift as lightning.
In an instant, the Qian Jun Ant Emperor was enveloped by a dragon and a serpent. Its wings were severed by the Seven Kill Sword and pierced by the Soul-Piercing Spear, sending it crashing heavily to the ground.
Sword Douluo and the others pressed their advantage, intensifying their attacks. Soon, the Qian Jun Ant Emperor suffered repeated blows. Not only was its thick outer shell shattered, but several of its legs were also severed, leaving it critically injured on the ground.
Sword Douluo's group moved on to the remaining two Qian Jun Ant Emperors, repeating the same strategy.
The battle lasted over twenty minutes, and eventually, all three Qian Jun Ant Emperors lay critically injured on the ground.
Their condition was pitiful—they were missing shells, their wings were severed, and blood pooled beneath them.
Considering the severity of their injuries, an ordinary Title Douluo would have perished long ago. This demonstrated the extraordinary defense and resilience of the three Qian Jun Ant Emperors.
Only then did Lin Gong retract the Purple Glazed Bamboo Forest. However, controlling the three Qian Jun Ant Emperors had drained him significantly—this was his eighth soul skill, and he had used it continuously from start to finish.
Sword Douluo's expression turned serious: "Xiao Xiong, why did you insist on fighting all three Qian Jun Ant Emperors at once? You can only absorb one soul ring."
After some thought, Yang Xiong replied: "Actually, I wanted to test whether my seventh soul ring could absorb three soul rings simultaneously."
Sword Douluo roared furiously: "Xiao Xiong, what are you thinking? This goes against the rules of the soul master world! No matter who you are, each soul ring slot can only absorb one soul ring. Never has anyone been able to absorb three soul rings in the same position!"
Yang Xiong's eyes revealed a hint of determination: "Teacher, others may not be able to do it, but since my martial soul evolved, it seems to have undergone some mysterious changes. It's possible that I can absorb three soul rings at once."
"Not to mention, these three Qian Jun Ant Emperors have reached the ninety-thousand-year level, proving the uniqueness of their bloodline. Their bloodlines have even evolved, and since the three are blood-connected with a certain synergy, if I use multitasking control to absorb them simultaneously, I might achieve unexpected results."
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