As Lin Jie reached the desolate clearing, he was surprised to find himself surrounded by seven or eight figures.
The scene reminded him of the legendary trio Liu, Guan, and Zhang, except this time, it was clear the attackers weren't just after money.
Sure enough, as soon as he stopped, several masked figures in black stepped out from the forest, hemming him in from all directions.
Sweeping his gaze across them, Lin Jie counted seven in total. His spiritual sense probed, and his brow furrowed—aside from the veiled woman in the lead, every single one of them possessed Spirit Power not inferior to his own.
To dispatch such strength meant a significant power stood behind them. Yet Lin Jie couldn't recall offending any such force. Could this truly be just a robbery?
His eyes lingered on the leader. For some reason, her presence felt strangely familiar.
"Move in. Leave him alive."
A sultry, feminine voice gave the order.
At once, three black-clad Spirit Masters surged forward. Clearly aware of Lin Jie's strength, they didn't dare hold back—five Spirit Rings flared at once, Martial Souls possessed their bodies, and before they even closed the distance, powerful Spirit Abilities were unleashed.
Three Spirit Kings, two of them with optimal ring configurations. Though older, their power was not to be underestimated.
But unfortunately for them, they had chosen the wrong target.
"Since you're in such a hurry to die, I'll oblige."
With a flash, Lin Jie evaded their combined assault. His right hand flicked, and a sleek, pistol-like soul tool materialized in his grasp.
This was a device he had long researched—a soul-guided firearm. Shaped like a modern handgun, but far more stylish, its destructive power was immense. Instead of relying on conventional bullets, its core was a magnetic propulsion system, hurling projectiles with terrifying speed and force.
He had studied Tang San's hidden weapons before. Most were mechanical contraptions, yet their lethality defied logic—so much so that Lin Jie could only chalk it up to this world's peculiar "background logic."
Now, his own weapon was ready to test.
The muzzle snapped up.
Bang—Bang—Bang!
Three bullets ripped through the air faster than lightning.
Puff!
One man, unable to react in time, was torn apart, his body reduced to bloody ruin.
Puff! Puff!
The other two, faster on their feet, tried to dodge—but the bullets were too quick. Each took a hit to the arm, blood spraying.
Lin Jie didn't pause.
Bang! Bang!
Two more shots rang out.
"Ahhh!" Agonized screams filled the clearing.
In the blink of an eye, two Spirit Kings lay dead, and the third was crippled.
The veiled woman's eyes widened in shock.
"What… what weapon is that? Its power is this terrifying…?"
These were Spirit Kings, and yet they had been dispatched in moments.
Indeed, if an ordinary Spirit Master used Lin Jie's gun, its effect wouldn't be so overwhelming. But in his hands—a Spirit King with immense strength behind every shot—the destructive force was multiplied many times over. Just like Tang San's hidden weapons: in the hands of a Spirit Grandmaster, deadly; but in the hands of a Titled Douluo, catastrophic.
The veiled woman's expression shifted rapidly. She hadn't expected Lin Jie to wield such a weapon. But now that she had acted, there was no turning back.
"All of you, attack together! Beware that strange weapon!"
"Yes, Miss."
Three cold, mechanical voices answered.
These three had not moved from the start, even as their companions were slaughtered. Their aura was chilling, devoid of emotion—pure killing intent honed by countless lives taken. Lin Jie's heart gave a faint jolt. These weren't ordinary Spirit Masters. They were trained assassins.
Without hesitation, they released their Martial Souls.
One Spirit Emperor with six rings—white, yellow, purple, purple, black, black. Another Spirit Emperor at his side. Both were power attack types. The third, a Spirit King, was a sensitive attack specialist.
Two Spirit Emperors, two Spirit Kings… and the veiled woman herself was a Spirit Elder.
Lin Jie's eyes narrowed. He couldn't recall ever offending anyone who would send such a lineup just to kill him.
The two Emperors stomped forward, powerful abilities blazing. The Spirit King blurred like lightning, coming in from the flank. From three angles, their combined assault closed in.
"I don't know who you are, but since you're so desperate to die, I'll grant your wish."
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Three bullets streaked out toward the oncoming attackers.
At the same time, Lin Jie flicked his fingers, summoning a cluster of spirit power grenades—ten in total—suspended around him.
The assassins reacted instantly, activating defensive skills. Two dodged, one Emperor chose to block head-on. Then, their most powerful abilities surged forth—purple and black rings flaring, devastating energy converging on Lin Jie.
He only sneered.
When they closed within ten meters, his magnetic force pulsed. The ten grenades shot forward like meteors.
And then, with a sharp whoosh, Lin Jie's body rocketed into the sky, soaring twenty meters up in the blink of an eye.
The assassins froze. He… flew?
Aside from certain flying-type Martial Souls, almost no Spirit Masters could achieve free flight. Yet the man before them had simply risen into the air. Even the veiled woman was taken aback.
Then the grenades reached them.
The three thought they were just more bullets. One raised a shield, the other two tried to dodge.
Too late.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The ground erupted in thunderous explosions, the force shaking earth and sky.
"Ahhh!" Screams were torn from throats as shrapnel ripped outward in every direction.
Each grenade was packed with countless razor-edged fragments, and ten had gone off at once. Within twenty meters, there was no escape.
As the dust rose, Lin Jie calmly pulled more grenades from his storage ring and dropped them into the carnage.
Another series of deafening blasts. The forest quaked, soil and smoke billowing skyward.
From twenty meters away, the veiled woman's face went pale. Her heart thudded as fragments whistled toward her.
Her Spirit Elder agility carried her through the storm, her body flashing side to side—but not fast enough. A shard cut across her arm, leaving a bloody gash. She gritted her teeth, barely escaping the deadly rain.
Relief flickered across her eyes.
Bang!
A gunshot cracked.
Pain blossomed in her chest. Her gaze dimmed in disbelief as she staggered.
Above, Lin Jie twirled his soul pistol with casual grace, smoke curling from the barrel. He had timed it perfectly, firing just as she dodged the shrapnel.
He wasn't the merciful type. Anyone who dared ambush him had to be ready for the price.
He had aimed for her heart—but whether from her speed or sheer chance, the bullet struck a different place… a far more delicate one. Lin Jie only shrugged inwardly. Not my fault.
When the dust finally settled, a massive crater yawned beneath him.
Three shattered corpses lay within. No one could have survived that barrage.
Descending slowly, Lin Jie extended his spiritual sense to confirm. What he found made his brow crease slightly.