Volume Two: Life as a Bandit, Chapter Thirty-Seven: The Temptation of the Primordial Spiritual Treasure

"Bastard!" Fang Tao roared in extreme fury, his entire body trembling.

"Which dog is yapping again?" Qin Shuang deliberately scanned his surroundings. His nonchalant demeanor only fueled Fang Tao's rage further.

The gathered God Kings watched Fang Tao with pity. The recent clash had made it clear to everyone that Fang Tao had very little chance of defeating the Vice Alliance Master of the Zixuan Alliance. With Qin Shuang insulting him so brazenly, the two were locked in a death struggle; if Fang Tao could not kill Qin Shuang, his cultivation would never advance again, and might even regress.

"You... you will regret this!"

A sinister purple light radiated from Fang Tao's eyes, and his trembling body suddenly turned calm. Only those familiar with him, like Lu Qingtian and Gu Tai, knew that Fang Tao was about to unleash his full power.

The purple hue in Fang Tao's eyes grew intense. Suddenly, his ears elongated, his nose protruded, and a layer of dark, coarse fur sprouted all over his body. Having reached the realm of a God King, Fang Tao had revealed his true form.

"A Super Divine Beast in God King combat form!"

The surrounding God Kings were stunned. While there were many Super Divine Beast God Kings in the God Realm, they rarely used their true forms in battle. However, everyone knew one thing: once a Super Divine Beast of the God King level entered their true form, their offensive power doubled.

"Transform all you want, you're still just a dog!"

Qin Shuang looked at the transformed Fang Tao with contempt. With a Hongmeng treasure in his possession, he was filled with confidence.

"I want you dead!"

Fang Tao let out an angry howl toward the heavens and charged at Qin Shuang at high speed. His claws, now in their combat state, shimmered with a dazzling purple light—this was his most lethal weapon.

The Super Divine Beast Purple-Eyed Hound’s claws were as formidable as its teeth. For a Purple-Eyed Hound at the God King level, the tips of its two front claws possessed offensive power nearing that of a second-rate Hongmeng treasure, far surpassing ordinary high-grade Heavenly Divine Artifacts. However, for a God King-level Super Divine Beast, being forced into their true form was a humiliation. In his blind rage, Fang Tao only wanted to kill Qin Shuang quickly and return to his human shape.

"Boom!"

Fang Tao’s front claw collided with Qin Shuang’s staff. Fang Tao was sent flying to the side, while Qin Shuang retreated three steps. For the first time, the smile on Qin Shuang's face faded slightly.

In his combat form, Fang Tao possessed the strength to challenge him. That simple collision had made Qin Shuang realize that Fang Tao's claws indeed had the power of a second-rate Hongmeng treasure.

"Scared? Heh, but you still have to die!" Seeing his attack succeed, Fang Tao bared his teeth in a smile. But with his canine face, the expression was unintentionally comical.

"So your dog claws are a bit sharp; you think that’s enough to kill me?" Qin Shuang was amused by the sight.

"Court death!"

A purple light flashed across Fang Tao’s body, and he vanished instantly. This was not teleportation; it was the time acceleration Fang Tao could employ while in his true form. He had accelerated time by ten thousand times.

Time acceleration was currently Qin Shuang's greatest weakness. Having been a God King for such a short time, his ability to manipulate time was pitifully weak compared to these veteran God Kings.

"Boom!"

Under the effect of time acceleration, Qin Shuang was struck by Fang Tao’s claw before he could dodge.

The blow landed on Qin Shuang's head. But before Fang Tao could feel any excitement, he was repelled by a powerful counter-shock force. He flew backward, eyes wide with shock and disbelief; Qin Shuang had blocked his attack using only his physical body.

"Xiao Shuang, are you alright?" Qin Si flew to his side, asking as Qin Shuang shook his dizzy head.

"I'm fine, just a bit dazed," Qin Shuang replied with a wry smile. He had underestimated Fang Tao's power. Although Fang Tao couldn't kill him, the massive impact had left him feeling disoriented.

"Impossible! Impossible!" Fang Tao muttered, unable to process what had happened. That attack had been his strongest physical strike—aside from a secret he had never revealed, it was his greatest asset.

"A Hongmeng treasure! It must be a Hongmeng treasure! They have a Hongmeng treasure!" A moment later, Fang Tao shouted. The expressions of the onlookers changed. Having witnessed the attack, they knew that for a newly ascended God King to withstand such a blow with just his physical body was impossible without a Hongmeng treasure.

"Indeed, it is a Hongmeng treasure." Recovering, Qin Shuang took a step forward, and a translucent garment emerged from his body—the second-rate Hongmeng treasure, the 'Thousand-Face Robe.'

"It really is a Hongmeng treasure!" Silence fell over the God Kings as over a hundred pairs of eyes fixed on the robe, which radiated the unique aura of Hongmeng energy.

Greed, envy, and longing flickered in their eyes. Only God King Pingtian closed his eyes; he was not immune to the temptation, but he knew the strength of the two Alliance Masters too well. It was better to shut his eyes and find peace than to pine for things he could not have.

Lu Qingtian’s expression was the most complex—unwillingness, fury, and possessiveness churned within him. He shouted inwardly: how could such a treasure be given to two wet-behind-the-ears brats? It should belong to someone ambitious like him.

"This is a second-rate Hongmeng treasure called the Thousand-Face Robe. It possesses infinite shapeshifting capabilities and incredible defense," Qin Shuang said with a smile. He left the robe floating in the air, seemingly baiting the God Kings.

"As for its defense, I think you have all seen it. Now, I formally announce: whoever kills Lu Qingtian, Fang Tao, and Gu Tai, and pledges allegiance to my Zixuan Alliance, I will gift them this Thousand-Face Robe as a reward!"

"No!" Lu Qingtian roared, looking at Qin Shuang with terror. The smile on Qin Shuang’s face now looked like that of a demon. He had not expected Qin Shuang to use a second-rate defensive Hongmeng treasure as a bounty for his and his comrades' lives.

"Alliance Master Lu, why not? This is my property, after all," Qin Shuang said, drifting back as the robe continued to float silently before him.

"Xiao Shuang, is this really your reward to give?" Qin Si whispered via telepathy. They didn't care about a second-rate Hongmeng treasure, but he was surprised Qin Shuang would use the prize he had worked so hard for as a bounty.

"It's fine, Big Brother. We don't care about second-rate Hongmeng treasures. Besides, I said they must kill all three and pledge allegiance to our Zixuan Alliance. If someone does that, what harm is there in giving it to them?" Qin Shuang smiled. He had matured significantly, learning to solve problems with the most efficient methods.

"Everyone, he is trying to sow discord among us! I now announce that whoever kills the two Alliance Masters of the Zixuan Alliance shall receive this second-rate Hongmeng treasure as their reward!" Lu Qingtian said, his tone flustered and overly agitated. A second-rate defensive Hongmeng treasure was an irresistible temptation for these God Kings.

"Alliance Master Lu, you are mistaken. It seems that if we kill you, we can get the treasure just the same!" Yan Ming no longer hid his intentions, flying with a sinister smile toward Qin Shuang’s side.

"Yan Ming, you... you truly are a traitor! Don't forget, you took an oath!"

"What does an oath matter? I swore to be loyal to the Alliance Master, but I didn't specify you, Lu Qingtian. I was talking about our Zixuan Alliance’s Alliance Master Qin!"

With Yan Ming’s open declaration of loyalty to Alliance Master Qin, a sense of realization dawned on the other God Kings.

"You... you... you wretch, Yan Ming...!" Before Lu Qingtian could finish, his body was sent flying toward the ground. Wan Peng, who had been standing behind him, had struck.

"Wan Peng, you!" God King Yuancheng flew over, shouting in anger at Wan Peng.

"Boom!"

This time, it was God King Yuancheng who flew through the air, struck by the wounded Lu Qingtian. Lu Qingtian no longer trusted anyone.

"Lu Qingtian, you!" God King Yuancheng shouted, just as he had before, but this time his rage was directed at Lu Qingtian. He had intended to save Lu Qingtian, never expecting to be attacked by him.

"Fine! So you are all traitors! You pretended to swear oaths in front of me. Do you think my life is so easy to take?" Lu Qingtian looked deranged, blood streaming from the corner of his mouth. Wan Peng’s sneak attack had been at full strength, inflicting severe injuries.

(To be continued)