Zhu Zhuqing

Just as Su Cheng was leading Zhu Zhuqing to the Blue Silver Grass Forest, Qian Renxue, who had finished her cultivation and had nothing to do, also took the initiative to come to the Pope's Palace and approach Bibi Dong.

At this moment, Bibi Dong was in the Pope's room where he handled official business, sitting on a golden chair behind a huge square table, reviewing intelligence reports from various Spirit Hall Main Hall.

Hearing the door open, she didn't look up, but casually said, "When did you become so rude?"

Qian Renxue ignored the other party's question and glanced at the scattered documents on the table.

"A reshuffle has occurred in the high command of the Silves Kingdom; the prince's son has been assassinated..."

"An unknown Soul Saint has appeared in the Fasinuo Province of the Heaven Dou Empire..."

"..."

Seeing that the intelligence mostly came from insignificant, remote corners of the mainland, she paid it no mind and looked at the figure behind the table.

"What's the situation with your new apprentice?"

You mean Zhu Zhuqing?

Bibi Dong put down her pen and paper, leaned back against the silk cushions of the chair behind her, propped her chin up with her arm, and lazily picked up the teacup beside her.

The sunlight streaming through the window shone through the steam rising from the teacup onto her exquisite face, casting a golden glow on the soft lines of her perfect profile.

Even the fine downy hairs on her fair skin seemed clearly visible.

Bibi Dong first took a leisurely sip of the hot tea in her cup before slowly saying, "She is the fourth daughter of the Netherworld Duke of the Star Luo Empire, and theoretically should also be the fiancée of Dai Mubai, the Third Prince of the Star Luo Empire."

"Dai Mubai? Who's that?" Qian Renxue was taken aback when she heard this, as she had no recollection of the name.

"That's... never mind, you can see for yourself."

Bibi Dong stopped halfway through her sentence, reached behind her, pulled out a file folder from the cabinet behind her, and tossed it toward her.

Qian Renxue reached out and took it, giving the other person a suspicious look before opening the file bag and taking out the documents to read through.

As you look closer, her expression begins to change slightly, and her brows gradually furrow.

"I really underestimated this girl; she actually has such methods..."

"Her Martial Soul evolved from an ordinary Hell Spirit Cat into Hell White Tiger. At the same time, Dai Mubai, who had previously studied at the Shrek Academy with her, also vanished without a trace, as if he had evaporated into thin air?"

Hearing her subconscious sigh, a glint flashed in Bibi Dong's eyes, but it vanished in an instant.

When Qian Renxue looked up, her expression had returned to normal, showing no sign of anything amiss.

"Dai Mubai is the Third Prince of the Star Luo Empire and Zhu Zhuqing's fiancé. The Star Luo Imperial Family's family Martial Soul is the top-tier Beast Martial Soul, the White Tiger, which can form Martial Soul Fusion Skill, the Netherworld Hell White Tiger, with the Zhu Family's Nether Civet Martial Soul martial soul."

"The other heir pair of the Star Luo Imperial Family is the First Prince Dai Weisi and his fiancée Zhu Zhuyun."

"Logically speaking, with Zhu Zhuqing's talent of seventh-level Innate Soul Power, there is absolutely no reason for her to advance her Martial Soul to a higher level. Even if she could really achieve evolution, the person who should have done it would be Dai Mubai, who has a higher level of Innate Soul Power."

Qian Renxue said slowly, as if deep in thought.

"The origin of Zhu Zhuqing's Netherworld White Tiger Martial Soul is probably very questionable..."

"I didn't say that," Bibi Dong said calmly. "Slandering others behind their backs without any evidence is not like you."

Seeing her act like this, Qian Renxue frowned in disgust.

What she hates most right now is the other person's pretentious and mysterious attitude.

Especially in the past year or so, Bibi Dong has become increasingly strange, and many of her actions are completely unpredictable to Bibi Dong.

"Why would you suddenly want to take her on as your apprentice? Are you dissatisfied with Na Na?"

Qian Renxue placed the stack of documents and file folders on the table at the same time, crossed her arms, and looked down at Bibi Dong, who had a leisurely expression on her face, tapping her elbow lightly with her index finger.

"Na Na certainly satisfies me; she's much more obedient than you. But who says I can only take one apprentice? I also want to take Su Cheng as my apprentice," Bibi Dong said casually.

"How arrogant." Qian Renxue scoffed, then waved her hand. "Do whatever you want, I don't care."

After saying that, he turned and left the Pope's Palace.

She came here simply to learn about Zhu Zhuqing's general situation, and now that she knows, she has no intention of staying any longer.

Living under the same roof as Bibi Dong would only annoy her.

Besides, she doesn't have time to waste here right now.

The Soul Bone that had previously dissolved contained an enormous amount of energy, as well as the power of laws contained in its special Soul Bone Skill. These all need to be comprehended and integrated little by little.

She is actually under a lot of pressure right now.

Although possessing Innate Power allows one to contend with divine power, one's own level is too low, making it unrealistic to expect to completely convert and absorb it in a short period of time.

The two souls, entangled deep within the sea of consciousness, had previously held a slight advantage and displayed a stronger will, but now they were far behind the dominant personality.

She needs to quickly achieve a deeper understanding of the techniques and transform those sacred energies in order to regain her balance.

The Azure Underworld Transformation that Su Cheng taught her is only at the very beginning. After all, Su Cheng is just an observer. If she really wants to further improve the technique, she still needs to constantly comprehend it herself.

"Strangeness..."

After Qian Renxue left, Bibi Dong did not show any signs of relaxation. Instead, she subconsciously frowned, feeling quite surprised.

She was fully prepared to confront Qian Renxue, and had even thought of her lines, but she never expected that the other party would so casually let the matter pass.

She couldn't help but wonder what Su Cheng had said to her.

Qian Renxue's unusual reaction made her feel uneasy, as it was not what she had expected.

Su Cheng thought Bibi Dong had changed her ways, but that was clearly overthinking things.

The reason Bibi Dong took the initiative to suggest that Zhu Zhuqing go out with him for training was simply because she had other ideas.

Of course, she wasn't so kind as to willingly take the blame for Su Cheng.

Even in the Simulated World, she habitually relies on scheming, cunning, and sneak attacks to win battles, seeking to ensure absolute victory and showing no regard for martial ethics.

How could they be so selfless now?

Moreover, she could be more tolerant of others in certain matters, but she would do everything in her power to stop Qian Renxue.

Blue Silver Grass Forest.

After reaching an agreement with the Blue Silver King, Su Cheng took out a bottle of potion that shimmered with a pale red glow and handed it to Zhu Zhuqing.

"Remember this?"

Zhu Zhuqing raised an eyebrow; how could she possibly forget this medicine?

Without saying much, he simply reached out and took the powerful potion that could stimulate the blood vessels in a short time, causing them to float and leave the body.

Waiting for Su Cheng to continue.

Su Cheng didn't keep you in suspense and explained seriously, "You just heard it too. Later, this Blue Silver Grass Clan Soul Beast will help you condense a new Soul Ring. Then you can take this opportunity to advance to Soul Emperor."

"Directly condensing Soul Ring without hunting Soul Beast?" Zhu Zhuqing was greatly surprised.

She had no prior knowledge of this and had never heard of anyone being able to do it.

"That's right, you don't need to hunt Soul Beast. All you need to do next is do as I say, and you can condense a Sixth Soul Ring that perfectly matches your Martial Soul attribute and has reached the limit of your lifespan."

"What should I do?" Zhu Zhuqing was only surprised for a moment before she returned to normal.

After all, compared to other things Su Cheng had done before, condensing Soul Ring on his own didn't seem that unusual.

Su Cheng pointed to the Blue Silver King, "It will use this forest to draw in enough free-floating Soul Power for you, then you can use the potion. You don't need to take too much, just two drops will be enough. Then, circulate your cultivation technique to the fullest to stimulate your Hell White Tiger bloodline."

"With the help of medicine and cultivation techniques, blank Law Rings will naturally appear. As long as there are Law Rings, the large amount of Soul Power attracted by the Blue Silver King will naturally converge into them, increasing its lifespan."

"When you feel it's about time, stabilize it using the same steps you would take when absorbing Soul Ring, and completely integrate it into your Martial Soul. This will form a Sixth Soul Ring that perfectly matches the Netherworld White Tiger Martial Soul."

At this point, Su Cheng looked at her thoughtfully.

"With your current foundation, I estimate that you should be able to withstand Sixth Soul Ring that is at least 80,000 years old."

Zhu Zhuqing's physical attributes far exceed her current level, and she is even stronger than Qian Renxue at the same cultivation level. She is not much different from Su Cheng at that time.

Although she didn't have the Right Leg Bone of 100,000 Year Blue Silver Emperor or the blessing of Five Elements Perfection elements, she still possessed a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone.

Most importantly, she had previously consumed two Immortal Herbs that could significantly enhance her physical strength.

As for other aspects, Zhu Zhuqing is not much different from Su Cheng.

He began cultivating the Nirvana Sutra at a very young age and possessed Fourth Soul Ring and Fifth Soul Ring that far exceeded the limit of his lifespan, which enhanced his foundation.

With the accumulation of these conditions, her qualities became extraordinary.

Moreover, the difficulty for Zhu Zhuqing to condense Soul Ring is not actually that great.

After all, her cultivation method is special, practically tailor-made for her, specifically for cultivating the Netherworld White Tiger Martial Soul, which can easily stimulate her own bloodline.

No matter how you look at it, there shouldn't be any surprises.

"Are you ready?" Su Cheng asked Zhu Zhuqing for a final confirmation.

Zhu Zhuqing turned and stared at him, her eyes seeming to hold a different meaning.

Before she could think about it further, the girl turned her gaze away and nodded to the Blue Silver King, saying, "It's ready."

As her words fell, a vast and boundless aura spread and converged throughout the entire forest.

At this moment, in this ancient forest, in this small world composed of countless plants and trees, all eyes were focused on Zhu Zhuqing.

A deep blue light emanated from each tiny Blue Silver Grass, gradually gathering and forming a blue ocean.

In the heart of the ocean, Zhu Zhuqing stood there quietly, her mind and body unusually serene.

The tension and unease of more than a year of bloody killings, the fatigue and anxiety brought about by relentless training day and night, all quietly dissipated at this moment.

Her eyes closed slightly.

A straight nose, slender eyebrows, and full red lips adorn her fair, jade-like cheeks.

Below her smooth neck were full breasts that far exceeded those of women her age.

Looking further down, her waist is supple and slender, her buttocks are round and perky, and her legs are long and straight.

Her whole being was like a stone statue meticulously sculpted by God, so perfect as to be almost unreal.

Suddenly, she opened her eyes, her dark, bright pupils shining like stars.

The perfect sculpture suddenly came to life.

Her long, jet-black hair billowed up, like black ribbons dancing in the air.

She also seemed unusually light-hearted, with almost no trace of her former coldness and hostility.

The wind is picking up.

But this was no longer the bloody, pungent atmosphere of the previous Slaughter City.

A surge of blue light swept in, washing away the layers of grime from the fierce wind and leaving behind a deep blue glow.

While the bloodthirsty malice within the Slaughter City is indeed domineering and stubborn, it is still but a drop in the ocean compared to this vast ancient forest.

If a drop of blood falls into a teacup, it can turn the tea red. What effect would it have if it fell into a lake?

Looking at the elfin figure in the forest, a hint of surprise flashed in Su Cheng's eyes.

He hadn't expected that Zhu Zhuqing would gain a new insight at this moment.

Even her Talent Domain has advanced further, naturally emerging.

Zhu Zhuqing unscrewed the bottle cap and dripped two drops of medicine into her mouth.

Soon, a faint aura of blood rose from her body.

This has nothing to do with the murderous aura, but rather stems from her restless Hell White Tiger bloodline.

The blood and qi re-condensed in the air, forming a huge White Tiger that was over ten zhang tall.

With white fur, purple eyes, and interwoven black stripes, it also has a pair of hurricane-like wings that blot out the sky on its back.

Her Soul Power Level propelled the Nirvana Sutra to its full potential. Beneath her feet, beyond the five Soul Ring— yellow, yellow, purple, black, and black—a new halo of nothingness appeared.

The moment the halo appeared, the surging blue light from all around began to rush into it.

The transparent and colorless halo of nothingness also began to be tinged with various colors.

The yellow glow only lasted a short time before it quickly deepened, turning into purple light, and then gradually darkened...

A blue halo also enveloped Zhu Zhuqing.

His delicate yet aloof face began to soften, and his long black hair faintly revealed a dark blue luster.

The immense blue light continued to surge in, and the newly formed Sixth Soul Ring beneath her feet began to steadily climb towards the 20,000-year and 30,000-year level...

Then, forty thousand years, fifty thousand years, sixty thousand years...

As time slowly passed, Su Cheng's expression changed.

At this moment, the age of that newly formed Soul Ring was already approaching the level of 90,000 years, exceeding the upper limit that Su Cheng had previously estimated she could bear.

What is Zhu Zhuqing doing?!

Doesn't she even have a clue how many years of Soul Ring she can absorb?!

"Zhu Zhuqing ..." Su Cheng's expression was somewhat unpleasant, his fingers cracked as he clenched his fists, and a strange light flickered in his eyes, revealing a hint of hesitation.

Zhu Zhuqing doesn't understand where her limits are.

No, she understood all too well.

She knew even better than Su Cheng what the limit of her ability to absorb Soul Ring should be.

Eighty-nine thousand years.

An 89,000-year-old Soul Ring is the limit that her body can currently withstand.

If one continues to absorb Soul Power to increase their lifespan and climb upwards, each additional thousand years is almost equivalent to testing the edge of death.

But she did it anyway.

She knew her situation.

In terms of talent, even with the Hell White Tiger, a God-level Martial Soul, she is still far inferior to that Heaven's Proud Daughter of the Spirit Hall, that darling of the heavens.

In terms of age, she was ten years younger than that person. Ten years of cultivation time, for two geniuses, created a gap that was almost insurmountable. Moreover, the other person's talent far surpassed hers.

In terms of decisiveness, that person was equally meticulous and resolute, never showing mercy when it was time to act.

Moreover, in this world, it is extremely difficult to achieve anything by relying solely on scheming and plotting.

Ultimately, everything comes down to strength.

A year ago, the sword strike in the Pope's Palace in Spirit City shattered her illusions, but it did not shatter her will.

Her only source of confidence was her own will.

Even Su Cheng admired his willpower.

"It's just a matter of life and death."

The sweat had long since dried up; the tranquility and peace of moments before seemed like a fleeting dream, while the endless, intense pain was eternal.

Fine beads of blood appeared on her body, and her once exquisite, stone-carved face now resembled a fragile piece of porcelain, with cracks beginning to appear.

The tightly clenched upper and lower jaws gradually began to ooze blood, and the roots of the teeth had already begun to feel slightly loose.

The bones inside his body were cracking and popping, and his muscles and veins were breaking inch by inch.

The surrounding gusts of wind howled and swept around, making a strange "whooshing" sound.

The sound grew increasingly impassioned, like a final sonata before death.

Blood quickly soaked through his clothes, and his exposed neck and arms even began to break and crack, revealing the silvery-gray bones beneath the skin and muscles...

"Should we stop her...?"

Transparent wisps of light bloomed at Su Cheng's fingertips, flickering uncertainly.

At this moment, a simple tap can completely interrupt the process of condensing the Soul Ring.

Moreover, even if one intervenes with Innate Power, it will not damage the opponent's foundation.

In this way, although Zhu Zhuqing would only obtain a Sixth Soul Ring of 90,000 years, her life would no longer be in danger. Moreover, Soul Ring of this level was already an unexpected bonus brought about by her extraordinary performance.

He should do that.

Because Zhu Zhuqing didn't need to work so hard.

She is only sixteen years old, but her strength is already among the best of her generation, and she has a bright future ahead of her.

Besides, even if she were stronger, what good would it do?

It won't affect the overall situation at all.

In contrast, Bibi Dong and Qian Renxue are the future fighting forces that deserve our attention.

"..."

Su Cheng's fingers trembled slightly.

He rarely hesitated.

But at this moment, he hesitated, which was unusual for him.

He pointed down.

He not only broke his own promise to stop forcibly manipulating Zhu Zhuqing's choices, but also destroyed her spirit.

From now on, when Zhu Zhuqing encounters another difficulty and is about to break through, will she hesitate and not move forward because of today's retreat?

Will they choose to settle for second best and no longer be as courageous and diligent as they were in the past?

Even though this retreat was not out of her instinctive will, many things are not calculated that way.

At this moment, Zhu Zhuqing must have made a very firm decision.

No one is unafraid of death, and she was no exception.

But the desire to become stronger and to break through one's own limitations overwhelmed the fear of life and death.

If Su Cheng had stopped her here, she might have felt a little regretful.

But looking back, one can't help but feel both fear and relief.

She will become weak because of this.

On the path of spiritual practice, this determination to overcome all obstacles and face death without fear is not something that can be forged in one go.

Instead, it is through various hardships that we accumulate and improve. Similarly, it can also be worn down or lost completely for various reasons.

The improvement in strength is certainly valuable.

However, this hurdle was not just a simple matter of breaking through to a Soul Ring for her.

This was a baptism of her will.

"..."

Looking at Zhu Zhuqing and then at Su Cheng standing not far away, the Blue Silver King's aged face revealed a trace of anxiety, even a hint of fear.

The girl in the eye of the storm was on the verge of death, her life hanging by a thread like a candle flame in the wind.

Of course, it might feel a little sorry that the person died, but it wouldn't think it was a big deal.

After all, it was a true Soul Beast that had lived for tens of thousands of years and was already used to such things, so it would hardly have any emotional fluctuations because of it.

The person who terrified it was Su Cheng.

At this moment, Su Cheng's aura was restrained, and he stood there like a statue, without revealing a trace of sharpness.

But between the corners of his eyes and brows, there emanated an extremely terrifying will.

The wisp of transparent, colorless energy swirling around its fingertips silenced it completely, preventing it from making a sound.