Zhu Zhuqing's Nurturing Plan

"Mm!"

Zhu Zhuqing's closed eyes flew open, staring wide-eyed at Gu Ye right in front of her.

She had not expected Gu Ye to bite her there.

Zhu Zhuqing stared blankly at Gu Ye as he bit her, unable to react for a moment.

"Ah!" Zhu Zhuqing cried out in pain, glaring at Gu Ye in embarrassment and anger as she touched her lips.

"Alright, I bit you back," Gu Ye said flatly.

Gu Ye did not think there was anything wrong with biting Zhu Zhuqing's lips and leaving his teeth marks behind.

After all, it was only fair. Zhu Zhuqing had bitten him, so he bit Zhu Zhuqing back—and she had allowed it. It was perfectly normal.

"Hmph!" Zhu Zhuqing snorted coldly, touching the lip Gu Ye had bitten. Some anger appeared on her usually expressionless face.

Gu Ye ignored the slightly adorable sight of the angry Zhu Zhuqing and instead asked, "How many years are you aiming for with your third soul ring?"

Still angry, Zhu Zhuqing did not answer Gu Ye right away.

"Tell me."

"Around a thousand years."

Gu Ye's commanding tone made Zhu Zhuqing answer instinctively.

After answering, Zhu Zhuqing found it rather strange. Why had she been so obedient?

"One thousand years is too low. Do you want to become stronger?"

Gu Ye's words made Zhu Zhuqing forget about having her lips bitten. She looked at him, trying to understand what he meant.

"For ordinary Soul Masters, a thousand-year third soul ring is already the most suitable choice. But for true geniuses, a thousand years is far too low."

"And you, Zhu Zhuqing—your Martial Soul is no longer an ordinary Hell Spirit Cat. On top of that, you just received one of my special reinforcement potions. Your third soul ring can be of a higher age."

"Really?"

"Of course. When have I ever lied to you?"

The reinforcement potion Gu Ye had injected into Zhu Zhuqing earlier was a body cell reinforcement potion produced by the Surgical System.

Gu Ye had spent a hefty price to exchange it from the system.

Gu Ye already had an idea in mind.

He wanted to personally nurture Zhu Zhuqing into a powerhouse, then gradually conquer both her body and heart. In the future, he would become the man behind Zhu Zhuqing.

He liked the feeling of raising someone with his own hands. That was also why he treated Zhu Zhuqing so well.

As for coveting Zhu Zhuqing's body, naturally, that was part of it too.

The pain Zhu Zhuqing had felt earlier, like ten thousand ants gnawing at her body, was the Cell Reinforcement Potion remaking her body and strengthening her cells.

After a few more days, once Zhu Zhuqing's transformation was fully complete, her physique would reach another level.

In the low-tier fantasy world of Douluo, Gu Ye's Cell Reinforcement Potion would not only strengthen Zhu Zhuqing's cells, but also make her meridians, physical strength, and flexibility stronger. By then, absorbing a soul ring of around two thousand years would not be a problem at all.

"Zhuqing, let me put it this way. Your third soul ring should be hunted in the range of around two thousand years. Within that range, you can absorb whichever one you want."

"But I've never heard of anyone being able to absorb a third soul ring as high as two thousand years."

"Since no one has ever done it, then you, Zhu Zhuqing, must be the first. If you want to become stronger, your mindset must change. Don't think that just because others can't do something, you, Zhu Zhuqing, can't either. If you keep cultivating with that kind of mindset, then you will never become a true powerhouse in this life. Do you understand, Zhu Zhuqing?"

Gu Ye's words crashed into Zhu Zhuqing's mind like rumbling thunder.

She did not regain her senses for a long while.

Gu Ye's words made her realize something: her mindset was still not enough to make her a true powerhouse.

But she would not give up. She would strive to become strong, then rely on her own efforts to break the fate imposed by that so-called family.

Thinking of this, Zhu Zhuqing looked at Gu Ye and suddenly realized just how great an influence he had on her.

Before meeting Gu Ye, she had never once thought of relying solely on herself to break free from her own fate.

Otherwise, she would not have come to Suotuo City to find Dai Mubai.

But now, because of Gu Ye, she did.

She wanted to become a powerhouse—a powerhouse who could shatter the shackles of her fate without relying on Dai Mubai.

"Gu Ye, I understand. I want to become strong. I want to be the first."

Zhu Zhuqing looked at Gu Ye with a resolute gaze.

"I believe you can do it. And with the liquid I injected into your body earlier, you already have the foundation to become one of this world's powerhouses. As long as you work hard, you won't lose to anyone."

"Mm." Zhu Zhuqing nodded firmly.

"There's one thing I need to remind you of. Tomorrow and the day after, your body will experience that kind of pain once or twice more. You need to endure it, understand?"

"I will." Zhu Zhuqing looked at the teeth marks on Gu Ye's arm. Those were from her bite.

She touched her own lips again. Gu Ye had bitten her once as well.

She would treat them as proof—proof of her journey to becoming strong.

Gu Ye saw the determination of a strong person appear in Zhu Zhuqing's eyes and smiled in satisfaction.

His cat-raising plan had begun.

"Alright, now let me tell you about some soul beasts suitable for your third soul skill."

Zhu Zhuqing came back to her senses and looked at Gu Ye attentively.

She knew she could learn many things from Gu Ye—things that would benefit her immensely. To her, Gu Ye was like a teacher now, and she trusted him deeply.

As she looked at Gu Ye, a thought arose in Zhu Zhuqing's heart: she wanted to take him as her master.

The moment that thought appeared, it lingered in Zhu Zhuqing's mind and would not go away.

Gu Ye, however, had no idea what Zhu Zhuqing was thinking. He continued, "Your Hell Spirit Cat Martial Soul focuses on speed, but now your Martial Soul has developed those black flames. Moreover, those black flames have the terrifying effect of burning the soul. Clearly, this is your strongest ability."

"Your advantage in speed cannot be neglected, but this black flame ability is equally important. So, I looked into soul beasts, and there are many suitable for your third soul ring. The ones I think fit you best are the Nekomata, the Black Flame Fox, the Nine-Lives Cat Demon, and the Dark Golden Dreadclaw Bear."

"It is said that the Nekomata has appeared in the Star Dou Great Forest before. It possesses ghostlike speed, and its two flame-like tails control two different abilities. If you encounter one that can be hunted, that would be your good fortune."

"The Black Flame Fox is also a speed-type soul beast, but another notable feature is its claws. They are incomparably sharp and can unleash black flames. Those flames have the powerful effect of burning Soul Power, making it an excellent match for your Hell Spirit Cat."

"As for the Nine-Lives Cat Demon, it has not appeared for a long time, so whether you can encounter one will depend on your luck."

"Although the Dark Golden Dreadclaw Bear is a strength-type soul beast, one aspect makes it highly suitable for you: its sharp claws. Their attack power is exceptionally strong among soul beasts. If you can obtain a claw-related soul skill from it and combine it with your speed, your attacks will become unstoppable."

As Zhu Zhuqing listened to Gu Ye's analysis, she committed his words to heart.

After entering the Star Dou Great Forest tomorrow, she would search for these soul beasts.

She would not disappoint Gu Ye's expectations.

After Gu Ye said a few more things, he looked at Zhu Zhuqing and asked, "Do you understand?"

"Mhm." Zhu Zhuqing nodded in confirmation.

Seeing how teachable Zhu Zhuqing was, Gu Ye smiled in satisfaction.

Just then, Zhu Zhuqing's expression became solemn. Looking at Gu Ye, she said, "Gu Ye, there's something I want to tell you."

"Go ahead." Seeing how serious Zhu Zhuqing looked, Gu Ye became curious about what she wanted to say.

"I want... to take you as my master!" Zhu Zhuqing looked at Gu Ye with utmost sincerity.