Zhu Zhuqing Returned

"How is that possible?!"

"Zhuqing... she actually succeeded!!"

"She absorbed a Soul Ring that was over two thousand years old as her third Soul Ring!!"

The instant Zhu Zhuqing absorbed that purple Soul Ring into her body, Oscar, Ma Hongjun, and the others were so shocked their jaws nearly hit the ground.

Zhu Zhuqing was the youngest among the seven of them, yet she had reached level thirty the fastest at such a young age. Now, her third Soul Ring had come from a Soul Ring over two thousand years old.

This was a devastating blow to Ma Hongjun, Oscar, and the others.

Tang San was even more incredulous, muttering under his breath, "Teacher's theory... it shouldn't be wrong. But Zhu Zhuqing absorbed a Soul Ring over two thousand years old. What exactly is going on?"

Tang San, who had always deeply believed in his teacher Yu Xiaogang, began to feel a trace of doubt in his heart. Especially after Zhu Zhuqing successfully absorbed her third Soul Ring, that sliver of doubt was magnified without limit.

Zhao Wuji scratched his head as he looked at Zhu Zhuqing, who had successfully absorbed a third Soul Ring beyond two thousand years, his expression indescribable.

This had completely exceeded the scope of his understanding. After all, he was a rough man himself, and his knowledge was about the same as that of an ordinary Soul Master.

Right now, he was utterly baffled, completely at a loss.

Meanwhile, Zhu Zhuqing, who had finished absorbing her third Soul Ring, had yet to stand up. She opened her eyes, looked at the Black Flame Fox's corpse before her, then looked at her hands.

At that moment, two black-red patterns had appeared on her palms, identical to the patterns that had been on the Black Flame Fox's claws.

Looking at those unusual patterns, Zhu Zhuqing felt that she could summon something from them. However, she did not do so. She decided that after returning and acknowledging Gu Ye as her master, she would tell him first.

"Zhuqing, how do you feel?" The moment Ning Rongrong saw Zhu Zhuqing stand up, she hurried over to ask.

"Very good." Zhu Zhuqing nodded calmly.

Xiao Wu, Oscar, and the others quickly gathered around as well, asking about her condition.

The curious Ma Hongjun immediately asked, "Zhuqing, what is your third Soul Skill?"

Ma Hongjun was not the only one curious. Xiao Wu, Ning Rongrong, Tang San, and the others were all curious as well.

After all, it was a third Soul Ring that surpassed two thousand years. Its Soul Skill should be especially powerful, right?

However, Zhu Zhuqing shook her head. "It's a secret. I'll tell you later," she said blandly.

Although she and Ma Hongjun, Tang San, and the others were classmates, Soul Skills concerned a Soul Master's fundamental abilities. She planned to tell Gu Ye first after returning, then tell Tang San and the others only after he agreed.

Ma Hongjun did not mind being rebuffed.

Like Oscar and the others, he looked at Zhu Zhuqing as though she were a monster.

After all, someone having a third Soul Ring that exceeded two thousand years was something they had never seen before.

"Alright, everyone has obtained their Soul Rings now. We'll discuss the details after we leave the Star Dou Great Forest."

They were still deep within the Star Dou Great Forest. Zhao Wuji did not want any more accidents, so after saying that, he had everyone make some simple preparations to leave.

But just then, Tang San suddenly felt a change in his body and hurriedly called out, "Teacher Zhao, wait a moment." After saying that, he sat down cross-legged to regulate his breathing.

Tang San's change made Zhao Wuji frown, and he wanted to ask what was going on.

But seeing Tang San sitting cross-legged on the ground to cultivate his Soul Power, he assumed Tang San had been through too many battles these past few days and was overly exhausted, wanting to recover his strength. He did not think much of it.

Yet when Tang San opened his eyes a moment later, he said something that stunned Zhao Wuji and the others.

"Teacher Zhao, I've broken through to level thirty. I think... I need a Soul Ring too."

"Little San, you're not joking, are you?" Dai Mubai rushed over, staring at him in disbelief.

"Yes." Tang San nodded firmly.

In the end, Zhao Wuji could only sigh. Comparing people really could make one furious.

Back when he had reached level thirty, he had no idea how much effort it had taken. Yet Tang San, Zhu Zhuqing, Xiao Wu, and the others had dealt him a huge blow.

"Alright. We'll head out of the Star Dou Great Forest while helping Tang San search for his third Soul Ring."

"Yes, Teacher Zhao."

After making some brief preparations, the seven from Shrek Academy quickly retreated outward while helping Tang San search for his third Soul Ring.

After two days, once they had helped Tang San find a suitable Soul Ring, Zhao Wuji led everyone from Shrek Academy out of the Star Dou Great Forest without stopping for even a moment.

It took another two days to return from the Star Dou Great Forest to Shrek Academy.

"We're finally back! Being home feels so wonderful!" Oscar cried out rather dramatically.

Zhao Wuji glared at him. "Keep your voice down. Can't you see it's almost dark? Alright, go back to your dormitories and rest. I'm going to see Flender and report what happened on this trip."

After traveling for two days, the seven from Shrek Academy were all exhausted, and each headed toward their own dormitory.

"Tang San, wait." Just as Tang San was about to return to the dormitory with Oscar, Ning Rongrong called out to him.

Tang San paused and looked at Ning Rongrong. "Rongrong, what is it?"

Thinking of the concealed weapons Tang San had used earlier, Ning Rongrong softly said, "I want to speak with you alone. Is that alright?"

Oscar, who stood beside Tang San, stiffened slightly. "You two talk. I'll head back first."

Everyone knew that Oscar liked Ning Rongrong. Seeing Ning Rongrong call Tang San aside for a private conversation naturally put him in a bad mood.

"Alright." Tang San hesitated for a moment before following Ning Rongrong.

When Xiao Wu saw that Tang San wanted to speak with Ning Rongrong alone, she pouted unhappily and made a face at Ning Rongrong before running toward the dormitory.

Zhu Zhuqing had originally been returning to the dormitory with Xiao Wu, but after Xiao Wu ran off, Zhu Zhuqing stopped. She glanced at the sky. Though it had already grown somewhat dim, she changed direction and ran out of Shrek Academy toward Suotuo City.

At the gates of Shrek Academy, only Ning Rongrong and Tang San remained.

"Rongrong, what is it?" Tang San asked.

Ning Rongrong said, "Tang San, I want to make a deal with you."

Earlier, in the Star Dou Great Forest, they had encountered far too many dangers, all because Tang San had stubbornly insisted on his own way. In the end, just as in the original story, Tang San had distributed his hidden weapons to the Shrek students, greatly reducing the danger.

After seeing how powerful Tang San's hidden weapons were, Ning Rongrong thought of her sect, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

Most members of her sect were Support-type Soul Masters, with very weak self-defense abilities. Therefore, she wanted to make a deal with Tang San.

Ning Rongrong then told Tang San that she wanted to buy his hidden weapons.

After hearing this, Tang San refused without any hesitation.

Hidden weapons were secrets of his Tang Sect. Selling them to others was impossible.

Not even between classmates.

After all, they were merely classmates and did not share any particularly deep relationship.

In the end, he only agreed to make a few sets for Ning Rongrong first.

Ning Rongrong was slightly disappointed by the result, but she did not force Tang San. After all, they were Tang San's belongings.

However, Ning Rongrong would not take Tang San's hidden weapons for free. After telling Tang San that she would pay the appropriate amount of gold coins for the transaction, she ran back to the dormitory.

"Rongrong, what did you want with Third Brother just now?"

In the women's quarters, Xiao Wu asked somewhat unhappily when she saw Ning Rongrong return.

"Nothing much. I just wanted to buy some hidden weapons from him."

"Is that all?"

"Of course. Xiao Wu, what else were you thinking? Oh... you weren't suspecting that I like Tang San, were you? Don't worry about that. Your Third Brother is decent enough, but he's not my type."

Ning Rongrong had no interest in a man with such ordinary looks as Tang San. She only valued the power of his hidden weapons and wanted to make a deal with him.

"Whew, that's good." Upon hearing Ning Rongrong's words, Xiao Wu secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

She had suspected that Ning Rongrong liked her Third Brother. Now that she knew it had been a misunderstanding, her whole body relaxed.

"Eh, Xiao Wu, where's Zhuqing? Is she in her room?" Ning Rongrong poked her head around to look, confused when she failed to see Zhu Zhuqing.

"Zhuqing? I haven't seen her since earlier. I thought she was waiting for you."

"That's strange!"

Ning Rongrong went to Zhu Zhuqing's room to check, but she still did not see her, leaving her somewhat puzzled.

What Ning Rongrong and Xiao Wu did not know was that Zhu Zhuqing had already arrived outside Suotuo City.

The moment she reached Suotuo City, she headed straight for her destination: Gu Ye's Medical Hall.

Knock, knock!

Outside the Medical Hall, Zhu Zhuqing knocked on the door.

In a room in the Medical Hall's rear courtyard, Gu Ye, who had been cultivating, heard the knocking. When he sensed who it was, he discovered that it was Zhu Zhuqing.

"Did she return from the Star Dou Great Forest?"

"Looks like she did."

"She came straight here after returning from the Star Dou Great Forest?"

"It's already so late at night... probably."

Gu Ye stopped cultivating, walked out of the rear courtyard, and opened the main doors.

Zhu Zhuqing seemed to have blended into the night itself as she stood coldly at the entrance.

There was some dust on her pretty face, and her black leather outfit was somewhat wrinkled. She looked as though she had traveled through wind and dust.

"You came back from the Star Dou Great Forest?" Gu Ye asked calmly after looking her over.

"Mhm." Zhu Zhuqing nodded.

"You came here as soon as you returned?" Gu Ye asked again.

Zhu Zhuqing nodded once more.

Having received his answer, Gu Ye took Zhu Zhuqing's small hand and led her into the Medical Hall. He decisively shut the main doors and brought her to his room.

He intended to thoroughly understand what had happened to Zhu Zhuqing during the time she had been away.