Hold Me Tight

"...My dear little sister, you can't escape."

Hearing that familiar, hateful female voice, Zhu Zhuqing immediately leaped down from the treetop. With her back against a thick tree trunk, she warily scanned her surroundings.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

One piercing sound after another rang out as more than a dozen Black-Clad People emerged from the dense forest, sealing off every possible route of escape.

"This time, you truly have nowhere to run."

The familiar female voice sounded again. The next moment, a short-haired woman whose appearance was seventy percent similar to Zhu Zhuqing's, likewise dressed in tight black clothing, stepped gracefully out from the crowd with an elegant feline gait.

"Zhu—Zhu—Yun!"

The girl stared coldly at the short-haired woman before her and spoke each word distinctly.

"How rude. Call me Second Sister."

Zhu Zhuyun covered her small mouth with a delicate hand and laughed charmingly.

At those words, the girl said frostily, "Your words disgust me. You chased me across thousands of miles to kill me, and you call yourself my sister?"

"You can't blame me for that. Who told you to possess the bloodline of the Netherworld Cat Family?"

A trace of sorrow appeared in Zhu Zhuyun's beautiful eyes. "For generations, our Zhu Family has intermarried with the Star Luo Royal Family. Nearly every girl of the Zhu Family is betrothed to an Imperial Son. Thus, the Star Luo Royal Family's clan rule of making the Imperial Sons slaughter one another to determine the victor has extended to us as well."

Her tone shifted, and Zhu Zhuyun sneered. "Little sister, if you must blame someone, blame Dai Mubai."

"If he hadn't been unable to endure the royal family's cruel competition and fled Star Luo like a coward, why would you, as his fiancée, have needed to travel thousands of miles to find him and end up in such danger?"

"Enough! If you want to kill me, stop talking nonsense!"

After hearing her sister's words, Zhu Zhuqing's expression grew even colder.

As Soul Power surged, two yellow hundred-year soul rings rose from beneath her feet, pulsing up and down around her body.

"Martial Soul, possess me!"

With a quiet murmur, Zhu Zhuqing's eyes changed color at the same time—her left eye dark green, her right eye clear blue. Her waist-length hair naturally fell against her back, two black cat ears sprouted from the top of her head, and a black tail extended from her hips.

This was her Martial Soul, the Netherworld Spirit Cat!

"So eager to die? Then I'll grant your wish!"

With a mocking smile, Zhu Zhuyun raised an arm and gave it a light wave. The dozen or so Black-Clad People behind her erupted with Soul Power at once!

In an instant, brilliant soul rings rose beneath the Black-Clad People's feet. Nearly all of them were Great Spirit Masters above level 20, and a few were even Soul Elders with three soul rings.

Seeing their strength, a trace of gloom flashed through the girl's icy gaze.

Although her Soul Power had already reached level 27, making her an unquestionable genius at her age, she had no chance whatsoever against more than a dozen Soul Masters of the same rank—or even a rank above her.

If she wanted to survive, she could only find the weakest point in their encirclement, then rely on the advantage of her agility-type Martial Soul to break through and flee as quickly as possible, just as she had before.

"Zhuqing, you should be thankful that I can only use the Royal Secret Guards Dai Weisi personally trained to hunt you down. If I could mobilize our Zhu Family's death warriors, you might be facing Soul Kings or Soul Emperors."

Zhu Zhuyun sneered and said without hesitation, "Kill her. Remember, don't let her die too painfully."

"Yes!"

The moment Zhu Zhuyun finished speaking, the Black-Clad Soul Masters unleashed their soul skills and attacked the girl without holding back!

Facing the concentrated assault of more than a dozen Soul Masters, Zhu Zhuqing naturally would not take it head-on.

Her figure flashed, leaving behind a string of faint afterimages as she evaded almost every attack. Her speed was so astonishing that it left people in awe.

Even as she dodged, her attacks were exceptionally fierce. Her sharp claws and first soul ring lit up simultaneously as she struck directly at the Black-Clad People's vital points!

Soul skill—Hell Stab!

"Ah!!"

A scream rang out. One Black-Clad Person clutched his spurting neck and collapsed helplessly.

Both were Great Spirit Masters in their twenties, yet he had failed to block even a single move from Zhu Zhuqing!

This was the difference between a top-tier agility-type beast Martial Soul and an ordinary Martial Soul.

Meanwhile, five li away.

Fifty Soul Masters dressed in white, with Purple Micro Palace emblems on their chests, were advancing at high speed.

All of them were Soul Elders above level 30. Their formation was orderly and they moved in silence, clearly well-trained.

They were the Tian Shu Guard, one of the Big Dipper Seven Guards!

Ahead of them, Xiao Chenyu and Wang Sheng rode on either side of Zhou Chen, the three of them traveling together on horseback.

"Neigh—"

Suddenly, Zhou Chen pulled the reins and brought his horse to a stop. The others from Purple Micro Palace stopped as well.

"There seems to be fighting up ahead."

A brilliant golden soul ring abruptly rose beneath Zhou Chen's feet. His second soul skill—Heavenly Vision Earthly Hearing Technique—activated!

In an instant, the scene five li away became clearly visible through his eyes, which had become like telescopes.

"It should be those fools from the Star Luo Empire. They're actually bullying a beauti... a young girl." Zhou Chen looked into the distance and muttered.

"Wait, that girl... seems to be in danger."

Zhou Chen gave a low shout, then instructed Xiao Chenyu and Wang Sheng beside him, "The Star Luo Empire is so cruel that they won't even spare women and children. As the Palace Master of Purple Micro Palace, I naturally must uphold justice. You two oversee the formation. I'll go on ahead!"

As he spoke, Zhou Chen sprang from his horse, and his golden soul ring suddenly lit up.

Third Spirit Ability, inherited from the Thirty-Six Transformations of Tiangang—Ground Shrinking Golden Light!

Whoosh!

A sonic boom rang out as Zhou Chen instantly transformed into a streak of golden light and shot toward the scene.

Leaving only Xiao Chenyu and Wang Sheng staring at each other.

The Palace Master upheld justice too? That didn't sound like him!

Why did they feel that Zhou Chen was rushing over so eagerly because the one being surrounded was a beautiful young girl...

At this moment, within the dense forest.

Relying on the advantage of her Martial Soul, Zhu Zhuqing injured several more Black-Clad People in succession.

Then, taking advantage of the enemy formation becoming somewhat scattered, Zhu Zhuqing locked onto an injured Black-Clad Person. As her body spun, claw shadows flew in all directions, launching over a hundred attacks in a short span of time!

This was her second soul skill—Netherworld Hundred Claws!

"Ah—"

Another scream sounded as the Black-Clad Person fell, opening a gap in the encirclement!

Seeing that she had broken open their formation, Zhu Zhuqing immediately leaped through the gap!

Just as she was about to escape once more, a Black-Clad Person suddenly roared. His fists clenched tightly, and the third soul ring on his body lit up!

In an instant, intense brown light erupted. Zhu Zhuqing, who had been on the verge of escaping the encirclement, was immediately blasted back by a powerful shockwave, letting out a muffled groan in midair.

"Kill her, now!"

"Isn't your Martial Soul a bow? Shoot through her!"

"..."

Seeing Zhu Zhuqing unable to move or borrow force in midair, the Black-Clad People instantly grew excited. All sorts of lethal soul skills struck at her at once!

Am I... going to die?

Unable to evade, Zhu Zhuqing closed her eyes in despair. Fine. After fleeing for thousands of miles, I can finally rest...

However, the next second, Zhu Zhuqing felt herself fall into a warm embrace, and a gentle male voice sounded by her ear:

"Hold me tight!"