The System's Heaven-Defying Gift for Zhu Zhuqing

Zhu Zhuqing took a deep breath, made up her mind, and said clearly, "I... I'm willing to take you as my master."

She had made her decision, but she still felt as though she were about to lose something.

She shook her head and sighed. Forget it. You can't have everything in life.

Jiang Yunzhou was visibly stunned, a flash of surprised delight passing through his eyes.

He had thought he would need to spend more time on this, and had even been prepared to keep pressuring her tomorrow. He hadn't expected her to give him an answer now!

Happy! He was simply overjoyed!

He tried his best to suppress the upward curve of his lips and asked sternly, "You're not lying to me? You mean it? You're willing?"

Zhu Zhuqing had always kept her word. Once she decided something, she never went back on it.

But seeing him look so expectant yet afraid of being deceived, that little bit of awkwardness in her heart surfaced again.

Did I agree too quickly?

"O-of course I'm willing!"

She raised her chin slightly. "What? Do you think I'm playing with you?"

"No, no, no!"

Jiang Yunzhou hurriedly waved his hands, a brilliant smile blooming across his face. "I'm just too happy. I was afraid you weren't truly willing. As your master, I hate forcing people the most..."

Zhu Zhuqing couldn't help rolling her eyes dramatically.

He hated forcing people?

How could he even say that? Who had pressed her step by step, dug pits into every sentence, and put her over the fire until she had no choice but to state her position so quickly?

She straightened her back, her figure alluring, and looked Jiang Yunzhou directly in the eye with her beautiful gaze. "I, Zhu Zhuqing, willingly take Jiang Yunzhou as my master. Is that good enough for you?"

The smile on Jiang Yunzhou's face deepened, while some of his usual frivolity faded away.

His expression turned solemn. He curled his right hand in front of him, and a Sword Grass Bracelet glowing with a warm jade-green radiance appeared out of thin air in his palm.

The bracelet had a unique design without sacrificing elegance. Soul Power swirled around it, making it clear at a glance that it was no ordinary item.

"Good, my disciple Zhu Zhuqing..."

"Since you have sincerely entered my sect, I shall grant you a token of my direct disciple."

He handed the bracelet to Zhu Zhuqing. "This bracelet is not merely a token. It is also a storage device with one hundred cubic meters of storage space. Accept it."

Zhu Zhuqing was startled. A storage device with one hundred cubic meters of space?

She wanted to verify it, but Jiang Yunzhou was displaying a rare seriousness.

She subconsciously reached out. The instant her fingertips touched the bracelet, which felt as warm and smooth as jade, an unusual coolness spread from her fingers.

This bracelet had to be extremely valuable!

But this miserly fellow actually had such a generous side?

"What are you waiting for? Put it on." Jiang Yunzhou urged.

Only when she put on the bracelet would it signify that he had successfully accepted a disciple.

Hearing that, Zhu Zhuqing hesitated no longer.

She gently slipped the bracelet over her slender wrist.

The instant the bracelet touched her skin, a strange throbbing sensation surged up fiercely!

It was as if this bracelet had always been a part of her and had finally returned to its rightful place!

She lowered her head in surprise at the bracelet on her wrist, which emitted a faint green glow, then could not help looking up to ask, "Master, this is..."

Before she could finish, she discovered that Jiang Yunzhou's gaze had become somewhat unfocused, as though he had sunk into another world.

At that moment, the system's notification sounded in Jiang Yunzhou's mind like heavenly music:

Ding! Congratulations, Host, on successfully accepting your first disciple: Zhu Zhuqing!

Direct disciple Zhu Zhuqing has successfully been bound to the Host's first Soul Ring Slot!

The Host's first Soul Ring Age Limit has now dynamically updated to: 1600 years

Zhu Zhuqing's information panel:

Name: Zhu Zhuqing

Qualification Rating: S-rank

Martial Soul: Shadow Spirit Cat

Current Soul Power: Level 26

Soul Ring Configuration: Yellow, Yellow

The system has completed an in-depth analysis of Zhu Zhuqing! Exclusive Growth Gift Pack granted:

Martial Soul Advancement Pill ×1: Can optimize the Martial Soul's origin, increase potential, and guide the Martial Soul's beneficial evolution.

Nether Shadow Profound Nether Art ×1: A top-tier shadow-element cultivation art, perfectly suited to the characteristics of the Spirit Cat Martial Soul. After cultivation, it can greatly increase speed, concealment ability, and assassination techniques, while also granting attacks a soul-corroding effect.

Recommended supplementary cultivation:

"Nine Yin Manual": Highly compatible with movement techniques, claw techniques, muscle and bone strengthening chapters, and more.

"Instant Hell Kill": An extreme burst assassination technique.

Compatibility assessment: Perfect match! This disciple possesses immense potential. This cultivation art system can bring her speed, concealment, and assassination talents to their utmost limits, while compensating for her weaknesses in attack power and soul attacks.

Jiang Yunzhou swiftly scanned through the system information, and the joy of successfully taking on a disciple had only just risen in his heart.

When he saw the Martial Soul Advancement Pill and the Nether Shadow Profound Nether Art, that joy was instantly diluted by more than half with a sour feeling!

Good grief!

So he was just a pure tool, a delivery man for cultivation arts and pills?

Look at the good stuff the system was giving his disciple!

A Martial Soul Advancement Pill! A top-tier cultivation art!

And what about him, the master? Was he just supposed to watch? Not even a little compensation for his hard work? This system was far too biased!

After grumbling for a while, Jiang Yunzhou composed himself and carefully examined the cultivation art rewarded by the system.

Core techniques of the Nether Shadow Profound Nether Art:

Shadow Refinement into Form: Draw shadow-element energy from heaven and earth into the body, tempering the muscles, bones, and bloodline, gradually transforming the flesh into a Shadow Spirit Body that lies between substance and insubstantiality!

Once mastered, it not only drastically increases speed and concealment, but also greatly reduces the obstruction of physical impacts, allowing one to pass through walls and gaps as though nothing existed!

Profound Nether Steps: A top-tier shadow movement technique! The user steps upon the veins of shadow, achieving near-teleportation over short distances. During long-distance dashes, the user becomes like a ghostly streak of light—silent and faster than lightning! It can also create multiple afterimages that are difficult to distinguish between real and false, confusing enemies without their notice.

Netherworld Eyes: Temper the eyes to peer into the hidden and perceive the minute! They can pierce through fog and illusions, allowing one to see in absolute darkness as clearly as in daylight.

They can also sense the strength of life auras, the paths of energy flow, and even weak points in spatial structures, allowing one to anticipate the enemy's movements.

Soul Devouring Claws: Condense yin-fiend Netherworld power at the fingertips. Attacks carry the power to erode the soul and possess an exceptionally strong armor-piercing effect! It pursues ultimate single-target lethality, seeking to kill with a single strike and leave the soul wounded with every claw!

Martial arts cultivation techniques and combat skills:

"Nine Yin Manual": A martial arts classic. Its Spiral Nine Shadows is a top-tier Lightness Skill movement technique, its Nine Yin Divine Claws are sharp and ruthless, and its Soul Shifting Great Method excels at Spiritual Power interference and defense.

Long-term cultivation of the Soul Shifting Great Method can also gradually increase Spiritual Power!

This cultivation art can greatly compensate for weaknesses in movement techniques, close-quarters combat, and spiritual resistance.

"Instant Hell Kill": A pure extreme burst assassination technique! It instantaneously compresses and condenses one's essence, energy, and spirit into a single point, seeking to unleash speed and destructive power beyond all limits within a Fleeting Bloom, killing with a single blow!

The advantage of these two martial arts cultivation techniques was that their consumption was relatively low. They could display considerable power immediately after being learned and did not place much burden on Soul Power.

"Tut, tut, tut..." Jiang Yunzhou's eyes burned as his heart raced.

"Damn system, you even pulled out cultivation arts of this level?"

These were divine cultivation arts tailored specifically for shadow-element Soul Masters, perfectly suited to Zhu Zhuqing's Spirit Cat Martial Soul.

It stung! He still couldn't help feeling bitter!

As a master, he really was nothing more than a cultivation art delivery man!

Fortunately, if his disciple became stronger, that meant he would become stronger as well!

"System."

"You're biased beyond belief. Can I cultivate these techniques too?"

The Host may naturally cultivate them.

The system answered simply and decisively.

However, your attribute compatibility is inferior to that of shadow-element Soul Masters, so the effects will be reduced. Please be patient, Host. Your exclusive rewards are still to come~ Please look forward to them...

"Exclusive rewards are still to come?" Jiang Yunzhou's eyes lit up, and his heart found comfort.

Everyone knew that the finale was usually the good stuff, right? He would take this bait!

Since it was a disciple-acceptance system, it made sense to invest in the disciple first. Fine, he would stop feeling bitter for now!

Next, it was time to Show Off!