Zhu Zhuqing Takes a Master (Bonus Chapter 2)

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

She had made her decision, yet it 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.

Lin Feng was visibly stunned for a moment, and a flash of surprised delight crossed his eyes.

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

Happy! He was absolutely thrilled!

He tried hard to suppress the upward curl of his lips and deliberately asked in a stern tone, "You're not lying to me? You mean it? You're doing this willingly?"

Zhu Zhuqing had always kept her word and never went back on a decision once she made it.

But seeing him look both expectant and afraid of being fooled, that small bit of awkwardness in her heart resurfaced.

Did I agree too quickly?

"O-of course I'm doing this willingly!"

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

"No, no, no!"

Lin Feng hurriedly waved his hands, a brilliant smile blooming across his face. "I'm just too happy. I was afraid you didn't truly want this. Your Master here dislikes forcing people the most..."

Zhu Zhuqing could not help rolling her eyes.

Dislikes forcing people?

How did he even have the nerve to say that? Who had pressed her step by step, dug traps into every sentence, and put her over the fire until she had no choice but to state her decision so quickly?

She straightened her back, her figure alluring, and met Lin Feng's gaze with her beautiful eyes. She declared clearly, "I, Zhu Zhuqing, willingly take Lin Feng as my master. Is that enough?"

The smile on Lin Feng's face deepened, though some of his usual frivolity faded.

His expression turned solemn. He loosely clenched his right hand before him, and a Lotus Seed Bracelet, flowing with a warm jade-green radiance, appeared out of thin air in his palm.

The bracelet had a unique design without lacking elegance. Soul Power misted around it, and one look was enough to tell that it was no ordinary item.

"Good, my disciple Zhu Zhuqing..."

"Since you have sincerely entered my sect, Your Master shall grant you the token of a Direct Disciple."

He held the bracelet out before Zhu Zhuqing. "This bracelet is not merely a token. It is also a storage device, containing One Hundred Cubic Meters of storage space. Take it."

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

She wanted to confirm it, but it was rare to see Lin Feng looking so serious.

She instinctively reached out. When her fingertips touched the bracelet, warm and smooth as jade, a strange cool sensation spread up from her fingers.

This bracelet had to be extremely valuable!

But this stingy fellow could actually be so generous?

"What are you waiting for? Put it on." Lin Feng urged.

Only by putting on the bracelet would it signify Successful Disciple Acceptance.

Hearing this, 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 forth!

It was as if the bracelet had always been a part of her, and had finally returned to where it belonged!

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

Before she could finish, she noticed that Lin Feng's gaze had gone slightly unfocused, as though he had immersed himself in another world.

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

[ Ding! Congratulations to the host for successfully accepting the First Disciple: Zhu Zhuqing! ]

[ Direct Disciple Zhu Zhuqing has successfully been linked to the host's first Soul Ring slot! ]

[ The host's first Soul Ring Age has been dynamically updated to: 1600 years ]

[ Zhu Zhuqing's Information Panel:]

Name: Zhu Zhuqing

Qualification Rating: S-rank

Martial Soul: Hell Spirit Cat

Current Soul Power: Level 26

Soul Ring Configuration: Yellow, Yellow

[ Zhu Zhuqing has been thoroughly analyzed by the system! Exclusive growth gift package granted:]

Martial Soul Advancement Pill 1: Optimizes the origin of the Martial Soul, raises potential, and guides the Martial Soul toward beneficial evolution.

Shadow Nether Art 1: A top-tier dark-attribute Cultivation Method that perfectly matches the characteristics of the Spirit Cat Martial Soul. After cultivation, it can greatly increase speed, concealment ability, and assassination techniques, while granting attacks a Corrosive Effect on the soul.

[ Recommended supplementary cultivation:]

Nine Yin Manual: High Compatibility Assessment with movement techniques, claw arts, the Tendon Transformation and Bone Forging section, and more.

Instant Hell Kill: An assassination technique of extreme explosive power.

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

Lin Feng rapidly scanned the system information, and the joy of successfully accepting a disciple had only just risen in his heart.

When he saw "Martial Soul Advancement Pill" and "Shadow Nether Art," that joy was instantly diluted by a wave of bitterness!

Well, damn!

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

Just look at the good stuff the system gave his disciple!

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

And what about him, the master? Was he supposed to just stand there and watch? He did not even get a bit of compensation? This system was way too biased!

After a round of complaints, Lin Feng composed himself and carefully examined the cultivation methods rewarded by the system.

[ Summary of the core ultimate skills of the Shadow Nether Art:]

Shadow Refinement: Draw dark-attribute energy from heaven and earth into the body, tempering the muscles, bones, and bloodline to gradually transform the physical body into a "Shadow Spirit Body" existing between substance and intangibility!

After reaching mastery, not only will speed and concealment soar, physical obstructions from collisions will also be greatly weakened. Passing through walls and gaps will be as effortless as moving through empty space!

Mysterious Underworld Steps: A top-tier shadow movement technique! The user steps upon the veins of shadows, allowing short-distance movement that is nearly Teleportation. For long-distance dashes, the user becomes like Gui Mei's Flowing Light—silent and traceless, faster than lightning! It can also create multiple afterimages that are difficult to distinguish between real and fake, confusing enemies invisibly.

Nether Pupil: Tempers both eyes, allowing one to perceive the hidden and observe the minute! It can pierce through mist and illusions, allowing sight in absolute darkness as clearly as in daylight.

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

Soul Devouring Claw: Condenses sinister Nether power at the claw tips. Attacks carry the power of soul corrosion and an exceptionally strong armor-piercing effect! It pursues ultimate single-target lethality, seeking to kill the enemy in one strike—the claw emerges, and the soul is wounded!

Martial arts cultivation methods and combat skills:

Nine Yin Manual: A martial arts classic. Its "Spiral Nine Shadows" is a top-tier Lightness Skill movement technique, the "Nine Yin Divine Claw" is sharp and ruthless, and the "Soul Shifting Great Law" excels in Mental Power interference and defense.

Long-term cultivation of the "Soul Shifting Great Law" can also subtly increase Mental Power!

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

Instant Hell Kill: A pure assassination technique of extreme explosive power! It compresses and concentrates one's essence, energy, and spirit into a single point in an instant, seeking to unleash speed and destructive force beyond all limits in a moment of Fleeting Beauty, delivering a one-hit kill!

The advantage of these two martial arts cultivation methods is that they consume relatively little. They can display considerable power immediately after being learned and do not place much burden on Soul Power.

"Tut, tut, tut..." Lin Feng's eyes burned as his heart raced.

"Dog system, you're even handing out cultivation methods at this level?"

This was practically a divine cultivation manual tailor-made for dark-attribute Soul Masters, perfectly matching Zhu Zhuqing's Spirit Cat Martial Soul.

Bitter! He still could not help feeling bitter!

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

Fortunately, if his disciple grew stronger, that meant he grew stronger too!

"System."

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

[ Naturally, the host may cultivate them. ]

The system answered cleanly and decisively.

[ It is merely that your attribute compatibility is inferior to that of dark-attribute 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?" Lin Feng's eyes lit up, and his heart was comforted.

As everyone knew, the finale was often the best part. He was buying this promise!

Since it was a disciple-accepting 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 before others!