Tyrant, Spoils!

Seeing Tang Yu agree, Zhu Zhuqing dared not disobey.

She took a deep breath, quickly adjusted her state, and her gaze instantly became focused.

Her soul power erupted, and soul rings emerged beneath her feet.

"First Soul Skill, Hell Stab!"

Zhu Zhuqing's figure transformed into a black afterimage in an instant.

Her speed was incredibly fast, carrying a shrill whistle that tore through the air, as the sharp claws at her fingertips carved ten chilling black rays into the air.

The power was immense, and the movement was crisp and clean.

Standing to the side, Zhu Zhuyun felt a sudden jolt in her heart upon seeing this.

She clearly sensed a tangible threat.

Since when had this girl become so strong?

If they truly met on the battlefield, even if she held the advantage in soul power, she feared she would find it quite troublesome.

However, facing this imposing strike, Tang Yu merely frowned slightly, then shook his head without mercy.

"Boring. Rigid."

Tang Yu's assessment was ruthless.

"Whoever taught you likely has a head full of useless theories."

"You follow this move by the book; it looks powerful, but it is riddled with flaws."

"If this were a real life-or-death battle, your one-track style would crumble at the slightest touch."

These words left Zhu Zhuqing stunned in place.

She had trained diligently since she was young and was hailed as a genius at Shrek Academy; never had she received such a total negation of her abilities.

Tang Yu did not give her time to think, simply beckoning to her with his finger.

"Stop practicing against the air."

"Attack me directly."

Upon hearing this, a flash of astonishment crossed Zhu Zhuqing's eyes, but then the stubbornness in her bones surged forth.

Gritting her teeth, she hesitated no longer.

Her entire soul power erupted without reservation, and she lunged aggressively toward Tang Yu.

Her sharp claws pointed directly at Tang Yu's throat.

Just as those sharp cat claws were about to touch Tang Yu's skin.

Tang Yu didn't even raise a hand; he merely tapped his toe lightly on the ground, his figure sliding half a step to the side and back with ease.

Zhu Zhuqing's all-out strike missed completely.

Having lost her center of gravity, she couldn't retract her force in time, and she tumbled forward in a sorry state, crashing onto the bluestone floor with a "bang."

A burning pain radiated from her knees and elbows.

Tang Yu looked down at her from above.

"Your moves are rigid to the extreme."

"If that had been on the battlefield, you would be a corpse by now."

"A brain is a good thing; combat isn't about closing your eyes and charging forward. Use your head."

This condescending reprimand ignited Zhu Zhuqing's competitive spirit.

She flipped up from the ground, said nothing, and launched a storm-like assault on Tang Yu once more.

Hell Hundred Claws!

A sky full of claw shadows enveloped the vital points around Tang Yu's body.

However, no matter how much Zhu Zhuqing squeezed the soul power within her, and no matter how fast her speed increased.

The opponent acted as if he were merely strolling through a back garden.

Every time, he was off by an imperceptible half-inch, never letting her touch the hem of his clothes.

Zhu Zhuqing felt like a child who had just learned to walk, throwing wild punches at a strong adult.

That unprecedented sense of powerlessness stung her nerves deeply.

A long time later.

Zhu Zhuqing's soul power was exhausted; she braced her hands on her knees, gasping for air, sweat dripping continuously from her cheeks onto the stone floor.

Tang Yu looked at her exhausted state, shook his head, and without saying another word, turned and walked out of the courtyard.

Zhu Zhuqing stared at his departing back with deep unwillingness, her eyes turning slightly red.

Zhu Zhuyun walked to her side and handed her a towel.

"Tell me honestly, when did you become this strong?"

Zhu Zhuqing did not take the towel, merely lifting her head with an epiphany in her eyes that felt like a rebirth from a cocoon.

"Is it strong?"

"Only today did I truly realize what it is I actually want to learn."

"Everything I learned at Shrek Academy before was useless posturing; I might as well have learned it all for nothing."

In the days that followed.

This small courtyard became the exclusive training ground for Zhu Zhuqing.

Tang Yu would occasionally set aside time to personally step in and guide her cultivation.

There was no theoretical nonsense, only pointing out her fatal flaws through combat where every punch landed with impact.

Under this high-pressure refinement, Zhu Zhuqing's combat ability and the way she circulated her soul power progressed by leaps and bounds.

She discarded her previous superfluous movements, making every strike more lethal and efficient.

The clear sensation of growing stronger brought her immense satisfaction.

It was a marvelous experience she had never encountered in the Star Luo Empire or Shrek Academy.

At dusk that day.

The high-intensity training finally concluded.

Zhu Zhuqing wiped the fragrant sweat from her forehead and ran excitedly toward Tang Yu.

Tang Yu, however, raised his hand, cutting her off.

"Tonight."

"Come to my room."

The excited smile on Zhu Zhuqing's face froze.

She stood rooted to the spot as if struck by a binding spell.

The pure joy of being immersed in cultivation these past few days had made her almost forget her true situation.

Tang Yu's single sentence pulled her ruthlessly back to reality.

She finally remembered her status once more—the spoils of war belonging to this man.

Time passed quickly, and night soon shrouded the Wuyang Marquis Mansion.

Outside the master bedroom door.

Zhu Zhuqing stood quietly at the bottom of the steps.

She was still wearing that iconic black tight-fitting leather outfit, which outlined her proud figure in a heart-stopping way.

Especially those long, straight, beautiful legs, tightly wrapped in black silk stockings, exuding an extreme beauty and temptation capable of driving any man mad.

As the night wind blew, her somewhat thin shoulders trembled slightly.

Her beautiful eyes were filled with conflict and hesitation.

She stood outside the door for a full incense stick's worth of time.

Finally, Zhu Zhuqing took a deep breath, bit her lip hard, and a look of determination flashed in her eyes.

She raised her hand and pressed it against the heavy wooden door.

With a firm push, she stepped inside.

Following a dull thud, the heavy door closed tightly behind her.

The room was dimly lit, with only a few candle flames flickering gently.

Zhu Zhuqing looked up to see Tang Yu sitting casually on the edge of the bed.

The man did not even look at her directly, merely raising his hand to beckon her over with nonchalance.

"Come here."

"Sit down."

These two simple commands carried an oppressive force that made it impossible to harbor any thought of resistance.

Zhu Zhuqing stood where she was, her expression complex to the extreme.

The high-intensity training in the courtyard over the past few days and the Tang Yu who had focused on pointing out her flaws had taught her so much.

That process of pure growth had even made her have the illusion at times that she had forgotten the true identity of the man before her.

But now, in this enclosed, dim room, that suffocating pressure surged back like a tide.

She realized clearly once again that the youth sitting on the edge of the bed was no patient mentor.

He was a god of slaughter who had massacred countless souls on the battlefield, an absolute tyrant who made the Star Luo Empire royal family unable to catch their breath.

In front of this man, no one dared to provoke him.