A Different Zhu Zhuqing

BOOM!

The moment Li Hao made his choice, the nature of the life energy just injected into the Hell Spirit Cat (Royal Variant) changed abruptly!

It was no longer mere healing.

It was a fusion that was more overbearing, more primordial, and carried an indisputable will!

A dense, impenetrable black light erupted from within the Hell Spirit Cat, instantly forming a massive black cocoon that completely enveloped it.

All light within the cave was swallowed whole by this cocoon.

A terrifying ripple of soul power centered on the cocoon and spread wildly in all directions!

[Bond Evolution has been initiated!]

[Target: Hell Spirit Cat (Royal Variant)]

The system's solemn and grand voice carried a hint of explanation this time.

[Analysis beginning... This individual possesses the direct bloodline of the Hell Spirit Cat royal family, having undergone an unknown benign mutation during its growth, with soul purity and potential far exceeding its kin.]

[Due to the unique and overbearing nature of its bloodline, ordinary healing methods would cause violent energy conflicts. Only by using the host's origin for Bond Evolution, transforming it into a Soul Beast Girl integrated with the host, is there a glimmer of hope for survival.]

[Warning: This evolution is extremely difficult and consumes a vast amount of energy. However, once successful, its potential will break through racial shackles, becoming the sharpest... spear and shield under the host's command.]

Spear and shield?

Li Hao looked at the violently pulsing black cocoon before him, his heart calm and unmoved, even feeling a bit like retorting.

It sounded so high-and-mighty, but wasn't it just a gacha pull?

The kind that guaranteed an SSR, at that.

"Daddy!"

An anxious cry laced with tears came from the cave entrance.

Xiao Wu had ultimately been unable to hold back and had run in, worried.

When she saw the massive black cocoon exuding an ominous aura, her small face turned deathly pale.

She could feel the terrifying tearing and restructuring of life force occurring within that cocoon.

The pain of it made her empathize deeply.

"Daddy, will... will it be okay?"

Xiao Wu gripped the corner of Li Hao's clothes tightly, her body trembling slightly.

Li Hao snapped back to reality and placed his hand on Xiao Wu's head, stroking it gently.

His movements were steady, without a trace of panic.

"With me here, it will definitely be fine."

His words were simple, yet carried an unquestionable, stabilizing power.

"It will become our new family member."

This sentence was less of a comfort to Xiao Wu and more of a reminder to himself.

Since he had already intervened, and since he had already paid with his "origin"—something that sounded incredibly expensive—he absolutely could not afford to mess this up.

Social anxiety was one thing, but he could not allow any mishaps to befall his collection.

Medusa stood silently behind the two, a flicker of intrigue flashing through her emerald snake eyes.

She did not speak, merely spreading her own soul power to construct an invisible barrier around the cave, guarding against any potential disturbances.

At the same time, her senses remained locked onto the black cocoon, curiously analyzing that pure yet overbearing nether aura.

The pulsing of the black cocoon grew increasingly violent.

The pained roars emanating from within gradually grew weaker.

Li Hao could feel that while the energy inside the cocoon was vast, it lacked follow-through.

The origin of that Hell Spirit Cat had been depleted to almost nothing during its previous severe injuries and self-destruction.

Relying solely on the energy provided by the system, the evolution process would become extremely long and full of variables.

He could wait no longer.

Li Hao made his decision.

He stepped forward, reached out his right hand, and resolutely pressed it against the violently pulsing black cocoon.

Soul power surged forth!

His own cultivation as a level 35 Soul Elder was, at this moment, poured out without reservation, transforming into the purest energy and flowing continuously into the black cocoon!

HUM!

The moment it touched Li Hao's soul power, the black cocoon shuddered violently.

That originally wild and chaotic nether power seemed to have found its backbone, suddenly becoming docile and orderly.

Li Hao's soul power acted like a perfect catalyst and stabilizer.

It did not suppress the Hell Spirit Cat power, but instead guided and soothed it, helping it reach a delicate balance with the life energy provided by the system.

The painful roar ceased.

The violent throbbing also gradually calmed down.

The entire evolution process was forcibly pulled back onto the right track.

It worked!

Li Hao felt a weight lift from his heart.

It seemed his thirty-plus levels of soul power were not for nothing.

As he continuously injected his soul power, the black light on the surface of the black cocoon began to undergo a strange transformation.

As the light flowed, a slender, graceful female silhouette vaguely emerged in the center of the light cocoon.

A cold and arrogant aura, completely different from the previous violent energy, gradually began to permeate from the silhouette.

The temperature inside the cave began to plummet at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Ice crystals condensed in the air, and even the blood flowing on the ground began to be covered with a thin layer of frost.

Xiao Wu couldn't help but shiver, subconsciously moving a few steps closer to Li Hao.

Medusa watched this scene with great interest.

This power was pure, extreme, and carried the silence of death and the elegance of the night.

A promising seedling.

Time passed, second by second.

Li Hao felt that nearly a third of the soul power in his body had been drained.

It was at this moment that the light of the black cocoon finally reached its peak!

Crack.

A crisp shattering sound rang out.

A crack appeared on the surface of the light cocoon.

Immediately following were a second, a third...

The cracks spread rapidly like a spiderweb, and finally, with a muffled "bang," the entire black light cocoon shattered completely!

It turned into black specks of light dancing across the sky, slowly dissipating.

In the center of the light specks, a figure stood quietly.

It was a young girl.

A tight-fitting black leather outfit outlined her breathtakingly explosive curves to perfection.

Her skin seemed to glow white in the dim light.

A head of jet-black, silky long hair hung down to her waist.

She stood there silently, eyes closed, her entire being radiating a coldness and aloofness that kept others at a distance.

It was none other than the future Zhu Zhuqing.

No.

It should be said that she was the Soul Beast Girl Zhuqing, possessing even more terrifying talent and a purer bloodline than in the original work!

[Bond Evolution successful!]
[Soul Beast Girl: Zhu Zhuqing (Mutated Royal Bloodline)]
[Soul Contract has been established! Loyalty MAX!]
[Detected that her Hell Spirit Cat royal bloodline has been fully activated and is resonating with the host's soul power. Talent potential has been significantly increased; future achievements are limitless!]

The system's notification tone carried the grandeur of a job well done.

Li Hao looked at this perfect "creation" before him, not yet having the chance to reveal a satisfied smile.

The girl's long eyelashes suddenly trembled slightly.

The next second.

She slowly opened her eyes.

They were a pair of golden slit pupils that did not belong to a human at all—brilliant as the stars of the night, yet cold and devoid of any emotion.

Her gaze bypassed everything and landed with pinpoint accuracy on Li Hao.

Confusion, bewilderment.

And a sense of scrutiny and aloofness that seemed innate.