Rescuing Zhu Zhuqing

Just then, the forest mist was suddenly split apart by a scorching gust from a blade. A crimson slash streaked down like a falling meteor, striking precisely three inches before the Soul King's claw tips.

The ground burst into spiderweb cracks. The Soul King felt an overwhelming force surge toward him, numbing his entire arm with stabbing pain and forcing him back three steps. A faint crack came from his wrist bone.

"Who is it? Show yourself!"

The three Zhu Clan elders stood back-to-back in a triangle, their Martial Soul phantoms swelling to three feet tall as dark green Soul Power condensed solidly around their claws.

The Soul King stared at the mist-shrouded canopy, his pupils contracting in shock and uncertainty—the speed of that strike had far exceeded anything he believed a Soul King was capable of.

Shen Lian drifted down like a falling leaf, his Vermilion Bird Wings turning into streams of light and vanishing into his body the moment he landed.

He casually leaned on the Dragon-Slaying Blade, its edge thrust diagonally into the earth as dark golden patterns flowed across it in the morning light.

Seeing that Shen Lian looked no older than sixteen or seventeen, the Soul King immediately curled his lips in disdain.

"Kid, you've got some nerve. You dare interfere in Zhu Clan business and play the hero saving a beauty? Today, you'll die here."

"You should leave. You're no match for the three of them."

Zhu Zhuqing's voice came from behind him, carrying the metallic sweetness of blood.

Shen Lian turned around and saw the girl pushing herself upright against a tree trunk. Blood seeped through her black clothes, staining them red.

He suddenly smiled and lightly flicked the flat of his blade with a finger, producing a clear ring.

"Little kitty, watch closely."

Then, six Spirit Rings erupted beneath Shen Lian's feet.

Two circles of eerie purple light rose first, followed by four deep black rings spreading out one after another, each radiating suffocating pressure.

As the Spirit Rings spun, the forest mist was forcibly driven back dozens of yards.

"S-Soul Emperor?!"

The Soul King's pupils abruptly shrank to pinpoints, and his right leg trembled uncontrollably beneath him.

It had taken him over thirty years of cultivation to break through to Soul King, yet this boy before him was already a Soul Emperor. Worse still, his Spirit Ring configuration was so monstrous—two purple and four black. That meant his first two rings were both over a thousand years old, while the latter four began at ten thousand years!

Zhu Zhuqing clutched her bleeding side, so stunned that she forgot the pain.

The strongest person she had ever seen was only the emperor of the Star Luo Empire. Even as a Title Douluo, his Spirit Rings had never shocked her as much as Shen Lian's did.

At this moment, the Spirit Rings beneath Shen Lian's feet were like six bolts of thunder, shattering everything she knew about Soul Power Levels.

When the fourth black ring lit up, she could even feel her Hell Spirit Cat Martial Soul trembling.

A thought flashed through her mind like lightning: If I follow him, perhaps I can truly grow stronger. Then I can truly take control of my own fate.

The Zhu Clan Soul King's Adam's apple bobbed violently. Cold sweat slid down his twisted face, darkening the Zhu Clan emblem at his collar.

He forced his trembling legs to remain steady, but his voice still rose uncontrollably.

"Friend, we're from the Star Luo Zhu Family! If you kill us, even if you're a Soul Emperor, the Zhu Clan will send people after you!"

Before he could finish speaking, the two Soul Ancestors beside him unconsciously took half a step back. Their dark green cat Martial Soul phantoms had nearly turned transparent under Shen Lian's pressure.

Shen Lian gave a low laugh. The Dragon-Slaying Blade spun in his palm, its cold reflected gleam making his features appear even sharper.

"Threatening me?"

Shen Lian raised an eyebrow. His second Spirit Ring suddenly flared with eerie purple light, and the temperature in the forest instantly soared. Dead leaves curled into ash beneath the heatwave.

"Then let the Zhu Clan remember this well: reckless words come with a price!"

The instant his second Soul Skill, Flame Sparrow Peerless, activated, the air let out a piercing explosion.

Crimson Soul Power coiled around the blade like a living thing, transforming into a three-zhang-tall phantom of a Vermilion Bird.

As its fiery wings spread, they burned away the morning mist. Wherever its tail feathers swept, trees were instantly charred.

The pupils of the three Zhu Clan elders contracted sharply. The Soul King hastily raised both arms to block, only to see the Vermilion Bird's sharp beak pierce through the protective Soul Power he had been so proud of.

The screams stopped abruptly. Wrapped in the Vermilion Bird's flames, the three figures shot into the sky, where a blinding fireball exploded in midair.

Shen Lian stood with his hands behind his back, watching the blackened remains fall like rain.

Leaning against the tree, Zhu Zhuqing stared blankly at the boy's upright back. The crimson Soul Power swirling around him complemented the Vermilion Bird's blazing flames, making him seem like a God of War returned from hell.

"Remember this lesson."

Shen Lian bent down and picked up a still-smoking fragment of a clan emblem. His thumb brushed over the character "Zhu," and the fragment instantly melted into molten iron before he continued.

"Before absolute power, so-called clans are nothing but a joke."

Then Shen Lian turned to Zhu Zhuqing, the killing intent in his eyes softening into gentleness.

"Can you stand? I'll take you to treat your wounds."

The moment Shen Lian finished speaking, Zhu Zhuqing's body went limp like a kite with its string cut, and she fell straight down.

His eyes and hands were quick. With one sweep of his long arm, he barely caught her.

His fingertips touched the sticky blood at her waist. It was warm to the touch, and Shen Lian's heart suddenly tightened.

"Little kitty?"

Shen Lian called softly as his fingers reached for Zhu Zhuqing's carotid artery.

Her face was pale as paper, cold sweat constantly sliding down her jawline. Her lashes cast trembling shadows beneath her eyes.

After brushing aside her disheveled hair, Shen Lian sucked in a sharp breath.

Three claw wounds on Zhu Zhuqing's back were so deep that bone showed through. Torn flesh curled around them as dark red blood steadily seeped out, filling the air with a sickening stench of blood.

More troublingly, her breathing was weak and erratic. Her internal organs had clearly suffered severe injuries as well.

Shen Lian did not dare hesitate. His Soul Power flowed into Zhu Zhuqing's body like a gentle stream.

Wrapped in his Soul Power, the blood around her wounds gradually congealed, but the girl remained unconscious.

He looked at the lifeless body in his arms, his brow furrowing deeply.

After all, Shen Lian was not like the protagonists of other novels who were all masters of medicine.

Shen Lian then carefully lifted Zhu Zhuqing into his arms, preparing to find a nearby town or village.

As the morning mist in the forest gradually dispersed, Shen Lian spread his Vermilion Bird Wings and rose into the air.

The girl in his arms was astonishingly light. Even through her thin clothing, he could clearly feel her prominent ribs.

"As expected of the Hell Spirit Cat, that waist..."

Shen Lian murmured to himself, then remembered Zhu Zhuqing's tragic past, and his expression gradually became complicated.

The wind howled past his ears, but Shen Lian's thoughts drifted toward the distant future.

He had seen the Zhu Zhuqing of the original story, silently enduring among the Shrek Seven Devils. He had seen her helplessness as she had no choice but to rely on Dai Mubai in order to survive.

"Someone with such decent talent had to be bound by her family's rotten rules and by a man."

Shen Lian unconsciously rubbed the hilt of the Dragon-Slaying Blade with his fingers, then continued thinking.

"Dai Mubai, that coward, abandoned her to face Dai Weisi and Zhu Zhuyun alone. After they reunited, he still indulged in pleasure and debauchery. He simply didn't deserve her."

Thinking of the Shrek Seven Devils, Shen Lian gave a cold snort.

Ning Rongrong was even less worth mentioning—a spoiled young miss, arrogant and overbearing.

Tang San was no better—controlling, hypocritical, and fiercely protective of his own.

Xiao Wu was far too emotional. Everything revolved around Tang San, and whenever she acted impulsively, she never considered the consequences.

There was no need to mention Ma Hongjun either. He was one of Dai Mubai's companions.

Only Oscar was somewhat clear-headed, but unfortunately, he eventually became Ning Rongrong's subordinate as well.

He lowered his head and looked at Zhu Zhuqing in his arms. Even on her pale face, her unyielding stubbornness had not faded. Then he said:

"Only you have fought for your own fate from beginning to end."