Shi An had actually wanted to strip him naked and castrate him, but unfortunately, there had not been enough time.
Otherwise, he really would have castrated that guy.
Damn it, I haven't even touched a woman, while you get to be a groom every night.
Shi An truly did not care in the slightest. Really.
After Flender crawled out of the ground, the people from Spirit Hall took him away.
Although Flender was a Soul Saint, he still did not dare act recklessly before the hall master of Suotuo City's Spirit Hall, even if that man was merely a Soul Emperor.
The hall master of Spirit Hall harshly rebuked Flender and made him pay a fine to compensate for the reconstruction of that street.
Flender was also thrown into detention and required to cool off for half a month.
Flender was quite helpless, but when he thought that Shi An might come to enroll at his Shrek Academy, the corners of his mouth could not stop rising.
Hammers Town.
Shi An and Zhu Zhuqing checked into an inn.
The second-floor room was incredibly dim. The windows were covered by curtains, and scattered flecks of light spilled through the gaps, illuminating the room a little.
Zhu Zhuqing sat cross-legged on the bed, holding that fiery red palm bone in both hands. Soul Power flowed around her body, washing through the meridians within the Blazing Savage Bear Spirit Bone.
Shi An sat on the sofa nearby, stuffing fruit and pastries into his mouth.
He had been a foodie in his previous life. Whether he was full or hungry, he liked having something to chew on.
It gave him a sense of stability and reassurance.
Second by second, time passed. The dim room flickered in and out of brightness beneath the scarlet glow emitted by the Spirit Bone. Zhu Zhuqing's Martial Soul manifested, and pain showed on her fair face.
"Ugh~~~"
A startled, muffled groan rang out, and Shi An's gaze instantly fell on Zhu Zhuqing.
Two yellow Soul Rings quietly floated beneath her. The black cat tail behind her was stretched taut, every hair standing on end like a feather duster.
Her brows furrowed slightly, and beads of sweat dripped from her forehead, sliding down her fair, smooth cheeks before falling onto the bedsheets and splashing into tiny droplets.
Light radiated from the Spirit Bone, resonating with her left arm as though they were faintly drawing each other together.
Bzzzzz~~~
Shi An watched the scene intently, not missing a single detail.
The Spirit Bone let out a hum and transformed into an illusory beam of light that merged into the center of Zhu Zhuqing's left palm.
Zhu Zhuqing finally could no longer suppress her cry of pain. She hunched over and screamed miserably.
At this point, the Spirit Bone had already fused with her palm. All that remained was for Soul Power to circulate and wash through it until it was fully refined.
"Clear your mind. Focus on using your Soul Power to wash through the Spirit Bone's meridians and make it completely merge with your palm."
Shi An's voice sounded beside Zhu Zhuqing's ear, calming her somewhat disordered thoughts.
She concentrated on circulating her Soul Power along the Spirit Bone's meridians. With every wash, she could feel her connection with the Spirit Bone grow closer.
No one knew how much time passed. Behind the curtains, the town had already sunk into silence.
The bright moon hung high in the sky, while starlight dotted the night, draping the tranquil town in a thin veil of silver.
Clang!!!
A crisp sound like the ringing of a sword echoed through the room as five fiery red claws suddenly sprang from the tips of Zhu Zhuqing's left fingers.
The claws gleamed with a sharp, cold light, as though they could pierce gold, shatter jade, and slice through iron like mud.
Just as Zhu Zhuqing was about to open her eyes, the Soul Power within her body suddenly began to boil.
Before Zhu Zhuqing could react, her Soul Power flowed through her meridians like a river finding the sea, surging rapidly onward.
Zhu Zhuqing's Soul Power Level also began to rise swiftly.
28.
29.
30.
Only when she reached Level 30, a Quasi-Soul Elder, did her Soul Power finally settle and slowly flow through her meridians.
Shi An nodded. This had not surprised him.
Absorbing a Spirit Bone naturally caused a tremendous increase in Soul Power. This External Soul Bone was just over ten thousand years old.
There was nothing surprising about it raising Zhu Zhuqing several levels.
Zhu Zhuqing's eyelashes trembled as she opened those beautiful eyes.
Her eyes held delight and surprise. When she looked at Shi An, they became filled with deep gratitude.
"Teacher, thank you."
Zhu Zhuqing bowed to him, her eyes bright and full of life.
"Mm..." Shi An did not show the slightest humility. Zhu Zhuqing truly should thank him.
"Since you want to thank your teacher, words alone are too empty."
Shi An rolled his neck and said, "Give me a massage. I was exhausted after fighting that shameless old bastard yesterday."
Zhu Zhuqing did not refuse. She was still immersed in the excitement of absorbing the External Soul Bone and the tremendous increase in her Soul Power.
Forget a massage—even if he wanted to press her, it would not be impossible.
Zhu Zhuqing did not know why such a thought had suddenly appeared in her mind. It startled her, and she hurriedly shook her head to cast out those unhealthy thoughts. Then she stood behind Shi An and obediently began kneading him.
"Now that your Soul Power has reached Level 30, have you decided what kind of soul beast you want for your third Soul Ring?"
Shi An closed his eyes. A pair of delicate, smooth little hands kneaded his neck, leaving him feeling utterly refreshed as he asked.
Zhu Zhuqing thought for a moment before saying, "I want a Shadow Leopard Soul Ring for my third Soul Ring."
"That is a clan rule. For every owner of the Netherworld Spirit Cat Martial Soul, the first four Soul Rings must be fixed."
"After the research of countless generations, absorbing those Soul Rings allows the Netherworld Spirit Cat to unleash its strength to the fullest."
Zhu Zhuqing explained as her hands shifted positions and landed on Shi An's shoulders, gently kneading them.
Shi An shook his head. "Are you sure those are the Soul Rings best suited to you?"
Zhu Zhuqing paused, somewhat confused.
Shi An continued on his own, "What are your Netherworld Spirit Cats best at?"
"Assassination? Concealment?" Zhu Zhuqing replied.
"That's right—assassination and concealment. Although the Shadow Leopard is also adept at assassination and concealment, it isn't the best or strongest among shadow-type soul beasts."
After being steeped in so much theoretical knowledge, Shi An might not have been omniscient, but calling himself a mentor would not have been an exaggeration.
As for why he called himself a master—
As everyone knew, the masters of Douluo Continent were terribly watered down.
"As for why your Netherworld Spirit Cat Martial Souls have to absorb those fixed Soul Rings, I have a guess."
"The White Tiger Martial Soul of the Star Luo Empire also absorbs Soul Rings from those same fixed soul beasts."
"But whether in strength or quality, those soul beasts are superior to the ones whose Soul Rings you absorb."
"That way, the Star Luo Imperial Family can surpass your Zhu Clan by a level in both Martial Soul and Soul Ring quality."
"And after absorbing roughly four Soul Rings, you will be able to cultivate a Martial Soul Fusion Skill."
"At that point, whether in Martial Soul quality or strength, your Zhu Clan's Netherworld Spirit Cat simply cannot be mentioned in the same breath as the Star Luo Imperial Family's White Tiger."
"Thus, control of the Martial Soul Fusion Skill will forever remain in the hands of the person with the White Tiger Martial Soul."
Before you continue