Zhu Zhuqing Reaches Level 30

Shi An had actually wanted to strip him naked and castrate him, but there hadn't been enough time.

Otherwise, he really would have castrated that bastard.

Damn it, I haven't even touched a single woman, while you get to be a groom every night.

Shi An truly did not care in the slightest.

After Flender crawled out of the ground, the people from Martial Soul Hall took him away.

Although Flender was a Soul Sage, he still did not dare act rashly before the Hall Master of Soto City's Martial Soul Hall, even if the man was only a Soul Emperor.

The Martial Soul Hall Master harshly reprimanded Flender and made him pay a fine to compensate for the reconstruction of that street.

Flender was also thrown into detention and needed to cool off for half a month.

Flender was quite helpless, but when he thought about Shi An possibly reporting to 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 extremely dim. The windows were covered by curtains, and scattered patches of light filtered through the gaps, brightening the room slightly.

Zhu Zhuqing sat cross-legged on the bed, holding the fiery-red palm bone in both hands. Soul power flowed around her, washing through the meridians within the Blazing Savage Bear soul bone.

Shi An sat on the sofa beside her, stuffing fruit and pastries into his mouth.

He had been a foodie in his previous life. Whether he was full or hungry, he always liked having something in his mouth to chew on.

It gave him a sense of security and peace.

Time passed second by second. The dim room flickered beneath the crimson glow emitted by the soul bone. Zhu Zhuqing's Martial Soul manifested, and pain showed on her fair face.

"Urgh~~~"

A surprised muffled groan rang out, and Shi An's gaze immediately fell upon Zhu Zhuqing.

Two yellow soul rings floated quietly beneath her. The black cat tail behind her was stretched straight, every strand of fur standing on end like a feather duster.

Her brows were slightly furrowed, beads of sweat dripping from her forehead and down her smooth, fair cheeks onto the bedsheet, splashing into tiny wet spots.

Light radiated from the soul bone, echoing with her left arm as though the two were faintly being drawn into sync.

Buzz~~~

Shi An watched the scene intently, not missing a single detail.

The soul bone let out a hum and transformed into an illusory ray of light that merged into Zhu Zhuqing's left palm.

Zhu Zhuqing finally could no longer suppress her pained cries. She bent over and screamed miserably.

The soul bone had already fused with her palm. All that remained was for her soul power to circulate and wash over it until it was completely refined.

"Clear your mind. Focus on using your soul power to wash through the soul bone's channels and let it completely merge with your palm."

Shi An's voice sounded beside Zhu Zhuqing's ear, calming her somewhat chaotic thoughts.

She focused on circulating her soul power along the soul bone's channels. With every wash, she could feel her connection with the soul bone grow closer.

Who knew how much time had passed? The town beyond the curtains had already fallen silent.

A bright moon hung high in the sky, and starlight dotted the night, draping this quiet town in a veil of silver.

Shing!!!

A crisp sound like a sword's cry 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 in her body suddenly began to boil.

Before Zhu Zhuqing could react, her soul power surged through her meridians like a river finding the sea.

Zhu Zhuqing's soul power level also began to rise rapidly.

28.

29.

30.

It continued rising until she reached level 30, a prospective Soul Elder. Only then did her soul power settle, slowly flowing through her meridians.

Shi An nodded. This did not surprise him.

Absorbing a soul bone naturally caused one's soul power to surge. This external soul bone was just over ten thousand years old.

There was nothing surprising about raising Zhu Zhuqing several levels.

Zhu Zhuqing's eyelashes trembled as she opened her beautiful eyes.

Her eyes held joy and surprise. When she looked at Shi An, they turned into deep gratitude.

"Teacher, thank you."

Zhu Zhuqing bowed, her eyes bright and full of vigor.

"Mm..." Shi An was not modest in the slightest. 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. Fighting that shameless old bastard yesterday exhausted me."

Zhu Zhuqing did not refuse. She was still immersed in the excitement of absorbing the external soul bone and her soaring soul power.

Forget a massage—even if he wanted to massage her, that would not be impossible.

Zhu Zhuqing did not know why such a thought had popped into her head. It startled her, and she hurriedly shook her head, tossing the unhealthy thought from her mind before standing obediently behind Shi An and beginning to knead his shoulders.

"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 hands kneaded his neck, leaving him feeling utterly refreshed as he asked the question.

Zhu Zhuqing thought for a moment before replying, "I want a Shadow Leopard soul ring as my third soul ring."

"That is the clan's rule. For every owner of the Netherworld Spirit Cat Martial Soul, the first four soul rings must be fixed."

"After generations of research, it was found that absorbing their soul rings allows the Netherworld Spirit Cat's strength to be brought out to the fullest."

Zhu Zhuqing explained as her hands shifted to 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 froze for a moment, somewhat confused.

Shi An continued on his own, "What are Netherworld Spirit Cats best at?"

"Assassination? Concealment?" Zhu Zhuqing answered.

"That's right—assassination and concealment. Shadow Leopards are also skilled in assassination and concealment, but they are not the best or strongest among shadow-type soul beasts."

Having absorbed so much theoretical knowledge, Shi An might not have been omniscient or omnipotent, but calling himself an instructor would not have been an exaggeration.

As for why he called himself a master—

As everyone knew, the title of master on the Douluo Continent was far too watered down.

"I have a guess as to why you Netherworld Spirit Cat Martial Souls have to absorb those fixed soul rings."

"The White Tiger Martial Soul of the Star Luo Empire also absorbs the soul rings of several fixed soul beasts."

"However, whether in the strength or quality of those soul beasts, they are superior to the soul beast rings you absorb."

"This way, the Star Luo Imperial Family can surpass your Zhu Clan by a level, whether in Martial Soul or soul ring quality."

"After absorbing roughly four soul rings, you can 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."

"As a result, control over the Martial Soul Fusion Skill will forever remain in the hands of the person with the White Tiger Martial Soul."