Zhu Zhuqing Questions Her Life

A quarter of an hour later, fat dripped onto the flames with a sizzling sound, and the aroma of charred skin and roasted meat spread through the air.

Ye Feng broke off a golden-brown piece of meat, blew on it, and stuffed it into his mouth.

"Mm!"

His eyes lit up, and he gave a thumbs-up. "Crispy on the outside, tender inside. The meat is delicious, and there's even a faint remnant of fire-attribute Soul Power. It can replenish Soul Power when eaten. Good stuff!"

Shui Bing'er: "..."

Zhu Zhuqing: "..."

"Want to try some too?"

Ye Feng tore off two pieces of meat and handed one to each of them.

Shui Bing'er accepted hers, hesitated briefly, then took a small bite.

Her ice-blue eyes widened slightly. "...It really is pretty good."

Ye Feng proudly lifted his chin, then looked at Zhu Zhuqing. "Your turn. Don't be shy."

Zhu Zhuqing stared at the still-steaming piece of meat. After two seconds of silence, she finally took it and bit into it.

She chewed a few times and swallowed. Her eyes lit up, and she took another bite.

Seeing this, Ye Feng chuckled and did not press her further, instead gnawing on a wing by himself.

Once they had eaten and drunk their fill, Ye Feng clapped his hands, stood up, and looked at Zhu Zhuqing. "All right, we've rested enough. Let's go."

"Where to?"

Ye Feng rolled his eyes at her. "We're not headed the same way. Once we leave the Star Dou Great Forest, we'll go our separate ways."

Zhu Zhuqing's gaze dimmed. She pressed her lips together and said nothing.

Shui Bing'er also rolled her eyes at Ye Feng. She stepped forward and gently patted Zhu Zhuqing's shoulder, her tone warm.

"Don't listen to him. We're heading to Heaven Dou City later. If it's on your way, you can travel with us. There's no need to part ways until we reach your destination."

Zhu Zhuqing raised her head. A flicker of surprise passed through her dark eyes before she quickly glanced at Ye Feng.

Ye Feng spread his hands, looking innocent. "Why are you looking at me? I never said I wouldn't take you along. I only said we weren't going the same way. I never said we couldn't travel together for a while."

Zhu Zhuqing was silent for a moment before looking at Ye Feng. "I'll part ways with you at the outskirts."

"Hmm?" Ye Feng raised a brow. "You're not going to Heaven Dou City?"

"No."

Zhu Zhuqing shook her head. "Heaven Dou City isn't my destination."

Shui Bing'er did not ask further, merely nodding gently. "Then be careful."

Zhu Zhuqing gave a quiet "Mm," turned to leave, then suddenly stopped.

She looked back at Ye Feng, hesitated, and asked, "What level are you... now?"

Ye Feng paused, then answered casually, "Forty-three. Why?"

Zhu Zhuqing's pupils contracted slightly.

Level forty-three?

That meant that before absorbing that ten-thousand-year Soul Ring, he had already been a Soul Ancestor?

She took a deep breath and asked again, "How old are you?"

"Twelve."

The air fell silent for two seconds.

Zhu Zhuqing stood there, her expression frozen.

Twelve years old, level forty-three, a ten-thousand-year third Soul Ring, and a ten-thousand-year fourth Soul Ring too...

She suddenly felt as though she had lived the past dozen years like a salted fish.

Slowly, she turned to look at Shui Bing'er.

Shui Bing'er smiled faintly, her tone gentle. "I'm not as monstrous as he is. Fifteen years old, level forty-two."

Zhu Zhuqing: "..."

She had thought that, among people her age, she could at least be considered something of a genius.

But after meeting true geniuses today, she realized she was simply far too weak.

After eating and drinking their fill, the three of them followed a narrow forest path toward the exit.

Zhu Zhuqing walked at the back. Looking at Ye Feng's upright figure, she bit her lower lip, hesitated for several seconds, then suddenly spoke.

"You... really had no problem absorbing a ten-thousand-year Soul Ring?"

Ye Feng glanced back at her. "Didn't you see it yourself? I'm alive and kicking."

"That's not what I mean."

Zhu Zhuqing stopped walking and clenched her fists. "I mean, how did you do it? A normal Soul Master can only withstand around five thousand years for their fourth ring at most, but yours was more than twice that."

She paused, staring directly at Ye Feng. "You must have some special method, right?"

Ye Feng raised a brow. Rather than answering immediately, he studied her with interest. "What, you want to learn?"

Zhu Zhuqing was silent for two seconds, then nodded. "If you're willing to tell me."

"You saved my life. In the future... I'll repay you."

Her voice was soft when she said it, but her gaze was earnest.

Ye Feng stroked his chin, then suddenly grinned. "There's no need to repay me. But if you want to know, I can tell you."

"It's not some big secret."

As he spoke, he continued forward, casually pushing aside a vine blocking the path. "The reason I can absorb Soul Rings beyond my level comes down to two things. First, a sufficiently strong physique."

Zhu Zhuqing nodded.

A powerful physique was essential if one wanted to absorb Soul Rings beyond their level.

However, a Soul Master's physique was generally limited by their Martial Soul type. She was an agility-attack type; though she was fast, her physique was not particularly strong.

"And the second thing?" Zhu Zhuqing asked curiously.

"The second is absorbing treasures that can improve your physique."

"Treasures that can improve one's physique?"

Zhu Zhuqing stopped again and pressed him for an answer. "What kind of treasure?"

"Whale Rubber."

Ye Feng did not look back. "Ever heard of it?"

Zhu Zhuqing frowned in thought for a moment, then shook her head.

"It's normal if you haven't. This stuff is pretty obscure."

Ye Feng turned around and gestured as he walked. "Whale Rubber is a gelatinous substance extracted from whales, deep-sea Soul Beasts. After special processing, it can greatly improve a Soul Master's physical strength and upper limit of Soul Power tolerance."

"Simply put, it expands the 'container' you use to hold Soul Rings, allowing you to hold Soul Rings of a higher age."

Shui Bing'er added from the side, "Whale Rubber can indeed improve one's physique, though the absorption process may be somewhat painful."

Zhu Zhuqing was quiet for a moment before asking softly, "Then where can I get Whale Rubber?"

"Heaven Dou City should have some for sale, but it isn't cheap."

Ye Feng thought for a moment. "And this stuff is graded by age. The better the Whale Rubber, the stronger the effect and the more outrageous the price. If you want to buy some, I suggest saving enough money first, then trying your luck at an auction house."

"I understand."

Zhu Zhuqing nodded. There was now a trace more determination in her eyes. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it."

Ye Feng waved a hand, then suddenly remembered something and added, "But let me warn you: Whale Rubber may be useful, but don't get greedy. Eat too much at once, and you could easily explode and die."

"I understand."

The three of them walked a little farther, and the light at the forest's edge was already visible ahead.

Zhu Zhuqing suddenly stopped. "This is far enough."

Ye Feng turned back. "You've made up your mind?"

"Mm."

"All right. Be careful, then."

Ye Feng did not try to keep her. He tilted his chin at her. "If you can't make it anywhere else in the future, you can come find me in the Sunset Forest."

Zhu Zhuqing nodded earnestly. "I will."

After saying that, she looked at Ye Feng, then at Shui Bing'er, and finally said softly, "Until we meet again," before turning and heading in another direction.

After taking a few steps, she suddenly stopped and looked back. "By the way, what's your name?"

"Ye Feng."