Early the next morning, Lin Chen was awakened by a knock at the door.
He opened his eyes to find daylight already bright outside. Sunlight streamed through a gap in the curtains, casting a golden band across the floor. He rubbed his eyes and got up to open the door.
The moment the door opened, Lin Chen froze.
Zhu Zhuqing stood outside.
Today, she wore a fitted black combat outfit, her long hair draped over her shoulders. She looked much the same as yesterday, yet Lin Chen could tell at a glance that she was different.
Her skin had become fairer and more delicate than before, like a peeled egg, carrying a faint sheen beneath the morning light.
Her features also seemed more refined. The exhaustion and haggardness lingering between her brows from her long travels had been swept away, replaced by a crystalline clarity that radiated from within. Most noticeably, her temperament had changed.
Previously, she had been like a little wildcat constantly on guard, her whole body exuding an aura that kept strangers away.
But now, as she stood there, she seemed as though she had been cleansed by clear water. She was still cool and aloof, but that coolness was no longer defensive or rejecting. It was a tranquil, composed kind of aloofness.
The effects of the Narcissus Jade Muscle Bone were even better than she had imagined.
"Morning," Zhu Zhuqing said, her voice clearer than before.
"Morning." Lin Chen looked her over and nodded in satisfaction. "Looks like that immortal herb worked well."
"Mm." Zhu Zhuqing nodded. "My Soul Power rose from level twenty-seven to level thirty. My physical condition has also improved greatly. Both my speed and strength have increased noticeably."
She spoke calmly, but Lin Chen caught the irrepressible joy hidden deep in her eyes.
"Level thirty already? Then it's time to obtain a Soul Ring." Lin Chen thought for a moment, then suddenly had an idea. "Wait here. Let me try a new method."
He raised his right hand, and a gray mark appeared in his palm. His fourth Soul Ring lit up: Life Law.
A soft green radiance poured from his palm, slowly gathering into a ball of light floating above it. The light sphere exuded dense life energy, like a beating heart brimming with vitality.
Lin Chen closed his eyes and carefully manipulated the power of the Life Law.
He attempted to replicate the structure of a Soul Ring, compressing, shaping, and solidifying life energy into a stable Soul Ring form.
The process was far more difficult than he had imagined. Forming a Soul Ring involved immense energy conversion and structural construction. The slightest mistake could cause it to collapse.
Fine beads of sweat seeped across Lin Chen's forehead, but he did not give up, constantly adjusting the flow and distribution of energy.
About a quarter of an hour later, the light sphere in his hand finally stabilized.
The radiance faded, revealing a glossy black Soul Ring hovering in his palm.
A Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Ring.
Lin Chen opened his eyes and stared at the slowly spinning black Soul Ring in his palm, somewhat surprised himself. He had only meant to give it a try, yet he had actually succeeded.
The Life Law could not only heal wounds and stimulate vitality, but also replicate the effects of a god-given Soul Ring, directly creating a perfectly compatible Soul Ring.
"Come, try this." Lin Chen pushed the Soul Ring toward Zhu Zhuqing.
Zhu Zhuqing looked at the black Soul Ring floating in the air and hesitated. "This is... a Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Ring?"
"Mm. I replicated it with my Life Law. It should perfectly match your martial soul," Lin Chen said. "Absorb it, and you'll be able to break through level thirty."
Zhu Zhuqing looked at the Soul Ring, then at Lin Chen. Without asking further, she sat cross-legged, closed her eyes, and guided the Soul Ring into her body.
Black light slowly enveloped her.
Lin Chen stood nearby, quietly keeping watch.
Around half an hour later, Zhu Zhuqing opened her eyes.
Her aura was clearly far stronger than before. Her Soul Power fluctuations had risen from level thirty to level thirty-six. The boost brought by the Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Ring had allowed her to cross two levels in one go. (The immortal herb raised her to level 34, and the Soul Ring added another two levels.)
She raised her right hand, and a mass of pitch-black light appeared in her palm.
The light danced in her hand, sometimes condensing into the shape of sharp claws, sometimes dispersing into a cloud of black mist.
"My third soul skill: Netherworld Soul-Shattering Slash." Zhu Zhuqing spoke softly, unable to fully conceal the excitement in her voice.
"A dual strike against the body and spirit. Any target hit will suffer not only physical damage, but also a mental shock."
Lin Chen's eyes lit up.
A dual strike against body and spirit was an exceptionally rare soul skill effect.
Most soul skills could only inflict physical or energy damage. Soul skills capable of attacking both the mind and body at once were exceedingly scarce across the entire continent.
With this soul skill, Zhu Zhuqing's combat ability had risen by a tremendous margin.
"How does it feel?" Lin Chen asked.
"Very good." Zhu Zhuqing rose to her feet and clenched her fist, sensing the brand-new power within her. "Better than ever."
She lifted her head and looked at Lin Chen, her eyes carrying a radiance he had never seen on her face before.
Then she did something Lin Chen had never expected.
She stepped forward, opened her arms, and gently hugged him.
Her movements were light, like those of a cautious cat testingly drawing close. Her body was soft and warm, carrying a faint narcissus fragrance.
It was the lingering scent of the Narcissus Jade Muscle Bone. Her face rested against Lin Chen's shoulder. After several seconds of silence, she turned her head slightly and lightly kissed his cheek.
The touch separated at once.
Then she took a step back and lowered her head, her ears so red they looked ready to bleed. Her hands unconsciously clenched the corners of her clothes, and she stood there like a statue, even holding her breath.
Lin Chen stood frozen, touching the cheek she had kissed, unable to react for a moment.
The room was quiet for several seconds.
"...Um," Lin Chen broke the silence first, amusement in his voice. "Is this a thank-you gift?"
Zhu Zhuqing said nothing, but her ears reddened even more.
"...Mm." After a long while, she finally squeezed out an almost inaudible sound from her throat.
Seeing how badly she wanted to find a crack in the ground and crawl into it, Lin Chen stopped teasing her and said with a smile, "All right, I've accepted your thank-you gift. Let's go eat breakfast. Xiao Wu should be awake too."
Zhu Zhuqing still kept her head lowered and nodded gently.
She followed Lin Chen out of the room, maintaining a subtle distance from him the entire time.
Closer than before, yet not daring to get too close.
Morning light fell over the two of them, stretching two long shadows across the ground.
Zhu Zhuqing walked half a step behind Lin Chen, looking at his straight back, then down at the black glow in her palm that had not yet fully faded. The corners of her lips unconsciously lifted slightly.
She quickened her pace and walked beside him.
This time, she no longer trailed half a step behind.
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