What Do You Mean, No Combat Ability?

"A unicorn?"

"No need to keep looking. It'll be this one."

"Uncle Yang, I'll trouble you."

As Chen Xi spoke, her gaze gradually shifted in another direction.

Within the range of her spiritual perception, there was a Ghost Panther that was around a thousand years old.

However, confident in her own strength and since the Ghost Panther was not her target, Chen Xi merely glanced at it before withdrawing her gaze.

"Miss, please wait a moment."

Yang Wushuang glanced in the direction Chen Xi had just been looking.

Naturally, Yang Wushuang could sense what Chen Xi could sense.

He simply did not care at all.

After all, it was only a thousand-year Ghost Panther. If it came looking for trouble, he could deal with it casually. There was no need to pay it much attention.

Yang Wushuang lightly tapped off the ground with the tip of his foot and headed toward the unicorn.

Chen Xi and Zhu Zhuqing remained where they were, waiting quietly.

Gradually, rustling sounds arose around them.

Zhu Zhuqing turned toward the sound and saw a black shadow moving at incredible speed as it pounced toward them.

Before Zhu Zhuqing could react, Chen Xi reached out and pulled her back. Chen Xi then raised her leg and swept around on the spot, striking the charging Ghost Panther with precision.

The tremendous force sent the Ghost Panther flying backward. It crashed through an ancient tree before slamming heavily into the ground, leaving dense cracks across the hard earth.

A purple soul ring floated up from the Ghost Panther's corpse.

Zhu Zhuqing's eyes widened slightly at the sight before her, her face filled with shock.

Chen Xi merely gave it a casual glance before looking away.

Although Chen Xi primarily cultivated Mental Power, her physique had never been weak. It had always been slightly above others of the same level, and she was currently at the level-fifty bottleneck in Soul Power.

Therefore, even without using her martial soul, Chen Xi's strength was around seven or eight thousand jin. At her limit, she could nearly reach ten thousand jin. Instantly killing a mere thousand-year Ghost Panther was nothing unusual.

"Uh..."

"Chen Xi, if I remember correctly, before entering the Soul Beast Forest, didn't you say that you didn't have much combat ability?"

Zhu Zhuqing slowly turned her gaze toward Chen Xi, her expression somewhat stiff.

"That's right."

"Not having much combat ability doesn't mean I have no combat ability at all."

Chen Xi looked at Zhu Zhuqing with an extremely serious expression.

Seeing Chen Xi's expression, Zhu Zhuqing thought it over and felt that there did not seem to be anything wrong with that. The only issue was probably that Chen Xi's understanding of "not much combat ability" was somewhat different from hers.

About five minutes later.

Yang Wushuang returned, dragging a half-dead unicorn behind him.

Chen Xi took a short sword from her Storage Bracelet and, with practiced ease, stabbed it into the unicorn's head. A black ten-thousand-year soul ring floated from the unicorn's body.

Chen Xi sat cross-legged and guided the soul ring down onto herself to refine and absorb it.

"A ten-thousand-year soul ring?"

Zhu Zhuqing was once again shocked as she watched the soul ring Chen Xi was absorbing.

"Senior."

"I have a question. What exactly is her Soul Power Level now?"

"We should be about the same age, shouldn't we? Is it really all right for her to absorb a ten-thousand-year soul ring?"

Zhu Zhuqing approached Yang Wushuang and asked softly.

"After absorbing this soul ring, Miss will be a five-ring Soul King."

"Twenty-five thousand years is a little high, but Miss primarily cultivates Mental Power. Resisting the Soul Shock caused by a ten-thousand-year soul ring will not be a problem at all."

As Yang Wushuang spoke, he also released his Mental Power to examine the surroundings, preventing any unexpected situation from disturbing Chen Xi as she absorbed the soul ring.

"A five-ring Soul King?"

"Is that cultivation speed really normal?"

Zhu Zhuqing muttered to herself, her gaze somewhat vacant.

No matter how she looked at it, Chen Xi seemed to be about the same age as her. How could their Soul Power Levels differ by so much?

Meanwhile, as Chen Xi absorbed the soul ring, she could clearly feel the resentment within it entering her Sea of Consciousness.

Within the Sea of Consciousness.

A unicorn with blood-red eyes, filled with resentment, charged straight into the Sea of Consciousness.

At that moment, the Pen of Destiny within the Sea of Consciousness moved. With a gentle sweep, it carried immense Mental Power as it slammed toward the unicorn.

Under the impact of that enormous Mental Power, the unicorn's body shattered inch by inch like a mirror, dispersing within the Sea of Consciousness.

With the Mental Shock resolved, Chen Xi's process of absorbing the soul ring became exceptionally smooth.

Early morning.

Strands of sunlight fell across Chen Xi's face.

Chen Xi slowly opened her eyes and let out a soft breath.

After sensing her Soul Power Level, Chen Xi revealed a satisfied smile.

Level fifty-three Soul King.

Fifth Soul Skill: Destiny Prayer—pray to elusive destiny and receive a blessing from destiny. During the blessing, the user became immune to negative statuses and ignored control effects. Upon suffering fatal damage, the user would negate that damage and restore their condition to its peak.

Chen Xi rose from the ground, stretched her body slightly, and walked toward Yang Wushuang.

"Uncle Yang, Zhuqing, let's go."

"First, we'll head to the Breaking Clan. Once we finish our business there, we'll go to the Heaven Dou Empire."

As she spoke, Chen Xi discreetly glanced at Zhu Zhuqing.

If she brought Zhu Zhuqing along and timed things right, not only could she meet Tang San, she might even get to watch some drama unfold.

After leaving the Soul Beast Forest.

Chen Xi and Zhu Zhuqing entered the carriage compartment, while Yang Wushuang drove the carriage toward the Breaking Clan's residence.

Inside the carriage.

Chen Xi noticed that Zhu Zhuqing's gaze toward her seemed a little strange.

Chen Xi did not know whether it was an illusion, but she felt that Zhu Zhuqing's gaze seemed to carry a hint of envy.

"Zhuqing, is there something on me?"

"Your expression seems a little off."

Chen Xi leaned against the side of the carriage, crossing one leg over the other as she looked up at Zhu Zhuqing.

"Sigh, I'm a little envious of your talent."

"If only I had talent like yours."

Zhu Zhuqing's voice was somewhat melancholy as she looked through the carriage window at the scenery outside.

She truly envied Chen Xi's talent.

If she possessed the same talent as Chen Xi and cultivated twice as diligently, she would not need to fear the iron-blooded and cruel rules of the Star Luo Imperial Family.

Even without Dai Mubai, even if she were alone, she would have the confidence to fight for that slim chance at survival.

But unfortunately, there were no ifs in this world.

What was not hers would never become hers.

Seeing the melancholy in Zhu Zhuqing's eyes, Chen Xi thought about it briefly and understood the meaning behind her words.

After all, from another perspective, the Star Luo Imperial Family's system truly was extremely cruel.