Zhu Zhuyun Obtains the Water-Jade Skin Immortal Bone

Zhu Zhuyun puffed out her already ample chest.

His Highness was surely satisfied. Moreover, she had acted with remarkable speed, without the slightest delay.

Even if the White Tiger Emperor discovered it in the end, he would still have to obediently hand over his power.

If he had one son, she would deal with one; if he had two, she would deal with both.

Su Yu lifted his teacup and took a sip, his gaze settling on Zhu Zhuyun's face. His tone was calm, yet carried sincere praise.

"Over the past half year, you advanced on both the Zhu Family and the Dai Family. You killed those who needed killing and suppressed those who needed suppressing. Clean and decisive, without dragging your feet. Your speed truly exceeded my expectations."

At his words, unconcealable delight immediately surfaced in Zhu Zhuyun's eyes.

She instinctively sat up straighter, the corners of her lips lifting slightly. There was a hint of eager pride in her voice as she said, "It is Zhuyun's honor to share Your Highness's burdens. Since Zhuyun promised Your Highness, I naturally had to give it my all and could not slack off in the slightest."

Su Yu smiled. "In that case, merit deserves reward. Tell me, what reward do you want?"

Zhu Zhuyun's heart suddenly skipped, though she tried hard to maintain a composed expression.

She lowered her eyes, her thick lashes concealing the fleeting excitement and anticipation within them.

A reward... What would His Highness give her? A Spirit Bone? A cultivation method? Or...

Her thoughts drifted away of their own accord.

Over the past half year, aside from handling family affairs, she had diligently cultivated her physique and trained her figure every day without fail.

Her already enviable figure had become even fuller and more proportionate. Her waist was slimmer, her chest and hips more voluptuous, and even her skin was more lustrous and smooth than before.

She lowered her head to glance at the snowy, full curves beneath her collar, then recalled the brief pause in Su Yu's gaze when it had swept past her moments ago.

His Highness must have noticed, right?

Zhu Zhuyun secretly pondered this, and a faint blush quietly crept onto the tips of her ears.

She gave a light cough and raised her head. Her phoenix eyes held a touch of probing and expectation, while her voice became somewhat gentler. "Whatever reward Your Highness gives... Zhuyun will be happy with it. It's just..."

She paused slightly, her fingers unconsciously gripping her teacup. Her fair wrist appeared and disappeared amid the steam rising from the tea.

"Besides cultivating Soul Power these past six months, Zhuyun also deliberately... took care of her body. If Your Highness thinks Zhuyun looks... more pleasing than before, then that would be the best reward."

Upon hearing that, Su Yu's gaze fell upon her once more.

The slanting sunlight outside was just right, its afterglow spilling through the window lattice onto her shoulders. Beneath her black dress, her figure was indeed more lush and shapely than it had been half a year ago.

Su Yu raised a brow but did not respond to the implication in her words. He merely said indifferently, "No need for all that nonsense. I'll give you an Immortal Herb and let you make as much of a breakthrough as possible."

Zhu Zhuqing sat up straight.

"An Immortal Herb? What kind of Immortal Herb?"

It was her first time hearing of something like an Immortal Herb. The most ordinary people encountered were Spirit Herbs.

There was nothing more precious than that. Other than the rare pills refined by alchemists, which might use relatively valuable herbs, ordinary Soul Masters rarely had access to them.

Su Yu offered no further explanation. Raising a hand, he took an Immortal Herb from the Soul Tool at his waist. A crystalline medicinal plant appeared out of thin air in his palm.

The herb was roughly three inches long. Its stalk resembled white jade carved by hand, its leaves translucent, and a cool, secluded fragrance instantly spread through the room.

Zhu Zhuyun's eyes lit up, and her pupils contracted.

Though she did not recognize the herb, merely smelling its fragrance made the Soul Power within her stir faintly, like parched earth receiving sweet rain after a long drought.

She subconsciously swallowed, her voice tightening. "Your Highness, this is..."

"Water-Jade Skin Immortal Bone." Su Yu held the herb out before her, his tone as casual as if he were discussing an ordinary weed. "Eat it."

Zhu Zhuyun accepted the Immortal Herb, and the instant her fingers touched its leaves—

A warm, gentle aura spread upward along her meridians, so comfortable that she nearly moaned aloud.

She examined it over and over, but could not identify its variety. Then she looked up at Su Yu, hesitating to speak. "Your Highness, this... can really be eaten? I've never seen anything like this..."

"Just eat it. Why all the nonsense?"

Su Yu leaned back in his chair.

Zhu Zhuyun bit her lower lip. Though she was uneasy, her trust in Su Yu outweighed her doubts.

Closing her eyes, she placed the Water-Jade Skin Immortal Bone into her mouth.

It melted the instant it entered her mouth, turning into a cool nectar that slid down her throat. Immediately afterward, an immense yet gentle spiritual energy exploded within her body, like a spring tide flooding a dried riverbed and washing through every one of her meridians.

Her entire body trembled as she abruptly straightened, both hands instinctively clenching into fists.

A faint flush spread across her cool, beautiful face, and beads of sweat emerged at her temples.

The Soul Power within her surged wildly. The bottleneck that had long remained stagnant was as fragile as thin paper beneath the impact of this spiritual energy, collapsing at the first touch.

Level 37... Level 38... Level 39.

Zhu Zhuyun counted silently, her heart pounding as if it might leap from her chest.

The medicinal power continued to flow without end, still surging upward.

She gritted her teeth and guided the spiritual energy through a full circulation with all her strength. Every cycle made her Soul Power denser and purer.

Finally,

"Boom!"

Something seemed to explode within her body. Her Soul Power burst through the final barrier and settled firmly at Level 40.

Zhu Zhuyun's eyes snapped open. A sharp light blazed in her phoenix eyes, and her aura abruptly surged. The tables and chairs around her were lightly shaken by the wave of energy.

She panted heavily, her chest rising and falling violently. Her face was flushed, and her eyes were filled with disbelief.

Level 40.

After remaining stagnant for half a year, she had broken through three levels in the span of a single incense stick and directly entered Level 40.

"Y-Your Highness..." Zhu Zhuyun turned toward Su Yu, her voice trembling. "This Immortal Herb... actually has such miraculous effects?"

Su Yu set down his teacup, his expression calm. "The Water-Jade Skin Immortal Bone is a rare treasure that cleanses the marrow, reforges the meridians, and transforms the body. Your foundation wasn't poor. You merely lacked an opportunity."

Su Yu paused, his gaze sweeping over her flushed face.

"Level 40 is nothing. There are still Level 50 and Level 60 ahead of you. Don't celebrate too soon."

Zhu Zhuyun took a deep breath and tried to suppress her turbulent emotions. Rising to her feet, she gave a solemn bow. "Zhuyun thanks Your Highness for this generous gift. Should Your Highness have any command in the future, Zhuyun will not refuse even death."

As she straightened, her ample chest rose and fell slightly from her recent breakthrough. The snowy skin beneath her collar carried a healthy pink glow.

Her entire person possessed several more traces of sharpness and confidence than before.

When she looked at Su Yu, there was more than gratitude in her eyes; there was also an indescribable fervor.

Deep in her heart, she was secretly delighted.

Little sister, I really have to thank you for not letting me catch you. Otherwise, I wouldn't have had such a fine opportunity to use this to make a breakthrough and encounter a prince who rewards and punishes so fairly.

At our first meeting, I nearly lost my life, but danger and opportunity truly coexist.

I handled things so well, and the reward he gave was equally generous.

I broke through to Soul Ancestor in one go. Once I return to the empire, the captain's position at Star Luo Academy should be mine.

As for that Martial Soul Fusion Skill, Dai Weisi is not worthy of using it with me.