The Titan Giant Ape descended!

The Shadow Mantis's shadow blades were incredibly sharp and carried a shadow erosion effect. Zhu Zhuqing dared not block them head-on, relying instead on her agile footwork and martial soul's traits to maneuver around him and search for an opening.

Dugu Yan kept to the perimeter, releasing poisonous mist and venom arrows to disrupt him and restrict his movements.

The battle lasted roughly as long as an incense stick took to burn.

Though the Shadow Mantis was formidable, he gradually lost ground against Zhu Zhuqing, an agility-attack prodigy whose martial soul had evolved and who had been personally trained by Cao Kun, with support from Dugu Yan, a Soul King.

When Dugu Yan's poisonous mist briefly slowed him, Zhu Zhuqing seized the opening. With a thrust from an awkward angle, she drove her short blade into a weak point in his joint.

The Shadow Mantis let out a piercing shriek, his mobility severely impaired.

Zhu Zhuqing gave him no chance to recover. Several consecutive strikes finally finished him off.

A deep purple Soul Ring slowly emerged.

Zhu Zhuqing steadied her breathing and nodded to Cao Kun, then sat cross-legged and began absorbing the Soul Ring.

This absorption went much more smoothly than Oscar's.

Tempered by the Nether Shadow Body Refining Art and the High-Tier Martial Soul Evolution Liquid, Zhu Zhuqing's body was extraordinarily resilient. Her spiritual power had also become more focused through the soul contract and Cao Kun's guidance. With her martial soul's attributes matching the ring, its high age posed little difficulty.

About an hour later, she successfully finished absorbing it, and her third, purple Soul Ring shimmered.

"What's the soul skill?" Dugu Yan asked curiously.

Zhu Zhuqing opened her eyes, a dim light flashing within them. Her figure instantly blurred, as though she had become a barely