The Little Demoness's Transformation

Thud!

The sound of a blow landing on flesh rang out as Qin Muchu drove Zhu Zhuqing back with his sword once more. She looked battered, with bruises all over her body. Her breathing had grown ragged, and sweat had plastered the loose strands of hair at her brow to her smooth forehead.

"Plenty of attack speed, not enough variation." Qin Muchu pointed his sword tip casually at the ground, looking as though he were instructing a student. "Again."

Zhu Zhuqing said nothing. She kicked off the ground and shot forward again, her claws crossing as they sealed off Qin Muchu's left and center approaches, one high and one low. Her knees bent slightly, ready to launch a third strike at any moment.

"That's more like it." Qin Muchu smiled. The Dancing Shadow Sword trembled in his hand and, before her incredulous eyes, split into three. Like three swords thrusting at once, they darted toward her claw tips, wrists, and shoulder hollow.

Zhu Zhuqing's pupils contracted. Faced with a move that had started later but arrived first, she had no choice but to change her attack by force, crossing her claws before her to block.

Two crisp clangs rang out, and the force drove her back three steps. She had blocked the sword, but she was far from unscathed. Numbness spread through her wrists, and she could not help shaking them out.

"Is that all? You're still a long way off." Qin Muchu remained as casual as ever.

Zhu Zhuqing bit her lip. Through their exchanges, she had felt the vast gulf between their Soul Power as clearly as a chasm across the heavens. No matter how hard she tried, she could not make him take a single step back. It was just like her fate: no matter how she struggled, she could not break free of the ending ordained for her.

"No. I don't believe in fate. I only believe in myself." Zhu Zhuqing drew a sharp breath, a fierce glint flashing through her eyes. Gathering the little Soul Power she had left, she charged at Qin Muchu again without a backward glance. She pushed the speed and elusiveness of an agility-type Soul Master to their limits. Afterimages appeared one after another across the training ground as she became a streak of black light, her claws slicing through the air with a shrill whistle toward his vital points.

Deep in Qin Muchu's eyes, a flicker of approval came and went. Setting personal feelings aside, this girl before him was the one most qualified to become strong.

He turned his wrist lightly. A faint sheen flowed over his blade, and an arc of sword force burst outward, blocking every angle from which Zhu Zhuqing could advance.

With a muffled thud, Zhu Zhuqing felt a gentle yet immovable force travel through her claws. She stumbled backward against her will. Blood surged up her throat, but she forced it back down.

She struggled to straighten up again. Sweat had soaked through her black, close-fitting clothes, outlining curves too provocative for comfort. Her hands trembled slightly with pain, but there was not the slightest hint of surrender on her face.

Zhao Wuji, who had been watching silently, could hardly bear to see any more. "Muchu, why don't we leave it there? I'd say this young lady's performance has already been outstanding."

Qin Muchu refused without mercy. "Teacher Zhao, since I'm in charge of this final trial, I decide what counts. She passes only when I say she does."

"Qin Muchu, you've gone too far." Ning Rongrong, who had already been ready to give up, was furious at his behavior. She turned to Zhu Zhuqing. "Give up, Zhu Zhuqing. He never intended to let us pass. The gap between us and him is too great. We don't stand a chance."

Zhu Zhuqing shook her head. Without a word, she walked toward Qin Muchu again, one determined step at a time.

Ning Rongrong was stunned. She could not understand what gave this girl, who was even a little younger than her, such unshakable resolve.

As she watched that battered yet increasingly stubborn figure, Ning Rongrong suddenly felt her nose sting.

She could not help thinking of herself.

As the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's most gifted prodigy, she had enjoyed smooth sailing all her life. Anything she wanted had come easily to her. When had she ever endured hardship like this?

And because of that, whenever she had encountered even the smallest difficulty, she had thought, Why not just give up? Father and my two grandfathers are there to handle everything. But one day, she would take her father's place. She would face it all alone and become the person the sect's disciples relied on.

Yet if she clung to that way of thinking, could she do it when that day came? Would she deserve the disciples' trust?

At that moment, she felt something inside her shatter. She knew it was the protective shell her father and two grandfathers had built around her with years of indulgence. She remembered how readily she had given up whenever she met a challenge, and how she had once taken it for granted that others should protect her. For the first time, she felt deeply ashamed. True strength did not mean hiding behind one's elders like a fox borrowing a tiger's might. It meant moving forward like Zhu Zhuqing, even when she knew she was outmatched.

She clenched her fists. A resolve she had never known before filled her eyes.

"Seven Treasures Have Names: First, Strength; Second: Speed."

Strength suddenly flooded Zhu Zhuqing's exhausted body. She glanced back in surprise and saw Ning Rongrong smiling brightly.

"Keep going, Zhu Zhuqing! Whatever happens, let's give it everything we have."

"Mm. Let's do this together." Zhu Zhuqing returned a faint smile and tensed her body again, gathering her Soul Power. With the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's boost, her nearly depleted speed and strength rose considerably. Her presence surged once more, and she flashed forward like a black shadow, lunging at Qin Muchu again.

This time, her shifts between attacks were much smoother. Even when Qin Muchu's sword blocked her path, she could twist aside at the last possible instant and attack anew from an angle that seemed impossible.

Gradually, her claws grew fiercer. All that could be seen in the training ground was a black afterimage flashing around Qin Muchu, punctuated now and then by the hiss of sharp claws tearing through the air.

The corner of Qin Muchu's mouth lifted. He blocked with the Dancing Shadow Sword at an unhurried pace, using just enough force to stop Zhu Zhuqing's killing blows without sending her flying back as he had before. He let her circle him and attack without pause.

After an unknown length of time, Zhu Zhuqing's Soul Power neared exhaustion again, and her attacks gradually slowed. Still, she did not stop. Every swipe of her claws came with a ragged gasp, and her steps began to falter, but she gritted her teeth and pressed on.

Behind her, Ning Rongrong had been sustaining the boosts all along. Her cheeks had gone pale, fine beads of sweat dotted her forehead, and her hands trembled slightly. Even the image of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda before her had dimmed considerably.

At last, Qin Muchu looked satisfied. With a slight increase in force, he pushed Zhu Zhuqing back once more, put away the Dancing Shadow Sword, and walked up to the two of them. A smile as warm as a spring breeze graced his face, making him seem a different person from the unyielding examiner of moments before. "Ning Rongrong, Zhu Zhuqing, congratulations. You've passed and joined Shrek. You're one of us now."

Zhu Zhuqing let out a long breath. As soon as she did, it felt as though every bit of strength had been drained from her body. She staggered and nearly fell, but Ning Rongrong was quick to catch her.

"Zhu Zhuqing, are you all right?"

Zhu Zhuqing gave her a grateful smile. "I'm fine. Just a little worn out."