Blue Tyrant Academy.
Dai Jinge found Zhu Zhuqing at their usual training spot. Liu Erlong was there too.
The two were sparring, though it looked more like Liu Erlong was giving Zhu Zhuqing pointers.
"Zhu Zhuqing, I'm back."
Dai Jinge's voice reached them before he landed.
At his words,
Zhu Zhuqing and Liu Erlong looked up at the same time.
"Jinge?!"
Surprised and delighted, Zhu Zhuqing hurried over to him.
Dai Jinge had said he would be away for at least half a month, yet he had returned in less than six days.
"Did you miss me?"
Dai Jinge smiled and pinched Zhu Zhuqing's slightly babyish cheeks.
"As if I'd miss you!"
Zhu Zhuqing pouted and haughtily turned her head away, though her gaze drifted back to Dai Jinge despite herself.
"You two really don't take me seriously at all. Flaunting your love right in front of me again!"
Liu Erlong sighed, every word steeped in envy. Then she shook her head and turned toward the little courtyard where she lived alone.
"Headmistress!"
Zhu Zhuqing called out awkwardly.
"Zhu Zhuqing, ignore her. That old lady has someone she loves. She just can't have him."
Dai Jinge took Zhu Zhuqing's hand and led her away.
Crack, crack!
Liu Erlong clenched her back teeth, her fists cracking as she squeezed them. She abruptly turned and roared:
"Get back here!"
"If I don't beat you to death today, my surname isn't Liu!"
Dai Jinge and Zhu Zhuqing had already gone quite far. Even after hearing Liu Erlong's furious roar, he did not stop.
Dai Jinge activated the Blue Silver Emperor Right Leg Bone's flight skill and flew into the sky with Zhu Zhuqing in tow.
Zhu Zhuqing asked in surprise, "Jinge, how can you fly without the Tiger Roaring Flash Chariot now?"
Dai Jinge smiled. "Look at my right leg."
At his words,
Zhu Zhuqing lowered her head to look. A lustrous blue-gold glow appeared over Dai Jinge's right leg, and a faint aura of life spread from it throughout his body.
That energy enveloped her as well.
"A Soul Bone?"
Zhu Zhuqing instantly recognized the unusual glow on Dai Jinge's right leg and was astonished.
"That's right."
Dai Jinge explained with a smile, "This is what I gained on my trip-a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone. It gives me flight and healing skills."
Zhu Zhuqing's red lips parted wide. "A Hundred-Thousand-Year one? Jinge, you're not joking, are you?"
"Of course not!"
Dai Jinge gave a mysterious smile. "Guess what else I got besides this Soul Bone?"
"Could it be..."
Zhu Zhuqing frowned in thought for a moment before cautiously asking, "You got more Soul Bones?"
"You're half right!"
Seeing that he had already taken Zhu Zhuqing more than a thousand meters above the ground, Dai Jinge released his six Soul Rings for her to see.
Zhu Zhuqing noticed Dai Jinge releasing his Soul Rings and examined them one by one. But when she saw the final, sixth ring glowing red, she was so shocked she could not speak.
"This is the other thing I gained on my trip."
Dai Jinge gazed at his Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Ring. Since even his Sixth Soul Ring was a hundred thousand years old, his seventh, eighth, and ninth naturally could not fall below that age.
That was also his goal for the future.
"A Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring?!"
"Jinge, this... how did you get it?"
Life gradually returned to Zhu Zhuqing's eyes, but she still found it hard to believe, her face filled with shock.
Recalling what had happened, Dai Jinge murmured, "I encountered a Soul Beast that had taken human form, so... I had her sacrifice herself to me. That gave me a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring and a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone."
Then,
he manifested his Head Soul Bone, and pink radiance shimmered around him.
"Now I have two Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bones."
"I never imagined you'd gain so much on this trip. But... what did you go out there to do in the first place?" Zhu Zhuqing was very curious.
Dai Jinge paused thoughtfully. "I went to see Dai Mubai."
"Dai Mubai?"
Zhu Zhuqing froze. When Dai Jinge suddenly mentioned Dai Mubai, she did not even remember him at first. Only after thinking for a moment did recognition appear in her eyes.
"Jinge, why did you go looking for Dai Mubai? How did you know where he was?"
Dai Jinge smiled smugly.
"After all, we're about to become the crown prince and crown princess. Something that important deserves to be mentioned to him."
"Come to think of it, if I hadn't gone to see him, he would probably still be living in fear of Dai Weisi, completely unaware that you were already my fiancée."
Zhu Zhuqing asked in surprise, "From what you're saying, could it be... our families never sent Dai Mubai word about us?"
Dai Jinge nodded. "That's right."
"Jinge, you just said... we're about to become the crown prince and crown princess. What's that about?" Once Zhu Zhuqing caught on, she was bewildered.
"It's time we returned to Star Luo City and let Dai Weisi and Zhu Zhuyun see our strength." Dai Jinge made no attempt to conceal his power.
Zhu Zhuqing glanced at Heaven Dou City below and sighed. "We're going back to Star Luo City so soon? Honestly, I think it's quite nice here. I'm almost reluctant to go back."
Dai Jinge smiled. "It has to happen sooner or later. Besides... after we return to the Star Luo Empire, we can come back to Heaven Dou City. I don't intend to stay in Star Luo City."
Zhu Zhuqing did want to vent the bitter resentment that had festered in her heart for years. To this day, she could not forget what Zhu Zhuyun had done to her.
Born from the same root, why were they so eager to scorch one another?
And yet-
the Star Luo Empire's method of choosing its heir was truly twisted. Family affection was worth less than anything.
"Jinge, when are we leaving?"
"Tomorrow."
Dai Jinge took out the external Soul Bone from the Man Faced Demon Spider and handed it to Zhu Zhuqing.
"I saved this especially for you."
"This is a Soul Bone too, isn't it?"
Zhu Zhuqing accepted the Soul Bone in shock and examined it over and over. She stared at Dai Jinge in disbelief, as though she were seeing him for the first time.
"Jinge, how do you still have another Soul Bone?!"
Dai Jinge smiled. "This really is the last one."
"But..."
His expression suddenly turned solemn.
"Zhu Zhuqing, this Soul Bone is different from the others. It's an external Soul Bone that can grow alongside you! The level it reaches in the future depends entirely on how far you can grow!"
"An external Soul Bone?!"
Hearing the words "external Soul Bone," Zhu Zhuqing's red lips involuntarily parted.
At first, Dai Jinge had considered absorbing this external Soul Bone-the Eight Spider Lances-himself. But on second thought, if he summoned the Eight Spider Lances to fight an enemy in the future, they would not look particularly attractive.
They would be just right for Zhu Zhuqing, however.
Besides, the improvement the Eight Spider Lances offered him was negligible. Even if they had unlimited potential, that was a matter for the future.
Right now, Zhu Zhuqing needed to improve her strength more urgently so she could keep pace with him.
Dai Jinge smiled faintly. "Zhu Zhuqing, fuse with this external Soul Bone tonight. Then we'll leave for Star Luo City tomorrow."
"No, no, no!"
Coming back to her senses, Zhu Zhuqing hurriedly pushed the external Soul Bone into Dai Jinge's arms and said solemnly:
"This is far too precious. Only you can bring out its full potential. If I fuse with it... that would be such a waste!"
Dai Jinge said unhappily, "But I want you to absorb it. I want you to keep pace with me. I want you to fight by my side."
His words touched Zhu Zhuqing's heart. Her eyes suddenly reddened, and she whispered, "Jinge, I'm sorry... I'm just so useless."
Dai Jinge's sharp brows furrowed. He pinched Zhu Zhuqing's cheeks, making her raise her head and meet his gaze.
"You're not allowed to say anything like that again. Otherwise... I'll spank you even in broad daylight."
"You heard me. In broad daylight..."
At his words, Zhu Zhuqing's cheeks suddenly flushed. Her hands instinctively covered her round, firm, upturned bottom.
She glanced at Dai Jinge and met his wicked expression, then lowered her head and muttered:
"Pervert..."
Before you continue