Zhu Zhuqing closed her eyes, and her time seemed to have stopped at that very instant.
Crack-
When she opened her eyes, the space and time before her shattered.
Everything around her was dark, without a trace of light.
She seemed to be floating in this deathly silent void, where there was no up or down, left or right, no time or space.
"Mom-!"
Zhu Zhuqing cried out in despair. She had clearly been rushing into her mother's arms just now. Had her rebirth on the Douluo Continent all been a lie?
Had she been floating in this eerie void ever since her death in her previous life?
Just as Zhu Zhuqing reached the depths of despair, a speck of light appeared ahead, illuminating the deathly silent void.
That light was like a river in the desert, driving Zhu Zhuqing to charge desperately toward it.
She had no idea how much time passed. It might have been an instant, or it might have been an eternity, but at last, the scene within that light appeared before her eyes.
Ahead lay a dim, purple space. At its center, a stunning beauty in a long, form-fitting purple dress was playing a piano.
The music was not beautiful in the slightest. Instead, it sent chills down her spine.
But Zhu Zhuqing was very brave. The woman before her was her mother. What did she have to fear?
She had watched plenty of horror movies in her previous life and encountered situations far worse than this. She had never been afraid even when sleeping alone in a small house.
"Mom-!"
Zhu Zhuqing drifted down from the air and slowly walked to her mother's side.
The eerie, terrifying music continued. The peerless beauty seated at the piano still wore an icy expression, and as the tempo quickened, something strange happened.
Zhu Zhuqing felt the scene before her suddenly change.
A young Dai Mubai appeared before her. His face twisted viciously as he approached, raising his right hand to accuse her. "You bitch! Why didn't you run away with me? Why?"
"Get lost, you moron!" Zhu Zhuqing roared. Soul power surged through her body, and her first martial soul, the chaos white tiger, appeared behind her. Her Martial Soul Possession was completed in an instant.
Dai Mubai's eyes filled with shock. He pointed at Zhu Zhuqing, unable to utter a word. It was unclear whether her martial soul or her ferocious tone had stunned him.
Crack-
Soon, beneath Zhu Zhuqing's icy gaze, Dai Mubai turned into a pane of glass and shattered.
As soon as Dai Mubai disappeared, buildings rose around her. They belonged to the Zhu Family compound, and the small Spirit Hall Branch stood right before her.
Zhu Zhuqing returned to this place once again. It was still that same day, and she was still the last to awaken her martial soul. This time, however, she had awakened neither the so-called twin martial souls nor experienced a martial soul mutation.
Her father looked at her with disdain, his expression colder than ever, while her second brother stood beside Zhu Zhuyun and watched her coldly.
Amid her despair, she once again found herself at the Zhu Family Celebration that evening.
This time, she failed to escape the young prince of the Dai Family's molestation, and her father forced her to apologize to him.
"Heh, heh, heh. Mother, is this how you treat your own daughter? These illusions are completely useless against me!"
Under her father's astonished gaze, Zhu Zhuqing threw back her head and roared.
Crack, crack, crack-
Bang!
The fabricated illusion shattered, and Zhu Zhuqing returned to that eerie purple space.
But the music had stopped. All traces of coldness had vanished from the beautiful woman's face, replaced by a radiant smile, and her gaze softened as she looked at Zhu Zhuqing.
She slowly extended her right hand and, beneath Zhu Zhuqing's stubborn little gaze, drew the girl's small head into her embrace.
"Zhu Zhuqing, you have a good talent for spiritual power. Learn it from me. Once you master it, it will help you stay alive."
The beautiful woman's voice was very gentle now, for she had sensed her daughter's talent.
Within that cold embrace, a little warmth stirred in Zhu Zhuqing's heart. At last, she had embraced her mother, even if it was only in this false space.
"Mm, all right," Zhu Zhuqing agreed softly.
I'm no fool. Spiritual power skills are excellent for keeping me alive.
Hearing her daughter agree, the beautiful woman's smile grew even brighter.
Bang- Under Zhu Zhuqing's astonished gaze, she dissolved into a cloud of mist and plunged straight into Zhu Zhuqing's body.
At once, Zhu Zhuqing felt as though someone had forcibly poured countless pieces of knowledge into her.
Playing instruments, manipulating sound, building atmosphere, making use of her figure, the sound of her voice, extending her perception, and finally, all the ingenious applications of spiritual power.
All this knowledge passed through Zhu Zhuqing's mind, as though she had instantly come to understand the wondrous uses of spiritual power.
"Nine Transformations of the Soul Spirit!"
This was the Spiritual Power Manual her mother had passed on to her.
The manual contained nine levels, and cultivating each one was extremely difficult.
Within Zhu Zhuqing's mind, that figure rapidly faded. "Child, if you want to become stronger, leave this family. This family isn't right for you."
"Why? Can't I stay by your side?" Zhu Zhuqing did not understand. "Besides, I'm only a six-year-old child. How am I supposed to escape? How do I get out?"
"Because... you're like this..."
The figure of Zhu Zhuqing's mother gradually disappeared.
When Zhu Zhuqing awoke, her mother was already gone. The sunset was as beautiful as ever, and only her tearful sister remained beside her, staring blankly at her.
Zhu Zhulin wiped her eyes, forced herself to hold on, and pulled the motionless Zhu Zhuqing into her arms. "Zhu Zhuqing, are you all right? Don't scare your big sister. If you want to cry, just cry."
Zhu Zhuqing was younger than her sister, and she had developed more slowly as well, so her head reached just to her sister's chest.
"Mmph, mmph, mmph!"
"Big Sister, you're suffocating me!"
Zhu Zhuqing pushed desperately against her sister, even activating her Martial Soul Possession. She had no choice; her silly sister was squeezing far too hard.
Zhu Zhulin finally released her arms and asked in confusion, "Little Sister, you're all right?"
"Big Sister, what could be wrong with me? You nearly smothered me, that's all. Those things of yours really get in the way," Zhu Zhuqing said, pointing at her sister's chest.
Zhu Zhulin instantly turned as red as an apple. What could she do about growing this way? Her parents had given her this body, and she already watched her diet carefully.
"You little rascal! So much for being kind. Hmph, I'm not talking to you anymore."
Pretending to be angry, Zhu Zhulin headed home alone. Now she understood that her little sister had never been ill at all; awakening her martial soul had simply made her more mature.
"Wait for me!"
On the little road home, beneath the sunset, two shadows stretched longer and longer along the Zhu Family's street. The girls clasped their small hands together and skipped onward.
Inside the small house, the sisters brushed their teeth and washed their faces. Their clothes had gotten a little dirty that day, so they wanted to finish early and wash them.
As the older sister, Zhu Zhulin naturally would not let her little sister suffer. She snatched the clothes from her sister's hands and began scrubbing them.
"Big Sister, did Mom say anything afterward?"
Zhu Zhuqing asked in confusion. Her mother had disappeared by the time she awoke, though she had wanted to have a good, long chat with her.
At her sister's question about Mom, Zhu Zhulin was speechless. Their coldhearted mother had actually shown great mercy today. Before leaving, she had given her a Soul Tool containing several hundred Gold Soul Coins and quite a few new clothes.
Most importantly, Mom had hugged her at the end and said she was sorry many times.
In the end, Zhu Zhulin had watched Mom leave with a smile.
Zhu Zhulin took a pink bracelet from inside her clothes. It still carried a trace of warmth.
Judging by the styles, the clothes were meant for different ages. There were dresses, trousers, leather garments, and coats.
"Oh, Mom said you should eat well and build yourself up. Here, this is what she left behind. Take a look, and we can divide it up later."
Before you continue