Slaughter in the Star Dou Great Forest

Zhu Zhuyun was furious. She had clearly brought several loyal subordinates along, yet just a short while ago, they had lost their quarry.

She had brought two Four-Ring Soul Ancestors to help with this pursuit, using up one of the favors the family had granted her to secure their assistance.

Standing atop a tree, Zhu Zhuyun ordered the two clansmen below, "Zhu Long, Zhu An, split up and search. Don't stay with me!"

"Eldest Miss, what about your safety?" the slightly chubby Zhu Long asked in confusion.

The younger Zhu An also looked worried. An elder had expressly instructed him to stay close and protect this little tyrant.

Seeing neither man below move, Zhu Zhuyun grew angry. She said coldly:

"What? You won't even obey my orders now?"

The purple longbow formed from Soul Power was already drawn taut, with several arrows ready to fly. It was aimed straight at the two men below.

Zhu An and Zhu Long frowned slightly. This was their first taste of the little tyrant's vicious temper. She really was as ruthless as the rumors claimed.

"Yes! As you command!"

Under that unspoken pressure, the two answered in unison, then darted ahead, one to the left and the other to the right.

Less than two minutes after they left, a roar that echoed for a hundred li around came from directly ahead of Zhu Zhuyun.

Zhu Zhuyun frowned slightly. After a moment's hesitation, she raced forward. As she ran, she gradually melted into the shadows of the trees, like an assassin lurking in the dark.

"Huff, huff, huff-"

Zhu Zhuqing crouched on the ground, panting heavily. In just five short minutes, no fewer than three Soul Beasts had come to harass her. Fortunately, they were all Hundred-Year Soul Beasts, and she had driven every one back with deadly force.

Blood kept dripping from her sharp dagger. She could no longer tell which Soul Beast it had come from.

A snake-type Hundred-Year Soul Beast had also shredded her black robe, revealing the snug black leather outfit beneath.

Her perfectly sculpted curves were laid bare, and her disheveled black hair fluttered in the breeze of the Star Dou Great Forest.

Zhu Zhuqing paid no mind to the blood coating her hands. She quickly gathered her flowing hair into a bun, then tied it tightly atop her head with a cord.

Once her hair was secured, she immediately sat cross-legged on the ground and began restoring her Soul Power. In a place this dangerous, it was best to keep her reserves full at all times, because she never knew where an enemy might emerge.

Clap, clap, clap-

Applause came from the treetop ahead. Zhu Zhuqing did not even look up, continuing to focus entirely on restoring her Soul Power.

Two ordinary-looking men jumped down from the tree. Three Soul Rings circled one, while four circled the other.

Their Soul Ring Configurations were nothing special, however. The three-ring Soul Elder's first Soul Ring was actually white: white, yellow, purple.

The Four-Ring Soul Ancestor's Soul Ring Configuration was poor as well: yellow, yellow, yellow, purple. A configuration like that was utterly ordinary, with nothing remarkable about it.

"Little girl, hehehe, this is the Star Dou Great Forest, you know. Aren't you scared?"

The Four-Ring Soul Ancestor spoke lecherously, edging forward as though checking for an ambush.

Zhu Zhuqing suddenly opened her eyes. Two cold glints shot from her icy gaze, and a voice like something from the depths of the nine nether hells emerged from her cherry-red lips:

"Come within five meters, and you die!"

The Four-Ring Soul Ancestor was now certain. He had approached to nearly eight meters, and no one had appeared to stop him. There were clearly only two Two-Ring Soul Grandmasters before him, and the other was still in the crucial stage of absorbing her third Soul Ring.

He charged forward with a savage grin, vile words still spilling from his mouth.

"Hahaha! Little girl, who do you think you're scaring? With that soft skin and delicate body, how much strength could you possibly unleash? Or are you planning to make the earth your bed and kill me in it? Hahaha-"

Seven meters-

Six meters-

The Four-Ring Soul Ancestor was now absolutely certain that the tender little girl before him was bluffing. Delight spread across his face as he took the final step.

???

The instant he took that final step and entered the five-meter radius, his surroundings changed. He stood atop a cliff, with a bottomless abyss stretching before him.

Not good!

He knew he might have fallen into an illusion. All four Soul Rings on his body lit up together, and a roar burst from his mouth. The cliff and abyss vanished.

All that remained was a blue bead being tossed into his mouth and a sharp dagger slashing toward him.

The dagger's blade was actually aimed at his thigh.

The Four-Ring Soul Ancestor hurriedly retreated, but he was still a fraction too slow. The sharp dagger sliced straight through his shoddy trousers.

Riiip-

As his shoddy trousers tore open, blood immediately gushed out.

"You bitch! I'll kill you!"

The Four-Ring Soul Ancestor had gone completely berserk. His third Soul Ring suddenly lit up, but just as he tried to shout the name of his Soul Skill, a sharp, churning sensation struck inside him.

Sour, sweet, bitter, spicy, and salty-all five flavors erupted in his stomach.

He could only flee frantically, abandoning his companion. The three-ring Soul Elder stared blankly, utterly bewildered by what had happened.

Seeing Zhu Zhuqing advance toward him with the sharp dagger in a reverse grip, he finally fled in terror. She looked far too frightening now.

Veins bulged across her oval face, and even her beautiful eyes were riddled with bloodshot streaks. Carrying that blood-dripping dagger, she looked like a witch come to claim his life.

Once the three-ring Soul Elder and Four-Ring Soul Ancestor had been scared off, Zhu Zhuqing could no longer hold on. She collapsed onto the ground and began gulping down air.

The Four-Ring Soul Ancestor had forcibly broken through her mental illusion, causing a slight backlash. That was why her expression had become so savage.

Besides, she could not truly chase them. Her sister still needed her protection, and even if she pursued them, she might not be able to kill them.

Just as Zhu Zhuqing relaxed her guard a fraction and prepared to focus entirely on restoring her Soul Power, an unknown danger descended from overhead.

By the narrowest margin, Zhu Zhuqing rolled several times, then repeatedly shifted her position until she reached her third sister's side, only then evading those mysterious attacks.

Clang, clang, clang-

Several more attacks came. Zhu Zhuqing blocked them in quick succession with her dagger. The Soul Power wrapped around it had long since formed a shield, so none of the attacks found their mark.

"Hohoho-"

"Little sister, you really are skilled. You actually managed to scare off a Four-Ring Soul Ancestor and a three-ring Soul Elder."

Zhu Zhuyun dropped from high above. Despite falling from such a height, she suffered not the slightest injury. Her mastery of her feline Martial Soul had reached the point of pure perfection.

She wore a tight black outfit and held a purple longbow, a mask covering her face. The close-fitting clothes accentuated her graceful figure to perfection.

One step, two steps, three steps.

Zhu Zhuyun slowly approached. Her footwork was bizarre, seemingly drawn from a secret manual of special movement techniques belonging to the Hell Spirit Cat Family.

Zhu Zhuqing suddenly widened her eyes at the figure ahead and unleashed her mental illusion once more.

"Nine Transformations of the Soul Spirit: First Transformation: Nine Nether Yellow Springs!"