Sacrifice

On the ground beside Zhu Zhuqing, the Spirit-Summoned Azure Sky Tiger was already listless.

Its legs had been torn open, and a savage bite wound marked its head. Even its sturdy back bore a deep gouge left by sharp claws.

More terrifying still, several wisps of black flame were burning in its wounds, and waves of a scorched smell rose from its body.

"Roar!" The Spirit-Summoned Azure Sky Tiger forced its proud head up and roared, trying to prove it could still fight.

"Shut up, you stupid tiger!"

Zhu Zhuqing's clear voice rang out, but rather than scolding, it carried a trace of heartache.

The second Soul Ring around Zhu Zhuqing kept lighting up. Then her right arm began to glow as well, and the gravely wounded Spirit-Summoned Azure Sky Tiger vanished on the spot.

With injuries that severe, she probably would not be able to summon it again anytime soon. Zhu Zhuqing understood that she would have to rely on herself for the rest of the battle.

Zhu Zhuqing reached toward her wrist with one hand, and several blue beads instantly appeared. She hurled them straight into the distance.

"Roar!" The Abyssal Scarlet Flame Tiger was furious. It feared it was going to meet its downfall today. Although its opponent had only two Soul Rings, she had an endless supply of dirty little tricks. When it had released its black flames to burn away those streaks of blue light earlier, it had inhaled a little strange smoke that left it dizzy.

Now it absolutely refused to touch that blue light. Having lost a foreleg, it dodged with an extremely awkward motion, bouncing to the left like a spring.

You can't hit me. The Abyssal Scarlet Flame Tiger sneered at the human ahead.

Just as it dropped toward the ground, it sensed danger from three directions. Three cold flashes were aimed squarely at its remaining legs.

With nothing to push against in midair, the Abyssal Scarlet Flame Tiger panicked. It did not know how to move its three legs out of the way, but then a flash of inspiration struck.

Rrrip-

The three cold flashes struck the Abyssal Scarlet Flame Tiger's tough back, sending blood spraying everywhere. Its long tail deftly smashed into two figures, while a mouthful of black flame struck a third.

The three figures vanished into the air like bubbles, as though everything that had just happened had been an illusion.

After striking those three figures, the Abyssal Scarlet Flame Tiger began to retreat, hopping backward.

Yet two dark figures kept following closely beside it. Blood dripped steadily from its body, attracting quite a few low-level Soul Beasts, but they fled as soon as they saw that it was the Abyssal Scarlet Flame Tiger.

The Abyssal Scarlet Flame Tiger was essentially the king of this stretch of the Soul Hunting Forest. Even wounded, no Soul Beast dared challenge it.

Time ticked past, and blood continued to flow from the Abyssal Scarlet Flame Tiger's body. Its consciousness began to blur.

Am I really going to die today?

The Abyssal Scarlet Flame Tiger felt that it could no longer move. Is my reign about to end?

Suddenly, a dark figure appeared ahead, blocking its way home. Though dizzy, the Abyssal Scarlet Flame Tiger still remembered who this person was.

"Roar-" Another low roar escaped it, declaring that it could still fight.

Zhu Zhuqing slowly approached. An invisible ripple of spiritual power spread from her body, followed by enticing words: "Sacrifice yourself to become my Soul Ring. Once I become a god, I'll resurrect you and take you with me to ascend to the Divine Realm!"

"You're dreaming of eating farts! A tiger only dies fighting!" the Abyssal Scarlet Flame Tiger roared.

Zhu Zhuqing continued coaxing it. "I know you can understand me. I'm giving you a chance. Don't you want to grow stronger? Don't you want to become a divine beast?"

Bolstered by spiritual power, her enticing voice circled around the Abyssal Scarlet Flame Tiger's ears.

A divine beast? How could the Abyssal Scarlet Flame Tiger not want to become one? But did it truly have a chance? Was this human woman before it really not deceiving it?

Suddenly, an inexplicable pressure radiated from Zhu Zhuqing. Along with it appeared a Chaos White Tiger roaring toward the heavens. The Abyssal Scarlet Flame Tiger instantly felt its bloodline being ruthlessly suppressed, and it dropped to the ground, trembling.

"Become a divine beast or die here. You have five seconds to decide!"

Zhu Zhuqing's voice was icy. She already gripped two sharp daggers tightly in her hands, ready to deliver a fatal blow at any moment.

"Roar-" The Abyssal Scarlet Flame Tiger yielded completely to fate.

It lay there on the ground, its sharp claws retracted into its paws and the ferocity gone from its face. It was ready to sacrifice itself, because this might truly be an opportunity. It was going to die anyway, so it would take a gamble. If it succeeded, it would become a divine beast in the future.

Seeing the Abyssal Scarlet Flame Tiger like this, Zhu Zhuqing smiled. She had succeeded. There was a difference, after all, between a Soul Beast Sacrifice and obtaining a Soul Ring herself. A sacrifice allowed her to absorb the Soul Ring perfectly and fully integrate the other party's skills.

Zhu Zhuqing put away her daggers and slowly walked forward, without the slightest fear. Her second Soul Skill, Golden Cicada Sheds Its Shell, was passive, so she was not worried.

A dark figure darted out from the right and blocked Zhu Zhuqing's path. Her voice was tense with worry. "Zhu Zhuqing, have you lost your mind?"

"Don't worry, Third Sister. I'll be fine." Zhu Zhuqing gently pushed her third sister aside and continued forward.

Zhu Zhulin opened her mouth but did not stop her again. She, too, had remembered her younger sister's Soul Skill. Still, to be safe, she used her third Soul Skill, Phantom Clone, and three figures immediately appeared around the Abyssal Scarlet Flame Tiger.

The Abyssal Scarlet Flame Tiger almost spat blood. Lady, sorry for the trouble, but please hurry over. I'm almost done for.

Waves of purple light radiated from the Abyssal Scarlet Flame Tiger. It was urging Zhu Zhuqing to hurry, because it was about to lose consciousness.

Using Spirit Cat Footwork, Zhu Zhuqing quickly approached. She could feel the urging coming from the Soul Ring ahead.

"Roar!!!"

The Abyssal Scarlet Flame Tiger threw back its head and roared in excitement. Its roar traveled far into the distance and resounded through the clouds. Even the people far away at the entrance to the Soul Hunting Forest heard it, and they all looked up toward the forest.

A purple Soul Ring appeared above the Abyssal Scarlet Flame Tiger. Its physical body then vanished in an instant, and an illusory Abyssal Scarlet Flame Tiger appeared. Carrying the purple Soul Ring, it leaped high and charged toward Zhu Zhuqing.

At the same time, Zhu Zhuqing leaped high and charged toward the Abyssal Scarlet Flame Tiger.

The two figures swiftly converged. The purple Soul Ring settled securely over Zhu Zhuqing's head, then slowly merged into the Chaos White Tiger.

From where Zhu Zhulin stood, she saw a purple glow floating in midair. When it dispersed, her younger sister Zhu Zhuqing hovered in the air, three Soul Rings revolving ceaselessly around her.

Gazing upward, Zhu Zhulin murmured, "So this is a sacrifice?"

She had only read about it in textbooks. Its immense benefits far exceeded those of hunting a Soul Beast and absorbing its Soul Ring oneself. Supposedly, only that person from the Clear Sky Sect had succeeded.

While Zhu Zhuqing was absorbing the Soul Ring, more than a hundred black-clad figures wearing stealth outfits gathered on a major thoroughfare far away in the Soul Hunting Forest. They held sharp short blades and exchanged words.

Soon, they vanished into the night, and the thoroughfare fell quiet once more.