"An External Soul Bone can evolve, and its Soul Bone Skills will grow stronger along with it."
Du Busi still gripped the faintly trembling Life Orb in his left hand. "Come on, back to the sect. Only once we've dealt with the remnant soul in the Life Orb will this trip's gains truly be complete."
Long Aoyu grinned, and his wings folded away beneath the skin of his back.
"Let's go, Master."
Master and disciple turned and sped toward the edge of Star Dou Great Forest.
After leaving Star Dou Great Forest, they sped north. Before long, a stretch of low hills appeared ahead.
Du Busi flew through the air with Long Aoyu.
"Hm?"
Du Busi suddenly turned to look down.
Long Aoyu followed his gaze, then froze.
Beside a pile of rocks at the foot of a slope, a black-clad figure with an excellent figure, but clearly very young, lay facedown on the ground, motionless.
She wore a tight black combat outfit, and her long black hair lay scattered among the broken stones.
"Master, let's take a look!"
Even as Long Aoyu spoke, he descended from the sky and landed in front of the rocks.
Du Busi frowned and followed.
Long Aoyu hurried over and crouched beside her, gently brushing aside her disheveled hair to reveal a pale face.
Her brows were tightly drawn, her lips chapped and bloodless, yet her breathtaking beauty was still discernible.
Long Aoyu recognized her at a glance.
Zhu Zhuqing!
The second daughter of the Star Luo Empire's Nether Duke's Mansion, Dai Mubai's fiancée.
She must have crossed the border between the Star Luo Empire and Heaven Dou alone, skirted the outskirts of Star Dou Great Forest, and shaken off the Zhu Family's pursuers to escape here.
So that's how it is. This is before Tang San enrolled at Shrek...
Long Aoyu understood.
Then he placed his hand on Zhu Zhuqing's abdomen. Feeling her slender, soft waist, he suppressed the stirring in his heart and channeled Soul Power into her.
Long Aoyu had always had a good impression of her in the original story.
Among Shrek's three beauties, Ning Rongrong was spoiled, while Xiao Wu was lively but entangled in too many things, and she was not his type either.
Only Zhu Zhuqing was quiet and cold in temperament, yet she trained the hardest and deeply valued her bonds with her companions.
Now, her wounded, fragile appearance made her all the more pitiable.
Long Aoyu channeled Soul Power into Zhu Zhuqing's body and sensed her injuries-her internal organs had suffered a shock, her Soul Power was overdrawn, and she had lost blood.
Without Long Aoyu, Zhu Zhuqing would have had only a one-in-ten chance of surviving in the wilderness with these injuries.
"What a foolish girl."
Long Aoyu withdrew his hand, took a jade bottle from his Storage Soul Tool, and poured out a longan-sized Green Pill.
This was one of the best Healing Pills in the sect's storeroom, refined from more than a dozen rare medicinal herbs. It worked wonders on both external and internal injuries, but supplies were limited, and ordinary disciples could rarely obtain one.
Long Aoyu gently parted Zhu Zhuqing's red lips and placed the pill in her mouth.
The pill melted upon entering her mouth, its medicinal power sliding down her throat into her organs.
A short while later.
Zhu Zhuqing's rapid, shallow, erratic breathing gradually steadied, and the faintest trace of color appeared on her pale cheeks.
Then Long Aoyu simply reached out and lifted her, cradling her in a princess carry.
She was light, so light that she seemed to weigh almost nothing.
Zhu Zhuqing's unconscious body trembled slightly, instinctively trying to struggle, but she had no strength left.
The moment Long Aoyu lifted her, she managed to force her eyes open a crack.
Her vision was blurred. There was an unfamiliar, handsome face, seemingly about her own age, with clear eyes.
Zhu Zhuqing opened her mouth, her lips moving as she tried to say something, but before she could make a sound, her eyelids sank heavily shut again, and she lost consciousness completely.
Long Aoyu looked down at her pale face, then raised his head toward Du Busi.
"Let's take her back."
Du Busi glanced at Zhu Zhuqing on the ground, then at Long Aoyu, and raised his eyebrows.
Since when had this brat become so attentive to girls?
Usually, he barely even acknowledged the sect's female disciples.
But Du Busi asked no further questions. He merely gave a meaningful "Oh," then said, "All right, bring her back, then. As long as you like her."
The corner of Long Aoyu's mouth twitched. "Master..."
"All right, all right. Don't I know you well enough?"
Du Busi waved a hand, wearing an expression that said, "I understand everything."
Seeing this, Long Aoyu said no more.
He did indeed have designs on Zhu Zhuqing, and there was nothing wrong with admitting it.
As for Dai Mubai... what could a coward who had abandoned his fiancée and fled do, even if Long Aoyu was intimate with Zhu Zhuqing right in front of him?
"All right, hold her steady."
Du Busi waved a hand and stepped forward. Pressing one hand against Long Aoyu's back, he abruptly shot off the ground and straight into the sky.
The Body Sect.
Du Busi slowed his descent, and Long Aoyu landed in the sect's square with Zhu Zhuqing in his arms.
Zhu Zhuqing still had not awakened, but her breathing was much steadier. Curled in his arms, she resembled a kitten seeking shelter.
"Take her to the medicine room first."
After landing, Du Busi said only this before turning toward the main hall. "Once she's settled, hurry to the main hall. I'll gather the elders so we can grind away the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger's remnant soul as soon as possible."
"All right."
Long Aoyu nodded and carried Zhu Zhuqing toward the medicine room.
Inside the medicine room.
When the elderly physician saw Long Aoyu enter carrying a girl covered in blood, he began preparing medicine for her wounds without another word.
Long Aoyu laid Zhu Zhuqing on the soft couch in the medicine room and retreated to the doorway.
"Take good care of her."
"Yes, Young Sect Master."
Long Aoyu stood at the medicine room's entrance for a while, watching the elderly physician clean Zhu Zhuqing's wounds, apply medicine, and bandage them.
Once he finished, the elderly physician wiped his hands and walked over.
"Young Sect Master, her injuries actually aren't too severe, and she's already taken a pill. She has simply lost quite a lot of blood, so she'll need plenty of nourishment over the next few days. I'll go brew some Blood-tonifying Medicinal Soup."
Long Aoyu nodded. "Thank you for your hard work."
"It's my duty."
"Mm."
Long Aoyu turned and left the medicine room, crossing the square toward the main hall.
When he pushed open the doors and entered, all ten elders had already arrived and were arrayed on either side.
Du Busi sat in the seat of honor, gripping the Ink-black Life Orb in his left hand.
The miniature vortex inside the Life Orb was still rotating slowly. A trace of the remnant soul's fluctuations emanated from the orb's center, carrying a vicious unwillingness to yield.
"You're here."
Du Busi lifted his chin, motioning for him to stand in a lower position. "Everyone's here. Let's discuss this Life Orb."
"It's difficult for me to completely grind away the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger's remnant soul inside it on my own. Poison has a limited effect on spiritual entities. We must pool everyone's Spiritual Power and act together."
Jin Peng spoke first. "Sect Master, do you intend for all eleven of us to act simultaneously and completely eradicate the remnant soul?"
"Exactly. With the eleven of us combining our strength and layering our Spiritual Power together, we'll crush that remnant soul outright!"
Du Busi swept his gaze over them, then settled on a lean middle-aged man. "Elder Chen, you specialize in Spiritual Attacks. You'll take the lead, and the ten of us will support you."
Elder Chen's Martial Soul was the brain. He was a rank ninety-four Titled Douluo, titled Wise Brain.
Elder Chen nodded. "No problem."
Du Busi looked around at everyone. "All right, let's begin. Everyone, open your minds and gather your Spiritual Power together."
Before you continue