Zhu Zhuqing looked up at him, shyness flashing through her beautiful eyes, but she did not struggle.
"Very good."
Chen Jin looked at her, the corners of his mouth lifting into a gentle smile.
He slowly released his hand, letting Zhu Zhuqing steady herself.
Blushing, Zhu Zhuqing straightened her disheveled clothes and took a step back.
Chen Jin looked at her and willed it.
Hum!
With a clear hum, four Soul Rings slowly rose from beneath his feet.
Yellow!
Yellow!
Purple!
Black!
The four Soul Rings pulsed rhythmically around Chen Jin.
The final black Soul Ring, in particular, radiated a terrifying pressure that made their hearts tremble.
Black light swirled, making Chen Jin look like a god descended to earth, lofty beyond reach.
Looking at that unmistakably real black Soul Ring, Zhu Zhuqing stood rooted to the spot, her beautiful eyes filled with shock.
Shui Bing'er could not help taking a step back, covering her red lips with her delicate hand, horror filling her eyes.
A ten-thousand-year Fourth Soul Ring!
This had already exceeded the limits of their understanding.
In the history of the Douluo Continent, no one had ever absorbed a ten-thousand-year Soul Ring as their fourth.
Yet Chen Jin, standing before them, had not only done it, but seemed to have done so with such ease.
"This... how is this possible..."
Shui Bing'er's voice trembled.
As she looked at the four Soul Rings pulsing around Chen Jin, she felt her entire worldview crumble at that moment.
Something utterly impossible was unfolding right before her eyes.
Although Zhu Zhuqing had long known that Chen Jin was extraordinary, seeing this still left her deeply shaken.
This man broke ironclad rules time and again, creating a legend of his own.
Shui Bing'er bowed.
"Thank you for saving me."
"I, Shui Bing'er, will remember this kindness."
Her bearing was graceful, and even after the fierce battle she had just endured, she maintained her impeccable manners.
Chen Jin looked at her.
"No need to thank me."
"It was only a lift of the hand."
His expression remained calm, without any pride at having saved the captain of Skywater Academy.
Shui Bing'er raised her head, her gaze lingering on Chen Jin for a moment.
"For you, it was only a lift of the hand. For me, it was a life-saving kindness."
"If it weren't for you, I could never have left this place alive today."
She glanced at Zhu Zhuqing beside them.
Zhu Zhuqing stood quietly to one side.
The two women's gazes met in midair before each looked away.
Chen Jin brushed the dust off himself.
"How did you end up this deep in the Star Dou Great Forest alone?"
"This is already Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beast territory. Coming here alone with your level thirty-nine Soul Power was far too dangerous."
Shui Bing'er sighed.
"At first, I was only training on the outskirts and looking for a medicinal herb along the way."
"Skywater Academy's cultivation method is unusual. When breaking through the level forty bottleneck, I need an extremely cold medicinal herb to neutralize the cold poison inside my body."
"I just didn't expect that herb to be growing right on the edge of the Flame King Lion's territory."
"A moment of carelessness alerted it, and it chased me all the way here."
Chen Jin nodded.
"Did you find the herb?"
Shui Bing'er shook her head.
"Not yet."
"That beast spotted me as soon as I got close."
A helpless look crossed her face.
She had already spent several days searching for this herb.
After finally finding traces of it in this area, she had nearly lost her life.
Chen Jin looked at her.
"Since the Flame King Lion has been killed, its territory should be quite safe now."
"I'll go with you."
"We can pick that herb while we're there."
At his words, delight flashed through Shui Bing'er's beautiful eyes.
"Really?"
"Thank you, then."
She had thought Chen Jin would simply leave, never expecting him to be willing to help.
Zhu Zhuqing walked over to Chen Jin and gently tugged at the hem of his clothes.
"I'm coming too."
She looked at Chen Jin, an unspoken trust in her eyes.
Chen Jin nodded.
"Let's go."
The three headed toward the Flame King Lion's former territory.
The trees gradually grew denser.
With the Flame King Lion dead, a faint pressure still lingered in the area, and other Soul Beasts did not dare approach.
Their journey was quiet.
Shui Bing'er walked ahead, leading the way.
She wore Skywater Academy's blue, form-fitting short dress.
The dress was extremely short, its hem fluttering as she walked.
Her fair, long thighs were completely exposed to the air.
Her legs were beautifully proportioned, rounded yet firm, gleaming like jade beneath the forest's dappled light.
Her earlier flight had left several tears in her blue stockings, exposing patches of soft, fair skin.
Her exquisite leather boots were also stained with mud.
Through their torn uppers, he could faintly see her delicate, jade-like feet, her toes taut with exertion, looking especially alluring.
This damaged beauty only added a few traces of unusual temptation.
Chen Jin walked behind her.
His gaze inevitably fell on Shui Bing'er's figure ahead.
Shui Bing'er's waist was slender enough to encircle with a hand.
As she walked, her hips traced two breathtaking curves beneath her short dress.
She noticed Chen Jin's gaze.
Turning her head, she glanced at him.
Shyness flashed through her beautiful eyes, but she did not cover herself, instead walking with an even lighter step.
Zhu Zhuqing took in the entire scene from beside them.
An unusual expression appeared almost imperceptibly on her cool face.
She gave a soft huff and deliberately quickened her pace, stepping between Chen Jin and Shui Bing'er.
Watching Zhu Zhuqing's actions, Chen Jin gave a gentle smile.
This woman, usually as cold as frost, was quite adorable when she was jealous.
"It's just ahead."
Shui Bing'er pointed toward a valley ahead that gave off a faint chill.
It was a natural shelter from the wind.
A clear spring flowed out of the valley's entrance, wisps of white mist rising from its water.
In a crack in the rocks beside the spring grew a snow-white plant that looked like an ice sculpture.
That was the Ice Spirit Cold Grass.
"That's it."
Joy appeared on Shui Bing'er's face.
She was about to step forward when Chen Jin caught her.
"Wait."
Chen Jin looked at the Ice Spirit Cold Grass.
"There's a natural barrier of cold poison around the grass."
"You've exhausted too much of your Soul Power. If you force your way over, the cold poison will invade your meridians."
Shui Bing'er was startled.
Looking closely, she indeed noticed that the air around the grass had a strange pale-blue tint.
"What should we do, then?"
Anxiety rose in Shui Bing'er.
Chen Jin stepped forward.
"I'll pick it for you."
He channeled his Soul Power and swept forward like a wild goose.
With the Nine-Heaven Divine Phoenix's Ultimate Fire protecting him, the surrounding cold could not penetrate his body at all.
A faint golden-red glow appeared on the surface of his skin.
The instant the intensely cold, pale-blue mist met the golden-red flames covering Chen Jin's body, it hissed and evaporated completely.
Chen Jin moved with extreme speed, reaching the crack in the rocks in an instant.
He reached out.
His Soul Power formed an invisible hand and plucked the Ice Spirit Cold Grass without damaging it in the slightest.
The moment the grass entered his hand, an intensely cold force tried to spread up his arm.
But the Ultimate Fire inside Chen Jin merely quivered, dispersing the chill.
In a flash, Chen Jin returned to the two women.
He handed the Ice Spirit Cold Grass to Shui Bing'er.
Shui Bing'er accepted it with both hands.
The chill radiating from the grass stirred a yearning resonance in her Martial Soul.
"Wonderful."
"With this herb, I can break through to level forty at any time."
She looked at Chen Jin, her eyes full of gratitude.
Zhu Zhuqing watched from beside them.
"Since we've got the herb, we should leave."
Her words carried an almost imperceptible urging.
Chen Jin nodded.
"Yes, we shouldn't linger here."
"Let's go."
The three began walking toward the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest.
Along the way, Shui Bing'er walked shoulder to shoulder with Chen Jin.
They were very close.
A faint fragrance of ice and snow drifted from Shui Bing'er, continually wafting into Chen Jin's nose.
"Chen Jin, thank you so much for everything today."
Shui Bing'er turned her head to look at Chen Jin's handsome face.
"You not only saved my life, but also helped me get the herb I need to break through."
"I don't even know how to repay you."
Chen Jin smiled.
"As I said, it was only a lift of the hand."
"You don't need to keep dwelling on it."
Shui Bing'er stopped.
By now, they had reached the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest.
A little farther ahead lay a safe area.
She looked at Chen Jin, an unusual gleam appearing in her beautiful eyes.
"How could I do that?"
"How could I leave a life-saving debt unpaid?"
She took a step forward, moving closer to Chen Jin.
The distance between them instantly shrank to barely half a foot.
Chen Jin could clearly see her long eyelashes and his own reflection in her eyes.
Shui Bing'er tilted her head up.
Her full breasts rose and fell gently with her breathing, almost pressing against Chen Jin's chest.
Her long, slender legs crossed lightly, her posture elegant and alluring.
"How about..."
"I offer myself to you in marriage?"
Shui Bing'er blinked, her tone somewhat teasing, but a serious light shone in her beautiful eyes.
A blush quietly crept onto her fair cheeks.
In the sunlight, she looked especially lovely and captivating.
Her delicate feet in particular shifted gently inside her damaged leather boots, her rounded toes gleaming with a soft luster in the sunlight, catching the eye.
Chen Jin looked at the stunning beauty before him.
His gaze swept over Shui Bing'er's exquisite collarbones and rounded shoulders.
"If the captain of Skywater Academy offered herself to me in marriage, I'm afraid your academy's dean would come fight me to the death."
Chen Jin teased.
Shui Bing'er burst out laughing.
Her smile was like a hundred flowers bursting into bloom.
"You can kill even a thirty-thousand-year-old Flame King Lion, yet you'd be afraid of our dean?"
She stepped back, putting some distance between them.
However, there was clearly a little more unusual affection in the way she looked at Chen Jin.
"All right, I'll stop teasing you."
"I need to return to the academy first and prepare for my breakthrough."
"Chen Jin, we'll meet again at the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Competition."
"When the time comes, make sure you go easy on me."
Chen Jin nodded.
"See you in the arena."
Shui Bing'er looked at Zhu Zhuqing again.
"Goodbye, little sister Zhu Zhuqing."
Zhu Zhuqing nodded, her expression calm.
Shui Bing'er turned and left.
Her figure darted through the woods, her fair, beautiful legs particularly striking against the green leaves.
Only when her retreating figure disappeared from view did Chen Jin withdraw his gaze.
"Enjoying the view?"
Zhu Zhuqing's voice came from beside him.
Chen Jin turned his head.
He saw Zhu Zhuqing looking at him with the hint of a smile.
"She does have a nice figure."
Chen Jin did not deny it, admitting it openly.
Zhu Zhuqing rolled her eyes at him.
She walked over to Chen Jin, her expression suddenly turning serious.
She reached out and caught his sleeve.
"What's wrong?"
Chen Jin looked at her.
Zhu Zhuqing moved closer to Chen Jin.
Their bodies were almost touching.
She lowered her voice and spoke beside Chen Jin's ear:
"There's something I have to warn you about."
Her warm breath brushed Chen Jin's neck, bringing a tingling itch.
"Go ahead."
Chen Jin let his smile fade.
Worry flashed through Zhu Zhuqing's eyes.
"You need to watch out for the people from Shrek Academy."
"Especially Tang San and Dai Mubai."
"You left Shrek, and now you've become so powerful. They'll never let the matter rest."
"Dai Mubai is narrow-minded and ruthless."
"And Tang San is even more of a hypocrite who holds grudges."
"The talent you've revealed has already become a threat to them."
"I'm worried they'll make a move against you during the competition, or in secret."
Zhu Zhuqing looked at Chen Jin, her eyes utterly serious.
"They might take revenge on you."
"You must be careful around them."
Chen Jin listened to Zhu Zhuqing's warning.
There was not the slightest panic in his expression; instead, he gave a confident smile.
He reached out and gently patted the back of Zhu Zhuqing's hand.
"I understand."
Chen Jin looked at Zhu Zhuqing before him.
Worry filled her exquisite, lovely face, and her beautiful eyes were fixed on him.
Because they were so close, Chen Jin could smell the faint fragrance emanating from her.
It was a fresh fragrance that seeped into the heart and refreshed the spirit.
"Do you think they can hurt me?"
Chen Jin smiled faintly, his tone carrying powerful confidence.
Zhu Zhuqing shook her head.
"Of course I know you're powerful."
"Even a thirty-thousand-year-old Flame King Lion was no match for you."
"But an open spear is easy to dodge; an arrow from the shadows is hard to guard against."
"Tang San keeps his thoughts deeply hidden, and he has all sorts of strange hidden weapons."
"Those hidden weapons are extremely powerful and impossible to guard against completely."
"Besides, Dai Mubai is a prince of the Star Luo Empire. If he uses his family's power, he'll cause you considerable trouble too."
Zhu Zhuqing kept her voice very low, particularly wary of those two.
She was also a member of Shrek and knew those people's true natures all too well.
Dai Mubai in particular-she still clearly remembered the viciousness in his eyes after he learned she had grown close to Chen Jin.
As Chen Jin listened to her analysis, the amusement in his eyes gradually faded.
He looked at Zhu Zhuqing, raised his right hand, and gently stroked her silky black hair.
"Zhu Zhuqing, are you worried about me?"
At Chen Jin's blunt question, a captivating blush appeared on Zhu Zhuqing's cheeks once again.
She turned her head aside, avoiding Chen Jin's gaze.
"I just... don't want anything to happen to you."
"You saved me and helped me become stronger."
"I don't want to owe you too much."
Before you continue