Bi Ji, one of the Ten Great Ferocious Beasts, was the strongest healing-type Soul Beast on the Douluo Continent, the patriarch of the Emerald Swan clan, and a capable assistant to Beast God Di Tian, with nearly six hundred thousand years of cultivation.
She had once been extremely weak, but her ability to heal Soul Beasts' injuries had won her the allegiance of many Soul Beasts, and she had ultimately become an overlord. She cherished life and had opposed Di Tian's launch of the first beast tide. During the second beast tide, she had saved many Soul Beasts' lives.
During the Peerless Tang Sect era, after Huo Yuhao established the Spirit Pagoda, Bi Ji had worked as the Star Dou Great Forest's representative to ease relations between Soul Beasts and humans. After Silver Dragon King Gu Yuena awakened, she and the other Soul Beasts assisted her in working to change the Soul Beasts' oppression at human hands.
Voices suddenly rang out at the boundary between the inner and outer regions of the Star Dou Great Forest.
"Qing'er, absorb the Dark Night Bodhi Fruit here. I'll stand guard for you."
"Ling... I think this Dark Night Bodhi Fruit would definitely have a better effect if you took it. Why don't..."
Before Zhu Zhuqing could finish, Yu Tianling interrupted her and pressed the frozen Dark Night Bodhi Fruit into her hand.
"Silly girl, my Martial Soul doesn't have the darkness attribute, and I have plenty of Immortal Herbs on me. I won't miss this one. Right now, you're the one best suited to the Dark Night Bodhi Fruit. Hurry and take it. I think it'll definitely let your Martial Soul evolve!"
"Ling."
Zhu Zhuqing lowered her head to look at the Dark Night Bodhi Fruit in her hand, then looked up at Yu Tianling, deeply moved. After spending these past few years together, she also knew that once Yu Tianling made a decision, he would not waver. In the end, she could only choose to take the Dark Night Bodhi Fruit herself.
Ling, what have I done to deserve you wasting such a precious immortal treasure on me? I used to be nothing more than a disposable piece for my family's stability. If you hadn't saved me back then, I would probably have died at my own family's hands long ago.
At this thought, Zhu Zhuqing could not help tightening her grip on the ice in her hand. Her heart had fallen completely.
Naturally, Yu Tianling knew nothing of Zhu Zhuqing's thoughts. He thought she simply did not know where to start.
So he stepped forward and lightly touched the ice with a finger. With a slight stir of his Soul Power, the ice slowly melted, gradually exposing the black fruit.
Seeing this, Zhu Zhuqing dared not delay in the slightest. She promptly sat cross-legged and, under Yu Tianling's gaze, swallowed it whole like Zhu Bajie devouring a ginseng fruit, gulping down a jujube without chewing.
In an instant, Zhu Zhuqing felt the Soul Power throughout her body begin circulating at high speed. Refreshing streams of power flowed through her, opening her pores wherever they passed. Her whole body relaxed, and she felt as though she were floating.
Under Yu Tianling's gaze, dense black flames suddenly rose all over Zhu Zhuqing after she took the Dark Night Bodhi Fruit. Enveloped in the flames, her skin grew increasingly fair, and nothing appeared to be wrong.
For the time that followed, Yu Tianling kept watch while constantly monitoring Zhu Zhuqing to ensure her safety.
Two hours passed. Zhu Zhuqing, who had remained calm all this time, suddenly began trembling all over, pain showing on her face. Then the Nether Civet Martial Soul manifested above her head, and two hundred-year Soul Rings emerged on their own, pulsing incessantly.
The moment the Hell Spirit Cat appeared, black flames also rose all over its body. After casting a glance at Yu Tianling, it leaped lightly down from above Zhu Zhuqing's head, and a pit was immediately corroded into the ground.
Then, as Zhu Zhuqing let out an involuntary groan of pain, the Hell Spirit Cat's phantom grew increasingly solid, its presence strengthening continuously.
Suddenly, as though everything had reached a critical point, the black flames around Zhu Zhuqing surged violently. The Hell Spirit Cat's phantom on the ground now seemed corporeal. It threw back its head and howled, its body abruptly growing larger.
The Hell Spirit Cat's form abruptly began to change. Its gaze grew increasingly cold and piercing, and its teeth and claws grew sharper. A single glance was enough to imagine how wretched anyone wounded by them would look. At the same time, it radiated a powerful presence, its purplish-black fur turning entirely deep black, as though it had vanished completely within the enveloping flames.
To Yu Tianling, the Hell Spirit Cat now was definitely no weaker than the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger and the Dark Demon Dragon King from earlier.
After undergoing these changes, the Hell Spirit Cat seemed tired. It sat obediently beside Zhu Zhuqing, quietly waiting for something.
Zhu Zhuqing also seemed to have reached the final stage. Her brows were no longer tightly furrowed, and the flames around her grew weaker and weaker. She could clearly feel that her Soul Power was circulating countless times faster than before, and its color had also changed to deep black, looking incomparably mysterious.
When the flames on her body vanished completely, the Hell Spirit Cat licked its foreleg, then disappeared. At the same time, Zhu Zhuqing, who had been sitting cross-legged for several hours, opened her eyes.
"Qing'er, how was it? The effects should be pretty good, right?"
Yu Tianling looked at Zhu Zhuqing with a smile.
Zhu Zhuqing instead threw herself straight into Yu Tianling's arms, unable to hide the joy in her face.
"Ling, my Martial Soul really evolved! I can feel how powerful it is now. And once I obtain my third Soul Ring, I'm confident I can break through to level 40 within half a year!"
After absorbing the Dark Night Bodhi Fruit, the power within Zhu Zhuqing, who had yet to obtain her third Soul Ring, had already surpassed level 30 and reached level 35. Moreover, thanks to the Immortal Herb's body-tempering effects, her current spiritual power and physical strength fully allowed her to absorb a five-thousand-year third Soul Ring beyond the age limit!
How could a situation like this possibly not excite Zhu Zhuqing?
Holding the already very well-developed girl, Yu Tianling did not let his thoughts run wild like some stray dog. Instead, he said with a teasing note, "Haha, looks like Sister Na and the others will have to work hard again."
"Pfft."
Hearing Yu Tianling's words, Zhu Zhuqing could not help laughing. Inwardly, she also encouraged herself to surpass Hu Liena and the others as soon as possible-especially Hu Liena!
"Qing'er, hurry and take a look at your Martial Soul now."
Yu Tianling urged Zhu Zhuqing to release her Martial Soul, planning to test its strength after using Soul Skills.
Zhu Zhuqing nodded at his words, then released her Martial Soul. She was also very curious about what the Hell Spirit Cat looked like after evolving.
"Meow!"
With a piercing cry, a large, deep-black cat wreathed in black flames appeared before them. For a moment, both were somewhat surprised.
Zhu Zhuqing was surprised by the blazing flames on her Martial Soul and its current appearance. It had actually become corporeal!
Yu Tianling, meanwhile, was surprised that the flames which had appeared during the evolution had actually remained on the Martial Soul. He had thought those corrosive flames would disappear after the evolution, just like those that had appeared on Zhu Zhuqing.
After emerging, the "Hell Spirit Cat" affectionately approached Zhu Zhuqing and rubbed against her. The ground along its path was corroded somewhat without any contact, but the highly corrosive flames did not harm Zhu Zhuqing at all. At this sight, Zhu Zhuqing happily stroked its head. It was very soft and silky.
"Qing'er, give your Martial Soul a new name. Hell Spirit Cat no longer suits it."
As soon as Yu Tianling finished speaking, Zhu Zhuqing's Martial Soul raised its head and stared at her, as though it understood human speech. Its meaning was clear: it wanted its mistress to give her a new name.