Time passed second by second, a full six hours, from the sun high in the sky to the Star Dou filling the night sky, Zhu Zhuqing was immersed in the arduous process of absorption.
Tang Feng and the others stood guard around, not daring to disturb them in the slightest. The only sounds were the crackling of the campfire and the chirping of insects in the forest at night.
Just as the light of the Soul Ring gradually stabilized and the purple color began to converge into Zhu Zhuqing's body, and everyone thought that the mission was about to be accomplished, a sudden change occurred!
Zhu Zhuqing suddenly opened her tightly closed eyes, letting out a suppressed groan, and her right hand involuntarily rose up.
Five bone spurs, each over a foot long, dark gold in color, gleaming with a cold metallic light, and shaped like miniature versions of the claws of Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear, actually "grew" from the bones at the tips of Zhu Zhuqing's five fingers!
The bone claws were incredibly sharp, their edges gleaming with a chilling aura, creating a stark and eerie contrast with Zhu Zhuqing's slender, white hands.
" External Soul Bone!" Tang Lie, Yang Wudi, Dugu Bo, three well-informed Titled Douluo, exclaimed almost simultaneously, their eyes filled with surprise and envy.
External Soul Bone are as rare and precious as Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone!
Tang Feng was also slightly taken aback, then gave a helpless wry smile, muttering to himself, "Why didn't I have this luck when I absorbed that little bear's Soul Ring..."
But immediately afterward, he felt genuinely happy for Zhu Zhuqing. This Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear External Soul Bone was practically tailor-made for Zhu Zhuqing. If it could be perfectly integrated and grown in the future, Zhu Zhuqing's attack power would reach an extremely terrifying level.
Oscar, Tang Jian, and Ye Lingling were stunned. They were certainly envious, but they were even more delighted that their companion had such an opportunity.
Zhu Zhuqing stared in astonishment at the strange change in her right hand. She felt that the five sharp claws were connected to her bloodline, containing astonishing power and sharpness, as if they could tear everything apart.
However, she couldn't control it for a moment, and her bone claws trembled slightly. Although Zhu Zhuqing had personally seen Tang San's Eight Spider Soul Bone and Tang Feng's Flame Dragon Wings, she was still very flustered when they appeared on her own body.
" Zhu Zhuqing, don't panic!" Tang Feng immediately spoke up, as he possessed the Flame Dragon Wings External Soul Bone and was most experienced in this matter.
"Calm your mind and try to feel it with your will, as if it were a part of your body. Don't resist it; try to guide your Soul Power to slowly nurture and communicate with it. The External Soul Bone may be a little uncontrollable at first, but you'll get used to it gradually. Try to imagine taking it back..."
Under Tang Feng's calm guidance, Zhu Zhuqing gradually calmed down and tried to communicate and control the situation according to Tang Feng's methods.
At first, it was a little sluggish, but gradually, the five dark gold claws began to extend and retract slightly according to Zhu Zhuqing's will, and finally slowly retracted to the fingertips, leaving only five faint dark gold lines under the skin of the back of the hand, which were almost imperceptible if not carefully observed.
"Very good, you've got it under control for now. With more practice, it will become your most powerful weapon," Tang Feng praised.
Zhu Zhuqing looked down at her right hand, which had returned to normal but felt completely different. She could clearly feel that it had formed a deeper resonance with her Nether Civet Martial Soul.
It's not just an increase in Soul Power Level, but a fundamental transformation. Thinking back to his past struggles, the pressure from his family, and his thirst for power, and then thinking about this dreamlike harvest today...
An indescribable surge of complex emotions instantly overwhelmed Zhu Zhuqing's usual composure and self-control. Gratitude, excitement, relief, and perhaps something else intertwined, causing Zhu Zhuqing's nose to tingle and her eyes to uncontrollably well up with tears.
Almost without thinking, Zhu Zhuqing rushed to Tang Feng in a few steps amidst the surprised gazes of everyone, opened her arms and hugged Tang Feng tightly around the waist.
Warm tears soaked the fabric of Tang Feng's clothes on his shoulder, his voice choked with suppressed sobs and utter sincerity. "Thank you, Brother Feng... really, thank you..."
This hug is more like the most instinctive emotional release of someone who has been walking alone for too long and has finally found a safe haven to rely on and trust.
Tang Feng froze at the sudden hug, feeling the explosive softness of her body. His hands hung awkwardly in mid-air, unsure of what to do.
Tang Feng is used to strategizing and confronting powerful enemies, but he is somewhat at a loss when it comes to dealing with a girl's straightforward expression of emotion.
Feeling the slight trembling of the body in his arms and the heavy gratitude in her eyes, Tang Feng felt a surge of warmth, but even more so, a sense of responsibility for being relied upon and trusted.
Zhu Zhuqing keenly noticed Tang Feng's stiffness and instantly snapped out of her emotional turmoil.
She then realized how abrupt and bold her actions had been. Her cheeks flushed instantly, and like a startled rabbit, she quickly let go of her hand, took a small step back, lowered her head, and even the tips of her ears turned red. She wished she could find a crack in the ground to crawl into.
The courage I had just felt to go all out had vanished without a trace, leaving only a deep sense of shame.
The others wore amused smiles. Tang Lie and Yang Wudi exchanged a glance, stroking their beards with smiles. An ambiguous and funny atmosphere filled the air.
Tang Feng coughed lightly, quickly suppressing his embarrassment, and tried to steer the conversation back on track, also helping Zhu Zhuqing out of the awkward situation. "Um... Zhu Zhuqing, congratulations on successfully absorbing the Soul Ring and receiving an unexpected bonus. What level is your Soul Power? What is your Fourth Soul Skill?"
Tang Feng tried his best to maintain his usual calm tone.
Zhu Zhuqing took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the heat on her face, and raised her slightly reddened eyes, trying her best to introduce in a calm tone, " Soul Power level 43, Fourth Soul Skill ' Nether Dreadclaw,' which fires several claw beams in a designated direction, fused with the power of the Netherworld and the Terror Claw, with an attack power three times that of a normal attack."
"The claws possess 50% armor penetration and inflict tearing and dark erosion effects, making wounds extremely difficult to heal and causing continuous bleeding damage. The target's defense is permanently reduced by 10%."
"Furthermore, it can synergize with the ' Dark Gold Dreadclaw ' External Soul Bone the right palm, increasing attack power by 100% and adding 20% armor penetration when used. It also has growth potential, with a maximum increase of 200% attack power and 50% armor penetration."
When using the Soul Skill ' Nether Dreadclaw ', if ' Dark Gold Dreadclaw ' is used simultaneously, the attack power can be increased by 400%, and at its highest, physical defense can be ignored by 100%.
Upon hearing this, everyone's faces showed astonishment. Completely ignoring physical defense—what did that mean?
This means that no matter how thick the opponent's armor is or how strong their defensive Soul Skill is, as long as it falls within the category of physical defense, it will be as fragile as paper in front of Zhu Zhuqing's coordinated attack!
"This Soul Skill and External Soul Bone make up for your biggest weakness—insufficient damage against heavily armored units. From now on, you will no longer only be able to ambush backline supports, nor will you need to avoid tanks. Instead, you will have the ability to tear through the strongest defenses head-on," Tang Feng said with satisfaction.
But Tang Feng quickly calmed down, his expression turning serious, and solemnly instructed, " Zhu Zhuqing, this External Soul Bone, before it is fully integrated with you and you can control it at will, absolutely, absolutely do not show it to anyone."
Especially in a public setting like the Soul Master Tournament, it's better to lose the match than to be exposed. You should understand that this would bring you unimaginable danger.
Zhu Zhuqing met Tang Feng's serious yet concerned gaze, her initial shyness replaced by this weighty care. She nodded firmly, her voice soft yet incredibly resolute. "Yes, I understand. Don't worry, Brother Feng, I won't expose myself easily."
Everyone stepped forward to offer their congratulations, but after the joy and surprise came a deeper sense of responsibility and caution.
"Alright, a successful first battle is a good omen," Tang Lie said happily. "Everyone has worked hard today, especially Miss Zhu Zhuqing. It's late, so let's set up camp here tonight and get some rest."
No one objected. Soon, several sturdy tents were pitched in a sheltered spot.
"I'll keep watch tonight, you can rest assured," Tang Lie said.
With Tang Lie's powerful perception as a Level 96 Titled Douluo, he could ensure the safety of the camp and allow the others to rest in peace.
"Thank you for your trouble, Grandpa (Seventh Elder)." Tang Feng and the young people replied respectfully.
Ye Lingling and Zhu Zhuqing shared one tent, Tang Jian and Oscar shared another, and Tang Feng had his own, each on either side of the girls.
Tang Jian accompanied Ye Lingling to her and Zhu Zhuqing's tent, where they stopped.
The moonlight, clear and bright as water, spilled onto Ye Lingling's light blue dress and serene face, gilding her with a soft silver edge, and making her usual aloofness seem to fade away.