Chapter 11: Zhu Zhuyun Appears Suddenly
Smack—
A string of saliva stretched between his fingers as Zhu Zhuqing's delicate body trembled—her soul nearly exploding.
"You…!!?"
Seeing the soul tool in hand, Su Ye thrust his palm forward, sending Zhu Zhuqing flying back.
With a flip like a carp leaping from water, Su Ye sprang to his feet and spat the soul tool out from his mouth.
[Storage Soul Tool: Contains four cubic meters of space. Can store living creatures.]
"Heh, now this is a real treasure!"
Su Ye's eyes sparkled with excitement. He was utterly captivated. Soul tools capable of storing living things were extremely rare. As expected of someone from the Zhu clan—and a future princess consort at that—her equipment was top-notch.
He rinsed the item in the lake, then casually tore a strip of cloth from his waist-bound shirt and began tenderly polishing the soul tool.
Huff~
He breathed on it and wiped it again.
After testing it out, Su Ye finally slipped the ring onto the pinky finger of his left hand.
Nice. The shiny black gem paired perfectly with his black outfit.
A bit tight, sure—but no big deal. He'd find a way later, maybe even aim for a "three-bedroom apartment" setup inside.
His greedy, enthusiastic behavior made Zhu Zhuqing nearly cough up blood in rage.
"Give it back right now!!"
Zhu Zhuqing clenched her silver teeth, both furious and aggrieved, with a hint of cuteness—like a little kitten that had been bullied. Any trace of her usual cold demeanor had vanished.
Swish!
Zhu Zhuqing lunged to snatch the soul tool back.
But whether it was martial skill or physical strength, she was no match for Su Ye.
Attacking him was simply asking for trouble. Before long, Su Ye had her pinned to the grassy ground, unable to move.
"You know, instead of wasting time fighting me, why not think about how to get stronger?"
"If you can't beat your sister, you'll die sooner or later anyway. These external possessions won't follow you to the afterlife. Better to let me put them to good use…"
"Bastard!" Zhu Zhuqing shouted angrily.
(ーー゛)..
"No way~"
"You figured it out already?!"
Su Ye's eyes went wide, feigning panic like a huge secret had just been exposed. He glanced around nervously.
Confirmed.
The little kitten was alone.
A mischievous grin spread across his face like wildfire. You can't touch a tiger's butt—but a cat's...
Zhu Zhuqing's eyes narrowed. "??"
Then—
Under her horrified gaze, the boy grinned and raised his big hand.
Smack—!
A loud, crisp slap echoed by the lakeside, as if pulling everyone into a world of sultry chaos.
Su Ye was completely thrilled. Girls really do have better acoustics than boys…
Zhu Zhuqing was stunned, her eyes wide, frozen in shock.
"You!!! Bastard!!"
The searing sting on her rear surged once again. Zhu Zhuqing was truly on the verge of losing her mind.
Seeing she was about to explode, Su Ye quickly backed off—clearly not wanting to mess with her further.
Just as he was preparing to grab his things and make a run for it, a seductive, mocking voice suddenly rang out:
"Well, well… I thought you ran off to find that useless Dai Mubai."
"Didn't expect you were here having a secret tryst with your little lover…"
A woman in sleek black clothes stepped gracefully out of the woods. Her figure was sinuous and seductive—like a devilish temptress. Her mature allure was fully on display.
Covering her luscious red lips, she sauntered forward with catlike steps and teased:
"Dear sister, Dai Mubai's off living it up in the Heaven Dou Empire. You finding a man to enjoy yourself with isn't such a bad move."
"Don't worry—once you're dead, I'll bury your bodies together."
"So you'll finally know what a man feels like before becoming a ghost."
Swish—
Zhu Zhuyun's eyes turned icy cold, like a wildcat ready to pounce. Sharp claws extended from her hands, and four soul rings flared around her.
Killing intent... fully unleashed!!
"Zhu Zhuyun, huh? No wonder she's Little Kitty's big sister. Her figure's even better…"
Though—wouldn't that kind of… weight affect her speed and technique?
Staring at her chest and lace, a big innocent question mark floated in Su Ye's mind.
Martial artists should really wrap things tighter for movement, right?
He'd seen plenty of girls do that in his previous life.
Wait, wait—
Something suddenly clicked in his mind. Su Ye blinked in confusion.
Hold on… did that woman just imply she plans to kill me too?!
Alright then—!
～(TロT)σ Don't even think about running after school!
Just as Su Ye was about to speak, Zhu Zhuqing beat him to it.
"Zhu Zhuyun, how did you know I was going through the Star Dou Forest?"
As if facing a mortal enemy, Zhu Zhuqing's expression was icy cold. She had no time to settle things with Su Ye now. Her posture shifted instantly into battle readiness.
But with only two yellow soul rings, she looked pitifully weak compared to her opponent's two additional thousand-year purple rings.
Right now, Zhu Zhuqing was more anxious than ever. Zhu Zhuyun was seven years older than her and already a Level 41 Soul Ancestor.
For the sake of the royal succession, only one of them could survive. Over the years, Zhu Zhuyun had made several secret attempts on her life.
After fleeing Star Luo City, Zhu Zhuqing had taken a risky detour through the edge of Star Dou Forest to reach the Heaven Dou Empire. But she hadn't expected her to catch up.
"Oh my dear sister… You're so young and naive~"
Zhu Zhuyun sneered, her eyes filled with mocking disdain.
"The Zhu clan now… even Father is on my side. Did you really think you could escape my eyes?"
"Don't you think this beautiful forest is the perfect place for your grave?"
Zhu Zhuqing clenched her fists, blood rising in her eyes. "So… Xiao Ling was one of yours too?!"
"Seems you're not completely dumb," Zhu Zhuyun said with mocking eyes.
Zhu Zhuqing's face turned deathly pale—her heart shattered.
Xiao Ling had grown up with her since childhood. She was her most trusted companion. She'd even helped her escape this time, and only she knew the route.
She helped… just to make it easier for Zhu Zhuyun to kill her.
At that moment, Zhu Zhuyun moved.
A blur of black streaked across the air—her speed so fast it left behind a shadowy afterimage. In the blink of an eye, she had already closed in on Zhu Zhuqing.
Rip—!
Sharp claws sliced through the air, grazing right past Zhu Zhuqing's face. Had she reacted even a second slower, her eyes would've been gouged out.
A chill ran down Zhu Zhuqing's spine.
The gap between two thousand-year soul rings felt like the crushing weight of a mountain—it was suffocating.
She narrowly dodged and flipped backward into a somersault.
No longer retreating—she launched her counterattack.
"First Soul Skill: Nether Spike!"
Zhu Zhuyun's lips curled in a calm smile. The first soul ring beneath her feet pulsed in sync.
"First Soul Skill: Nether Spike!"
The exact same soul skill!
The sisters' razor-sharp claws extended in unison, glinting like serrated blades.
Their speed was now twice as fast as before.
Swish!
A flash of light split the air in an instant.
In just a single exchange, their figures had already separated, now standing back to back.
The wind stopped. The forest fell silent.
The very air seemed to freeze.
Cough—!
Blood spurted from Zhu Zhuqing's lips as she collapsed to her knees.
She clutched her abdomen in agony. Blood flowed like a stream, quickly soaking through her battle clothes.
"Zhuqing, why do you insist on this?"
Zhu Zhuyun let out a quiet sigh.
With a flick of her fingers, she shook the blood from her claws and began walking slowly toward Zhu Zhuqing like a victorious predator.
"Dai Mubai has already admitted defeat. Why don't you follow his example and accept your fate? That way, you might at least live a few more happy years."
Whoosh—!
Golden flames roared skyward, and a dark-gold eagle shot into the sky, carrying Zhu Zhuqing away at breakneck speed.
"That just now…"
Zhu Zhuyun's pupils trembled, her voice cracking with disbelief.
"A... a purple soul ring?!"
(End of Chapter)