Chapter 106: Shadow Assault!

When Yu Tianyun mercilessly crushed the wing bones of the emerald demon bird, the excruciating pain finally jolted it out of its daze.

Immediately, it cried out in pain, its voice hoarse and its eyes filled with extreme terror. Its head and claws twisted and tore wildly, trying to break free of Yu Tianyun's control. Yet the dragon scales covering Yu Tianyun's hand remained as smooth as a mirror, unharmed in the slightest.

After about a quarter of an hour, the area no longer heard the bird's cries. It lay there, limp and lifeless in Yu Tianyun's palm, like a puddle of dead mud.

Except for the bones in its head, all other bones were mercilessly crushed by Yu Tianyun or shattered with powerful soul power Shock, its feathers plucked clean, yet no Soul Ring appeared; clearly it was still barely clinging to life, having fainted from the intense pain.

Yu Tianyun turned back to Zhu Zhuqing, handed her the tormented emerald demon bird, and said warmly, "Zhuqing, this is an emerald demon bird, a terrifying super Soul Beast that excels in speed. Absorb its Soul Ring, and it will grant you a powerful third soul skill!"

"Ah? Oh."

Zhu Zhuqing remained in a daze. When she saw Yu Tianyun repeatedly tormenting the emerald demon bird, she understood the reason. And when she heard Yu Tianyun mutter "Dare to hurt Zhuqing…" her heart was instantly filled with a strong, warm affection. Her thoughts fluttered:

"So Yu Tianyun's anger was all because that Soul Beast almost ambushed me."

If the earlier Zhu Zhuqing had willingly accepted him because Yu Tianyun excelled in every way over Dai Mubai and could help her escape her predetermined fate, then from the immortal herb he gave her, to the grilled fish he prepared, to his current fury over her near injury, her heart had unknowingly sunk deep, unable to extricate itself. Especially now, she had completely fallen in love with him, with no chance of turning back.

Zhu Zhuqing regained composure, took the emerald demon bird, and instantly the nether phantom cat possessed her; regarding the Soul Beast that almost killed her, she showed no hesitation or mercy.

She swiped a claw, instantly splitting it into several pieces. Soon, from those fragmented remains, energy burst outward, coalescing into a splendid purple Soul Ring.

Zhu Zhuqing stared at the Soul Ring, inhaled deeply, steadied her mind, strained to suppress her emotions, and after a moment she adjusted her condition to optimal.

Only then did she sit cross‑legged, circulate her soul power, and gradually draw the purple Soul Ring onto herself. In no time, the purple Soul Ring fully merged into her body.

Yu Tianyun saw her absorption of the Soul Ring proceeding smoothly, realized he could offer no further tangible help, and returned to the campfire, eating while grilling fish.

Naturally, he still allocated some spirit power to watch the surroundings, extending his observation radius to two hundred meters to prevent another danger like earlier.

Time flowed like a gentle stream. Zhu Zhuqing's aura gradually steadied, and a purple Soul Ring rose from beneath her feet, perfectly aligning with the two existing Soul Rings.

This Soul Ring, less than 1,800 years old, does not exceed the limit for absorption; even though the emerald demon bird's combat power is great, the energy contained in the Soul Ring is no greater than that of other Soul Beasts of the same age, at most its aura is a bit more ferocious. Yet for Zhu Zhuqing, who had taken the immortal herb, absorption was still quite easy.

Zhu Zhuqing slowly opened her eyes, full of delight, her gaze sweeping, and upon seeing Yu Tianyun she said happily:

"Tianyun, I succeeded, and my soul power has risen to level 37! You were right; the nether daylily's potency was mostly hidden inside me, and it actually boosted my soul power by seven levels." Yu Tianyun was not surprised; at lower levels, the soul power required to break through is small, so the increase can be sudden. For someone like Zhu Zhuqing, already in the Soul Sect Realm, the rise was only 3.5 levels.

However, Yu Tianyun was curious about the soul skill Zhu Zhuqing had obtained; it couldn't be the original nether slash, it must be stronger. He smiled and said:

"Of course, how could I deceive my beloved little kitten! By the way, Zhuqing, how does your third soul skill work."

Zhu Zhuqing, hearing Yu Tianyun call her "little kitten," felt a bit shy but replied immediately:

"My third soul skill, called Shadow Assault, can instantly burst to three times speed five times, while maintaining a half‑hour boost of attack power and Penetration by double. Thank you, Tianyun, for allowing me to obtain such a powerful soul skill."

Yu Tianyun was also surprised; he hadn't expected the emerald demon bird to grant Zhu Zhuqing such an outstanding augmenting soul skill, and the enhancements were exactly what she needed.

Being able to increase speed threefold five times is undeniably useful for a swift‑attack type Soul Elder, and the one‑hour, double boost to attack power and Penetration perfectly complements Zhu Zhuqing's first two soul skills.

Zhu Zhuqing's first two soul skills are offensive, and with the third soul skill's augmentation, the Explosion power will rise another tier.

An assassin needs speed and high attack; this soul skill combination is more logical than her previous ones. Zhu Zhuqing's second soul skill, under the third soul skill's boost, will certainly not be weaker than the original nether slash, and it also gains five speed Explosions!

"Truly a Soul Ring born of a super Soul Beast!"

Yu Tianyun couldn't help but sigh, then added:

"Zhuqing, this soul skill you obtained fits you perfectly; your third soul skill is far stronger than those of ordinary Soul Elders. With your speed Explosions, control‑type Soul Masters will be greatly troubled. Come and eat more grilled fish; we'll head back to the academy soon…"

At that, Yu Tianyun, with a mischievous grin, looked at Zhu Zhuqing and said, "By the way, Zhuqing, I helped you obtain such a powerful soul skill; merely saying thank you isn't enough, you need to show it in practice."

Zhu Zhuqing was startled for a moment, then lightly bit her molar, lowered her head, and whispered in a voice as thin as a mosquito:

"Next time, Rong Rong and I will make you do those …"

She then quickly snatched the grilled fish from Yu Tianyun's hand, sat by the campfire, legs together and turned slightly aside, biting the tender fish while hiding the flush on her face.

Yu Tianyun was overjoyed, and couldn't help but imagine Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing using those embarrassing moves to please him, which made him so delighted he almost drooled.

(End of Chapter)