"This Dark Demonic Evil God Tiger truly deserves to be listed as a top-tier Spirit Beast by my teacher; it actually allowed my Nine Nether Spirit Cat to evolve and gain additional attribute abilities."
"And this black bead, it doesn't seem like an ordinary item. I even have some trouble controlling it. I've only felt a similar power from the Asura Demon Sword in Slaughter City. I'll show it to teacher when I return to the academy."
Star Luo Empire, Imperial Capital.
Zhu Zhuqing, clad in a black and gold tight-fitting suit, rested briefly and felt the power the Dark Demonic Evil God Tiger had brought her, sighing with emotion.
Slaying the Dark Demonic Evil God Tiger had come at a considerable cost, leaving her with multiple injuries.
The Dark Demonic Evil God Tiger possessed a high level of intelligence, but unfortunately, the more intelligent it was, the easier it was for it to misjudge her spirit power. At first, it regarded her as an ordinary Spirit Emperor at level sixty. Not only did it not know what it was facing, but it also wanted to toy with Zhu Zhuqing and devour her; after all, a maiden's flesh was tender.
However, having been trained by her teacher, Su Ran, into a true assassin and killer, she knew the Dark Demonic Evil God Tiger was not easy to deal with. She wouldn't let the Dark Demonic Evil God Tiger test her with one move after another or deplete her spirit power. As soon as she seized an opportunity, she would unleash her most lethal move.
After all, as her teacher said, for an assassin, surprise and a single fatal blow are the principles.
Especially since her teacher had taught them the strategy for dealing with the Dark Demonic Evil God Tiger:
Prolonged combat is not advisable. The Dark Demonic Evil God Tiger possesses multiple combat skills no weaker than an eighth Spirit Ability of a Spirit Douluo expert, integrating displacement, defense, attribute attacks, and Domain. If it cannot be instantly killed or crushed by the power of a Super Douluo, one might fall into a bitter struggle.
Therefore, the moment the Dark Demonic Evil God Tiger underestimated her and pounced, relying on the instant Yama Suppression effect of the Ten Halls of Yama and the Celestial Demon Creation Grand Technique, coupled with the restriction of the Slaughter Forbidden Magic Domain, Zhu Zhuqing, stepping with the top-tier Body Movement Crossing Yellow Springs, swiftly passed by. She decisively pulled out her Soul Bursting Sky Piercer and fired three consecutive shots at the Dark Demonic Evil God Tiger's left brain, left abdomen, and left hip.
This forced the Dark Demonic Evil God Tiger to activate its Life and Death Arena for self-preservation, without even having time to use Evil God Protection and Evil Wind Light Blade skills. Ultimately, it was killed by the latter two bullets from the Sky Shattering Cannon.
And the seventh spirit ring ability the Dark Demonic Evil God Tiger brought her—Nine Nether Evil Body—also brought her a tremendous boost, stimulating the Nine Nether Spirit Cat's dark attribute to an optimal state.
Standing in this capital city that once filled her with sorrow, Zhu Zhuqing no longer felt fear or weakness. Instead, she truly felt what her teacher had told her—the feeling of controlling her own destiny.
Zhu Residence.
The Royal Knight Army stood in formation. A Star Luo general, clad in White Tiger armor, stood imposingly on the steps inside the residence, looking down disdainfully at everyone in the Zhu Residence, and shouted:
"Zhu Yuan, do you know your crime?"
Zhu Yuan, Zhu Zhuqing's father, the head of the Zhu Residence, the patriarch of the Spirit Cat clan, and an eight-ring Spirit Douluo expert.
However, Zhu Yuan dared not be disrespectful to this White Tiger General, simply because this White Tiger General was the Imperial Capital's garrison commander, one of the two commanders of the Imperial Capital's Knight Corps. Furthermore, he was a member of the Star Luo Royal Family, with spirit power as high as eighty-six ranks.
Zhu Yuan respectfully cupped his hands and said:
"General Dai Chengfeng, our Zhu family has always been loyal to the Royal Family. This time, my youngest daughter's rebellious act of escaping Star Luo was truly not our Zhu family's intention. I believe His Majesty will grant our Zhu family justice."
"Not your intention? Three living people escaped from your Zhu family, and they all managed to avoid the patrolling Knight Corps. Without guidance from an expert behind this, it would probably be impossible, wouldn't it?"
"General, my three youngest daughters are all outstanding agility-attack system Spirit Masters. We usually weren't on guard, so who could have known they would dare to sneak out and defy the sacred marriage? Our Zhu family will certainly cooperate with the Royal Family to capture these three rebellious daughters and have them marry the princes."
"Capture them? How will you capture them? The wedding day is imminent, and the Imperial Knight Corps sent to pursue them still haven't returned, not even a single message. It's as if they've disappeared. What fine daughters your Zhu family has raised! Disobeying an imperial decree, murdering royal family members—their crime deserves execution!"
Dai Chengfeng waved his large hand, unfurling an imperial decree entirely golden with carved White Tiger patterns, and snorted:
"I, White Tiger General Dai Chengfeng, hereby proclaim the Sacred Imperial Edict!"
"The Zhu family, for failing to properly educate their daughters, disobeying the Sacred Will, and damaging the Royal Family's reputation, is guilty of a crime punishable by extermination of nine generations. However, in consideration of the Zhu family's ancestors being founding heroes of the Empire, only the Zhu family's noble titles shall be revoked, all properties confiscated, and the nine generations reduced to commoners. Direct male descendants shall serve twenty years of hard labor, and females shall enter the palace as servants. The Zhu family head and his wife shall be escorted to the Cold Prison to suffer the Ten Great Tortures and be imprisoned indefinitely in the Black Prison, as a warning to others!"
"Zhu family head, receive the decree."
Dai Chengfeng said coldly.
When he finished reading, the Zhu family members and relatives behind him were already wailing, cursing Zhu Zhuyun, Zhu Zhuyu, and Zhu Zhuqing, who hadn't returned home for many years.
This imperial decree undoubtedly stripped the Zhu family of all their honors and benefits, plunging the Spirit Cat clan to its lowest point.
The Ten Great Tortures of the Cold Prison? Imprisoned in the Black Prison?
That was the place where the Star Luo Empire punished those who committed great crimes against the nation. In the past century, only a handful of people had been imprisoned there, but it was said that those who were captured either died or went mad.
"Your Majesty, does Your Majesty truly wish to treat our Zhu clan like this? Our Zhu clan has been a meritorious family for three generations, diligently fulfilling our duties, upholding the will of Heaven and the Sacred Will above all else, daring not to show the slightest negligence. Our ancestor, Empress Youming, was even His Majesty's grandaunt. Are you going to erase all the merits of my entire clan just because of a rebellious act by a disobedient daughter?"
"I want to personally enter the palace to see His Majesty!"
Zhu Yuan's hands trembled, not daring to accept the imperial decree before him.
He had considered His Majesty's furious wrath, possibly demoting the Zhu family's title because of this matter, but he couldn't have imagined that the entire Zhu clan would have to pay such a heavy price.
"This is His Majesty's will."
"Receive the decree, Zhu Yuan. If you receive it now, at least most of your Zhu family can still live."
Dai Chengfeng said indifferently, but with a wave of his large hand, the main Knight Corps behind him let out a deep shout, Spirit attaching to their bodies, and seven spirit rings appeared on each of them, exuding a very strong deterrent force.
And behind the main Imperial Knights, there were dozens of Spirit King and Spirit Emperor Knight teams of levels fifty and sixty.
Such a lineup was simply not something the Zhu family could contend with alone.
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