Chapter 25: Rabbit Spirit, You Already Have the Path to Death!
Kill Xiao Wu, take the soul bone.
Even Bai Lu hadn't expected those words to come out of Zhu Zhuqing's mouth.
He glanced sideways at her and asked,
"Why would you think that?"
"I just feel… isn't the opportunity right in front of us?"
Zhu Zhuqing was not blinded by the temptation of a hundred-thousand-year soul bone.
On the contrary, she was calm and clear-headed to an almost frightening degree.
Since Xiao Wu had chosen to take human form and had such a close relationship with Tang San, it meant she would inevitably return to the human world.
And after Xiao Wu finished condensing her soul ring and the Titan Giant Ape left, there would be a short window before she reunited with the Shrek group.
Within that brief interval… There was room to operate.
With her current strength, if she went all out, it wasn't impossible to kill Xiao Wu in a single strike.
After listening to the girl's thoughts, Bai Lu slowly shook his head.
"No. Not yet."
"Why?"
Zhu Zhuqing's beautiful eyes were filled with confusion.
Such a perfect opportunity, were they really just going to let it slip away?
Yes, there was risk.
But the greater the storm, the more valuable the fish!
If she could obtain a hundred-thousand-year soul bone, her strength might very well double again!
"The Titan Giant Ape may leave, but it might not go far. And Tang San and the others will arrive soon. There's no need to take that risk."
Bai Lu explained slowly, his mind rapidly recalling details from the original plot.
If he remembered correctly, Xiao Wu's third soul skill was teleportation.
If this hundred-thousand-year rabbit spirit sensed danger even slightly, Zhu Zhuqing might not be able to kill her instantly after all.
"If the first ambush fails, the difficulty of killing her will rise sharply. Variables will multiply…"
"And more importantly, unless she voluntarily sacrifices herself as I did, your current physique simply cannot absorb a hundred-thousand-year soul ring."
Bai Lu paused, his tone deepening.
"Even if you succeed in killing her, you'd at most obtain a hundred-thousand-year soul bone. That would be an enormous waste."
"It's just a necessary trade-off."
Zhu Zhuqing understood his reasoning, but she had her own thoughts as well.
To normally absorb a hundred-thousand-year soul ring, she might need to wait until Rank 70.
That was a long time.
Too many unpredictable variables could arise during that period.
She wasn't greedy.
A single hundred-thousand-year soul bone would already satisfy her.
"No. This hundred-thousand-year soul ring is crucial."
Bai Lu remembered clearly: in the original story, Xiao Wu's soul bone skills were Teleportation and Invincible Golden Body. Her soul ring skills were Nothingness and Instant Kill Eight Stage Drop.
The instant kill eight stage drop might not suit Zhu Zhuqing much.
But Nothingness—that was a god-level skill.
Once activated, it not only granted immunity to all non-energy-based physical attacks but also reduced the power of any energy attack by fifty percent.
Placed on the Hell Spirit Cat, the White Tiger, or especially the Hell White Tiger…
It would be absolutely monstrous.
"But—"
"Be good. Listen to me."
"…Okay."
The girl puffed her cheeks slightly despite her cold expression, but said no more.
She trusted Bai Lu. She knew he was thinking for her sake. She was willing to follow his arrangements.
Still… she couldn't help feeling a little dissatisfied.
Bai Lu paid it no mind.
That was how little kittens were.
The more indifferent you acted, the more they clung to you.
You couldn't spoil every little mood swing; you had to train them.
"Let's stabilize first. We'll find another opportunity later."
He continued calmly, "After all, we already know her secret. The initiative is in our hands."
"A rabbit needs to be fattened up before it tastes good."
"…Mm."
Zhu Zhuqing nodded coolly.
Bai Lu stopped paying attention and instead began tinkering within his spiritual sea.
After the sacrifice, he had gained quite a few abilities that required research—
Aura concealment and masking, soul ring color alteration, mental and soul manipulation, the devouring evolution method of the Eight Spider Lances…
Each of them demanded time and effort to fully comprehend.
For a while, both of them fell silent, simply observing.
Soon, the blood-red light around Xiao Wu faded completely, and the purple soul ring fully solidified.
After bidding farewell to the Titan Giant Ape, she skipped happily toward the direction of the Shrek group, quickly disappearing into the forest.
Within minutes, she reunited with Tang San and the others.
The Titan Giant Ape observed from afar, only withdrawing after confirming Xiao Wu's safety.
Throughout the entire process, the unwilling little kitten failed to find even a single opportunity to strike.
Zhu Zhuqing clenched her fists tightly, staring in the direction Xiao Wu had disappeared.
Rabbit spirit… You already have the path to death.
There was no bloodlust in her gaze, only desire for that hundred-thousand-year soul bone.
"Let's go. Find some opponents to get familiar with your power."
Bai Lu's voice sounded again, deliberately shifting her focus.
"If we can find another Man-Faced Demon Spider and kill it, devouring its power of the same origin may further evolve the Eight Spider Lances."
"At that time, the energy devoured by the Eight Spider Lances might not just be usable temporarily; it could directly increase your soul power rank."
He vaguely remembered that in the original story, the Eight Spider Lances only fully unlocked their most terrifying devouring ability after two evolutions: once through the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well's body tempering, and once after devouring a six-thousand-year Man-Faced Demon Spider at Rank 40.
"Oh! Good!"
At the mention of leveling up and soul bone evolution, Zhu Zhuqing immediately perked up.
She cast one final cold glance toward the direction Xiao Wu had left, then, without hesitation, plunged deeper into the forest.
As they ventured further, the age of the surrounding soul beasts steadily increased.
Hundred-year soul beasts grew scarce.
Thousand-year soul beasts became more common.
Before Zhu Zhuqing could even select a suitable target, a pack of gray-furred thousand-year-old Swift Demon Wolves caught her scent and surrounded her.
By the time they revealed themselves, she was already completely encircled.
Among them stood a larger, more powerfully built wolf, its fur streaked with patches of deep green—clearly, a two-thousand-year-old wolf king whose bloodline had just awakened.
"Not bad. Perfect for warming up."
Bai Lu commented from within the spiritual sea.
"Eight Spider Lances manifest!"
Zhu Zhuqing's eyes sharpened.
From her back, the Eight Spider Lances slowly extended outward, their razor-sharp tips aimed directly at the Stormwind Demon Wolf King.
"Awoo—"
The wolf king stepped atop a rock, releasing its kingly pressure. Its eyes held nothing but arrogance and cold indifference.
As king, even if its bloodline had yet to fully mature, it feared no challenge.
Especially when it was a pack against one.
The advantage is mine.
"Awoooo!"
With a long howl, the wolf king issued the command to attack.
"Awoo!"
The entire pack moved instantly. Cyan wind-element energy wrapped around their claws as they slashed down with full force.
Swish swish swish—
Countless wind blades tore through the air from all directions, converging upon the cat-girl at the center.
In an instant, the entire space transformed into a razor-sharp domain of slicing gales.
There was no room left to dodge.
But Zhu Zhuqing had no intention of evading.
"Hell Hundred Claws!"
Her second soul ring beneath her feet lit up.
Her hands blurred, the Eight Spider Lances moving in tandem as her body spun in place.
Hell energy condensed into claw-blades that burst outward like a violent tornado.
They formed an impenetrable wall, intercepting every incoming wind blade.
"Awo—"
A flash of disbelief passed through the wolf king's eyes. It immediately directed the pack into a coordinated assault.
However—
Just as the wolves prepared to move, the girl stomped the ground, her body flickering like a phantom.
In the next instant, she was already before one of the Swift Demon Wolves.
A single Eight Spider Lance infused with hell energy thrust forward violently.
Puchi—!
With the dull sound of flesh being pierced, the wolf's body was completely impaled.
"Awoooo…"
It wailed like a dying dog, struggling desperately.
But the spider lance embedded in its body not only refused to be shaken off, but it also began to glow with an eerie devouring light.
The wolf's eyes rapidly dimmed.
Its powerful body, invaded by deadly poison, visibly shriveled at a speed discernible to the naked eye.
In less than two seconds, the wolf became a dried corpse.
As Zhu Zhuqing withdrew the spider lance, the corpse disintegrated into dust, as if it had never existed.
And the soul power she had just consumed for that strike was instantly replenished by the devoured Stormwind Demon Wolf.
—
End of Chapter