"Take it."
"Only you, Zhuqing, can fully unlock the potential of the Dark Devilgod Core."
"If we were to consume it instead, it would be wasted."
Ye Yu gently grasped Zhu Zhuqing's delicate hand and placed the Dark Devilgod Core firmly into her palm.
Zhu Zhuqing bit her lip lightly, her beautiful eyes brimming with tender affection. She nodded softly.
"Thank you, Brother Ye Yu."
"What are you thanking me for?"
Ye Yu let out a chuckle.
"Saying that makes us sound like strangers."
"If you really want to thank me, you'll have plenty of chances in the future."
"Mm."
Zhu Zhuqing's fair face flushed red as she nodded again, shy and earnest.
Sitting cross-legged on the forest floor, Zhu Zhuqing swallowed the Dark Devilgod Core and closed her eyes, beginning to refine it through deep meditation.
A surge of pitch-black light instantly erupted from her body.
Her Hell Spirit Cat Martial Soul materialized behind her.
Three Spirit Rings—yellow, yellow, purple—rose from beneath her and circled her gracefully.
Under the influence of the core, her cultivation began to surge.
The Hell Spirit Cat behind her pulsed with waves of thick black light, flowing steadily across its form.
With each pulse, it visibly changed—its body lengthened and grew larger, the tail stretched longer, the purple markings on its fur faded into a gray-black pattern, and its head broadened and became more feral in shape.
Hours passed in an instant.
By the time the transformation finished, the Martial Soul hovering behind Zhu Zhuqing had become completely unrecognizable.
The petite and agile cat had evolved into a muscular, streamlined beast—massive in size, cloaked in dark, gleaming fur crisscrossed with ash-gray patterns.
Its long tail had transformed into a segmented, razor-sharp scorpion stinger, much like that of the Dark Devilgod Tiger.
Its face was fierce and domineering, like a cross between a tiger and a panther—emitting a palpable aura of darkness and malevolence.
When the evolution concluded, Zhu Zhuqing slowly opened her eyes. She glanced over her shoulder, taking in the form of her new Martial Soul, and her delicate face lit up with joy and amazement.
"Brother Ye Yu, Rongrong—I did it!"
"Zhuqing, congratulations!"
Ning Rongrong beamed brightly, sincerely happy for her friend's success.
"Wanna check your spirit power level now?"
Ye Yu smiled.
"Sure!"
Zhu Zhuqing nodded, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.
Ye Yu produced a spirit power crystal designed to measure Spirit Elder levels.
After testing, they found her rank had jumped from Level 33 all the way to Level 38—a remarkable leap!
But the evolution hadn't only affected her cultivation.
Because her Martial Soul had undergone such dramatic transformation, all three of her Spirit Abilities had changed as well.
Originally, the Netherworld Civet granted her:
First Spirit Ability: Hell Rush Stab — doubled speed
Second Spirit Ability: Hell Hundred Claws — increased speed and claw penetration; unleashed over 100 claw attacks in an area
Third Spirit Ability: Hell Decapitation — a sharp, black energy blade
But now, post-evolution:
First Spirit Ability became Dark Devil Stab: Doubles speed, boosts attack power by 100%, and allows her to launch her scorpion stinger as a piercing strike.
Second Spirit Ability became Dark Devil Phantom Claw: Doubles attack power and generates three mirror images that each unleash 300 claw strikes in a fan-shaped area.
Third Spirit Ability became Dark Devil Devour Slash: Unleashes a cross-shaped black energy blade that is not only sharper but now carries devouring and corrosive effects.
Zhu Zhuqing renamed her evolved Martial Soul:
Dark Devil Hell Tiger
And her updated Spirit Abilities:
First Ability: Dark Devil Stab
Second Ability: Dark Devil Phantom Claw
Third Ability: Dark Devil Devour Slash
Once the evolution was complete, Ye Yu took Zhu Zhuqing, Ning Rongrong, and Xiao Wu back to Soto City, flying through the air via Spirit Power.
They returned to the Zirui Grand Hotel.
That night, after using his meridian and acupuncture maps to instruct Zhu Zhuqing and Ning Rongrong once again, Ye Yu did not indulge in any intimate time with them.
Instead, he began a focused cultivation session using the Demon Willow Fluff—his sixth External Spirit Bone, which had devoured all the spirit power and life essence from the Dark Devilgod Tiger's corpse.
The moment Ye Yu activated it, he felt the Demon Willow Fluff begin releasing everything it had absorbed.
Wave after wave of powerful, refined spirit power surged from within him—generated by the Spirit Bone and fed directly back into his body.
He immediately began circulating his Core Formation Technique, entering a pseudo state of unity between heaven and man.
This allowed him to efficiently convert the massive influx of energy into his own spirit power.
Thanks to the tremendous energy supply, Ye Yu's cultivation surged...
He broke through to Level 64 Spirit Emperor.
But that wasn't all.
In addition to spirit power, Ye Yu felt the Demon Willow Fluff channeling pure life essence—the blood and flesh energy it had devoured—back into his body as well.
He immediately sensed his physique being nourished and strengthened.
All his integrated External Spirit Bones also underwent a transformation:
Thunder Prison Spear (merged with his spine)
Undying Laurel Heart (fused with his heart)
Demon Willow Fluff (embedded in his ribs)
All received upgrades in quality and lifespan.
Then, something unexpected occurred.
A strange energy surged into Ye Yu's body.
He quickly realized—it wasn't just spirit power or life force.
His Blue Silver Spirit Jade Tree Martial Soul, which had previously absorbed the Dark Devilgod Tiger's spirit ring, now exhibited enhanced darkness and evil attributes.
But even more shockingly...
It had developed new elemental traits.
Wind.
Space.
...Time?
Ye Yu was stunned.
"Wait… wasn't the Demon Willow Fluff only supposed to absorb spirit power and life force?"
"How is it absorbing bloodline essence too?!"
He hadn't expected this at all.
But now it was clear: the External Spirit Bone had somehow absorbed not just the physical remnants, but the genetic and spiritual heritage of the Dark Devilgod Tiger.
And then re-fed it into Ye Yu's body.
In that moment, Ye Yu couldn't help but think of something even more startling.
He remembered: he had secretly embedded another Demon Willow Fluff inside Tang San.
Excitement surged through him.
If this Spirit Bone could devour the essence of the Dark Devilgod Tiger's bloodline...
Then it could definitely devour the Blue Silver Emperor bloodline inside Tang San!
This wasn't just a lucky move.
Placing that Demon Willow Fluff into Tang San's body had been a masterstroke.
Not only could it secretly study Tang San's Mysterious Heaven Skill..
If I could acquire the Blue Silver Emperor bloodline through the Demon Willow Fluff...
Then in the future, wouldn't I be able to naturally form a Spirit Ring perfectly suited for my Blue Silver Spiritjade Tree Martial Soul?!
PS: Read Advance Chapters at https://www.patreon.com/c/ReadJin