Dugu Feng's mysteriousness left everyone astonished.
Yet this was entirely in line with the Dugu Family's style—killing without a trace.
Zhu Zhuyun no longer had the strength to continue fighting. Zhu Zhuqing immediately stepped onto the Soul Duel Stage to help her sister down.
Zhu Zhuyun's expression was dazed, still reeling from the shock of defeat.
Zhu Zhuqing didn't know how to comfort her sister.
She hadn't expected her sister to lose so miserably, so completely.
All she could think was how overwhelmingly strong Dugu Feng was.
After her own defeat at Dugu Feng's hands, she had vowed to one day defeat him. Now, that vow seemed laughable—the gap between them had only widened.
But Zhu Zhuqing wasn't one to be easily crushed.
She would become a Titled Douluo, and then challenge him again.
After a long while, Zhu Zhuyun and Zhu Zhuqing returned to their room.
"Zhuqing, go back to the academy. I need to be alone for a while," Zhu Zhuyun said calmly.
Seeing this, Zhu Zhuqing had no choice but to leave the room quietly.
Before the Soul Duel, her sister had been overly confident. The higher the expectations, the harder the fall.
Now, she could only rely on herself to slowly recover from the defeat.
Zhu Zhuyun sat cross-legged, beginning to restore her Soul Power.
As she meditated, strength gradually returned to her body.
"I wasn't poisoned. Last time, when Zhuqing fought Dugu Feng, she was poisoned and then treated by him. But after my defeat, I wasn't treated at all.
Moreover, from the moment I stepped onto the Soul Duel Stage, I used my Soul Power to shield my senses and entire body against Dugu Feng's poison. How could I have been poisoned?
And the loss of Soul Power wasn't painful at all. What exactly happened?"
Zhu Zhuyun couldn't make sense of it.
Why had her Soul Power suddenly vanished during the duel?
"If you want to know why, come find me!"
Suddenly, Dugu Feng's voice echoed in her mind.
Zhu Zhuyun froze, glancing around in confusion, but saw nothing.
Yet the voice was unmistakably his.
Gradually, Zhu Zhuyun calmed herself.
She was now certain that the sudden incident during the duel had been Dugu Feng's doing.
The Dugu Family truly was unpredictable.
Fine, then. Let's see what you're up to!
Zhu Zhuyun didn't rush. Instead, she continued cultivating until two hours had passed, her Soul Power fully restored, and her condition at its peak.
Only then did she change into a black leather outfit and step out.
Dugu Feng's room wasn't far from hers.
Without hesitation, Zhu Zhuyun knocked on his door—only to find it unlocked.
"Come in," Dugu Feng's voice called from inside.
Gritting her teeth, Zhu Zhuyun strode in.
Dugu Feng stood by the window, his back to her.
"Dugu Feng, how did you do it?" Zhu Zhuyun's expression had returned to its usual composure, her voice laced with its habitual soft allure, her gaze gentle.
This very charm had ensnared Dai Wei in the Star Luo Empire, leaving him completely under her control.
Dugu Feng chuckled softly and turned around.
"You, the so-called genius, were my creation. What do you think?"
Zhu Zhuyun's expression faltered, not yet grasping his meaning.
"Ever since six years ago, your meridians became tougher, allowing you to cultivate longer each day.
Your physical strength has only grown stronger with time, hasn't it?"
Dugu Feng said mysteriously.
At this point, even if Zhu Zhuyun was slow, she had realized it.
"Was it that pill you gave me and my sister during the Soul Duel on the Soul Duel Stage?"
Zhu Zhuyun's originally rosy complexion turned deathly pale.
The changes last time were immense, as if their Martial Souls had awakened again.
But the sisters had assumed it was due to their extraordinary innate talent.
They never imagined it was Dugu Feng who had brought about these changes.
"Come out, Core Pearl!"
Dugu Feng reached out with a beckoning gesture.
A surge of energy stirred within Zhu Zhuyun, forcing her mouth open involuntarily.
A jade-green Core Pearl flew out and landed in Dugu Feng's palm.
"What is this?"
Zhu Zhuyun was utterly shocked, her alluring eyes fixed intently on the pearl.
A seemingly ordinary pearl could actually alter a person's physique.
What kind of treasure was this?
Moreover, this pearl had been inside her body all along, and she had never noticed it.
"This pearl of mine is extraordinarily miraculous—just one can create a top-tier genius!"
Zhu Zhuyun's expression flickered between emotions.
At the same time, she felt an overwhelming sense of loss.
So, her talent wasn't as exceptional as she had thought.
"Why did you help us sisters?" Zhu Zhuyun asked, her confidence wavering.
"Help?" Dugu Feng sneered. "With this Core Pearl inside you, I can control everything about you.
I can drain your Soul Power at any moment.
Or release toxins to turn you into a skeleton!"
He tossed the Core Pearl into the air, where it hovered mystically between the two of them.
Zhu Zhuyun stared fixedly at the pearl.
Her lips trembled slightly, but she couldn't find the words to speak.
Strangely, she didn't feel fear.
Instead, her mind was filled with the exhilarating sensation of rapid cultivation under the pearl's influence.
Without it, her cultivation speed would return to normal, and she would inevitably be surpassed by Dai Wei.
Would she then be dismissed by the Star Luo Empire's nobility as a genius who had burned out too soon?
Zhu Zhuyun was torn between conflicting emotions.
Suddenly, she smiled coquettishly.
"Little brother, you're only thirteen now. When you gave me this pearl, you were just seven. Could it be... you've taken a liking to your elder sister?"
She tested the waters, straightening her posture and swaying slightly to display her charms to the fullest.
Dugu Feng gave her a cold glance before sitting back on the sofa.
"Attend to me tonight, and you'll remain the Star Luo Empire's top genius—the most promising candidate to become a Titled Douluo."
Zhu Zhuyun's smile froze instantly.
Her face flushed and paled in rapid succession.
She felt insulted.
She was the future empress of the Star Luo Empire, a woman destined to become a Titled Douluo.
Yet Dugu Feng treated her like some common entertainer.
"You're shameless..."
Her body trembled with rage. "What kind of person do you take me for?"
Dugu Feng regarded her indifferently, his expression unchanging.
"Zhu Zhuyun, you're an ambitious and vain woman. But ambition and vanity often require selling oneself to achieve."
He stood up, plucked the Core Pearl from the air, and walked to the bed.
"Leave. I need to rest."
At the center of the room, Zhu Zhuqing cast a deep glance at Dugu Feng. His words had struck a chord within her.
Six years ago, while diligently cultivating, she had also reveled in attending noble banquets across Star Luo City.
She adored the feeling of being admired.
After discovering her extraordinary talent, she disciplined herself in cultivation, striving to become the greatest genius.
She wanted everyone to look up to her.
She loved being above them all.
The more she cultivated, the more confident and proud she became.
Countless times, she had envisioned the scene where she would become a female Titled Douluo, revered by the entire Star Luo Empire.
Bibi Dong could become the Pope.
With her exceptiona
l talent, who could say what the future held?
But today, her pride seemed to have been shattered.
Zhu Zhuyun turned and walked away.
"It requires selling yourself to achieve!"
"Selling yourself..."
The devilish voice echoed incessantly in Zhu Zhuyun's heart, tempting her, making her steps heavy.
--Support me in Patreon for more chapters 35+ chapters in there
patreon.com/LegendaryTL
Thanks!