"What is this? A tonic?" Zhu Zhuqing asked, looking at the herb before her.
Lu Feng said seriously, "This herb is called: Heartbreaking Red of Longing, a top-grade immortal herb. Consuming this herb will comprehensively transform the body. I conservatively estimate that it can increase one's soul power by at least ten levels at the Soul Venerable stage."
"Ten levels of soul power!" Zhu Zhuqing exclaimed in surprise.
Then, her eyes flickered, and she asked doubtfully, "Your soul power has increased by leaps and bounds, is it because of this? Don't you always say that you've lived a life of constant danger?"
"Ahem." Lu Feng coughed lightly, then said seriously, "To find this, I schemed and plotted, even risking my life. Isn't this the result of my efforts?"
Zhu Zhuqing rolled her eyes at him but didn't say anything more.
"Then what should I do now?" Zhu Zhuqing asked.
Lu Feng solemnly said, "This flower is no ordinary flower; it chooses its master. When picking it, you spit out a mouthful of blood and sprinkle it on the petals, thinking..."
With a soft "pfft," before Lu Feng could finish speaking, Zhu Zhuqing bit her lip, spitting a mouthful of blood onto the petals.
The Acacia Heartbreak Red didn't even sway, quietly leaving the Black Stone and falling into a slender hand.
"Is that all?" Zhu Zhuqing held up the flower and shook it.
"Uh, theoretically speaking, it should be," Lu Feng said, slightly surprised.
He winked at Zhu Zhuqing and asked curiously, "Zhuqing, were you thinking about anything when you were picking the flower?"
Hearing this, Zhu Zhuqing's pretty face flushed. For some reason, Lu Feng's smile had suddenly appeared in her mind just now.
"Hmph, I won't tell you," Zhu Zhuqing turned her head away, not daring to meet Lu Feng's gaze again.
Lu Feng smiled slightly and gently patted her head. "This flower is solitary and pure, and doesn't require any auxiliary medicine. Simply pluck a petal and eat it, then immediately begin cultivating in place to neutralize the medicinal effects and break through the bottleneck."
Zhu Zhuqing lowered her head, her fingertips lightly tracing the petal. "I can feel its emotions; it seems to be cheering for me. If it weren't for the competition from the royal family, I would truly want to keep it by my side forever."
She plucked a petal and put it in her mouth.
A strange scene unfolded: the moment the petal touched her lips, it instantly turned into juice and melted, flowing into her mouth.
As each petal that had turned into juice flowed into her body, a faint golden-red light began to appear around her.
Zhu Zhuqing's body, like a whale swallowing its prey, frantically absorbed the soul power in the air.
"Whoosh!"
A gentle breeze stirred in the sealed room.
As time passed, the golden-red light within Zhu Zhuqing's body grew increasingly brilliant, and a vast life force continuously emanated from her body.
At the same time, her aura visibly increased.
Level 39.
Level 40.
In the early morning, a ray of sunlight shone into the room.
"Achoo."
Lu Feng rubbed his nose and sneezed. He slowly opened his eyes and saw Zhu Zhuqing squatting beside him, teasing his eyelashes with her hair.
Lu Feng sat up, puzzled, "Huh, how did I fall asleep? Zhuqing, you didn't do anything inappropriate to me, did you?"
Zhu Zhuqing glared at him, annoyed. "Hmph, who cares about you?"
"Hehe." Lu Feng chuckled. "Zhuqing, how are you feeling now? How much has your soul power increased?"
Hearing this, Zhu Zhuqing's eyes blazed with excitement. "It's amazing! I actually broke through level forty directly. If I absorb the fourth soul ring, I think my soul power will increase even more."
"Hmm." Lu Feng nodded.
He was about to say something when Zhu Zhuqing suddenly pounced on him.
"Smack." Zhu Zhuqing wrapped her arms around Lu Feng's neck, leaned forward, and planted a heavy kiss on his cheek.
"Lu Feng, thank you so much." Her voice trembled slightly, choked with uncontrollable sobs.
As soon as she finished speaking, she gently buried her head in Lu Feng's firm chest, her shoulders trembling slightly as she sobbed softly.
For a long time, Zhu Zhuqing had been living in a state of suppressed repression. In the quiet of the night, she would often wake up from nightmares.
Zhu Zhuqing didn't know what her fate would be, and she could only numb herself with cultivation.
But even with her tireless cultivation day and night, the gap in talent and age was like an insurmountable chasm.
Now, however, she finally saw a glimmer of hope.
Lu Feng's lips curled into a gentle smile. "Zhuqing, is this all you're going to give me as a thank-you gift? Isn't that a bit stingy?"
As he spoke, he slowly reached out and gently lifted Zhu Zhuqing's chin with his index finger.
In an instant, a delicate face, streaked with tears, came into view. Her skin was as smooth as jade, and the tears streaming down her cheeks added to her captivating charm.
Zhu Zhuqing looked up, her heart suddenly racing. Her eyes still held traces of wet tears, yet in that moment of eye contact, a unique shyness welled up within her.
The air seemed to freeze in that instant, their breaths mingling together.
Lu Feng's gaze slowly moved downwards, landing on Zhu Zhuqing's slightly trembling lips. He involuntarily lowered his head, inching closer until they could feel each other's warm breath.
Just as their lips were about to touch, Zhu Zhuqing suddenly closed her eyes. Her long eyelashes trembled slightly, a mixture of nervousness and anticipation.
Lu Feng's lips gently covered hers, initially a fleeting touch, then gradually deepening.
"Mmm..."
In the Sunset Forest, beside a cliff,
claw marks crisscrossed the ground, the soil roughly overturned. On the cliff face, three two-foot-deep marks were shocking.
A white wolf, over five meters long, lay on the ground, blood gushing from its abdominal wound, staining the ground red.
Zhu Zhuqing sat cross-legged beside it, her soul power flowing, drawing upon her soul ring for absorption.
After a long while, she slowly opened her eyes and exclaimed excitedly, "Lu Feng, I succeeded! Your theory was correct; the Howling Moon Wolf's soul skill really does have a stacking effect!"
Lu Feng nodded and said calmly, "Good luck. What's the effect of your soul skill?"
Zhu Zhuqing's face was flushed, clearly still immersed in the joy of her own soul skill.
She took a deep breath and slowly said, "My fourth soul skill is a self-amplification skill. After using it, it can increase my attack, defense, speed, and mental strength by 50% for at least an hour." "
Moreover, I can use my fourth soul skill twice simultaneously without any side effects," Zhu Zhuqing said excitedly.
Upon hearing this, Lu Feng's lips curled up slightly. The effect of Zhu Zhuqing's soul skill was far more powerful than that of the dog-headed soul master from before.
The battle with the dog-headed man was arguably Lu Feng's most difficult battle.
The dog-headed soul master's stacking of his fourth soul skill had left a deep impression on Lu Feng. In the Heaven Dou Royal Library, Lu Feng consulted a large amount of information and finally came to a conclusion.
The dog-headed man's fourth soul ring should have come from the Howling Moon Wolf.
"Not bad." Lu Feng gently patted Zhu Zhuqing's head. "The characteristics of your fourth soul skill are a trump card; you can't easily reveal them."
"Mm." Zhu Zhuqing nodded heavily, her face unable to hide her excitement. "My soul power has now reached level 45! That herb truly lives up to its name as a celestial herb."
Then, Zhu Zhuqing frowned and said, "Lu Feng, how should I explain this to everyone when I get back? Should I say I absorbed a soul bone?"
If she only had level 41 soul power, Zhu Zhuqing could have gotten away with it. But increasing her soul power by seven levels overnight was something she wouldn't believe herself unless she experienced it firsthand.
At the same time, it further highlighted the preciousness of the celestial herb.
Zhu Zhuqing didn't want to reveal such a treasure; that would be asking for trouble.
Lu Feng chuckled, a sly smile playing on his lips. "Zhuqing, you don't need to hide the name 'celestial herb.' Just say your subordinates found it."
"Oh, what mischief are you plotting now?" Zhu Zhuqing asked suspiciously.
Zhu Zhuqing had spent so much time with Lu Feng and knew his personality very well. Whenever he showed this expression, it meant he was planning to harm someone.
(End of Chapter)