Chapter 138: Persuading Zhu Zhuyun
Zhu Zhuyun's Residence.
Ling Yuan frowned slightly. She seemed to sense someone secretly observing her.
"Whose gaze is this…? Could there be another Titled Douluo hidden within Star Luo City?"
Ling Yuan felt uneasy, thinking she had been noticed by some mysterious powerhouse.
What made her even more uncomfortable was that she sensed this gaze lingering on some very specific areas—such as her chest and hips.
Her Beast Martial Soul was the Flame Kite, a flying-type beast soul. Avian martial soul users were naturally well-endowed in the chest, which meant her figure had developed in a rather sinful and explosive way.
But she was a Guardian Elder of the Spirit Hall. How could an ordinary person dare to peer at her with such a gaze?
"That shameless old pervert!" Ling Yuan cursed inwardly, yet she didn't dare make any rash movements and instead heightened her vigilance.
Fortunately, in the next moment, the owner of that gaze shifted their attention away, allowing her to finally breathe a sigh of relief.
"Wait—this mental power source… it seems to be coming from Zhu Zhuqing's residence?"
Ling Yuan was startled.
Bibi Dong had personally instructed her to ensure Qi Tian's safety at all costs.
If anything happened to Qi Tian, she couldn't even imagine how Bibi Dong would deal with her.
With that thought, Ling Yuan no longer cared about her own safety and rushed toward Qi Tian's residence.
Her martial soul possessed dual attributes, and her speed was extremely fast. In an instant, she arrived at another part of the Zhu family territory—Zhu Zhuqing's home.
"Who is it?!" Ling Yuan looked toward Qi Tian's quarters, yet all she saw was Qi Tian alone.
"Is it actually him? How is this possible? His cultivation is only at the Soul King level—how could he possess such powerful mental strength?!"
Ling Yuan was utterly shocked.
Moments later, Qi Tian's mental fluctuations gradually stabilized.
The earlier surge of mental power had merely been an uncontrolled burst caused by absorbing the crystal, which had created the illusion of overwhelming strength.
In reality, Qi Tian's current mental realm had not yet reached the Titled Douluo level.
Seeing this, Ling Yuan finally relaxed.
"So it was a mental breakthrough… Even so, this level of mental power is extremely rare!"
"Wait—if the source of that mental power was him, then doesn't that mean the one who was peeping at my body just now was also him?"
At this thought, Ling Yuan's cheeks flushed red.
"Tsk, what a lecher. No wonder Her Holiness told me to keep my distance from him!"
---
Elsewhere.
Zhu Zhuqing followed her plan and went to pay a visit.
The two sisters stood in the courtyard, their features bearing six to seven points of resemblance.
Graceful figures, peerless beauty—one mature and alluring, the other cold yet sensually restrained. Together, they formed a strikingly beautiful scene.
When Zhu Zhuyun saw her younger sister, her attitude was far from friendly.
"Hmph! My dear little sister—are you here to mock me now?" Zhu Zhuyun spoke coldly.
Anyone who had been deceived would find it difficult to treat the deceiver kindly.
"Elder sister, you've misunderstood me. I'm here today to clear up our misunderstanding," Zhu Zhuqing said.
"A misunderstanding? What misunderstanding could there possibly be between us?"
Zhu Zhuyun was about to throw out a sarcastic remark, but seeing the serious expression on her sister's face, she decided to give her a chance.
"Fine. Say it, then. I want to see how you plan to explain yourself," Zhu Zhuyun said.
Taking the initiative, Zhu Zhuqing pulled Zhu Zhuyun inside the house.
"Elder sister, why don't you cultivate together with Dai Weisi?" Zhu Zhuqing asked curiously.
Zhu Zhuyun froze.
She hadn't expected Zhu Zhuqing to ask such a question and immediately suspected her of trying to pry information about Dai Weisi.
"What else could it be?"
"In the eyes of the major noble factions, after Dai Mubai fled, Dai Weisi becoming Crown Prince is already a done deal."
"So many factions are currying favor with him. On one hand, he has to socialize and handle official affairs; on the other, he still needs to cultivate."
"We don't actually get much time together," Zhu Zhuyun said with a hint of pride.
Compared to Dai Mubai, Dai Weisi was far superior. Zhu Zhuyun firmly believed her fate was far better than Zhu Zhuqing's.
"Is that all you wanted to ask?" Zhu Zhuyun questioned.
Zhu Zhuqing shook her head.
"Elder sister—take a look at my cultivation level."
She activated her Martial Soul Possession, and beneath her feet, three soul rings—yellow, yellow, purple—began to rhythmically rotate.
Only then did Zhu Zhuyun realize that her younger sister's soul power had actually reached Rank Thirty-Six.
"How is that possible?!" Zhu Zhuyun was completely shocked.
She clearly remembered that a little over two years ago, Zhu Zhuqing had only just barely absorbed her second soul ring and broken through to become a Soul Grandmaster.
Based on her cultivation speed, reaching Rank Twenty-Seven by now would already be considered diligent.
Yet Zhu Zhuqing's soul power was Rank Thirty-Six, far beyond anything Zhu Zhuyun could comprehend.
She had originally thought that her sister had returned this time merely because Dai Mubai had given her confidence.
She never imagined that Zhu Zhuqing's confidence came from herself.
Zhu Zhuyun remembered that when she herself was Zhu Zhuqing's age, her soul power had only been around Rank Twenty-Six or Twenty-Seven.
"Zhuqing… how did you do this?" Zhu Zhuyun's attitude softened considerably.
Although this meant that her chances of victory alongside Dai Weisi would become even slimmer, she felt that her sister had not come merely to flaunt her strength.
"Elder sister, I consumed an immortal herb—that's why my soul power reached this level," Zhu Zhuqing replied.
"Immortal herb?" Zhu Zhuyun had never heard of such a thing.
Zhu Zhuqing slowly explained the origins of immortal herbs. Zhu Zhuyun could only feel envy—after all, there was only one such herb.
"Elder sister, I've said it before. In the future, I will become a Titled Douluo. I will change the fate of the Zhu family."
"At the very least, the Zhu family will no longer be vassals of the Dai Clan! The women of our Zhu family will no longer have to lose their lives because of the Dai family's internal struggles!"
Zhu Zhuyun's lips trembled slightly as she asked, "Then… What about you and Dai Mubai?"
Zhu Zhuqing replied calmly, "Elder sister, Dai Mubai and I are not that kind of relationship. He's nothing more than a tool."
Zhu Zhuyun was stunned.
She hadn't expected Zhu Zhuqing to have seized the dominant position.
One had to know that in the Hell White Tiger Martial Soul Fusion Skill, the one who usually held dominance was the White Tiger.
"Then what do you intend to do?" Zhu Zhuyun asked.
"Elder sister, why can't members of the Zhu family become the emperors of the Star Luo Empire?" Zhu Zhuqing said.
"Hiss—!"
Zhu Zhuyun sucked in a sharp breath. The upbringing she had received since childhood did not allow her to even think about such a rebellious notion.
"Elder sister, I also intend to command the empire's military forces, so I need someone to help me."
"We are sisters. Entrusting this matter to you is something I feel at ease with," Zhu Zhuqing said.
"Impossible! Zhuqing, have you gone mad?!" Zhu Zhuyun was utterly shaken by her sister's audacious plan.
From a young age, she had been taught to assist her future fiancé in seizing the throne, eventually becoming empress—just like the current emperor and empress.
As such, she found it extremely difficult to accept Zhu Zhuqing's treasonous thoughts.
"Elder sister, I can do it."
"I plan to help Dai Mubai seize the Crown Prince position, then assist him in ascending the throne."
"And once I break through to Titled Douluo, I will have him abdicate the throne and hand it over to me!"
"At that time, I will become the Empress of the Star Luo Empire, and you will be the empire's princess. In the future, I can even pass the throne on to you!"
Zhu Zhuyun stared at Zhu Zhuqing.
If not for the fact that Zhu Zhuqing was still speaking in that same calm, detached tone, she might have thought her sister had been replaced by someone else.
Zhu Zhuqing continued, "Elder sister, if you don't believe me, you can have Dai Weisi challenge Dai Mubai."
"If Dai Mubai wins, it will prove that I can carry out my plan and fulfill my promise. At that point, come and help me."
"I…"
Zhu Zhuyun froze.
Because she had already secretly sent word to Dai Weisi, asking him to teach Dai Mubai a lesson and crush his momentum.
She hadn't expected Zhu Zhuqing to bring this up on her own.
A strong sense of unease suddenly rose in her heart.
"Elder sister, I still have one more immortal herb. As long as you're willing, you too will have hope of breaking through to the Titled Douluo realm," Zhu Zhuqing said.
"What?!" Zhu Zhuyun's heart wavered.
—
End of Chapter