Time flew by. Before they realized it, Ye Qiu and Zhu Zhuqing had already spent nearly half a month in the Star Dou Great Forest.
During the day, Ye Qiu would lead her on horseback, taking her to watch the sunrise and sunset together while searching for suitable soul beasts for the both of them. At night, he would bring her into the Divine Might Space to rest.
By now, Zhu Zhuqing had fully recovered from her injuries. Carrying a ten-year-old soul beast bamboo rat, she walked into a cave.
"Here! This is our lunch!" she said, tossing the small bamboo rat in front of Ye Qiu before sitting down beside him. "I really don't know why you refuse to eat rabbit. It's obviously tastier than this…"
"Hehe… Well, I promised someone I wouldn't eat rabbit anymore." Ye Qiu chuckled as he picked up the bamboo rat and began preparing it. "That said, I didn't expect you to be such a skilled hunter."
"My elder sister always targeted me, so I usually had to cook for myself," she replied calmly, checking her left leg for dirt. She was already used to it.
"I see." Ye Qiu said nothing more and quietly roasted the bamboo rat. Since that incident before, he understood that she didn't want too much closeness between them. Besides, he already had a rabbit in his heart.
Zhu Zhuqing frowned. Her occasional distancing from Ye Qiu only made her feel more irritated. This should have been her ideal situation, yet she couldn't feel happy.
"My body has fully recovered. When can we go soul hunting?"
"After this meal," Ye Qiu replied. "There's a suitable target among the Shadow Spiders we encountered earlier. Have you thought it through? If not, we can choose another—"
"I'll do as you say. I believe you."
Seeing her determination, Ye Qiu nodded. "Then we'll move this afternoon."
"Alright."
Outside the Shadow Spider swarm's nest, a transparent vortex appeared in midair. Two figures materialized atop a tree branch. Ye Qiu had already scouted the area beforehand and placed spatial markers.
Shadow Spiders usually hunted alone, so all they needed to do was wait.
"I'll lure out one that's around two thousand years old," Ye Qiu said. "Wait for me at the designated spot."
"I want to do it myself," Zhu Zhuqing said firmly.
Seeing Ye Qiu's confusion, she continued, "I don't want to take something without earning it. And… with your abilities, saving me shouldn't be a problem, right?"
He sighed helplessly and nodded. "I really don't know whether to call you strong-willed or stubborn. Fine—go ahead. I'll watch over you."
She nodded lightly.
Time passed slowly. In Ye Qiu's vision, a Shadow Spider with legs nearly four meters long slowly crawled out of the cave.
"It's coming. Be careful."
The moment she heard his voice, Zhu Zhuqing became alert.
With a sharp hiss, the spider pierced the soil with its legs and began moving outward. Zhu Zhuqing immediately followed.
Ye Qiu quietly left the tree branch, using his divine power to conceal himself.
Once the Shadow Spider moved far enough away, a streak of light shot from Zhu Zhuqing's sleeve and struck its eyes, sparks flying.
"Hiss—!"
The Shadow Spider screeched strangely, locking onto what it believed to be prey, and charged toward her.
Bang! Small trees snapped under its weight as its legs thrust forward to impale her.
First Soul Skill — Netherworld Thrust!
Zhu Zhuqing surged forward at incredible speed, narrowly dodging the attack.
Following Ye Qiu's advice, she used Netherworld Thrust not only to attack, but also to evade. Each time the spider closed in, she used the skill to create distance.
She clenched her teeth and ran at full speed—the rendezvous point wasn't far!
"Huh?"
Suddenly, she heard nothing behind her.
She turned—and froze.
The Shadow Spider had vanished.
Tick!
"Ugh—!"
A sharp pain shot through her shoulder as a drop of venom splashed onto it, corroding her clothes.
Her face paled. She looked up—and saw the Shadow Spider hanging directly above her, its grotesque mouthparts dripping venom.
Pfft!
A web coated in poison sprayed toward her. She rolled to dodge, but several spider legs stabbed down in succession. She evaded again and again—
"Hiss!"
A splash of corrosive venom struck her leg, throwing her off balance. She fell to the ground.
Pfft!
Venom sprayed toward her face.
Zhu Zhuqing stared helplessly as it drew closer, biting her lip.
I'm still too weak…
"KAMUI!"
At the critical moment, Ye Qiu appeared. All the venom vanished instantly, swallowed by space itself.
With an enraged shriek, the Shadow Spider abandoned Zhu Zhuqing and charged at Ye Qiu.
"Ye Qiu—watch out!" she shouted.
But what happened next left her completely stunned.
With a hiss, the Shadow Spider abruptly froze just before reaching him. Its legs pierced the ground—and it didn't move again.
It remained utterly motionless.
Even when Ye Qiu stepped onto its back, it showed no reaction.
The Shadow Spider had been temporarily controlled by Ye Qiu's Sharingan.
He stood atop it, arms crossed.
Zhu Zhuqing stared in disbelief.
"Hiss…"
The Shadow Spider slowly turned around and lay flat on the ground, as if inviting her to climb on.
"Are you alright?" Ye Qiu asked calmly, the breeze lifting his black hair, making him look oddly triumphant.
"I'm fine," Zhu Zhuqing replied, standing up.
"Ever ridden a spider before?" Ye Qiu extended a hand with a grin.
Her eyes sparkled. After a brief hesitation, she grabbed his hand and leapt up.
Chi—chi!
The Shadow Spider carried them through the jungle at incredible speed.
"How did you do that?" Zhu Zhuqing asked, watching the forest blur past. Riding a giant spider through the Star Dou Great Forest—this was insane.
A relaxed smile appeared on her face.
"This is the power of my martial soul." Ye Qiu pointed to his eyes, now covered by black silk.
"Oh… I see." She glanced at him awkwardly. The black ribbon had been cut from her stockings.
Ye Qiu had no better choice—other fabrics interfered with his vision, while the silk allowed airflow and clarity.
They soon arrived at a massive cave, its ceiling crawling with shadow spiders spinning webs.
Ye Qiu removed the ribbon, revealing his glowing red eyes.
"What now?" Zhu Zhuqing asked nervously. "Do I kill it?"
"You don't need to," Ye Qiu replied. "Just accept its sacrifice. I'll give you the greatest benefit possible."
"S-Sacrifice?" Her heart pounded. "You're not lying to me… are you?"
"Why would I?" Ye Qiu said impatiently, positioning her properly. "You want to become stronger, don't you? Then trust me."
She met his gaze, her face flushing slightly, and nodded.
"I believe you."
The six-pointed star in Ye Qiu's eyes shone brightly.
"Hiss—!"
The Shadow Spider struggled violently.
"I'm still a bit strained…" Ye Qiu muttered, then focused harder.
Blood trickled from the corner of his eye.
A brilliant purple glow erupted from the Shadow Spider, pouring down like an inverted waterfall onto Zhu Zhuqing.
"Here it comes!"
"Hng—!"
Zhu Zhuqing groaned softly as soul power flooded her body.
"Endure it! Absorb as much as you can!" Ye Qiu encouraged.
He sat cross-legged near the entrance, exhausted from the strain.
Time passed.
The purple torrent gradually thinned, and Zhu Zhuqing's aura stabilized.
A yellow spirit ring appeared beneath her—followed by a second, radiant purple ring.
Ye Qiu stood up.
She had succeeded.
Zhu Zhuqing opened her eyes, joy overflowing.
"Ye Qiu! I did it! I really did it!"
She leapt into his arms, hugging him tightly, laughing with pure excitement.
"Congratulations," Ye Qiu said softly. "Your second… purple spirit ring."
Realizing what she was doing, Zhu Zhuqing quickly pulled back, her cheeks blooming red, eyes darting away—yet her smile lingered.
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