"This Dark Demonic Evil God Tiger truly deserves to be listed as a top-tier Spirit Beast by my teacher; it actually allowed my Nine Nether Spirit Cat to evolve and gain additional attribute abilities."
"And this black bead, it doesn't seem like an ordinary item. I even have some trouble controlling it. I've only felt a similar power from the Asura Demon Sword in Slaughter City. I'll show it to teacher when I return to the academy."
Star Luo Empire, Imperial Capital.
Zhu Zhuqing, clad in a black and gold tight-fitting suit, rested briefly and felt the power the Dark Demonic Evil God Tiger had brought her, sighing with emotion.
The bustling capital stretched out before her, filled with towering structures, wide streets, and the constant movement of nobles, soldiers, and commoners alike. Yet despite its liveliness, the city carried an undercurrent of tension—one she knew all too well. This was a place where strength dictated status, and weakness invited destruction.
Slaying the Dark Demonic Evil God Tiger had come at a considerable cost, leaving her with multiple injuries.
Though her posture remained steady, hidden beneath her fitted attire were bruises, cuts, and internal strain. Each step she took sent faint reminders of the fierce battle she had endured. Her arm, though reset, still throbbed slightly, and her spirit power had not yet fully stabilized after absorbing the spirit ring.
But compared to what she had gained, these injuries were insignificant.
The Dark Demonic Evil God Tiger possessed a high level of intelligence, but unfortunately, the more intelligent it was, the easier it was for it to misjudge her spirit power. At first, it regarded her as an ordinary Spirit Emperor at level sixty. Not only did it not know what it was facing, but it also wanted to toy with Zhu Zhuqing and devour her; after all, a maiden's flesh was tender.
That arrogance had been its downfall.
Its predatory gaze, filled with cruel amusement at the beginning, had shifted too late—only when it sensed true danger. But by then, the outcome had already been decided.
However, having been trained by her teacher, Xin, into a true assassin and killer, she knew the Dark Demonic Evil God Tiger was not easy to deal with. She wouldn't let the Dark Demonic Evil God Tiger test her with one move after another or deplete her spirit power. As soon as she seized an opportunity, she would unleash her most lethal move.
Her teacher's teachings were etched deeply into her instincts. There was no hesitation, no unnecessary probing. Every action she took in battle was precise, calculated, and aimed toward a single goal—ending the fight as quickly as possible.
After all, as her teacher said, for an assassin, surprise and a single fatal blow are the principles.
Especially since her teacher had taught them the strategy for dealing with the Dark Demonic Evil God Tiger:
Prolonged combat is not advisable. The Dark Demonic Evil God Tiger possesses multiple combat skills no weaker than an eighth Spirit Ability of a Spirit Douluo expert, integrating displacement, defense, attribute attacks, and Domain. If it cannot be instantly killed or crushed by the power of a Super Douluo, one might fall into a bitter struggle.
These words replayed clearly in her mind as she recalled the battle.
Therefore, the moment the Dark Demonic Evil God Tiger underestimated her and pounced, relying on the instant Suppression effect of the Hunter's Vigil and the Celestial Demon Creation Grand Technique, coupled with the restriction of the Slaughter Forbidden Magic Domain, Zhu Zhuqing, stepping with the top-tier Body Movement Crossing Yellow Springs, swiftly passed by. She decisively pulled out her Soul Bursting Sky Piercer and fired three consecutive shots at the Dark Demonic Evil God Tiger's left brain, left abdomen, and left hip.
Each movement had been executed with perfect timing.
Her figure had blurred like a phantom, slipping past the tiger's lethal strike by a hair's breadth. In that fleeting instant, she seized control of the battlefield. The suppression effects disrupted the beast's reactions, while her domain restricted its mobility just enough to create an opening.
Three shots.
Clean. Precise. Merciless.
This forced the Dark Demonic Evil God Tiger to activate its Life and Death Arena for self-preservation, without even having time to use Evil God Protection and Evil Wind Light Blade skills. Ultimately, it was killed by the latter two bullets from the Sky Shattering Cannon.
Even now, recalling the moment, Zhu Zhuqing could feel how narrow her victory had been. Had she hesitated even slightly, the outcome might have been entirely different.
And the seventh spirit ring ability the Dark Demonic Evil God Tiger brought her—Nine Nether Evil Body—also brought her a tremendous boost, stimulating the Nine Nether Spirit Cat's dark attribute to an optimal state.
A faint, almost imperceptible aura of darkness lingered around her as she stood there. It was not chaotic or violent, but controlled—refined into something sharp and deadly. Her senses had sharpened further, her speed increased, and her affinity with darkness had reached a new level.
Standing in this capital city that once filled her with sorrow, Zhu Zhuqing no longer felt fear or weakness. Instead, she truly felt what her teacher had told her—the feeling of controlling her own destiny.
Memories surfaced one after another—moments of helplessness, of being overshadowed, of being forced into a path she had not chosen. But now, those memories no longer bound her.
They fueled her.
Zhu Residence.
The Royal Knight Army stood in formation. A Star Luo general, clad in White Tiger armor, stood imposingly on the steps inside the residence, looking down disdainfully at everyone in the Zhu Residence, and shouted:
"Zhu Yuan, do you know your crime?"