Chapter 280: Returning to Familiar Grounds, Filled with Emotion
After delivering a long, righteous speech about how humans and soul beasts must unite to fight against the Abyss, otherwise facing inevitable destruction, Ye Cheng finally shifted the topic and asked Zhu Zhuqing why she had come looking for him.
As expected, she was successfully redirected and began explaining her gains from this recent closed door training, as well as her plan to return to the Star Luo Empire to reform the nation and break the centuries old oppressive traditions.
When Ye Cheng heard that Zhu Zhuqing had suddenly advanced to Ultimate Douluo, he didn't seem surprised. He merely said, "If this were the past, with your Ultimate Douluo strength, you could indeed roam the continent without fear. But things are different now."
"Teacher, what do you mean?" Zhu Zhuqing asked, puzzled.
"I can vaguely sense that, besides myself and the Sea God, there are other god level beings in this world," Ye Cheng said solemnly. "I suspect that these gods have descended from the Divine Realm. So, you must be extremely careful on this trip!"
"Teacher, are you saying that those gods might be in Star Luo Empire?" Zhu Zhuqing's expression became serious.
"I can't be sure of their exact locations, nor can I confirm if these gods have aligned themselves with Star Luo Empire or if they are involved in some other conflict there," Ye Cheng shook his head before continuing, "However, since you've decided to go, take this with you just in case."
As he spoke, he extended his hand, and a dazzling radiance gathered before forming into a long sword its hilt made of white jade, and its blade formed from pure crystal. This was Feihong Sword, Ye Cheng's artifact spirit weapon!
He gently handed Feihong Sword to Zhu Zhuqing, saying, "If you encounter an enemy you cannot defeat, wield this sword, and you will temporarily gain the power to rival a god!"
Ever since Ye Cheng became a god, his martial spirit had transformed into an artifact, possessing immense divine power!
As long as he granted permission, even an ordinary person could wield this weapon and unleash unimaginable strength.
Of course, once they lost the sword, they would lose the power as well. After all, the strength came from the weapon, not from the wielder.
Additionally, the stronger the wielder, the more of the sword's power they could harness. Conversely, if they were too weak, they would only be able to access a fraction of its might.
With Zhu Zhuqing's current Ultimate Douluo level strength, wielding Ye Cheng's Feihong Sword meant that even if she encountered a god, she wouldn't need to fear. Instead, it was her opponents who should be afraid!
Holding the sword in both hands, Zhu Zhuqing felt a surge of confidence.
The brief self doubt and apprehension she had felt upon hearing that gods might be in Star Luo Empire vanished instantly.
With this divine sword, she feared nothing!
"Stay safe," Ye Cheng said one final time.
Zhu Zhuqing nodded firmly.
Star Luo Empire
The culture of this nation was vastly different from Heaven Dou Empire it valued military strength above all.
Led by the royal family, they had established an extremely brutal and barbaric system of succession.
For any prince to ascend to the throne, he had to defeat his brothers in ruthless competition. Only the strongest would become emperor.
As a result, every Star Luo emperor who emerged from this merciless selection process was undoubtedly a powerful individual. Naturally, such rulers ensured that the cruel cycle continued.
Zhu Zhuqing came from the Zhu Clan, a family that inherited the Netherworld Civet martial spirit.
This martial spirit was not considered particularly powerful historically, the strongest individual recorded had only reached the level of Spirit Douluo.
However, it had one unique trait it could fuse with the White Tiger martial spirit of the Star Luo royal family, forming the Netherworld White Tiger, a devastating martial spirit fusion technique.
For this reason, the Zhu Clan had always been a vassal of the royal family.
All women of the Zhu Clan were forced to marry into the royal family, serving as mere tools to enhance the strength of the White Tiger lineage.
They had no freedom their fate was sealed from birth.
But today...
Zhu Zhuqing had returned.
With the power of an Ultimate Douluo and a divine sword on her back, she had returned!
She was here to break these ancient chains to shatter the oppressive traditions that had bound her people for generations!
Star Luo City The Capital of the Empire
The beating heart of the Star Luo Empire.
The residence of countless nobles and high ranking officials.
The epicenter of power.
After many years, Zhu Zhuqing had finally returned.
But her mindset had changed completely from the past.
Back then, she had been lost trapped in darkness, unable to see the light.
Her only hope had been to find Dai Mubai and fight alongside him, clinging to a sliver of a chance to win.
Now, looking back at her old self, she felt nothing but mockery.
How pathetic she had been.
Her worldview had been so narrow, confined to this tiny battlefield.
If she had never met her teacher, if she had never become his disciple, then she would have never escaped.
She could already see what her life would have been
She would have drifted aimlessly in Shrek Academy, slowly losing hope.
Eventually, after years of being forced to fuse martial spirits with Dai Mubai, she would have reluctantly accepted him.
She would have "forgiven" his betrayal and cowardice, convincing herself that he had changed.
She would have become his subordinate, sacrificing her own identity just to strengthen him.
Because that was the fate of all Zhu Clan women.
When people saw the Netherworld White Tiger, they only marveled at its power.
No one ever thought about the Netherworld Civet the silent sacrifice that made the fusion possible.
Zhu Zhuqing walked through Star Luo City, her footsteps steady.
On her back, she carried the Feihong Sword, its glow hidden within a sword case.
From the outside, it looked like an ordinary sword.
As the imperial capital, Star Luo City was crawling with spies.
Every stranger who entered the city was watched closely.
Zhu Zhuqing was no exception.
Ordinary people might not recognize her after all, she dressed simply, and her hairstyle was different.
But to the trained eyes of the imperial intelligence network, Zhu Zhuqing's face was unforgettable.
She had appeared multiple times in the future video projections, where she shined brilliantly.
She had even been bestowed the title: "The Asura Goddess."
And most importantly
She was from the Zhu Clan.
That alone made her an important figure.
From the moment she stepped through the city gates, countless hidden agents sprang into action.
Within moments, word of her return spread through the highest circles of power.
Many nobles immediately took notice.
Most were not hostile in fact, they wanted to build good relations with her.
After all...
She was the disciple of a god.
No one dared to offend her.
Not even the royal family.
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