Once they were far from the Star Dou Forest, Tang Yin finally stopped flying and descended into a dense jungle.
The two soul beasts trailed after him, landing with heavy thuds, their ragged breathing shook the surrounding foliage as if the forest itself were afraid from their presence.
Tang Yin hadn't spoken much the entire way, keeping his thoughts to himself as both of them descended into the jungle.
The silence dragged on until Zhuyun could no longer hold back. Tilting her head slightly, a hint of curiosity in her eyes, she finally asked,
"Hey, why are you acting so mysterious all of a sudden? Just tell me already—how am I supposed to absorb their soul rings?"
Zhuyun's impatience made him sigh deeply. 'This woman is truly heartless,' he thought. 'Just moments ago, she was cooing over how "cute" the Soul beasts were, and now that the novelty has worn off, she's already eyeing their soul rings. Haiyah—'
Without answering, he pulled out a chunk of Whale Rubber over fifty thousand years old and released the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud. Immediately, a shimmering transparent veil wrapped around them, concealing their presence from the outside world.
"Hmm?" Zhuyun murmured, her eyes fixed on the improper substance in his hands.
Her eyes widened, her face flushing crimson as she stumbled back a step. "Wh-what are you planning to do with a… Whale Rubber? Don't tell me—you! I-I'm not that kind of girl, Take one more step! I'm warning you!"
Seeing her reaction, Tang Yin paused for a moment—then burst into hearty laughter. A mischievous smile curved his lips.
"Zhuyun-jiejie, what naughty thoughts are running through your mind? This isn't what you think. It's a closely guarded secret of the Tang Clan—a special tonic used to stabilize one's foundation. Even the other girls know about it."
Zhuyun finally exhaled in relief, though a faint blush lingered on her cheeks, accompanied by a pang of guilt at the thought of what she had imagined. Of course, she didn't know the full truth—yes, the other girls were aware of it, but only those who had personally experienced it for themselves.
"Alright," Tang Yin continued, his expression turning serious, "since you're Zhuqing's sister, and she's my lover, you're practically my family so I'll be sharing some of the secrets with you. From this moment on, the Mysterious Heaven Record of my Tang sect belongs to you. Never share this secrets to others and Train diligently, and finally make a name for yourself."
Releasing his telepathy, Tang yin transmitted the Mysterious Heaven cultivation method and a set of battle techniques directly to her mind.
Zhuyun's eyes lit with shock as the knowledge was firmly etched in her mind. The excitement, however, soon softened into warmth.
She had already witnessed Tang Yin's heaven-defying feats before, so surprise quickly gave way to gratitude. He hadn't treated her like an outsider, even though there was no any special bond between them beyond her sister.
She knew the worth of what he had just given her. Having once fought Zhuqing during the Continental Tournament, she'd seen firsthand the overwhelming power of these techniques. Now, they were hers.
'He's unbelievably generous. Should I say my sister is lucky—or unlucky? Judging by the way he treats me, I doubt he doesn't have any thoughts about me,' Zhuyun thought inwardly.
While Zhuyun was absorbed in the manual, Tang Yin had already boiled the Whale Rubber in his hands with energy conversion.
A pungent, fishy odor filled the surrounding air, forcing Zhuyun to pinch her nose. Still, when he brought the steaming liquid to her lips, she hesitated only briefly before parting them. The bitter medicine slid down her throat, melting into her core.
Instantly, a scorching energy erupted inside her, surging wildly throughout her meridians. Gritting her teeth, Zhuyun dropped into a cross-legged position, forcing herself to focus on the Mysterious Heaven Record.
Beads of sweat rolled down her forehead as she battled the raging power, refusing to let its intoxicating rush overwhelm her sanity.
Her determination was impressive, yet it proved futile as she surged toward Tang Yin, her eyes blazing with uncontrollable intensity.
Even he could feel the force of her desire, but he remained composed, as he slowly guided Zhuyun's agitation with his fingers.
Aah~
A mix of embarrassment and relief washed over her, and though she had wanted to act on her impulses, whereas his expert fingers made her find the desire she craved.
Tang yin~
A shred of reasoning still remained, but once Tang Yin's fingers reached her, Zhuyun lost herself. She ached to act on her feelings, yet he held back, careful not to cross a line that might complicate or strain their relationship.
Zhuyun finally released her frustration all over his hands which he licked with relish. Her face turned crimson seeing him taste her body fluid but she didn't seem to mind that much.
Two hours later—
Zhuyun's chest heaved as anger & frustration surged through her, but Tang Yin didn't flinch. He shook his head with a disappointed sigh.
"Jiejie, you seemed like someone with strong willpower, but I misjudged you," he said lightly. "Still… you don't have to thank me. I know I did the right thing, but even so, it feels… wrong."
Hearing him twist the truth like that, Zhuyun's eyes welled with tears, threatening to spill. Seeing her on the brink of crying, Tang Yin stepped closer and gently wrapped his arms around her, pressing a soft kiss to her temple.
"Don't worry," he murmured, gazing into her eyes. "I'll take responsibility whenever you're ready. You can scold me, punish me, or do as you like—but please, don't cry. I know that I'm a scumbag but I have truly fallen for you."
His heartfelt words stirred something deep within her. No one had ever spoken to her like this before. Slowly, after a moment of struggle, she let herself relax, settling comfortably into his embrace as warmth and emotion bubbled gently in her chest.
After sometime—
"Do you promise you'll never abandon me… or my sister?" Zhuyun asked, her eyes fixed on Tang Yin who nodded earnestly without a hint of hesitation. "I swear I'll never stop loving both of you, even in my dreams. Happy now?" he replied seriously.
She didn't answer but snuggled even closer as Tang yin also hugged her securely in his arms. 'I should've done this sooner. I feels so good and secure in his arms. Hmm? Does Zhuqing always get to snuggle in his strong arms?' she thought inwardly as Tang yin smiled knowingly.
Why? Because Tang yin had already sensed Zhuyun's inner struggle through his telepathy, he had been patiently waiting for the perfect moment to break the ice—and now, he had finally succeeded.
Tang yin was aware she had feelings for him—feelings she had long resisted, convinced he was nothing more than a scoundrel. Who was only interested in her body. But looking back, struggling against it now felt pointless, and at last, she accepted the truth.
She didn't want to be alone anymore. Having witnessed the harmony among Tang yin's other companions, she longed to be part of it too—to share in their smiles, just like her sister.
"Alright, there's still much to do, Zhuyun. Let's work on increasing your potential for now," he muttered, giving her a light pat on the rear. She yelped, glaring at him and rolling her eyes.
Tang Yin chuckled at her reaction and then produced a 100,000-year-old Right Leg Soul Bone of the Netherworld Civet Cat from his storage ring.
"Absorb this quickly," he instructed, tossing the soul bone toward her. Zhuyun caught it effortlessly, hardly surprised—after all, a soul bone wasn't much compared to everything else she had experienced. Calmly, she began fusing it with her right leg, but her expression soon shifted to astonishment as she felt the immense power coursing through her.
'This soul bone… it's not that simple, is it?' Zhuyun murmured to herself, sensing the huge potent soul power contained within.
Four hours later, Zhuyun completed absorbing the soul bone without a word. She suddenly lunged into Tang Yin's arms, burying her face against him. Looking up, she asked him softly, "Am I really worth it? Whether it's the precious soul bone… or the trust you showed by sharing your clan's secrets."
Tang Yin didn't answer right away. Instead, he pressed a gentle kiss to her lips, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.
"You're worth far more than all of that," he said softly, his tone earnest. "If you weren't, would I have even bothered? Your selfless actions for zhuqing touched me far more than your beauty ever could, Zhuyun. Never doubt how much I truly value you." For the first time, his feelings went beyond desire—he genuinely wanted to capture her heart for himself.
"What a flirt you are… hmph!" she muttered, crossing her arms in mock annoyance but soon she smiled, feeling the change within herself. "My soul power… I've already broken through level 60."
Tang Yin corrected her with a smile, "No, your soul power is already two or three levels above 60. It'll become fully apparent once you absorb the soul ring."
"Okay, be prepared, Zhuyun," he instructed, "because the next secret I'm about to show you is the biggest." He then commenced the soul transfer, sacrificing a 90,000-year-old Shadowfang Wolf to her.
Golden light shone as an oppressive black soul ring hovered toward the stunned Zhuyun. Her mouth fell open in astonishment as she realized what his greatest secret truly was.
She began absorbing the soul ring, and in less than an hour, the process was complete. Her soul power churned violently, and she instantly reached level 70.
Zhuyun jumped with joy, barely able to believe everything. "My soul power is already level 70—and I've gained an incredibly powerful soul skill!" She skipped over to Tang Yin excitedly.
"Tang Yin, my skill is called Hell's Judgment. I can summon nine black spectral claws from all directions simultaneously. This skill cannot be dodged, and it increases my physical strength, attack and speed by 180% for 90 seconds."
He nodded approvingly. It was an impressive skill for a 90,000-year-old soul ring. Without wasting time, he instructed her to prepare for the next transfer, sacrificing a 100,000-year-old Nightclaw Panther to her.
This time, the golden light shone even brighter.
A Crimson soul ring hovered ominously above Zhuyun, who stared at it in awe. Even at the ninth ring, a red soul ring was a legendary feat—but she was gaining it at the seventh ring. Her eyes sparkled with genuine gratitude as she looked at Tang Yin.
He smiled at her sincerity and began carefully storing the precious soul bones from the two powerful beasts. These would be upgraded and given to them when necessary.
An hour later, Zhu Zhuyun's soul power had reached level 74 and half. Excitedly, she began sharing her new soul skills:
Civet Panther Avatar – Increases her speed by 150% and boosts soul skills by 100%, mainly in attack power. Lasts according to cultivation.
Shadow World Domain – Creates a large battlefield enveloped in darkness, where the Hell Spirit Cat's speed, attack, and stealth are enhanced by 100%, while enemies are blinded and weaker foes suppressed.
Tang Yin pondered silently, 'Can a 100,000 year soul ring really produce two soul skills at the seventh ring? He was conflicted, thinking of wether to absorb the God-given soul ring for his seventh ring or not.
Still, he smiled, gently ruffling her small head as the cold, composed beauty finally revealed her cute side to him.