Hearing this, a trace of doubt flashed in Zhu Zhuqing's eyes.
She had seen the Heaven Dou Imperial Second Team. Could those pampered nobles, who usually lived in luxury, really withstand such high-intensity training?
Lu Feng changed the subject, the corners of his mouth tilting up slightly in a smile. "But there's nothing urgent these days, so I gave myself a few days off."
"Hmph, why do I feel like you're hiding something from me?" Zhu Zhuqing snorted softly, her face full of suspicion.
Lu Feng quickly waved his hand and said with a straight face, "Absolutely not. I can swear. If I'm lying to you, may my sworn brother never find a wife in his entire life."
"Pfft," Zhu Zhuqing couldn't help but burst into laughter. Her laughter was crisp and pleasant, echoing in the air like silver bells.
"I really don't know what sin Tang San committed in his past life to have a brother like you."
After laughing for a while, Zhu Zhuqing slowly recovered. Her eyes curved, carrying a hint of curiosity, she asked, "Lu Feng, what is your soul power level now?"
"What, trying to spy on the enemy?" A faint smile hung on Lu Feng's lips. "It doesn't hurt to tell you. I'm level 47 now."
"Level 47!" Zhu Zhuqing subconsciously covered her small mouth, her eyes filled with disbelief and shock.
If she remembered correctly, Lu Feng had only just turned fourteen.
Fourteen years old!
Level 47!
Zhu Zhuqing stared intently at Lu Feng, her gaze full of marvel, and said word by word, "Lu Feng, you are the most talented Soul Master I have ever seen."
Hearing this, the corners of Lu Feng's mouth tilted up, revealing a confident smile. "Zhuqing, feel free to worship this big brother. My specialty isn't just limited to cultivation."
"Pah, shameless." Zhu Zhuqing's cheeks flushed slightly as she spat lightly.
The two walked side by side. After a long silence, Zhu Zhuqing finally couldn't help but ask, "Lu Feng, how exactly do you cultivate?"
In the year since arriving in Heaven Dou City, Zhu Zhuqing had never slacked off in her training.
Apart from sleeping and eating, every moment was devoted to cultivation.
Soul power meditation.
Soul skill cultivation.
Physical training...
Day after day, cycle after cycle.
Her dates with Lu Feng every half month had become her only relaxation in this monotonous time.
Relying on a year of arduous effort, Zhu Zhuqing's soul power had risen to level 38. Her cultivation speed was almost on par with Tang San, who had innate full soul power.
Even Yu Xiaogang, who usually had eyes on the top of his head, was full of praise for Zhu Zhuqing.
He had even specifically asked Liu Erlong to pass on a message, expressing his willingness to personally guide Zhu Zhuqing. However, Zhu Zhuqing had politely declined.
But seeing Lu Feng's astonishing growth speed, Zhu Zhuqing truly witnessed what a real genius was.
"Want to know? Then after we finish eating, I'll find a place to let you see for yourself." Lu Feng blinked, a cunning glint in his eyes.
"Hmph, what is it that you can't say now?" Zhu Zhuqing snorted softly, her tone carrying a hint of dissatisfaction.
"Oh, right." She pretended to be casual and asked, "What about Dugu Yan? What level is she now?"
"Yanyan is in closed-door cultivation, trying to break through the level 54 bottleneck."
Zhu Zhuqing's eyes instantly sharpened, her hands unconsciously clenching into fists. "Level 54? That detestable old woman!"
"Uh..." Hearing this, Lu Feng could only pretend not to hear.
A jealous little cat is not to be trifled with.
During the meal, Zhu Zhuqing was visibly distracted.
On one hand, Lu Feng's astounding cultivation speed kept her mind reeling.
On the other hand, the upcoming Soul Master tournament weighed heavily on her heart like a dark cloud.
When Zhu Zhuqing fled the Star Luo Imperial Family, Davis and Zhu Zhuyun were already captains of the Star Luo Imperial Team. Barring any accidents, the first confrontation between these two pairs of candidates would be on the finals stage of the Soul Master tournament.
Although Zhu Zhuqing had decided to give up the fight for the throne, this didn't mean she could stay out of it and be content with the status quo.
On the contrary, under the cruel rules, the side that gave up needed to go all out even more. Only by demonstrating enough value would she be qualified to survive.
"What are you thinking about?" Lu Feng's gentle voice sounded.
At the same time, he reached out and gently held Zhu Zhuqing's hand.
Zhu Zhuqing frowned slightly, sighed softly, and slowly said, "I'm thinking about the Soul Master tournament. Five spots for the finals. Kamikaze, Tianshui, Thunderclap, and Blazing—these four academies have almost never missed the finals."
She paused, a trace of solemnity in her eyes. "Elephant Armored Academy and Cang Hui Academy are also extremely tricky opponents."
Saying this, she looked at Lu Feng with a hint of resentment. "And the Heaven Dou Imperial Second Team led by you."
"Hehe." Lu Feng revealed a simple and honest smile, half-jokingly proposing, "Then why don't you just join my team?"
Zhu Zhuqing rolled her eyes at him, snorted softly, and retorted snappily, "Why don't you join the Shrek team?"
Lu Feng put away his smile and said calmly, "Okay."
"I'm serious."
Lu Feng held Zhu Zhuqing's hand tightly, his gaze piercing. "I'm serious too."
After a long silence, Zhu Zhuqing sighed softly again, explaining helplessly, "The Imperial Family's test isn't just about temporary victory or defeat. Even if you carry me to win the competition, if I contribute nothing and am just a vase, I will still be eliminated in the end."
Lu Feng frowned deeply. "What kind of rotten rules are these? This is simply forcing people to a dead end!"
Zhu Zhuqing nodded, her expression calm but tinged with helplessness. "That's right. Both the Zhu and Dai families come from military backgrounds. As the art of war says: confront a person with the danger of death and they will fight to live. Only when facing death can a Soul Master truly stimulate their potential."
"Fine, Eldest Miss Zhu, whatever you say is right."
Lu Feng pulled Zhu Zhuqing's hand, a mysterious glint in his eyes. "Haven't you always been curious about my secret? Come on, I'll take you to see a big treasure."
Soon, they arrived in front of a hotel.
Zhu Zhuqing looked up, her gaze landing on the hotel sign. Her steps instantly halted, and a trace of panic flashed across her face.
"Rose Hotel—Heaven Dou City Main Branch."
"Lu Feng, why did you bring me here? We... we're still young, we should focus on cultivation." Zhu Zhuqing's voice was extremely small, her cheeks slightly flushed, her eyes full of shyness and unease.
Since confirming her romantic relationship with Lu Feng, although she no longer resisted his intimate gestures, facing such a scene still caused intense nervousness to well up in her heart.
Thinking about what might happen next, Zhu Zhuqing's face instantly became scorching hot, as if it could bleed.
She felt her heartbeat accelerate sharply, her head grew dizzy, and even her breathing became rapid.
"Bang!" Lu Feng flicked her forehead hard, a wicked smile on his lips. "What are you thinking about in that head of yours? I wanted to show you a treasure, and you actually crave my body?"
"Wu wu." Zhu Zhuqing covered her forehead, tears welling up in her eyes from the pain.
It took her a while to recover. She raised her head and glared fiercely at Lu Feng.
The two went to the front desk to check in. Under the slightly suggestive gaze of the receptionist, they quickly walked up the stairs.
The moment the room door opened, a rich, enchanting floral fragrance wafted out.
All the furniture in the room was silver, carved with exquisite patterns, displaying luxury and elegance.
The bright red carpet was evenly strewn with delicate rose petals, like a romantic sea of flowers. In the center of the main hall, a large red heart was meticulously built from rose petals, passionate and dazzling.
"How is it? Beautiful, right?" Lu Feng looked at the intoxicated expression on Zhu Zhuqing's face and asked softly.
Zhu Zhuqing slowly walked forward, bent down to gently pick up a rose, and sniffed it lightly. "This room is arranged so beautifully. I'm starting to like it here a bit."
A cunning smile touched the corner of Lu Feng's mouth as he said softly, "Zhuqing, why don't you go wash up first?"
Zhu Zhuqing instantly snapped back to reality. Her cheeks flushed red again. She rolled her eyes at him and said with feigned anger, "Hmph, is this how you tricked that old woman into your hands?"
"Uh..." Lu Feng was momentarily speechless, awkwardly rubbing his nose.
"Alright, alright, I won't tease you anymore. Zhuqing, look at this." As he spoke, he carefully took out a herb from his Soul Tool.
It was a seemingly ordinary white flower, about the size of an adult's palm, shaped like a peony, but without a single leaf.
What made it unique was that this flower was not rooted in soil, but on a piece of pitch-black rock.