"Rank 45 jumping straight up by five levels to Rank 50, becoming a Soul King. That alone is not the most terrifying part. What is truly terrifying is the Nether White Tiger Martial Soul itself."
"A single Martial Soul awakening into the Nether White Tiger means she no longer needs a partner to unleash this Martial Soul's full power. Speed, strength, defense, and offense are all top-tier. It also carries the corrosive properties of the Nether attribute and the domineering pressure of the White Tiger. At Rank 50, she could probably confront an ordinary Soul Emperor head-on."
"The Star Luo Empire is about to rise. With this Nether White Tiger, combined with the empire's original royal power, the Heaven Dou Empire will probably be crushed until it can barely breathe."
Amid the astonished exclamations from all sides of the continent, the imperial capital of the Star Luo Empire had already fallen into unprecedented turmoil.
Inside the Crown Prince's Hall, Zhu Zhuyun stood before a bronze mirror, adjusting her attire. She wore a dark red palace dress that outlined her fiery and graceful figure. Her brows and eyes carried an innate cold beauty and decisiveness.
As the daughter of the Nether Duke and the fiancée of Star Luo Crown Prince Dai Weisi, she had stood at the pinnacle of power since childhood. Her Rank 45 soul power already placed her among the best of her generation, yet she knew very well that on the chessboard of Star Luo's power struggles, strength was the most reliable bargaining chip.
When Yue Guan entered the rankings earlier, she had been secretly mocking the absurdity of this list.
But when the golden light from the heavenly curtain shone upon her face, and she clearly saw the lines of information bearing her own name, Zhu Zhuyun's pupils shrank abruptly. The hairpin in her hand fell to the ground with a clang.
"Me? Goddess List, eighteenth place? Martial Soul evolves into the Nether White Tiger?"
Before her words had even faded, an indescribably vast energy descended from the heavens, pouring into her limbs and bones like a golden waterfall.
This energy was gentle yet domineering. It surged rapidly along her meridians, and wherever it passed, her previously sluggish soul power instantly boiled.
Zhu Zhuyun instinctively released her Martial Soul. The black phantom of the Nether Spirit Cat appeared behind her, fangs bared and claws sharp, its gaze keen.
In the next moment, however, the phantom trembled violently under the wash of golden energy and let out a shrill howl.
Black fur began to fall away, replaced by silver-white tiger stripes. Its petite body expanded at a visible rate.
Its limbs grew thick and powerful. A ferocious black king-shaped sigil emerged on its forehead. The once agile feline eyes transformed into deep tiger pupils, carrying a pressure that looked down upon all under heaven.
The Nether Spirit Cat was transforming into the Nether White Tiger.
"Roar!"
A deafening tiger's roar erupted from within the Crown Prince's Hall, blasting through the roof and echoing throughout the entire imperial capital.
Within that roar was both the overbearing ferocity of the White Tiger and the chilling strangeness of the Nether attribute. The two auras intertwined, forming a pressure that made hearts tremble.
Soul masters inside and outside the imperial city all looked up, their faces filled with shock and reverence.
At the same time, Zhu Zhuyun's soul power began to skyrocket.
The bottleneck at Rank 45 shattered as easily as paper. Rank 46, Rank 47, Rank 48, Rank 49, Rank 50.
When her soul power finally stabilized at the Rank 50 Soul King realm, an even stronger aura spread outward from her body. The beams and pillars of the Crown Prince's Hall trembled slightly under this pressure.
Zhu Zhuyun slowly opened her eyes. A trace of crimson light flashed within her tiger pupils as she clearly sensed the surging power inside her.
With a casual raise of her hand, a white tiger claw phantom infused with Nether cold condensed into shape. Cold light flickered at the claw tips. With a single, effortless swipe, it tore a black energy fissure through the air.
"So this is the power of the Nether White Tiger."
Zhu Zhuyun murmured to herself, her voice carrying an uncontrollable thrill of disbelief and ecstasy.
She could feel that her speed was several times faster than before, her strength had increased by more than tenfold, and her soul power had become purer and more profound, flowing with unprecedented smoothness.
This rebirth-like transformation made her nearly want to let out a long roar toward the heavens.
However, while Zhu Zhuyun was immersed in the joy of her explosive rise in strength, deep within the imperial palace, inside the council hall, the expression of Star Luo Emperor Dai Tianfeng was exceedingly complicated.
Dai Tianfeng was nearly sixty years old. His features were imposing, and although frost had touched his temples, his tiger eyes remained sharp as an eagle's, revealing the depth and calculation of one who had long stood at the summit of power.
As the supreme ruler of the Star Luo Empire, he had spent his life balancing factions and stabilizing imperial authority. He understood all too well that in the arena of power, there were no eternal friends, only eternal interests.
When he saw the information on the heavenly curtain, his imperial face first lit up with joy as he slammed his hand on the table and stood.
"Good. Excellent. A Nether White Tiger. Heaven truly blesses Star Luo."
The prime minister and several senior ministers beside him hurriedly echoed his words, their faces full of delight.
"Your Majesty is wise. Crown Princess Zhu has received the favor of the ranking, her Martial Soul evolving into the Nether White Tiger. This is truly a blessing for our empire."
"With such a powerhouse present, our Star Luo Empire's voice on the continent will surely carry even more weight in the future."
The Nether Duke, Zhu Zhuyun's father, was beaming with pride as he stepped forward and bowed deeply.
"Your Majesty, my daughter's achievements today are entirely thanks to Your Majesty's guidance and the glory of the empire. In the future, my daughter will certainly devote herself wholeheartedly to the Star Luo Empire, even unto death."
Dai Tianfeng waved his hand lightly. The smile on his face gradually faded, replaced by a trace of solemnity that was difficult to detect.
He slowly walked out of the hall and gazed toward the direction of the Crown Prince's Hall, where the soaring White Tiger pressure lingered. A complex glint flashed in his eyes.
There was joy and reliance, but even more was deeply hidden suspicion.
"The Nether White Tiger."
Dai Tianfeng murmured softly, his tone carrying layered meaning.
"Since ancient times, this has been the royal family's inherited Martial Soul. Now it has fallen into the hands of a daughter of the Zhu family."
"That old fox of a Nether Duke will likely seize this opportunity to further expand the power of the Nether family."
Beside him, the commander of the Imperial Guard, Dai Tianfeng's most trusted confidant, spoke in a low voice.
"Your Majesty, Crown Princess Zhu is, after all, the Crown Prince's fiancée. When the Crown Prince ascends the throne, she will become the empress. Her strength is the strength of the royal family, is it not?"
"Heh."
Dai Tianfeng let out a cold chuckle, his gaze sharp. "The Crown Prince? Dai Weisi is impulsive and lacking in strategy. He may not be able to fully control this 'White Tiger.'"
"I have watched Zhu Zhuyun grow up. Her talent is outstanding, her actions decisive, and she even carries a hint of ruthlessness. She is absolutely not someone willing to remain beneath another."
"Now that she holds the Nether White Tiger as a trump card and her soul power has reached Rank 50 Soul King, even Dai Weisi may not be able to restrain her in the future."
He paused, then continued. "Moreover, the Nether family is already one of the Star Luo Empire's top noble houses, holding heavy military power with deeply intertwined influence."
"Now that Zhu Zhuyun's strength has skyrocketed, the prestige of the Nether family will inevitably reach its peak. When that happens, will they give rise to other ambitions?"
"Will they think that Dai Weisi is unworthy of their daughter, or even believe that the throne of the Star Luo Empire should be occupied by someone else?"
The Imperial Guard commander's heart tightened, and he hurriedly replied.
"Your Majesty is wise and far-sighted. Then what should we do now? Should we…"
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