Chapter 56: Controlling the Crane Capturing the Dragon, the Fifty-Thousand-Year Shadow Spirit Cat
"I can't kill it on my own."
Zhu Zhuqing frowned the more she thought about it, a dull ache forming in her head.
Once the White Tiger Killing God Transformation was activated, she was undeniably powerful, but the killing intent was difficult to restrain.
The moment a soul beast sensed something was wrong, it would follow its instincts and flee immediately.
"Don't belittle yourself. I think you can."
Within her spiritual sea, Bai Lu's voice sounded at just the right moment.
"Could you help me a little?"
Zhu Zhuqing's eyes lit up as she looked expectantly at Bai Lu, who was seated on his throne with one leg crossed over the other, leisurely reading a book.
Ever since they re-entered the forest, Bai Lu had hardly interfered with her training. He had been studying the meridians and acupoints of the human body constantly.
Seeing how absorbed he was, she had not dared to disturb him.
Now, Bai Lu finally lifted his head.
"No."
He did not hesitate, decisively shaking his head.
"Although you can completely trust me, I hope that when facing certain problems, you can keep thinking for yourself and solve them independently."
"But this… It's a little hard."
Zhu Zhuqing hesitated.
"It's fine. Take it slow. You're still young. We have plenty of time."
A small booklet condensed in Bai Lu's hand. He waved it teasingly, a mischievous smile curling at the corner of his lips.
"I see that you have extraordinary bones, little girl. A once-in-a-century genius at first glance. If you can make me happy later, I'll give you this Controlling Crane Capturing Dragon manual. With your effort, I'm sure you'll gain something from it."
"You've replicated it already? Give it to me!"
Zhu Zhuqing's eyes instantly brightened with desire.
She still vividly remembered Tang San's strange self-created soul skill that could forcibly redirect her heavy punches, and she had already thought of many ways to use it.
The most practical approach would be to activate it together with her Dark Gold Left Hand's Gravity Force Pressure!
Gravity Force Pressure could already suppress an opponent.
If perfectly integrated with Controlling Crane Capturing Dragon, it would both suppress and capture.
Once the pulling force was unleashed and an opportunity seized, the target would have absolutely no chance of escape.
"Look at you, so impatient."
"I said you have to make me happy first."
Bai Lu looked at her with a half-smile. "So, how do you plan to do that?"
A faint blush rose to Zhu Zhuqing's cold face.
Of course, she knew what Bai Lu was implying.
Make him happy…
"W-worst case… I'll let you play Gold Miner again next time."
"Really? Then I want you to take the initiative."
Bai Lu's tone carried playful amusement.
…I know.
She muttered softly, her gaze drifting away. "Next time… I'll take the initiative."
"I look forward to your performance. Here."
Bai Lu laughed and tossed the manual to her.
"I'll continue researching Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track. You work hard on your own."
With that, he raised his "medical book" again and resumed studying while comparing it against the girl's physique.
Zhu Zhuqing no longer had the mind to feel embarrassed. She immediately immersed her consciousness in the manual.
Controlling Crane Capturing Dragon was originally an advanced grappling technique.
However, the 2.0 version developed by Bai Lu was no longer limited to traditional grappling forms.
As long as soul power was used to activate it, even fists or claws could perform capturing techniques.
Perhaps slightly inferior in pure grappling finesse, but its practicality was far greater.
Paired with Gravity Force Pressure, it was a perfect match.
"Practice!"
The fighting spirit ignited in Zhu Zhuqing's eyes.
Over the next several days, the soul beasts of the forest descended into a nightmare.
She was no longer fixated solely on killing. Instead, every ten-thousand-year soul beast she encountered became a practice target.
At first, her soul power circulation was clumsy, and the pulling effect was extremely weak.
During a single battle, she could be slapped away, bitten, or injured several times.
But as practice accumulated, the Controlling Crane Capturing Dragon technique in her hands evolved from awkward to skilled, from intermittent to flowing like clouds and water.
One week later…
"Shatter the Mountain and Split the Earth, Gravity Force Pressure!"
Zhu Zhuqing swung her fist toward a thirty-thousand-year Ghost Tiger that was desperately trying to escape.
Gravity slammed down, slowing the Ghost Tiger's speed.
But the next instant, a pulling force erupted from her dark-golden fist.
That plain, unadorned suction completely cut off its chance of escape.
"Bang!"
With a single punch, the Ghost Tiger was heavily injured and blasted away.
"Phantom Flash, Hell Rush Stab!"
Her figure flickered as the Eight Spider Lances shot forward in a fierce thrust.
"Puchi!"
The Ghost Tiger was instantly nailed to a tree by the spider legs.
As the lances glowed, the Ghost Tiger dissolved into light.
"It worked!"
Seeing the soul ring before her, Zhu Zhuqing's lips curved upward.
The prey that had escaped before… it was time to settle accounts.
Slaughter finally ceased, and the forest returned to "peace."
Beneath a massive canopy, shadows rippled.
A small cat-like figure stepped out from the darkness. About one meter at the shoulder, with deep violet eyes and an entirely pitch-black body like living ink, as if the embodiment of shadow itself.
It stretched lazily in the clearing, licking its forepaw, as though it had just awakened from a nap.
"I've found you."
Hidden in the nearby darkness, Zhu Zhuqing calmly observed the little cat.
This was a fifty-thousand-year Shadow Spirit Cat, a mutated variant of the Hell Spirit Cat.
Small in stature, capable of transforming into shadow and blending into darkness, adept at launching attacks from within the shadows.
Its claws could not only tear flesh and break armor but also rip apart soul power barriers.
It also possessed a mysterious shadow possession soul skill.
It could be said that this was the perfect choice for her fourth soul ring.
As long as it dropped any corresponding ability, her combat power and survivability would skyrocket!
"Be my soul ring obediently."
Zhu Zhuqing's gaze turned cold as she directly activated her strongest state.
"White Tiger Vajra Transformation! White Tiger Killing God Transformation!"
Her muscles swelled as blood-gold light flashed around her body, with killing intent condensing into a tangible form.
With the double enhancement stacked, all attributes surged twofold.
Whoosh!
Almost instantly, the Shadow Spirit Cat turned its head, its violet pupils locking onto her red-gold tiger eyes across the air.
Zhu Zhuqing did not hesitate. Transforming into her hell spirit cat form, she launched her attack.
"Eight Spider Lances, out!"
The four-meter-long spider lances extended at high speed, gleaming with deadly cold light.
"Hell Rush Stab!"
A soul ring flashed as she stomped forward and burst forth.
"Gravity Force Pressure!"
The dark-golden patterns on her left hand blazed brightly. As her strength surged, immense gravity instantly enveloped the Shadow Spirit Cat's location.
The Shadow Spirit Cat felt its body sink slightly, the laziness in its eyes vanishing into clarity and seriousness.
But as a top predator, it did not panic.
"Meow!"
It let out a low hiss as its body abruptly turned into a black phantom and lunged at her.
Both foreclaws were coated with terrifying shadow power.
"So fast!"
Zhu Zhuqing's pupils contracted.
Even under gravity suppression, its speed was faster than any soul beast she had encountered before.
Fortunately, she had prepared for this.
"Phantom Flash!"
She shattered the shadow beneath her feet and sidestepped, narrowly avoiding the first claw.
"Meow~"
The Shadow Spirit Cat twisted midair, a sharper second claw following immediately.
The angle was vicious, aimed straight at her throat.
"Controlling Crane Capturing Dragon!"
Zhu Zhuqing moved both hands simultaneously, her soul power circulating in a peculiar rhythm.
With a pull and a push, the claw was forcibly diverted by a single inch, grazing past her ear and slicing off several strands of hair.
At the same time…
"Hell Rush Stab!"
The Eight Spider Lances, which had seemed like mere decoration behind her, suddenly stabbed down from different angles at lightning speed.
Slash!
Those terrifying tips were capable of piercing through anything!
Meow!
The Shadow Spirit Cat's pupils shrank into thin slits as a suffocating aura of death crashed upon it.
It wanted to dodge, but its attack had already been committed. It could neither retract nor evade.
In that instant, deep shadow clung to its body, entering a peculiar half-elementalized state.
[Shadow Possession: After activation, it reduced physical damage taken by 50% and increased evasion by 50%.]
Puchi!
All eight spider lances stabbed into the shadows simultaneously.
Even with the soul skill allowing it to evade most of the damage, four lances still pierced its body.
Venom was injected, flooding in!
"Meow—ah!"
A miserable cry echoed out.
Clearly, the Shadow Spirit Cat had been heavily wounded.
End of Chapter