Chapter 65: Shadow Claw, Golden Feather Dragon Eagle
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After letting it all out, Zhu Zhuqing felt much lighter. The bright sunny day seemed even more radiant.
She raised her head, a slight blush creeping onto her cheeks as she realized how warm and damp her embrace had been. A small pang of annoyance welled up within her—how had she suddenly started crying?
She wasn't some fragile little girl, at least not in front of others.
"I'm sorry for getting your clothes wet."
Zhu Zhuqing apologized softly, pulling away from Gu La's arms. She smoothed out the wrinkles on her shirt, restoring her usual composed and aloof demeanor.
"It's fine."
Gu La looked down at the tear stains on his clothes, musing that women truly were made of water.
A golden-yellow soul power radiated from his body, instantly evaporating the moisture and leaving the fabric clean and fresh.
Zhu Zhuqing's bright eyes sparkled, but she didn't seem surprised. Over the past ten days, she had witnessed so many extraordinary qualities in Gu La that it was hard to believe he was only a few months older than her.
Meeting Zhu Zhuqing's slightly admiring gaze, Gu La couldn't help but feel a swell of pride, his lips curling into a faint smile.
"Don't dwell on the past. Today, I'll teach you a self-created soul skill. I hope it will help you protect yourself in the future."
Gu La took out a TM disc and, without giving Zhu Zhuqing time to react, quickly pressed it against her forehead with his palm.
The soul power pathways required for the Shadow Claw technique flowed through her body, imprinting themselves deeply into her mind as if she had practiced them countless times.
"Mm..."
Zhu Zhuqing raised her hand, feeling a strange fullness in her mind.
Gu La had already withdrawn his hand. He pointed toward a wooden post at the edge of the garden, which was used by several people to practice. It was mainly there for Gu La to study Groudon's techniques.
"Try it out. See how strong it is."
Zhu Zhuqing focused on her arms and hands, sensing the network of soul power pathways coursing through them. Her expression grew complex as she glanced at Gu La before summoning her Netherworld Spirit Cat martial soul to envelop her body.
Her fingernails lengthened, becoming as sharp as steel blades. However, limited by their strength and her own physical power, their effectiveness without a soul skill was still somewhat restricted.
Zhu Zhuqing activated the Shadow Claw technique.
Dark energy gathered around her claws, turning her nails a deep blackish-purple. With a sudden swipe, her slender arms blurred into afterimages, flashing with purple light.
Swish swish!
The claw marks tore through the air, producing a sharp whistling sound.
On the meter-wide wooden post, deep claw marks were left behind.
"Such incredible power."
Zhu Zhuqing stood there in a daze. She could sense that if she slightly curled her fingers, instead of damaging her nails like before, she would be able to gouge into the wood as if it were soft mud.
Her lips pressed together tightly, unsure of what to do.
Such a powerful self-created soul skill—more valuable than a ten-thousand-year soul ring—had been given to her without any effort required to learn it. Its low cost and perfect compatibility with her Netherworld Spirit Cat martial soul left her overwhelmed.
Zhu Zhuqing didn't know how to respond. There was just too much kindness for her to repay.
Her lips parted slightly, suppressing the strange emotions in her heart. "Thank you, Brother Gu."
"You're welcome."
Gu La smiled. "The Netherworld Spirit Cat martial soul relies entirely on its claws for attacks. Shadow Claw perfectly complements your martial soul. Once you acquire new soul skills in the future, you can try combining them with this technique."
"However," he added, "that will require you to become extremely proficient with Shadow Claw so it doesn't conflict with your other abilities. Make sure to set aside extra time for practice and prepare in advance."
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Feeling the warmth of Gu La's concern, Zhu Zhuqing nodded gently. A fleeting, faint smile crossed her usually cold and distant face, like spring sunlight melting away ice.
"Wow, what are you two secretly doing?"
Xiao Wu bounced over, her arms full of clothes and snacks she'd bought from the streets. She had swapped her usual pink skirt for something new. If she hadn't spoken, she might have passed for a young lady from a wealthy family.
Without waiting for an answer, she continued, "Master Yu's friend brought back a spirit beast. They called us over to watch. Let's go see the commotion!"
"We're coming."
Gu La agreed.
Yu Xiaogang and Luo Sanpao had been drinking dragon blood twice a day for over a year, never missing a dose. The constant scent of blood lingered near their dormitory. If Yu Xiaogang hadn't been a friend of the principal, the teachers would have long since gathered to beat him up.
The abundant energy from the dragon blood was enough to nurture a four-ring Soul Ancestor, yet Yu Xiaogang had only managed to break through one level.
But even that one level was something Yu Xiaogang had once thought impossible.
Not long ago, on the night of his breakthrough, Yu Xiaogang stayed awake planning his third soul ring. He envisioned countless combinations of spirit beasts.
Due to the scarcity of Light-attribute dragon lineage, Flender had spent half a month wandering the Great Star Dou Forest before finally finding a suitable spirit beast.
Gu La strode briskly toward the teacher's dormitory, with Zhu Zhuqing hurrying along behind him. She had heard Gu La mention Yu Xiaogang before and was curious whether his martial soul would evolve.
In front of the teacher's dormitory—
Yu Xiaogang paced back and forth, his expression anxious and conflicted.
Flender and Tang San stood nearby, offering comfort. There was no one else around. While Yu Xiaogang wanted others to witness his miraculous transformation, he refrained from inviting them because he wasn't sure how much his martial soul would change.
Gu La and the others soon arrived. Despite being nearly fifty years old, Yu Xiaogang visibly relaxed when he saw Gu La.
Although he trusted that Gu La's theories were logically sound and correct, his future and dignity were at stake. Yu Xiaogang needed Gu La's approval before he could confidently fuse the soul ring.
"Principal Flender, Master Yu, Xiao San."
Gu La greeted them calmly.
Flender waved him over. "Gu La, you've finally arrived. Xiaogang trusts your judgment completely. Come take a look at this thousand-year Golden Feather Dragon Eagle. It has both Light attributes and dragon lineage. Does it meet the requirements?"
Yu Xiaogang remained silent, likely too proud to ask Gu La directly.
Gu La didn't mind. To him, Yu Xiaogang was nothing more than a test subject and a big spender.
At a glance, next to Flender's feet lay a twisted iron rod binding a two-meter-tall spirit beast. Its feathers shimmered golden, exuding a warm, sun-like aura, with a faint draconic presence wafting about it. Even in its unconscious state, it retained an air of dominance as the ruler of the skies.
Gu La activated his Appraisal Eye and nodded. "Not bad. It's indeed a Light-attribute dragon-blood spirit beast. This one must have been hard to catch, right?"
At these words, Flender almost burst into tears. Hard to catch? That was an understatement. He didn't even want to think about the time and effort he'd spent in the Great Star Dou Forest. Capturing this Golden Feather Dragon Eagle had nearly cost him his life.
Eagle-type spirit beasts were especially skilled at high-altitude flight, and he couldn't afford to make too much noise in the Great Star Dou Forest. After playing a day-long game of hide-and-seek and aerial tag with the eagle, he finally caught this one, which had awakened with Light dragon lineage.
"Let's not talk about that."
Flender wiped the corner of his eye and waved his hand, changing the subject. "This Golden Feather Dragon Eagle is over eleven hundred years old. But considering its speed and flight advantage, I estimate that even ordinary ten-thousand-year spirit beasts wouldn't stand a chance against it."
"Moreover, dragon-lineage soul power is notoriously domineering. Xiaogang has only been training for a few months. Will his physical condition be able to handle fusing with its soul ring?"
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