The day of the duel arrived, the atmosphere in the Imperial Palace arena thick with anticipation. Zhu Zhuqing stood confidently at one end, her lithe figure radiating a quiet power that belied her age. Facing her stood Crown Prince Dai Weisi and her elder sister, Zhu Zhuyun, their expressions a mixture of arrogance and disdain as they looked down at her.
Dai Weisi sneered, his gaze sweeping over her. "Little sister, are you sure you want to do this? You might get hurt."
Zhu Zhuyun echoed his sentiment with a condescending smile. "Indeed, little sister. Perhaps you've forgotten your place."
Zhu Zhuqing's dark eyes narrowed, her gaze unwavering. "If I win," she stated, her voice clear and strong, "I will need the two of you to fulfill one order of mine."
Her confident tone clearly irritated both Dai Weisi and Zhu Zhuyun. They couldn't fathom how this younger sister, whom they had always considered inferior, dared to speak to them in such a manner.
'She's certainly grown bolder,' Dai Weisi thought, a flicker of unease in his eyes despite his outward arrogance.
'This little brat… she'll pay for this insolence,' Zhu Zhuyun fumed internally, her nails digging into her palms.
"We agree," Dai Weisi said, a cruel smile twisting his lips. "But if you lose, you will return to your senses and honor the original marriage agreement with Mubai."
Zhu Zhuqing's expression remained unchanged. "I accept."
Song Qing stood to the side, a small, knowing smile playing on his lips. He wasn't worried in the slightest. 'Even if she somehow loses, I'm not letting her marry that fool,' he thought. Zhu Zhuqing had made her choice clear, and he would stand by her.
He mentally assessed the power levels. Zhu Zhuqing at level 51, Dai Weisi at a mere level 44, and Zhu Zhuyun at level 41. 'Their talent is… unremarkable,' he thought, comparing them to the prodigious growth of his own circle of friends.
The signal for the duel to begin was given. In an instant, Zhu Zhuqing unleashed her spirit. A roar that was both feline and something… more… echoed through the arena as the Abyssal Phantom Lion materialized behind her. Its sleek, black fur seemed to absorb the light, and its eyes glowed with an eerie purple intensity.
The entire audience gasped. Emperor Dai Xing's eyes widened in shock. No one had ever seen Zhu Zhuqing's Hell Spirit Cat take on such a fearsome, lion-like form. It exuded an aura of immense power.
'A mutation?' whispers rippled through the crowd. 'Her spirit has evolved!'
Dai Weisi, his arrogance momentarily forgotten, finally unleashed his White Tiger spirit. A majestic white tiger with black stripes materialized, its powerful muscles rippling beneath its fur.
Zhu Zhuyun followed suit, her Hell Spirit Cat appearing beside her, its lithe black body poised and ready.
The battle commenced without further ado. Zhu Zhuqing, now possessing the agility and ferocity of the Abyssal Phantom Lion, moved first. Her First Soul Ring flashed, and she launched her First Soul Ring ability, Phantom Stab Rush, a blur of black energy aimed directly at Dai Weisi.
"Hmph!" Dai Weisi snorted, his Third Soul Ring activating. "White Tiger Claw!" His right claw enlarged, glowing with a sharp, white light as he swung it to intercept Zhu Zhuqing's attack.
'She's fast! Much faster than before!' Dai Weisi thought, barely managing to block her initial assault. He quickly activated his First Soul Ring. "White Tiger Barrier!" A semi-transparent white barrier of light enveloped him, providing a layer of defense.
Seeing her attack blocked, Zhu Zhuyun moved to flank her younger sister. Her First Soul Ring illuminated. "Hell Rush Stab!" Her Hell Spirit Cat morphed into a shadowy streak, attempting to pierce Zhu Zhuqing from the side.
Zhu Zhuqing, her movements fluid and unpredictable, activated her Second Soul Ring. "Thousand Abyssal Claws!" Dozens of shadowy claws erupted from her Abyssal Phantom Lion, lashing out at both Dai Weisi and Zhu Zhuyun.
"White Tiger Vajra Transformation!" Dai Weisi roared, his Second Soul Ring activating. His body seemed to bulk up, his muscles expanding, and his fur taking on a metallic sheen, enhancing his physical strength and defense. He roared, attempting to swat away the shadowy claws.
Zhu Zhuyun, agile as a phantom, activated her Second Soul Ring. "Hell Hundred Claws!" Her Hell Spirit Cat's claws multiplied, becoming a flurry of shadowy strikes that met Zhu Zhuqing's Abyssal Claws in a chaotic clash of dark energies.
'They've improved, but they're still too reliant on brute force,' Zhu Zhuqing thought, her mind racing as she analyzed their movements. She activated her Third Soul Ring. "Abyssal Decapitation!" The Abyssal Phantom Lion's claws glowed with an even darker light as she lunged towards Zhu Zhuyun, aiming a swift and deadly strike at her neck.
Zhu Zhuyun, caught off guard by the sudden increase in speed and power, barely managed to react. She activated her Third Soul Ring. "Hell Decapitation!" Her Hell Spirit Cat mirrored Zhu Zhuqing's attack, two shadowy strikes aimed at each other's vital points.
The two attacks collided, creating a shockwave of dark energy that rippled through the arena. Zhu Zhuyun was forced to stumble back, a thin cut appearing on her arm.
'Her power… it's grown so much!' Zhu Zhuyun thought, her arrogance beginning to waver.
Dai Weisi, seeing his fiancée momentarily vulnerable, unleashed his Fourth Soul Ring ability. "White Tiger Illuminating Beam!" A powerful beam of white light shot forth from the White Tiger's mouth, aimed at Zhu Zhuqing.
Reacting instantly, Zhu Zhuqing's Fourth Soul Ring, the eleven thousand year old black soul ring, illuminated. "Abyssal Energy Beam!" A beam of pure black energy erupted from the Abyssal Phantom Lion's mouth, colliding head-on with Dai Weisi's attack. The two beams met in a blinding flash of light and a deafening roar as Zhu Zhuqing's attack easily managed to completely pierce Dai Weisi's attack as her soul ring ability was from a ten thousand year old beast while Dai Weisi's soul ring ability was merely from a thousand year old beast.
The audience was in an uproar. The sheer power being displayed by the third daughter of the Zhu Family was astonishing. A black Fourth Soul Ring at her age was almost unheard of, rivaling even the Holy Son's legendary soul ring configuration.
'A black Fourth Soul Ring?!' Emperor Dai Xing thought, his initial anger replaced by stunned disbelief.
Zhu Zhuqing pressed her advantage. Her right leg spirit bone pulsed with energy, activating its ability. "Frostfire Dash!" Her body was enveloped in a swirling aura of frost and fire as she moved with incredible speed, leaving afterimages in her wake. She targeted Dai Weisi, her Fifth Soul Ring, the thirty thousand year old black soul ring, finally activating. "Abyssal Phantom Enhancement!" The Abyssal Phantom Lion roared, its size and power visibly increasing, its shadowy form becoming even more menacing.
Before Dai Weisi could react, Zhu Zhuqing was upon him. The Abyssal Phantom Lion roared again, and the effect of her spirit bone's second ability took hold. "Lion's Prestige!" A wave of invisible pressure slammed into Dai Weisi, momentarily stunning him, his White Tiger spirit flickering.
'What was that?!' Dai Weisi thought, his mind reeling, his body frozen for a split second.
That was all the opening Zhu Zhuqing needed. With a swift and brutal strike, her Abyssal Phantom Lion's claws, now enhanced by her Fifth Soul Ring, slammed into Dai Weisi's chest, sending him flying backwards, crashing heavily against the arena wall. He coughed up blood, his White Tiger spirit dissipating. He was defeated.
Zhu Zhuyun stared in horror at her fallen fiancé. Before she could fully process what had happened, Zhu Zhuqing turned her attention to her. The Abyssal Phantom Lion's purple eyes glowed menacingly.
Zhu Zhuyun, her face pale with fear, activated her Fourth Soul Ring. "Hell Doppalganger!" Two shadowy clones of her Hell Spirit Cat appeared beside her, attempting to intimidate Zhu Zhuqing.
But Zhu Zhuqing remained unfazed. Her Torso Spirit Bone pulsed, replenishing her soul power rapidly. She focused her gaze on the real Zhu Zhuyun, her Abyssal Phantom Lion letting out a deafening roar. Zhu Zhuyun and her shadow clones launched their attacks simultaneously, a flurry of shadowy claws aimed at Zhu Zhuqing.
Zhu Zhuqing, with her enhanced speed and agility, weaved through the attacks, her own Abyssal Claws meeting theirs in a furious exchange. The shadow clones were quickly dispelled, unable to withstand the power of Zhu Zhuqing's evolved spirit.
Zhu Zhuyun realized with dawning horror that she was no match for her younger sister. The gap in their power had become immense. Dai Weisi, still reeling from Zhu Zhuqing's attack, struggled to get back to his feet, his face contorted in pain and disbelief.
He looked at Zhu Zhuyun, then back at the terrifying power emanating from Zhu Zhuqing and her Abyssal Phantom Lion. A grim realization dawned upon him.
"Zhuyun," Dai Weisi said, his voice strained, "we… we might need to use it."
Zhu Zhuyun's eyes widened, a flicker of desperation in their depths. She nodded slowly. "Yes… it seems we have no other choice."
With a synchronized roar, Dai Weisi and Zhu Zhuyun began their Spirit Fusion. White light and black shadows intertwined, swirling around their bodies before coalescing into a single, magnificent entity: the Hell White Tiger. Its massive form was a fusion of the White Tiger's raw power and the Hell Spirit Cat's agility and shadowy nature. Its eyes burned with a fierce, combined intelligence.
'The Hell White Tiger… their ultimate ability,' Song Qing thought, observing the transformation with keen interest.
The aura emanating from the Hell White Tiger was significantly stronger than the combined power of Dai Weisi and Zhu Zhuyun individually. The pressure in the arena intensified.
"Now, little sister," the Hell White Tiger's voice boomed, a chilling blend of Dai Weisi's and Zhu Zhuyun's voices, "let's see if you can handle this!"
This was it. The true battle had begun. Zhu Zhuqing, facing the combined might of her elder sister and her fiancé, didn't hold back any longer. The Abyssal Phantom Lion roared in response, its shadowy form crackling with dark energy.
The Hell White Tiger moved first, its speed surprising for its size. Its claws, now imbued with both white and black energy, slashed towards Zhu Zhuqing. This was their Spirit Fusion Exclusive Ability: Netherworld Slash! The attack carried a dual force, capable of inflicting both physical and spiritual damage.
Zhu Zhuqing, however, was ready. Her Abyssal Phantom Lion met the attack head-on, its own claws, enhanced by Abyssal Phantom Enhancement, clashing against the Netherworld Slash. The impact sent shockwaves through the arena.
"Impressive!" the Hell White Tiger roared, its eyes burning brighter. It then unleashed another of its exclusive abilities: White Tiger Howl! A deafening roar, infused with spiritual power, erupted from its maw, aimed at disrupting Zhu Zhuqing's focus and potentially stunning her.
Zhu Zhuqing, anticipating such an attack, had already activated her Torso Spirit Bone's passive ability. A surge of defensive energy enveloped her, bolstering her spiritual resistance. While the roar still caused a sharp pain in her head, she managed to maintain her focus.
'Their Spirit Fusion is powerful, but I'm not afraid,' she thought, her determination hardening.
She retaliated with her Fourth Soul Ring ability. "Abyssal Energy Beam!" A concentrated beam of pure black energy shot forth from the Abyssal Phantom Lion, aiming for the Hell White Tiger's chest.
The Hell White Tiger, agile despite its size, managed to sidestep the beam, the dark energy scorching the ground where it had been standing. It then retaliated with a flurry of attacks, its claws and tail lashing out with incredible speed and power.
Zhu Zhuqing, guided by the instincts of her Abyssal Phantom Lion and her own honed reflexes, danced around the attacks, her Frostfire Dash allowing her to move with blinding speed, leaving trails of frost and fire in her wake.
"You're quick, little sister, but you can't evade forever!" the Hell White Tiger taunted, its attacks growing more relentless.
Zhu Zhuqing knew they were right. She needed to go on the offensive. Her Third Soul Ring flashed. "Abyssal Decapitation!" The Abyssal Phantom Lion's claws glowed with deadly intent as she aimed a series of precise strikes at the Hell White Tiger's neck.
The Hell White Tiger roared, its own claws meeting hers in a shower of sparks and dark energy. The force of the clashes shook the arena.
'Their combined strength is immense,' Zhu Zhuqing thought, feeling the strain on her own power. She activated her Torso Spirit Bone again, focusing on its soul power regeneration ability. A warm energy flowed through her, replenishing her reserves.
She then utilized her Right Leg Spirit Bone's ability. "Lion's Prestige!" The invisible wave of pressure slammed into the Hell White Tiger. For a fraction of a second, the massive fused spirit beast staggered, its movements faltering.
It was a small opening, but Zhu Zhuqing seized it immediately. Her First Soul Ring activated. "Phantom Stab Rush!" She became a blur of black energy, targeting the Hell White Tiger's eyes, the most vulnerable part of its fused form.
The Hell White Tiger roared in pain as Zhu Zhuqing's attack landed, drawing a streak of dark blood. It recoiled, its attacks becoming more erratic in its fury.
"You'll pay for that!" the Hell White Tiger bellowed, unleashing a furious barrage of Netherworld Slashes. The air around its claws crackled with dangerous energy.
Zhu Zhuqing, using Nether Control from her Fourth Soul Ring, manipulated the shadows around her, creating fleeting shields and using them to momentarily deflect some of the attacks. However, several still managed to graze her, leaving burning trails on her skin.
'I need to be more careful,' she thought, feeling the sting of the attacks.
She activated her Second Soul Ring. "Thousand Abyssal Claws!" Dozens of shadowy claws erupted once more, this time targeting the Hell White Tiger's limbs, attempting to restrict its movements.
The Hell White Tiger roared, its powerful legs stomping the ground, shattering the stone beneath. It unleashed a White Tiger Howl, the spiritual attack even stronger than before. Zhu Zhuqing gritted her teeth, focusing her will to resist its effects.
'I can't let them break my focus,' she thought, her determination unwavering.
The battle raged on, a whirlwind of black, white, and shadowy energies clashing in the arena. Zhu Zhuqing, despite facing a fused opponent with significantly higher soul power, held her ground, her agility, speed, and the unique abilities of her evolved spirit and spirit bones allowing her to match the Hell White Tiger blow for blow.
She utilized Frostfire Dash to evade its most powerful attacks, leaving behind trails of ice that momentarily slowed the massive beast. She used Lion's Prestige strategically, creating brief openings to land her own strikes. And her Torso Spirit Bone ensured that her soul power reserves were replenished quickly, allowing her to sustain her powerful abilities.
The Hell White Tiger, despite its immense power, was beginning to show signs of frustration. Zhu Zhuqing's relentless attacks and her ability to evade its most powerful strikes were starting to wear it down.
"Why won't you fall?!" the Hell White Tiger roared, its attacks becoming increasingly desperate.
Zhu Zhuqing simply stared back, her eyes filled with a fierce resolve. "Because I will not be defeated."
She unleashed another Abyssal Energy Beam, this time focusing all her power into a single, concentrated blast. The Hell White Tiger roared and unleashed its own Netherworld Slash to meet the attack. The collision created a massive explosion of energy, sending debris flying across the arena.
When the dust settled, both combatants were panting, their energy reserves clearly depleted. However, the Hell White Tiger was visibly more damaged, several deep gashes marring its white and black fur.
Zhu Zhuqing, though also showing signs of fatigue, stood tall and unwavering, her Abyssal Phantom Lion still radiating a menacing aura. The audience watched in stunned silence, unable to believe the incredible display of power they had just witnessed. The third daughter of the Zhu Family was on the verge of achieving the impossible.