After a long silence, Zhu Zhuyun forced herself to calm down.
Swallowing hard, her voice dry, she questioned, "Is that the Hell White Tiger?"
Her voice no longer carried the previous softness.
"Isn't it?"
Zhu Zhuyun was speechless at his response.
Indeed, it was.
Whether it was the White Tiger martial soul in this fusion technique or the appearance of the Hell White Tiger after the fusion, it was identical to what she and Dai Weisi had attempted before.
But the terrifying aura was completely different.
She never doubted the true power of that Hell White Tiger, nor did she think the other party was bluffing.
Because she knew this fusion technique herself, and she could easily tell whether it was real or not.
She just couldn't believe the fact.
"Miss Zhu, the same martial soul and soul skill can have varying levels of power, not to mention the combined skill of two people. Don't you know the difference between a hair and a thousand miles lost?"
At this moment, Su Cheng's calm voice rang out from the side, "Martial soul fusion techniques depend on the compatibility between the users' martial souls. Like Zhuqing and I, you can't imitate it."
Zhu Zhuyun fell into silence.
She was a layman in this regard, but Su Cheng's words seemed to make sense.
Zhu Zhuqing also fell silent.
Previously, when Su Cheng told her that the Hell White Tiger they displayed was different from that of other royal offspring, she didn't believe it much.
At that time, Su Cheng had the same opinion.
Undoubtedly, both of them lacked education in this matter.
The Nirvana Scripture could refine the quality of martial souls, she knew that much.
But she didn't know that the improved Nirvana Scripture could not only refine the quality of martial souls but also delve deeper into their core information for reinforcement.
It was precisely because of this that their Hell White Tiger martial soul was so unique.
Zhu Zhuyun no longer dwelled on the issue of martial soul fusion techniques.
Leaving aside the unimaginably strong Shadowy White Tiger just now.
Just in terms of cultivation, the opponent's current strength was equally despair-inducing for her.
The deadline given by the royal family to Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing was twenty-five years.
Even considering Dai Mubai's age, the current Zhu Zhuqing still had nearly ten years of growth time left.
By then, it would not be impossible for her to surpass Zhu Zhuyun by one or two major realms. In that case, she and Davis would hardly have any chance.
But she didn't want to die, not even to be exiled or imprisoned.
At this moment, a flash of insight struck her mind, and she gazed intently at Zhu Zhuqing's calm face.
"What did you mean by asking me to give up Davis earlier?"
As she spoke, her expression shifted slightly, and she glanced at Su Cheng standing behind Zhu Zhuqing.
After noticing the look in the other's eyes, Su Cheng shrugged and nodded lightly at Zhu Zhuqing before turning away, leaving them alone.
Zhu Zhuyun seemed to have grasped the general meaning of Zhu Zhuqing's words just now.
It's just that concerning the secrecy of the royal family, she felt it was not convenient to discuss many things in the presence of an outsider.
Su Cheng naturally didn't mind.
The matters of cultivation and martial soul fusion techniques had already been explained and covered up, and what they were going to talk about next would likely be future plans, perhaps even touching on Su Cheng's own identity issue.
These things didn't matter much to him whether he listened or not, as Zhu Zhuqing would tell him everything afterwards anyway.
Since Zhu Zhuyun wanted to talk to her sister alone, let them have their conversation.
He had already warned Zhu Zhuqing not to mention Zhu Hongtao's matter before. With Zhu Zhuqing's deep thoughts and her not being a talkative person, there shouldn't be any problem.
"You don't need to send Su Cheng away; he knows everything."
Zhu Zhuyun's heart trembled at these words.
The amount of information revealed by this sentence was astonishing.
Rejecting the arranged fiancé of the royal family and instead seeking out a bloodline of the Dai family, the implications behind it required no further contemplation.
Taking a deep breath, Zhu Zhuyun tried hard to calm her emotions.
She stared at her little sister whom she hadn't seen for many years.
"Zhuqing, you've changed a lot."
"No choice. Born into such a family, who wouldn't grow?" Zhu Zhuqing said lightly, her face becoming softer despite her cold demeanor. "Aren't you the same, elder sister?"
Zhu Zhuyun fell silent, and in her mind flashed the years of painstaking cultivation she had gone through.
No one wishes for their future to be decided prematurely.
But the weakness in power forced them to compromise with their respective destinies.
Was it just a coincidence that the Dai and Zhu families had been intermarrying for generations, each generation's men and women falling in love and eventually voluntarily marrying each other?
Impossible!
Even with martial soul fusion techniques serving as a bridge, human hearts are always fickle.
Martial soul fusion techniques only deepen the understanding between soul masters; there has never been any mention of them subtly influencing users to become lovers.
"Give me a reason to give up Davis."
Zhu Zhuyun's face was serious as she spoke.
She thought the "same" in Zhu Zhuqing's earlier statement referred to this meaning.
But she didn't know that Zhu Zhuqing was also alluding to the statement made by Zhu Hongtao about "your sisters are also working hard for this."
However, this topic only brushed past, and today she was talking to Zhu Zhuyun with a specific purpose in mind, not to reminisce.
Zhu Zhuqing was very clear in her heart that she didn't have the qualification to reminisce at this moment.
As long as she roughly understood the other's thoughts, she could make her final decision based on the other's choice.
"You don't need to pin your hopes on the royal family," Zhu Zhuqing said, her cold demeanor softening slightly as she looked at her sister who had grown up with her, "Why should the Dai family use such means to cultivate the heir to the throne? Why should they drag us down with them?"
"As expected..."
Zhu Zhuyun stared blankly at her familiar yet unfamiliar sister before her, feeling a bit tense in her heart.
"Do you really think this through? Do you know the consequences of doing so? If you fail, do you know what the end result will be?"
At this point, Zhu Zhuqing observed her sister's expression and roughly understood some of Zhu Zhuyun's thoughts.
Actually, the other party wanted to stand on her side; otherwise, they wouldn't have been so hesitant. Since their first meeting, their attitude had been very subtle, mainly due to fear of the royal family, resulting in avoidance in their speech.
After some thought, Zhu Zhuqing didn't immediately answer Zhu Zhuyun's question. Instead, she sighed and asked, "Sister, what do you feel about Davis?"
"What... feeling?"
Hearing her question, Zhu Zhuyun seemed somewhat puzzled for a moment.
It seemed like there was nothing special, just going along this path all along.
As the extraordinarily talented eldest daughter of the family, designated marriage partner of both families, the future Empress of the Star Luo Empire, or even the Empress herself, she had never thought of breaking out of this framework to pursue her own path.
Nor had anyone ever asked her which path she wanted to take.
At most, she only hoped to do her best to ensure Zhu Zhuqing's safety at the critical moment.
"That person told me never to lack the courage to break the rules."
Zhu Zhuqing stared at Zhu Zhuyun.
"I don't need your help with anything. Just observe quietly, give yourself a little leeway, and you'll have more options for your own future. This shouldn't be difficult for you, sister."
Zhu Zhuyun and she locked eyes for a moment, and Zhu Zhuyun nodded lightly.
"What is your relationship with that Su Cheng?"
Just as Zhu Zhuqing was about to leave, Zhu Zhuyun couldn't help but ask this question, harboring doubts in her heart.
"We're just comrades-in-arms," Zhu Zhuqing turned her head and said softly, "And now, do we have the qualification to think about those trivial matters?"
Zhu Zhuyun stood rooted to the spot upon hearing this.
Over a decade passed in the blink of an eye.
On the surface, the situation in the Star Luo Empire seemed calm, but in reality, there were undercurrents surging.
But under the strong suppression of the imperial family, these undercurrents could only remain as such and couldn't stir up too much trouble.
In the imperial capital of the Star Luo Empire.
Under the cover of night, Zhu Zhuqing stood quietly at the door of the Zhu Family Mansion, now twenty-five years old.
Her black fitted long dress enveloped her from head to toe, with only her face, containing a unique charm in its coldness, and her black hair floating in the wind exposed.
Despite standing alone, she exuded the demeanor of a leader who had been at the top for a long time.
With just one person, it seemed as if there were thousands of troops behind her, and even the starlight seemed to fall only for her.
If anyone else were to look at her, they might subconsciously ignore her exquisite appearance, leaving only a deep and unfathomable impression in their minds.
Not long after, the gates of the Zhu Family opened with a bang.
Unlike before, there weren't just a few servants welcoming her this time.
Even the patriarch of the Zhu Family, the Duke, Zhu Hongtao himself, stood not far from the door, waiting for her to enter.
Zhu Hongtao looked at his youngest daughter with a trance-like expression.
In these years, Zhu Zhuqing rarely returned home.
Most of the time, she was either practicing and improving her soul master level outside or enjoying favor and connections in the upper echelons of the empire.
Her growth rate completely exceeded his expectations, and she remained silent and restrained.
It wasn't until these two years that she explosively displayed astonishing power, completely stirring up the deep waters of the upper echelons of the empire.
First, shocking the entire imperial capital by reaching the peak of the sixty-ninth level Soul Emperor at the age of twenty-four, and then, under the pretext of cultivation, forcefully postponing the marriage contract with the Third Prince Dai Mubai, which had been arranged long ago, delaying the battle for the heir to the throne by five years.
Most importantly, most nobles actually clearly expressed their support for Zhu Zhuqing's actions.
Her influence had silently spread to the entire upper echelon of the empire during these ten years.
And under this prestige, even the imperial family couldn't turn a blind eye, agreeing to her requests.
The White Tiger Dai Family was ultimately just the largest noble family.
In the Star Luo Empire, the emperor was not an absolute authority; he also needed to consider various influences.
Plus, the fact that the Crown Prince Dai Weisi was not supportive played a role. With Dai Mubai dragging his feet, maybe there was still a slim chance for him and Zhu Zhuyun, otherwise, with Zhu Zhuqing's talent, who knew what heights she would reach in another five years.
But obviously, with his lone strength, he couldn't change the situation.
Now, whoever saw Zhu Zhuqing had to give her three points of courtesy.
This was not only because of her strength and background but also because of the astonishing potential she had demonstrated over the years.
Sometimes, people even compared her to Tang Hao, the former Haotian Douluo of the Haotian Sect, who was once famous.
"Father."
Zhu Zhuqing stepped into the main gate of the Duke's Mansion, bowing lightly to Zhu Hongtao.
"Why do you suddenly have time to come home today without informing me beforehand?"
Zhu Hongtao said with a smile, like a kind father.
Now, in Zhu Hongtao's mind, Zhu Zhuqing had a very high probability of becoming the next Empress of the empire.
"I have something important to discuss with you. Are you available now?"
Seeing Zhu Zhuqing's serious expression, Zhu Hongtao's expression also became serious.
With the current status and strength of the other party, being regarded as "important" by her was obviously not trivial.
After a moment of contemplation, Zhu Hongtao looked at Zhu Zhuqing and said in a deep voice, "Follow me."
As he spoke, he waved his hand to dismiss the servants and led her to a study behind the main hall of the Zhu Family Mansion.
After Zhu Zhuqing entered, Zhu Hongtao closed the door behind her and turned to look at her.
"Speak up, what happened?"
Zhu Zhuqing didn't beat around the bush either, taking out a manuscript from her bosom and handing it over.
She said softly, "Father, the reason why I have advanced so rapidly in recent years is thanks to this ancient and unparalleled cultivation method."
. . .
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