Dugu Bo was astonished. "Is that...a domain?!"
He hadn't expected Su Ming to possess a domain at the Soul Elder level. Mistaking it as Su Ming's own ability due to the domain's similarity to his spirit skills, Dugu Bo didn't realize that it was actually Ah Yin controlling the domain from within Su Ming's spiritual sea.
Meanwhile, as Zhu Zhuqing continued to absorb the spirit ring, she felt her body stabilizing from the previous agony to a state she could barely endure. Su Ming's enhancements were strengthening her constitution, and her self-healing was keeping up with the injuries.
However, she worried about the prolonged process. Absorbing at her current rate would take at least a day—could Su Ming's spirit power last that long? She resolved to persevere, knowing that the best she could do was to fortify her own resolve.
Suddenly, in her spiritual sea, a shadowy figure of the Shadow Demon Lizard materialized—its residual resentment embodied. The creature looked vicious, with a sneering expression and hate-filled eyes.
Once the predator, it was furious to have been defeated, especially after having been so well hidden. This time, it had failed in its ambush and was determined to drag someone down with it in death.
Zhu Zhuqing felt a wave of dread; the Shadow Demon Lizard's resentment was powerful, and her current mental strength alone was insufficient to confront it. She steeled herself, knowing she'd have to try anyway.
But after just a minute, her spiritual form was already battered, 'bleeding profusely,' barely hanging on. The resentment seemed to relish her suffering, tormenting her bit by bit rather than attacking in full force.
Externally, Su Ming noticed Zhu Zhuqing's face turning pale again and knew the resentment attack had begun.
"Little monster," Dugu Bo said, "this is getting dangerous. At this rate, she'll be mentally overwhelmed within minutes! Any ideas?"
Su Ming pulled out three Nine-Turn Spirit Converters from his storage. "Old Monster, when my spirit power starts to run low, take turns using these converters to channel energy to me. This absorption process will be lengthy, and I doubt my reserves alone will be enough."
With four people available to help, the three converters would be enough to rotate through, allowing at least one person to recover at all times.
Su Ming estimated that this absorption process would take at least a full day. He would need to output a significant amount of spirit power continuously to help Zhuqing withstand the ring's pressure. He hoped his nearing-vast mental strength would last.
Without hesitation, Su Ming knelt in front of Zhu Zhuqing, gently pressing his forehead to hers and whispering, "Zhuqing, open your mind. I'm going to channel my mental power into you. The rest is up to you!"
The gesture left Xiao Wu and the others puzzled. "Senior Dugu Bo, what is Su Ming doing?" they asked.
After a moment's thought, Dugu Bo replied, "The little monster's mental power is exceptionally high, surpassing his spirit rank. He's likely attempting to transfer his mental power to her. Normally, this is incredibly difficult without a mental-sharing spirit skill. It requires a very high level of mental strength and mutual trust between both parties."
"Even with that, the burden on Su Ming will be immense. He'll have to supplement her mental sea directly, similar to how you'd guide someone in a physical space. Without an external method to replenish his own mental strength, Su Ming will also be in danger if she loses control."
Dugu Bo could have kept this information to himself, but seeing Su Ming's willingness to take such a risk, he decided to support him. Although Su Ming's actions were risky, Dugu Bo couldn't help but admire his dedication.
Xiao Wu and Ning Rongrong watched with concern, hoping that both Su Ming and Zhuqing would emerge safely from the ordeal.
Dugu Yan, meanwhile, felt a mix of emotions. Su Ming's actions left a strong impression on her; this was truly a display of courage and loyalty.
In her spiritual sea, Zhu Zhuqing could faintly hear Su Ming's voice and sensed a wave of mental power merging with her own. She soon realized that her wounds were healing, and her strength had increased. Was this Su Ming's doing?
She guessed that he might not be able to sustain this for long, so she needed to destroy the resentment quickly. Her spiritual strength had now reached a level comparable to that of a Spirit King.
Su Ming had enhanced her strength only to the limit she could bear. Pushing further would have caused her spiritual form to collapse.
Summoning all her power, Zhu Zhuqing's claws lengthened and sharpened, now incorporating the energy of the Nine Yin Bone Claw to deliver continuous damage to the Shadow Demon Lizard's resentment.
After an hour of fierce combat, Zhu Zhuqing, though battered, managed to obliterate the resentment entirely, stabilizing her spiritual sea. Now, as long as her physical body could hold up, absorbing the ten-thousand-year spirit ring would proceed without further issues.
Over the past hour, Su Ming endured extreme exhaustion, his mental power continuously strained to support Zhu Zhuqing. When it finally ended, Su Ming felt so drained that he collapsed backward, expecting to hit the ground but landing instead on something soft and fragrant—Xiao Wu and Ning Rongrong had caught him.
"Brother Su Ming, are you okay?" Xiao Wu and Rongrong looked at him worriedly. Su Ming was ghostly pale, barely conscious, and they felt helpless since neither of them could help him recover his mental energy.
"Don't worry," he reassured them weakly. "I'm just exhausted from overusing my mental power. Resting for a while will help. Zhuqing has passed the critical stage; now it's only a matter of sustaining her spirit skill as she completes the absorption."
In Su Ming's spiritual sea, Ah Yin observed the toll on Su Ming's mental strength. The once-vast expanse was now reduced to a feeble stream—a staggering change.
Dugu Bo glanced at Su Ming with a deep respect but remained silent.
Meanwhile, Ning Rongrong resolved herself. As the only support-type spirit master around Su Ming, she now aimed to acquire a spirit ring to enhance mental power. Though she'd never heard of such a spirit beast, she decided that if necessary, she'd consider using her divine-bestowed spirit ring and seek guidance from her father and grandfathers. They might know something.
The day passed, and Zhu Zhuqing's absorption neared completion.
Su Ming exhaled in relief. "It's almost over. Here, keep these Nine-Turn Spirit Converters. They may come in handy in the future."
The others accepted the tools gratefully, no longer holding back with formalities among close friends.
Dugu Bo examined the converters curiously. From what he knew, such spirit tools didn't yet exist on the continent. Could Su Ming have crafted them? If so, he truly was a prodigy!
A few minutes later, Zhu Zhuqing opened her eyes, looking first at Su Ming with a complicated gaze. "Su Ming, are you alright?"
Su Ming, though a bit less pale than before, still looked weary. He forced a smile, "I'm fine. How do you feel after absorbing the ten-thousand-year spirit ring?"
Zhu Zhuqing felt the increase in her spirit power and replied in surprise, "I'm already at level forty-four!"
Su Ming nodded, unsurprised. A ten-thousand-year ring typically provided a two-level boost, and with the previous benefits from the immortal herb, level forty-four was reasonable.
Ning Rongrong looked at her enviously. She had once been on par with Zhuqing but now lagged by two levels. She'd have to work even harder.
Then, Zhu Zhuqing noticed something else. "My martial spirit seems to have changed a little."
She released her martial spirit, revealing that her Netherworld Spirit Cat had grown larger, its color darker, with faint stripes appearing on its body.
Su Ming glanced at Dugu Bo, who remarked, "I'm not certain of the details, but this should be beneficial. There's even a chance her martial spirit could evolve further."
Xiao Wu and Ning Rongrong sidled up to Zhu Zhuqing, smiling playfully. "So, Zhuqing, what's your new spirit ability?"
With a gleam in her eye, Zhu Zhuqing answered, "My fourth spirit ability is called Stealth—Nether Abyss. It allows me to blend into the environment, entering stealth mode, which increases my speed by two hundred percent and attack by one hundred percent for a short time. After my first attack, stealth ends, but I enter a high-speed state where anyone within ten levels of my spirit power can only see my afterimage."
"Only someone with mental power like Su Ming's could catch me in this state," she added.
Hearing this, Su Ming felt immense relief and joy for Zhuqing. The spirit ability perfectly embodied the Shadow Demon Lizard's abilities, granting both stealth and speed.
"Not bad, not bad! Little girl, you're quite lucky!" Dugu Bo laughed, clearly pleased that Su Ming's efforts hadn't been in vain.
At that moment, Zhu Zhuqing approached Su Ming and, in a moment of gratitude, gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "Thank you, Su Ming. Without your help, I wouldn't have lasted through the beginning of the process."
Su Ming was stunned, taken completely off guard by Zhuqing's unexpected gesture. He hadn't missed her approach, but her kiss caught him by surprise.
Flustered, Zhu Zhuqing, usually composed and reserved, turned red. "Don't read too much into it, Su Ming! It's just my way of thanking you for helping me get the ten-thousand-year spirit ring. I don't have anything else to offer."
Her voice trailed off, realizing how awkward her words sounded.
Su Ming smiled, finding her slight awkwardness endearing. Zhuqing's voice, usually so calm, now held a hint of warmth—perhaps even a touch of cuteness.
Zhuqing's affection for him seemed undeniable; otherwise, someone with her personality would never kiss him, even as thanks.
The stare—
Xiao Wu and Ning Rongrong gazed at Zhuqing, wide-eyed. It was the first time they'd seen her so bold!
Trying to regain her composure, Zhu Zhuqing turned to the others and said, "Thank you all for your help as well. I overestimated myself and nearly made a huge mistake."
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