Heavenly Thief System: Starting in Douluo

Chapter 41 – Zhu Zhuyun Strikes

—The timeline remains two years ago—

Zhu Zhuqing and Zhu Shu entered the Star Dou Great Forest. On the third day, they finally found a Blackwind Panther with an impressive cultivation age—nearly 700 years. With Zhu Shu, a Soul King, assisting, Zhu Zhuqing barely had to exert much effort before killing the heavily injured Blackwind Panther.

Zhu Shu said, "Young Miss, quickly absorb this soul ring. With me, Old Zhu, watching the area, you'll be safe!"

Hearing this, a flicker of emotion crossed Zhu Zhuqing's cold face. For some reason, she had felt uneasy these past few days. Still, trusting this loyal guard of hers after many years together, she sat down cross-legged and began absorbing the soul ring.

Zhu Shu stood nearby on full alert. Soon, half an hour had passed.

Suddenly, a sharp female voice rang out from the distance.

"Haha! My dear little sister, I've finally found you."

Zhu Shu was shocked. Of all times to show up, the intruder chose this exact moment when Zhu Zhuqing was absorbing a soul ring—clearly premeditated!

Without hesitation, Zhu Shu summoned his martial soul, the Furious Leopard, and shouted sternly, "Who's there?!"

Swish! Five black-clad figures appeared instantly, surrounding Zhu Shu and Zhu Zhuqing. Though their faces were masked, their figures were clearly female—and all quite graceful.

Recognizing the familiar silhouette, Zhu Shu gave a bitter smile and sighed helplessly. "I didn't expect it would be you, Eldest Miss."

The leading black-robed figure was none other than Zhu Zhuyun, eldest daughter of the Zhu family of the Star Luo Empire. Being exposed did not faze her—she even laughed again, though her tone had turned cold, filled with murderous intent.

"Haha, Zhu Shu, you have sharp eyes! But what a pity—you didn't have to die today."

Her tone suddenly shifted as she shouted, "A Biao, kill him!"

Just as her voice fell, the ground began to tremble. A brawny man nearly two meters tall stomped forward. Behind him loomed the phantom of a four-meter-tall black bear. Yellow, yellow, purple, purple, purple—five soul rings rose from his feet and circled his body. He was also a Soul King.

The man didn't waste words. The black bear phantom merged with his body, transforming him into a humanoid black bear. In the next moment, he charged straight toward Zhu Shu and Zhu Zhuqing with astonishing speed.

Under normal circumstances, Zhu Shu wouldn't fear this brute. As a Soul King of the agility-attack type, he could easily dodge and counter. But not now—Zhu Zhuqing was seated right behind him.

With no other option, Zhu Shu also entered martial soul possession and met the charge head-on, blocking the brute's impact. But after all, agility-types are no match for power-types in raw strength. He was quickly overpowered.

Zhu Zhuyun didn't intend to sit back and wait for the fight to end. This was the perfect chance to kill Zhu Zhuqing. While she was absorbing her second soul ring, she had no ability to resist. If not now, then when?

She had secretly tailed them all the way here, waiting for this very moment.

"Move in!" Zhu Zhuyun pointed at Zhu Zhuqing.

The four others, all under Zhu Zhuyun's command, showed no hesitation. Even though Zhu Zhuqing was the second miss of their own clan, they had no mercy for someone from the rival faction. Entering martial soul possession, they burst forward, attacking Zhu Zhuqing.

At the critical moment, Zhu Shu broke away from the bear-possessed brute and rushed back with lightning speed, intercepting the four attackers.

A standoff resumed.

Just then, Zhu Zhuqing awoke. After absorbing the Blackwind Panther's soul ring, her soul power broke through to Rank 21, and she obtained her second soul skill—Nether Hundred Claws.

Noticing the masked attackers and Zhu Shu, who now stood bleeding in front of her, Zhu Zhuqing's expression turned even colder. "Zhu Shu, what's going on?"

Wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, Zhu Shu lowered his voice and whispered so only the two of them could hear, "Young Miss, it's the Eldest Miss. Run, I'll hold them off."

Hearing this, Zhu Zhuqing felt her anger intensify. Her sister had truly gone to great lengths.

She clenched her fists, fingernails digging into her palms and drawing blood. Glancing at the masked Zhu Zhuyun, she gritted her teeth and said quietly, "Take care."

She had thought about staying to help Zhu Shu fight, but she understood that she was the target.

Even though she had just gained her second soul ring and reached Rank 21, she was still no match for Zhu Zhuyun, a Soul Elder. Only by escaping could Zhu Shu be safe too. And with his agility-type abilities, fleeing solo was not a problem.

With a leap, Zhu Zhuqing sprang onto a tree branch and fled into the distance.

Zhu Zhuyun's group immediately gave chase.

Though Zhu Shu fought desperately to hold them back, two fists were no match for four hands. After stalling the bear-type Soul King and two Soul Elders, Zhu Zhuyun herself, along with two other Soul Elders, followed Zhu Zhuqing.

Elsewhere in the Star Dou Great Forest—

Zuzong, who had just broken through Rank 30, was darting through the jungle. In his view, his first soul skill was mainly control and poison; the second increased lethality—so his third needed to be a strong control skill, ideally one with group control. Otherwise, even a powerful attack like his second skill would miss if he faced a speed-type Soul Master.

With Tang San's experience as a reference, Zuzong had already made up his mind: his third soul ring had to come from the Crypt Demon Spider. But even after half a month of searching in the Star Dou Great Forest, he found nothing.

"Damn, I've been looking for half a month! Where the hell is that Crypt Demon Spider? I should've just gone to Sunset Forest!"

At this point, some might ask: doesn't the protagonist have a system?

Well, Zuzong had already tried that. He spent a large number of Hatred Points, but the system only provided general locations. It helped him find plenty of spider-type soul beasts—just not the Crypt Demon Spider.

Zuzong (rolling his eyes): "Useless damn system!"

System (chuckling): "That's what you get. Ten chapters in and you still haven't let me appear."

Suddenly, the sound of battle came from the distance!

Zuzong raised an eyebrow. "Hmm? Something's happening in the direction of that cliff I passed earlier. Whatever, I'll go check it out!"

With a flash, Zuzong vanished from his spot, soul power coursing through his feet as he sped toward the cliff.

Thanks to his Three-Body Technique and Instant Step, both life-saving divine skills, Zuzong could move nearly unimpeded through the outer and even inner regions of the Star Dou Great Forest. As long as he avoided the few hundred-thousand-year old monsters in the core zone, he had nothing to fear.

After the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, Zuzong reached the source of the disturbance.

He saw three black-robed women wielding blood-stained daggers, pursuing a little girl of about ten years old—Zhu Zhuqing. She was clearly outmatched. Her arms had been slashed, revealing bone-deep wounds that bled freely.

"Damn, they're going after a kid like that?! Should I step in or not?"

[End of Chapter]

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