"Has your spirit power really recovered?"
Why ask that?
"I noticed his gaze too," Zhu Zhuqing said softly as they walked back.
Lin Xian turned and met her eyes.
"Then what do you plan to do?"
"I trust you, so I followed you out first. I believe you must have your own reasons."
Lin Xian smiled faintly.
"Not bad. You've become quite sensible."
"Stop joking," she replied, her expression turning serious. "Running into him now would be troublesome. What I'm really worried about is you. If your spirit power hasn't recovered, it could be very dangerous."
Her concern was obvious.
After all, Lin Xian had suffered such severe injuries—and had his spirit power sealed—because he saved her. He could have escaped on his own, but he chose not to.
That was why Zhu Zhuqing wasn't afraid of confronting Dai Mubai. What worried her was that Dai Mubai might target Lin Xian. The imperial family was notoriously vindictive.
"Relax," Lin Xian said calmly. "I understand your concerns. But I wasn't lying—my spirit power has truly recovered."
As he spoke, a ripple of spirit power spread from his body. A white spirit ring slowly emerged, faintly glowing as Stellar Power circulated within it.
Lin Xian could clearly feel it—his cultivation had already broken through to Level 20.
A blessing in disguise.
Of course, this was also the result of his focused cultivation over the past few days, combined with the residual Stellar Power that had expanded his meridians after using Galaxy Fall.
Zhu Zhuqing's reaction was even more intense than his own. She grabbed his hand tightly.
"You've really recovered? That attack you used before… did it damage your foundation? Your future potential?"
Lin Xian looked at her seriously.
"What if I told you it did? That I'd never break through Level 30 in this lifetime?"
Zhu Zhuqing didn't hesitate.
"Then I'll stay by your side. I'll protect you."
"For a lifetime?" he asked, locking eyes with her.
This time, she didn't look away.
"For a lifetime."
Her answer was firm.
This had happened because of her. Taking responsibility was only natural. And more than that—she didn't dislike Lin Xian.
He was the first person in all these years to truly reach her heart.
She would never forget that figure standing at the cave entrance, shielding her from danger.
Lin Xian suddenly laughed.
"Relax, I was joking. My body has fully recovered—no lasting damage. You can stop worrying."
"Really? You're not lying?"
"Absolutely."
"That's… that's wonderful!"
Overwhelmed with relief, Zhu Zhuqing stepped forward and threw herself into his arms, hugging him tightly.
The heavy burden weighing on her heart finally lifted.
She felt lighter than ever.
Lin Xian hadn't expected this sudden "reward." Feeling the softness pressed against him, his thoughts couldn't help but wander.
A moment later, Zhu Zhuqing snapped back to her senses. Realizing what she had done, she quickly stepped back, her face flushing.
At that moment, a white card quietly appeared beside her.
Lin Xian, of course, didn't miss it.
The drop rate for emotion cards was frustratingly low—it had taken days to get just one.
[Attack Speed Thigh-Highs ×1]
Effect: Clothing item made from high-quality Heavenly Silk. Increases attack speed by 5% when worn. Usable by both men and women.
…Interesting.
Clearly, the bonus applied during combat—nothing else!
"About earlier… I got a bit too excited," Zhu Zhuqing said awkwardly.
"It's fine. Totally normal," Lin Xian replied casually. "Let's head back. I'll summon my Spirit and see how we can establish the Bond."
"Alright."
---
Back in the room, Lin Xian sat cross-legged on the bed.
He released his Star Abyss Martial Soul.
Behind him, a vast galaxy unfolded—brilliant and boundless. Stellar Power surged outward, forming a bridge that connected to the first planet in the upper-left corner.
Its radiance enveloped both of them.
[First Planet Bond Candidate Confirmed: Zhu Zhuqing]
[Selection Complete. Awakening Ultimate Shadow Attribute]
[Soul Bond Activated]
In the next instant, Zhu Zhuqing's Spirit manifested on its own.
"Zhuqing, don't resist," Lin Xian said. "Let it complete the bond."
She nodded, opening herself completely to the incoming power.
A cold, oppressive force surged into her body—dark and absolute, as if it could devour all light.
Time itself seemed to freeze.
Her spirit power erupted like a river breaking through a dam, surging violently.
Under the influence of this shadow energy, her Hell Civet Spirit began to transform.
Dark, intricate patterns spread across its body—like star maps or abyssal labyrinths—radiating an eerie, overwhelming power.
Its form grew more streamlined, more agile. Its eyes deepened into brilliant orbs of darkness, gleaming with a soul-piercing light.
Then came the most astonishing change—
Her tail.
A second tail emerged.
Then a third… a fourth…
Until finally—
Nine tails.
Nine magnificent, shadowy tails swayed behind her, each one brimming with the power of Ultimate Shadow and unmatched speed, as if capable of tearing through the very fabric of night.
When the ninth tail fully formed, the stars above seemed to subtly shift.
No one noticed.
But the world had changed.
An overwhelming aura of majesty radiated from her.
Dark Night Monarch. A nine-tailed cat.
Her Hell Civet Spirit had evolved.
---
At the same time—
Within Lin Xian's galaxy, that planet transformed completely into an Ultimate Shadow Star, cloaked in endless darkness.
On its surface, a silhouette appeared.
Zhu Zhuqing.
Her Dark Night Monarch form.
The shadowy figure merged into the planet, releasing a burst of black light that swallowed everything around it, leaving behind a vast, silent void.
[Bond Complete]