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Hearing this, Hu Liena's beautiful eyes instantly lit up.
"Finally found it! Thank you so much, Grand Priest!" Her voice carried a hint of excitement.
Zhu Hongye nodded slightly, "This beast is cunning and excels at hiding within illusions. You all wait here while I force it out."
With that, Zhu Hongye's figure flickered and disappeared into the mist at the valley entrance.
From within the valley came faint sounds of sharp fox cries and intense spiritual fluctuations, causing the mist outside to churn violently.
About the time it took to burn one stick of incense, Zhu Hongye reappeared, her robes fluttering gracefully, completely untouched by dust.
In her hand, she held a small-sized fox with fur that shimmered with dreamlike, iridescent colors. The fox's eyes were unfocused, clearly subdued by Zhu Hongye's overwhelming spiritual power, leaving it unable to resist.
"Nana, go ahead."
Zhu Hongye tossed the Thousand-Illusion Fox in front of Hu Liena.
Hu Liena took a deep breath, stepped forward, and conjured a sharp blade of soul power. With swift precision, she ended the life of this ten-thousand-year-old spirit beast.
A profound black soul ring emerged from the Thousand-Illusion Fox's corpse, radiating powerful spiritual fluctuations.
"I hope for a good soul skill..."
Hu Liena muttered as she slowly sat cross-legged, adjusted her state, and began to absorb the soul ring.
The energy of a twenty-thousand-year-old soul ring was immense, but for Hu Liena—who had consumed Whale Glue and possessed exceptional spiritual strength—though the process was painful, there was no significant risk.
Dai Chengfeng and the others stood guard.
After about an hour, Hu Liena finally opened her eyes slowly.
She had successfully absorbed the soul ring, and her aura had noticeably grown stronger.
Her peach-shaped eyes, when opened, seemed to flash with dazzling light, exuding an innate charm yet carrying a spiritual pressure that made one's heart race.
"Nana, how do you feel? What's your new soul skill?"
Dai Chengfeng approached, asking with concern.
Hu Liena stood up, stretched her limbs, and smiled with satisfaction.
Her gaze swept over the group, a mischievous glint flashing in her eyes. She then softly parted her lips: "My fifth soul skill, named Charming Illusion Dance."
She paused, looking at Dai Chengfeng's curious expression, and continued explaining:
"The effect… is mass mental control."
"It can instantly cast a powerful charm on multiple targets whose spiritual power does not exceed mine, plunging them into brief illusions where they lose their sense of friend or foe, or act according to my suggestions."
"The number of targets affected depends on the strength of their spiritual power."
A look of delight flashed in Dai Chengfeng's eyes: "Great! No wonder it's from a twenty-thousand-year-old Thousand-Illusion Fox. This soul skill is incredibly practical!"
With this skill, Hu Liena's crowd-control abilities within the team would reach a whole new level.
Though Zhu Zhuqing and Ning Rongrong were still upset with Dai Chengfeng, hearing that Hu Liena had obtained such a powerful soul skill filled them with genuine happiness, as increased team strength benefited everyone.
Zhu Hongye also nodded slightly, showing approval: "Good, this soul ring suits you well."
"Now that the soul ring has been acquired, we'll return to the temporary campsite to rest for the night. We'll set out early tomorrow morning to head back."
"Yes, Grand Priest," the group responded in unison.
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Back at the campsite, night had fallen.
The group had a simple dinner and returned to their respective tents.
Dai Chengfeng didn't immediately rest. He knew that avoiding the issue surrounding Xiao Wu could only last so long.
The "fire" ignited by Zhu Zhuqing, Hu Liena, and Ning Rongrong needed to be extinguished; otherwise, the journey back—and even after returning—would remain uneasy.
Especially thinking about returning to the Spirit Hall City and meeting the stunningly beautiful and voluptuous Pope, his heart burned with anticipation, unwilling to be hindered by these trivial domestic matters.
As Dai Chengfeng pondered, his gaze first fell on Zhu Zhuqing's tent.
His fiancée, outwardly cold but inwardly sensitive, was likely the one who felt the most jealousy.
Thinking this, Dai Chengfeng stood up and walked directly toward Zhu Zhuqing's tent.
When he entered by lifting the tent flap, Zhu Zhuqing was sitting on a blanket, seemingly organizing her clothes with her back to him. However, her tense shoulders indicated she hadn't relaxed.
"Zhuqing," Dai Chengfeng called out.
Zhu Zhuqing froze momentarily, neither turning around nor responding, as if she hadn't heard him.
Dai Chengfeng didn't mind. He walked behind her, bent down, and wrapped his arms around her slender yet elastic waist.
Zhu Zhuqing's body stiffened instantly, instinctively trying to break free.
"Don't move."
Dai Chengfeng's low voice sounded in her ear, carrying an air of non-negotiable authority. At the same time, he tightened his arms, locking her firmly in his embrace.
Zhu Zhuqing struggled a couple of times, but given the disparity in strength, she couldn't break free.
She could feel Dai Chengfeng's warm breath brushing against her neck, sending shivers down her spine.
An uncontrollable blush crept onto her usually cool face, though she still tried to maintain her cold demeanor.
"Let me go! Go find your little sister Xiao Wu!"
Dai Chengfeng chuckled softly, not only refusing to let go but pressing further, resting his chin on her thin shoulder, his lips almost touching her sensitive earlobe:
"Jealous again?"
"Who's jealous!"
Zhu Zhuqing stubbornly denied it, but her voice carried a barely noticeable tremor.
Being held so tightly, enveloped by Dai Chengfeng's heated presence, left her feeling weak.
"Still denying you're jealous?"
Dai Chengfeng turned her around, forcing her to face him.
Under the dim light, Zhu Zhuqing's usually cold eyes now shimmered with moisture, tinged with grievance and stubbornness, making her look especially endearing.
Dai Chengfeng felt a stirring in his heart and didn't give her a chance to speak. He leaned down and captured her soft, cool lips.
"Mmm..."
Caught off guard, Zhu Zhuqing let out a short gasp. Her hands pressed against Dai Chengfeng's chest, attempting to push him away.
But Dai Chengfeng's kiss was domineering and searing with heat, quickly dismantling her resistance.
Her feeble attempts to push him away grew weaker until her hands finally dropped limply, grabbing onto the front of his robe instead.
Amidst their entanglement, Zhu Zhuqing felt all her strength drain away. Her icy defenses melted piece by piece under Dai Chengfeng's passionate assault.
She awkwardly responded, her nose filled with the fresh and pleasant scent of Dai Chengfeng, leaving her disoriented and overwhelmed.
After what seemed like an eternity, Dai Chengfeng finally ended the long, deep kiss when Zhu Zhuqing was nearly out of breath.
By now, Zhu Zhuqing was no longer the icy woman she had been before. Her cheeks were flushed red, her eyes hazy, and she leaned softly against Dai Chengfeng's chest, breathing heavily...
Her pliant demeanor was worlds apart from her usual self.
Satisfied, Dai Chengfeng gazed at the girl who had melted into a pool of spring water in his arms. He gently caressed her blushing cheek with his fingers and whispered:
"Now, will you listen to my explanation?"
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