Zhu Zhuyun's hands transformed into razor-sharp feline claws.
Her eyes changed color, her left eye a deep emerald, her right a clear blue.
Around her, four spirit rings—yellow, yellow, purple, purple—rose and fell in rhythm, releasing an overwhelming aura.
"Nether Spring Fall!"
A cold, eerie light filled her eyes, draining away all trace of emotion.
The chill she exuded resembled the ruthless calm of a predator hunting its prey—yet darker and errier!
A chill crept through the hearts of those watching.
Her fourth ring flared violet—
At once, a dense wave of black spirit power surged out, taking the shape of a roaring spectral cat.
"Mrrrow!"
A sharp, ear-splitting cry echoed through the arena.
Dugu Feng's brows lifted slightly. Zhu Zhuyun's pressure was immense and her fourth soul skill was completely different from the one she had in the original timeline.
It seemed his presence had already caused a butterfly effect.
Then that piercing shriek stabbed into his mind, as if a ghostly cat was clawing at his consciousness.
A spiritual attack!
But not the most dangerous part.
Following that cry, an invisible rift seemed to tear open before him.
From within it, thick, black liquid poured out—like the very springs of the underworld, cascading toward him.
This was Zhu Zhuyun's fourth soul skill—Nether Spring Fall.
She hadn't used it in her previous four matches, she'd won them all without needing to.
Now, for the first time, she revealed her most destructive art.
Dugu Feng's expression turned strange...
The "nether water" before him was surprisingly similar to poison. It carried a corrosive, parasitic energy, like maggots burrowing into bone.
Its effects mirrored the venomous corrosion of his own toxins.
"In front of me, you dare play with this? Isn't that like showing off your blade before Guan Yu himself?"
Dugu Feng's lips curled in a strange smile.
He had to admit that Zhu Zhuyun's fourth skill was strong.
It was meant to be a lethal strike!
But today, she'd met her natural counter.
He didn't even move, he simply let that ink-black flood crash down over him.
"Ah!"
"So strong...what a powerful fourth skill!?"
Gasps erupted from below.
They were stunned by Zhu Zhuyun's overwhelming power.
Her fourth ring's skill engulfed him completely in one blow!
But while all eyes were fixed on that dark torrent—Zhu Zhuyun's figure vanished. Not even an afterimage remained.
In truth, she was moving faster than sight and closing in on him.
She had never meant to rely solely on her fourth ability.
Using its veil as cover, she unleashed her close-range assault. Her first three rings flashed in rapid sequence—yellow, yellow, purple.
Nether Thrust. Nether White Claw. Nether Slash!
All close-combat strikes.
Zhu Zhuyun's figures surrounded Dugu Feng from all directions.
Above, behind, both sides—her mirrored forms slashed in unison.
Ten claws merged together, forming a blade a foot long.
The spectral blades shot forth, cutting toward Dugu Feng from four angles—
followed by a storm of slashing shadows, cold light glinting from every claw.
Each strike carried corrosive darkness and a piercing edge.
Even a shallow wound from them would allow that corruption to seep inward, shredding meridians from within.
Dugu Feng's body was drenched in the black springwater of the Nether, seemingly swallowed whole.
Zhu Zhuyun felt a surge of satisfaction.
Her Nether Spring Fall could corrode even Soul Kings; once tainted, even they struggled to purge it.
Moreover, Dugu Feng seemed completely stunned and was entirely covered. But she felt confused.
Could it be… that Dugu Feng's famed reputation was just luck? No. It was impossible to reach Soul Ancestor level through luck alone.
Caution flickered in her eyes.
Her movements grew sharper, faster—
Until suddenly, she froze. Her face paled.
Her strength was draining away and her spirit power fading rapidly.
"I've been… poisoned? Impossible!"
There had been no contact as she had launched her fourth skill first, precisely to prevent him from releasing poison.
So what was happening inside her body?
It had to be his doing!
But retreat was not an option.
Her battle instincts kicked in. She bit her lip, drew on every last drop of spirit power, and unleashed all her attacks at once. Hundreds of claw shadows crashing toward Dugu Feng.
"You think your Nether Spring Fall could harm me?"
Dugu Feng's voice was cold and mocking.
Though covered in black fluid, the corrosive force within it did him no harm.
He sneered. His spirit power flared outward, a surge that swept across the entire stage.
In an instant, the black springwater coating him evaporated into pure, harmless energy.
At that very moment when Zhu Zhuyun had attacked, his poison had fused seamlessly with her fourth soul skill—The similar corrosive energies had resonated—then been completely absorbed by his external soul bone.
Zhu Zhuyun's eyes widened in disbelief.
Her fourth skill was rendered useless...?
How could that be!?
He had been fully engulfed! Yet he stood unscathed—too monstrous to be real.
Then—A frigid killing intent burst forth.
White ripples of murderous aura spread like ice, freezing the air itself.
Zhu Zhuyun's claws, her afterimages, her slashes...all froze midair.
She couldn't move even a finger.
The two were less than a finger's breadth apart.
Dugu Feng could clearly see the flush of frustration and fear on her delicate face.
She had thrown in everything she had—
Yet her spirit power and spiritual energy were draining away, as if into a bottomless abyss.
Zhu Zhuyun thought her cultivation had gone wrong—
There was no pain, no trace of poison, nothing she could perceive from Dugu Feng's hand.
"You…"
"It's you!" she hissed.
Dugu Feng's lips curved into a faint smirk of contempt.
She finally realized that she had never stood a chance.
She wanted to retreat, to step back—yet her body wouldn't move.
"I told you," Dugu Feng said lightly, eyes glinting like blades, "you only get one strike."
He stepped back casually—And Zhu Zhuyun collapsed to the ground with a thud.
Her spirit power was completely drained.
The whole thing had been too eerie, too terrifying.
She hadn't lost consciousness—but the shock ran deep.
Moments ago, she'd been the center of attention, the unrivaled prodigy of the Star Luo Empire.
Now she lay defeated, powerless to resist, without even understanding how she'd been beaten.
Such a loss was devastating.
The audience fell into stunned silence.
From Zhu Zhuyun's grand display, her roaring fourth soul skill, her blinding speed—To Dugu Feng's victory, it had taken only an instant.
Once again, Dugu Feng had not revealed a single spirit ring.
Only that fleeting, frozen surge of killing intent told them he had used the Killing God Domain.
Even the mighty Zhu Zhuyun couldn't force him to show his rings.
How strong… was Dugu Feng, truly?