Ye Yin felt a slight furrow touch his brow as he observed the struggle before him. Without wasting a single heartbeat, he took a measured step forward and reached out, gently pressing his palm against Zhu Zhuyu's back.
He didn't hesitate to act. A spirit power that felt both incredibly gentle and yet unmistakably majestic began to surge from his hand, flowing directly into her body. This influx of energy acted like a guiding hand, helping her to channel the wild, chaotic energy of the spirit ring and stabilize her flickering mental force. At the same time, Ye Yin worked in secret. He quietly navigated the system store and spent a portion of his accumulated resentment value, exchanging it for a specific trace of energy designed to stabilize the mind. He subtly injected this external power into her system, layering it over his own spirit power to ensure her safety.+2
Under the influence of Ye Yin's intervention, Zhu Zhuyu's condition began to stabilize with remarkable speed. The deathly pale complexion that had masked her features slowly faded, replaced by a healthy glow as the natural color regained its place. Her breathing, which had been ragged and shallow, gradually became steady and strong once more. Seeing this change, the tension in the air finally broke. Everyone else let out a collective breath of relief and spread out in a defensive circle, standing guard over her as the process reached its final stage.
An hour passed in relative silence.
Suddenly, Zhu Zhuyu snapped her eyes open. For a fleeting second, a brilliant flash of golden and silver light seemed to dance within her pupils before her eyes settled, looking even more profound and agile than they ever had before. The struggle was over; she had successfully absorbed the ten-thousand-year spirit ring of the Phantom Nether Leopard.
"Level forty! You're a Spirit Ancestor now!" +1
Zhu Zhuqing was the first to react, stepping forward with an uncharacteristic urgency in her voice. "Second Sister, congratulations! Tell us, what is your new Spirit Ability?"
Zhu Zhuyu took a moment to savor the sensation of the new, raw power coursing through her veins. A bright, excited smile lit up her face. She stood up, and as she did, her fourth spirit ring—a ring of deepest, soul-chilling black—suddenly flared with intense light.
"Fourth Spirit Ability, Netherworld Phantom Kill!"
As the words left her lips in a delicate shout, her physical form underwent a startling transformation. Her body became ethereal and translucent, as if she were dissolving and merging into the very shadows cast by the trees. In the blink of an eye, a strange phenomenon occurred. While her figure had not yet completely vanished from her original position, another version of her appeared ten meters away beside a massive rock, moving with a ghostly speed that mirrored the Titled Douluo, Gui Mei.+2
With a fierce howl that seemed to tear through the air, her sharp cat claws lashed out with violent intent.
Chii!
The sound of rending stone echoed through the clearing as three deep, jagged claw marks appeared instantly on the surface of the giant rock. But the ability didn't stop there. The phantom that remained at her starting position didn't just fade away; it mirrored her movements, making its own attacking motion. Even though it was only a shadow and lacked the substantial power to deal physical damage, it was so lifelike that it would undoubtedly shatter an opponent's focus and judgment in the heat of battle.
"Such incredible speed! And that phantom looks exactly like the real thing," Dai Mubai shouted, his voice thick with genuine admiration. "This is a divine ability for anyone who specializes in assassination or sneak attacks!" +1
Zhu Zhuqing nodded slowly, her eyes reflecting a rare hint of approval. "It's a very practical Spirit Ability. By combining illusion with reality, you can catch any opponent off guard before they even know they're in a fight." +1
Zhu Zhuyu retracted her power, the ethereal glow fading as she stood there with her face slightly flushed from the exertion. She turned her gaze toward Ye Yin, her eyes swimming with deep gratitude and a clear sense of affection.
"Thank you, Yin-ge. Truly, if it weren't for your help just now..."
Ye Yin simply smiled, reaching out to interrupt her before she could dive too deep into her thanks. "Don't sell yourself short. This is the result of your own hard work and perseverance. It's a great new Spirit Ability, and you earned it."
He turned his head, looking around at the rest of the group. Now that everyone had achieved the goals they set out for on this dangerous trip, it was finally time to begin the long trek back home. However, as they prepared to turn away from the canyon, Ye Yin's sharp eyes caught something. His gaze was drawn toward the bottom of the cold pond, where an almost imperceptible, faint glow flickered beneath the dark water.
Intrigued, he extended his mental force, probing deep into the chilly depths of the pond. He paused for a second, his expression shifting into one of mild surprise. He walked to the very edge of the water and began to circulate his spirit power, extending his hand and making a sharp, grasping motion.
The pond water began to churn and bubble as a powerful suction force emanated from his palm. Within moments, several strange pieces of black ore, each about the size of a pigeon egg, were sucked out of the depths and flew through the air, landing firmly in his hand. The ore felt strangely cool against his skin, and he could feel ethereal energy fluctuations radiating from them—energy that felt identical to the aura of the Phantom Nether Leopard they had just defeated.
"Wait, is that... Phantom Star Iron?"
Tang San recognized the material almost immediately, his knowledge of rare minerals coming to the forefront. "That is an incredibly rare metal. It's usually only found accompanying the lairs of powerful Spirit Beasts that possess phantom attributes. It is considered an excellent, top-tier material for crafting high-level mental spirit tools or even specialized stealth equipment!" +1
Ye Yin closed his fingers around the ore, feeling the unique energy pulsing within it. He nodded, looking quite satisfied with the find. He honestly hadn't expected to walk away with such an unexpected bonus from this encounter.
After carefully stowing the Phantom Star Iron away in his storage, the group decided not to linger in the canyon any longer. They turned as one and began the journey out of the Star Dou Great Forest. With every mile they covered toward the outer perimeter, the oppressive atmosphere of the forest began to lift, and the air felt a little safer.
The journey back proved to be remarkably smooth. They encountered no more powerful Spirit Beasts looking for a fight, and more importantly, there was no sign of any further harassment from the people of Spirit Hall.
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