After the academy reopened the following year, everyone noticed that Zhu Zhuqing had changed.
She was no longer timid and submissive.
This girl, who had previously been bullied and remained silent, began to show her claws and fangs.
She started by targeting the peripheral figures in Su Cheng's group, gradually dividing and disintegrating them.
Most of these people were weaklings who joined Su Cheng's group seeking protection, or simply to gain some prestige and appear superior. They had
average talent, insufficient strength, and not particularly strong willpower.
They were not actually valued by those from prominent or exceptionally talented noble families.
After joining this group, they were merely inferior beings.
Zhu Zhuqing's approach was simple: resort to force.
Of course, she wouldn't attack in public.
When provoked, she would retaliate with the aura of a Soul Master.
Currently, there weren't many students her age who had achieved the Soul Master level.
The difference in strength between a spirit soul with and without spirit rings is enormous, not to mention the Netherworld Cat spirit soul is already of considerable quality.
Often, Zhu Zhuqing only needs to slightly reveal her spirit soul, without even lifting a finger, to overwhelm her opponent, at least gaining a clear advantage on the surface.
And that's not all; she'll retaliate afterwards.
With her current strength, even without using her spirit soul, she can easily teach these weaker students a lesson in secret.
And as long as she doesn't reveal her spirit soul and uses the Netherworld Cat's unique attack methods, and doesn't go too far, even after an attack, who would pursue her too much without evidence?
Ordinary conflicts between spirit masters are inevitable; as long as one is mindful of boundaries, it's not a big problem.
Last year, Zhu Zhuqing only refrained from using force because she was intimidated by the dean's criticism and threat of expulsion on her first day at the academy.
In reality, the situation was special then; generally, minor conflicts wouldn't lead to serious consequences.
Su Cheng had used underhanded tactics to make his injuries appear more severe, and his unique status, coupled with his early establishment of a powerful faction and excellent reputation among the teachers,
all contributed to the dean's furious outburst.
As for the others, why should they receive special treatment from the academy?
Not to mention Zhu Zhuqing's extraordinary background.
Even with a very low chance of success, she was still a potential empress.
Indeed, teachers at the Royal Academy didn't particularly care about students' origins, and Dean Zong Yun's words were correct—even royal children must abide by academy rules.
However, the academy's standards and limits for punishment would vary from student to student.
For Zhu Zhuqing, the only concern was the group's retaliation.
These people were marginalized and not valued.
Su Cheng, as their leader, had been keeping a low profile
, giving her ample opportunity to maneuver.
Violence was only one factor;
Zhu Zhuqing was also utilizing her status.
The Zhu family's status and power in the Star Luo Empire are common knowledge.
Su Cheng's covert machinations were only one aspect of why Zhu Zhuqing was targeted in the past.
Her noble birth was also a significant factor.
Coming from an ordinary family, yet able to look down upon the young lady from the Duke's mansion—
this psychological satisfaction was equally alluring.
Unlike Su Cheng, who gradually expanded his influence through his strength, words, demeanor, and prestige within the academy
, Zhu Zhuqing was now constantly leveraging her family's power to gather followers.
Coupled with her exceptional strength, she quickly amassed a considerable following.
After all, compared to Su Cheng, her advantages were quite obvious.
Her family background was undeniable, and in terms of strength, Zhu Zhuqing currently seemed to be superior.
Aside from their initial enrollment, Su Cheng had almost never revealed his true power, and he had even been knocked down by Zhu Zhuqing with a single punch.
Even those closest to Su Cheng weren't entirely aware of his true strength, let alone these peripheral figures.
Although Zhu Zhuqing's methods of handling conflicts and winning people over are still somewhat immature, they are sufficient for the junior academy.
Part of this stems from Su Cheng's guidance
, but more so from her own daily insights.
Zhu Zhuqing isn't stupid; she just hadn't grasped the concepts before.
Besides, she also won over a few noble youths like Zhang Sansan who disapproved of Su Cheng's past actions.
What Zhu Zhuqing didn't know was that those people were specifically left for her by Su Cheng.
While Su Cheng considered these infightings in the academy as petty squabbles, not worth mentioning,
they were valuable training for Zhu Zhuqing.
Moreover, the resources behind these individuals were not to be underestimated.
Especially someone like Zhang Sansan, practically a future family heir, who would be of great use even in the future.
These silently shifting situations went largely unnoticed by most people except Su Cheng.
Su Cheng, however, clearly welcomed them.
She even deliberately concealed her presence, spending most of her time in the academy's library, studying various materials related to martial spirits, and rarely even attending classes.
Three months passed in this way.
The atmosphere within the academy began to change significantly.
As the end of the month approached, Zhu Zhuqing quietly left the academy alone.
Su Cheng, disguised as Zhu Hongtao, was already waiting in the woods outside the academy.
"Dad, I'm here," Zhu Zhuqing greeted softly.
This was their third secret meeting this year.
She was no longer as gloomy as before.
Although she still possessed a cool and aloof expression, it was more of a habit.
Compared to the past, her facial features had softened, her eyes were bright and captivating, and her long hair swayed gently in the night breeze.
This coolness added a unique mysterious aura and personal charm to her.
"Xiao Qing, it seems you're making good progress at the academy?"
Zhu Zhuqing nodded slightly upon hearing this.
The shadows in her heart gradually dissipated, and having tasted a bit of the sweetness of power, she had become more confident.
"Su Cheng is different from those people. If you want to win him over, besides offering benefits, you also need sufficient strength." Su Cheng looked at Zhu Zhuqing, who had become increasingly beautiful, and said in a deep voice, "Do you think you can defeat him with your current strength?"
Zhu Zhuqing hesitated for a moment and shook her head, "I don't know."
These days, Su Cheng had kept a low profile in the academy, and the two hadn't had many opportunities to meet.
Even though her strength had improved by leaps and bounds, she didn't dare to underestimate him in the slightest.
The shadow that person had left on her over the past year was too deep.
Su Cheng nodded upon hearing this. It seemed that Zhu Zhuqing's mentality was still very stable, and she hadn't become too arrogant. She was indeed a promising talent.
He took out a manuscript from his pocket and handed it over.
This was a cultivation method he had developed over the past year, combining research on martial soul bloodlines and human medicine, which was more suitable for soul masters.
Although he didn't know how it compared to Tang San's Xuan Tian Gong, its efficiency was obviously far superior to the basic meditation methods currently prevalent on the continent.
Most importantly, this cultivation method shares the same origin as the circulation of soul power, so there's no requirement to disperse one's cultivation before attempting it.
Furthermore, besides increasing cultivation efficiency, this method also briefly stimulates bloodline potential daily, raising the cultivation ceiling without damaging the foundation.
In fact, this second advantage is the most crucial.
For soul masters, the limiting factor in their cultivation ceiling isn't the speed of cultivation, but rather the daily limit of soul power their bodies can hold.
A poor-quality martial soul means less soul power can be gained each day, making progress difficult no matter how much time and effort is invested.
While this cultivation method doesn't fundamentally improve the martial soul, it significantly expands the future development ceiling.
Because of this characteristic, Su Cheng named this cultivation method "Nirvana Sutra."
Considering the current effects of this technique, the name is indeed a bit ambitious.
But he's only just begun; with further study, perhaps he can truly achieve the effect of bloodline nirvana.
"What is this?" Zhu Zhuqing asked curiously, taking the manuscript.
"This is a unique cultivation method passed down through our Netherworld Zhu family," Su Cheng casually fabricated. "I didn't give it to you before because you had just awakened your Martial Soul and couldn't be too aggressive in your cultivation. Now is the time. With this help, defeating Su Cheng in the future won't be difficult."
"A inherited cultivation method?" Zhu Zhuqing was somewhat puzzled.
If such a thing existed, why was her family's strength still lagging behind the royal family?
Su Cheng saw her confusion and explained calmly, "This method can only increase your cultivation speed, but it cannot raise the potential limit of your Martial Soul. In the end, what determines your final strength is still the quality of your Martial Soul."
"Martial Soul quality..." Zhu Zhuqing's body trembled, and her heart felt heavy.
"It's too early for you to consider these things now. Let's talk about them after you've cultivated to the limit." Su Cheng shook his head, gave her a hint, and then took out several glass bottles filled with emerald green liquid.
"Take these potions. Take them during your cultivation to help solidify your foundation. Remember, take three drops each time and mix them with water. Absolutely do not use more, or it will affect your future potential."
Zhu Zhuqing reached out and took the bottles of potions, her face showing surprise again. The fact that
her family had such a deep foundation, possessing both cultivation techniques and potions, was completely beyond her expectations. She had never even heard of "cultivation techniques" before.
Actually, Su Cheng was somewhat helpless.
He couldn't refuse to give them these things.
Otherwise, with Zhu Zhuqing's innate talent, no matter how hard she cultivated, it would take countless more years.
By then, the Star Luo Empire might have been destroyed by the later-established Martial Soul Empire, and she wouldn't have a chance to ascend the throne.
Even if she had doubts because of this, there was nothing he could do.
As long as she could be cultivated, nothing else mattered.
Whether she had doubts or not, she would naturally understand the benefits after using them.
"Xiao Qing, I must remind you, you don't have much time left. It would be best if you could establish a stable cooperative relationship with Su Cheng before the end of this year."
Before leaving, Su Cheng looked at Zhu Zhuqing solemnly and said. (
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