They weren't walking like before, but jumping through the tall trees' branches, Ren Zu looked at Zhi Rui's back then at the sky. It was six pm, some of the brighter stars were showing.

"M- Miss Zhi Rui, it's getting late, shouldn't you go back to the sect?"

"I also have to do a monthly mission for the sect, I didn't do it, and they didn' even mentioned. With the temporary leader and the underworld gate, they couldn't care less for these small matters."

"Oh." Ren Zu said and kept following Zih Rui.

Zhi Rui stopped and the branch swayed with her weight.

She turned back and grinned at Ren Zu, her eyes were glowing red.

"You new powers, let's test it." Disappeared without a trace.

Ren Zu was confusedly looking around, then her hearing caught a wheezing sound behind her. Her eyes turned dark wine red. and her canine elongated in a second.

She turned and with crossed arms Zhi Rui's palm came and crashed. they both flew to the next tree.

"Good speed, but you didn't think fast enough. What if it was a cutting or piercing attack? both your arms would be gone."

Ren Zu didn't answer, she bit her lips. that dark red shone brightly and her nails elongated.

Then Zhi Rui felt it. an extremely thin cold layer of blood coating Ren Zu's arm. "Ho."

Ren Zu's roared and violently parted her crossed arms.

The long nails came at Zhi Rui's face while the think layer of blood formed a thin needle towards her stomach.

Zhi Rui Analyzed REn Zu's strength from her movements, and couldn' help but be amazed. The woman was strong, her physical strength alone is similar to someone in the third level. Due to her change of race, the propriety of her blood and body is entirely different from humans. She's cold and immune to pain and common poison. She doesn't have to rely on stamina. And unless Her head is completely destroyed, she would heal from any damage given the time.

With a light hop, Rui gained distance and smiled at the woman. "Come."

She did and slashed her claws at Zhi Rui. They exchanged blows hand to hand.

Zhi Rui let the nails cut through her skin and immediately felt a strong numbing sensation. she smiled and let that thin blood needle pierce her chest.

A dosage twenty times stronger then the nail invaded her system.

Zhi Rui held Ren Zu's hand and felt the person take effect. in a short twenty seconds, she couldn't feel her muscles of the chest.

'For a level two to be this effective against me, who can kill someone of the fourth level... and I have the physic of the ancient barbarians too..." Zhi Rui

Smiling gently Zhi Rui waved her hand "It's enough, although your inheritance puts you ahead of most, if you work the basics you'll gro to be absurdly strong."

Ren Zu's eyes went back to normal and her eyes were almost tearing up for the praises. Then she froze.

HEr eyes went blank with horror when she came back to normal. Zhi Rui's left hand was warmly holding her thin neck.

Zhi Rui's eyes were stern. "I cannot trust you, You're only serving me and following me around due to the damage done to you, but what happens if you heal? What happens if another light at the end of the tunnel appears for you to hang on? People are fickle. Sworn eternal feelings barely last until the next day. It didn't matter when you were weak, but now you're strong and will be a real threat in the future."

Zhi Rui said and waited, with her hand gently holding Ren Zu's neck.

Ren Zu' gulped and closed her eyes. "I swear to never act on a way that would betray Zhi Rui or her plans. And to always put her objective first."

Thunders crackled in the sky as the oath was made.

Zhi Rui nodded.

Her hand went up to Ren Zu's forehead. She felt the energy entering her mind but she didn't resist it. A brand was formed. Then Zhi Rui lowered her hands towards her chest and left another brand on her heart.

With everything done, Zhi Rui flashed her a bright smile. "Good, let's get you leveled up then."

Zhi Rui jumped away. And the tense moment was gone.

Ren Zu left alone, held her neck and breathed deeply, tears of joy streamed down her face. A wide, distorted smile broke in her face."I'm hers! I belong to her! I can only serve her forever! She put her mark in me!"

After letting out a sliver of her inner mind. She composed herself adjusted her clothes and bolted in Zhi Rui's direction.

----

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----

Bianca sighed with amazement, from the tallest tree.

"How come she only attracts crazy? Such high qualities subordinates... "

Her eyes half closed and she smirked.

"Well, they'll be mine eventually. Haha."

----

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----

"How do you feel?" Zhi Rui asked.

"My blood is flowing with more strength, My heat sense is capturing living things in a fifty meters distance. My thirst is seething."

Zhi Rui nodded. "You're a nocturnal being now. The book said you can only get strong by consuming the essence of being of your own level or higher.

There are thirty beasts spread around this are they are all at the second level. What you need now is fighting experience. Use stealth and head on combat. In any way, I want thirty cores by tomorrow. I will only interfere when your head is about to be crushed. Now go."

Like it was a heavenly decree, Ren Zu bolted to the nearest beast.

Ahs she moved silently behind five-meter lizard.

Zhi Rui watched pensively.

'She reached the second level without prior knowledge of cultivation, she also didn't use external help or even fought someone... it's an innate talent of the etérnal race.' Zhi Rui concluded.

'The plans are laid down, there's nothing else to do other than train and fight. The five high leveled geniuses and their sixth leveled Dao protectors. And the only thing I have are the worthless ex-sect leader Xun Fenguying, and my abuse mother, Bianca. Both need me to succeed, but they will only act if I'm about to die...'

Zhi Rui smirked. 'Hard, but at least is interesting.'