Chapter 57: Chapter 57: The Three Ultimate Talents of the Death Abyss Spider Emperor (I)
The Dark Emperor Demon Vine, a descendant of the Death God and the embodiment of death, was a top level plant-type spirit beast with the death attribute, born with innate intelligence. Legend had it that it was conceived when the Death God of the Divine Realm secretly descended to the mortal world and procreated with a 100,000-year Demon Vine that had taken on a humanoid form.
Despite its exceptional talent as the Death God's Descendant, the Dark Emperor Demon Vine never cultivated through conventional means. Instead, it grew by killing and devouring other spirit beasts. Moreover, every thousand years, it would conduct a blood sacrifice, slaughtering tens of thousands of weaker spirit beasts at once. As a result, it was viewed as a mortal enemy by all spirit beasts, who relentlessly hunted it down. This led to the dwindling of its kind until they vanished without a trace, ultimately being declared extinct!
'That the Luminous Mystic Forest harbors a Dark Emperor Demon Vine is already outrageous enough, but Medusa teaming up with it is even more absurd!'
Before encountering Medusa, Ling Bai had indulged in a little fantasy—perhaps she would be as enchanting and graceful as the Queen Medusa from a certain world. Maybe he'd even feel compassion and avoid hitting her face during battle. But now, using human-created words to describe Medusa, she was nothing but a monster aiding a tyrant and abetting evil!
"What a rich aura of death, rarely found in this world..."
Electrolux's voice suddenly echoed in Ling Bai's mind: "Boy, absorbing its spirit ring would be beneficial to you."
The death attribute of the Dark Emperor Demon Vine surpassed even that of the Death Spider Emperor and infinitely approached the Ultimate Death of the Death Abyss Spider Emperor. A spirit beast of this caliber was truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
"I appreciate your good intentions, Elder Yi, even if you're disregarding whether I live or die..."
Ling Bai helplessly rubbed his forehead. His aspirations were lofty, but reality was harsh. She Chong and Xu Jiujiu were the main course for the Dark Emperor Demon Vine; jumping out himself would be no different from delivering dessert!
On the battlefield, facing the Death God's descendant Dark Emperor Demon Vine, the Snake Queen Medusa, and countless snakes ranging from ten to several thousand years in cultivation, She Chong couldn't find a shred of hope for both of them to survive together!
"Your Highness, I can no longer protect you and escort you out."
He was a subordinate personally trained by the Star Luo Emperor, fiercely loyal to the imperial family and the princess. The only plan now was to sacrifice himself to hold back these spirit beasts and buy Xu Jiujiu a sliver of a chance to escape!
"Uncle She..."
Tears welled up in Xu Jiujiu's eyes. Even though She Chong had many flaws, he always had her best interests at heart. She didn't want to see him go to his death, but the situation was beyond their control. Between both dying and one surviving, they had to make a choice!
"Jiujiu, run!"
She Chong roared as his seventh spirit ring as dark as ink shone brilliantly. The Snake Lance bloomed in midair like a black flower, transforming into a stream of light that poured into his robust body. His form suddenly swelled and soared upward, and a blue-black two-headed giant snake crashed heavily onto the ground!
Seventh Spirit Skill: Tool Spirit Avatar!
For ordinary Tool Spirits, the Martial Spirit Avatar transformed into the form of the Martial Spirit itself. But She Chong's Snake Lance Spirit had serendipitously gained the ability to transform into a beast, making it even more powerful than the typical Tool Spirit Avatar!
The two-headed giant snake was over twenty meters long. Its black forked tongues flicked out menacingly, and trees were sent flying with each swipe of its tail. At this moment, She Chong possessed both the formidable physique of a Beast Spirit Avatar and the powerful amplification of a Tool Spirit Avatar!
"It's over."
Ling Bai lowered his eyes and let out a long sigh. Leaving behind a demon spider to act as his eye, he quietly departed. She Chong in utter despair focused solely on protecting Xu Jiujiu's escape, forgetting a fatal flaw. Medusa was the Snake Queen; how could the two-headed giant snake not be suppressed by her Snake Queen's aura? He had inadvertently snuffed out their last hope of survival, like a flickering candle in the wind!
Sure enough, the moment Medusa saw the two-headed giant snake, she let out a cackling laugh. The countless small snakes atop her head like strands of hair opened their mouths and spewed streams of eerie green mist that enveloped the two-headed giant snake.
Upon contact with the mist released by Medusa, She Chong's body instantly felt a surge of weakness. Realizing his grave mistake, he charged toward the Dark Emperor Demon Vine and Medusa with reckless abandon before he could be further weakened!
Xu Jiujiu immediately turned and fled upon seeing this. Only if she survived could she gather the Star Luo Empire's forces to avenge She Chong in the future!
The snake swarm noticed Xu Jiujiu's escape and intended to pursue and kill her. She Chong split off a black snake head, and his fourth spirit ring flickered with light. A burst of black flames erupted like an impassable chasm, blocking all the smaller snakes. The intense heat forced them to retreat, eyeing She Chong warily.
The ground trembled violently, and a teeth-grinding sound emanated from the center of the snake swarm. The blue-black two-headed giant snake became entangled with the Dark Emperor Demon Vine and Medusa, their battle stirring up the entire forest.
Ling Bai, unwilling to miss this brutal fight, continued to flee while switching his vision to the demon spider. The raw, bloody spectacle of primal violence flooded his vision like a thousand galloping horses.
In the perpetually dark Eternal Night region, the three monstrous beings writhed and intertwined frantically. The Dark Emperor Demon Vine took the lead, using its countless tenacious vines to bind the two-headed giant snake's body. The death power broke through the snake scales and infiltrated its flesh, madly destroying the two-headed giant snake's blood and spirit power. However, the two-headed giant snake, heedless of its own safety, sank its sharp fangs into the flower bud on the Dark Emperor Demon Vine's hand, while its other large mouth fiercely bit into Medusa's snake hair. Black flames seemed to brew deep in its throat.
She Chong's bright red blood mixed with the black blood of the two spirit beasts and spread everywhere. The vines of the Dark Emperor Demon Vine transformed into countless scythes, constantly tearing at the two-headed giant snake's skin. In retaliation, the giant snake bit off more than half of the Dark Emperor Demon Vine's hand and burned a portion of Medusa's snake hair!
"Hiss!"
Medusa went berserk when her most cherished hair was utterly destroyed by She Chong. The tightly closed third eye on her forehead abruptly opened, revealing a gray-white, rhombus-shaped vertical pupil!
Innate Spirit Skill: Medusa's Gaze!
The two-headed giant snake was struck as if by lightning, its internal spirit power instantly thrown into chaos. The tip of its tail began to take on a lifeless gray-white color and slowly crept upward. It was getting petrified!
She Chong took one last glance into the distance, sensing that Xu Jiujiu had likely escaped danger. Breathing a sigh of relief, he laughed bitterly:
"If I'm going to die, you two beasts aren't going to live either!"
In the next instant, the two-headed giant snake inflated like a balloon, expanding frantically. It was a Spirit Master's hidden reserve energy: self-detonation!
Sensing the imminent danger, the Dark Emperor Demon Vine and Medusa attempted to flee. However, She Chong completely ignored his own petrifying body and desperately entangled the two spirit beasts with his two large mouths, determined to drag them to the abyss with him!
BOOM—
The explosion shook the sky, scattering flesh and blood as smoke billowed everywhere. Violent spirit power fluctuations erupted like ripples, causing severe casualties among the snake swarm. White, yellow, and purple spirit rings appeared in untold numbers.
After a long while, the Dark Emperor Demon Vine and Medusa re-emerged. Both their bodies were covered in wounds. The Dark Emperor Demon Vine, having borne the brunt of the attack, had its arms severed and lost more than half of its vines. The eye in its chest had become extremely dim and murky.
Medusa fared slightly better, though her snake hair had been reduced to a bald scalp, while her neck now resembled a blackened hard-boiled egg. Half of her snake scales and tail were blown off, and her blood stained a vast area of the surrounding ground. Upon seeing so many small snakes from her swarm dead, her heart burned with towering rage.
Vaguely remembering that the attacking human had a female companion, Medusa let out a low, menacing hiss:
Find that woman and kill her without mercy!
The surviving small snakes immediately dispersed upon hearing this, searching for Xu Jiujiu everywhere.
…
Having distanced himself from Medusa's lair, Ling Bai was contemplating how to execute his examination assignment when he suddenly heard a sharp snake hiss, followed by a woman's startled cry. Moreover, that voice sounded oddly familiar!
Xu Jiujiu!