DD2: Glory of the Unrivaled Angel

Just when it seemed there was no way out amidst the endless mountains and rivers, a village suddenly appeared beyond the shaded willows and blooming flowers.

Yesterday, Ling Bai thought he had missed the chance to befriend Xu Jiujiu. Earlier, he believed she had no escape route; as a mere Spirit King, she surely couldn't evade the pursuit of thousands of snakes. Yet, like a willow branch unexpectedly providing shade, he encountered her without even trying!

Fate works in mysterious ways indeed!

However, Xu Jiujiu was in a rather sorry state at this moment. Facing her was a Silver Thread Sky Python with 6,000 years of cultivation.

The Silver Thread Sky Python had an elongated body with a thin silver line running along its ink-colored back. As its mouth opened and closed, sharp fangs gleamed, and venom dripped from their tips, indicating it was in an extremely excited state.

This Silver Thread Sky Python was a male spirit beast, one of the top-ranked in cultivation within the snake swarm. It regarded the Snake Queen Medusa as its dream lover and had been fawning over her for two thousand years!

By helping Medusa vent her anger this time, if the Queen was pleased, perhaps it could finally win the beautiful snake's heart!

Heh-heh!

The Silver Thread Sky Python was overjoyed as it indulged in fantasies of a blissful future. Xu Jiujiu, on the other hand, was in a miserable situation. Her Star Crown Martial Spirit was more oriented toward support and control, following a cultivation path similar to Yao Haoxuan from Shrek's Inner Courtyard. However, the physical enhancement provided by the Star Crown was far inferior to Yao Haoxuan's and could even be said to be negligible.

She had been fleeing all the way. The Eternal Night region was perpetually shrouded in darkness; she didn't dare to light a fire or use her Star Crown for illumination. Her exquisite and luxurious clothes were torn in many places by thorny bushes, and her delicate skin was bleeding profusely. In her panic, she didn't know where she had lost her Spirit Guidance Device, and now she had to face the ferocious Silver Thread Sky Python with 6,000 years of cultivation.

Upon discovering Xu Jiujiu in trouble, Ling Bai did not immediately step in to save her. A great sage once said: 'Adding flowers to brocade a hundred times is not as good as sending charcoal in snowy weather once.'

He waited for despair to further ferment in Xu Jiujiu's heart, until her world turned pitch black. Only then would it be the best time to act.

The Silver Thread Sky Python spat out a stream of poison. Although Xu Jiujiu's combat strength was nearly zero compared to it, the enhanced neural reactions that came with her Rank 50 spirit power allowed her to narrowly evade the python's poison with a deft side flip.

Having failed in its first attack, the Silver Thread Sky Python abandoned long-range assaults and leaped into the air, its tail whipping toward Xu Jiujiu like a lash.

BOOM!

Her delicate body was sent flying, heavily crashing into a towering ancient tree. The impact caused leaves to rain down in a flurry. Xu Jiujiu's vision blurred, a metallic taste welled up in her throat before she spat out a mouthful of blood.

The Silver Thread Sky Python became even more excited. Its seemingly boneless, serpentine body swayed menacingly in front of Xu Jiujiu. Its lengthy tail coiled around her and gradually constricted. The fragile bones of the young woman emitted sounds as if they were about to shatter!

Xu Jiujiu desperately wanted to resist, but her body could no longer obey her will. The light in her beautiful eyes gradually dimmed.

At this critical juncture, the Silver Thread Sky Python suddenly let out a shrill scream. Then, Xu Jiujiu felt the immense force that was nearly crushing her loosen. In her dazed state, she perceived a blurry human figure appear before her, like a beacon of salvation amidst the depths of despair.

"Miss Xu, we meet again."

The voice was strikingly familiar, as if she had heard it somewhere before. Xu Jiujiu's gaze fell on the figure. Purple-black armor that seemed to be a cross between scales and plates covered his entire body. On his back were eight bulging lumps wriggling frantically, as if sealing something terrifying within.

"It's you?"

Xu Jiujiu exclaimed in shock upon recognizing Ling Bai's face. Then she spotted the Silver Thread Sky Python lunging at them from behind him, its maw gaping wide like a bloody abyss!

According to scholarly research, a snake's lower jaw was connected to its skull only by ligaments. Pythons could open their mouths several times larger than their heads to swallow prey much larger than themselves! The Silver Thread Sky Python's jaws were now completely unhinged, wide enough to engulf an entire yak!

"Watch out!"

Ignoring her pain, Xu Jiujiu sprang up to push Ling Bai away, but to her astonishment, he didn't budge an inch!

Rip—

Accompanied by the sound of tearing fabric, eight monstrous, gigantic spider legs unfurled. They were entirely purple-black in color, with crimson-tipped ends. The wind howled, and withered leaves scattered as the perpetually dark Eternal Night region was blanketed in a layer of deathly blood-red!

Martial Spirit Manifestation: Death Abyss Spider Emperor!

The six-thousand-year-tempered body of the Silver Thread Sky Python was like paper before the Death Abyss Spider Emperor. A spider leg suddenly thrust upward from its lower jaw, brutally piercing through its brain and skull. Before its consciousness faded, the Silver Thread Sky Python couldn't even comprehend—it was supposed to swallow this damned human, so why was it now limply hanging on a spider leg?!

"You..."

Xu Jiujiu couldn't help but swallow hard, words caught in her throat as if a fishbone were lodged there.

A beacon of salvation amidst the depths of despair?

Don't be ridiculous!

This sinister aura and overwhelming deathly presence clearly marked him as a man-eating Evil Spirit Master!

Xu Jiujiu's spirit deflated in an instant. To think she had intended to save Ling Bai's life, only to leap from the tiger's jaws into the wolf's den. She closed her eyes in resignation, adopting an attitude of 'kill me or skin me as you wish.'

"Miss Jiu'er, I did save you again after all. While a life-saving grace might not warrant offering your body, you should at least express sincere gratitude, don't you think?"

Xu Jiujiu opened her eyes upon hearing these words and saw that Ling Bai had already retracted the Death Abyss Spider Emperor. He was leaning casually against a large tree, looking at her with a leisurely air.

"You're not going to kill me?" she asked, bewildered.

In the world of Spirit Masters, Evil Spirit Masters were the embodiment of cruelty, bloodthirstiness, brutality, and all negative traits. Based on her judgment, the Death Abyss Spider Emperor was at the pinnacle even among Evil Martial Spirits; Ling Bai should be even more murderous by nature.

Ling Bai calmly replied, "If I wanted to kill you, I wouldn't have gone to the trouble of saving you. What, are Evil Spirit Masters not allowed to have a moment of kindness and do a good deed?"

Evil Spirit Master? A moment of kindness?

How in the world did you manage to connect these two completely unrelated terms?

Xu Jiujiu inwardly scoffed but then felt there was some truth to his words. She slightly bent her knees, performing the Star Luo Empire's court etiquette, and sincerely said:

"Thank you for saving me twice, young master. Last time, I didn't have time to ask your name. May I know if it's convenient for you to tell me?"

"Ning Bai."

Sincerity for sincerity, a fake name for a fake name. Ling Bai naturally wouldn't be foolish enough to reveal his true identity to Xu Jiujiu.

"By the way, Miss Xu, how did you end up being hunted by a 1,000-year spirit beast? Where is your guard?" Ling Bai inquired.

"He sacrificed himself to protect me... He didn't hesitate to self-detonate to hold back the 10,000-year Medusa and the 50,000-year Dark Emperor Demon Vine!"

The elder who had protected her for many years died so tragically, without even leaving behind an intact corpse. Xu Jiujiu's eyes welled up again as boundless sorrow surged in her heart. She wiped away her tears, looked at Ling Bai, and said:

"I am now a person in distress. You have saved my life, so I really can't accept you calling me 'Miss.' Moreover, I have a request, and I hope you can agree to it!"

"Let's hear it."

"Please take me out of the Luminous Mystic Forest!"

Xu Jiujiu knew clearly that alone, she had no chance of evading the snake swarm's encirclement and safely leaving the Luminous Mystic Forest. So she decisively closed the distance between them, hoping to leverage Ling Bai's strength to achieve her goal!

Those beautiful eyes gazed at him intently. A princess had the decisiveness of a princess. So what if he's an Evil Spirit Master who commits all manners of evil? Survival is the right path!

"You're thinking too small!"

Ling Bai spread his arms wide, a subtle, dangerous smile playing on his lips as he looked into Xu Jiujiu's eyes:

"You can be more daring. Together, we'll slay Medusa and the Dark Emperor Demon Vine, then leave the Luminous Mystic Forest!"