Chapter 77: Soul Devouring Once More, Elder Sister and Junior Brother

Word Count: 2,900 Words

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The Azure Sky Lion Beast was a top-level spirit beast innately adept at controlling water. It possessed a water attribute nearing Ultimate Water. The two tentacles extending from its shoulders were ever-changing; its attack, defense, and speed could be described as flawless.

Even more despairing was the fact that this Azure Sky Lion Beast's cultivation had already surpassed 90,000 years. Wu Ming and Chu Qingtian were in the process of absorbing their spirit rings; forcibly interrupting them would undoubtedly lead to a backlash. But relying solely on Ling Bai and the internally injured Han Ruoruo, they were absolutely no match for the Azure Sky Lion Beast!

The Azure Sky Lion Beast surveyed the tragic state around its lair. Corpses of the Pink Lady swarm littered the ground, blood flowing like rivers. The three 10,000-year scorpion spirit beasts lay dead in miserable states. It then noticed Ling Bai's group of four. Spirit beasts inherently harbored hatred toward Spirit Masters. Those pale blue beastly eyes instantly filled with anger, and its two tentacles lashed through the air toward them like giant pythons.

Zing——

The Dazzling Golden Rope became entangled with the Azure Sky Lion Beast's tentacles. Gold and blue intertwined like wrestlers' ropes, emitting teeth-gritting sounds as they pulled against each other. Han Ruoruo turned her head to gaze at Ling Bai and urgently said:

"Little Junior Brother, take those two and leave! I'll stay behind to hold off the Azure Sky Lion Beast!"

"Elder Sister..."

Before Ling Bai could finish, Han Ruoruo interrupted loudly, "This guy is equivalent to a Spirit Douluo; it's not a battle you can participate in. If you don't leave, you'll be endangering Ming'er and Chu Qingtian! You go first. I won't fight it to the death; I'll find a chance to escape and meet up with you all!"

"Understood!"

Ling Bai said no more. After all, Wu Ming and Chu Qingtian were extremely vulnerable now; if they got caught up in the battle, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Seraphim spirit power enveloped the two. Ling Bai took a final deep look at Han Ruoruo and the Azure Sky Lion Beast, then spread his angelic wings and transformed into a stream of light, fleeing toward the Hybrid Region of the Star Dou Forest.

As the figures of Ling Bai and the others disappeared into the distance, Han Ruoruo's expression grew solemn as she faced the Azure Sky Lion Beast alone. She hadn't expected her words to become a self-fulfilling prophecy. Just like that time with Zhang Lexuan, they had encountered a spirit beast they could hardly match.

At the same time, she felt somewhat relieved because this Azure Sky Lion Beast was not a 100,000-year spirit beast. Even with internal injuries, she could at least hold it off for twenty minutes if she risked her life. That would be enough time for Ling Bai to take Wu Ming and Chu Qingtian to a safe area.

'Lexuan told me that in the dead of night, she always recalls those junior brothers and sisters who fell before her. She deeply regrets that, as the Big Senior Sister of the Inner Courtyard, she failed to protect her juniors. Fortunately, the heavens have not treated me unfairly; I can protect those I wish to protect!'

Seven great spirit rings—yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black, black—suddenly rose around her. Han Ruoruo gazed at the enormous spirit beast before her, which emitted a cyan brilliance like the sun. The Dazzling Golden Rope twisted and danced fearlessly!

On the other side, Ling Bai carried the two and dashed out of the Core Region of the Star Dou Forest, arriving at the boundary of the Hybrid Region. There weren't many powerful 10,000-year spirit beasts here, and with the Spider Emperor Sense to predict danger in advance, they could be considered safe.

As for Han Ruoruo...

Water benefited all things without contention and encompassed everything without exception. Although its combat power may not match attributes like holy, lightning, or fire, water was one of the most troublesome attributes in the world.

Moreover, the Azure Sky Lion Beast had an absolute advantage in cultivation. The probability of Han Ruoruo successfully escaping... was minuscule.

Sacrificing others to secure his own chance for survival—and it was even his close Elder Sister at that—for the first time in over ten years, Ling Bai felt a shame that nearly consumed him. The veins on his clenched fists bulged. He instantly made a decision. Layers upon layers of radiant Big Dipper Seven-Star Arrays were continuously overlaid beneath the bodies of Chu Qingtian and Wu Ming. He inserted the Angel Sword into the central point of the array and, after setting everything up, returned to the battlefield!

...

Boom——

Mist permeated the forest near the lake. After a violent explosion, Han Ruoruo was sent hurtling backward. But instead of crashing into the solid ground as she had expected, she fell into an embrace that was not particularly warm—in fact, somewhat cold.

Han Ruoruo was momentarily stunned. She abruptly turned her head and, upon seeing who had caught her, angrily said, "Ling Bai, are you crazy? Why did you come back?"

In the eleven months since Ling Bai had enrolled at Shrek Academy, this was the first time she had directly called him by name. She was clearly furious to the extreme.

"Elder Sister, do you want us to survive by stepping over your blood and flesh? Do you want Shrek Academy to have three more people who will regret it for the rest of their lives?"

Ling Bai released Han Ruoruo. His back seemed as if eight bulges were about to burst through his clothes. Black clouds spread over the sunlit sky like tides. He stood there calmly, like a towering mountain.

"This is as it should be! Protecting you all is undoubtedly the responsibility of a senior sister!" Han Ruoruo bit her red lips hard, forcibly suppressing the surging qi and blood within her body.

"Then it's only natural for a junior brother to protect his senior sister. Rest assured, Elder Sister—I have sent Senior Sister Wu and Qingtian to a safe place and set up a five-layered Radiant Spirit Array with the Angel Sword as defense. As for that fellow over there, I'll face it together with you. We're not here to die together; we're here to survive together!"

Zing——

Eight vicious purple-black spider lances burst from Ling Bai's back under Han Ruoruo's shocked gaze. Each spider lance was over three meters long, exuding an aura of death. One gray and one black spirit ring shone brilliantly!

Death Abyss Spider Emperor Manifestation!

The Azure Sky Lion Beast sauntered over, only to find that the human female entangling it had been rescued by the human male who had fled earlier. The latter's blazing blood-red eyes lit up in the mist with an extremely frenzied killing intent. The Azure Sky Lion Beast felt as if a large hand was gripping its heart, and with the slightest misstep, its heart would be crushed effortlessly!

"Roar!!!"

The Azure Sky Lion Beast opened its bloody maw and let out a sky-shaking roar. The aura of the King of Beasts, coupled with its 90,000 years of spirit power, stirred up waves that spread in all directions. Its blue beastly eyes locked onto Ling Bai, as if looking at a mortal enemy. A mere Spirit Master with just over Rank 50 dared to harbor killing intent toward it—what an utter humiliation!

The two tentacles extending from its shoulders drew a perfect circle in the air. Water elements constructed a brand-new sun, reflecting a cyan-white radiance surpassing real sunlight!

"Devour! Soul!"

The Death Abyss Demon Scythe swept across, shattering the azure sky and white sun into countless droplets of water. Through the cascading droplets, Han Ruoruo saw purple-black cracks crawling from Ling Bai's fair neck to his face, like a spiderweb of veins.

Starting from the black spirit ring of the 10,000-year Pink Queen, countless Pink Ladies' spirit rings surged into Ling Bai's body one after another. Unclaimed spirit rings could remain in the outside world for two hours before dissipating, so they hadn't vanished yet. The soul-devouring boost from over a thousand spirit rings gave him the opportunity to challenge the Azure Sky Lion Beast directly!

Bright red beads of blood oozed from his skin; his body strengthened to the extreme after devouring the spirit rings. Ling Bai tilted his head back; his blood-red eyes seemed about to drip blood, as if a demon was gradually awakening within, seizing control of the originally radiant and righteous angelic body!

"Evil Martial Spirit?!"

Han Ruoruo's jade-like face instantly lost all color, turning deathly pale. She would never have guessed that Ling Bai possessed Twin Martial Spirits—and even more shockingly, his second Martial Spirit was actually an Evil Martial Spirit!

A Seraphim coexisting with an Evil Martial Spirit—this would make the continent's top theoretical masters slap themselves and exclaim, "Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"

The Seraphim was a symbol of holiness in the human world; banishing evil was the innate destiny of angels. How could it coexist in the same body with an Evil Martial Spirit?

But the undeniable fact before her was that Ling Bai was a monster embodying both holiness and evil!

"Elder Sister, matters of innate nature leave no room for us to choose. Overthinking is meaningless. There's only one thing you need to do: cooperate with me and slay it!"

There was a hint of imperiousness in Ling Bai's tone. The Rakshasa's evil power inevitably influenced him after the Death Abyss Spider Emperor Manifestation, and his actions became more frenzied and unrestrained!

Though blunt, his words made sense. Han Ruoruo nodded heavily. Regardless of what the ultimate truth was, they had to survive first!

The sudden surge of their auras caused the Azure Sky Lion Beast to be slightly stunned. Then, a towering cyan illusory figure rose behind it. It was a majestic and awe-inspiring male lion. The lion's illusory mouth opened, emitting a silent roar forward. The dust on the ground rolled, and the wind in this area seemed trapped, only able to blow in swirling motions. Only the spot where the Azure Sky Lion Beast stood remained in absolute silence!

Azure Sky Lion Beast's Innate Spirit Skill: Azure Sky Reflection!

A control-type spirit skill. Within the area covered by Azure Sky Reflection, enemies would suffer dizziness and enforced weakness, while the Azure Sky Lion Beast's abilities would be enhanced to a certain degree!

The best method to deal with control-type opponents was to counter control with control. Han Ruoruo's sixth and seventh spirit rings shone simultaneously, and her entire being transformed into countless gold and silver dual-colored halos. Then, the light patterns shifted horizontally and began to fluctuate violently, sweeping upward like surging waves. The air was filled with intense fluctuations of spirit power, and the lion within the Azure Sky Reflection suddenly became illusory!

Dazzling Golden Rope's Sixth Spirit Skill: Dazzling Golden Waves!

An all-range area-of-effect control-type spirit skill, primarily used for dispelling. In her Martial Spirit Avatar state, Han Ruoruo's Dazzling Golden Waves were sufficient to offset most of the negative effects of Azure Sky Reflection!

Ling Bai took a deep breath. The Death Abyss Spider Lances and Death Abyss Demon Scythe gleamed with ominous light. Expelling all his breath, he stomped heavily onto the ground, using the impact to charge straight at the Azure Sky Lion Beast. The black 10,000-year spirit ring circling his body shone brightly with rhythmic pulses. The Death Abyss Demon Scythe was held close to his chest, while the eight Death Abyss Spider Lances on his back transformed into images of eight blood-stained weapons: sword, saber, spear, halberd, axe, mace, pike, and staff!

Death Abyss Spider Emperor's Second Spirit Skill: Extreme Punishment!

If the surging blood energy of the Pink Lady swarm soaring skyward was like a livestock slaughterhouse, then the Extreme Punishment originating from the Dark Emperor Demon Vine was the torment of the underworld!

White mist rose from Ling Bai's body. Blood flowed through his veins like a river rushing thousands of miles, and incomparable spirit power coursed through his limbs and bones. This was the power brought by the Death Abyss Spider Emperor's Ultimate Talent 'Soul Devouring'—wondrous and powerful!

For a moment, the Azure Sky Lion Beast was intimidated by Ling Bai. It attempted to leap back, but it was already too late. Eight different Death Abyss Spider Lances thrust forward, tearing open its chest from the front!

A heart-wrenching howl shook the land as the Azure Sky Lion Beast forcibly endured a strike of Extreme Punishment. It recalled the sensation from a hundred years ago when it fought a 10,000-year Dark Gold Terror Claw Bear and was struck in the chest by its dark golden claws. From its sternum to its flesh and meridians, sounds of imminent shattering rang out. The Ultimate Death continuously destroyed every cell in its body through the wound!

In the next second, an unstoppable, colossal pillar of water carrying brute force blasted Ling Bai away like a cannonball. His entire body was sent flying into the sky as sonic booms exploded around him!

Azure Sky Lion Beast's Innate Spirit Skill: Azure Sea Tide Surge!

Ling Bai tumbled dozens of times in the air. Just as he was about to crash to the ground, Han Ruoruo used the Dazzling Golden Rope to support him. Even so, his legs still carved out two trenches in the ground when he landed. If not for his Undying Body strengthening his physique, he would likely have collapsed with both legs broken.

"Death Realm."

A purple-black domain instantly enveloped the battlefield. The initial Soul Devouring had been a tentative step on the brink of sanity. Now, with the innate domain Death Realm amplifying once again, it signified that Ling Bai had unleashed the full power of the Death Abyss Spider Emperor. An illusory figure of the Death Abyss Spider Emperor, even more enormous than the Azure Sky Reflection, rose imposingly. Its gaze locked onto the Azure Sky Lion Beast, its beastly eyes filled with bloodthirsty hunting intent!

It began to rain.

The fury and roars of the Azure Sky Lion Beast stirred the sky, causing dark clouds and windswept rain to whirl. It no longer underestimated these two tiny humans. Resolving to fight to the death, it rode on blue waves as it charged toward them like a natural disaster descending upon the world. This was the Azure Sea Tide Surge pushed to the extreme by the Azure Sky Lion Beast!

Golden and silver dual-colored lights leaped as strands of Dazzling Golden Rope burst into brilliance. The suspended raindrops seemed to have pressed a pause button. The crystal-clear water droplets reflected the surrounding afterimages like curved spherical mirrors, forcibly slowing down the charging speed of the Azure Sea Tide Surge.

Ling Bai moved as well. The raindrops and mist parted completely, and as the Death Abyss Demon Scythe slashed downward, they coiled around its blade. Above the pitch-black scythe was cyan-white mist; below was the golden Dazzling Golden Rope. The scythe finally struck down, carving a tragically beautiful black curve in the empty air, like the boundary between the sea and the sky!

Death Abyss Demon Scythe: Execution!

In a moment as brief as a blink, Han Ruoruo saw the cyan-white tides split apart, the waves curling at their crests. Man and beast were utterly resolute; the scythe and tentacles simultaneously pierced each other's hearts. Neither side showed any cowardice or retreat, culminating in the most intense scene.

The Death Realm dissipated, and Ling Bai fell straight down like a drifting leaf. The Dazzling Golden Rope transformed back into Han Ruoruo, who rushed forward to catch him, holding him tightly in her arms.

The Azure Sky Lion Beast crashed into the ground with a thunderous boom, coughing up large mouthfuls of fresh blood. The huge black wound on its chest bore witness to the terrifying blow it had suffered. Forcing itself up with its last breath, it was determined—even if it died—to die after that human!

Ling Bai was the same. He refused Han Ruoruo's support, clutching his heart as he shakily stood up. The two faced each other, silently waiting for one of them to fall. After a while, gazing at the Azure Sky Lion Beast whose eyes had lost focus, Ling Bai suddenly smiled:

"Idiot, the only one dying is you."

The blood on the ground, like threads being pulled, defied gravity and flowed into the horrifying hole in his chest, repairing the wound at a speed visible to the naked eye. It was not easy for the possessor of Ultimate Death to die even if they wanted to. A ruptured heart truly couldn't be considered a fatal injury. The Azure Sky Lion Beast crushing Ling Bai's head would have been far more lethal than piercing his heart.

"Elder Sister, finish it off."

The Dazzling Golden Rope darted like a spiritual serpent, drilling into the Azure Sky Lion Beast's head and destroying its nervous system. Amidst extreme resentment and unwillingness, a 90,000-year spirit beast thus fell.

"It suits you well. Quickly absorb it, Elder Sister."

"No, that's not important!"

Han Ruoruo slowly yet firmly shook her head, her gaze resolute as she said:

"Little Junior Brother, is there... something you want to tell me?"