Ear-piercing laughter echoed throughout the main hall. The giant hand of the Soul Eater True Devil stretched out as the mouth on the palm continued to chew, letting out harsh grating sounds accompanied by the dripping of fresh blood.
The next moment, the mouth in the palm unlatched and spat out three white pearls. These pearls were bleached white and seemed to have been formed from the bones of the consumed bodies. On top of that, they were covered in a layer of smelly blood.
And each pearl was decorated with a constantly swiveling eyeball that was wrapped in blood-red threads, forming a nauseating sight.
When the three bone pearls appeared, they shot forward like rays of light, directly rushing at Li Lingjing, Qin Ying, and Zhu Zhu.
The expressions of the three changed when they saw the projectiles barrelling towards them. They could sense terrifying undulations the pearls emitted.
Qin Ying shouted loudly, and a suit of scarlet body armor appeared on his body. It contained scarlet runes in the shape of a turtle, and a single violet eye mark was on the top of the shell.
This was the Scarlet Turtle Carapace, a violet-eye treasured artifact. When faced with the Soul Eater True Devil's frightening attacks, Qin Ying could not hold back anything in reserve, taking out his defensive artifacts.
Zhu Zhu formed hand seals with both hands, and a dark-green pearl of light materialized from her head, slowly rising into the sky and forming a dark-green barrier that enveloped her.
Li Lingjing did not have any protective violet-eye treasured artifacts, but the Aquamarine Bamboo Python Staff was sufficient. The best defense was a strong offense after all.
With a thought, the gigantic Abyssal Serpent manifestation behind her transformed into a ray of black light that entered the Aquamarine Bamboo Python Staff.
She then released the staff, and it began to float in the air, emitting resplendent, azure light.
A moment later, the Aquamarine Bamboo Python Staff disappeared, transforming into a gigantic, aquamarine python that let out an ear-rending screech. It shifted its body, directly covering Li Lingjing in its protective embrace.
Seeing that the three mightiest fighters on their side were taking defensive measures, the remaining five and six-pearls started to escape with expressions of fear.
The three bleached, bone-white pearls pierced through the void before detonating on impact.
Pasty, white light radiated in every direction coupled with endless gusts of chilly winds. This was accompanied by endless shrill screams that caused a tingling sensation in the heads of everyone in earshot. The whole sequence caused the negative emotions within their hearts to well up and overwhelm them.
As the white energy swept past, it submerged everything in its path.
Li Lingjing, Qin Ying, and Zhu Zhu were struck directly, and their defenses gradually shattered and collapsed. In the end, all three were sent flying, heavily colliding into the ruined buildings below.
If the best amongst them were left in such dire straits, the rest understandably suffered even more. Those who had been struck directly by the pasty white light, even the ones at the five-pearl tier, had all of the blood within them sucked dry, leaving them as bare skeletons that fell from the skies and shattered into bone fragments.
When the cultivators who were fighting the corrupted saw this scene, their faces filled with utter shock and terror welled up in their eyes.
Even Qin Yi, who had been calm all this while, began to frown deeply.
"It's over!" Zhu Dayu's entire body was trembling as he grimaced.
He then rushed in the direction where Zhu Zhu had fallen and began to dig her out of the debris. After which, a hand that was covered with fresh blood stretched out before a robust body busted out from beneath.
It was naturally Zhu Zhu, but she was drenched in blood. Most of the flesh and blood on her arms had melted away, leaving just the bone.
She collapsed on the ground, constantly gasping for air as blood dripped from the corner of her mouth.
However, she immediately took out several large pieces of meat from her pocket sphere and ravenously wolfed them down.
With the ingestion of copious amounts of food, her flesh and blood started to squirm and the injured locations began to heal and repair at a speed visible to the naked eye.
"Dayu, things are going to get quite serious today. If the situation takes a turn for the worse, you have to find a way to escape by yourself," Zhu Zhu stated as she continued to shove food down her throat, never breaking eye contact with the worried Zhu Dayu.
Zhu Dayu gave a bitter smile as he consoled her, "Sister Zhu, you don't have to be so down. Li Luo has gone in search of the lantern bearer, and he might find a way to break the stalemate."
"Li Luo? That Fiend Finisher brat?" Zhu Zhu glanced at him. "I've always thought he was bright. Perhaps instead of finding a solution to deal with the Other, he has taken the opportunity to run away."
Zhu Dayu scratched his head. "Li Luo seems quite loyal and shouldn't have escaped..."
"Who knows." Zhu Zhu clearly was not planning to pin her hopes on an outsider. She and some of the most powerful cultivators in the cave were unable to hold on much longer. Even though Li Luo was the Dragon's Head, his assistance didn't count for much.
Not far away, another figure crawled out of the debris—Qin Ying. However, the entire Scarlet Turtle Carapace had shattered into half, leaving his face bloodstained.
Qin Yi immediately rushed over and formed a few hand seals.
"Duke Art: Coming of Spring Rain."
With a wave of her hand, rain that possessed strong restorative effects was formed, the droplets landing upon Qin Ying's body and quickly healing all of his injuries.
Qin Ying's pale demeanor improved immediately, but he was still gasping heavily, giving Qin Yi an agonized smile.
"Cousin Qin Yi, you might need to prepare for the worst," Qin Ying said heavily.
Qin Yi fell silent as she naturally understood what he was referring to. She had to plan her own escape from here.
Her beautiful gaze turned towards the depths of the mist, landing on the location where she last saw Li Luo. He had been gone for a while and there had been no response. She didn't know if he had actually managed to awaken the lantern bearer.
Or perhaps... he had already escaped?
This possibility flashed through her mind as her gaze turned towards another location full of debris. A beautiful figure was currently walking out slowly with an azure staff in hand.
It was Li Lingjing.
Qin Yi swept her gaze past Li Lingjing and realized that she was the least injured amongst the three. There were no signs of her flesh and blood having been eroded, and only her clothes were a little tattered, leaving her white thighs exposed.
However, she had a haggard and pale expression as well, showing that she had also suffered quite the blow.
Qin Yi's eyes flickered with her thoughts. Li Lingjing had always given her a strange and mysterious feeling. Before Li Luo left to search for the lantern bearer, the two had briefly interacted. Perhaps she had given him a hint.
Did she have something up her sleeve that would allow Li Luo to remain immune to the mist?
Just as Qin Yi thought of this possibility, Li Lingjing seemed to have noticed her examining gaze. However, her expression remained unchanging, like a pool of stagnant water that did not ripple.
Li Lingjing then turned to face the floating Soul Eater True Devil. The injuries left on them after the previous exchange were not light, but the Soul Eater True Devil's presence seemed to have diminished slightly. Perhaps it was due to the continuous suppression from the Spiritual Resonance Cave.
"Cousin Li Luo, where did you run to?" Li Lingjing asked in her heart.
She then turned to face the rest of the survivors emotionlessly.
"With so many people here, the Soul Eater True Devil is bound to have its fill. Qin Yi will be a great treat, so I doubt it will let her off easily. This is a good thing. Cousin Li Luo has enmity with her, and having her die here would ease some of his troubles. However, this girl is quite intelligent and I don't know what sort of preparations she has made for her escape. Her position in her clan is very high, so it may not be impossible for her to run. Perhaps I can look for an opportunity amidst the chaos later to kill her. She should not be watching out for me. The Soul Eater True Devil likely wants to eat me in the end, and from what it said before, I'm number three and it is number two. Does this mean there's a number one? It seems like the Soul Eater True Devil is not an Other that was born naturally, but a creation of humans... Either way, being eaten doesn't matter. I've already made my preparations. Even so, being devoured is something I have experience in."
The corners of Li Lingjing’s lips lifted lightly into a smirk as she tightly grasped the Aquamarine Bamboo Python Staff. It seemed a little sinister when contrasted against her fair and beautiful cheeks.
At this point, the Soul Eater True Devil glanced downwards at who was left as it once again started letting out its ear-piercing screeches that sounded almost like infants crying.
The sounds it made caused the crowd to turn pale. Even the strongest fighters were grievously injured in the previous exchange, and it seemed as though the creature was about to go on a killing spree.
Some began to run away in terror, ignoring the mist and running into it.
However, before they took even a few steps, the mist enveloped them and eroded away the resonant power that surrounded their bodies. Then their steps turned stiff and their pupils darkened. Afterwards, worms could be seen squirming within their eyeballs.
A moment later, they started to contort their bodies, all four limbs on the ground as they slowly crawled back.
This was a sight that caused the rest to feel a sense of despair.
The Soul Eater True Devil continued to watch the scene below before focusing upon Li Lingjing. It seemed that she was its true target.
It stretched its giant arm out, and the palm full of fangs immediately spat out a blood-red bone spur that was covered with spikes.
The bone spur zipped forward and pierced the air like a bolt of lightning.
Li Lingjing had no chance to even hide. A moment later, the bone spur penetrated her body before the shocked gazes of the crowd, nailing her to the ground.
She was injured severely by this sudden attack, but her gorgeous face did not show any signs of pain, only continuing to coldly stare at the Soul Eater True Devil.
The Soul Eater True Devil then let out a wave of cackling, grating laughter. It picked up the bone spur, lifting Li Lingjing's frail body with it. Then the mouth in the palm began to swallow the bone spur.
Li Lingjing was naturally inching closer to the palm.
The massive mouth began to chew ravenously, and malodorous blood began to leak from the corners like a beast drooling before a meal. It was almost as though it was eagerly anticipating the treat.
This scene caused everyone present to feel a sense of utter despair and sadness.
However, just as the bone-red spur was ten feet away from the mouth, the Soul Eater True Devil's body suddenly froze as it could innately sense a threat to its life.
"Damned beast! Put my cousin down!"
It was at this point that a thunderous shout reverberated throughout the skies.
The familiar voice caused Li Lingjing's previously unmoving expression to change, despite having been skewered through.
She hurriedly raised her head and saw that a slender and tall youth was standing atop one of the numerous halls.
Who else could it be but Li Luo?
She saw that he was completely out of breath. “Hadn't that brat already escaped through the mist? Why did he come back!”
However, amidst her fury, complex emotions surged within her heart.
Was he unwilling to leave her to suffer alone and had come back to protect her?
"Cousin Lingjing! I'm here to save you!" Li Luo shouted. The Heavenly Dragon's Sunchaser Bow was fully drawn, and with the flick of a finger, a golden flame talisman flew up and attached itself onto the bowstring.
A golden flame ignited a moment later, setting the bow ablaze as a flaming arrow took shape.
The flaming arrow was golden in color, and absolutely alarming undulations of power could be felt rippling throughout the area when it took form.
The sheer aura was so formidable that Zhu Zhu’s and Qin Ying's expressions also shifted nervously.
They looked upon Li Luo with faces full of disbelief. Never in their wildest dreams would they have imagined a Fiend Finisher capable of exploding forth with so much power in a single arrow.
Even Qin Yi trembled slightly when she focused upon Li Luo.
“Has this brat actually succeeded?”
Ear-piercing laughter echoed throughout the main hall. The giant hand of the Soul Eater True Devil stretched out as the mouth on the palm continued to chew, letting out harsh grating sounds accompanied by the dripping of fresh blood.
The next moment, the mouth in the palm unlatched and spat out three white pearls. These pearls were bleached white and seemed to have been formed from the bones of the consumed bodies. On top of that, they were covered in a layer of smelly blood.
And each pearl was decorated with a constantly swiveling eyeball that was wrapped in blood-red threads, forming a nauseating sight.
When the three bone pearls appeared, they shot forward like rays of light, directly rushing at Li Lingjing, Qin Ying, and Zhu Zhu.
The expressions of the three changed when they saw the projectiles barrelling towards them. They could sense terrifying undulations the pearls emitted.
Qin Ying shouted loudly, and a suit of scarlet body armor appeared on his body. It contained scarlet runes in the shape of a turtle, and a single violet eye mark was on the top of the shell.
This was the Scarlet Turtle Carapace, a violet-eye treasured artifact. When faced with the Soul Eater True Devil's frightening attacks, Qin Ying could not hold back anything in reserve, taking out his defensive artifacts.
Zhu Zhu formed hand seals with both hands, and a dark-green pearl of light materialized from her head, slowly rising into the sky and forming a dark-green barrier that enveloped her.
Li Lingjing did not have any protective violet-eye treasured artifacts, but the Aquamarine Bamboo Python Staff was sufficient. The best defense was a strong offense after all.
With a thought, the gigantic Abyssal Serpent manifestation behind her transformed into a ray of black light that entered the Aquamarine Bamboo Python Staff.
She then released the staff, and it began to float in the air, emitting resplendent, azure light.
A moment later, the Aquamarine Bamboo Python Staff disappeared, transforming into a gigantic, aquamarine python that let out an ear-rending screech. It shifted its body, directly covering Li Lingjing in its protective embrace.
Seeing that the three mightiest fighters on their side were taking defensive measures, the remaining five and six-pearls started to escape with expressions of fear.
The three bleached, bone-white pearls pierced through the void before detonating on impact.
Pasty, white light radiated in every direction coupled with endless gusts of chilly winds. This was accompanied by endless shrill screams that caused a tingling sensation in the heads of everyone in earshot. The whole sequence caused the negative emotions within their hearts to well up and overwhelm them.
As the white energy swept past, it submerged everything in its path.
Li Lingjing, Qin Ying, and Zhu Zhu were struck directly, and their defenses gradually shattered and collapsed. In the end, all three were sent flying, heavily colliding into the ruined buildings below.
If the best amongst them were left in such dire straits, the rest understandably suffered even more. Those who had been struck directly by the pasty white light, even the ones at the five-pearl tier, had all of the blood within them sucked dry, leaving them as bare skeletons that fell from the skies and shattered into bone fragments.
When the cultivators who were fighting the corrupted saw this scene, their faces filled with utter shock and terror welled up in their eyes.
Even Qin Yi, who had been calm all this while, began to frown deeply.
"It's over!" Zhu Dayu's entire body was trembling as he grimaced.
He then rushed in the direction where Zhu Zhu had fallen and began to dig her out of the debris. After which, a hand that was covered with fresh blood stretched out before a robust body busted out from beneath.
It was naturally Zhu Zhu, but she was drenched in blood. Most of the flesh and blood on her arms had melted away, leaving just the bone.
She collapsed on the ground, constantly gasping for air as blood dripped from the corner of her mouth.
However, she immediately took out several large pieces of meat from her pocket sphere and ravenously wolfed them down.
With the ingestion of copious amounts of food, her flesh and blood started to squirm and the injured locations began to heal and repair at a speed visible to the naked eye.
"Dayu, things are going to get quite serious today. If the situation takes a turn for the worse, you have to find a way to escape by yourself," Zhu Zhu stated as she continued to shove food down her throat, never breaking eye contact with the worried Zhu Dayu.
Zhu Dayu gave a bitter smile as he consoled her, "Sister Zhu, you don't have to be so down. Li Luo has gone in search of the lantern bearer, and he might find a way to break the stalemate."
"Li Luo? That Fiend Finisher brat?" Zhu Zhu glanced at him. "I've always thought he was bright. Perhaps instead of finding a solution to deal with the Other, he has taken the opportunity to run away."
Zhu Dayu scratched his head. "Li Luo seems quite loyal and shouldn't have escaped..."
"Who knows." Zhu Zhu clearly was not planning to pin her hopes on an outsider. She and some of the most powerful cultivators in the cave were unable to hold on much longer. Even though Li Luo was the Dragon's Head, his assistance didn't count for much.
Not far away, another figure crawled out of the debris—Qin Ying. However, the entire Scarlet Turtle Carapace had shattered into half, leaving his face bloodstained.
Qin Yi immediately rushed over and formed a few hand seals.
"Duke Art: Coming of Spring Rain."
With a wave of her hand, rain that possessed strong restorative effects was formed, the droplets landing upon Qin Ying's body and quickly healing all of his injuries.
Qin Ying's pale demeanor improved immediately, but he was still gasping heavily, giving Qin Yi an agonized smile.
"Cousin Qin Yi, you might need to prepare for the worst," Qin Ying said heavily.
Qin Yi fell silent as she naturally understood what he was referring to. She had to plan her own escape from here.
Her beautiful gaze turned towards the depths of the mist, landing on the location where she last saw Li Luo. He had been gone for a while and there had been no response. She didn't know if he had actually managed to awaken the lantern bearer.
Or perhaps... he had already escaped?
This possibility flashed through her mind as her gaze turned towards another location full of debris. A beautiful figure was currently walking out slowly with an azure staff in hand.
It was Li Lingjing.
Qin Yi swept her gaze past Li Lingjing and realized that she was the least injured amongst the three. There were no signs of her flesh and blood having been eroded, and only her clothes were a little tattered, leaving her white thighs exposed.
However, she had a haggard and pale expression as well, showing that she had also suffered quite the blow.
Qin Yi's eyes flickered with her thoughts. Li Lingjing had always given her a strange and mysterious feeling. Before Li Luo left to search for the lantern bearer, the two had briefly interacted. Perhaps she had given him a hint.
Did she have something up her sleeve that would allow Li Luo to remain immune to the mist?
Just as Qin Yi thought of this possibility, Li Lingjing seemed to have noticed her examining gaze. However, her expression remained unchanging, like a pool of stagnant water that did not ripple.
Li Lingjing then turned to face the floating Soul Eater True Devil. The injuries left on them after the previous exchange were not light, but the Soul Eater True Devil's presence seemed to have diminished slightly. Perhaps it was due to the continuous suppression from the Spiritual Resonance Cave.
"Cousin Li Luo, where did you run to?" Li Lingjing asked in her heart.
She then turned to face the rest of the survivors emotionlessly.
"With so many people here, the Soul Eater True Devil is bound to have its fill. Qin Yi will be a great treat, so I doubt it will let her off easily. This is a good thing. Cousin Li Luo has enmity with her, and having her die here would ease some of his troubles. However, this girl is quite intelligent and I don't know what sort of preparations she has made for her escape. Her position in her clan is very high, so it may not be impossible for her to run. Perhaps I can look for an opportunity amidst the chaos later to kill her. She should not be watching out for me. The Soul Eater True Devil likely wants to eat me in the end, and from what it said before, I'm number three and it is number two. Does this mean there's a number one? It seems like the Soul Eater True Devil is not an Other that was born naturally, but a creation of humans... Either way, being eaten doesn't matter. I've already made my preparations. Even so, being devoured is something I have experience in."
The corners of Li Lingjing’s lips lifted lightly into a smirk as she tightly grasped the Aquamarine Bamboo Python Staff. It seemed a little sinister when contrasted against her fair and beautiful cheeks.
At this point, the Soul Eater True Devil glanced downwards at who was left as it once again started letting out its ear-piercing screeches that sounded almost like infants crying.
The sounds it made caused the crowd to turn pale. Even the strongest fighters were grievously injured in the previous exchange, and it seemed as though the creature was about to go on a killing spree.
Some began to run away in terror, ignoring the mist and running into it.
However, before they took even a few steps, the mist enveloped them and eroded away the resonant power that surrounded their bodies. Then their steps turned stiff and their pupils darkened. Afterwards, worms could be seen squirming within their eyeballs.
A moment later, they started to contort their bodies, all four limbs on the ground as they slowly crawled back.
This was a sight that caused the rest to feel a sense of despair.
The Soul Eater True Devil continued to watch the scene below before focusing upon Li Lingjing. It seemed that she was its true target.
It stretched its giant arm out, and the palm full of fangs immediately spat out a blood-red bone spur that was covered with spikes.
The bone spur zipped forward and pierced the air like a bolt of lightning.
Li Lingjing had no chance to even hide. A moment later, the bone spur penetrated her body before the shocked gazes of the crowd, nailing her to the ground.
She was injured severely by this sudden attack, but her gorgeous face did not show any signs of pain, only continuing to coldly stare at the Soul Eater True Devil.
The Soul Eater True Devil then let out a wave of cackling, grating laughter. It picked up the bone spur, lifting Li Lingjing's frail body with it. Then the mouth in the palm began to swallow the bone spur.
Li Lingjing was naturally inching closer to the palm.
The massive mouth began to chew ravenously, and malodorous blood began to leak from the corners like a beast drooling before a meal. It was almost as though it was eagerly anticipating the treat.
This scene caused everyone present to feel a sense of utter despair and sadness.
However, just as the bone-red spur was ten feet away from the mouth, the Soul Eater True Devil's body suddenly froze as it could innately sense a threat to its life.
"Damned beast! Put my cousin down!"
It was at this point that a thunderous shout reverberated throughout the skies.
The familiar voice caused Li Lingjing's previously unmoving expression to change, despite having been skewered through.
She hurriedly raised her head and saw that a slender and tall youth was standing atop one of the numerous halls.
Who else could it be but Li Luo?
She saw that he was completely out of breath. “Hadn't that brat already escaped through the mist? Why did he come back!”
However, amidst her fury, complex emotions surged within her heart.
Was he unwilling to leave her to suffer alone and had come back to protect her?
"Cousin Lingjing! I'm here to save you!" Li Luo shouted. The Heavenly Dragon's Sunchaser Bow was fully drawn, and with the flick of a finger, a golden flame talisman flew up and attached itself onto the bowstring.
A golden flame ignited a moment later, setting the bow ablaze as a flaming arrow took shape.
The flaming arrow was golden in color, and absolutely alarming undulations of power could be felt rippling throughout the area when it took form.
The sheer aura was so formidable that Zhu Zhu’s and Qin Ying's expressions also shifted nervously.
They looked upon Li Luo with faces full of disbelief. Never in their wildest dreams would they have imagined a Fiend Finisher capable of exploding forth with so much power in a single arrow.
Even Qin Yi trembled slightly when she focused upon Li Luo.
“Has this brat actually succeeded?”
