"Sis, it looks like the Porcupine Demon has left."
Watching the Porcupine Demon gradually disappear into the distance, Zhao Yingying whispered softly into her imperial sister's ear. It had frightened her half to death just now.
"Let's wait a little longer before going down. Porcupine Demons are famously cunning. Besides, this isn't even the central region of the Thunder Mountain Range. Why would a Level Six Demonic Beast appear here?"
"So we still need to be careful."
Zhao Shanshan had naturally seen the demonic beast leave as well, but the Thunder Mountain Range was simply too dangerous. She had no choice but to be cautious.
Otherwise, let alone finding the Spirit-Connecting Flower and returning to save their Imperial Father, it was uncertain whether the two of them could even make it out of the Thunder Mountain Range alive.
"Mm!"
The two waited in the tree for about the time it took to drink a cup of tea. Only after confirming that the demonic beast had not returned did they carefully climb down. Zhao Shanshan had just breathed a sigh of relief when she suddenly felt as though something were watching her.
Zhao Shanshan turned around with difficulty. At some unknown point, the Porcupine Demon that had clearly left earlier had appeared behind the sisters once more.
Zhao Shanshan's face went pale. She hurriedly pulled her younger sister, Zhao Yingying, behind her and slowly backed away.
"Sis, what do we do?"
Looking at the enormous Porcupine Demon before her, Zhao Yingying could not stop her body from trembling. This was a Level Six Demonic Beast, not something they could handle.
If they were in the Sky Soaring Realm, things would be different. Even if they could not defeat it, they could still fly up into a tree. But they had not reached that realm.
Moreover, even if they could get back into the tree now, it would be useless. A tree like this could not withstand the Porcupine Demon's rampage. It would only take a few blows to snap it apart.
"I'll send you into the tree in a moment. I'll lure the demonic beast away, and then you can escape."
"Sis, what about you?"
Zhao Yingying's face paled. She knew the consequences of her imperial sister doing this. The only outcome would be a miserable death in the Porcupine Demon's jaws.
The Porcupine Demon was already one realm higher than her imperial sister. If Zhao Shanshan took the initiative to lure it away, she would surely have no path to survival.
"I naturally have a way to escape. Once I lure the demonic beast away, run toward the outskirts of the mountain range. Don't worry about anything, and don't come back in."
By now, Zhao Shanshan had abandoned the thought of finding the Spirit-Connecting Flower. All she could think of was how to preserve her younger imperial sister's life.
"Sis..."
"Listen to me!"
At that moment, the Porcupine Demon opposite the sisters leaned its body slightly forward, one hind leg scraping through the dirt. This was the prelude to its attack.
Seizing the right moment, Zhao Shanshan hurled Zhao Yingying, whom she had been holding by the waist, toward the tree just as the demonic beast was about to attack.
Boom!
The demonic beast attacked at that instant, charging toward Zhao Shanshan like a bulldozer. The surrounding ground trembled beneath its charge.
Just as the demonic beast reached her, Zhao Shanshan narrowly dodged it. Then she dashed in another direction—toward the central region of the mountain range.
Zhao Shanshan intended to lure the demonic beast toward the center of the mountain range. That way, she could draw it away and give her younger sister a chance to escape, while perhaps taking the opportunity to see whether she could find the Spirit-Connecting Flower.
Rumble!
Because Zhao Shanshan had dodged its charge, the demonic beast slammed headfirst into another tree. The unfortunate tree fell with a crash.
The Porcupine Demon rose and merely shook its head. It looked at the prey fleeing into the distance, then raised its pig head to glance at Zhao Yingying, who was already in the tree.
Zhao Yingying did not know whether it was an illusion, but she saw a trace of mockery on the Porcupine Demon's face. Then, under her terrified gaze, it suddenly charged at the tree she was in.
Bang!
The tree swayed from the Porcupine Demon's impact. Zhao Yingying nearly got thrown off, frightening her into clutching the trunk tightly.
Seeing that its strike had not achieved the result it wanted, the Porcupine Demon slowly backed its massive body away.
After retreating a certain distance, the Porcupine Demon repeated the motions it had made before charging earlier. Zhao Yingying, still in the tree, had turned deathly pale.
"Am I going to die here today?"
Watching the Porcupine Demon prepare to charge again, Zhao Yingying revealed a bitter smile. She was still so young. She did not want to die so soon.
And if she died here, even her corpse would be devoured by demonic beasts. Just imagining such an outcome made Zhao Yingying tremble with fear.
Meanwhile, after fleeing for a while, Zhao Shanshan realized that no demonic beast was pursuing her. Uncertain and alarmed, she stopped.
Then, as though she had suddenly thought of something, Zhao Shanshan's expression changed drastically. She hurriedly ran back, cursing the Porcupine Demon's ancestors for eighteen generations in her heart.
Rumble!
Just as Zhao Shanshan returned to the earlier spot, she saw the Porcupine Demon's charge slam into the tree Zhao Yingying was in.
"Damn it!"
Zhao Shanshan charged at the demonic beast without regard for her own life. At this moment, she did not care whether she could defeat it. She had to save her younger imperial sister.
Clang!
When Zhao Shanshan's spirit artifact struck the Porcupine Demon, it was bounced away by the beast's thick hide. Her full-force attack could not even break through its defenses.
Bang!
While Zhao Shanshan was stunned, the Porcupine Demon launched a fierce attack at her, sending her flying. She flew more than ten meters before crashing into a tree and falling down.
Pfft!
Zhao Shanshan spat out a mouthful of blood after being sent flying by the demonic beast. She had nearly been laid out for a funeral on the spot. Now, lying beside the tree, she did not even have the strength to sit up.
Even moving a finger hurt, and her consciousness had become hazy, as though she could fall asleep at any moment.
"Imperial Sister!"
Up in the tree, Zhao Yingying burst into tears at the sight of her imperial sister's miserable state. Her imperial sister had returned only to save her. Otherwise, she surely would have had a chance to escape.
Because the demonic beast had not pursued her imperial sister at all. Given that time, with her imperial sister's cultivation, she definitely could have escaped.
"Ying... Yingying, don't worry about me. Hurry and escape the Thunder Mountain Range."
Watching the demonic beast approach her step by step, and seeing her younger imperial sister wanting to climb down and save her, Zhao Shanshan spoke to Zhao Yingying with difficulty.
She definitely could not escape now. She was fated to die here today, but her younger imperial sister still had a chance. Since she herself had no hope of escape, she naturally did not want both of them to die here.
"No, I have to save Imperial Sister and get you out of here."
"You fat pig, go die!"
Zhao Yingying cried from the tree. How could she possibly watch her imperial sister die before her very eyes?
Zhao Yingying sent out her spirit artifact and controlled it to attack the demonic beast. The result was obvious: only a series of clanging sounds rang out from the beast's body, and it could not break through its defenses at all.
Moreover, Zhao Yingying's actions thoroughly enraged the Porcupine Demon. It immediately gave up on enjoying its meal for the moment, turned around, and charged at the tree where Zhao Yingying was.