A Fated Encounter

"Rakshasa, your heir... she really has some nerve, daring to lay a hand on the child I chose?"

"Qian Yuxi" spun the Annihilation Sky Halberd, gathering all the Destruction Intent around him onto its blade. He stepped back and assumed a throwing stance.

"Y-you... who exactly are you..." Bibi Dong's voice trembled. She had never imagined something like this would happen.

At that moment, she regretted not heeding the Rakshasa God's warning and fleeing immediately...

"Since she is so audacious, I do not mind replacing you with another heir to the divine position."

Qian Yuxi's shocking words made Bibi Dong's heart sink to the depths.

"Die."

He stepped forward and violently hurled the Annihilation Sky Halberd. It tore through the air, trailing a violet-black afterimage.

The Destruction Intent had already locked onto Bibi Dong. Escape was no longer possible!

"No!" she roared unwillingly.

Her Martial Soul switched—Death Spider Emperor!

"Death Spider Armor, Thousand Blades, Ten Thousand Shields, Death Spider Emperor Avatar!"

Her fourth, fifth, and seventh soul rings lit up in succession. Bibi Dong's eyes were bloodshot, but even so, she had no confidence that she could block this strike.

"Death Domain, God of Slaughter Domain, fully unleashed!!"

With two domains layered over her body, two defensive spirit skills combined with her Martial Soul Avatar—this was Bibi Dong's strongest defensive measure at present.

Crack, crack, crack...

The Annihilation Sky Halberd struck the two domains first, producing a teeth-grating sound.

Death Domain, God of Slaughter Domain—shattered!

The Annihilation Sky Halberd was unstoppable, directly tearing apart the Death Spider Armor and Thousand Blades, Ten Thousand Shields!

Crack... crack...

Cracks appeared across the surface of the Death Spider Emperor Avatar, while Bibi Dong's arms shook violently.

"How is this possible... This... this can't be possible!" She refused to believe it was real.

Death Spider Armor, Thousand Blades, Ten Thousand Shields, Death Spider Emperor Avatar—shattered!!

The Annihilation Sky Halberd was already right before her. At the critical moment between life and death, Bibi Dong knew that survival mattered most. Gritting her teeth, she turned around and used the Six-Winged Violet Light Wings to block the strike!

Bang!!

Fortunately, she had kept her life, but a bloody hole had been pierced through her back.

"Arghhh—!!"

Blood burst forth as Bibi Dong screamed and flew backward, leaving a streak of blood through the air. All eight spider legs snapped, the Death Spider Emperor Martial Soul dispersed, cracks covered all seven soul rings, and the Six-Winged Violet Light Wings fell from her body to the ground.

Crack, crack... Bang!

Death Spider Emperor Martial Soul... shattered!!

"Little one... my true body only left this divine sense with one chance to save your life. If you had the cultivation of five rings, that strike would have been enough to kill that woman outright. What a pity... Cultivate well."

After that strike, Qian Yuxi was utterly drained as well. All strength left his body, and he swayed before collapsing unconscious.

"My Martial Soul... How could this be..." Bibi Dong was on the verge of collapse. Though Qian Yuxi's strike had failed to kill her, it had forced her to pay an incomparably terrible price. Her Six-Winged Violet Light Wings had been severed, her first Martial Soul shattered, and half of her Twin Martial Souls had been crippled.

"What a chance!"

A petite black figure darted out from the bushes, clutching a dark-red shortsword. Her pretty face gradually twisted into a vicious expression.

"Die, Qian Yuxi! I'll avenge my brother and Yan!"

It was Hu Liena!

The little girl had actually been lying in ambush here for quite some time, waiting for precisely this opportunity.

"Third Spirit Skill, Lightning Sweep!"

Whoosh! Whoosh!

A dark-blue snake tail lashed out and struck Hu Liena squarely in the face. Her veil was knocked away, and her already pitted little face was hit so hard that even her features became distorted.

"Ah—!" Hu Liena shrieked in pain, her shortsword falling to the ground. That lash had been far too vicious—she felt as if her face was about to rot away!

"Captain! The instructors are here!"

Jin Yuetian and Tuoba Yun's voices rang out. Five or six black figures, each surrounded by six soul rings, darted through the bushes. The Serpent Tail Sweep just now had been unleashed by Jiang Xiruan, who was leading them.

"Cough, cough..." Hu Liena was only level twenty, merely a prospective Soul Grandmaster without any soul rings. The third spirit skill of a high-level Soul Emperor had not flung her to death on the spot only because Jiang Xiruan had not truly intended to kill her.

"Hu Liena, what are you trying to do?!" Angry shouts rang out. Hu Liena was terrified. Her legs trembling, she got up and fled in panic.

What a joke. She had tried to ambush and kill someone while they were vulnerable, and the instructors had caught her in the act. That was a grave offense!

No matter what, she could not let herself be caught.

"Half Moon!"

Three dark-green crescent slashes flew out, temporarily slowing the instructors' advance. Hu Liena turned her head and saw that the senior who had severely injured Qian Yuxi had staggered to her feet, a faint green glow still lingering on her sole arm.

The enemy of an enemy was a friend.

Hu Liena had learned that saying long ago.

Using all her strength to accelerate, she grabbed the pair of badly damaged Six-Winged Violet Light Wings and tossed them to Bibi Dong. "Senior, let's go!!"

This little girl...

Bibi Dong caught them instinctively. For some reason, when Hu Liena ran toward her, an inexplicable sense of closeness welled up in her heart.

Whoosh!

Bibi Dong took her battered Six-Winged Violet Light Wings, scooped Hu Liena into her arms, and rapidly scuttled away on her spider legs.

"Captain!"

Jin Yuetian and Tuoba Yun had no time to worry about anything else. They rushed to Qian Yuxi's unconscious body. Seeing his deathly pale face, both were consumed with worry.

"Hey, hey, Captain, Qian Yuxi, you can't possibly die that easily, right?!" Jin Yuetian shook Qian Yuxi, his face full of disbelief.

"Captain, I'm sorry. We were too weak. We couldn't help you..." Tuoba Yun's eyes reddened as well. She clenched her fists tightly. "I couldn't do anything..."

Jiang Xiruan frowned deeply and stepped forward to feel Qian Yuxi's pulse. She sent Soul Power into his body to examine him. A moment later, her brows relaxed. It was nothing serious.

"His injuries can still be controlled. Instructor Long, take Qian Yuxi back. We'll pursue the attacker and Hu Liena!"

"Yes!"

"Thank you, Instructor."

Tuoba Yun and Jin Yuetian nodded. Instructor Long picked up Qian Yuxi, and the four of them ran toward the city together.

After escaping the forest, Bibi Dong released Hu Liena. She washed her face by a stream, then looked at her pale, bloodless reflection and could not help but laugh bitterly.

Her first Martial Soul had shattered, and her Six-Winged Violet Light Wings had been severed. Her strength had fallen to that of a Soul King, and she no longer possessed her former might...

Who could have imagined that three days ago, she had been on the verge of becoming a Titled Douluo, only to lose thirty-one levels in three days? How tragic...

And that was not all. Her soul had also been severely injured. Recovering would likely take a very long time, perhaps even proving impossible...

"Qian Yuxi, Angel Clan... Spirit Hall!" Bibi Dong gritted her silver teeth and clenched her fists.

"Senior, may I ask who you are..." Hu Liena asked, rubbing her still-aching, distorted features as she looked at Bibi Dong.

"Me?" Bibi Dong froze, then gave a bitter smile. "Little girl, although I'm grateful that you snatched the soul bone back for me, I can no longer absorb it..."

Bibi Dong was certain that the wound on her back would not heal in less than seven or eight years.

"I see... I'm sorry, Senior." Hu Liena sighed in disappointment.

"Little girl, what is your name?" Bibi Dong suddenly asked.

Looking at this little girl's pretty face, now pitted and distorted, Bibi Dong could not help feeling some sympathy.

"I... I'm Hu Liena. Senior, and you?"

"...Bibi Dong."

This meeting between master and disciple truly was a fated bond.