If you can't beat them, join them

Could there be a more hellish start than this?

Nan Feng looked at his only remaining half-severed spider leg and couldn't help but curse inwardly.

Transmigrating into a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast, the Death Spider Emperor, sounded awe-inspiring, ruling over the Death Canyon.

But the reality was that he was currently in a "low-health, AFK" state, ready to be "farmed for loot" at any moment.

Bibi Dong!

That woman was practically a master of "kiting."

Over the past year, she had used all sorts of traps, poisons, and even lured other monsters to stir up hatred, grinding him—a top-tier boss—down to his very last sliver of health.

Right now, Nan Feng could clearly feel through his spiritual power, which spread out like a spider web, that the woman had entered the Death Canyon again!

And she was rushing toward his lair at high speed.

Run? Don't be ridiculous.

If he left his territory in this crippled state, the rivals eyeing his domain outside would teach him how to be a spider in a matter of minutes.

Fight? That was suicide.

Am I going to be "dead on arrival" just after transmigrating?

Nan Feng stared at the faint light projecting into the cave entrance, his brain spinning rapidly.

No, there was still one way.

Since he couldn't beat her, he would join her!

Bibi Dong's Martial Soul was also a Death Spider Emperor. According to the residual memories of this body, there existed an extremely unique bloodline resonance between the same type of Martial Soul and Soul Beast.

This wasn't just a relationship of hunter and prey; it was a perfect fit!

Since he couldn't dodge this blade, he might as well change his way of living.

If the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm could retain its consciousness through the method of sacrifice and reside within a human body, why couldn't he, with the same top-tier spiritual power and vitality, do the same?

"You want my Soul Ring and Soul Bone, right?" Nan Feng endured the excruciating pain and propped up his broken body. "No need to do it yourself, buddy will sacrifice himself!"

At the same time, Bibi Dong passed through the Death Canyon, which was filled with poisonous miasma, and silently snuck into the Death Spider Emperor's massive underground lair.

She knew very well that a cornered beast was at its most dangerous, especially a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast with the innate skill "Undying Body." Its final counterattack before death would be enough to drag a Titled Douluo down with it.

Therefore, she had to wait until the Death Spider Emperor was so weak that it couldn't even self-destruct.

That moment was now.

She held her breath, the phantom of her Soul-Eater Spider Emperor Martial Soul flickering behind her, ready to deliver the fatal blow.

However, when she stepped into the core area of the lair, her pupils constricted sharply.

Empty?

That mountain-like spider body was actually gone!

On the ground, there were only pools of dark green blood that hadn't yet dried—remnants of the severe injuries from before.

"Escaped? Impossible. With injuries like that, how could it have escaped my perception?"

Alarm bells rang in Bibi Dong's heart, and a strong sense of unease surged within her.

Just as she prepared to release her spiritual power to search the surroundings, a terrifying pressure that made even her soul tremble erupted from behind her without warning!

"Hiss--!!!"

Accompanied by a piercing screech that seemed to shatter the clouds, a massive shadow instantly enveloped Bibi Dong.

She whipped her head around, only to see the Death Spider Emperor hanging upside down on a shadowed rock wall behind her.

Its previously severed spider legs had completely regrown, sharp as spears and flickering with a chilling, eerie light.

The carapace that had once been covered in cracks was now as smooth as new, with purple-black halos flowing across its entire body. Its evil and domineering aura was even stronger than when she had first seen it!

How was this "on the verge of death"? This was clearly in its prime!

"How is this possible?!!"

A stormy sea surged in Bibi Dong's heart.

Half a month ago, she had watched with her own eyes as this creature had half its body torn apart by three top-tier ten-thousand-year soul beasts, its prideful "Undying Body" failing due to the exhaustion of its soul power.

That was a fundamental injury; let alone half a month, it might not have recovered even after ten years of recuperation!

Could it be that it had been feigning weakness for the past year? Just to lure her deep inside and then counter-kill her in this enclosed lair?

A drop of cold sweat slid down Bibi Dong's temple.

Facing a Hundred-Thousand-Year Death Spider Emperor in its prime, even as a genius with Twin Martial Souls, her odds of winning were less than thirty percent!

However, what she didn't know was that at this very moment, Nan Feng was panicking internally.

Stay steady! Must stay steady! As long as I show even the slightest flaw, this crazy woman will pounce and tear me to shreds!

Just a moment ago, he had forcibly burned his life essence to trigger the restorative effects of his Undying Body.

This was merely an empty shell.

If he had previously possessed a sliver of a chance to clash with Bibi Dong, now, facing her, he could only be described as fragile.

But he had to do this.

If he were to lie on the ground like a dead dog and beg for mercy, saying, "Spare me, oh hero, I am willing to offer myself as a sacrifice," then given Bibi Dong's suspicious and ruthless nature, she would undoubtedly stab him to death first before slowly absorbing his soul ring.

After all, a dead Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast is the safest kind.

To "sacrifice" himself while retaining his consciousness, becoming her "cheat code" in a manner similar to the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm, he first had to establish a premise: deterrence.

He needed to make Bibi Dong believe that killing him would require a heavy price, perhaps even resulting in mutual destruction.

Only when she felt that he was "unbeatable" or that the "cost was too high" would she be willing to sit down and listen to a "win-win" proposal.

Nan Feng looked down from above, his eight ghostly green eyes coldly locking onto Bibi Dong, while he endured the dizziness brought on by the rapid depletion of his life force.

He did not attack directly; instead, he slowly opened his massive chelicerae, and a mental fluctuation belonging to an emperor surged arrogantly into Bibi Dong's mind:

"Human, do you desire my power?"

Bibi Dong's heart shook violently.

Although she had long known that a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast possessed intelligence no less than a human's—and in some ways, was even more cunning—this was the first time in over a year that this Death Spider Emperor, whom she had been hunting, had taken the initiative to communicate with her.

A Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast was at least comparable to a human Titled Douluo of level 95 or higher.

Such a hegemon of soul beasts had extreme pride carved into its very bones.

Once driven into a dead end, they would often choose to self-destruct without hesitation, never allowing a human to succeed.

This was the reason she had never dared to push too hard.

Yet now, this Old Spider, who appeared to have returned to his "prime," was not only not attacking her but was actively communicating?

Bibi Dong did not respond; her body tensed, her soul power circulating in secret, ready to flee at any moment.

Facing a Death Spider Emperor in its prime, she had no chance of winning.

For the sake of her revenge, she had to endure; she absolutely could not die here.

Since the hunt had failed, she would have to plan for the long term, even if it meant waiting a few more years...

"You need not be in such a hurry to leave, nor do you need to be nervous."

Seeming to see through Bibi Dong's intent to retreat, Nan Feng's massive compound eyes flickered with a ghostly light, and his mental transmission came again, carrying a hint of mockery:

"In fact, as early as ten years ago, when you first stepped into the outer perimeter of the Death Canyon for training, The Emperor had already noticed you."

Bibi Dong's pupils constricted.

Ten years ago?

That was when she was still the Holy Maiden, and in order to break through the bottleneck of the Soul Saint realm, she had come to the Death Canyon alone to hunt for her seventh soul ring from a Death Spider Emperor.

This creature had been watching her back then?

"At that time, although you were weak, your martial soul piqued my interest. A Death Spider Emperor... it is truly rare for such a martial soul to appear in a human," Nan Feng said indifferently.

"However, ever since you took the seventh soul ring and left, you never appeared again. After several years of disappearance, The Emperor thought you had died out there."

Upon hearing this, Bibi Dong's previously vigilant face turned deathly pale, and immediately after, an uncontrollable, terrifying chill erupted from within her body!

It was not killing intent directed at Nan Feng, but a deep-seated, bone-chilling resentment and hatred.

Back then, she had returned to Martial Soul Hall in high spirits with her seventh soul ring, only to be defiled by that beast named Qian Xunji, imprisoned in a windowless secret chamber, and forced to give birth to the daughter she viewed as her shame...

It was only after she learned to disguise herself and bury her hatred deep within her heart that the man relaxed his guard and lifted her house arrest.

Following that, she had rushed into the City of Slaughter like a madwoman, numbing herself in endless slaughter.

Nan Feng looked down at Bibi Dong from his vantage point.

Even from a distance, he could feel the instantly chaotic aura emanating from this woman.

"It seems I have touched upon some unpleasant matters."

Nan Feng's massive chelicerae tapped gently against the rock wall, producing a crisp, metallic clanging sound, and his tone suddenly shifted, becoming meaningful:

"But my interest in you lies not only in your martial soul, but also in that... nostalgic aura you carry."

His massive head leaned forward slightly, staring fixedly at Bibi Dong:

"The aura of Rakshasa."

Bibi Dong's expression stiffened.

The inheritance of the Rakshasa God!

This was her greatest secret, the opportunity she had exchanged for her life in the City of Slaughter, and her ultimate trump card for her revenge against the Angel Clan!

Except for herself, absolutely no one in this world should know!

How could this soul beast possibly perceive it?!

"Surprised?"

Nan Feng seemed to relish the expression on Bibi Dong's face, his massive compound eyes flickering with an eerie light as he began his flawless "performance."

"Regardless of anything else, The Emperor is an ancient relic who has lived on this continent for one hundred thousand years. How could I fail to recognize a mere remnant of divine power?"

"Thirty thousand years ago, when the Rakshasa God ascended to the Divine Realm, that evil and magnificent aura remained fresh in The Emperor's memory to this day."

Having said this, Nan Feng paused deliberately, his tone becoming somewhat playful.

"I just didn't expect the aura of Rakshasa to appear once more. It seems you must have already obtained the recognition of the Rakshasa God's inheritance, though you haven't officially begun the God Trial yet, have you?"

"Let me think... Rakshasa and the Angels are sworn enemies. The activation condition for the Rakshasa God Trial, or perhaps its greatest obstacle, must have something to do with the Angel Clan, right?"

Bibi Dong froze completely.

If the "Rakshasa aura" could be attributed to keen perception, then the connection to the "Angel Clan" could by no means be a coincidence!

The condition for opening the Rakshasa Secret Realm was precisely the need to devour the soul of a Six-Winged Angel martial soul possessor!

He knew everything!

What kind of existence... was this soul beast?!

Nan Feng watched Bibi Dong's expression, which looked as if she had seen a ghost, and felt a secret thrill.

That's right; only by shaking you until you lose your bearings will the subsequent "cooperation" proceed as a matter of course.