In the rage and shame that threatened to tear her sanity apart, Bibi Dong was still Bibi Dong—the ruthless woman who had endured for years and even fought her way out of the City of Slaughter.
Though having an "old lecher" inside her body had nearly driven her mad, anger wouldn't solve anything.
After a brief, explosive breakdown, Bibi Dong tried to forcibly wrest back control of her body.
Suddenly, the phantom of the Death Spider Emperor behind Bibi Dong slowly faded, replaced by a fearsome giant spider, its entire body ink-green and its aura even more sinister—the Soul-Eater Spider Emperor!
The instant she switched Martial Souls, the bizarre feeling of being unable to control her body vanished.
Bibi Dong felt her body sink. A moment later, absolute control over every limb returned to her.
"Haah... haah..."
Bibi Dong dropped to one knee and gasped for breath. Cold sweat had already soaked her back.
Just as I thought! This guy depends on the Death Spider Emperor to exist!
As long as I switch to the Soul-Eater Spider Emperor and suppress him with its completely different Soul Power attribute, I can take back control of my body!
Death Spider Emperor... you're nothing but a parasite, after all. Once I have a free hand, I'll have plenty of ways to deal with you.
What she didn't know was that, at the other end of her Sea of Consciousness, Nan Feng was lounging comfortably in the depths of her soul. Watching the triumphant look on Bibi Dong's face, he couldn't help wanting to laugh.
You silly woman. You really think you suppressed me?
I just didn't feel like fighting you for the steering wheel!
Although he was now fused with the Death Spider Emperor Martial Soul and theoretically had extremely high authority, Bibi Dong was still the original owner of this body.
If they both fought for control, or if their two completely different, top-tier Spider Emperor Soul Powers battled in her meridians, the only possible outcome would be shattered meridians—or even an exploding body.
If Bibi Dong blew up, he'd be done for too.
Since she wanted that illusory sense of security, he might as well give it to her.
"Don't be so fierce. Didn't I give it back to you?"
Nan Feng's lazy voice rang in Bibi Dong's mind again. This time, however, he wasn't arrogantly taking charge as before. He sounded more like a shameless tenant calling out from the next room.
"Shut up!"
Bibi Dong replied coldly in her mind. She had regained control, but the murderous intent in her heart had not diminished in the slightest.
"You'd better pray I never find a way to separate you from me. Otherwise, I'll make you regret ever being born!"
From the very beginning, this guy had been after her Death Spider Emperor Martial Soul!
All that nonsense about his soul being lodged inside a Soul Bone was a lie!
"Separating us is impossible. It'll never happen in this lifetime," Nan Feng drawled.
"If you dare even think about it, I'll take you down with me."
Bibi Dong's gaze darkened. She said nothing, but she also made no further attempt to attack the shameless tenant with her mental power.
What was done was done.
Though the process had been unbearably humiliating and she'd even been tricked, the results were undeniable: she had obtained a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring, her Soul Power had reached level ninety-two, and aside from gaining an extra "tenant," her body had suffered no real damage.
As an ambitious woman willing to endure anything for revenge, Bibi Dong knew full well that her most urgent task wasn't to stew over this "old rogue," but to make the best possible use of this power.
"Hey, Little Dongdong, don't just sit there getting mad."
Seeing that Bibi Dong had calmed down, Nan Feng extended an olive branch at just the right moment. "You took the risk of entering Death Canyon this time not only to hunt me, but also to add Soul Rings to your Second Martial Soul, the Soul-Eater Spider Emperor, didn't you?"
Bibi Dong's heart stirred. "And if I did?"
Her original plan had been to hunt the Death Spider Emperor and become a Titled Douluo, then hunt several high-year Soul Beasts deep in the canyon and fill out the first few Soul Rings of her Soul-Eater Spider Emperor in one go.
"I can help you," Nan Feng said.
"I've ruled Death Canyon for tens of thousands of years. No one in the world knows better than me where to find the oldest Soul Beasts or which ones have attributes best suited to you."
Bibi Dong's gaze flickered slightly.
He was right.
Death Canyon was fraught with danger, and its terrain was a maze. Though she was powerful, finding high-year Soul Beasts perfectly suited to the Soul-Eater Spider Emperor in a short time would be like looking for a needle in a haystack.
And with a local guide...
"Thirty miles away, in the Rotten Bone Swamp, there's a sixty-thousand-year-old Crypt Demon Spider Emperor," Nan Feng said coolly.
"That guy specializes in stealth and ambush. Its Soul Ring skill will definitely bring your Soul-Eater Spider Emperor a huge surprise."
"More importantly... that bastard took advantage of me being injured half a year ago and stole the food I'd stockpiled. I've been fed up with it for ages."
Bibi Dong's mouth twitched.
So this was just a personal vendetta?
Still, a sixty-thousand-year-old Crypt Demon Spider Emperor... it was an exceptionally rare, top-tier Soul Beast. Its attributes were renowned for their strange effects and control, making it an excellent match for the Soul-Eater Spider Emperor.
"...You'd better not try anything funny."
After a long pause, Bibi Dong took a deep breath, slowly stood up, and dusted the dirt from her skirt.
"Relax. Helping you is helping myself," Nan Feng said.
"I'm counting on you to become a god and carry me to victory."
Bibi Dong gave a cold snort. "Lead the way!"
"Straight ahead. Let's go!" Nan Feng guided Bibi Dong along a route drawn from the Death Spider Emperor's memories.
That fellow Sky Dream Ice Silkworm had picked an undergrown Huo Yuhao and had to raise him from scratch, spoon-feeding him every step of the way.
Your boy started off with a max-level account and someone else doing the grinding for him. Now that was the right way to start winning without lifting a finger!
Half a month later.
On a secluded cliff deep in Death Canyon.
As the last wisp of violent black Soul Power flowed into her body, Bibi Dong, who had been sitting cross-legged, abruptly opened her eyes.
"BOOM!!!"
A terrifying surge of Soul Power erupted from her, sweeping wildly in every direction like a tsunami.
The surrounding rocks instantly crumbled to dust. Even the poisonous miasma that lingered year-round was forced back hundreds of meters by her overwhelming aura, revealing a long-hidden expanse of clear sky.
Level ninety-six!
In just half a month, guided by Nan Feng, her "all-seeing cheat," Bibi Dong had hunted down five top-tier spider-type Soul Beasts, each over fifty thousand years old, with an efficiency that would make the entire Soul Master World tremble.
Now, her Second Martial Soul, the Soul-Eater Spider Emperor, had gained a full five high-quality Ten Thousand Year Soul Rings.
On top of the foundation she had already built, her Soul Power had not only broken through the level-ninety-five bottleneck, but had surged ahead without pause, all the way to the peak of level ninety-six!
With just a little time to consolidate her strength, reaching level ninety-seven was within easy grasp.
"How does it feel, my Saintess?"
Just then, a purplish-black figure slowly walked over to Bibi Dong. It spoke with Nan Feng's unmistakably lazy voice.
The figure looked exactly like Bibi Dong. Its appearance, figure, and fearsome aura were identical to hers.
It was the Eighth Soul Skill of Bibi Dong's First Martial Soul, the Death Spider Emperor—Spider Emperor Avatar!
This had originally been a skill that consumed a tremendous amount of mental energy.
Although the avatar possessed one hundred percent of the original's power, it had no intelligence of its own. The original had to divide her attention to control it.
In a fierce battle to the death, splitting one's focus was often a cardinal sin, so this divine skill's effectiveness was usually compromised in actual combat.
But now, that drawback had been perfectly resolved.
Because the one controlling the avatar was Nan Feng!
Nan Feng had not only possessed combat intelligence on par with a human's, but also all of this body's combat memories.
The avatar he controlled didn't just spare Bibi Dong from having to split her focus. In terms of reaction speed and ruthlessness, he was even better than Bibi Dong when she was dividing her attention between two tasks!
It was as if Bibi Dong had a "super bodyguard" at her side—one who was completely reliable and possessed one hundred percent of her combat strength.
"Level ninety-six..."
Bibi Dong looked at the figure in front of her, wearing her own face and fussing over its hair with obvious vanity. The corner of her eye still twitched a little, but most of the hostility in her heart had indeed faded.
Over the past half month, Nan Feng had performed flawlessly.
He had pinpointed targets, analyzed weaknesses, devised tactics, and even served as the perfect guardian while she absorbed her Soul Rings.
If she had initially been forced to accept this "parasite," now Bibi Dong had to admit that the guy was an addictive "cheat."