A Great Tonic, Here I Come

A deafening clash of metal exploded, and the shockwave swept in all directions as a huge section of the ground instantly collapsed.

Bibi Dong retreated three steps, each one leaving a deep footprint in the rock, yet she steadily withstood the blow.

"Is that all you've got?" Bibi Dong sneered, wiping the blood from the corner of her lips as her gaze grew even colder.

Having just broken through Rank 90, she could already withstand the full-force attack of a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast. Such combat strength was enough to look down upon anyone of the same rank.

But the Death Spider Emperor's counterattack had only just begun.

It went completely berserk. Its eight spider legs lashed out wildly as venomous stingers, poison, webs, and mental attacks poured forth without restraint. The entire canyon trembled beneath its assault, miasma churning and shattered stones flying everywhere.

Bibi Dong relied on her nimble footwork to maneuver around it, striking back from time to time. For a while, neither side could gain the upper hand.

"Gui Mei, we can't wait any longer." Yue Guan wiped the blood from his mouth, a fierce look flashing through his eyes. "Her Majesty is fighting this hard. We can't hold her back. This is our best chance to prove our loyalty."

Gui Mei immediately understood what he meant.

A Titled Douluo's ninth soul skill was their ultimate trump card, and it consumed an enormous amount of power. Given their current condition, using it would exhaust all their Soul Power. But they could no longer worry about that.

If they could help Her Majesty the Pope take down this Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast, what did a little injury matter? There would be plenty of benefits in the future.

"Let's do it!"

The two roared at the same time, their Soul Power erupting without reservation.

"Ninth Soul Skill—Chrysanthemum Withers, the Ground Is Covered in Wounds!"

Countless golden chrysanthemum petals appeared out of thin air. Their edges were sharp as blades, gathering into a golden tornado that swept toward the Death Spider Emperor.

Everything in its path—grass, trees, and rocks alike—was sliced into fine fragments.

"Ninth Soul Skill—Ghost Shadow, Ten Thousand Calamities!"

Gui Mei's figure melted into the darkness as countless black ghostly shadows surged forth from every direction. With piercing shrieks, they burrowed into the Death Spider Emperor's wounds and crazily corroded its mind and flesh.

The ninth soul skills of two Titled Douluo erupted at once. Their power was utterly terrifying.

The Death Spider Emperor was locked in battle with Bibi Dong and was caught completely off guard, taking both ninth soul skills head-on.

Boom!

The golden storm and black ghostly shadows exploded simultaneously. The Death Spider Emperor let out a pained shriek, its massive body convulsing violently. The wound in its chest was torn wider, deep enough to expose bone, and dark green blood gushed out like a spring.

Its aura instantly weakened, and all eight of its legs began to tremble.

Critically wounded!

The two ninth soul skills had driven it straight to the brink of death.

"Good work." A sharp gleam flashed through Bibi Dong's eyes. Seizing this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, she shot into the air, pressing her palms together as all her Soul Power gathered at her fingertips.

"Death Soul Devouring, Spider Sovereign Judgment."

A condensed beam of black and green light burst from her palms. Like Death's scythe, it slashed precisely toward the Death Spider Emperor's head.

Splurt—

The beam severed its head without the slightest resistance.

Its massive body swayed, then crashed to the ground, making the earth tremble three times. Its scarlet compound eyes gradually lost their light, and it fell completely silent.

The Hundred-Thousand-Year Death Spider Emperor had fallen.

A blood-red spirit ring slowly rose from its corpse.

The spirit ring's color was rich and deep, as though condensed from blood. Every pulse it gave off carried terrifying pressure. The noble aura unique to a Hundred-Thousand-Year Spirit Ring filled the entire canyon.

"We did it!" Yue Guan panted heavily, his face filled with wild joy. "Congratulations, Your Majesty! Congratulations on obtaining a Hundred-Thousand-Year Spirit Ring!"

Gui Mei bowed as well. His aura was unsteady, but he could not hide his excitement.

They had succeeded!

They had gambled correctly. In the end, this enormous merit had fallen into their hands.

Bibi Dong landed beside the corpse. Looking at the blood-red spirit ring, she could not help but take a deep breath, a trace of excitement flashing in her eyes.

A Hundred-Thousand-Year Spirit Ring.

She had finally reached this point.

"You two stand guard. Do not let anything disturb me." Bibi Dong gave the order in a deep voice, then sat cross-legged. Her gaze swept toward Bibi Xu on the high ground behind her. Only after seeing that he was safe and sound did she finally relax.

"This subordinate obeys!"

Yue Guan and Gui Mei immediately took up positions on either side, vigilantly scanning their surroundings.

Ling Yuan also let out a breath of relief. The aftershocks from the battle had nearly reached them several times, but she had blocked them all. Her palms were slick with sweat.

Bibi Dong hesitated no longer. Using her Soul Power, she drew the blood-red Hundred-Thousand-Year Spirit Ring toward herself, and it slowly descended onto her body.

Boom—

Violent energy instantly poured into her body. The life essence of a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast, carrying the power of death and deadly poison, rampaged through her meridians.

But Bibi Dong had long been prepared. Her Twin Martial Souls circulated at once, while Rakshasa Divine Power quietly reinforced her as she steadily refined the energy.

Her aura rose at a visible rate. The thin barrier at Rank 90 quietly shattered beneath the impact of the massive Soul Power, and her cultivation continued to climb without end.

On the high ground behind them, Bibi Xu looked at Bibi Dong sitting cross-legged in the distance, then at the enormous Death Spider Emperor corpse. His heartbeat could not help quickening.

He could clearly feel the Eight Spider Lances on his back stirring restlessly, trembling with desire as though they had detected a supreme tonic.

The essence blood, poison, and remaining Soul Power of a Hundred-Thousand-Year Death Spider Emperor were an unprecedented source of evolution for his External Soul Bone.

"Ling Yuan, I want to take a closer look." Bibi Xu looked up at Ling Yuan, curiosity in his voice. "I'll only look from far away. I won't get close. I've never seen the corpse of a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast before."

Ling Yuan frowned, somewhat hesitant.

Her Majesty the Pope had ordered that the young prince was not to approach the battlefield. But seeing the curious look in the boy's eyes, she could not quite bear to refuse him.

Besides, the Soul Beast was already dead. Her Majesty was absorbing the spirit ring, and the two Titled Douluo were standing guard. There should not be any danger.

"...All right, but only from far away." Ling Yuan finally relented. She brought him lightly down from the high ground and stopped over ten meters from the corpse. "Stand right here. You are not allowed to take another step forward."

"Okay." Bibi Xu obediently nodded, though inwardly he was delighted.

Over ten meters was enough.

He pretended to study the corpse curiously while secretly circulating his Soul Power and connecting with the Eight Spider Lances on his back.

Several soft splurts sounded.

Eight dark green spider lances burst from his back, though they did not fully extend. Only their tips emerged, like eight tiny straws.

Threads of pulling force seeped from the tips of the spider lances, reaching across the distance toward the Death Spider Emperor's corpse.

Invisible essence-blood energy, the source of its deadly poison, and the remaining Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Power within the corpse were drawn out bit by bit. They turned into tiny dark motes of light and flowed through the spider lances into Bibi Xu's body.

The moment the energy entered him, Bibi Xu nearly groaned in comfort.

It was far too pure!

It was on a completely different level from the scraps left behind by the thousand-year soul beasts he had absorbed before. The source energy of a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast was rich like aged wine, spreading from the Eight Spider Lances throughout his entire body.

The Eight Spider Lances began to change at a visible rate.

Their original dark green color gradually deepened, slowly shifting toward black. The patterns upon them became clearer and clearer, dense barbs grew along their edges, and their length increased bit by bit.

The tips of the spider lances became increasingly sharp, glimmering with an eerie blue-violet poisonous light as their toxicity soared wildly.

Not only that, the energy flowed through his meridians into his dantian, nourishing his Spider Empress Martial Soul. His Soul Power began to rise as well. Peak Rank 25... Rank 26... Rank 27...

Bibi Xu held his breath and circulated his Soul Power with all his strength, working with the Eight Spider Lances to absorb the energy. He did not dare let his focus slip in the slightest.