Chapter 9

"Die!"

The attacks the two had long been gathering finally erupted. Holding two Spatial Blades crossed over each other, Bibi Dong struck down at Lan Changsheng from above.

Lan Changsheng hurled the reinforced, thickened Blue Silver Emperor Long Spear beside him upward.

The spear and twin blades collided in midair. Space collapsed and disintegrated at the point of impact, and the tremendous shock shattered even the Life and Death as One Dream Barrier enveloping Lan Changsheng.

"Hah!"

With a sharp cry from Bibi Dong, the Spatial Blades finally overpowered the incoming Blue Silver Emperor Spear, robbing it of its strength and sending it falling.

Even so, the impact left Bibi Dong's hands trembling. The Spatial Blades crackled, a web of cracks spreading across them.

The wind in midair sent Bibi Dong's papal robes snapping.

Her eyes narrowed. Through the smoke, Lan Changsheng had picked up his spear again, his expression calm. Bibi Dong watched him warily, her expression grave.

[Host, I've detected that Spirit Hall's Great Enshrined is coming too. Qian Daoliu is a Level 99 Limit Douluo, and an inheritor of the Angel God's godhood, though that godhood ranks below the God of Life's.]

Even without the system's explanation, Lan Changsheng had already sensed a powerful surge of soul power approaching.

Along with it came quite a few auras belonging to Titled Douluo no weaker than Ghost Douluo.

"If this is all you've got, you won't be able to keep Ghost Douluo!"

Before his words had faded, Lan Changsheng vanished from Bibi Dong's sight.

Bibi Dong froze for a moment, but immediately reacted, turning toward Ghost Douluo's position.

"Dodge!"

Lan Changsheng appeared before Ghost Douluo in an instant, emerging from a stalk of Blue Silver Grass.

He seized Ghost Douluo, who was still sitting cross-legged, regulating himself.

Ghost Douluo truly lived up to his experience as an Agility Attack System Soul Master. Risking a drop in his level, he forcibly activated his Martial Soul Avatar a second time.

Only by doing so could he find a sliver of a chance to survive.

His ghostly martial soul carried Ghost Douluo into a stream of flowing darkness, attempting to escape Lan Changsheng's grasp.

But countless strands of Blue Silver Grass wrapped Ghost Douluo up like a rice dumpling. Lan Changsheng shook the "dumpling" in his hand.

Screams rang out from within, as though countless thorns were stabbing Ghost Douluo inside.

[Host, wouldn't it have been better to do this from the start? Spirit Hall's Great Enshrined, Qian Daoliu, is also a powerhouse who has set foot on the path to godhood. Aren't you afraid, Host?]

"So you can leave the barrier, can't you?"

The system's voice and Bibi Dong's rang out at the same time.

But Lan Changsheng maintained his usual disregard for the system and merely nodded at Bibi Dong.

Bibi Dong truly became a spider pouncing toward him, seeking to seize Lan Changsheng, her prey, and devour him.

Still holding Ghost Douluo, who had long since reverted to human form from the pain, Lan Changsheng used Teleportation to leave again.

Bibi Dong pursued him relentlessly, as if mad, because she had told Ghost Douluo not to worry while she was there. Because she could not ignore the look Ghost Douluo had given her at the last moment: shock, remembrance, and longing.

Compared with Lan Changsheng's Teleportation, Bibi Dong was ultimately still too slow...

She watched helplessly as Lan Changsheng set down Ghost Douluo, whom he had been carrying, tightly swathed in Blue Silver Grass.

She knew there was no need to pursue him anymore...

"Your reinforcements are here, and I've finished my business." Lan Changsheng's voice was calm. He felt no fear at the prospect of facing an enraged inheritor of the Rakshasa God and an inheritor of the Angel God who was a Level 99 Limit Douluo.

[Sigh.]

Lan Changsheng did not understand why the system sighed. He only knew that his main objective this time had been accomplished.

"So, what do you mean by 'finished your business'?!"

Having assumed her Soul-Devouring Spider Emperor avatar, Bibi Dong spread the three pairs of dark green Spider Spears on her back like wings. Her stunning face, rendered sinister by demonic spiderweb markings, no longer held her former dignity as Pope, only savagery and terror.

The demonic spiderweb markings grew ever more blood-red and eerie...

"Bibi Dong!"

A slightly aged voice rang out, laden with heavy soul power.

With that voice, a handsome man with waist-length platinum hair appeared to Lan Changsheng's right. He looked like a mature man barely past thirty. A faint golden glow surrounded him, and a sacred aura flowed openly around him.

"As Pope, how could you lose your composure like this?!"

"Qian Daoliu! He killed two Titled Douluo from our Spirit Hall! And now you still want me to stay calm?!" Bibi Dong did not spare Qian Daoliu so much as a glance.

"Hmph!" The man called Qian Daoliu was clearly furious that Bibi Dong had addressed him directly by name, but he still waved for the Titled Douluo beside him to advance and surround Lan Changsheng.

"It's useless. If I want to leave, you can't stop me." Lan Changsheng shifted position to face the two directly.

"Right, stop trying to block him here and causing more casualties. Go evacuate the people in the city." She seemed to have thought of something amusing.

Bibi Dong stared at Lan Changsheng and said, stressing each word, "While you're at it, uproot every stalk of Blue Silver Grass you see! Then burn it all to ash!"

As she spoke, Bibi Dong wore a cruel smile.

Those words did indeed make Lan Changsheng frown deeply. Throughout the battle so far, although he had not needed this Blue Silver Grass to supply him with soul power, clear goodwill had constantly flowed to him, even though this Blue Silver Grass had not formed any clear consciousness at all.

Qian Daoliu was the first to react upon hearing this. Three pairs of angelic wings unfurled behind him. "Fifth Soul Skill: Angel Holy Sword! Third Soul Skill: Whirlwind Wing Slash!"

Qian Daoliu raised the enormous Angel Holy Sword, then spun at high speed, driven by his six wings. He became a golden whirlwind, sweeping around the battlefield and shredding outward from within. Countless stalks of Blue Silver Grass were torn from the ground and pulverized by the whirlwind.

Lan Changsheng used Teleportation to appear in front of Qian Daoliu and thrust his spear, its tip clashing with the spinning Angel Holy Sword.

"Hah!" Qian Daoliu spun faster. The impact was so great that Lan Changsheng was driven back continuously, his legs plowing a deep furrow through the ground.

Bibi Dong did not remain idle either. The Spatial Blades of her sixth Soul Skill, Eternal Creation, condensed in her hands once more, and she moved behind Lan Changsheng.

At this, ten sharp blades shaped like spider legs, condensed from Blue Silver Grass, appeared behind Lan Changsheng. Only after six plunged into the ground did he finally stop sliding backward, while the remaining four fended off Bibi Dong's attacks.

He had taken inspiration from Bibi Dong's Martial Soul Avatar. Since Blue Silver Grass could condense into a spear and gather into a human form, condensing a few Spider Spears behind him worked the same way.

"Who would have thought that a bunch of the lowest weeds, not even Soul Beasts, could receive the care and protection of a Soul Beast like you, nearly a million years old and already on the path to godhood? They really are fortunate."

Bibi Dong taunted him, but her hands never stopped moving for an instant. She could sense that the Spider Spears behind Lan Changsheng were not very agile.

Under the combined assault of her and Qian Daoliu, two godhood inheritors, Lan Changsheng would definitely lose!

[Host, are you still unwilling to choose your Oath of Protection?]