[Skill: Copy (SS-rank)]

While the red-eyed spider grew frantic at being unable to find its target, Xin Jiu gripped her military bayonet and drove it hard into its abdomen.

The spider writhed in pain.

Xin Jiu held on to the blade, carving a long gash through the spider's abdomen. Foul-smelling liquid flowed out.

Unable to stand the stench, Xin Jiu rolled away.

The liquid sizzled as it touched the ground. It was corrosive?

The spider Yin Lingzi had summoned was formidable. Even with such severe injuries, it could still lash out at Xin Jiu with its forelegs.

Xin Jiu had no choice but to use the skill Qingming had given her, [Fox Dream Flowing Fireflies]. Although it was only a trial version, it still blocked the impact of the spider's forelegs.

Without that skill, the bones in her arms would probably have been shattered!

Seizing the opening, she used [Beast Claw Light Boots] to leap onto the spider's head, then raised her bayonet, plunged it precisely into its brain, and twisted it viciously.

The red-eyed spider let out a piercing shriek and crashed to the ground.

[Red-eyed spider killed. Points +3,000]

[Yin Lingzi's rage: 95%]

Bubu fluttered its little wings excitedly. With the limited skill cards and weapons available on the second floor, she had already done so well. She would definitely be able to help it get revenge in the future!

Seeing Xin Jiu dispatch the red-eyed spider so easily, Yin Lingzi's expression darkened further.

"Then try this!"

This time, a swarm of bees appeared, twenty in total, each half as tall as a person.

Without waiting for Yin Lingzi's command, the swarm surrounded Xin Jiu from all directions, then pointed their rear ends at her, exposing their gleaming stingers.

"..."

Having so many rear ends pointed at her felt so strange.

Xin Jiu's gaze grew focused. If those venomous stingers hit her, she would probably turn into a hedgehog.

Should I use [Bubble Cage] if all else fails?

She dismissed the thought as soon as it crossed her mind. Although Bubble Cage could trap them, the bees were so fast that even a 30% reduction would not do much.

Besides, their attacks did not rely on speed.

While the swarm was still readying its stingers, Xin Jiu used [Monkey's Eye].

She stared at the largest bee, the queen, ahead and to her right.

[Perception: 19]

There's a chance.

It was a little embarrassing, but with her life on the line, she could not worry about that. She whipped out her slingshot as fast as she could and fired a shot at the queen bee's backside.

The queen bee turned around.

Now!

She quickly blew the queen bee a kiss.

[You have used the skill 'Let's Blow a Kiss']

[The queen bee has become your slave. Please issue its first command.]

The livestream chat filled with question marks.

Yin Lingzi: "..."

If you can't win, you can't win. What's with blowing kisses? Doesn't this human know a honey trap won't work across species?

Yet the very next second...

Pink bubbles suddenly appeared in the menacing queen bee's eyes.

Xin Jiu issued her first command mentally.

[Everyone, attack Yin Lingzi.]

The queen bee buzzed twice, then turned toward Yin Lingzi.

Before Yin Lingzi's disbelieving eyes, every bee pointed its rear end at him.

Their stingers were almost fully charged already. At the queen bee's command, twenty forearm-thick stingers shot toward Yin Lingzi, who sat high on the platform.

Yin Lingzi had not expected this turn of events. His handsome face cracked, and he instinctively raised his arms to block. Xin Jiu watched the stingers pass straight through his body and shoot toward the stone wall behind him.

That wasn't his true body?

Although he had suffered no damage, being attacked by his own summons was a humiliation that enraged Yin Lingzi more than any physical injury.

He trembled with fury. "Damned insects! Damned human!"

His pale green eyes looked as though they were about to catch fire!

[Yin Lingzi's rage: 100%]

[Hidden quest 'Wrath of the God of Escape' completed]

[Congratulations to player Xin Jiu on obtaining the skill: Copy (SS-rank)]

[Skill description: Copy any one player's skill. Cooldown: 15 days. Can be upgraded.]

[Tip: Wow, this is a skill you can use all the way into the late game. I'm so jealous!]

SS-rank!

Although its cooldown was a full fifteen days, its effect was downright heaven-defying!

"I'll kill you, then grind you into powder bit by bit!" Yin Lingzi roared.

Xin Jiu smiled. "Save it. If you could leave that seat, you'd have come down and crushed me yourself long ago. Why bother summoning all those useless things?"

She had not finished answering those three questions earlier. If she had, she would probably have faced something terrifying.

Yin Lingzi froze.

Xin Jiu asked again, "Your true body isn't even here, is it?"

[Holy crap, how did I miss that?!]

[Right, if an ancient demon god wanted to kill Jiujiu, why go to all this trouble?]

[A smokescreen? Or an illusion?]

[I was wondering why an NPC with so much aura had his ass glued to his seat and wouldn't move an inch.]

Yin Lingzi's expression shifted uncertainly.

But he made no further move.

Xin Jiu pressed her advantage and continued, "Is your true body hiding at the top of the tower?"

At the mention of the tower's top, a trace of... fear flashed through Yin Lingzi's pale green eyes?

Xin Jiu was shaken. He's afraid?

Why?

After a few seconds of silence, Yin Lingzi returned to his earlier languid manner, as though his fury and fear had never appeared.

"What an irritating human."

He raised his hand slightly, seemingly about to summon something else.

"Don't waste your energy. No matter how many things you summon, they won't beat me."

"You're certainly confident," Yin Lingzi scoffed.

"It's not really confidence. I'll be straight with you: I have a skill Qingming gave me."

Yin Lingzi's eyes widened in disbelief. "That damned fox actually gave you a skill?"

Doesn't he hate humans too?

Xin Jiu did not want to answer that question and said directly, "Can you give me his fan now?"

"Heh... You still dare bring up the fan? If that damned fox hadn't stolen my treasure first, why would I have taken his fan? One item for another. It's perfectly fair."

Xin Jiu: "..."

Qingming was actually a thief crying thief. Seriously... that fox really wasn't an honest fox!

"That's a dispute between the two of you. I'm here today for the fan."

She did not care what complications lay between them.

She only wanted the fan.

Yin Lingzi seemed about to lose his temper again, but the next second, he suddenly stopped.

Then, as though someone were speaking into his ear, he tilted his head slightly to listen, his brows drawing tightly together.

A moment later, he looked back at Xin Jiu and Bubu, his gaze icy. "Human, little one, you're lucky today. I'm about to leave, but I'll be waiting for you on the twenty-fifth floor. Make sure you come."

So his true body was on the twenty-fifth floor?

Xin Jiu met his gaze. "I'll be there. And when I get there, I'll kill your true body."

Yin Lingzi sneered, his body gradually blurring. The ginkgo tree behind him and the platform beneath him disappeared along with him.

Xin Jiu shouted, "Hey, wait! What about the fan?!"

An utterly nasty smile appeared on Yin Lingzi's nearly transparent face.

Still want the fan? Dream on!