There hasn't been a day where Liu Erlong doesn't get angry by the end of it. It's just in her nature but she was utterly outraged at the moment, "Your beast god ain't shit!" She scowled, baring her sharp canines while already in her spirit transformation, her kingly draconic aura mighty enough to make the opponent flinch briefly as her draconic image was easily matched by the purple-headed woman.
"Beast God..." Although reluctant, making her opponents confused, Zi Ji blushed slightly, "Is the strongest..." All her momentum when she faced off against this Infernal Dragon King faltered as she looked more like a meek, stumbling girl than a fierce spirit beast in the human skin, "And don't you dare sully his name!"
And there it was. Her anger returned. Even if her perfection was marred with one odd scale removed from the center of her collarbone, her dark purple eyes revealed a fearsome killing intent that matched Erlong's maddening one.
"Well... my teammate... i-is the s-s-strongest..." It was Erlong's turn to lose all her momentum and act like a meek girl before her rage returned, "And no fucking god of yours is going to make him grovel!"
"Wow... it's like..." Oscar muttered.
"Mirrored clones..." Xie Xan nodded as Hu Lana chimed, "Come on, we're leaving the two of them behind."
The duo nodded and followed quickly. This argument has been going on for more than 10 minutes now so there wasn't any point in even bothering to watch this.
Bibi Dong only continued to look at the contents of the parchment with... well, complicated emotions in her heart. There was no doubt from the 'messenger' named Zi Ji's tone that she believed the Beast God had someone important to them captured and understood that he wanted to have fun. There was a war going on, but no, he wanted to have fun... but he was also as childish as ever and wasn't able to contain it as stated in the parchment that even Zi Ji hadn't opened.
— I got your man, now bring that booty over.—
It was simple, concise, and most infuriating. No penmanship. Crude. Self-indulging. Perverted. Bibi Dong and Ah Yin who had read the letter could practically see his face etched with a lurid grin on the parchment itself. But she wouldn't deny the tiniest part of her that was at least relieved that he was alive. No doubt, he'll live. Villains and scums live for the longest period... but she was glad. Excited even. A bit bothered in the right way and slightly eager to truly, as he so poetically penned it down— bring that booty over.
But finally, the most materialistic part of her was drooling in every single manner. If it's true... if her thoughts are true... if he has accomplished something that she couldn't have even imagined...
"You've got a dirty smile, Teach," Ah Yin muttered idly, walking alongside Bibi Dong, "And Erlong, if you keep fighting your clone, you'll be late to meet with him!"
"Shut it! She's not my clone!" Erlong pointed at Zi Ji.
"If anything, I'm superior!" Zi Ji snarled.
"Hehe, I wonder if he missed us so much he found a copy of us each," Hu Lana snickered.
"Oh, that's fun to think about," Xie Xan muttered.
Bibi Dong and Ah Yin couldn't help but frown for a second.
This... couldn't be true, right?
"Still... is it wise to enter the enemy territory?" Yuehua whispered with a cautious expression. They had left the safety of the army in the Heaven Dou Empire and were marching towards the so-called King's Lair without an ounce of protection all on the words of that Zi Ji.
"If you read the letter... you'd understand. It's either him... or someone took over him. Either way... my current rank may not be close to master but we had a long discussion... and I know why. He had the same one with Ka-ul."
Bibi Dong sighed softly. Ah Yin was quite clear about her abilities with her aside from Qian Daoliu and she had to admit it, with Ja Sun gone... she really was the team's hidden ace. But after breaking through, many changes were also clear on Ah Yin. She felt liberated... for some reason. Bibi Dong didn't know why but she'd caught Ah Yin eyeing her for some time now. As if she wanted to explain something but held back for some reason.
Maybe his appearance can clear that, too.
Seeing Ah Yin and Bibi Dong so certain with not only their intuitions but also their skills in case something went wrong, Yuehua could only sigh and smile, thinking about Ja Sun herself for some time. She was his only disciple of sorts... would he be the least bit satisfied by her progress with not only her cultivation but also her communication with her Clear Phoenix?
"I don't think a spirit beast can really dispense tofu... so can there be any equivalent of me in the ranks of spirit beasts?" Oscar finally questioned after a long thought. His question not only stumped others but also successfully halted the argument between Zi Ji and Erlong.
"Hehe, you have none~" Jun'er chimed, snuggling against Oscar as Zi Ji's brows and nose wrinkled with disgust... she had thought that Ah Yin would be similar to Ja Yin... but no, the golden one took after this person.
"Hmph," Snorting, Zi Ji picked her pace, "Beast God is quite intent on devouring the human lands so tread carefully. One wrong word and I'll have mu claws tearing through your hearts," Her chilling gaze landed on the group as Erlong was about to take the challenge only for Yuehua to grasp her shoulder and shake her head in denial.
Of course, Bibi Dong hadn't revealed to others specifically that she considered the two beings the same but Yuehua and others... well, everyone except Erlong was somewhat aware due to her own vague responses. If anything else, Zi Ji should also be aware but... she just seemed testy around Erlong. It could be because of their origin. Erlong's martial soul repressed draconic spirit masters and spirit beasts to a certain extent.
But Zi Ji's reactions... also gave Bibi Dong certain other thoughts that made her suppress a groan. No, she mustn't let loose... after all... 'Hehe... he's waiting with a delicious empire...'
Her almost striking smirk returned over her lips as she slipped into the world of dreams of what she can achieve just by having such control... and she could also enjoy a lot. After all, she was at the cusp of becoming a Titled Douluo... and they had certain ties to knot which would lead to certain promises to be filled rather well.
Their travel lasted for three days. When not silent, Zi Ji would butt her heads with Erlong. A fight did occur between them but it was mostly with a distinct lack of spirit skills where Zi Ji used brute strength and revealed her rather bestial nature while Liu Erlong, too, used brute strength at first but when she realized her strength was nowhere near close to the already suppressed Zi Ji in her human form, she began to use techniques...
"What a pathetic sight... a monarch martial soul wasted on a runt," Zi Ji scoffed as Erlong glared at her... bandaged and still recovering with Ah Yin refusing to assist since Erlong shouldn't have stupidly decided to even it out with fists when the other party was a 100000-year-old beast and a strong one at that!
Zi Ji had bragged... oh, she did. The Dragon of Ruin. The caller of the abyss. The one molded in the night... and many things more. But she also had the strength to back it... yet, when asked why such a mighty beast would turn subservient to the Beast God... Zi Ji grew silent. Once again revealing a scowl and a maiden-like expression that made Bibi Dong's and Ah Yin's lips twitch.
Yet, the official Fiancee of the person they thought now ruled the forest simply smiled at that, shrugging and walking along.
They soon reached King's Lair, or at least, its entrance. Zi Ji looked at the vegetation that shrouded an incomparably massive space. She truly may have come to respect the new Beast God's strength and how patient he actually can be while teaching even the likes of Violet... but even he cannot form a whole world. No... it was the being within the lake. It was her doing. But Zi Ji couldn't possibly hope to admire and respect someone whom she hadn't seen even once. Instead, she found his growth... enchanting. His spirit rank hadn't grown at all after the end of their battle but something was brewing within him.
Something she and other spirit beasts already had... something even the blue-haired woman who Ja Yin copied had due to her bestial origin which she couldn't hide from the likes of Zi Ji...
She felt laws brewing within him. Not one or two... but many laws. He refused to take shards of a single law in the form of spirit skills and form a complete fragment of the law that would make him a proper master, no. Strangely, and dangerously, he weaves multiple shards across the various laws.
Spirit Beasts usually gain mastery of the law in the attribute which they were most well-versed in, but him... he would rather put forming and comprehending his law on hold just to master a shard of law which he felt attracted to. He simply couldn't help but want it all.
Such greed... such capacity... such need... all of it that surpassed even the likes of her... it was threatening and beautiful. Something, someone she couldn't look away from and Zi Ji knew it for a fact that many felt the same.
"Well? Lost?" Erlong scoffed.
"No, we shall wait until he allows my entry..." Zi Ji replied, growing calm now that they were this close. Whatever she thought, she didn't dare reveal it this close to him... he should never know about her reverence or the jokes that would follow would be tedious!
"You cannot enter?" Bibi Dong frowned.
"I could before... but the Beast God has taken a shine to constantly study the array that hides the King's Lair. Thus, he also made some changes recently. The first one is that any who tries to force their way in would be attacked by his remnant divine intent—"
"You mean his intent can sense us?" Ah Yin frowned and took a step forward.
Zi Ji's eyes widened as she called out, "Stop—"
But nothing happened.
Ah Yin turned and looked back, "And you didn't suspect he would try to make a fool of us by just letting us believe that we'll have to stay here until he calls us? This is a prank... an easy one at that. We are invited already, remember?"
Zi Ji's lips parted... it was true.
They were already invited... how could she have not seen it coming.
Bibi Dong smirked and took a step forward, following with ease.
Yet, when Xie Xan and others followed, they were surrounded by multiple vines that stunned Erlong, Yuehua, Ah Yin, Bibi Dong, and Zi Ji.
"Haha, how funny," Hu Lana scoffed and forced her way out of the vines yet failed, making her hiss.
"I left Xie Yue back with your master! If I find out that grandmaster fed him some insect while I'm here wasting my time—"
The vines parted naturally as others rolled their eyes.
But their sense of ease was soon broken when multiple heavy intents swept over them. The King's Lair was certainly beautiful. The spiritual air increased their pace of cultivation slightly. There was a hint of freshness in the surroundings... but all of their hearts shuddered at the sheer number of sources of such terrifying might.
Liu Erlong, who had understood, or at least thought she understood, and others couldn't help but question themselves deeply...
How did he actually control this location?!
***
Shoutout to Ulesys, j n, No Title, and Judd!!
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