Swish, swish…
Countless petals whistled through the air like sharp blades, aiming straight at John.
The lower-level fox demons couldn’t detect him, but this seventh-rank Peach Blossom Tree Monster was different-it could sense his presence.
-5000
-5000
—
His health was rapidly depleting.
John couldn’t even cast Iron Armor, and in a matter of seconds, his health dropped to just twenty thousand.
He quickly fled the range of the petals’ attack. The concealment talisman’s effect was still active, but his invisibility skill had been broken.
“An adventurer!” The seven-tailed fox demon gasped in surprise, then exclaimed excitedly, “Quick, capture him! Be careful not to kill him.”
At her command, the surrounding fox demons began to laugh seductively, their expressions filled with hunger as they lunged toward him.
John couldn’t help but feel a chill run down his spine. Despite their allure, these fox demons gave off an eerie, unsettling vibe.
Without hesitation, John attacked.
Boom, boom…
Two lightning bolts exploded among the fox demons, sending shockwaves through the air.
A few pitiful wails echoed, but none of them were killed.
These fox demons were all at least fifth or sixth rank, placing immense pressure on John.
“Come on, little one, stop resisting. Come to your sister’s embrace!” A voice, dripping with seduction, whispered in John’s ear.
It belonged to a fifth-rank elite fox demon.
“Get lost!” John roared, drawing his dagger and stabbing it into the fox demon before him. Slash!
The fox demon’s blood was a vivid, unnatural pink. A damage number floated above her.
-20714
John’s critical hit dealt over twenty thousand points of damage.
“Ouch!” The fox demon cried out, her voice soft and pitiful, exuding helplessness. “Little one, you hurt me.”
She exhaled a sweet breath, sending waves of pink mist swirling around, tinged with a sickly- sweet scent.
John felt his mind go hazy, his soul trembling slightly.
Charm!
Whoosh!
The surrounding fox demons attacked, dozens of ribbons whipping toward him, trying to ensnare him.
Suddenly, John felt a sharp pain deep within his mind, snapping him back to full awareness just in time to evade the grasping ribbons.
There was no relief in his mind, only cold sweat breaking out on his skin-what had just attacked him was a soul-based attack, not something caused by the fox demons.
“Who’s there!” John’s mind screamed in fury as he realized that something else had been lurking within him. He vaguely sensed that another soul was hiding inside his body. Suddenly, a voice echoed from the depths of his soul, “No need to thank me, little one!” John’s blood ran cold as he remembered Black Turtle’s warning.
Undead Lord!
It was the remnant soul of the Undead Lord-it had indeed been parasitizing within him all along.
“Big brother, over here!” At that moment, the Flower Fairy, Jean, called out to John, waving to him.
Surrounded by hundreds of fox demons, fluttering like graceful dancers, they wielded their silk ribbons, all aimed at ensnaring John.
John pushed aside the thought of the Remnant soul inside him, focusing instead on the immediate threat.
Whoosh!
A Rain of Fire spread across the area, shaking the ground and causing the nearby fox demons to be momentarily dazed.
Combining Fire Meteor Shower with Tremor, two powerful area-of-effect magic spells, he managed to break free from the fox demons’ grasp.
Seizing the opportunity, John quickly rushed toward Jean.
Buzz!
Light flickered as he successfully entered the protective seven-colored barrier.
Their eyes met, and John couldn’t help but swallow hard.
Jean’s long eyelashes fluttered as she curiously observed John, her eyes bright with interest.
“Hmph, you’re courting death!” came the cold voice of the seven-tailed fox demon, who sneered as she ordered the Peach Blossom Tree Monster, “Break the barrier and absorb both of them.”
John snapped back to reality, realizing that his situation had just become even more perilous. He was now trapped inside the Peach Blossom Tree Monster’s prison.
“Do you have a way to escape?” they both asked at the same time, glancing at each other in
surprise.
Jean sighed softly, her tone filled with regret, “It’s over. We’re probably both going to die here.”
John, however, smiled as he looked at the girl before him, his nose filled with the faint scent
of flowers.
Unlike the sharp and overpowering scent of the fox demons, this was a fragrance of a hundred flowers, refreshing and soothing.
“Aren’t you afraid?” he asked, noting Jean’s lack of fear.
“Of course, I’m afraid. But there’s no way out,” Jean shrugged, her expression cute and
completely devoid of any fear of death.
John, however, said, “Don’t worry, I have a plan. Just don’t resist.”
As he spoke, he began to communicate with Death Land.
Even within The Secret Area, it was possible to teleport to Death Land, though leaving Death
Land would still bring them back to the same spot, keeping them in danger.
Right now, the priority was to resolve the immediate crisis.
Boom, boom…
Several thick branches whipped through the air, smashing into the barrier, shattering it in an
instant.
But before the branches could reach them, John and Jean vanished without a trace.
“Huh, gone again?” The seven-tailed fox demon frowned, her pockmarked face looking even more hideous as she roared in anger, “Surround this place! If those two escape, I’ll turn you
all into fertilizer!”
She assumed that John had simply turned invisible again and hadn’t actually left the area.
The surrounding fox demons trembled in fear, their eyes filled with terror, as they quickly conjured up pink mist to cover the area for miles around.
The mist had a confusion effect, and if the human got caught in it, he would surely become
visible.
Rustle, rustle…
At that moment, the branches of the Peach Blossom Tree Monster swayed, and a deep, neutral voice echoed, “There was a fluctuation of spatial energy. They’re not here.”
“Escaped?” The seven-tailed fox demon frowned, her eyes burning with rage as she too
sensed the spatial disturbance.
The deep voice continued, “They’ve likely entered another space. We just need to guard this
area.”
“That’s a relief,” the seven-tailed fox demon breathed, feeling slightly reassured. As long as they hadn’t escaped entirely, she still had a chance.
The adventurer held a life force even greater than that of the Peach Blossom Tree Monster; she couldn’t afford to let him slip away.
As long as she could absorb the life force of both the adventurer and the Flower Fairy, her
power would recover to the eighth tier, with the possibility of even advancing to the
legendary Nine-Tailed Fox.
“Everyone, stay here and attack at the slightest sign of movement,” she commanded, then turned her gaze toward the two fox demons that John had seriously injured.
Thwack, thwack…
Two branches from the Peach Blossom Tree Monster shot out, piercing through the bodies of
the fox demons, greedily sucking the life force from them.
“Please, my lady, no…don’t…” The two fox demons pleaded, their voices filled with terror,
but their bodies were quickly drained dry.
The immense energy from the fox demons was channeled through the branches of the Peach Blossom Tree Monster and into the body of the seven-tailed fox demon.
She let out a moan of satisfaction, her face a picture of bliss.
The surrounding fox demons, witnessing this, recoiled in fear, not daring to approach the
range of the Peach Blossom Tree Monster.
…
In Death Land.
“Huh, this place feels so familiar and comforting!” Jean took a deep breath, her expression
one of blissful contentment as she curiously surveyed her surroundings.
She then turned to John, asking curiously, “Big brother, is this your home?”
“Sort of,” John nodded, not offering much explanation.
At that moment, his thoughts were deeply immersed in searching his mind for the trace of the
Remnant Soul.
The fact that there was another soul inside his body left him feeling very uneasy.
Yet, the Remnant Soul seemed to have vanished without a trace, leaving behind no discernible
presence.
“Big brother, can I stay here?” Jean asked, the atmosphere here giving her a warm and comforting sensation, like being cradled in a mother’s embrace.
John’s thoughts were interrupted, and he nodded, saying, “Sure.”
Jean’s face lit up with joy, and she excitedly began to play in the grass and among the flowers.
Just then, several massive figures approached quickly from a distance.
It was Black Turtle and the other beasts.
“Flower Fairy!?” Black Turtle immediately recognized Jean, his gaze burning with surprise
and delight.
The other beasts also showed expressions of joy, with friendly, even slightly ingratiating,
smiles on their faces.
Startled by the sudden appearance of the beasts, Jean instinctively hid behind John, curiously asking, “Big brother, they don’t look like good people.” John nodded in agreement, glaring angrily at Black Turtle.
“Hey, kid, why are you glaring at me like that?” Black Turtle asked, displeased as he looked at
John.
“Old man, you said collecting those herbs would be safe, but I nearly died at the hands of the
fox demons,” John replied angrily, giving a brief account of what had happened, including the lingering Remnant Soul inside him.
Black Turtle was also at a loss when it came to the issue of the Remnant Soul. His brow furrowed, and with a cold expression, he said, “Those sly fox demons! To think they dared to
collude with the werewolf tribe!”
“Black Turtle, I’ve been saying all along that those fox demons are up to no good.” “Thankfully, you foresaw this and had Godslayer rescue the Flower Fairy.”
“If the Flower Fairy had been harmed by the fox demons, the consequences would have been
unimaginable.”
The nearby beasts all cast grateful glances at John.
Black Turtle immediately became anxious, shouting, “Stop talking nonsense! I had no idea about this. Kid, this was just a coincidence.”
He quickly offered an explanation, then turned his gaze to Jean, who was standing behind
John, with a broad smile on his face. “Little girl, I’m Black Turtle of the beast clan. You’ve probably heard of me. Come here.”
Jean frowned, warily eyeing Black Turtle before responding, “I don’t know you.” Black Turtle didn’t seem to mind, keeping his friendly smile. With a wave of his hand, the
water element formed a large hand that gently wrapped around Jean, pulling her toward him.
“Ah! Big brother, help me!” Jean cried out in alarm, desperately calling to John for help. John didn’t react, knowing that Black Turtle meant no harm.
Although he wasn’t sure of Jean’s true identity, he could tell that these beasts valued her
immensely.
“Don’t be afraid, I mean no harm,” Black Turtle tried to reassure her. He glanced at John and added, “It’s you who should stay away from that human. He’s not a good person.”
John couldn’t help but feel indignant.
These beasts are so shameless, gossiping right in front of someone!
“Liar! I think you’re the bad one!” Jean retorted, her tiny hands grabbing onto Black Turtle’s
beard.
“Ow…that hurts! Let go!” Black Turtle hissed, sucking in a breath from the pain. He wanted to
act but was afraid of hurting Jean, so he hopped around in discomfort.
The other beasts turned red, holding back their laughter by recalling the saddest moments of
their lives, trying not to burst out.
John, however, had no such reservations and laughed heartily.
This little girl just avenged me!
Finally, Black Turtle managed to free himself from Jean’s grip. His already sparse beard was
now nearly bald.
“Big brother,” Jean called out, once again hiding behind John, peeking out with just half of her face as she glared at Black Turtle.