Just ahead of Bibi Dong and her party, the clear skies suddenly darkened as a fierce black wind howled across the horizon.
The wind screamed like wailing ghosts, swirling and condensing into a massive black mist that blotted out the sun and completely engulfed the Lake of Life.
From within the fog came a voice—icy, bone-chilling:
"Human… you dare trespass here. Die."
"Who's playing ghost tricks in there?!"
Bibi Dong halted, her expression darkening. She shouted coldly, her voice sharp and commanding.
Before her words fully faded, she decisively unleashed her sixth soul skill:
"Sixth Soul Skill—Bloodsucking Spider Thorn!"
In an instant, tens of thousands of venom-laced spider thorns—imbued with the Death Spider Emperor's poison—shot forth like a torrential downpour toward the black mist.
Under the sunlight, the sharp thorns gleamed with deadly light.
The mist was pierced, briefly dispersing a small section.
But in the blink of an eye, it surged back like a tidal wave—dense and endless.
Bibi Dong's eyes narrowed in shock.
"It's huge…" Chrysanthemum Douluo gasped.
"Ghost Shadow Silk Line."
Ghost Douluo raised both hands, firing a jet-black line of energy into the mist. It created a ripple… and then disappeared without a trace.
His expression twisted with fear—he felt utterly powerless.
The last time he had felt this kind of crushing helplessness was back in Spirit Hall… when they'd faced Xiao Yan.
"Be careful. This could be a soul beast beyond two hundred thousand years. Stay close—we charge together," Bibi Dong ordered, her voice low and guarded.
She dared not be careless now. Immediately, she activated her fourth soul skill:
"Fourth Soul Skill—Thistle Spider Armor!"
In a flash, dozens of one-meter-long dark purple spikes erupted from her body like bamboo shoots after rain.
Her entire body was encased in a thick, heavy armor of purple chitin.
Without hesitation, Bibi Dong dove into the black mist. The moment she entered, her expression changed drastically.
A terrifying discovery hit her—her soul power was being rapidly corroded by a strange blue-green flame hidden within the mist!
Her heart sank. She hadn't expected this seemingly ordinary fog to contain such devastating power.
"Not good! This black mist can actually erode our soul power!"
Chrysanthemum and Ghost Douluo, who had followed her inside, turned pale and cried out in alarm.
If this went on, the two of them wouldn't last long.
Meanwhile, Lin Feng—hidden in the shadows—was calmly directing his Green Lotus Core Flame, disguising it as the mist.
Seeing Bibi Dong and her group flailing inside the fog, he smirked inwardly.
Let you escape? That's wishful thinking.
Right now, Bibi Dong was forced to both fend off the corrosive mist and protect A Rou in her grasp. She was clearly overwhelmed.
Struggling within the black mist, Bibi Dong finally spoke:
"Who are you? We have no feud. Why stop us?"
A cold voice replied:
"Humans attacking soul beasts… need a reason?"
At that moment, Da Ming and Er Ming finally arrived.
Without hesitation, they charged straight into the mist.
Surprisingly, the strange black fog didn't harm them in the slightest.
Their minds held only one thought—Aunt Rou.
Following her familiar scent, they quickly spotted her, still clutched in Bibi Dong's hand.
Their eyes instantly turned blood red with rage.
"Let Aunt Rou go!!" they roared.
Chrysanthemum Douluo's face twisted in disbelief. "These two soul beasts… aren't affected by the mist?!"
Bibi Dong, too, was growing anxious.
If the situation dragged on any longer, she and her two elders might not make it out alive.
Cradled weakly in Bibi Dong's arms, A Rou caught sight of Da Ming and Er Ming and murmured with fragile breath:
Though faint, her voice struck their hearts like a hammer.
The two soul beasts became even more frantic.
Da Ming spoke gravely, "Er Ming, let's move. Be careful not to harm Aunt Rou!"
His lantern-sized eyes gleamed with fierce light as soul power surged around him.
Waves of golden light swept out rapidly.
Wherever they passed, everything… slowed.
Chrysanthemum and Ghost Douluo were horrified.
"Martial Soul Avatar!"
Both erupted with energy, instantly transforming into their true martial soul states.
Er Ming roared in defiance.
His already massive body bulked up even more—dense black muscle swelled outward like jagged stone hills.
A shockwave of immense pressure slammed down from the sky, crashing directly onto the two elders.
Under the force of both domains, Chrysanthemum and Ghost Douluo dropped to one knee, coughing up blood.
"Your Holiness… save us!!" they cried desperately, clinging to the last threads of life as their vitality drained rapidly—under pressure from both the domains and the black mist's flames.
Bibi Dong looked at them… then at the gravely injured A Rou in her arms.
Her face darkened further.
These two elders were still valuable to her. Losing them would be a major blow to Spirit Hall.
As for the hundred-thousand-year soul ring… she could always come back for it later.
After a brief moment of hesitation, she gritted her teeth and flung A Rou high into the air.
Da Ming and Er Ming immediately dispelled their domains and leapt forward to catch her.
Taking advantage of their distraction, Bibi Dong unleashed a soul skill.
A wave of black toxin burst from her body, creating a thick, blinding cloud.
Within the cover, she carved a bloody path through the mist, dragging her two elders behind her as she fled.
A cold voice echoed after her: "Trying to escape?"
The black mist surged forward, chasing them through the forest.
Er Ming caught her gently and asked anxiously, "Are you alright?!"
A Rou slowly opened her eyes. Seeing Da Ming and Er Ming, her face softened with relief.
Then she glanced skyward toward the black mist.
In a tired voice, she called out:
"Mister Black Mist… that's enough. Don't pursue them anymore."
Lin Feng heard her and calmly halted.
He hadn't planned to chase them anyway. Even if he caught up, he couldn't win.
While the Green Lotus Core Flame was powerful, it consumed his energy too.
That last release had nearly drained all the stored soul power in the flame.
From the sky, the black mist slowly descended, shrinking and condensing until it formed the figure of a black-robed man—Lin Feng in disguise—now standing in Er Ming's palm.
Lying in his grasp, A Rou looked up at him with deep gratitude.
"Thank you… for saving us."
The black-robed Lin Feng responded coolly:
"We're all soul beasts. I simply couldn't stomach the way humans act with such arrogance."
Da Ming and Er Ming also looked grateful, though tinged with curiosity.
"Mister… what kind of soul beast are you? We've lived in the Star Dou Great Forest for many years, but we've never seen a soul beast like you."
The man in black smiled.
"I am the Black Mist Vine, a two-hundred-thousand-year soul beast. You may call me Heishan. This is my first time visiting the Star Dou Great Forest."
"I've heard it's the greatest sanctuary for soul beasts… and seeing how many hundred-thousand-year soul beasts dwell here, I'm convinced."
Er Ming beamed with pride. "Of course!"
Da Ming's massive head dipped low in awe. "Two hundred thousand years… You've survived a heavenly tribulation?!"
That was their dream.
But before they could rest easy, A Rou's complexion suddenly paled.
She coughed up a mouthful of blood.
With a shriek of agony, a spider burst forth from her abdomen, tearing through her flesh.
Da Ming and Er Ming were stunned.
Rage and sorrow filled their hearts.
Lin Feng rushed to inspect the wound, only to sigh helplessly:
"…She's beyond saving."
"That woman—before fleeing—planted something inside her. A final trick."
His voice carried deep regret.
Da Ming and Er Ming's hearts shattered. Tears welled up in their massive eyes.
Their anguished roar echoed across the forest.
"AAAAHHH!! Humans—I'll kill you all!!"
Nearby low-ranked soul beasts fled in panic, not daring to approach.
Despite the pain, A Rou whispered:
"Don't… grieve… Da Ming, Er Ming… please… protect Xiao Wu…"
"…Mister Heishan… I have one final request."
"If possible… I hope you'll become Xiao Wu's uncle…"
"…What?" Lin Feng blinked, taken aback.
You're entrusting your child to a total stranger you just met today? Really?
"Aunt Rou!!" Da Ming and Er Ming wept like children, despite their towering forms.
A Rou wanted to say more, but her body failed her.
Lin Feng could only make out fragments.
"…If you can… please… protect her… forever grateful…"
Before the final words left her lips, her breath ceased.
Only her kind, gentle eyes remained open.
"…Alright. I promise."
Lin Feng sighed softly and gently closed her eyes with his hand.
Above her body, a faint red soul ring floated slowly into the air, radiating a warm and tender energy.
But sadly, this spirit ring could only be absorbed by Bibi Dong.
All Lin Feng could do was watch it drift away.
"AAAAGGHH!! I'll avenge Aunt Rou!!"
Er Ming roared to the heavens, his voice filled with grief and fury.
"That woman… must be Spirit Hall's Pope—Bibi Dong," Lin Feng said seriously.
"Spirit Hall's influence is vast. They're guarded by elite forces and even Limit Douluo. We're not their match… not yet."
Upon hearing this, Da Ming and Er Ming fell silent.
They simply stared at A Rou's lifeless body.
No one spoke for a long while.
"…Brother… let's go back. Xiao Wu's still waiting for us," Da Ming finally said, forcing himself to stay composed.
Right now, they had something even more important to do.
It was A Rou's final wish.
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