Once the killing array was activated, it was difficult to distinguish friend from foe.
While Qimeng could still handle it with ease, Yinzhi could not bear it, so Qimeng directly ordered her to retreat first.
“Understood, Lord Spirit Lord!”
Yinzhi complied and quietly activated her Tree Vein Spirit Rune, slipping away from the battlefield through the root system of the main tree.
With no more worries holding her back, Qimeng let loose!
Executing her Hazy Moon Step, she moved like a ghost through the forest, her black demonic blade—infused with 【Myriad Manifestations: Butter Slash】—whirling like the wind!
Squelch! Squelch! Squelch!
Any demon touched by the black demonic blade was sliced in half along with their weapons!
“Devour... Plunder!”
Pure white roots spread out in all directions, devouring and plundering the corpses of the demons, turning them all into nourishing supplements!
Meanwhile, the other three Extraordinary Rank commanders under the Demon Prince became the primary targets of Qimeng's attention.
Realizing that things were going south, they each unleashed their life-saving traits to fight back desperately!
“Die, tree demon! 【Rock Demon Earth-Shatter】!”
“【Shadow Slaying Wind】!”
Surrounded by the Black Thorn Legion, they managed to tear open a path of survival!
However, in the face of a cheat-like, defense-ignoring skill like 【Zero Friction】, their life-saving methods appeared utterly laughable.
One Extraordinary Rank commander was warily scanning his surroundings when suddenly, Qimeng's figure materialized out of thin air within the mirror-like reflection of a nearby ice crystal!
The black demonic blade swept past gracefully...
Squelch!
His life-saving hardening trait was completely useless; both he and his armor were instantly sliced in half!
The other two Extraordinary Rank commanders were scared out of their wits, unleashing their life-saving skills with everything they had in a wild barrage!
But against Qimeng, who moved like a phantom with 【Hazy Moon Step】, all resistance was futile.
Squelch! Squelch!
The black demonic blade sliced through them like butter, and their bodies collapsed to the ground one after another!
With that, the three Extraordinary Rank commanders were slain one by one, their bodies completely devoured by the pure white roots!
Including the commander killed at the very beginning, she had obtained a total of four Extraordinary Rank magical beast corpses!
It was truly a massive harvest!
【Species Rank Limit Broken! Low-tier Extraordinary Rank!】
However, her base level did not break through along with it.
To truly step into the Extraordinary Rank, she had to first temper her physical body with majestic mana!
Fortunately, after plundering the memory fragments of the Extraordinary Rank magical beasts, Qimeng understood the insights of mana body-tempering perfectly, leaving no need for her to figure it out on her own.
Following the path in her memory, she guided the majestic mana within her body into her physical flesh.
As the opportunity for breakthrough was triggered, it instantly brought an agonizing, heart-wrenching pain!
“Ugh...!!”
Qimeng's delicate body shuddered, her small face turning deathly pale as the sharp pain pierced deep into her bones!
“This mana tempering... is unreasonably painful?!”
Cold sweat broke out on Qimeng's forehead, but relying on her sheer mental willpower, she suppressed the intense pain within her body!
“Forget it, the battle isn't fully wrapped up yet.”
“Once I finish tallying the spoils of war, I'll return to my territory and slowly temper my base level.”
Qimeng suppressed the pain, wiped the blood from her blade, and walked out of the mist with light steps.
At this moment, the dense forest was dead silent.
The four Extraordinary Rank powerhouses under the Demon Prince were completely wiped out!
The three hundred elite regular soldiers were completely wiped out!
And those bounty-greedy demons had all been turned into fertilizer!
Only the trembling Demon Prince and a dozen or so surviving personal guards behind him remained in the forest.
“How is this possible... How can you be so strong?!”
The Demon Prince's legs shook, his face filled with terror.
“This lord always keeps her word when she says she will annihilate you all.”
Qimeng approached step by step, holding her black blade.
“W-Wait! This prince surrenders! Stop!!”
The Demon Prince broke down, falling to his knees with a thud.
“I will agree to any conditions you have! That Spirit Maiden is yours! Just spare my life! The bounty of five hundred magic stones and the title of nobility was issued by me; once I die, it becomes void! So if you kill me, you won't get the bounty!”
“Oh? The life of a grand Demon Prince is only worth five hundred Advanced magic stones?”
Qimeng pressed the tip of her blade against his neck.
“No! I will personally add another five hundred Advanced magic stones! To buy my life! This is everything I have on me!”
In a panic, the Demon Prince pulled out a sub-spatial beast-hide pouch and offered it with both hands.
Qimeng took the beast-hide pouch and scanned it. Inside were miscellaneous magic stones and potions, along with five hundred Advanced magic stones—indeed a valuable stash of resources.
While killing the Demon Prince would be satisfying, without a living person to verify it, the bounty might be treated as stolen and rejected when trying to claim it at the demon camp.
But if she let him go, failing to eliminate the threat completely would leave a potential hazard for the future.
Qimeng squeezed the beast-hide pouch, falling into deep thought.
“Um, as long as you don't kill me, I am willing to sign a master-servant contract with you! I will pledge my lifelong loyalty to you!”
To save his own life, the Demon Prince hurriedly prostrated himself on the ground and shouted.
A master-servant contract?
Qimeng sized up the Demon Prince's swollen, pig-like face and disheveled appearance. Filled with disgust, she flatly refused.
“No way. This lord's vassals are all beautiful girls. You're not worthy!”
“I—I swear I will never betray you! Truly, please don't kill me!”
The Demon Prince was so anxious he was on the verge of tears.
Qimeng curled her lips. The minds of the living were far too complex; no contract or oath was as reliable as a dead man.
Wait... a dead man?
“I originally thought this trait belonging to evil magical beasts would never find a use.”
Qimeng suddenly giggled, a strange gleam flashing through her eyes.
【Flesh Parasitic Beast】
This was a rare magical beast trait that fed a parasitic beast with life force!
It required harsh conditions.
The parasitic beast's medium parasite core, an intact magical beast corpse, and a massive supply of life force and mana!
And at this very moment, all of these conditions were fully met!
“Y-You... What are you talking about?! What is that you're holding?!”
Seeing a parasite core radiating wood patterns and a red glow materialize in Qimeng's palm, the Demon Prince trembled uncontrollably!
“Rest in peace, Lord Demon Prince.”
Smiling, Qimeng suddenly thrust her black blade forward!
Squelch!
The pitch-black long blade pierced straight through the Demon Prince's heart!
“You... You...”
The Demon Prince's eyes bulged, his face filled with resentment as he collapsed and breathed his last!
“My lord! The Demon Prince is dead!”
The remaining dozen or so personal guards were scared out of their wits, turning to flee!
However, the pure white roots spreading across the sky impaled them, instantly draining and plundering them to become nourishment for the Demon Tree!
With the battlefield cleared, Qimeng walked over to the Demon Prince's corpse and pressed the parasite core in her hand into his ruptured heart.
Hum!
Red and green interwoven array lines spread across the corpse.
At the Demon Prince's ruptured heart, the Flesh Parasitic Beast revived and broke through its shell, extending sprouts of flesh that dug into the ventricles, stitching and tightening the wound!
The Demon Prince, who had already stopped breathing, had a heartbeat echoing from his chest once more!
The next moment, the Demon Prince opened his eyes!
A faint green light flashed in his pupils, and the patterns on his chest were concealed, looking like a mere scar.
Although his body showed no signs of being alive, under the drive of the parasitic beast, his internal mana and mental fluctuations were identical to when he was alive!
As long as his collar was fastened tightly, no one would ever detect the existence of the parasitic beast.
The Demon Prince knelt on one knee before Qimeng with deep respect.
“This subordinate... greets my lord.”
Qimeng glanced at the shell controlled by the parasitic beast.
Although his voice was slightly stiff, it wouldn't be an issue as long as he practiced more.
With this, the potential hazard was eliminated!
And since the Demon Prince was still “alive,” he could personally lead Qimeng to the demon camp to claim the magic stones and the title of nobility!
Rate on N.U.
