Chapter 167: An Unexpected Way to Die
"Jin Ling, Feiyan!"
Just as Jin Ling was about to crush the Bubble Fruit, a crimson glow filled his vision. Qiao Xixi appeared, riding that halo of light. It was just like that first time, when he thought death was his only way out—she had once again appeared in his world, bringing with her light and a future.
"Xixi..."
Feiyan was gravely injured, the last of his strength nearly gone, but that familiar voice snapped him back to his senses.
Opening his eyes, he saw her—the one he had long since given his heart to, the one he yearned for day and night...
"System, I need to use the Freezing Skill to stop that Golden Eagle Beast!"
"Yes, Host! Privilege exchanged for: Freezing Skill!"
Jin Hui’s sharp claws froze in midair, and his entire body became immobilized.
Jin Hui looked up, his pupils constricting as he watched the crimson halo draw closer.
"The Sky-Swallowing Serpent..."
Sunxiao shot forward, opened his cavernous mouth, and swallowed Jin Hui whole.
Jin Hui’s eyes widened in disbelief. Even at the moment of his death, he couldn’t understand how he had actually lost.
"Father! Father Jin Ling!"
Qiao Lie leaped off Sunxiao’s back and effortlessly hoisted both Jin Ling and Feiyan onto the massive serpent.
"Qiaoqiao, hurry."
Seeing how gravely injured they were, Qiao Qiao sadly held back her tears. She took hold of each of them with her small hands and began her treatment.
Qiao Lie and Qiao Ang sat behind Jin Ling, propping him up, while Qiao Xixi held Feiyan to keep him steady.
Feiyan struggled to open his eyes, his gaze locking onto her face.
"Xixi, I’m fine... I’m just... a little tired. I just want to sleep for a while..."
Qiao Xixi felt a sting in her nose as she watched him act strong. ’This idiot. He never plays the pity card when he should, but when he shouldn’t, he puts on a bigger act than anyone.’
"I know you’re the toughest. Now stop talking and let Qiaoqiao focus on healing you."
Feiyan closed his eyes. He truly had no strength left to speak. He had only forced out those words because he was afraid of upsetting Qiao Xixi.
What Qiao Xixi didn’t know was that at that very moment, another great battle was unfolding on the banks of the Black Water River in the Hopeless Abyss.
Sangze’s figure all but melted into the darkness. In his hand, he held the severed head of a male Hua Bao beastman.
With a nonchalant expression, Sangze tossed the head to the ground and stomped on it. Brains splattered instantly.
"How filthy."
Baili and Songyan’s faces turned grim. He had dared to sadistically slaughter a beastman from the Divine Leopard Tribe right in front of them.
Sangze languidly raised his eyes to look at them. "Come at me together. I need to get back to my little female so I can hold her while I sleep."
"Arrogant bastard! Die!"
Baili roared in fury, transformed into a white tiger, and lunged at Sangze.
Songyan’s figure flashed, and he appeared behind Sangze. They attacked simultaneously from the front and back in a pincer move. Both unleashed the power of a 10-star beast soul, intending to trap him. But just as their energy was about to strike, the dark figure flickered and vanished.
Baili and Songyan quickly tried to pull back their attacks, but it was too late. The energy erupted, blasting both of them backward.
"Fighting amongst yourselves? Don’t tell me you’ve been itching to get at each other for a while now?"
At some point, Sangze had reappeared behind them.
The scar on Baili’s face grew even more fearsome. With a tiger’s roar, he slammed his paw into the ground. The earth instantly shattered, fissures deep enough to swallow a man spiderwebbing outward.
Sangze shifted into his beast form and closed the distance to Baili in a few bounds, his sharp claws swiping toward the tiger’s eyes.
Baili tried to dodge, but a thick black fog rapidly enveloped him. It was as if he had been plunged into an endless, dark vortex; he wanted to escape, but there was nowhere to run.
Just as the claws were about to pierce his eyes, a powerful force struck, shattering the fog. In the next instant, Songyan slammed into Baili, knocking him back to his senses.
Songyan’s face was grave. He could clearly feel that Sangze was even stronger than he had been years ago. "We have to drag this out until dawn."
"Right."
"Everyone, attack him together!"
The beastmen who had followed them swarmed forward.
Sangze sneered. "In such a hurry to die? Fine, I’ll grant your wish."
A black shadow darted among the beastmen, followed by a constant stream of agonized screams.
As the night grew deeper, Baili and Songyan didn’t dare to relax for a second.
But as they watched more and more of their beastmen fall, their expressions grew uglier.
"The sky will brighten after the deepest dark of night! Everyone, hold on!"
A white light flared from Baili, and his tiger form swelled to several times its original size. He raised a massive paw and stomped down viciously on Sangze. Caught off guard while fighting Songyan, Sangze was pinned beneath it.
A triumphant glint appeared in Baili’s eyes. He pressed down with all his might, grinding Sangze into the earth.
"Sangze, let’s see you escape now!"
Before Baili could finish his sentence, his expression changed. He felt his body being lifted, bit by bit, until his massive frame began to tilt precariously.
In the next instant, a powerful force flung him away, and he crashed to the ground with a deafening THUD.
Sangze glanced up at the sky. It was still pitch black. He narrowed his eyes.
"Still some time left. I suppose I can play with you a little longer."
Songyan glanced at the sky, a profound coldness in his eyes, and led the remaining beastmen to continue their assault on Sangze.
But just as Sangze seized Songyan and was about to rip his arm off, a strange light flashed in his eyes. His expression shifted, and he glared coldly at Songyan.
"This is your doing!"
A cold smirk appeared on Songyan’s face. "We knew you’d be hard to deal with. Did you really think we’d come unprepared? Go to sleep, Sangze."
Sangze clenched his fists, struggling and gritting his teeth. But the moment the black mist in the sky dispersed, clarity returned to his eyes against his will.
As he collapsed, he saw Songyan’s triumphant sneer.
When Sangze awoke, the initial confusion in his eyes gave way to terror and unspeakable grief.
"Sangze, you’re awake," Songyan said in a heavy voice.
Sangze gritted his teeth and lowered his head, not daring to meet the other’s eyes.
"Sangze, I know you’re innocent. All of this was the work of that evil beast. If we don’t find a way to stop it, it will destroy the entire Divine Leopard Tribe. Do you want to see such a tragedy unfold?"
Sangze looked up, his eyes rimmed with red, and shook his head. "No, I don’t want that. What do I do? Uncle Songyan, tell me, what do I do?"
Songyan helped him up from the ground and moved to stand behind him. He patted Sangze’s shoulder, his face devoid of expression. But his hand didn’t leave, instead sliding down along his spine.
"Sangze, I have no other choice. But look at all these bodies. For the sake of the Divine Leopard Tribe... you’ll just have to endure it."
The sound of snapping bone echoed. An unbearable, sharp pain shot through Sangze’s body, and his vision went black as he passed out.
"Argh!"
Baili frowned, looking at the bloody piece of beast bone.
"Take him back to the tribe."