Sure enough, the next moment, the Crimsonflame Savage Bear opened its bloody jaws, crimson light frantically gathering deep in its throat! A terrifying wave of destructive energy burst out, making the air tremble.
"Raaaghhh!"
A massive blast of Crimsonflame Breath, thick and condensed like a pillar of destruction, shot straight at Xie Zhaolin! Where it passed, the air warped, and the ground was gouged into a charred trench. Its speed was terrifying, sealing off every possible path of escape!
Her pupils shrank. She knew the power behind this strike was on a whole other level compared to before. Without hesitation, her hands flew through a set of seals.
"Thousand Layered Waves!"
Her spirit power surged wildly into the Liuyun Ribbon.
Buzz!
The ribbon erupted with dazzling white light, instantly unfolding in layer after layer before her, weaving into countless overlapping veils of light. Like endless tides, they surged forward to meet the attack.
Boom! Rumble!
The Crimsonflame Breath slammed into the Thousand Layered Waves barrier!
Furious fire energy collided with the supple radiance, white light clashing with crimson flames in a deafening explosion!
The protective layers twisted and caved under the impact, but with each wave lessening the force, the barrier actually managed to hold—barely. Still, the bear's beast power was overwhelming. Its breath didn't stop, each wave of impact stronger than the last!
Her face paled slightly under the pressure, her spirit power draining fast, yet she remained calm. For now, it was only spirit power burning away. Her baleful qi was still sealed in her second dantian, untouched. She hadn't chosen to block it for nothing. She wanted to test, firsthand, how long she could last using just spirit power and the Liuyun Ribbon's defenses against a strike of this level.
Now that she'd gotten her answer, she didn't plan to keep dragging it out. Her mind shifted. Dian Diao, which had been hiding inside her beast pouch, shot out in a flash of violet lightning!
Chirp!
With a sharp cry, the ferret's innate lightning-teleportation art activated. The space around her rippled, and in the blink of an eye, she vanished, reappearing behind the beast's flank!
The Crimsonflame Breath lost its target, blasting into a distant cliff face with a thunderous boom. A massive blackened crater exploded outward, rocks shattering. The bear froze, stunned that its prey had simply disappeared!
"Now!"
She didn't waste a heartbeat. Her baleful qi roared to life!
The pristine white Liuyun Ribbon darkened rapidly, turning pitch-black before her eyes. Her wrist snapped, and the ribbon straightened taut, reshaping into a long spear wreathed in suffocating death energy.
Whoosh!
The air split with a shrill howl.
The black spear became a blur, vanishing from sight as it shot straight toward the bear's gaping maw, piercing its soft upper palate and driving into its throat's weak point! It never had the chance to react. The beast's hide and fiery defenses only protected the surface. Inside its mouth was a fatal weakness!
Pfft!
The black spear tore through flesh without resistance, drilling straight into the bear's skull. The baleful qi detonated, devouring its brain and beast soul in a frenzy!
"Ao… wu…"
Its roar cut short. The massive body went stiff, the light in its eyes dimming instantly.
Boom!
The beast swayed once, twice, then collapsed heavily to the ground, shaking dust skyward.
From the moment she unleashed the baleful qi, to when the ribbon-turned-spear pierced its skull, everything had happened in just a breath or two. She exhaled, her face pale, her chest heaving slightly.
Forcing such a surge of baleful qi into the ribbon and channeling it into one condensed killing strike had strained her mind and willpower to their limits. With a flick of her wrist, the black ribbon yanked free from the beast's jaws, dragging blood and brain matter with it. Still pitch-black, still wreathed in suffocating death energy.
She took another steadying breath, then collected the beast core and valuable parts before storing the massive corpse in her ring.
But her attention quickly shifted. If the bear was here, its lair had to be nearby. Her eyes swept the terrain. She soon caught traces of its movement, following the trail until she reached a huge cave hidden under the cliffside.
But before she could step closer, panicked roars of cubs echoed from inside!
Her divine sense probed. Outside the cave, five or six cultivators lurked in the shadows. Most of them were at mid Foundation Establishment, their clothing ragged. Clearly just a temporary adventuring squad, huddled together, peering inside with greedy, excited faces.
"Move it! That mother bear's been lured away! Now's our chance to snatch the cubs! A third-rank peak Crimsonflame Savage Bear's young will fetch a sky-high price!" The scar-faced leader hissed.
Her gaze turned to ice.
No wonder she hadn't run into the beast during her days of hunting here. These bastards must've lured it away—likely even pushed it toward her to use her as their knife, or at least stall it long enough for them to raid the nest!
And now, after she killed the mother, they wanted to swoop in and take the spoils?
Courting death.
Her killing intent spilled cold and sharp, words unnecessary. Shadows lashed. Dozens of strands of black baleful qi cut across the air like razors.
Throats split open before any of them understood what was happening. Heads flew, blood sprayed, their greedy smiles frozen in place forever. They hadn't even seen who struck.
Her figure appeared among the corpses, expressionless, sweeping their storage bags into her sleeve before stepping into the cave.
The cavern stretched wide, though dim. Not far in, two small cubs bared their fangs, growling low and trembling, trying to block her path despite their fear.
They'd clearly sensed the slaughter outside.
She didn't even blink. A casual wave, and two strikes of gentle spiritual light knocked them unconscious on the spot. With a flick, they were sealed inside her beast pouch. Sold at auction later, they'd fetch a fine price.
She walked deeper.
At the innermost chamber, the sight made her pause.
Two larger cubs were attacking a figure curled in the corner.
A girl, barely fifteen or sixteen. Her clothes were in tatters, her face as pale as paper, blood at the corner of her lips. She desperately held up a dim, faltering barrier of light against the cubs' frenzied bites and claws. But the shield was covered in cracks, about to shatter, her spirit power clearly drained to nothing.
The moment Xie Zhaolin entered, both cubs and the girl looked up.
Her eyes widened with despair and a trace of hope.
"Save… me…"