The air, once thick with Bibi Dong's confident soul pressure, now felt like a suffocating blanket of primal fury. The very ground trembled, not from an earthquake, but from the raw, unbridled rage of three of the Star Dou Forest's most formidable beings. A piercing, heartbroken cry ripped through the tense silence, a sound that could only belong to a child.
A lithe figure, a small girl with long, braided hair and eyes blazing with a killing intent, landed in a blur of motion. It was Xiao Wu, the Soft Boned Rabbit's daughter, her soul power radiating with a powerful, yet uncontrolled, fury. She was followed by two colossal auras, each one a force of nature unto itself.
The first was a being of unimaginable size, a massive, muscular form with a powerful, deep-green aura that spoke of an ancient, primordial power. It was Er Ming, the Titan Giant Ape, his presence alone making the ancient trees tremble. He was a mountain of muscle and unyielding strength.
The second aura was older, a more refined and terrifying presence. It was a serene blue energy that pulsed with an intelligence that far surpassed his physical form. It was Da Ming, the Sky Blue Bull Serpent, the undisputed leader of the Star Dou Forest. He was not a creature of brute force, but of immense intellect and strategic cunning.
Xiao Wu's eyes, usually as gentle as a spring breeze, were now filled with a killing rage that was directed entirely at Bibi Dong. Her fists were clenched, and her body radiated with a powerful, yet uncontrolled, soul power.
"Mother! We have come!" she screamed, her voice a high-pitched snarl. "Wait, human! This Xiao Wu will torture you for harming my mother! You will not die peacefully!"
Bibi Dong's mind, a brilliant machine of strategy and calculation, worked in an instant. She had less than a second to act. She knew their weaknesses. The Titan Giant Ape was a brute force, an unstoppable tank that relied on raw power.
The Sky Blue Bull Serpent was a strategist, but his love for his friends could be exploited. Xiao Wu was a child, a powerful one, but her fury made her impulsive and predictable. Bibi Dong had the element of surprise, but it would not last long.
Their speed, while immense, could not match her sudden, unbridled burst of power. With a flash of her soul power, she moved. It wasn't a teleportation, but a raw display of terrifying speed. The ground beneath her feet cracked and crumbled as she lunged forward, a flash of purple and black.
The three soul beasts reacted in a moment of pure instinct. Da Ming, the Sky Blue Bull Serpent, roared, his massive form lunging forward. He was about to use his immense intellect to coordinate an attack, but his body, though powerful, was still a step behind.
Er Ming, the Titan Giant Ape, shot a wave of his earth-shattering soul power in her direction, and Xiao Wu, with an enraged cry, lunged with her own soul skills. But they were all too slow. They had been surprised, caught off-guard by her audacity, and their speed, while immense, could not match her sudden, unbridled burst.
Bibi Dong arrived next to the trembling Soft Boned Rabbit, her hand seizing the injured soul beast's throat with a frighteningly casual grip. At the same moment, eight of her spider lances, skeletal and razor-sharp, erupted from her back, forming a deadly halo behind her.
With a single motion, she raised her arm, holding the trembling Ah Rou in the air, her own body a shield. The spider lances shifted, their tips aimed directly at the soft-boned rabbit, a clear signal of her intent.
The three soul beasts, their momentum carrying them forward, stopped in their tracks. The earth-shattering soul attack from Er Ming dispersed harmlessly into the air, and Da Ming's roar died in his throat. Xiao Wu's soul skill, a swift and deadly strike, stopped mere inches from Bibi Dong's cloak.
Bibi Dong's maroon eyes, clear and cold, met the three powerful beings before her. A smile, a thin line of calculated confidence, appeared on her lips. "Stay where you are," she said, her voice calm and even, a chilling contrast to the chaos around them. "If you move forward a single inch, she will be killed. And you will surely regret it."
Her words were like ice, a cold dose of reality that washed over the three soul beasts. They froze, their rage warring with their deep, desperate need to protect their loved one.
Da Ming, his enormous body tense with fury, was the first to speak. His voice, a deep, rumbling growl, was a low warning that shook the very ground. "Human," he said, the word dripping with venom. "Do not do anything foolish. We know your kind. You are not a fool. If you dare to harm her, I swear on my honor, I will tear you limb from limb. The entire Star Dou Forest will be your grave."
Xiao Wu, her tears now mixing with rage, screamed at Bibi Dong, "How dare you?! You are a coward! A monster! Let my mother go and fight me! We will see who is stronger!"
Er Ming, his muscles coiled and ready to strike, added his own furious roar. "Leave her, human! Or you will be crushed beneath my feet! I swear to it!"
Bibi Dong's smile widened. She was in control. She could see the conflicting emotions in their eyes—the rage, the fear, the helplessness. She knew what they valued most. "Let's be clear," she said, her tone unshakeable.
"You cannot stop me. If I dare to kill Ah Rou, then I dare to get out of this forest. You will not find me. I will be injured in the process, yes, but my life will not be in danger, unlike hers. I have perfected my concealment technique to such a degree that even with your powerful senses, you will not be able to find me."
She then looked at each of them in the eyes, her gaze holding them in place. "Decide what you will do. Is she worth it?"
Xiao Wu, in her youthful fury, was ready to charge again. "It's a lie! She's lying! We will not fall for her tricks!" Er Ming, his muscles coiled and ready, agreed with her. They were ready to dismiss Bibi Dong's words as a bluff and attack.
But Da Ming was silent. He was the most intelligent of the three, a being with a mind as powerful as his body. He looked at the serene, confident expression on Bibi Dong's face. The woman was not bluffing. Her movements had been precise. Her words were logical.
She was not a hot-headed warrior. She was a schemer, a strategist. He didn't want to take this risk. The life of Xiao Wu's mother, a beloved matriarch, was not a gamble he was willing to make.
He raised a massive hand, a silent command that stopped Xiao Wu and Er Ming from attacking. The two of them, though seething with rage, listened to their leader. Da Ming looked at Bibi Dong, his voice now a low, pained groan that was filled with an immense sense of defeat.
"Fine," he said, the word heavy with resignation. "We will agree to your terms." He then turned to his companions and said, "This matter will be settled. We will forget it ever happened."
Bibi Dong, with a smirk of victory, nodded. "A quick and easy solution," she said, her voice filled with feigned innocence. "I'm glad we could come to an understanding. Then you will all be safe, and so will she."
"A quick and easy solution?" Er Ming roared, a vein throbbing on his forehead. "You dare to mock us? You think a simple verbal agreement is enough? We will swear it! I swear on the heavens that if you release Ah Rou, we will never speak of this again. We will let you leave the forest unharmed and will not pursue you."
Bibi Dong sighed, shaking her head. "An oath is meaningless to me, big one," she said, the condescending tone a clear insult to Er Ming's pride. "I need something more substantial." She knew that without her being able to get a proper soul ring from Ah Rou, she would not be able to ascend to the Pope's throne so quickly. This was her chance, and she would not let it go.
Er Ming was about to erupt in a fit of rage, but Bibi Dong's voice turned cold and quiet. "Then try me. We will see how Ah Rou dies." Her body tensed, and the spider lances behind her shifted, their points digging slightly into Ah Rou's flesh. The small rabbit trembled, and a whimper escaped her lips.
Da Ming's expression faltered. He had to stop this now. "Fine!" he roared, the word filled with a helpless fury. "We will fulfill any condition within our range! Just tell us what you want!" He then looked up, his gaze meeting the sky. "I swear on the heavens," he boomed, his voice a promise that would carry through the millennia. "If I go back on my word, I shall be perished with lightning!"
The heavens, a silent witness to their exchange, rumbled with a single clap of thunder, accepting his oath. Er Ming and Xiao Wu were about to protest, but Da Ming silenced them with a single look. "The important thing is to save her," he said quietly. "Nothing else matters."
Xiao Wu's eyes filled with tears, and she looked at the enormous form of Da Ming with a profound sense of gratitude. She had wanted to fight, to tear the human apart, but she knew his wisdom was born from a love that surpassed all else. He was sacrificing his pride for the sake of her mother, and she knew she would never forget it.
Bibi Dong, seeing her control solidified, finally began to speak.
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Author's Note:
Dear Readers, if u want to know what happens after then stay tuned and watch. Your support is my motivation.