The transition from the world of the living to the realm of absolute power began with a searing, internal explosion. As Bibi Dong's soul power surged forward, enveloping the massive, obsidian-crimson soul ring of the Abyssal Dark Panther, the ancient energy immediately began to integrate with her Death Spider Emperor martial soul.
The pain was, predictably, excruciating. It was the familiar, soul-shattering agony that came from forcing a body to accommodate a lifespan and power that dwarfed its own capacity.
Every nerve ending felt as if it were being flayed, every bone felt crushed into powder, and her spiritual sea boiled over with tumultuous, dark energy. A guttural cry was trapped in her throat, strangled by the sheer intensity of the experience.
It hurts, she admitted internally, her consciousness desperately clinging to a thread of sanity. It hurts more than any cultivation break, more than any torture I've ever endured.
Yet, even through the blinding white-hot agony, a chilling, analytical part of her recognized a profound difference from the future she remembered.
That future 100,000-year soul ring—the ring derived from the death of Ah Rou, the Soft-Boned Rabbit—had been a storm of unimaginable vengeance and righteous hatred.
It wasn't just power; it was a curse of grief and spiritual agony that had nearly shredded her soul and haunted her every waking moment, fueling her madness and her darker impulses.
This… this is different.
The Abyssal Dark Panther's energy was pure, raw power, ancient dignity, and protective resolve. It was a wild, untamed energy that fought fiercely for its integrity, but it held no malice toward her.
It was a dignified transfer of power, upheld by the sacred Dying Covenant they had just forged. The pain was biological, the cost of forced evolution; it was not spiritual retribution.
This realization, even mid-absorption, was a profound solace. It allowed her strategic mind to anchor itself. The agonizing hours stretched before her, but she knew the foundation of her power would be cleaner, more stable, and unmarred by the black spiritual corrosion that had poisoned her future self.
She poured every ounce of her will into the process, visualizing the dark, crimson ring sinking into the skeletal structure of her martial soul, embedding itself permanently into the foundation of the Death Spider Emperor.
Outside the cavern, time ceased to matter. The silence of the deep forest was punctuated only by the raw, sporadic psychic eruptions of soul power leakage from the den.
Da Ming, the Sky Azure Python Bull, and Er Ming, the Titan Giant Ape, stood as massive, immobile sentinels, their fur catching the faint, filtered light of the Star Dou Forest canopy.
They were close enough to intervene instantly if any external threat dared approach, yet respectful enough to remain outside the sacred space of absorption.
Ah Rou, the Soft-Boned Rabbit, sat patiently beside her daughter, Xiao Wu. Ah Rou's face, usually gentle and warm, was etched with a complex blend of worry, determination, and profound sadness over the Panther's fate.
The tense silence of watching was eventually broken by Da Ming, who let out a deep sigh that rumbled like distant thunder.
"She is strong," Da Ming rumbled, his voice a low vibration that seemed to travel through the earth itself. "Stronger than any human I have ever sensed, save perhaps for that old dog, Qian Daoliu. Her pain is immense, but her spiritual will is utterly unyielding."
Er Ming nodded, scraping a massive fingernail against the stone. "The Panther's spirit is noble. It is fighting for respect, not vengeance. That human understands the value of the pact. I sense no deception in the core of her intent, only overwhelming ambition."
Ah Rou watched the cavern entrance, her ears twitching nervously. "Ambition is a dangerous thing, Er Ming. It can consume even the purest of intentions. But she took the oath involving her children. That, I believe, is the only oath a mother cannot break. Her motives are selfish, yes, but they are also deeply protective. And her ambition serves our immediate goal: the downfall of Qian Xunji."
She paused, looking at her daughter, Xiao Wu, who was idly drawing shapes in the dirt with a small stick, occasionally glancing up at the menacing entrance to the cave.
"Besides," Ah Rou continued, her tone softening with a strategic note, "The strength she gains is necessary. The human world is cruel, and my path for Xiao Wu requires her to have an extremely powerful, albeit temporary, ally at the top of Spirit Hall."
Xiao Wu, having absorbed the serious atmosphere but still possessing the boundless, playful energy of youth, suddenly dropped her stick and clapped her hands together, tilting her head.
"Hey, Big Brother Da Ming, Big Brother Er Ming," Xiao Wu chirped innocently, her voice bright against the heavy air. "Mommy says that human is weak right now, right? And she hurt that nice big cat, even if the cat wanted it. It's a good chance to kill Bibi Dong now, isn't it?"
The air instantly froze. Da Ming and Er Ming's massive heads snapped towards the little rabbit, their eyes widening in shock.
Before either could respond, a sharp smack echoed. Ah Rou had delivered a firm, yet controlled, head slap to her daughter, right between her long, soft ears.
Xiao Wu recoiled, rubbing the spot with a confused pout. "Ow! Mommy! Why did you hit me? You said she was dangerous!"
Ah Rou pulled Xiao Wu close, speaking in a firm, disciplinary whisper.
"Listen to me, little rabbit. We honored the Panther's sacrifice. We are creatures of the forest; we keep our pacts. To attack her now is to betray the Dying Covenant—to prove the absolute worst of our kind to the human world. That would destroy every hope the Panther held for her lineage."
She stared intensely into Xiao Wu's clear, confused eyes. "More importantly, child, we do not betray those who are vulnerable when they trust us. Even if that trust is a calculated risk. Now, be silent, and respect the struggle happening inside that cave. She is fighting for her life as much as she is fighting for power."
Da Ming let out a deep, thoughtful exhalation, relief mixing with respect for Ah Rou's quick action. "Wise words, Ah Rou. The line between predator and sovereign is integrity. The little one must learn that soon, if she is to thrive outside these woods."
The focus returned to the cavern. They settled back into their vigilant wait, the heavy minutes stretching into hours as the sun climbed high above the forest canopy and began its slow descent towards evening.
Inside the cave, Bibi Dong was entering the final, most perilous stage. The physical pain had morphed into a raw, shimmering exhaustion. Her body was saturated with the Panther's power, and now the challenge was to lock that power down, to make it hers.
The wisdom… it is immense, she realized, as fragments of the Panther's ancient life experience flooded her consciousness—the instinct for silent pursuit, the absolute mastery of shadow, the chilling clarity of predatorial intent.
The new abilities began to bloom in her spiritual sea. The 100,000-year soul ring offered two significant powers for her.
The first was related to Shadow Merging. This power allowed her to instantly dissolve her physical form into any sufficiently large area of surrounding darkness or shadow. She could merge with the shadow for a brief period, becoming an ethereal part of the environment.
This is not just invisibility; it is perfect, silent mobility, she realized, the strategic implications electrifying her exhausted mind. I can traverse darkness rapidly, pass through solid objects anchored in shadow, and reappear instantly from another point. It's the ultimate escape and infiltration tool, making me an unstoppable political and martial phantom.
The second power focused on Shadow Binding. This ability allowed her to manipulate the shadows around her enemy, forcing them to coalesce into thick, spectral chains or tendrils of pure darkness.
These shadowy bonds, when focused, could constrict with bone-crushing force and, more importantly, had the chilling effect of briefly immobilizing the opponent's soul power circulation.
This is pure control, she calculated, picturing the chaotic, brutal battles ahead. It's an absolute battlefield lockdown. I can bind Qian Xunji's key protectors or even hold a Super Douluo like him for a critical few seconds, providing the opening for a lethal strike.
With these twin powers—unmatched strategic mobility and precise, debilitating control—her ability to implement her Three-Move Gambit was now secured.
Her body, ravaged and broken by the pressure, was being rapidly stitched back together by her innate powerful regeneration and the spiritual surplus of the ninth ring.
Her martial souls, Death Spider Emperor and the Soul Devouring Spider Emperor, throbbed in unison, for this power. She was no longer just a powerful Titled Douluo; she was ascending to the pinnacle.
Almost there… just a little more focus.
She pushed against the tidal wave of exhaustion, using her burning hatred for Qian Xunji as a final spark of defiant energy. The pain, though bearable due to the covenant, was still the greatest she had ever felt, but every surge strengthened her resolve.
My children deserve a better life than the one I had. They will not be tools for the Angel God. I will use this power, purchased with such a heavy price, to rewrite their destiny.
The crimson-black light of the soul ring pulsed violently one last time, shrinking dramatically, and then, with a silent click that reverberated only in the depths of her soul, it snapped into place as the ninth ring for her Death Spider Emperor.
The process was complete.
The immense, chaotic energy that had been thrashing around the cave instantly settled. The oppressive pressure vanished, replaced by an atmosphere of calm, overwhelming power—the absolute, terrifying stillness of a Titled Douluo who had just broken through to the limit of human cultivation.
The darkness of the cavern deepened, somehow becoming more profound, as the power of the Abyssal Dark Panther merged perfectly with the Death Spider Emperor.
Bibi Dong opened her eyes. They were glowing with a chilling, cold violet light, radiating a power that had no equal below the Divine Ranks. She had ascended.
The time for waiting was over. The time for the hunt—her hunt—had just begun.
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Author's Note:
If u reading uptil this, then add it to ur library as more will come with twists and turns but u will enjoy in this journey also.