Aside from the quality of spirit rings 100000 years and forward, every spirit ring till the age of 99999 years uses up a lot of spirit energy. As such, usually, the ninth spirit ring of a Titled Douluo, if black, will be one of their last resorts.

Gui Mei was locked in the barrier of his own spirit skill with the Empress of poison who could shift the size of her body in an instant and latch onto his phantom form. Needless to say, she was absolutely dangerous!

'Unlimited Engulfing Shadows!'

Gui Mei's body distorted further with cold and hollow cackling of ghosts escaping through his being. Countless dark grey apparitions flew out from his body and with the face of a human skull and bit on the tiny spider over his shoulder. In that instant itself, Gui Mei's right leg was suddenly encased by a brilliant black armor over the leg guard— a spirit bone. His speed increased several folds for a few seconds and he dashed out, leaving the spider to fend off the many ghostly beings now surrounding her.

Even though Gui Mei already appeared beside the group once again, cold sweat trickled on his face while his body twitched constantly.

"I've been poisoned," He grunted as he saw the Death Empress enlarging and tanking his strongest spirit attack as if it is nobody's business. Even Yue Guan had lost his smile.

"We need to stay in their domains. The two of you need to maintain it at all times."

Yue Guan looked at Bibi Dong and Xie Xan. Higher-ups of the Spirit City knew that these two illustrious spirit masters have wethered massive killing intent to form Deathgod Domain from Slaughter City and right now, a large dome of misty white clouded over the group. It unanimously raised the strength of the group by 20% while reducing the strength of the opponent by 20% when used together. But aside from that, the dense and cold killing intent oozing out of the two spirit masters roused the spirits of other knights and members as they grew motivated to battle.

Meanwhile, after her initial display of the domain, Ah Yin kept a low profile. Her raw strength wasn't upto the mark and if she needed to achieve what she's best at— control— then she needed to use her skills as a measure of surprise and catching the spider off-guard. But that didn't change the fact that the Death Spider Emperor had her domain spread out, too.

"If her domain is anything like my own Death Domain then not only it pollutes spirit energy but also locks down spatial skills," Bibi Dong only explained this to her teammates, "So the effects of spirit skills, especially the offensive ones, might not be as great if used outside our domain."

Bibi Dong had an innate domain she was born with— The Death Domain, which is a toxic domain formed from the martial soul of the Death Spider Emperor. Of course, she knew a few things the Spirit Beast's domain could achieve, too.

"Everyone of you has a stock of Long and Better Tofu, right?" Oscar spoke up. He had spent a lot of time creating tofus from his first to spirit skills and distributed it to his team members and the knights so that they can recover from minor injuries and fill their stamina bars. His third spirit skill— Tough Tofu, augments the physique by 30% but it wouldn't last long so he instantly began his chant.

"Your Granddaddy has a Tough and Sturdy Tofu!"

"Your Granddaddy has a Tough and Sturdy Tofu!"

"Your Granddaddy has a Tough and Sturdy Tofu!"

"Your Granddaddy has a Tough and Sturdy Tofu!"

...

Due to his realm of self, Oscar created two tofus by using the same amount of energy needed to create one so he quickly provided the slightly chunkier tofus to his teammates and they ate it. But this wasn't all. Aside from his fourth spirit skill that could turn the eater into phantoms for a limited time but had the drawback of feeding the tofu directly and also being in contact with the eater to control what they can and can't phase through, Oscar had his fifth spirit skill, a legendary one in the books of any supporter.

In fact, Ja Sun's Evil Title and the Three-eyed Silver Lion were, ironically, more auxiliary than anything and that is why Ja Sun would have abhorred this skill if he had gotten it.

"Let this granddaddy mark you!" Oscar called out while poking his index fingers against Xie Xan's and Jun'er's cheek. His black spirit ring lit up and the two could feel a strange sensation forming inside their mouth over the top.

It was a tattoo within their mouth.

This is Oscar's Fifth spirit skill— Tofu Dispenser Mark.

Those who have this mark can directly use their spirit energy to interact with it and a tofu will be formed in their mouth. The marked spirit masters can use any spirit skill of his until it expires but to their expenditure of spirit energy will be twice or maybe thrice what Oscar generally needs. Not only that, using the Phantom Tofu with this mark allows the spirit master to completely control their ability to phase however they like.

Oscar had simply become an outsourcing support system spirit master. He can just sit back and relax while the team will not only have to fight but also constantly form tofus to have more support skills. Of course, Oscar wouldn't do that, but to him, it was nice knowing he had the option to just chill.

"Let this granddaddy mark you!"

"Ugh..." Erlong rolled her eyes, causing others to smile.

Although the Death Spider Emperor was tanking Gui Mei's attack, it was still his strongest spirit skill. The ghosts seem to be unending and the problem was finally discovered.

When one of the ghosts broke against the spirit beast's body, it would leave an inconspicuous spirit signature on the beast and then siphon its energy and the surrounding energy to form more than ten such ghosts again!

"The moment this beast deals with my ninth skill will be the moment the real attacks begin. All the support masters, start buffing the group. And all spirit sages enter your Avatar!" Gui Mei coldly ordered.

Six Spirit Sages instantly let out a low growl. All of them were beast spirit masters and their spirit energy inflated their bodies. Flesh grew over their armors as they took their beasts' form. On the other hand, three knights revealed an assortment of martial souls that certainly claimed holier than thou and almost everyone felt themselves getting buffed up be it their spirit energy, mental energy, or physical strength.

After all, this was a specialized team and the three auxiliary support masters specialized in these three aspects separately.

Their six spirit rings appeared but even they wouldn't have the spirit energy to buff everyone aside from the Titled Douluos so all they could do was opt for the mid-buff, long-haul strategy. This way, with appropriate buff, despite slightly greater risks, everyone can go on for a little longer. Again, something Oscar would never have to face with his Tofu Dispenser Mark.

The Death Spider Emperor far in the distance soon realized the situation and understood that the only way to beat off Gui Mei's attack was by not coming into contact with this homing-type attack. She wasn't worried that the spirit masters would escape. They had sent a few spirit masters just to die and now she knew why. The Death Spider Emperor's gaze landed on Bibi Dong far in the distance, her six eyes revealing intense greed.

If Bibi Dong would definitely have a great boon by devouring the beast, the vice versa is just as much understandable. Her parentage made sure that Bibi Dong was more beast than a human— her father was a 100000-year-old Death Spider Emperor turned into a human and her mother was a descendant of a similar case. Blood of spirit beasts flows in Bibi Dong whether she liked it or not. And this very heritage is beneficial for the Death Spider Emperor they are targeting.

*Chiiiiii*

The Death Spider's mandibles spread and issued a piercing screech. A bright pink projectile made of something gooish shot out from her mouth and exploded into dust. The ghosts instantly moved towards the mist of pink dust and began aimlessly attacking the trees, flowers, and the ground wherever the dust particle began to rest.

"What?" Gui Mei frowned, shocked beyond belief that his attack was so easily taken care of.

"Prepare!" Yue Guan retained his wits and screeched himself as the Spider disappeared from his senses out of a sudden.

Ja Sun merely licked his lips.

The seventh spirit ring always provides spirit masters with Avatar. In this case, Ja Sun actually preferred a tool spirit because the beast spirit, more often than not, provides a large avatar and it only means a larger target. He displayed the weakness of beast avatars fully when he fought against Dai Taiyin in the tournament and he is sure that even before him, there would have been many who did so.

Now, how could a spirit beast with a strange talent of changing the size of her body who had arguably lived longer than every hunter gathered here combined not have figured out how a smaller body filled with unbelievable toxins can make a short work of giant targets?

And how would Ja Sun not see it and make use of it as a lure?

Xie Xan, Bibi Dong, and Ah Yin would notice it instantly since the knights are within their domains while even Yuehua's domain was not opened. After all, she might accidentally sap away their motivation to fight with that domain for a second or two which can be fatal.

'There!'

Just because Ah Yin was the first to locate the spider on a blade of grass, leisurely crawling towards the giant rhino, others connected with Ja Sun's True Fantasy Domain found it out, too.

"Can I squash it?" Ah Yin had a thought.

"If only it could be that easy," Bibi Dong sighed.

"How can you say that before trying?" Jun'er questioned.

"She may have a point and I might try this now," Ja Sun narrowed his eyes. He was already in his spiritually transformed state. He suddenly raised his left arm with the Vajra Gauntlets taking the shape of his talons clenched into a fist shooting out a hair-like golden needle.

The quality of his Vajra Gauntlet, because of its status as Ja Sun's blood artifact, was directly related to his body. His physique was one step into divine already and only needed the right push to reach the same level as his mental energy but Ja Sun suppressed it with all his might. Because if this comes to a pass, the two naturally heightened attributes will simply blot out his spirit energy, making his cultivation worse instead.

Still, this was an attack similar to a Titled Douluo showing at least some effort.

An attack that the Spider should have been cautious of if it wasn't completely physical, which it was— leaving no spiritual signature indicating to the needle's true might.

While the Spider felt the attack coming, she was confident enough to tank it again. It did surprise her that she was so easily found since the perimeter of Xie Xan's and Bibi Dong's misty white Deathgod Domain was still a bit far, she brushed this off to the domain of whoever targeted her attacks with the vines in the beginning.

*Puchi*

The Death Spider's body enlarged instantly as the size of the needle grew shorter and shorter in comparison but it was still stabbed in.

An instinctive act once she was attacked and now the needle was in her system, coiling into a small ball but it wasn't effective at all.

"Hmm, we could have tried squashing her," Ja Sun now approved of the tactic.

"There!"

Yue Guan smirked and everyone instantly launched their attacks.

Out of all the attacks, only one was retained on the previously confident spider beast who even tanked Gui Mei's attack previously.

Her body was lit on fire and it wasn't dying down.

Liu Erlong smirked with a cruel grin. Her two horns were longer, an indicator of the use of her fifth spirit skill while her back was torn open with two crimson draconic wings grown out.

Horned Obliteration.

The attack didn't pierce the beast, but it lit her on fire regardless.

Still, the many members didn't move out of the domain to pursue further. Death Spider Emperor's specialty lay in poison, not frontal assault. The lack of traps was purely out of her own confidence— maybe a tinge of arrogance at this point. Which, to her fortune, had vanished.

But precisely because of this, Bibi Dong knew that the beast couldn't be given time to use her poison and that's why she invited the two Titled Douluos to keep her occupied at all times.

Yue Guan rushed out while Bibi Dong glanced at everyone and spoke softly, "We're now on borrowed time. Using our beast avatars and transformations exposed us to the poison so be mindful of that. My antidotes will help you realize when the effects of the poison kick in."

They nodded. It was a risk.

Either they didn't go all out and preserved their defenses while getting picked out by a hunter or they did go all out and risked the exposure to poison.

Yue Guan was swift by exaggerated even now. Loudly calling out the name of his moves and lighting the area with golden brilliance as he targeted the spider who only had to do one simple thing after all other efforts.

It just turned small and moved away quick enough.

*Swish*

*Pacha*

*Swish*

*Pacha*

The spider spat multiple balls of purple webbings that failed to catch Yue Guan and the ones that did reach him were blocked out by the giant Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum spirit soul of his.

The golden petals were no different than blades as Yue Guan gave the spider no time to rest.

Again, Ja Sun noted a few things.

Yue Guan was using a lot of energy while the spider wasn't. And, if this goes on, their hunt would never end in two hours which was the limit of his quest. Thinking of this, Ja Sun silently observed the situation.

His skull bone was active so it meant that he was using his mental energy at every single moment and granted that the expenditure was now minimal after his skull bone had a breakthrough in its quality, Ja Sun needed to make good use of the time.

If the spider is here, its lair should be nearby, right?

Theoretically, of course.

And if he can create perfect illusions, keep track of situations from afar with his divine intent, and tank the residual poison of the spirit beast, what's stopping him from taking a trip to the lair.

Given that this was still within the domain of the beast, it would also lure the spirit beast away.

Of course, his intention wasn't to steal all the fun by trying his hand at the spirit beast alone, also looting every single piece of natural treasure it owns, devour its body for raising his own poison resistance, and keep it all hidden away from the two Titled Douluos for the meantime...

It definitely wasn't.

The moment he had this thought, he made a move on it.

He knew the personalities of his teammates well.

Yuehua would be lucky to not vomit after this ends. Oscar is more interested in his own advancement than what happens here anyway and Jun'er is always too horny to get into Oscar's little granddad. Hu Lana and Xie Xan have a kid, they would only sigh in relief if they get out of this without any permanent injury. The only reason they are here despite not being strong enough to face such a beast alone is because they are fiercely loyal. Ah Yin simply cares more about her cultivation, too, than the fun in battle and Bibi Dong only cares about results in this situation.

She needed that spirit soul if she was the one to kill that beast or not, and the spirit bone that would come alongside it because it simply suited her the most.

The only person who had an excited grin was Liu Erlong.

'Oh, well... she can get back at me when she gets to my level,' Ja Sun shrugged. She may not be at his level but she had all the natural faculties to do so now so he was sure that she would catch up soon.

When Ja Sun suddenly ended his domain, his teammate glanced at him oddly and compressed their inquiries. Of course, with his divine intent, he answered them all with a simple— I just thought of something.

Of course, he had hidden himself and gotten out.

Oh, Ah Yin was the only one who happened to be scoffing at his reply but she didn't pursue the situation. After all, her domain was streamlined for this kind of scouting. She was the one who found out they were within the gigantic domain of the spirit beast in the first place.

Ja Sun soon found out a large lair made of webs deep into the core of the forest with many pungent and repellent puddles on the way. Seeing this, Ja Sun scooped up a handful of the poison and sniffed it.

His eyes widened instantly.

'Good shit!'

He wouldn't make the mistake of absorbing it here and instantly began to store everything. From poison to the webs. After all, these strings of webs would make a fine addition to the resources he made from Ground Devil's Corpse.

Ja Sun soon scoffed and shook his head.

"That's why its domain was so large and felt... permanent." He clicked his tongue, admittedly, slightly displeased by the situation.

Meanwhile, a little farther away, the Death Spider Emperor suddenly felt flustered and its body instantly grew massive. No longer it 'played' with its prey and one of its legs shot forward like a lance. An attack Yue Guan had stopped many times before.

"Fuck! Get away!" Gui Mei suddenly screamed, vanishing from his spot and shooting in Yue Guan's direction. It was all too late.

The leg of the beast suddenly glowed purple and the flower martial soul in front of Yue Guan suddenly began to wilt and decay.

"That's... the poison of decay?" Bibi Dong gasped.

Meanwhile, the beast's leg tore through the phantom of the martial soul, making Yue Guan cough blood as it stabbed into his body and left a massive puncture in his abdomen!

But what was worse happened to be the fast-acting poison that began to rot the Titled Douluo at a pace visible to the naked eyes.

"Ah Yin," Bibi Dong instantly looked at her and then glared at 'Ja Sun.'

"What are you doing?"

"That guy's life or death is the least of your concern," Ja Sun replied without a change in his expression, "The spider isn't simple at all and I'm not saying this because I want to have fun killing it."

Bibi Dong frowned, inquiring further but what replied was her a soul-shaking screech from the distance and a special undulation that she was all too familiar with.

She felt it when facing the Rakshasa Scythe back then.

Something divine.

Gritting her teeth, she inquired, "Then you come, too. The last time you faced a 100000-year-old beast, you were severely burnt and lost your arm."

"And roasted my nuts. Don't forget that."

"I said— severe burns."

"Roasted balls have their own category and relax a little. Do you see Ah Yin flustering?"

Bibi Dong pursed her lips, "I'm not Ah Yin."

"Then you better think hard what you're wearing once I'm done with this beast because the condition of marrying doesn't come anywhere near close to what I'm doing now...

I'll get you that spirit soul."

"For a price, right?" Bibi Dong scoffed.

"You know me so well."

Bibi Dong didn't bother anymore. While Ah Yin began to stop the spread of poison, Bibi Dong calmed down Gui Mei so as to not interfere with Ja Sun but also not have them completely unprotected.

She now already realized that Ja Sun could fight a 100000-year-old spirit beast alone. He the Ja Sun of now was definitely stronger.

But as she admitted.

She wasn't Ah Yin. While she could coldly sacrifice the life of a stranger, Bibi Dong wanted to do everything in her power to make sure that those she cared about doesn't face such threats directly much less alone.

But she also admitted that she wouldn't be with Ja Sun if it wasn't for his various outstanding qualities other than his pleasure of pain and blood...

On himself.

***

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