"Undead?"
Night Threefold's heart skipped a beat, about to activate Wind Riding to roll forward. However, his intention was instantly dispelled by the icy longsword pressing against his neck.
"Speak properly! I am not undead!" Night Threefold raised his hands, shouting.
"Not? Hmm..." A soft exclamation came from behind. Subsequently, Night Threefold caught a faint fragrance, subtle enough to be easily overlooked. Then, a woman appeared before him.
She was a gracefully clad figure in a tight black leather suit, high-heeled knee-length leather boots, and a white windbreaker draped over her. Aged around twenty-five, she possessed lively purple pupils, a petite nose, and smooth golden hair.
However, what puzzled Night Threefold was how this graceful lady covered herself so tightly, with not even half an inch of skin exposed, except for her head. He then noticed the slightly curled goat horns on top of her head.
"Demon race?!" Along with the sharp ears revealed by her long hair, Night Threefold immediately understood the identity of his opponent. Astonishingly, it was a high-ranking demon on the Holy Stone Continent, second only to undead in terms of "reputation"!
Speaking of the demon leader, the Demon Emperor, he was a notable figure who, after the undead catastrophe, attempted to unify the Holy Stone Continent by leveraging the strength of the entire demon race. He nearly succeeded but was forced back to the Demon Abyss when leaders of various races united against him.
Unlike undead, demons only needed to guard the Demon Abyss to prevent them from reappearing everywhere on the Holy Stone Continent. To minimize losses and avoid prolonged conflicts, various races chose not to exterminate them completely.
Night Threefold hadn't expected to encounter a demon in the Misty Forest, especially one with such high status, judging by the purple eyes!
Wait a minute! Night Threefold suddenly remembered the open birdcage. Could this woman be the black cat transformed? Indeed, it must be! Otherwise, why would she be all in black? As for the white windbreaker, who knows where she picked it up...
Ignoring Night Threefold's anxious thoughts, the demon woman, sword in hand, approached him and sniffed carefully.
"Strange, there's indeed no undead stench on you. But that Temple Knight clearly said he came to find undead..." Upon hearing this, Night Threefold felt relieved. At least, it wasn't the black cat.
"Are there undead here?!" Trembling all over, Night Threefold put on a mournful face.
"Sir, I'm just a lost lumberjack. I know nothing. Please let me go home!" he pleaded.
"Lumberjack?" The demon woman glanced at Night Threefold's shabby appearance and the rusty axe lying beside him, and nodded with disdain. Except for...
That handsome face.
"Hmph! You think you can deceive me?!" The demon woman raised her sword, lifted Night Threefold's chin, and kicked his waist with her boot.
"A lumberjack affording such a good sword?" Night Threefold immediately explained, pointing to the two sets of gilded armor on the ground. "I just found two sets of armor!"
"Then, you're a thief!" The demon woman raised an eyebrow.
Only now did Night Threefold notice the sarcasm in her eyes. Apparently, his acting skills didn't pass muster. So, he stopped trembling, and his dark eyes stared straight at the demon woman.
"What do you want?" he asked.
"What do I want? Let me think..." The demon woman sat on a nearby withered log, one hand holding the sword, the other supporting her chin, her eyes constantly wandering over Night Threefold, pondering something.
"I've got it! The woman I used for crossbreeding with goblins just died. How about you take her place?" Seeing the demon woman clapping her thighs happily, Night Threefold's hair stood on end.
Crossbreeding with goblins? Him? Damn it! Undead can be killed but not humiliated!
"Dust to the east, ashes to the west, take action!" With Night Threefold's loud shout, two crippled skeletons, who had quietly approached the demon woman's back, raised their axes high. Simultaneously, Night Threefold leaped backward, then shot his hands forward, sending out five deadly light entanglements toward the demon woman.
The demon woman's face turned cold. With a bang, she turned into a pink smoke, avoiding the attack. The two crippled skeletons, now separated from the mist, swung their axes and landed on empty ground.
However, when those five beams of death penetrated the mist, a muffled groan was heard. Then, the irritated voice of the demon woman reached Night Threefold's ears.
"Death Light! You truly are an undead!" Night Threefold touched his neck, where the demon woman's sword had left a long bloodstain. Although it looked frightening, the wound wasn't deep, especially for an undead.
Of course, this was in comparison to an undead. If it were an ordinary person, they would probably be clutching their neck, lying on the ground, gasping for breath.
"You, a demoness, and I are not on the same side. Let's compromise. You go your way, and I'll go mine?" Night Threefold pointed to the two sets of armor on the ground.
This stuff could still fetch a good price, even if melted into a lump.
"Go? If you leave, what will happen to my experiment? No way!" Once again, the voice of the woman came from the pink mist. However, Night Threefold's request left her irritated.
This demon woman, with her lovely appearance, seemed surprisingly stubborn about crossing species at such a critical moment. How could she be so persistent? Yet, Night Threefold finally understood her demand.
"I cannot stay here, but why don't you find that fleeing Temple Knight? He seemed to be quite lively just now, and his condition is much better than mine!"
Night Threefold looked at his tender arms, unable even to squeeze a meatball.
"Pah! Do you really think a Temple Knight is a high-quality product? Let him break my Holy Protection first!" The demon woman snorted disapprovingly.
Though the Saint's Light Protection looked like a transparent ball, its defensive capabilities were undoubtedly unparalleled on the Holy Stone Continent. Legend had it that, as long as it was activated, no attack could harm the person within the light shield. The only way to deal with it was to wait for it to disappear automatically.
Who knew how much divine power that Temple Knight, who could shoot eighteen Victory Spears in a row, still possessed? If he had any hidden cards, the elemental advantage alone would make her suffer.
Earlier, she had taken advantage of the opportunity when Yang Tian was careless. Unfortunately, she failed to predict his quick recovery.
"So, that's it..." Night Threefold pondered for a moment and suddenly remembered the strange squirrel he had seen before.
"You... enjoy crossbreeding?" he asked.
"Yes! What's wrong?" Lady Saqi retorted arrogantly.
"Is that giant-armed squirrel your creation?" Night Threefold asked again.
"A failed product." Saqi's tone softened, with a hint of pride.
"Then, you are..." Night Threefold's face turned pale. He remembered a dreadful legend about the demon race.
Sure enough, Lady Saqi automatically took over his words, revealing herself
as the most outstanding researcher in demon species, a renowned expert on the Holy Stone Continent. She listed her titles one by one, ending with a triumphant declaration:
"Saqi, the last legend of the demon race and the new queen, the one who shattered the taboo barrier, the one who delved into species research and plunged into the abyss... Yes, that's me!"