"Mooh!"
Caught off guard, the buffalo demon could only emit a deafening roar before it lost its humanoid form, reverting to an exceptionally large and powerful buffalo.
Yet the giant green snake did not relent. Its venomous fangs continued to inject lethal toxins, and the massive buffalo soon could no longer endure. The once mighty body, which should have withstood such adversity, now became a heavy burden, and its legs faltered, causing it to crash to the ground along with its crude wooden staff. Black poisonous blood poured from its seven orifices, and the muscular form quickly turned a dull, lifeless gray, as though its very essence was fading away.
Were the green serpent to face the buffalo demon head-on, it would have been no match in terms of strength or defense. But serpents are naturally adept at stealth and ambush, and with a well-timed surprise attack, aided by venom so potent it could bypass even shape-shifting defenses, the serpent swiftly overpowered the mighty buffalo, killing it with its venom.
"Qingyao!"
Li Xiaobai recognized the giant green serpent with ease.
It was the snake maiden who had been sulking in the cave, yet unbeknownst to him, she had followed him stealthily and had appeared at this moment to ambush the fierce buffalo demon.
Tang Fei, the wasp demon perched on a treetop, was utterly stunned by the sudden turn of events. In the span of moments, the unsuspecting buffalo demon had perished without so much as a chance to fight back.
Although it was a shape-shifted demon, nearly on the cusp of achieving a higher realm, it had not even been given the opportunity to retaliate. Tang Fei let out a furious cry, "Qingyao! It's you!"
"Brother Wasp, what a coincidence!"
The green serpent flicked its eyes upwards in disdain, exhaling sharply. After releasing the lifeless buffalo, its form shimmered, and in an instant, it transformed into a delicate young woman. With casual ease, she greeted the wasp demon.
This demoness certainly had a knack for acting, Li Xiaobai couldn't help but secretly mock. Such talent wasted on being a demon.
"Hmph! Green serpent! I've known you were treacherous all along! Collaborating with the human race to steal treasures from our kind!"
Tang Fei regained his composure and sneered coldly. Raising his hand, a fiery red orb shot forth, streaking into the sky. At its peak, it exploded, showering down a torrent of fire, its thunderous roar echoing across the heavens.
The buffalo demon, Niu Wu, had been slain, making it clear that this green serpent was no ordinary foe. Without hesitation, it altered its course and launched a fireball into the sky, signaling the Three-Eyed Evil Lion, Mu Du, to join forces and eliminate this treacherous serpent. From that moment, it would serve as Mu Du's only trusted subordinate.
"You vile wasp, what do you mean by this? Don't turn the truth upside down and smear me!"
Qingyao's expression shifted, and the graceful lady-like demeanor vanished entirely. She now coldly referred to the wasp demon as "vile wasp."
"What do you mean? Hmph! Stop pretending! This is the fate of betraying your own kind!"
The wasp demon suddenly unbuckled a pouch from his waist and flung something towards Qingyao.
"Ma Hei?"
The object landed with a dull thud a few paces from her. Qingyao let out a piercing scream upon seeing what it was— the decapitated head of the black horse demon, Ma Hei, with its mouth still twisted in a grotesque snarl, as though it could not believe its sudden death.
She had never anticipated that Tang Fei, usually petty and narrow-minded, would have carried out such a ruthless act. A gaping hole was evident in the demon's forehead, with fresh blood and brain matter still oozing out. The stealthy, surprise attack had killed it instantly.
"Heh heh, the Three-Eyed Evil Lion will arrive soon. Green serpent, if you're wise, hand over the Chaos Green Lotus and Imperial Fluid now, or I'll strip your skin, scrape your scales, and rip your bones out, torturing you to death."
A cruel smile twisted Tang Fei's face as he made his vicious threat.
Having witnessed the sudden deaths of two shape-shifted demons, Li Xiaobai felt a stirring within his heart. For the sake of those treasures, these demons were willing to risk it all.
"If there's no way out, then let's fight to the death!"
Qingyao's body glowed once more, and in a flash, she transformed back into her true form—a giant green serpent. She flicked her tongue and immediately shot toward the tree where the wasp demon was perched.
While Ma Hei had not been a close friend of hers, he had been one of the few demons she could converse with among those of the Lion Peak. Seeking revenge was one of the reasons she acted immediately.
"A worm that can only crawl on the ground dares to challenge me? Wait for the Three-Eyed Evil Lion to arrive, and then we'll see who dies!"
With the mask of civility cast aside, Tang Fei cursed maliciously and flapped his wings, soaring into the sky.
The green serpent's speed was unmatched, yet Tang Fei was even faster. Before the serpent could even reach the treetop, the wasp demon was already far above, coldly gazing down at it.
Li Xiaobai, watching from the distance, looked at his right hand, relieved that he hadn't acted rashly. The wasp demon's agility was extraordinary, and he had no confidence in landing a hit.
"Vile wasp, before that foolish lion gets here, I'll deal with you first!"
Having consumed the flesh of the grizzly demon, along with the enhancements from Li Xiaobai's medicinal clay, Qingyao had fully recovered and her demonic power had grown even stronger. With a fearless promise, she vowed to stop the wasp demon's schemes.
The image of the serpent demon had already shattered in Li Xiaobai's mind. Which side of her was the real one— the gentle, the cunning, the ruthless? She was like no other demon he had known, a paradox that confounded him. Hadn't it been said that most demons were simple-minded? This one certainly shattered that assumption.
"Green serpent, today is your end!"
The wasp demon was surrounded by a fiery aura, with sparks of corrosive fire falling like a rainstorm.
Though demons of different races possessed unique innate talents, this wasp demon wielded the power of fire— a skill that transformed its demonic energy into searing flames. The fire it released carried an overwhelming corrosive effect, burning to the bone. A single drop of this demonic fire could turn even a small demon to ash in a day and night of agony.
On the ground, the green serpent darted and twisted, always staying a step ahead of the falling fire. Even when the flames seemed unavoidable, a gust of wind would arise around her to gently deflect them.
"Run, run! Let's see where you can go!"
Tang Fei laughed cruelly, his fiery barrage growing even more intense. He raised his hands high, conjuring more fireballs to hurl at the serpent.
Despite the serpent's quick movements, it had exhausted much of its strength from earlier. Tang Fei's relentless assault left her with little chance to retaliate.
In mere moments, a vast area was ablaze, red fire spreading unchecked, and thick black smoke spiraling into the air.
"Die! Die already! Green serpent! If you're so brave, stop running and face me!"
The forest blazed with the inferno, and the view from above became blurred by the growing smoke.
"Now's the time to leave. What are you waiting for, demoness? May you fare well in your own way!"
Li Xiaobai, already at a safe distance, muttered to himself, then quickly made his escape. This was the perfect chance to flee the demon realm.
Behind him, the sky echoed with the wasp demon's curses and the explosive sounds of fireballs.
"Human, where do you think you're going?"
Just as Li Xiaobai had almost made it a hundred paces away, the sound of wings flapping thundered down from the sky, and the wasp demon blocked his path.
The firestorm raged in the forest, thick smoke swirling. As the green serpent's form disappeared from view, the wasp demon turned its focus back to Li Xiaobai.
"Hey! Demon! Get out of my way if you don't want to die! I'm a master!"
Li Xiaobai deliberately fumbled his words, mispronouncing "master" as "magic."
"Spare me! You don't even have a trace of spiritual energy, yet you claim to be a master? Speak— where are the Chaos Green Lotus and Imperial Fluid? I can spare your life if you cooperate!"
The wasp demon sneered as it confronted the unarmed, powerless Li Xiaobai.
"Heh, stop acting tough. That attitude will get you struck by lightning!"
Li Xiaobai's thumb pressed against his ring finger and pinky, with his index and middle fingers raised— readying his sword gesture.
"It seems you won't weep until you see your coffin!"
The wasp demon raised its right hand, summoning more fire.
Suddenly, a loud explosion from the burning forest sent a barrage of flaming debris into the air, coming straight toward Li Xiaobai and the wasp demon. The firestorm quickly engulfed the area, trapping them