The Golden Cicada Spirit King said nothing more. Apart from his irreconcilable dispute with the Soaring Locust King, he was reluctant to become involved with anyone’s conscience.
Then Li Qingshan asked Tigress, “Do you like it?”
Tigress nodded firmly. Her eyes were glued to Tiger’s Fang the entire time. She had not refined Tiger’s Fang yet, but she was already under its influence. Murderousness pulsed inside her, tempted to kill something right now.
“The name of this blade is Tiger’s Fang, which sure does match you. However, you are nowhere near enough to wield it right now. Don’t try to wield it forcefully either, or you’ll die. It’s the same with your own powers!” Li Qingshan pressed down on Tigress’s shoulders and said seriously.
If it were not for the fact that he had fed sufficient blood to Tiger’s Fang after the battle with the Dragon King of Ink Sea, she would have been devoured by the weapon in the blink of an eye, becoming an offering to the asura armament.
Tigress could not help but lower Tiger’s Fang and gaze at this man known as “father”. She met his scarlet eyes and suddenly experienced an indescribable feeling. She held back the violence in her heart.
“Sense it.”
Li Qingshan shut his eyes, and a colossal amount of murderousness abruptly erupted from his body. Tiger markings sprawled across his body, forming three lines on his forehead. His scarlet hair danced like fire as a vicious tiger demon appeared behind him. He had used his innate ability, Frenzy of the Tiger Demon!
Lolth retreated almost instinctively, gazing at Li Qingshan in shock. Now that was his true strength. Just the might he gave off made her feel like she stood no chance.
Tigress sensed it even more deeply like Lolth. It was as if she had been devoured by the scarlet tiger. She could not see or hear. There was only the deepest darkness. If it were not for the fact that she also possessed the tiger demon’s bloodline, her mind would have completely collapsed then and there.
“This is the first thing I’ll be teaching you, fear!” Li Qingshan’s voice rang out from the darkness.
“I… don’t fear… anything!” Even Tigress’ thoughts became inconsistent.
“Only a dead man knows no fear. Try befriending it!” Li Qingshan rebuked, but he felt some admiration inside. She truly had inherited the tiger demon’s blood after all.
“Okay!”
“Look at my eyes!” Li Qingshan abruptly opened his eyes, which were like a pair of scarlet stars that lit up in the endless darkness. Tigress could not help but gaze over, and she felt like her mind was drawn in, only to discover that the eyes filled with frenzy and killing intent were still clear, as calm as the eye of a hurricane.
“This is the second thing I’ll be teaching you. I can’t describe this form either. It’s not just simple self-control, but it’s not being controlled by the killing intent either. Remember this feeling.”
Li Qingshan halted the innate ability. At that moment, Tigress began to pour with sweat. Strength drained from her body. She only remained standing by leaning on Tiger’s Fang.
“Lastly, don’t listen to anyone’s nonsense, even if it comes from your mother or father. Walk your own path. This is the third thing I’ll be teaching you.” Li Qingshan let out a laugh before turning around and vanishing into the darkness.
Tigress ran out of strength and fell forwards. Before she hit the ground, Lolth had already lifted her up. She said coldly, “How useless!”
Tigress became ashamed, lowering her head and pouting her lips silently.
“That’s the expression I hate the most, just as loathsome as your father’s. Get out of here!” Lolth flung her far away, like she was tossing away a piece of trash.
“Mother?” Tigress landed on the ground gently and gazed at Lolth in surprise.
“Within the next year, don’t return here. If I discover you even five hundred kilometers near here, you better be careful, or I might just force you into the magma!” Lolth’s face was filled with viciousness.
“I’m never coming back here!”
Tigress’ eyes reddened. She let out a great roar before leaving immediately while clutching the blade. Her tail swayed behind her. She ran over fifty kilometers away in a single breath, smashing through who knew how many stalagmites. Tears rippled in her eyes. She was tempted to sob out loud.
She had inherited the tiger demon’s blood, but she had not inherited a mental legacy, so she was still a child at the end of the day.
At this moment, Lolth’s voice suddenly rang out in her head, “Don’t leave the territory!”
“Like I need you to care!” Tigress continued onwards.
“You can leave here with her,” the Golden Cicada Spirit King said to Lolth.
This place would become a battlefield very soon. It would involve a clash between three great Daemon Kings, coupled with the fourth heavenly tribulation. Even Lolth, who had recently become a Daemon King, was in danger of dying.
“Sir Golden Cicada, I have no idea when I would become a Daemon King if it weren’t for all the care you’ve shown me over the years. Perhaps I would have died to that bastard Northmoon already. No matter what, I will see you off one last time, but if there are any lethal threats, I will flee.”
“See me off one last time? How ominous of you.” The Golden Cicada Spirit King smiled.
“Who made me so vicious in nature?”
“Haven’t you already understood the feeling of love and concern?”
Lolth sensed Tigress’s aura all the way until she left the range of her senses. Suddenly, she felt lost.
From a spider to a Daemon King, she experienced a sense of attachment for the first time in her life.
……
Li Qingshan returned to the Qing Xiao dwelling. Xiao An was still forging Skull Prayer Beads, and it did not seem like she would be done any time soon. He told her about his clash with the Dragon King of Ink Sea.
“Looks like I guessed correctly. He’s also a painting by the Five Absolutes Immortal. The painting should be located in the Painting Tomb, so we have to go to the Painting Tomb if we want to kill him for good,” Xiao An touched her chin and said in thought as she powered the Samādhi Flames of White Bone.
“When I mentioned the Five Absolutes Immortal, he flew into a rage.” Li Qingshan grinned.
“That’s probably the inner demon haunting the Dragon King of Ink Sea. The Clam King of Mirage Sea was afraid that everything is a dream, while he actually comes from imagination. Even his own will and personality was crafted by another. How can someone as proud as him endure that?”
“I see. I think you’re right, but if it were me, simply looking ahead would be enough. Why care about where you come from? A painting by the Five Absolutes Immortal is far more noble that being a cowherd in Crouching Ox village.
Li Qingshan could remain optimistic no matter what it was. He did not understand what this highly-intelligent and extraordinarily-powerful Daemon King was hung up over.
“The smarter you are, the easier it is for you to become caught up in your own thoughts and actions.” Xiao An sighed slightly inside. If she had not been so determined to follow Li Qingshan’s path, she would either be hung up over the Path of White Bone and Great Beauty or caught up between buddhism and the demonic.
“So you’re basically saying I’m all brawn and no brain!” Li Qingshan smiled.
“I never said that.” Xiao An stuck out her tongue and said, “When you fought against him, how did you find his strength to be?”
“He’s stronger than me, but you’ll only really be able to tell when you reach the final moments of a battle to the death. However, if I go to the Ink sea right now, it’ll be certain defeat. I might even die there.”
“Try avoiding the Painting Tomb and killing him in the Green province,” Xiao An said calmly.
The Painting Tomb was an unknown territory. Who knew how much strength the Dragon King of Ink Sea could unleash there. He might even be stronger than when he was in the Ink sea. On top of that, once Li Qingshan was defeated, there was nowhere for him to go.
“I obviously won’t be strung around by him like a fool, but I sure do want to fight him alone in a battle to the death!”
Li Qingshan sighed. It had only been a short clash, but the Dragon King of Ink Sea had been the best opponent he had ever encountered. They all said that a true partner or friend was difficult to find. A fine enemy was no different.
Xiao An said, “It’s not like you won’t have the chance.”
“Perhaps I need to practise with the Soaring Locust King first!” Li Qingshan mentioned the Golden Cicada Spirit King’s request to her, and they continued their discussion. When he brought up Lolth and Tigress, the eyes of the little phoenix who was on the side suddenly lit up. “First father, are you saying that I have a younger sister!?”
“Or an elder sister.”
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