Chapter 67

Li Feifei's body went limp and fell backward silently; Li Qingxuan's heart clenched, ignoring the excruciating pain that made his whole body feel like it was falling apart, he lunged onto the balcony, and just as her head was about to strike the cold stone tiles, he firmly caught her limp body with his uninjured left arm.

His hand felt icy cold; her face was as pale as paper, her breathing weak and rapid, her forehead drenched in cold sweat that clung to her skin.

Obviously, the life‑or‑death struggle of controlling the Shadowy Thorns and the Ancient King Snake, especially that final all‑or‑nothing Thunder Strike that pierced the snake's eye, had completely drained her spirit and strength.

"Feifei!" Li Qingxuan called hoarsely, his voice dry and raspy, laced with panic he himself hadn't noticed.

He carefully lifted her, laying her flat on the relatively level ground, his movements so gentle they seemed afraid of breaking her.

He checked her breath and pulse; though weak, they were steady enough, and he let out a slight sigh of relief, yet the heaviness in his heart did not lessen at all.

Just then, a disturbance came from beneath the fortress!

Li Feifei's order was being carried out to the letter; the Shadowy Thorn Main Vines, which had just been ordered to slay the remaining poisonous snakes, struck each snake down with precision, and the two little ones also joined in, devouring the snake carcasses one by one.

After the vines crushed the last poisonous snake trying to slip through the door crack, the Shadowy Thorns and the two little ones sucked dry every bit of flesh and blood from the snake corpses, leaving not a trace.

Dark red energy trickled down the vines toward the roots, gradually being absorbed and merged; moments later, a sudden transformation occurred!

Those few main vines, still dripping with filthy blood and venom, suddenly shuddered violently, and immediately the vines began to grow wildly!

The stems and branches grew thicker and thicker, continually extending outward, while the pointed oral apparatus became ever more slender and sharp.

On the deep‑purple vines, the spiked oral apparatus that had gnawed on King Snake scales opened and closed frenziedly, its edges flashing gold patterns—not the fangs of hunger, but the sound of bone growth during evolution.

Inside the vines, dark‑gold energy flow surged like molten lava, and the wildly growing vines seemed to be undergoing a reshaping of form.

Gradually, the growth rate slowed; at this point the Shadowy Thorn Main Vine had transformed into a dark‑purple‑gold pattern state, its spiked oral apparatus now thick and elongated.

The purple‑gold surface of the vines flowed with a lava‑like, scorching energy halo; each pulse sent up a low hum, as if a slumbering beast were breathing slowly.

The spiked oral apparatus opened and closed gently, emitting a faint metallic‑friction sound; the newly formed dark‑gold pattern wound and knotted across the purple‑vine base like blood vessels, exuding an even more solemn aura than before.

【Weird Creature: Shadowy Thorns】

【Type: Flesh Type】

【Constitution: 802】

【Spirit: 654】

【Grade: A‑rank】

【Abilities: Rapid Growth, Sharp Oral Apparatus, Unified Form】

【Weakness: Root】

【Description: A loyal plant companion that has broken partial growth limits, possessing tenacious growth traits and able to grow by consuming the flesh and blood of living creatures.】

Li Qingxuan dropped to one knee, one arm tightly holding the unconscious Li Feifei, his eyes locked on the Shadowy Thorn Main Vine at the fortress entrance, which had undergone a violent transformation.

That dark‑purple‑gold‑patterned vine resembled an awakened ancient weapon; as its energy pulsed, the air slightly warped, exuding a pressure that made the heart quake.

With each opening and closing of the newly formed spiked oral apparatus, the faint metallic‑friction sound rang unusually clear in the silent fortress.

Just then, the Shadowy Thorns lashed out with a vine! The transformed main vine did not retreat; one of its thickest vines, its dark‑gold pattern blazing brightest, suddenly swung its tip toward the interior of the fortress!

It was not an attack, but like a giant snake sniffing the air, its dark‑gold pattern flashing rapidly, as if urgently seeking a target.

The next second, it moved!

"Whoosh——!"

A purple‑gold figure tore through the air, leaving only an after‑image on the retina!

The target of this main vine turned out to be the scattered Ancient King Snake scales and several large chunks of stone stained with King Snake venomous blood, lying in the fortress corner and dragged back by the two little ones but not yet fully gnawed clean!

"Puh‑puh‑puh!"

The spiked oral apparatus, like a greedy griffon, savagely bored into the iron‑hard dark‑gold scales!

A grating metal screech that made the teeth ache exploded, sending sparks flying; the tough scale armor that could resist Li Qingxuan's spear thrusts was, under this newborn apparatus, torn apart and pierced as easily as rotten wood!

Inside the apparatus, the newborn fine barbs acted like countless tiny grind wheels, frantically gnawing the immense energy and residual flesh within the scales, causing the dark‑gold energy flow racing along the vine to surge instantly.

The other main vines, unwilling to be outdone, plunged like sharks scenting blood into the stone chunks soaked in King Snake venomous blood!

A sizzling corrosion sound rose, and a thick poisonous mist billowed up, yet the dark‑gold pattern on the vine's surface only grew brighter, as if greedily drinking in this deadly toxic nourishment.

The stone chunks were broken down and devoured at a visible speed, turning to ash that drifted down in a fine shower.

The ground at the fortress entrance trembled slightly under the vines' violent "feeding," and gravel and dust drifted down. The two little ones, startled by the sudden movement, had their fur stand on end, but sensing the familiar aura emanating from the main vine—same as Li Feifei's—they slowly lowered their bodies, letting out low, reverent whimpers.

That surging energy wave did not cease; instead, it brewed and compressed within the vine, like a volcano about to erupt.

The vine's dark‑gold luster grew deeper and more restrained, its surface purple patterns flowing like a living thing, exhaling an ancient and ferocious aura.

The spiked oral apparatus slowly closed, its metallic‑friction sound low and solemn, as if announcing the completion of a true transformation.

The newborn Shadowy Thorn Main Vine was no longer a mere plant weapon; it resembled an abyssal demon clad in dark‑gold armor, feeding on deadly poison and death, quietly coiled at the fortress entrance to guard its master, and silently proclaiming a new balance of power on this scorched earth.

Li Qingxuan carried Li Feifei downstairs, wiped her clean, laid her on the bed, leaned over to feed her a bottle of the Spirit Recovery Elixir obtained in a previous transaction, tucked the covers in, then rose and walked out.

Enduring his bodily discomfort, he walked to the city wall, recorded the Ancient King Snake's corpse in the Weird Encyclopedia, and opened his personal information panel.

【Name: Li Qingxuan】

【Age: 24】

【Gender: Male】

【Constitution: 770】

【Spirit: 324】 (the adult average value is 5)

【Occupation: Weird Master】

【Abilities: Weird Encyclopedia, Domination, Devour Evolution, Soul Arrow】

【Evaluation: A man with a bit of skill and a bit of handsomeness, whose growth speed is lightning‑fast】

Li Qingxuan's pupils contracted slightly; almost the instant the panel information appeared, the effect of a 366‑point Constitution surge exploded!

Inside him, it felt as if molten magma were surging, and a crisp "click‑click" echoed from his limbs—his fractured ribs were knitting together at astonishing speed, while misaligned bone seams, catalyzed by bio‑energy, swiftly realigned, grew, and fused tightly.

The muscle fibers in his shoulders and back, scorched by King Snake venom, sent a fine prickling like needle pricks; yet as the pain faded, newly formed knotted muscle cords rose rapidly, and the scorched black flesh shed its dead skin at a visible pace, revealing the tender new skin beneath.

The qi and blood surging in his chest resembled a boiling iron cauldron; each heartbeat was accompanied by a deafening roar, pumping tremendous life force through his body like a flood, his formerly pallid complexion regaining a healthy flush at astonishing speed, and even the bloodshot traces in the corners of his eyes receded like a tide.

He unconsciously flexed his wrist; the stiffness and pain in his bodily movements vanished, replaced by a smooth feeling brimming with explosive power, as if every inch of muscle harbored the strength to tear apart a fierce tiger.

The scabs on his surface wounds flaked off under the cleansing rush of qi and blood, revealing skin as smooth as a baby's; only tattered clothing and lingering bloodstains remained, silently speaking of the recent brutal battle.

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