Chapter Thirty-Eight: Every Creature Has Its Nemesis

Without hesitation, she pressed her paw against the young man’s chest, channeling her mysterious energy slowly into his body. The dark crimson demonic aura was soon detected by the aura of the Divine Tiger within her own core. It surged forth, as if of its own volition, invaded Su Li’s body, and raced downward into the beast core, causing the seal upon it to emit a faint golden glow.

It was a sensation so comfortable, so familiar, as though it had once been an intrinsic part of herself!

That strange, disquieting feeling jolted Su Li back to her senses. She abruptly retracted her paw and anxiously checked on Shen Luo, worried she might have harmed him in some way.

“Sis Tuan, Master cannot absorb this formidable Divine Tiger power—it’s merely residing in his body for now,” the Tiger Soul suddenly spoke, only to immediately fall silent, feigning death.

As a tiger who knew the full truth but was compelled by a mighty figure’s threat to keep silent, it truly was a difficult existence.

Su Li was surprised, but her attention was quickly drawn inward by the changes in her body.

The mysterious energy around her beast core suddenly began to spin at high speed. The pure aura of the Divine Tiger struck violently, ripping open a corner of the seal, unleashing a wild surge of power.

At that moment, all present heard a piercing roar of a demonic beast in their ears. It was an intensely dangerous and terrifying aura—like the collision of galaxies, suffocating and overwhelming; like a horde of ancient savage beasts stampeding past, enough to chill one to the bone.

The Tiger Soul curled up into a ball.

The Flower Demon King dared not move.

Even the raging river and all wild things nearby fell silent.

Su Li lifted her head. Her dark red feline eyes shimmered with golden light. She looked toward the palace entrance, at the Demon Infant Tree, and with a sweep of her paw, sent out a sharp blast of mysterious energy.

The Demon Infant Tree let out a heart-rending, soul-piercing shriek so loud it seemed to shake the world.

It turned out, after thousands of years, the Demon Infant Tree had developed a tree spirit.

Su Li said, “A Hua, go devour it.”

Her voice retained its usual tone, but was icy and brooked no argument.

The Flower Demon King immediately sprang into action. Its massive, intricate roots and thorny vines quickly wrapped around the Demon Infant Tree, swallowing it whole in an instant. Then it coiled itself back around Shen Luo’s wrist, its blossom heart turned toward the feline beast.

Su Li nodded. “Good. Go rest now.”

The Flower Demon King closed its petals, transforming into a small bud, soft and clinging to the vine. Having just devoured the tree spirit, it needed time to digest. When it awoke again, it would surely be even more powerful.

The crimson hue faded from the youth’s eyes as Su Li reined in her aura. She glanced once more at her beast core—it had changed from its former dormant blackness to a softly glowing pearl.

Though a host of questions filled her mind, now was not the time to interrogate the Tiger Soul. She nestled back into the crook of the young man’s arm.

In a short while, the cultivators present slowly regained their senses.

“What happened?”

“How could such a powerful demonic beast be here? That strength—it feels like the Divided Spirit stage… No, perhaps even beyond!”

“Hey, look! The ancient tree in front of the palace is gone!”

…

Amidst the murmurs, Shen Luo’s eyes darkened as he looked down at the beast in his arms. That terrifying, dangerous aura had in that instant radiated from her.

He had always known the fur ball was no ordinary beast, but still, the sheer force of that power had shocked him.

Yet, no matter how formidable she was, he trusted she would never harm him. Even when his mind was briefly clouded by the Demon Infant Flower, he had sensed the changes inside his body. If the fur ball had intended to absorb all that demonic power, she could have done so, but instead she abruptly stopped, clearly out of concern for him.

Shen Luo’s lips curved in a faint smile as he recalled that after absorbing the power from the green stone that day, he had discovered this demonic aura lingering near his core. No matter how he tried, he could neither absorb nor expel it.

Now, seeing that the fur ball could make use of this power was a stroke of luck. Once they found a safe place, he would transfer all of it to her.

Having made up his mind, Shen Luo lifted the feline beast high, planting a kiss on her forehead.

Su Li’s body went rigid, her round, moist cat eyes meeting his in utter bewilderment.

Shen Luo couldn’t help but laugh. Then, with surprise, he noticed a ring of golden light around her pupils, making her eyes even clearer and more lively.

He couldn’t resist—he kissed her eyes, then her nose.

A strange emotion, infused with the young man’s unique scent, surged into her body.

Her fur instantly stood on end.

Su Li struggled twice, claws ready to bolt, only to realize the youth’s strength was astonishing—his hands were locked tightly around her, unbreakable.

The loss of control sent a wave of panic through her. Fortunately, the youth soon cradled her gently, patiently smoothing her fur until she closed her eyes in comfort, her thoughts completely scattered.

The Tiger Soul, secretly watching all this, couldn’t help but recall a saying: “Everything meets its match!” Just like the romantic stories it had been reading, this was the perfect example.

The Tiger Soul felt unsettled; as a thousand-year-old single tiger, its heart was a bit sour.

After a brief rest, the cultivators decided to enter the palace. If they could find treasures or resources within, so much the better.

They crossed the stone bridge over the river and reached the opposite bank. The palace’s exterior was covered in fresh scratches, deep and shallow, rough and uneven—a testament to the fierce battle that had taken place here.

Su Li peeked inside the palace. It was vast and shadowy, like a great abyss waiting to lure its prey into a trap.

“What’s there to be afraid of? I’m going first—any treasure in there is mine!”

Someone spat, and the rest surged in, fearing they’d miss out on valuable loot if they hesitated.

Shen Fengling frowned and cautioned, “Be careful—don’t take any chances.”

As they pressed forward, a strong stench assaulted them. The deeper they went, the more overpowering the smell of blood became.

“Crack!” Someone triggered a mechanism.

Instantly, a rustling sound echoed from all around, as if countless things were crawling toward them.

“Heavens, they’re third-rank Blood Leeches!”

Blood Leeches were the size of a thumb, soft and squishy, with two small antennae on their heads. They fed on human blood, clinging tightly to skin, and only fire could dislodge them. Though only third-rank, they traveled in swarms.

In the blink of an eye, the Blood Leeches swarmed.

“They’re on our heads too?”

“Use fire talismans!”

…

A crackling symphony filled the air as flames illuminated countless small, black, soft-bodied leeches, sizzling as fire talismans roasted them.

If a cultivator wasn’t careful, the Blood Leeches would coat their protective energy shield, multiplying rapidly until they burrowed inside.

“Ahhh!”

Terrified screams echoed all around, sending chills down everyone’s spines.

And still, more Blood Leeches poured in, a black tide surging forward.