Chapter 496 – Ru Xin’s Story (1/2)

However, he had the confidence now, as well as the right. This all came from his personal strength. Only with absolute strength was there absolute authority. There was no need for him to rack his brains with tricks and tactics.

Those who obey me will prosper. Those who defy me will die.

Brute force could not deal with everything, probably because the amount of force involved was insufficient.

In the past, the Spider Queen wanted them divided and at war with each other, so they were divided and at war with each other. Now, Li Qingshan wanted them united, so they had to unite together.

Ye Liusu’s expression changed a few times. At first, there was joy and surprise—not only had she avoided the need to flee, but she had instead obtained even more. The great cause of unity she pursued had been easily achieved with a single word from him.

Only afterwards did she become filled with some lingering fear. If she really had followed the ancient, scheming principles of night roamers and betrayed him, then she would lose everything. Most importantly, she would lose his heart forever. She would never receive such warm protection again.

When she thought of that, she could not help but lean closer in his arms, showing her delicate side to Li Qingshan for once. Having gone through this together, they had become one step closer. However, if Li Qingshan did not possess absolute power, she would never behave like this with her pride and perseverance even if she was smitten with him.

“Thank you for your gift.” Ye Liusu raised her delicate face as her eyes that seemed like the night sky shone with light.

“This isn’t my gift.”

Even Li Qingshan himself had never imagined he would be able to defeat Lolth and force her to accept a treaty with him. Originally, he planned to use this opportunity to break through to the fourth layer of the tiger demon before taking off for good.

By then, claiming a territory above ground and signing a non-aggression pact with the Academy of the Hundred Schools would not be particularly difficult with his strength. It would basically assist Ye Liusu in completing her dream of the night roamers returning to the surface.

Looking at Ye Liusu’s curious face, Li Qingshan only smiled. He planned on giving her this surprise later.

“Let’s return to the territory first. I’ll leave the rest up to you!”

Li Qingshan gently patted Ye Liusu’s perky buttocks and let her go. In the past, he would never do this, as it would only make her look down on him for no good reason. But now, it seemed extremely natural.

“Yes.”

“Ma’am Spider Queen, Northmoon welcomes your challenges at any time. Hahahaha!”

Li Qingshan turned towards Cobweb city and said loudly before unfurling his wings of wind. Then he took off into the air with Ye Liubo without the slightest care.

“Will ma’am Spider Queen do something to my sister?”

The fierce gales whistled by as the caves twisted and changed so rapidly that even Ye Liubo struggled to see them clearly, so she stopped looking, focusing on his face instead. In his arms, all she could hear was the sound of wind, but she could not feel a single breeze. This feeling left her charmed, but upon further thought, she began to worry for Ye Liusu.

She still referred to Lolth respectfully as ma’am Spider Queen even when no one was around, which only demonstrated the extent of Lolth’s power and influence. Li Qingshan did not make her change the way she referred to her. She could never go wrong with maintaining a bit of respect towards the strong.

“Probably not. Right now, she’d much rather keep her around as something holding me back so that I stick around!”

Li Qingshan had already gained a rough understanding of Lolth’s mentality. After turning back into a predator, she placed all of her focus on him, biding her time and waiting to deal a lethal strike. She would not do something that was purely detrimental just to vent her anger.

A while later, they returned to the territory.

Ye Liubo continued to cling onto him like a koala, refusing to get down.

“Oh right, what reward would you like?” Li Qingshan smiled. Ye Liusu’s complete loyalty had left him surprised and overjoyed, but this girl’s performance had never left him disappointed before.

“What do you think?” Ye Liubo pouted her lips and nudged him.

“Maybe not today!” Li Qingshan smiled bitterly. Even if he had all the lust in the world, it would have been dispelled after the battle with Lolth. If he had not been completely satisfied, he would have never let Lolth go either. Right now, even without the Spirit Turtle’s Method of Sea Suppression, he felt a little like his mind was as still as water, without any worldly desires.

“Fine.”

Ye Liubo was immediately disappointed, but she had no intentions of disobeying him. She struggled to hide her lament.

“It’s a little too hasty right now. Let me make some preparations, then I’ll…”

Li Qingshan whispered into her ear, comforting this small, loyal pet that he adored. After that, he left behind his mirror clone and left the underground world in a hurry. He had been gone for so long. Who knew if anything had happened on the other side. Xiao An was probably anxious from waiting!

The Chan Monastery of Deva-Nāga was indeed related to him to a certain degree. Wanting to steal their special cultivation method was virtually impossible. Even if he underwent another heavenly tribulation, he still would have no confidence in this. The task of obtaining the Chant of Deva-Nāga would probably fall onto Xiao An’s shoulders.

Did that strange infant underground, the “frog in the well”, sense the existence of an opportunity because of this?

Lolth’s challenge would arrive very soon. If she did not fight, then so be it, but once she struck, she would be striking to kill.

Right now, everything that Li Qingshan possessed was based on the victory he had achieved earlier. If he failed to match Lolth, then not only him, but even Ye Liubo and Ye Liusu who depended on him would suffer.

Only by obtaining the phoenix’s feather and reaching the first layer of the Phoenix Transformation could he increase his odds.

Sparing Lolth obviously left behind a huge problem. However, it also pressured him into constantly thinking of ways to increase his strength, afraid to slack off for even a second.