Chapter 43: Crisis?

Although Lin Shuran outwardly submitted to the evil god, deep down she truly wanted to use its energy to exchange her life with someone else.

……

The perspective returned to Bai Lili. She was held in Lilith’s arms, feeling that the toxins on her body had subsided somewhat. She tried to struggle twice but found no reaction. Her mask and longsword had been placed beside the bed, out of her reach.

Lilith, on the other hand, had become more energetic since contacting Bai Lili. Sensing Bai Lili’s struggle, Lilith tightened her hold, as if afraid Bai Lili would suddenly disappear.

Bai Lili noticed that since coming here, Lilith had changed a lot—changed without Bai Lili knowing anything about it. They had always acted together. Bai Lili didn’t understand what had happened, but she knew that if Lilith wanted to tell her, she would.

Just as Bai Lili was still thinking, a commotion came from outside—chaotic sounds. Bai Lili seemed to hear the sound of buildings collapsing. Lilith walked to the window and looked outside, seeing a huge octopus monster with ten eyes on its head charging toward them.

Lilith immediately thought that the creature might be after Bai Lili. So at an astonishing speed, she picked Bai Lili up, along with her mask and longsword, and rushed out of the hospital, saying, “Lili, how did you catch the attention of something like this?”

Bai Lili shook her head and said, “I don’t know either. I only know that Lin Shuran’s target is me.”

Bai Lili looked at the octopus monster closing in behind them. ‘So this is the evil god Lin Shuran mentioned,’ she thought. ‘It doesn’t look much like one. Although the pressure it gives off is indeed strong, I can’t think too much about it given the current situation.’

The gap in strength was too wide. Bai Lili and Lilith had no way to shake off the octopus monster behind them. Although high-level psychics occasionally tried to block it along the way, they were basically cannon fodder. Their skills hit the monster like tickling, unable to break its defense at all. The octopus monster simply grabbed them with its tentacles and flung them away.

It was like casually swatting away an insignificant bug, continuing its advance toward Bai Lili. The distance gradually shortened. Even though Lilith was flying at full speed, she couldn’t outrun the octopus monster. The octopus extended its tentacles, grabbed Bai Lili and Lilith, lifted them to its eyes for a look, nodded, and confirmed it had the right people.

Bai Qing and Li Meng crawled out of a building that had already turned into rubble. Bai Qing punched the ground, displaying his fury. Although Li Meng appeared calm on the surface, the blood seeping from her clenched fists showed her anger.

Bai Qing asked, “A-Meng, what should we do now?”

Li Meng took a deep breath and said, “Let’s calm down first. None of us are a match for that octopus monster right now.”

Then she raised a doubt: “I suspect that octopus monster isn’t the so-called evil god but a relatively powerful magical beast. Magical beasts at level eight usually have noticeable communication abilities.”

Bai Qing immediately understood Li Meng’s implication. It dawned on him. “So that means it’s just a powerful magical beast. But why did it take our Lili?”

Li Meng shook her head, indicating she didn’t know either.

……

Bai Lili’s side—

Bai Lili and Lilith were brought by the octopus monster to the cultists’ base. Cultists surrounded them, and Bai Lili could see the locked-up teachers and students. Although Bai Lili wanted to help, she could hardly protect herself. She could feel Lilith’s struggling, but the octopus monster was too strong; Lilith’s struggles were useless.

The cultists praised the octopus monster, calling it the supreme existence that would lead them to rule the world.

Lin Shuran, however, seemed impatient. She walked up to the octopus monster and said, “Great Evil God, can you grant my wish now?”

The octopus’s ten eyes swiveled. Bai Lili seemed to see a hint of scheming success in them. Lilith whispered in Bai Lili’s ear, “Lili, I feel like this—their so-called evil god—has something wrong with it.”

Bai Lili nodded in agreement. Because aside from acting like a magical beast, the octopus had no other outstanding features. It didn’t change the weather or use any mental pollution skills. The only thing was that it made Bai Lili slightly nauseous—ten eyes on its head was disgusting. This octopus monster was truly ugly.

The octopus coiled its tentacles around Lin Shuran, almost strangling her. The remaining tentacles drew an unknown pattern on the ground. After finishing, it placed Bai Lili on one side of the pattern and Lin Shuran on the other. Lilith recognized the formation—it was a magic array for creating mental illusions.

Lilith had no idea why Lin Shuran was so excited. After all, Lilith didn’t know about the deal between Lin Shuran and her so-called evil god, and Lin Shuran wouldn’t know that this “evil god” had never intended to truly help her. The “evil god’s” goal was clear: Bai Lili. Lilith couldn’t understand the octopus monster’s purpose.

Then Lilith was also locked in a cage by the octopus monster. Lilith confirmed that this octopus monster’s intelligence left much to be desired. This cage was one she could escape from, but now was not the time. Lilith had to wait until the octopus monster let its guard down. Bai Lili’s mask and longsword were also placed on Lilith.

……

Meanwhile, the competition organizers were repairing the venue’s facilities. They tested the portal to the hunting zone. The moment the portal opened, a huge cyan figure rushed out from within. The organizers were caught off guard. Seeing the Lei Lang that had charged out, they dared not make any rash moves.

The Lei Lang’s massive body walked over to one of the staff members. Just its breath terrified the staff member into immobility. As if smelling something, the Lei Lang gave a disdainful look. The staff member’s pants were dripping with an unknown liquid.

The Lei Lang’s goal didn’t seem to be here. With a great leap, it opened a skylight in the still-being-repaired venue. The staff inside felt the joy of surviving a close call.

Meanwhile, Bai Qing and Li Meng, who were in the jungle with Xuan Long, were wondering where to search for Bai Lili. Suddenly, a huge cyan figure descended from the sky, its body crackling with cyan electricity—majestic and domineering. The Lei Lang approached and sniffed, as if it had found its target.