Even in her weakened state, Filo’s authority as a level-999 Ultimate Being hadn’t dropped a bit. Yet, her [Detect] skill hit a wall with this cat-eared girl—same as Bingpo and Chiyan. If Filo couldn’t scan her, this stranger might not be stronger, but her authority? Definitely higher. And who could outrank an Ultimate Being? As far as Filo knew, only the goddess who’d shoved her into this body fit the bill.
Was this beast-eared beauty a god? Seriously? Weren’t gods supposed to ooze dignity, all mysterious and majestic? Not… catering to every otaku’s cat-girl fetish. Modern deities were way too relatable, practically screaming “I’m your type!” Filo wanted to keep roasting, but the girl—Ye Lan—spotted them, strolling through the Chaos Storm’s black winds like it was a park, grinning ear to ear.
“Hey, any idea where we are? First time using this skill, so I’m a bit lost on the results. How do I get to this world’s human realm?” Ye Lan asked, scratching the back of her head, her fluffy ears twitching with embarrassment.
Bingpo and Chiyan were just as clueless, staying silent and pinning their hopes on Filo. Look at her, cool as a cucumber—clearly, this girl wasn’t enough to rattle their master. No need to panic. Filo’s face was calm, but inside? Her mind was a mess, thoughts swirling like the storm around them. Still, she could fake composure like a pro.
“Ahem,” Filo coughed, staying put but pointing a thumb over her shoulder. “Human world’s that way. This is the Chaos Storm, though, so watch out. One wrong move, and you’re toast.”
“Chaos zone? Got it, got it! Wow, I landed in a dangerous spot. Gotta scoot!” Ye Lan chirped, then paused. “Oh, I forgot to introduce myself! I’m Ye Lan, just a passing traveler. You guys seem chill in this storm—bet you’re big shots in this world. Wanna spar a bit?” She bent her fingers into finger guns, aiming at Filo with a playful smirk.
Filo’s mouth twitched. She was about to say no, but a glance at Bingpo and Chiyan stopped her. Their eyes sparkled with hype. Bingpo was practically vibrating—Master’s gonna show off her god-tier skills! Chiyan was worse, mentally chanting, Master’s unstoppable! Master’s epic! Master’s gonna wreck! Were they jinxing her? In her weakened state, she was at one-tenth her full power, and this cat-girl screamed trouble.
Filo sighed, caving under their eager stares. “Fine, but we stop short of serious.”
“Deal! Just a friendly tap!” Ye Lan nodded, still grinning.
Blood-red wings sprouted from Filo’s back, lifting her into the air. Crimson steam coiled around her, her aura intense. Ye Lan’s eyes widened, her jaw dropping. “Whoa!” she gasped, her own body bursting with red steam.
“What the—? You’ve got red aura too?” Filo blurted.
“Guess we’re kinda similar…” Ye Lan mused, waving a hand in front of her face. In the 0.1 seconds it blocked her view, Filo lunged forward with a sudden burst of speed. “First Strike Fist!” she roared, swinging a charged punch.
Ye Lan tilted her head, dodging effortlessly. She countered with a swift kick aimed at Filo’s stomach, but Filo was quick, summoning blood threads to block. The kick hit the tough strands, stopping cold. Filo flipped 180 degrees in midair, landing behind Ye Lan. Her palm tightened, blood coating it like a claw, and she struck—Blood Claw Slash!
Whoosh! Ye Lan dodged again, moving like it was nothing. Filo’s jaw dropped—not just the dodge, but how casual it was. “Water Cannon!” Ye Lan shouted, not even turning. A blast of water formed beside her head, slamming into Filo.
“Cough, ugh, that stings!” Filo sputtered, knocked back a meter. Even with [Water Resistance LV9], that hit packed a punch. But… she smirked, raising her hand in a special gesture. “Blood Thread Bind!”
Countless blood threads erupted around Ye Lan, nearly trapping her. “Blood threads? Vampire stuff?” Ye Lan muttered, her body suddenly radiating raw power. Filo’s threads trembled, on the verge of snapping.
“Blood Explosion!” Filo clenched her fist with a snap. The threads detonated in a chain of boom, boom, boom! explosions around Ye Lan. Bingpo and Chiyan watched, stunned. Fighting in the Chaos Storm’s safe route was insane—flying alone was tough enough. One misstep could send them into deadly winds, but these two fought like it was a playground.
As the smoke cleared, Ye Lan hovered calmly, now glowing with silver light. “Nice move! Nearly got me. But… that wasn’t your full power, right?”
“Of course not,” Filo said, smirking. “We’re keeping it light, but against someone like you, going easy would be rude.” A single drop of Ye Lan’s blood glistened on her finger—the only damage from the explosion. Just one drop, but it was enough. Filo licked it, and Ye Lan’s blood surged through her, a power far beyond Bingpo’s, pushing her past saturation. Her stats skyrocketed: Strength: 99999++, Endurance: 99999++, Agility: 99999++. Skills like [Blood Hand], [Blood Thread Technique], [Blood Bullet], [Supersonic], [Counter], [Immortal], [King’s Aura]… Titles like [Immortal], [Ageless], [Ultimate Being], [True Ancestor], [King], [Overlord], [Demon King Candidate]…
Full Power Unleashed! “Let’s keep this friendly fight going!” Filo roared.
“I surrender!” Ye Lan yelped.
“…”