"You're still unrepentant even on your deathbed! You've lived your whole life like a stone!"
Chen Ai was stunned by the scolding and said awkwardly, "You only said these things to deceive me because you saw that I burned my source. How could I risk letting you go? Besides, someone reports to me about the situation outside every day. Don't think I don't know anything."
"I told you you're stupid, but you won't admit it. I think you're incredibly stupid, you're a complete idiot!"
Xiaocao didn't care whether Chen'ai could understand the current internet slang, nor did she use standard references like "stone" to insult people. Her tone was both vicious and arrogant: "You're just a fool! You deserve to die young! Even if you die, you won't be reincarnated. You'll die cleanly!"
"You~~~" Chen Ai said angrily.
"What do you mean, 'you'!" Xiaocao retorted even more confidently. "Do you even have a brain? Who reports to you every day? They're all from the Jiang family. Do they really listen to you or to their ancestors in Jiangnan?"
"By the way, this isn't Jiangnan now, it's Jiang Liu, the current head of the Jiang family." Xiao Cao slowed her speech. She continued with utter disdain, "Being imprisoned in this godforsaken place by the Jiang family, and instead of being angry, you think you're some kind of ancestor of the Jiang family? You're incredibly stupid, you should have died of stupidity long ago!"
"..." Chen Ai was speechless. The inner wall of the giant cocoon imprisoning Lin Yao and Xiao Cao fluctuated, clearly indicating that its emotions were extremely unstable.
"Little Grass, now is the perfect time, let's wipe it out!" Lin Yao had been observing the opportunity, and his senses detected that the giant cocoon's defenses were much weaker when it fluctuated, because his senses could detect a much greater distance outside the cocoon.
"No, Yaoyao, we have to try no matter what. It would be best if we could fool Chen'ai, even if we lose a little opportunity because of it."
Little Grass refused, "You heard it too, the Dawn Mist clone outside is the biggest enemy. This main body has burned its source, and even if we can destroy it, we will definitely pay a huge price. If we get injured and encounter the clone outside, we may lose our lives."
"And... there's also the possibility that we might actually be dragged down with it to our deaths." Little Grass said what worried Lin Yao the most, making his heart pound.
Burning the source of life, no one knows what will happen. Those who knew are all dead. Little Grass dares not take the risk.
"Then what do you suggest? How can I trust that you will help me?" After a long silence, Chen Ai finally spoke, and the giant cocoon's fluctuations ceased.
"Didn't the Jiang family tell you? Jiangnan has caused many plagues outside, killing millions of people. Now the whole world can't tolerate him anymore. I am now at odds with him. Even if it weren't for you, I would still kill him!"
As soon as she finished speaking, Xiaocao immediately added, "Although the people he implanted with the bacteria haven't been discovered, and are instead regarded as 'super gene warriors' by various countries who believe it's a mysterious method that allows humanity to evolve, it's precisely because of this that I need to find him as soon as possible. Otherwise, if everyone is controlled by him, where will I have a place to survive?"
"But how can I believe that after you find him, you won't kill him but instead bring him to me?" Chen Ai insisted on the question that concerned her most.
After a moment of contemplation, the little grass said, "There's no other way. You can only trust me. Otherwise, you'll only have one path: to vanish completely and leave no trace in the world."
"Besides, am I, Zhu Dan, the kind of person who goes back on my word? We are both ancient spirits, should I be like inferior people who break their promises? When did you learn these scheming tricks?"
"Okay, I trust you. You must find Jiangnan and bring him back here within half a month. Otherwise, I can't hold on any longer." Chen'ai finally decided to accept Xiaocao's suggestion. When the risk of rebirth was too great, it had no choice but to trust its former nemesis.
“Okay, this is my leaf stalk. Let’s go find Jiangnan right away. If we go astray, you can use this leaf stalk to remind me. Once we find it, I’ll bring it back to you.” The little grass stretched out the emerald green leaf stalk in front of the morning mist that had gathered into a human shape. Its tone was very peaceful, as if it were talking to an old friend.
“Yes, I’ll remind you all the time.” The aggregate of morning mist extended an arm-like protrusion, about to take Ye Si, but suddenly stopped. “No! You’re lying to me!”
"Yaoyao, attack!" Xiaocao immediately gave the order to attack, while she herself decomposed numerous "antidote pills" and other stored medicinal energy within her body. Her demonic tentacles attacked the humanoid Chen Ai and the inner walls of the giant cocoon from all directions.
The moment Xiaocao said "take action," Lin Yao unleashed his greatest attack, the accumulated energy of heaven and earth rushing towards the humanoid creature in front of him in a tearing and exploding manner.
With a bang, the humanoid creature exploded into dust.
A thick cloud of grayish-white smoke quickly spread, filling the entire enclosed space of the giant cocoon.
At the very center of the explosion, a wisp of dark green light appeared—the primordial toxin of the morning mist, which had already been witnessed in Yanji City. But this time, it was different.
The dark green toxin spread rapidly, its color changing from dark green to the deepest black, like a black hole that could absorb anything. It quickly eroded everything around it, turning the humanoid creature's location into a terrifying, pitch-black space, as if it wanted to devour everything in the world.
"No! Use the electric light!" Little Grass cried out, her voice filled with intense fear.
Burning the source of energy indeed possesses incredible power!
"It's too late, hahaha!"
Chen Ai's voice rang out, exceptionally loud. It seemed to roar right next to your ears, shaking your very soul, "If I hadn't trapped you so easily a moment earlier, you were foolish enough to give me the chance. Just wait for your souls to be scattered! You won't even be able to escape with your spiritual roots! Hahahaha!"
Lin Yao did not hesitate because of Chen Ai's words. He completely trusted Xiao Cao and knew that this moment was a matter of life and death. Only by following the instructions could he have a chance. He immediately cast the last set of hand seals.
A faint, purplish-silver light flashed, and with a wave of the hand, lightning shot towards the inky black space...
"Die!"
The little grass cried out, instantly releasing all the medicinal energy contained in the pills within its body. It mixed with all the stored medicinal energy, used its own origin to blend them into a new substance, and changed its properties instinctively. Then, it rushed towards the dark space along with three extremely thick tentacles.
"It's too late, it's all too late. Unless you also burn your own essence, but even then you won't have time to stop it. Even if you burn all your essence, you still can't escape death!"
A triumphant laugh rang out, and the giant cocoon immediately collapsed towards its center. The cocoon walls turned black at a visible speed, and the blackening grew increasingly intense. "This is what happens when you deceive me!"
The lightning flashed and disappeared in an instant, disappearing into the black hole space without a trace of light. However, Lin Yao could sense that the power of the lightning had not been lost. The crackling sounds indicated that it was rapidly burning the black mist, but relative to the total amount of black mist, it did not have an overwhelming effect. It was just moving quickly within it, burning away the endless toxins.
The grass persisted, its three thick tendrils already stained dark green, gradually turning black at the tips. Only when the grass vigorously released the mixture of medicinal and elixir energy did it turn slightly emerald green or even grayish-white, before turning back to dark green and black in the blink of an eye.
"Don't think you're so smart, Zhu Dan." Chen Ai's voice was extremely vicious. "You were able to separate Ye Si from the main body, you must have devoured 'Ming Jin'. And you said you would help me? You want to devour me, don't you? Now that you've advanced and have the ability to devour me, I absolutely do not believe you would sincerely help me!"
"Although that little guy in Jiangnan can quickly restore his original nature and improve his strength through plant fungi, even if there are endless humans available to use, it will still take at least two years to break through. For me, waiting for my spiritual root to awaken and then invading my clone is much less risky than cooperating with you. If I destroy you, I can also absorb the essence left behind after your death. At that time, I will be the greatest in the world!"
"Go to hell! I'll burn my own essence rather than leave you any spirit!" Xiao Cao cursed amidst her busy schedule. Her precarious situation made her consider burning her own essence, but she couldn't bear to let Lin Yao die with her. The decision she was struggling with was driving her crazy.
"Hahahaha!" Chen Ai was extremely smug. "Even if you burn your source, it won't help. Anyway, I can't save my main body, but my spiritual root is still there. After the main body dies, the spiritual root will be favored by the heavens. It will be easy to destroy Jiangnan in two years. With an inexhaustible supply of human implants, it doesn't matter if I don't have your essence. I am the most powerful, that's enough."
The stalemate continued. Xiaocao still couldn't bear to burn her source energy and struggled to maintain her output, but she felt that the synthetic substances in her body were getting less and less, and her source energy was almost 90% consumed. If she didn't burn her source energy, she wouldn't even be able to dispel this dark poison, leaving behind the most poisonous cave in the world.
The giant cocoon grew smaller and smaller, gradually becoming a jet-black egg with a diameter of three meters. The red light emitted by the lava shone on the egg without reflecting any light. It remained quietly on the ground at the deepest part of the cave. All the mycelium around it disappeared, revealing the original appearance of the rock.
"For millions of years, we have fought fifteen times, and you have won every time, driving me to hide like a stray dog."
Chen Ai's voice rang out again, but it sounded less loud than before, "Isn't it because you can parasitize a perfect host that you have special abilities? There are almost no hosts who are willing to let me parasitize them, which is why you succeeded."
"Things are different now. With Jiang Nan and Jiang Liu, these two little devils, my abilities will surpass all existence. This sixteenth duel will be your end, and I will have the last laugh!"
"Hahahaha... Ah~~~~"