Ch.5: The Pink Queen

With the first light of dawn, the forest came alive with the rustling of leaves the hungry roars of spirit beasts. Thus, they began the search. Two days had passed since they began scouring the Sunset Forest for a suitable spirit beast, yet their efforts remained fruitless. Dugu Xin's hope was tinged with frustration as they couldn't find any suitable spirit beast. It was on the third day that a faint rumbling caught their attention, a distant echo of commotion that carried on the wind. Approaching cautiously, Dugu Xin and Gu Rong peered through the foliage, their eyes widening as a sight unfolded before them. A group of at least 300 pink maidens, under a pink fog, was engaged in a coordinated hunt, their prey a massive 1.000-years White Clawed Bear. The pink maidens moved with precision; their attacks synchronized as they sought to overpower the formidable beast.

Dugu Xin turned to Gu Rong, a glimmer of excitement in his eyes. "Pink maidens hunting a white bear in such numbers… This could be it."

Gu Rong's gaze shifted between the spectacle and Dugu Xin, curiosity evident in his expression. "Explain." With a confident smile, Dugu Xin began, "A normal group of Pink Maidens can reach a maximum of 100 Pink Maidens, however with such a big group I am certain that they are led by a Pink Queen, one with at least 800-years."

Meanwhile Dugu Xin thought. 'Sigh, I feel bad for lying to him. A group of 300 Pink Maidens means that the Queen is at least 3.000-years. But… if I told him he might back away. I also have the feeling that this Pink Queen is the same one that was killed by Oscar in the original series. Moreover, it's possible that it already has the Giant Earth King as its partner. If that were to be the case we are fucked.'

Gu Rong's eyes lit up with understanding. "So, you believe there's a chance of finding a suitable spirit ring here?" Dugu Xin nodded, his excitement building.

"Precisely. If there's a Pink Queen among them, she's likely to possess a soul ring that meets the requirements I seek." For hours, they observed the pink maidens in their hunt, analyzing their movements and identifying patterns. With each passing moment, their conviction grew stronger, and a plan took shape. As the day wore on, the pink maidens eventually led the injured white bear to a hidden cave. The entrance was concealed, but Dugu Xin and Gu Rong followed discreetly, cautious not to alert the pink maidens to their presence. The pink maidens that entered, after a few minutes exited and continued to guard the entrance.

It was then that an idea began to form in Dugu Xin's mind. Turning to Gu Rong, Dugu Xin outlined his strategy. "We need to draw out the pink queen from her hiding place. We'll do so by creating a ruckus and targeting her subordinates."

Gu Rong nodded in agreement, his eyes reflecting the determination that burned within. "And how do we go about that?" With a mischievous grin, Dugu Xin revealed his plan.

"We'll eliminate as many of the pink maidens as possible, attracting the attention of the pink queen. She won't be able to resist defending her territory."

Gu Rong's lips curved into a matching grin. "Sounds like a plan. And I have just the spirit ability to cause some chaos."

Gu Rong activated his second spirit ring ability, "2nd Spirit Skill, Bone Fields." The ground beneath them trembled as massive bone spikes erupted from the earth, killing all of the pink maidens without a cultivation of at least 100-years. Dugu Xin didn't stand there to watch as he immediately jumped into action, "Martial Spirit Possession!"

Together, Dugu Xin and Gu Rong unleashed their abilities upon the unsuspecting pink maidens. Bone spikes pierced the ground, and venomous attacks rained down upon the group. And amidst the mayhem, their ultimate goal drew closer to realization. As the dust settled and the echoes of their attack faded, the air began to become pink as fog surrounded them. Dugu Xin instantly took 2 green pills, swallowing one and throwing the other to Gu Rong who eyed it suspiciously, "Quickly eat it. It's the antidote to the Pink Queen's poison, although it's not fatal, it causes the victims to become excited. But if too much is inhaled, and gradually causes excitement, once the stimulation reaches a certain degree it will overdraw one's vitality killing them." Hearing the explanation, Gu Rong immediately eats the pill and feels like his mind is suddenly clearer and less excited about the fight.

Just as he finished ingesting the pill, a slight tremor was felt and the density of the mist increased. The pink queen had been roused from her sanctuary, drawn forth by the threat to her subjects. Her form emerged from the shadows, it was 2m in size and its shape is similar to that of a scorpion's. Its body is pink and translucent, its profile dazzling. Its entire body is covered by a fine layer of scales. On its head, six tiny eyes that are dark red in color are present, glowing with hate and killing intent at the two.

......…...............................

Now .....

Amidst this grim tableau, Dugu Xin stood with his body filled with wounds as he faced off against the Pink Queen, his gaze fixed unwaveringly on the resolute Pink Queen before him. A tremor coursed through his left hand, dark purple blood dripping from his wound. Opposite to him, the Pink Queen's body was filled with several claw marks etched across her form. Gu Rong stood fainted on the branches of a tree. His overconfidence has made hi, become careless when fighting the Pink Queen and was put out of the fight, leaving Dugu Xin fight alone.

'I have been fighting this thing for almost 2 days. I am almost at my limit. I need to end this, NOW.' Fueled by determination, Dugu Xin's external soul bone manifested and he once again used Cursed Shroud. He also activated the Hollow Cobra's Tail's skill, Hell Snake's Aura, increasing his speed and attack power by 50%.

'The principle of the Heaven Snake Poison Pill is to use poison to refine spirit power, what if it can also help me recover it… great! It works, although the recovery isn't that fast due to the poison being weaker. Still it's better than nothing.'

As the clash raged on, an unexpected assault erupted from beneath the very earth that supported them. Out of nowhere, an 800-year-old pink maiden sprung up from underground like some twisted jack-in-the-box. Quick reflexes saved Dugu Xin from getting skewered, swiftly responding by employing his external spirit bone. With unerring precision, the bone pierced through the pink maiden's skull, ending her threat. Once that little interruption was dealt with, he focused right back on the Pink Queen, Dugu Xin, resuming his relentless assault upon the Pink Queen. The Pink Queen, though desperate, wasn't one to back down. She unleashed a torrent of toxins that engulfed the battlefield. A final gambit emerged as she broke her tail spike, launching it toward him with calculated aim. The airborne shard was a distraction, designed to confound his senses and create an opening for an attack from behind. Yet, Dugu Xin's instincts were sharp, and he managed to evade the surprise assault, though just barely.

In the aftermath of this intense evasion, Dugu Xin's concentration soared and his intense killing intent increased, but it also changed his mind. As the killing intent permeated the air the temperature around began to drop due to the raw killing intent released by Dugu Xin. The world around him seemed to shift, the colors fading into a somber gray due to the killing intent that, unlike most people's killing intent that is filled with malevolence and evil thoughts, his killing intent was just that – kill – no other sentiment was present, just pure killing intent.

'What's this, it feels gives a familiar feeling, Deathgod Domain?! No… it's not a domain, it feels like one but its incomplete. This is indeed an interesting event. I will look more into it after killing the Pink Queen,' Dugu Xin's introspection was brief, for the immediate battle still raged on.

As he channeled his relentless killing intent into a concentrated force, a subtle yet overwhelming pressure emanated from him. This aura, imbued with his pure killing intent, disrupted the powers of the Pink Queen. As the world was shrouded by the gray veil of his killing intent, the Pink Queen began to panic as she felt herself suddenly becoming even weaker than before. Meanwhile Dugu Xin felt his strength rise as he was the only one who had color in a gray expanse. Every move, every strike, was fueled by his newfound intent, propelling him, and damaging the Pink Queen more than before. The Pink Queen's resistance faltered more and more, as Dugu Xin continued to press forward. As their clash reached its peak, the Pink Queen's defenses finally crumbled, and with one final, decisive blow, Dugu Xin used his external spirit bone to pierce the Pink Queen's head, finally killing it. As a certainty, a purple spirit ring began to manifest above its corpse.

Finally seeing the confirmation of the Pink Queen's death, Dugu Xin's grip on his martial spirit possession loosened, allowing his exhausted body to slump backward, collapsing onto the forest floor. The remnants of the Incomplete domain gradually faded. He let out a heavy sigh, his body drained to the point where even maintaining his stance had become a monumental task.

'That was way too dangerous. Sigh… The incomplete domain is interesting though. I can feel its presence within my martial soul, which is weird as a domain comes from within someone, unless, it's an innate domain of my martial soul. This has just become more interesting. This means that I can have 3 Domains or 2, not sure if the one from myself and the one gained at Spirit Domain spirit power level are one and the same. Huh… Thoughts for later I guess.'

With his martial spirit's shroud lifted, Dugu Xin found himself sitting on the forest floor, his breath ragged, sweat mingling with dirt and blood on his brow. The effects of the battle lingered, his body battered, and his soul power nearly depleted. His vision blurred as he contemplated his next course of action.

Reaching into a pouch at his waist, he retrieved a pill – a remedy to mend his wounded body and replenish his depleted spirit power.

'I guess it's time to see if this little pill will work. I created it when I had my phase of wishing to become an alchemist. Let's say it was a pain in the ass just to make this pill. I wish I had gained knowledge about alchemy to go with my reincarnation. Sigh… not that it matters now.' Gritting his teeth against the pain, he swallowed the pill, feeling its revitalizing effects course through his veins.

His wounds, both visible and hidden, seemed to gradually knit themselves together under the potent influence of the pill. Seated amidst the remnants of the toxic atmosphere that still hung in the air, Dugu Xin began to cultivate to recover his soul power using the Heaven Snake Poison Pill Technique, with the poison in the surrounding area, it made it a lot easier for him to do so.

'This method of recovering soul power is really great. I wonder why father didn't tell me that the technique could be used like this. Although I guess nobody is stupid enough to use poison against someone from the Dugu Family.'

As his body mended, Dugu Xin's attention shifted to the task at hand – the spirit ring of the Pink Queen. With a determined glint in his eyes, he made the necessary hand signs and slowly but surely, he drew the spirit ring toward himself, commencing the absorption process.

'I recovered only 75% of my soul power and my physical strength is about the same, still, I should be able to absorb it without problems.' He began to absorb the spirit ring. With unwavering resolve, he pushed forward, finally succeeding in absorbing the spirit ring's power after 3 hours. Once he succeeded, he opened his eyes that were now golden, a part of his black hair changed from its original color to green, signifying that his poison has once again become stronger but at the same time, the pain he will suffer from his own poison will increase. His soul power exploded and he rose to his feet as two spirit rings manifested around him, one yellow and the other purple, with the Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor appearing behind him.

However, Dugu Xin saw something unusual with it "Huh, the size seems to have increased to about 26m. I wonder if its size will continue to grow, after all dad's Spirit Avatar has around 100m in length. It will be awesome if you grow even bigger. But the most interesting this must be that red tattoo on your forehead" as Dugu Xin Spoke the martial soul lowered his head for Dugu Xin to take a closer look.

'It looks like a vertical eye. Weird… I'll ask father about this once I go back.'

Gaining his feet, he cast a glance toward Gu Rong's unconscious form, sprawled on the tree's branches. Concern etched his features as he neared his fallen comrade. Gu Rong lay still, his breath faint, his body marred by a vicious scar that snaked from his left shoulder down to his waist. A sharp sigh of relief passed Dugu Xin as he surveyed the damage.

"Thank the heavens I managed to feed him that pill to slow down the bleeding and hasten his healing. Otherwise, he'd be long dead" Dugu Xin mused to himself. Gently, he lifted Gu Rong's still form and set out, his footsteps firm as he navigated the dense forest terrain.

'I should find a safe space to heal his injuries and wait for him to wake up.' His quest led him to the cavern of a 500-year-old Spirit Fire Fox. Swiftly dispatching the creature, Dugu Xin settled Gu Rong within the cave's confines. With the security of the cave, Dugu Xin set about tending to Gu Rong's wounds more extensively.

Six days passed, in which he waited for Gu Rong to wake up while he also tried to search for the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. It was on the sixth day that Gu Rong stirred, his eyes fluttering open as consciousness gradually returned to him.

As Gu Rong's eyes flickered open, he found himself met with the dim illumination of the cave. His senses gradually reoriented themselves, the memory of their recent battle and subsequent events trickling back. His body ached, and as he attempted to move, a sharp twinge of pain surged through him. With a wince, he shifted his gaze, spotting Dugu Xin sitting nearby, his expression a mixture of relief and concern.

"Dugu Xin..." Gu Rong's voice emerged hoarse and weak. Dugu Xin turned his attention to his awakening friend, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "Welcome back, Gu Rong," he greeted softly. "How are you feeling?"

"Thank you for saving me." he admitted, his voice tinged with humility. Dugu Xin chuckled softly. "Don't be so surprised. We're a team, after all. Taking care of each other is what we do." Gu Rong managed a faint smile. "Thank you," he said earnestly.

Dugu Xin waved off the sentiment, his focus shifting to the scar that marred Gu Rong's form. "That's quite a wound you've got there," he remarked, with his appraisal tone. Gu Rong followed Dugu Xin's gaze, his fingers lightly tracing the length of the scar.

"Yeah, the Pink Queen got me good. I got arrogant and overestimated my abilities," he admitted ruefully.

"But if it weren't for you and that pill, I probably wouldn't be here." Dugu Xin nodded, a shadow of seriousness passing over his features. "You were bleeding pretty heavily. That pill was the least I could do to buy us some time until we found a safer place."

Gu Rong's gaze shifted, and he took in their surroundings more fully, finally noticing the cave they were in. "Where are we and what happened to the Pink Queen?" he asked, curiosity piqued. "We're in the cave of a Spirit Fire Fox," Dugu Xin explained.

"I took care of it, so we should be safe here for now. As for the Pink Queen, I managed to kill it." The conversation shifted as Gu Rong's curiosity led him to ask a question that had been lingering in his mind.

His expression grew more serious as he inquired, "What was the true age of that Pink Queen? I know for a fact that couldn't have been just a 100-year spirit beast."

Slowly, he confessed, "It was around 3,000 years old." Gu Rong's eyes widened in both astonishment and understanding. The weight of the revelation settled upon him, the realization of what they had managed to achieve sinking in.

"So, we took down a 3,000-year spirit beast while we're still Spirit Masters," he mused, his tone a blend of awe and pride. A rueful smile tugged at Dugu Xin's lips as he replied, "Indeed. We managed to achieve something most would deem impossible."

Gu Rong's expression softened, his gaze sincere as he met Dugu Xin's eyes. "Despite the risks, despite the injuries, we prevailed," he said, a spark of determination igniting within him. "And that's definitely a reason to celebrate."