Chapter 288: Flee While You Can

Bai Jing let out a painful, low roar—but still refused to let go of the unlucky cultivator clenched in her jaws. Her cold, vicious glare locked onto Peach Blossom Fairy and her group, causing the latter to frown in discomfort.

“Beast, hand over Chen Fei, and we might spare your life!”

Peach Blossom Fairy stepped forward, her voice deep and threatening.

“Spare my life?”

Bai Jing chuckled coldly.

Her abdomen was drenched in dark green fluid, soaking the surrounding land. Despite her battered appearance, the ruthless aura emanating from her made no one dare approach.

CRUNCH.

With eerie elegance, Bai Jing chewed on the cultivator in her mouth. Even the usually heartless evil cultivators felt their scalps go numb at the sight.

“Been a while since I cut loose. No wonder you brats think I’m easy prey.”

Her voice sneered as her form swelled and morphed, returning to her true body—a terrifying Ghost-Faced Demon Spider.

Peach Blossom Fairy’s pupils contracted sharply.

“Fall back!”

But it was too late.

Though enormous, Bai Jing’s movements were lightning fast. Her silk shot forward in a flash, instantly ensnaring one of the evil cultivators.

Eight Ghosts, standing beside the victim, turned deathly pale. The web had missed him by a hair’s breadth—any closer and he would have been the one caught!

Snap!

A chilling crunch echoed as Bai Jing’s venomous voice rang out:

“You’re next.”

Peach Blossom Fairy gritted her teeth, finally realizing the terrifying pressure Bai Jing’s true body brought to bear.

If they didn’t act now, there’d be no chance left.

“Protector Demon Lord—please act now!”

She had no choice but to call upon her final trump card.

A Demon Lord was a being above the Earth Dao Realm—their strength often rivaling Heaven Dao Realm experts. But the drawbacks of the evil path—its shortcuts and unstable foundations—made it dangerous for such beings to act recklessly.

Still, Earth Dao Realm cultivators could act without major concern.

“A transformed demon beast in the Human Dao Realm? Not much of a threat.”

The Protector Demon Lord chuckled coldly, appearing out of thin air. His pale hand reached forward to block Bai Jing’s razor-sharp leg spear with bare flesh.

“Everyone who comes today dies!”

Bai Jing erupted with fury, spewing countless spider threads at the Demon Lord.

But the Demon Lord only sneered.

“How presumptuous, beast!”

A black umbrella manifested above his head and began to rotate slowly. As it spun, all the threads were swept away harmlessly.

Bai Jing snorted and raised her leg again, thrusting the barbed, jagged spear directly toward the black umbrella.

This was no ordinary strike—the sharp hairs and reverse barbs hinted at something far more lethal.

But the Demon Lord remained calm.

“Futile. Give me the item, and I might let you live.”

“You brat. Just because you’re a Demon Lord, you think you’re invincible? You think I’m easy prey? Don’t forget—this is the Dusky Sand Dunes!”

As a transformed demon beast, Bai Jing had one advantage humans couldn’t match: longevity.

That long life brought with it immense battle experience.

If she hadn’t been trapped in the Dusky Desert for so long, her strength wouldn’t have stagnated like this.

Now that she was free, did he really think he could control her?

How laughable.

Just as her leg spear neared the black umbrella, a green flash flickered.

RIP!

The umbrella was torn apart like cloth—impaled clean through.

The Demon Lord’s eyes went wide with shock.

“You—how?!”

Bai Jing grinned, the thrill of violence gleaming in her eyes.

“The slaughter’s just getting started. It’s been far too long since I’ve tasted Demon Lord brains.”

The Protector Demon Lord no longer wore his calm expression.

The destruction of his magic artifact—which was deeply connected to his soul—caused severe backlash. He spat out a mouthful of black blood and summoned black flames in his palm to desperately parry the incoming spear.

The battle’s tide shifted in an instant, leaving all the evil cultivators stunned.

“You filthy beast—you’re courting death!”

The Demon Lord was furious. Though the umbrella wasn’t completely irreparable, its destruction had crippled his strength, and in such a crucial moment, he could not afford to fall behind.

“Heaven’s protection—OPEN!”

His eyes turned blood-red, and a surging aura exploded outward, blasting Bai Jing back a step.

Hair disheveled, eyes gleaming crimson, the Demon Lord roared:

“I’ll use your flesh and blood to restore my artifact!”

With a single swing, he summoned a black cyclone, launching it toward Bai Jing.

But Bai Jing only smirked.

“You brat. Did you forget where you are? Using wind techniques in the Dusky Sand Dunes? You must have a death wish!”

As her voice fell, the previously calm skies darkened. Storm clouds gathered, and a wall of yellow sand erupted, howling through the battlefield.

Even the Demon Lord was forced to step back cautiously.

The other evil cultivators panicked and retreated as well.

But one unfortunate soul wasn’t fast enough.

“H-Help me—!”

The Human Realm cultivator barely had time to cry out before his body turned yellow, then crumbled into sand, vanishing completely into the desert.

This was the true horror of the Dusky Sand Dunes.

Anyone touched by the yellow storm would turn to dust and merge into the sands, disappearing without a trace.

Any hesitation was now gone. Peach Blossom Fairy and the rest fled in terror.

Only Bai Jing’s cold laughter echoed through the storm.

“How fun. So very fun. Come, little guy. It’s time to donate your brain!”

But her glee was short-lived.

“You dare flee?!”

She suddenly bellowed with rage.

A powerful icy aura erupted across the battlefield—so intense it even halted the raging yellow storm.

“Saintess Leng Yue! Not good—Chen Fei’s trying to escape!”

Peach Blossom Fairy recognized the cold energy immediately. As an old rival, she had fought Leng Yue many times and knew her signature aura well.

Without hesitation, she charged into the swirling sands to intercept Chen Fei.

Bai Jing tried to chase, but at that moment, the Demon Lord struck, seizing the opening.

With a powerful swing, his black umbrella smashed into one of her leg spears, knocking her to the ground.