Above the Treant, dozens of figures soared into the sky, all unfortunate foreign races captured by Wood Duke.
Behind Qing Ling, dozens of strange insectoid beasts also flew up. Leading them was a beautiful woman in resplendent attire, her cultivation reaching Taiyi, clearly the one commanding the swarm.
Qing Ling did not rashly approach. He did not know her relationship with Shi, and the more than thirty Golden Immortal insectoid beasts beside her were clearly abnormal, their auras mixed with the lingering scent of death. They were not native insectoids but seemed to have been infected by some evil entity.
When the woman saw Qing Ling, surprise flickered in her eyes, but she spoke first, "Fellow Daoist, we belong to the side of Venerable Shi Tian. For the sake of survival, I implore you to lend us a hand!"
Qing Ling showed no intention of getting closer. He simply cupped his hands and said, "I am naturally willing to help. But I wonder how I can assist?"
Seeing that Qing Ling had no intention of approaching, the woman did not get angry. She smiled faintly, her beauty enhancing her appearance, and looked towards the Treants in the distance. "You only need to kill all these wooden puppets and spread the aura of death across the land to help Venerable Shi Tian secure a victory.
Previously, Wood Duke and Venerable Shi Tian had fought for several eons, with one victory each, and we also lost dozens of Golden Immortals. This is the third match. If Venerable Shi Tian wins, we might still have a chance to live. If the Venerable loses, the entire world will be suppressed, and we will perish completely. Therefore, please help us!"
Qing Ling's heart sank. "I will naturally do my best."
The other party nodded and waved her hand. The more than thirty silent Golden Immortal insectoid-humans rushed out and began to fight the dozens of foreign races in front.
The woman stood quietly behind, her expression solemn as she looked at the figure on a tall green mountain.
Qing Ling did not act rashly and asked, "Fellow Daoist, who is that opponent?"
The young woman did not shift her gaze and said directly, "A remnant divine soul clone of Wood Duke, half a step into Da Luo!"
Qing Ling sighed and moved a few steps further away from the woman.
The other party was surprised and chuckled, "I am Luo Hua, the former Saintess of the Blood Insect Clan of the Western Desolation. Are you also a subordinate race of the Dragon Clan, Fellow Daoist? We are in the midst of a great tribulation; only by joining forces can we have a sliver of hope for survival."
The Blood Insect Clan of the Western Desolation? Qing Ling came to his senses. This clan was even stronger than the Black Lizard Supreme Clan, the fourth most powerful clan, closest to the Ten Great Transcendent Clans. It was located on the west coast, and he had encountered them after traversing half of the Primordial World.
"I am Qing Ling, the Saint Son of the Xi Mountain Snake Clan from the Eastern Desolation."
Luo Hua smiled and gestured with her hand, and a blood worm flew over.
Qing Ling's divine sense swept over it. Although he found no issues, he still did not accept it. Instead, he waved his sleeve, and a wooden puppet appeared, catching the worm.
As soon as the worm touched the puppet, it eerily merged into the puppet's body.
Qing Ling's expression changed slightly. Just as he was about to question her, his divine sense, which remained within the puppet, heard Luo Hua's telepathic message.
"Fellow Daoist, do not be angry. This worm was refined from my essence blood, a rare blood nourishing spiritual item that can only be beneficial, not harmful. Transmitting messages is impossible in this world, so I had no choice but to do this to plot our escape together."
Qing Ling calmed himself, and the divine sense within the puppet replied, "So that's how it is. Does Fellow Daoist not trust Venerable Shi Tian?"
"Fellow Daoist, do not be naive. We know of his secret. Do you think he intends to let us go? Furthermore, not a single one of the nearly a hundred Golden Immortals who entered this place has emerged alive."
"Then what are your intentions? I am merely a Golden Immortal and of little use." Qing Ling's face showed neither surprise nor joy, betraying no clue.
"Heh heh, Fellow Daoist, as a congenital deity, how could your strength be ordinary? As long as you trust me, we might be able to escape together!"
"Why don't you seek help from the many insectoid Golden Immortals by your side?"
Luo Hua sighed, "They have long since died. Now, they are merely controlled by the aura of death from Venerable Shi Tian and have been refined into something akin to puppets.
Most of Wood Duke's Golden Immortals are also like this. In this world, only you and I have clear souls and pure bodies, untainted by the aura of life and death."
Qing Ling was silent for a moment, then raised his eyes and said, "Alright! I am willing to strive for a glimmer of hope with you!"
"You have absolutely made the wise choice! It will take at least tens of thousands of years for these two powerful beings to determine a winner. When their battle reaches its most critical moment, and both sides are exhausted and merge in death, their control over this world will be at its weakest.
At that time, I will borrow a secret clan technique to summon a fragment of the Ancestor's divine consciousness to descend and shatter the void's confinement. However, after this technique, I will be exhausted. I implore you to take me and flee directly."
Qing Ling was stunned and could not help but ask, "Is it that simple?"
The other party sighed helplessly, "In the face of the absolute power of great venerables, all schemes and calculations are useless and will even be seen through. For this chance of survival, I did not hesitate to humble myself for one hundred and fifty-four thousand nine hundred and thirteen years.
Every year, every day, I lived in fear, even abandoning all that I could. Among the nearly a hundred Golden Immortal Venerables here, and even nine Grand Unity cultivators, only I have survived, waiting for this very day.
The moment I met you, I had a premonition, a divine inspiration. You are my only chance!"
Qing Ling sighed inwardly. After stepping into the Golden Immortal realm, he thought he would no longer be as humble and powerless as before. However, confined to the Eastern Desolation, he was still like a frog in a well.
Everything was about strength!
"Alright! We met amidst life and death, and came to know each other through slaughter. Fellow Daoist Luo Hua, since you trust me, I will not fail you!"
Luo Hua smiled faintly, her red lips like blood, her beauty like a blooming flower. In an instant, she soared into the sky, her red robe fluttering, her long hair flying, exuding a seductive charm.
In the distance, Wood Duke's clone strode out. His green robe billowed, moving like a collapsing sky, standing like a majestic mountain. His white beard slightly lifted, his benevolent eyes and kind face exuded an immortal aura.
"Junior, this is already the third encounter."
"Senior's elegance is still undiminished."
Wood Duke's clone chuckled, "You, junior, are quite good. It's a pity you are not in my service."
Luo Hua's lips moved, her red lips like flames, her seductiveness growing. "It is my misfortune."
Below, Qing Ling was slightly stunned. He wondered how Luo Hua could withstand a clone of a Da Luo. So, her methods lay here. Standing here in this subtle atmosphere, he felt somewhat out of place.
Therefore, Qing Ling silently retreated a few steps, trying to minimize his presence.
Wood Duke's clone smiled thinly and glanced at Qing Ling behind her. He sighed, "Luo Hua girl, you are such a talented jade, it is a pity you are not under my tutelage. Today, I truly do not wish to act against you. As long as you subdue that boy behind you and hand him over to me, I can spare your life!"
Luo Hua's heart trembled, and the smile on her face froze slightly.
"What? Could it be that you fancy such a good-looking but useless boy?" Wood Duke's clone's expression turned grim. He looked at Qing Ling again, appraised him for a moment, and a hint of admiration flashed in his eyes. "He is indeed of good appearance. It is not surprising that you are moved." As he spoke, his eyes narrowed and swept over Qing Ling a few more times.
Luo Hua: ?
Qing Ling below: ?
Wood Duke chuckled, "Very well, girl, just watch from the side. I will act myself." This boy was related to his path of cultivation. He was a creature of wood, and Qing Ling was a spirit of wood. If he could merge the boy's divine personality and authority, he might truly be able to break through his own eighteen layers of heaven.
Saying this, Wood Duke's clone flashed and was about to cross Luo Hua, flying towards Qing Ling below.
But at this moment, Luo Hua, who had been looking stunned, erupted with killing intent in her eyes. The two blood-colored long needles she had held in her sleeves for a long time shot towards the close-by Wood Duke.
At the same time, she retreated rapidly, her red robe and long sleeves dancing. A myriad of flying needles accompanied the red sleeves, her red attire as vibrant as the morning sun, and the silver needles as sharp as the ice of the northern lands.