Chapter 594: Subduing the Four-Star Dou Saint
The Bi Frost Heavenly Poison Scorpion was terrified, having not expected to encounter such a formidable late-stage Dou Saint capable of stirring the tides of celestial energy—a feat that even among late-stage Dou Saints was considered exceptional.
"Spare me! Please spare my life, senior!" the Bi Frost Heavenly Poison Scorpion pleaded aloud as it felt the Tidal Giant Hand tightening its grip. It knew the terror of the celestial energy tides from its ancestral memories; such power stood at the pinnacle of the Dou Qi continent.
Not even the ancestor of the Bi Frost Heavenly Poison Scorpions in its memories could withstand more than a few moves against someone who could manipulate the celestial tides, let alone escape with its soul intact.
"Heh, you think by hiding in this poison lake to ambush us, and now pleading for mercy, you can simply turn the page on this matter?" Xiao Ze said with a chuckle.
The scorpion felt its body creak under the strain, its usually indestructible shell cracking under the overwhelming pressure of the Tidal Giant Hand. Green blood oozed out, spattering on the hand without causing any erosion—the terrifying toxicity that could once contaminate a great river was ineffectual here.
Regret filled the Bi Frost Heavenly Poison Scorpion's heart for its initial greed and impulsiveness. Now, it had to pay the price for its actions. It had sensed Xiao Ze and his companion's arrival early on. For many years, the toxic environment of the poison lake had been an advantage for it, dulling the senses of any intruders, whereas it could detect intruders effortlessly.
Originally, it had planned to kill them as food. However, sensing Xiao Ze's formidable presence and unable to gauge his true strength—a warning sign at the Dou Saint level—it had hesitated. But then, it sensed the unique and irresistibly attractive Calamity Poison Body.
Overwhelmed by this lure, it abandoned its initial reservations, hiding within the lake to launch a sneak attack. It figured that once Xiao Ze was dealt with, the Calamity Poison Body, not even a two-star Dou Saint, would be easy to dominate. Instead, reality delivered a harsh slap, telling it that it had kicked a steel mountain.
Now, if it didn't make a change, it would be crushed to pieces by the Tidal Giant Hand, its soul easily obliterated by the relentless energy.
"I am willing to drop my soul defenses; you can place a soul imprint on me, make me a slave—I only ask that you spare my life!" The Bi Frost Heavenly Poison Scorpion offered without hesitation, seeing its life threatened, willing to discard everything else. Otherwise, with its four-star Dou Saint strength, it could roam freely anywhere on the Dou Qi continent.
But it had always feared being captured by a more powerful being who might want to extract the four-star Dou Saint level demon core it nurtured. That's why it had preferred to stay in the poison lake, unwilling to leave. After the elder from the Han Frost clan had been struck by it, shattering his soul's origin, it had not pursued further, fearing the elder was bait in a trap meant to lure it out.
It knew the terrifying aspects of the poison lake well and benefitted from its unique environment, allowing it to face ordinary five-star Dou Saints under its conditions. If the incoming Dou Saint was also proficient in poisons, the outcome might differ.
Now, seeing no other way out, it immediately conceded to Xiao Ze's terms, acknowledging its fate.
Xiao Ze, seeing the scorpion so readily drop its defenses, grew suspicious—could it have a method to evade the soul imprint? It wasn't impossible on the vast Dou Qi continent, home to the Lingling Tribe capable of devouring Emperor class bloodlines.
But then, remembering his own Origin Tree abilities, Xiao Ze nodded in agreement. "Well, having a four-star Dou Saint willing to surrender is too good an opportunity to pass up."
With that, he maintained the pressure of the Tidal Giant Hand, causing the Bi Frost Heavenly Poison Scorpion's form to shrink to just a few zhang in size before settling down in front of them. Resigned, the scorpion cowered before them, its giant green pincers tucked under its body and its frost-white-tipped tail curled up, showing it posed no threat.
"What are you waiting for? You don't think that by simply lowering your stance, I'll forget your previous attack, do you?" Xiao Ze spoke directly as he stared at the seemingly obedient green scorpion.
The last of the scorpion's hopes faded, and it resigned itself to its fate, lifting its head slightly. A faint soul light emerged on its forehead, taking the shape of a small scorpion.
"Master, I have dropped all defenses around my soul," it declared.
Xiao Ze then summoned a golden tree from his Origin Tree Root, which settled on the soul-shaped scorpion. With no resistance, the golden tree took control, ready to shatter the soul scorpion with a mere thought from Xiao Ze.
Feeling this unusual method, the Bi Frost Heavenly Poison Scorpion inwardly sighed, its life now hanging by the thread of Xiao Ze's whims. Yet, it harbored no resentment, recognizing its own initial aggression had led to this moment.
Faced with the choice of its life, everything else seemed trivial. Survival was paramount, and everything else, including its pride and freedom, could be discarded.
(End of Chapter)
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