In the dim and deep hallway, dust drifted in the faint light, seeming to murmur in helpless resignation now that the former peace had been shattered.
Lin Xia and Gecko Corpse Brother crossed paths.
The Gecko Corpse Brother was massive, and its bizarre two-headed appearance was chilling. Especially those two heads, one on the left and one on the right, looked like two independent entities, exuding an eerie aura. The mottled marks on the walls were like the weathered wrinkles of time, but at this moment, they were stained with a tense atmosphere by the impending battle.
The younger head spoke up first, its eyes darting back and forth over Lin Xia, and said with a frivolous tone:
"Hey, Big Bro, this chick looks really hot. How about we stop fighting, grab her, and take her back to be our mountain fortress queen?"
The older head frowned and shouted sternly: "Get serious! Now is not the time to be messing around."
The younger head, completely unfazed, continued to banter: "Oh come on, Big Bro, what's there to be afraid of? Look at how tender her skin is, she's definitely going to be fun... no wait, she's definitely formidable."
With that, it let out a chuckle.
Listening to the banter between the two heads of the Gecko Corpse Brother, Lin Xia felt a wave of disgust. She let out a cold snort, and her figure vanished from the spot instantly.
The two heads of the Gecko Corpse Brother panicked at once, looking around anxiously to find Lin Xia's whereabouts. At this moment, the air in the hallway seemed to freeze, silent enough to make one's hair stand on end.
"Hey, Big Bro, where did that chick go? She didn't get scared off by me, did she?" the younger head said smugly.
The older head observed the surroundings vigilantly, "Don't let your guard down. This woman is no pushover."
Right at that moment, Lin Xia suddenly appeared behind the Gecko Corpse Brother. Sharp Bone Spikes instantly grew out of her hands and thrust fiercely at the Gecko Corpse Brother. The Bone Spikes tore through the air, emitting a sharp whistle.
The Gecko Corpse Brother reacted quickly, violently twisting its massive body and displaying astonishing flexibility. Its tail whipped toward Lin Xia like a steel whip, with a speed that was staggering. Lin Xia hurriedly leaned aside to dodge, and the tail struck the wall, leaving a deep crack.
"Well well, pretty tough, aren't you?"
the younger head shouted, "Still, don't think you can bully us brothers."
With that, the Gecko Corpse Brother lunged fiercely at Lin Xia, moving with astonishing speed. Lin Xia leaped lightly backward, spun in mid-air, and waved her hands rapidly. Several Bone Spikes shot toward the Gecko Corpse Brother like sharp arrows.
The Gecko Corpse Brother hurriedly twisted its body to dodge. Those Bone Spikes brushed past its body and struck the surrounding walls and ground, sending debris flying once again. The cracks on the wall spread like a spiderweb, as if witnessing this fierce battle.
The Gecko Corpse Brother opened its huge mouth, spat out a long tongue, and lashed it toward Lin Xia. The tongue was like a nimble snake, moving with extreme speed. Lin Xia gave a light jump, avoiding the tongue's attack. Then, she brought her hands together, and a powerful burst of flames spewed from her palms, directly scorching the Gecko Corpse Brother.
The flames illuminated the dim hallway, and a scorching heat wave hit the face. The Gecko Corpse Brother retreated in a hurry, but still got caught by the flames in a few places. Thick black smoke rose from its skin, emitting a pungent, burnt odor.
"Ouch, ouch, I'm burning up!"
the younger head wailed, "Big Bro, this woman is too powerful. Should we run?"
The older head, however, was unwilling to yield: "No, we can't just run like this. It's too humiliating."
The Gecko Corpse Brother launched another attack. Its body rapidly hardened like steel, and it charged straight at Lin Xia. Its limbs were like sharp blades, carving deep gouges into the ground.
Seeing this, Lin Xia raised her hands, and countless Vines flew out from them, entangling the Gecko Corpse Brother. The Gecko Corpse Brother struggled, but the Vines wrapped around it tighter and tighter. Its limbs were tightly bound by the Vines, rendering it immobile.
At this moment, a tense atmosphere filled the hallway, with only the struggling sounds of the Gecko Corpse Brother and the creaking of the Vines echoing in the air.
"Damn it, what is this thing?" the younger head said in exasperation.
The older head panicked slightly as well, "Quick, think of a way to break free."
The Gecko Corpse Brother began to struggle with all its might, twisting its body continuously in an attempt to break free from the Vines' restraint. Its strength was immense, and the Vines were pulled taut, emitting a creaking sound.
Suddenly, the Gecko Corpse Brother opened its huge mouth, and a dark green venom shot out, heading straight for Lin Xia. The venom was like a jet of water from a high-pressure hose, extremely fast and highly corrosive.
Lin Xia hurriedly sidestepped to dodge. The venom landed on the ground, instantly emitting a sizzling corrosive sound as it carved out a large pit. The liquid inside the pit bubbled, emitting a sickening odor.
"Haha, let's see you dodge this!" the younger head laughed triumphantly.
Lin Xia's eyes turned sharp. With a wave of her hands, a crystal barrier instantly appeared, blocking the venom that was sprayed once more. The venom crashed against the crystal barrier, splashing into a cloud of green smoke. The smoke drifted through the hallway, adding a mysterious hue to the battle.
"Don't get cocky too soon."
Lin Xia pushed forward with both hands, unleashing a powerful force of wind element that blew the Gecko Corpse Brother off balance. Then, she teleported right in front of the Gecko Corpse Brother again, and the Bone Spikes in her hands stabbed fiercely at it.
The Gecko Corpse Brother frantically twisted its body, trying to avoid the Bone Spikes. But this time, Lin Xia was too fast; the Bone Spikes pierced directly into one of the heads of the Gecko Corpse Brother.
"Ah!" the younger head let out a miserable scream, "Big Bro, save me!"
The older head roared angrily, "You bitch, I'll fight you to the death!"
The Gecko Corpse Brother struggled madly, trying to break free from the Vines' restraint. But Lin Xia's Vines were exceptionally resilient, and no matter how it tried, it couldn't break free.
Taking advantage of the opening, Lin Xia launched another attack. With a wave of her hands, countless spider threads flew out from her palms, tightly wrapping up the Gecko Corpse Brother.
"What ghostly thing is this again?" the younger head said in despair. The older head also felt despair, "We're done for."
Looking at the Gecko Corpse Brother wrapped up like a rice dumpling, Lin Xia wore a sneer at the corner of her mouth. She knew that this Gecko Corpse Brother no longer had any strength left to resist. She walked up to the Gecko Corpse Brother, preparing to deliver the final blow.
At this moment, the hallway was so quiet that only Lin Xia's breathing could be heard.
Right then, the Gecko Corpse Brother suddenly spoke.
"Don't kill us, we surrender," the older head pleaded, swaying.
The younger head chimed in hurriedly as well:
"Right, right, right, we surrender! Spare our lives, beauty! We're very useful, we can be your mount."
Seeing this comical Gecko Corpse Brother, Lin Xia couldn't help but twitch the corner of her mouth, feeling somewhat puzzled.
"To be honest, did Little Vajra eat it and end up getting more 'clever' and comical?"
Just as Lin Xia's mind was wandering, the Gecko Corpse Brother suddenly activated its special ability: Tail Regeneration.
Its tail severed rapidly, and a strange energy surged at the stump. In an instant, the severed tail began to undergo an astonishing transformation. It rapidly expanded and twisted, and then grew a new body and head.
Meanwhile, the main body of the Gecko Corpse Brother, wrapped in spider threads, gradually shriveled up, as if all its energy had been transferred to the newly generated part.
The new Gecko Corpse Brother broke free from its restraints. It stretched its body and let out a bizarre cry.
"Haha, we're alive again!" the younger head said smugly.
The older head was more cautious: "Don't get cocky too soon; that woman is not to be trifled with." With that, it turned and fled swiftly.
Watching the resurrected Gecko Corpse Brother, Lin Xia flashed a trace of anger in her eyes. "You hateful bastard..."
Seeing Lin Xia, the two heads of the Gecko Corpse Brother grew terrified once more.
The younger head muttered softly: "Big Bro, what do we do? That woman is back."
The older head panicked as well, running blindly in a straight line: "Don't panic yet, let's see how things go."
The gecko smashed through floor after floor, running desperately.
Lin Xia was not about to give it a chance, and she unleashed her special ability once again. With a wave of her hands, countless Bone Spikes shot toward the Gecko Corpse Brother like a rainstorm.
The Gecko Corpse Brother dodged hurriedly, but was still struck by a few Bone Spikes. "Ah!" the younger head screamed.
Seeing this, the older head decided to counterattack. It directed the body of the Gecko Corpse Brother to lunge at Lin Xia.
The Gecko Corpse Brother's speed was extreme, like lightning. Its claws slashed through the air, kicking up gusts of wind.
Lin Xia flashed aside, dodging the attack. Then, she brought her hands together, activating her crystallization ability to freeze the limbs of the Gecko Corpse Brother.
The Gecko Corpse Brother struggled, but the crystal grew thicker and thicker, and it simply couldn't break free.
"Let's see how you run now," Lin Xia said coldly.
The younger head wore a mournful expression: "Big Bro, we're really done for this time."
The older head also sighed helplessly: "Sigh, I didn't expect this woman to be so powerful."
Lin Xia decided not to give the Gecko Corpse Brother any more chances. Pushing forward with both hands, a wind blade severed the gecko's tail once again. A powerful burst of flames spewed forth, enveloping the Gecko Corpse Brother within.
The Gecko Corpse Brother struggled in agony amidst the flames, but soon its two heads and part of its upper body were reduced to ashes, moving no longer.
Seeing that it was just about enough—in order to preserve a portion for refinement—the flames gradually died down, and silence returned to the hallway.
Looking at the ashes on the ground, Lin Xia let out a sigh of relief. "This kind of self-healing regeneration is truly troublesome."