The Monkey Clone, seeing this, shook his body and reverted to his true form, grinning mischievously: "Lao Qin, I'll go help out too."

"Wait."

Qin Shou stopped the Monkey Clone and extended his hand: "Give it to me."

The Monkey Clone nodded, its body trembling. With a sharp groan, a segment of its spine suddenly jutted out from its back.

Qin Shou timed it perfectly. His right hand blurred into motion and effortlessly snapped off that protruded segment of spine.

"Ouch, ouch, ouch... take it easy..." the Monkey Clone howled miserably.

"That's enough. Go back to your main body!"

Qin Shou waved him off, gripping the blood-drenched segment of spine in his hand. His gaze turned icy as, without hesitation, he crushed the piece of spine into powder.

"Crack..."

As the small segment of spine disintegrated into dust, Qin Shou turned his head towards the girl in the black robe.

Although the Frozen Bone Eater was considered part of a Synthetic Monster's consciousness, it had no emotions and could never be domesticated.

Despite appearing dormant for such a long time, the Frozen Bone Eater could retaliate the moment it evolved too fast and escaped the System's control, turning against Qin Shou without hesitation.

If not for this risk, Qin Shou wouldn't have played along, pretending to act in this grotesque Spine Gu drama. He wasn't doing it out of sheer boredom.

Opposite him, the group watched in terror as Qin Shou forcibly removed a segment of the Monkey Clone's spine. A chill crept into their hearts.

Then they noticed Qin Shou's lecherous gaze lingering on the Princess and hurriedly stepped in front of the black-robed girl, their faces full of alarm and vigilance.

"You... what do you think you're doing? Let this be a warning: the Princess carries a sacred body of inestimable worth. You won't get away with desecrating her!"

"That's right! If you dare harm the Princess, you'll have to walk over our dead bodies first!"

"We vow to protect the Princess with our lives!"

"We vow to protect the Princess with our lives!"

The group shouted in unison.

Qin Shou pinched the bridge of his nose, his forehead lined with black streaks of exasperation.

Protect the Princess with your lives?

Then why are you retreating?

Bunch of lunatics!

"Ahem, well, I just wanted to ask... where is this place, and what is this Dark Country?" Qin Shou asked with a chuckle.

The black-robed girl's bright eyes flickered with intrigue as she stepped forward gracefully, curiosity evident on her face.

"Honorable warrior, the Dark Country is one of the largest nations on this continent. May I ask from whence you hail, why you were captured by these Dark Demon Gods, and about what just happened..."

Before she could finish her sentence, a deafening beastly roar interrupted her. The laboratory shook violently, on the verge of collapsing.

"We should leave this place first."

Qin Shou's body blurred as he instantly appeared beside the black-robed girl. Endless green vines burst out from the ground, weaving into a massive net that engulfed everyone inside, forming a spherical shell that smashed through the ceiling.

"Boom... BOOM..."

Above ground, sweeping rows of buildings—reminiscent of ancient European architecture—collapsed on a massive scale. Countless black Spine-eating Gu of various sizes swarmed the skies, encircling dozens of Synthetic Monsters within a deadly perimeter.

Inside the emerald sphere, the group peeked through its gaps at the horrifying scene outside, their hearts trembling, their scalps tingling with dread.

"So many Dark Demon Gods... Is this their headquarters?"

"We're doomed, we're doomed! Princess, we..."

"SILENCE!"

The black-robed girl's delicate brows furrowed as she softly admonished the panicking crowd. Yet when she turned her head, her cheeks flushed slightly as she whispered to the nearby Qin Shou: "Oh brave warrior, could you... let go now?"

"Ahem, my apologies!"

Qin Shou coughed awkwardly and released his grip. The black-robed girl, suspended in midair by her waistband, fell flat onto the ground with a thud.

"How dare you treat the Princess so... so... Mmmph!"

Before someone could angrily scold Qin Shou for his lack of chivalry, a thick green vine shot forth, effectively gagging the outspoken individual.

The others froze at the sight, suddenly too frightened to utter a word in protest.

What kind of person was this, capable of commanding such enormous vine beasts...

And those giant beasts that had suddenly appeared outside...

The black-robed girl looked deeply aggrieved. With the help of others, she clutched her slim waist and slowly stood up.

"Brave warrior, I, Princess Sika of the Dark Country, swear this: if you can rescue the citizens of the Dark Country, I will honor you as the First Warrior of our nation and will plead with my father to reward you with a million gold coins as thanks."

Sika crossed her hands over her chest, her expression sincere.

Qin Shou stood with his hands behind his back, silently observing the monstrous battle raging outside. He paid no heed to Sika's words.

Sika remained courteous, bowing without a hint of impatience.

"Keh keh keh, First Warrior Qin Shou, aren't you going to act personally?"

Amidst the verdant vines, the Void gradually manifested, its cold demeanor replaced by a hideous grin as spatial ripples coursed through the air.

"It's the Dark Demon God! Protect the Princess!" The group huddled around Sika, their legs shaking uncontrollably.

Qin Shou turned to face the Void, smiling faintly.

"Oh, so you're here. You call yourselves Dark Demon Gods here? Sounds pretty intimidating."

The Void sneered: "Enough nonsense, Qin Shou. I had planned to spare your life, but after witnessing just how many tricks you have up your sleeve, I've decided it's safer to consume you."

"You? Really?" Qin Shou scoffed dismissively.

The Void pointed to the outside, where six enormous Dark Spine Eaters loomed among the dense swarm.

"Heh, of course, it's not just me. Six Nightmare Nine Stars Dark Spine Eaters alongside the recently ascended Leng Wanbai, who's impossibly reached Unbreakable Realm Ninth Star, and a few Nightmare Seven Stars cultivation beasts. Do you think you stand a chance?"

Its grimace widened: "Without those two Monster Kings to assist you, you're nothing now!"

Qin Shou's smile vanished, replaced by a serious expression. "Truth be told, I never took any of you seriously from the start. Except for the Ultimate Spine-eating Gu, none of you are worthy opponents for me."

The Void snickered: "Qin Shou, I know you well. Stop pretending. This place is far from the Milky Way. You're alone on this alien planet. Delaying won't change a thing."

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