Alien Species Invasion? I Kill Them Back.

Chapter 108: Chapter 106: Three Forms

Feng Ling looked down at the rash on her arm, then over at Huangfu Miaomiao’s flushed face. ’Is this a plague?’

She was filled with doubt. "You mean that old crone is also The Queen Mother of the West? There are two of them in the tower?"

"Not two. It’s two different forms," Li Qing replied.

"Two forms..." Feng Ling frowned. "I get it now... The old crone and the clay doll are the same monster. When it’s a clay doll, it unleashes Spiritual Suppression. When it turns into the old crone, it spreads a plague that makes people sick and weak."

Her expression darkened as she muttered, "How are we supposed to kill this thing?"

She had never encountered such a powerful foe—one that could completely overwhelm her without even lifting a finger.

Frustration, confusion, and bewilderment... A storm of emotions swirled within her, leaving no clear path forward.

Just then, Li Qing spoke again. "The Queen Mother of the West has another form..."

Feng Ling froze for a moment, then looked up at Li Qing. "What kind of form?"

A sliver of hope sparked within her.

’The game would never leave players without a way out. That’s why the Maze Boss was designed with three states. The first two are invulnerable, so the third must have a major flaw to give players an opening.’

Li Qing said thoughtfully, "The *Classic of Mountains and Seas* describes her this way: The Queen Mother of the West has a human-like form, with a leopard’s tail and a tiger’s teeth. She is known for her screeching roar, and with her wild hair, she wears a *sheng*. She is the bringer of heavenly plagues and the five calamities."

Feng Ling’s brow furrowed as she listened. "Leopard’s tail... tiger’s teeth... bringer of heavenly plagues and the five calamities..."

Li Qing explained, "In that era, The Queen Mother of the West was a half-human, half-beast figure. Primordial deities from ancient times often had such features, like the half-human, half-serpent Nuwa. As for the phrase ’bringer of heavenly plagues and the five calamities,’ it means she is the stellar deity in charge of plagues, disasters, and death. The ’five calamities’ is the very essence of slaughter."

The more Feng Ling listened, the more her expression soured, and the more intense her frustration became.

’This form of The Queen Mother of the West sounds even stronger than the other two,’ she thought. ’Was my assumption wrong? The third form isn’t the Maze Boss’s weakness...’

Suddenly, a sound came from outside.

Feng Ling turned her head and saw the Cat Spider and the Cat Owl returning, having circled around from the rear of the Three Pure Ones Palace.

They had been far away when the old woman appeared, so they weren’t hit by the plague. However, the Boss’s oppressive aura permeating the area had still affected them. Their fur stood on end, and they crouched low to the ground, clearly under severe stress.

Feng Ling noticed the Cat Owl clutched a fruit in its talons, and the Cat Spider held another in its jaws.

’Even sensing danger, they wouldn’t let go of them?’

These fruits had originally been scattered under the tree, but Huangfu Miaomiao had swept them up in her panic and brought them into the Three Pure Ones Palace. Many of them now lay on the tiled floor.

A sudden realization struck Feng Ling. She immediately asked Li Qing, "If these fruits are the Immortality Potion, can they cure the plague?"

Li Qing paused, then considered it. "...It’s highly likely. According to the myths, anyone who consumes the Immortality Potion is cured of all ailments and granted eternal life."

The corner of Feng Ling’s mouth lifted into a slight smile. "If it really granted eternal life, one would be enough. Why would the fox keep going up the mountain to steal them? I’m guessing its effects are temporary. But either way, the fruit must do something special."

She got up and went outside, gathered the purple fruits from the open ground, and carried them back into the main hall. She picked the darkest one and peeled away its outer leaves.

The fruit inside was fully ripe, so purple it was nearly black. Its skin was so thin that a light pinch with her nail sent juice streaming out, revealing the purplish-red flesh within.

Feng Ling pulled a curved blade from Pei Xianjue’s belt, sliced off a piece of the fruit, and held it to Huangfu Miaomiao’s lips.

But Huangfu Miaomiao was delirious from the high fever and couldn’t chew properly.

After thinking for a moment, she took the soft, ripe piece of fruit in her hand and squeezed it hard, letting the juice trickle into Huangfu Miaomiao’s mouth.

She patiently administered most of the fruit this way, then used the same juicing method to give some to Pei Xianjue and Bao Changzhi.

The color in all three of their faces visibly improved, and the rashes on their bodies began to fade.

"This fruit’s healing effects are better than a player’s recovery potion," Feng Ling remarked.

"It might be a variation of a Strong Recovery Potion." Li Qing glanced at the remaining fruits. Most were still green; only one ripe one was left.

He picked up the last ripe fruit and broke it in two, one half much larger than the other. He then handed the larger piece to Feng Ling.

"You should have some too," Li Qing said. "If you can become immune to the plague from The Queen Mother of the West, we’ll be able to figure out how to deal with the Boss outside."

Feng Ling accepted the piece of fruit but hesitated.

Her resistance was far stronger than anyone else’s here. The discomfort from the plague had already subsided, and its effect on her was negligible. Even without eating the fruit, she would recover on her own soon enough.

’Still... it would be awful to get sick again.’

’If I could become completely immune to her virus, my chances of winning might go up a bit.’

With that thought, Feng Ling lifted the fruit and took a bite.

The fruit was incredibly juicy, filling her mouth the moment she bit into it.

It tasted slightly sour and had a strange coolness to it. The texture was like eating grapes mixed with mints—soft, cool, and unpleasantly mushy. It was far from delicious.

Frowning as she ate, Feng Ling glanced at Li Qing, who was sitting across from her. She noticed the Green Weasel had crawled out from his clothes and was nibbling at the small piece of fruit in his palm. It looked surprisingly cute.

"You’ve raised it well," Feng Ling said. "Its coat is so sleek and shiny, it must be soft to the touch. Does it let people pet it?"

Li Qing looked at Feng Ling, stunned, as if he’d never expected her to think of such a thing.

The Green Weasel snatched the last bit of fruit and darted back inside his collar, its refusal abundantly clear.

Feng Ling paused. "It’s pretty shy, huh?"

Li Qing was silent for a moment before nodding. "Yes, a little."

Feng Ling’s mind was preoccupied with The Queen Mother of the West and the Immortality Potion, so she didn’t pay much mind to the brief interlude.

She picked up a few of the leaves she’d peeled off the fruit and hastily wiped the sticky juice from her hands. "Let’s get back to the three states you were talking about," she said to Li Qing. "How powerful do you think the third one is compared to the first two?"

Li Qing’s expression grew serious. He looked intently at Feng Ling. "I believe the third state can only be stronger than the first two, not weaker."

"Why?" Feng Ling asked. "Explain your reasoning."

Li Qing said grimly, "To understand, we have to look at the evolution of The Queen Mother of the West as a mythological figure. She has different forms in different historical periods, which can be roughly summarized into three types."

He traced the number "1" on the ground with his finger.

"First, the primordial mother goddess of ancient times. She commanded disaster and plague. Omnipotent and all-powerful, she was a terrifyingly vicious god of slaughter."

He then traced a "2" next to the "1."

"Second, after the Han Dynasty, the image of The Queen Mother of the West changed from half-human, half-beast to a white-haired old crone, also known as the West Lady. At this point, she was no longer a god of slaughter but a benevolent deity in charge of longevity. Her divine authority was diminished."

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