Chapter 139 – Reencounter with the Man-Faced Demon Spider
“Captain, should we take the initiative to attack?” Zhang Yangzi asked Tang Wulin.
Tang Wulin calmly replied, “There’s no need to be anxious, we’ll see after one hour passes. All we need to do in this first hour is survive.”
Just then, Zhang Yangzi suddenly paled and his body swaying in shock. “Not good, Little Black…”
The five of them simultaneously looked up to see a yellow-green net descending from the sky.
At the same time, they were faced with the shocking scene of Little Black being impaled by numerous limbs. He immediately disintegrated. When a Soul Master’s spirit soul was killed, they would suffer from recoil and it would take them a very long time to restore their spirit soul. In a flash, Zhang Yangzi’s cultivation dropped by a third.
A violent gale appeared within the formation of the five students. Gu Yue was the quickest one to react with her immense spiritual power.
Yet, against all expectations, that yellow-green net didn’t even sway in the face of her fierce gale and directly cutting through it.
“Retreat!” Tang Wulin decisively ordered as dozens of strands of Bluesilver Grass shot up to obstruct the net. However, Tang Wulin was aghast to see that the moment his Bluesilver Grass touched the net, it started smoking from corrosion.
If Little Black hadn’t been flying up in the sky, the net would have ambushed and trapped them. It was likely their trials in the rebellion spirit ascension platform would have been cut short there.
A massive figure descended from the sky after Little Black’s figure disintegrated completely. Eight long legs were extended like eight spears, surrounding the five.
The five of them took advantage of the few seconds the Bluesilver Grass bought them to escape the range of the net. In their rush to escape, however, their formation had been broken.
Apart from Zhang Yangzi being deathly pale, Wang Jinxi also started trembling once he saw that beast.
Black and white lines ran along a body as large as a millstone. Every single one of its legs were over two meters in length, while its body emitted a strange splendor. They had clearly seen a beautiful human face on its abdomen when it had descended, which only served to increase their fear.
“Man-Faced Demon Spider!” The five of them shouted in unison.
That was right! It was the same Man-Faced Demon Spider that had nearly destroyed Wang Jinxi’s mind. Wang Jinxi could even sense that this was the same one that had ambushed him before.
Even with Little Black’s extra vision, it hadn’t been able to discover this Man-Faced Demon Spider and had been swiftly killed. The Man-Faced Demon Spider truly was a terrifying killer in the world of soul beasts.
Gu Yue shot out a fireball which exploded on the face of the Man-Faced Demon Spider while the others quickly assembled.
Tang Wulin’s heart sank. It’s a hundred-year Man-Faced Demon Spider. Even though it’s only at the hundred-year level, it’s far stronger than other beasts of the same level! This guy is going to be really difficult to deal with! Even if I use my Golden Dragon Claw, it would be impossible for me to approach it with those eight legs acting as defence. Its body is also highly toxic and the slightest contact could wipe out my whole team!
Although the battle had yet to truly begin, Zhang Yangzi and Wang Jinxi were already shaken. It might not be a good idea for them to fight this battle.
They had originally thought that they were lucky to not have met a powerful foe in their first half hour, but it seemed that their fortune had come to an end.
“Are we running?” Xie Xie asked Tang Wulin.
They had learned a lot about the Man-Faced Demon Spider since their first entry. They knew that even if its cultivation was only at the hundred-year level, it was still a terrifying existence that could hunt thousand-year soul beasts! Moreover, they were currently in the spirit ascension platform, so even if they killed it, they would only gain the spirit energy of a hundred-year soul beast. Simply said, the potential profits did not outweigh the risks.
In their moment of hesitation, the hundred-year Man-Faced Demon Spider revealed it’s might. Two of its legs flashed, destroying all of the fireballs Gu Yue had shot out with lightning speed. All that was left of the fireballs were drifting sparks. The Man-Faced Demon Spider wasn’t guarded against them at all; rather, it slowly circled around them, a yellow-green thread of silk dragging along from its spinnerets. Anything that touched this silk would immediately wither.
“We’re not running! We’re defeating of it!” Tang Wulin ordered without the slightest hesitation.
They had already been here for a while now and had some understanding of the area, so they knew that if they carelessly ran around during the rebellion spirit ascension platform, it would be likely that they would meet some powerful soul beasts. In that situation, it would be very hard to survive for another half hour.
Moreover, Wang Jinxi’s fate was linked to the Man-Faced Demon Spider’s now. If he didn’t kill it, then it would continue to influence him. They had happened to run into it today with their full team of five; if they didn’t take advantage of this opportunity to kill it, then a chance as good as this one wouldn’t come again.
These were the reasonings that ran through Tang Wulin’s mind when he made his quick decision. No matter what, they had to kill the Man-Faced Demon Spider before them now.
Strand after strand of Bluesilver Grass slithered along the ground while he grasped his two hammers tightly. His mind went over all that he had learned of the Man-Faced Demon Spider.
Man-Faced Demon Spider. Excels in quick and toxic attacks. Has a strong defense, but not particularly strong physically.
It’s the killer of the forest. Whenever it appears, fear strikes the hearts of its prey.
Tang Wulin’s greatest advantage was his strength. The best plan would be for him to land attacks on its weak points, so he didn’t even think about utilizing his Golden Dragon Claw. In this situation, his Thousand Refined Heavy Silver Hammers were the best choice.
“Everyone, stick together, we’ll face the enemy head on. Gu Yue, provide assistance. Xie Xie, look for an opening. Yangzi, Jinxi, observe for now and wait for an opportunity to strike.”
“I’m fine!” Wang Jinxi’s gloomy voice shouted.
Tang Wulin turned to look at him. Although Wang Jinxi was still trembling, his eyes burned with the will to battle.
As he and Tang Wulin cultivated together, Wang Jinxi gradually became influenced by him. His cultivation speed had increased and he had also felt slight changes to his martial soul under this influence.
Dread had filled his heart when he had seen the Man-Faced Demon Spider, but when he heard Tang Wulin say, “We’re not running! We’re defeating of it!”, a surge of courage replaced the dread in his heart.
Tang Wulin’s words had caused his blood to boil and fill him with valiance. He felt that as long as Tang Wulin was at his side, he would be able to face any trials that came his way. In a sort of special state, he locked eyes with Tang Wulin, expressing complete trust in his gaze. Rather than trembling from fear, he was actually trembling from excitement.
Even before they had cultivated together, he had felt an affinity with Tang Wulin, but it had never been this strong. This time, faced with the Man-Faced Demon Spider, he felt as if he was about to explode.
Defeat it!
It’s merely a hundred-year soul beast. What’s there to be afraid of?
The Man-Faced Demon Spider was still circling around them, its silk thread continuously trailing from its spinneret to form a ring.
The Man-Faced Demon Spider was naturally cold, cruel and extremely patient. In fact, it was its patience that made it so terrifying. It would quietly stalk its prey for hours, all the way until an opportunity presented itself.
The five students weren’t anxious at all. They would wait for it to slow down. Besides, it had already used up quite a bit of its silk.
Instantly, its thread was wrapped around a large tree. Although the tree began to wither, it still stood tall.
Gu Yue launched a variety of elemental attacks at the spider, but they proved to be uneffective. Toxic spider threads protected it. Even flames had little effect.
“It’s creating a prison for us and when it’s finished, it’ll shrink the prison until we’re trapped.” Xie Xie said grimly.