Congratulations, You Killed the First One

The next morning, at dawn.

A thin mist permeated the woods.

The air was so damp and cold it felt as though water could be wrung from it.

Lin Xi woke up early.

She did not disturb anyone.

She left the cave alone.

Like a ghost, she silently melted into the primeval forest.

An hour later.

When Tang San and the others woke up.

Lin Xi had returned.

A faint scent of blood clung to her.

"Get up."

She nudged Dai Mubai, who was still asleep, with her foot.

"Time to get to work."

The others jolted awake and hurriedly scrambled up.

They ate something simple.

Then they followed Lin Xi and set off once more.

This time, they did not advance aimlessly.

Lin Xi seemed to have a clear destination.

She led them through countless twists and turns.

In the end, they arrived at a relatively open clearing in the forest.

The clearing was huge.

It was roughly a hundred meters across.

The ground was covered in all manner of enormous spiderwebs.

The webs were an eerie grayish white.

They were incredibly tough.

Animal bones still hung from them.

The sight was horrifying.

"This is its nest."

Lin Xi pointed toward the center of the clearing.

There was a massive pit there.

It was pitch-black and bottomless.

Like an entrance leading to hell.

"A Man Faced Demon Spider?"

Dai Mubai looked at the terrifying webs, his throat dry.

"Mm."

Lin Xi nodded.

"Stand back."

"Get up into that tree."

She pointed at an especially towering ancient tree in the distance.

"Do not come down without my order."

"Y-you're going to deal with it alone?"

Ning Rongrong asked in disbelief.

That was a three-thousand-year Man Faced Demon Spider!

"Is there a problem?"

Lin Xi shot her a glance.

Ning Rongrong immediately shook her head like a rattle-drum.

No one dared disobey.

They hurriedly retreated into the distance.

Then climbed the designated tree.

They found their positions.

And watched Lin Xi in the middle of the clearing with bated breath.

Lin Xi walked up to the enormous pit.

She extended one hand.

Soul Power gathered in her palm.

"Second Soul Skill, Dark Gold Dreadclaw."

Five dark-gold claws, each half a meter long, extended from her fingertips.

They radiated a razor-sharp aura that made hearts tremble.

Then.

She made a move that left everyone dumbfounded.

She actually thrust the hand bearing the Dark Gold Dreadclaw.

Straight into the pit!

"Has she... has she lost her mind?"

Oscar cried out.

A Man Faced Demon Spider's nest was filled with venom and traps.

Sticking her hand directly inside like that.

Wasn't that courting death?

Yet.

Lin Xi was completely unharmed.

She merely thrust her hand into the pit.

Then suddenly yanked upward!

"Get out here!"

Rumble!

A thunderous boom rang out.

The entire ground shook violently.

As if a small earthquake had struck.

That enormous pit was actually torn apart by Lin Xi with a single hand!

Dirt flew everywhere.

Broken stones scattered in all directions.

A colossal creature was brutally dragged out of the ground.

It was an enormous spider.

It spanned more than six meters across.

Its entire body was a glossy violet-black.

Its eight thick legs were covered in barbs and green bristles.

It looked disgusting and terrifying.

Most chilling of all.

Was the human-like face beneath its abdomen.

It was covered in white stripes.

Its blood-red eyes brimmed with resentment and fury.

It was the Man Faced Demon Spider!

"Screee!"

The Man Faced Demon Spider let out a piercing shriek.

Lin Xi had forcibly dragged it from its sleep.

Its fury reached its peak.

All eight of its long legs swung at once.

Like eight sharp spears.

They stabbed toward Lin Xi.

Lin Xi neither dodged nor retreated.

She merely snorted coldly.

"Courting death."

The First Soul Ring beneath her feet flashed blood-red.

"Mirror Flower, Water Moon."

The Man Faced Demon Spider's attack missed.

It had pierced only Lin Xi's afterimage.

And Lin Xi herself.

Had already appeared on its back like a ghost.

"Dark Gold Dreadclaw!"

Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!

Several muffled sounds of blades sinking into flesh rang out.

The Man Faced Demon Spider's eight legs, which had always been unstoppable.

Were severed at their roots by Lin Xi's Dark Gold Dreadclaw!

Green fluid spurted out like a fountain.

"Screee!"

The Man Faced Demon Spider let out the most miserable scream of its life.

Its enormous body rolled and struggled wildly on the ground.

Trying to throw the hateful human off its back.

But Lin Xi was like a nail.

Firmly nailed to its back.

No matter how it rolled, she did not budge.

"It's not over yet."

Lin Xi's voice was icy.

She swung the Dark Gold Dreadclaw again.

Pfft!

The Man Faced Demon Spider's two enormous fangs, used to inject lethal venom.

Were forcibly torn off by her.

Its ability to attack was completely crippled.

After doing all that.

Lin Xi finally jumped down from its back.

She walked up to the Man Faced Demon Spider, which had become a limbless stump.

And planted one foot on its ferocious human face.

"Can you still scream now?"

The Man Faced Demon Spider trembled violently.

Its blood-red eyes were filled with boundless terror.

It did not understand.

Why.

Why did this human, who looked so weak.

Possess such terrifying strength?

It regretted it.

It should never have provoked this devil.

Up in the tree.

Dai Mubai and the others were already frozen in shock.

Their minds were completely blank.

If Lin Xi's instant kill of the Ghost Tiger yesterday.

Had still made them think it was a victory of ambush and skill.

Then today.

Lin Xi had faced a three-thousand-year Man Faced Demon Spider head-on.

And utterly crushed it with overwhelming force.

This had completely surpassed the bounds of their understanding.

This was simply not power a Soul Elder—or even a Soul King or Soul Emperor—should possess!

What... was she?

"Tang San."

Lin Xi ignored their shock.

She merely called out a name.

Tang San's body trembled.

He jumped down from the tree.

Step by step, he walked to Lin Xi's side.

"Kill it."

Lin Xi pointed at the dying Man Faced Demon Spider beneath her feet.

Tang San looked at the monster writhing painfully on the ground.

There was even a pleading look in its eyes.

He hesitated.

"What?"

Lin Xi looked at him.

"Can't do it?"

"It no longer has the strength to resist."

Tang San spoke softly.

"So?"

Lin Xi countered.

"You want to let it go?"

"Don't forget how many innocent lives are still hanging from its web."

"When it was brutally killing those weak animals, did it ever show even a shred of mercy?"

"Mercy toward an enemy is cruelty toward yourself."

"How many times do I have to teach you that?"

Tang San clenched his fists.

He knew Lin Xi was right.

But he still couldn't get past that hurdle in his heart.

"What are you still hesitating for?"

Lin Xi was getting a little impatient.

"Do you pity it?"

"No."

Tang San shook his head.

"I just..."

"You're just afraid."

Lin Xi pierced straight through to the weakness in his heart.

"You're afraid of killing."

"Afraid your hands will be stained with blood."

"Afraid you'll become a cold-blooded executioner."

Tang San's body shook violently.

He could not refute her.

"Tang San, look at me."

Lin Xi cupped his face.

Forcing him to meet her eyes.

"Power itself is neither good nor evil."

"What matters is the person who wields it."

"Your hammer can be used to protect, or it can be used to destroy."

"That depends on your heart."

"Now tell me."

"What does your heart want to do?"

Tang San looked into Lin Xi's eyes, deep as the starry sky.

He seemed to see the shabby blacksmith shop in Holy Soul Village.

He saw Xiao Wu being bullied at Nuoding Academy.

He saw the companions at Shrek, each with their own flaws, yet willing to fight alongside him.

He wanted to protect them.

Protect all of it.

And protection required strength.

It required a hammer powerful enough to sweep aside every obstacle!

An unprecedented realization surged into his heart.

Tang San's gaze changed.

It became resolute and sharp.

"I understand."

He slowly raised his left hand.

With a thought.

Bzzz!

A deep hum rang out.

A small hammer, pitch-black and covered in ancient patterns,

appeared in his palm.

The Clear Sky Hammer!

The instant it appeared,

an incomparable aura of dominance and weight spread through the air.

It was as though even the air had solidified.

Tang San gripped it.

He felt as if he were holding the entire world.

He walked up to the Man Faced Demon Spider.

And raised the hammer high.

The Man Faced Demon Spider let out a despairing wail.

"Goodbye."

Tang San said softly.

Then he smashed it down with all his strength!

Splat!

There was no earth-shattering boom.

Only the sound of a watermelon being crushed.

The Man Faced Demon Spider's head was like a fragile eggshell.

It was effortlessly pulverized by the Clear Sky Hammer.

Red and white splattered all over Tang San.

He stood there blankly.

Looking at the hammer covered in brain matter and blood.

His stomach churned violently.

He ran to the side and began vomiting hard.

Lin Xi walked over to him.

Gently patting his back.

She said nothing.

She simply waited quietly.

Waited for him to finish vomiting.

Waited for him to adapt.

After a long while.

Tang San finally straightened up.

He wiped the filth from the corner of his mouth.

His face was still pale.

But his eyes were astonishingly bright.

"How does it feel?"

Lin Xi asked.

"Terrible."

Tang San answered honestly.

"But it feels good."

Lin Xi smiled.

It was the first time she had truly smiled since coming to this world.

Like ice and snow beginning to melt.

Like all things coming back to life.

So beautiful it took one's breath away.

[ Ding! ]

The system notification rang in Lin Xi's mind.

[Congratulations, Host, for guiding protagonist Tang San through his first kill. The Clear Sky Hammer has officially been Sharpened!]

[The world line has undergone a major deviation!]

[Reward: Subversion Points *! Remaining Subversion Points.]

[Reward: Random Skill Trial Blind Box (Intermediate) *1!]

[Reward: Soul Ring Age Enhancement Coupon (Ten Thousand Years) *1!]

Lin Xi looked at Tang San.

"Congratulations."

"You've killed your first one."