Cannot Be Overestimated

Taking Zi Di with him, Zhen Jin returned to the eight-legged spider's hunting ground.

"My lord, you're here! You really didn't abandon me, thank heavens!" Huang Zao's voice was filled with surprise and emotion.

But soon, his mood plummeted, and he asked with unconcealed disappointment, "My lord, is it just the two of you? Where are the others?"

"It's just the two of us," Zhen Jin said.

"M-my lord, are you confident?" Huang Zao stammered, his life on the line, he was very nervous. "Perhaps we should call more people."

Zi Di snorted coldly, "With more people, are they coming to save you or to die? You can only trust us now."

Huang Zao choked for a moment, finally managing to squeeze out, "My lords, please be extremely careful!"

Zi Di took out bottles of potions from her small leather bag and handed them to Zhen Jin.

Zhen Jin threw them one after another. These potions arced through the air, hitting tree trunks or rocks, shattering, and the liquid inside quickly spread around.

A strange, unpleasant smell filled the air, like a mixture of chicken feathers, dog feces, and dried squid, all burnt.

If magic could be used, employing Light Body Technique and Flight Technique would easily rescue Huang Zao, who was hanging high in the air.

In the current environment, Zhen Jin and Zi Di adopted a tactic primarily based on potions.

These were Combustion Potions, accurately thrown by Zhen Jin to key locations.

After his injuries healed, Zhen Jin found that his strength had significantly increased.

After discussing it with Zi Di, she thought: This might be the effect of the mixed potion temporarily created using the Monkey-Tailed Brown Bear's blood at that time.

This type of potion was not rare.

The most well-known was the Strength Potion.

After consuming this potion, the user's strength could be permanently increased.

Of course, the effect of the potion would sharply decrease with repeated use.

Another possibility was that the life-and-death battle had caused some degree of awakening in the bloodline within Zhen Jin's body.

Nobles were one of the groups possessing the most excellent bloodlines in the world.

Because of this, they had excellent talent and were exceptionally gifted.

The Hundred Needles Family was once a great noble family in the south, naturally possessing an excellent bloodline. The source of their bloodline was rumored to be traceable back to the legendary Gold-level Magic Beast, the Golden Needle Bee Queen.

People with this bloodline were swift and steady in action, and their striking accuracy was excellent.

This bloodline was not skilled in strength, but it was possible that other bloodlines were hidden within Zhen Jin's body.

The most common bloodlines included Dragon bloodline, Giant bloodline, Ogre bloodline, and even Demon bloodline.

Due to frequent intermarriage among nobles and their extravagant and promiscuous private lives, bloodlines often intermingled. Sometimes a bloodline could remain hidden for a lifetime, and coupled with the lack of effective judgment methods, it was difficult to determine how many bloodlines a person possessed.

Examples like Zhen Jin, who experienced life-and-death hardships and thus unleashed their life potential in a desperate situation, causing their hidden bloodline to awaken, were actually not uncommon in the history of various races.

Another possibility was what Zi Di had previously speculated.

Zhen Jin's true cultivation level was not just Silver, but Gold.

At the Silver level, one can reach the limit of human capabilities. Gold cultivation, however, surpasses the limits of human potential, bringing about extraordinary qualitative changes in speed, strength, recovery, and other aspects.

If Zhen Jin has Gold cultivation, it's unlikely he's a seasoned Gold-level expert. Given his age, he must be in his growth phase.

Therefore, the increase in his strength is the result of Gold-level Battle Qi constantly nourishing his body.

Regardless of the outcome, Zhen Jin's increase in strength is a good thing.

After almost exhausting Zi Di's reserve of Combustion Potions, Zhen Jin took out a Spark Stone and struck out a brilliant blue spark.

The spark landed on the potion, and with a whoosh, a fierce flame shot up.

The flame spread rapidly, instantly igniting the Combustion Potion along the way, forming a blazing wall of fire in the blink of an eye!

The fire wall burned intensely, beginning to cling to the surrounding trees and burning higher and higher.

Squeaking sounds came from the towering tree canopy, and the eight-legged spiders became agitated.

Huang Zao felt the air below quickly becoming hot. His heart couldn't help but pound wildly. He hadn't expected the young man and woman to create such a large spectacle all of a sudden.

So this girl is an alchemist. But how are they going to save me?

While Huang Zao was speculating, Zhen Jin made another move.

He took out a short spear from his back, the tip of which was smeared with some Combustion Potion. Zhen Jin held the short spear, letting the spearhead briefly touch the flames at his feet, and the front end of the short spear easily ignited.

The next moment, Zhen Jin's arm drew back slightly, then he threw it fiercely.

The short spear drew a beautiful arc in mid-air, then accurately struck a prey animal.

This was a leopard-shaped prey, which had already suffocated to death in the spider web.

After the short spear struck it, the subsequent flames immediately spread, burning away the spider web.

The leopard-shaped prey fell to the ground almost instantly.

As Zhen Jin had estimated, this was a Scaled Horn Black Panther. Because of the fish-scale-like armor on its body, the slight flames attached to the black panther quickly extinguished.

One short spear after another was thrown by Zhen Jin, and one prey animal after another fell to the ground.

Some continued to burn, while the flames on others extinguished.

"They're coming." Zi Di's heart trembled slightly as she saw the eight-legged spiders, carrying spider silk, rapidly descending to the ground and beginning to re-weave webs over the fallen prey.

For some prey that were burning with flames, the eight-legged spiders would spray a thick green liquid from their mouthparts to extinguish the flames before re-weaving the web.

Clearly, they were not completely helpless against fire.

Soon, no new eight-legged spiders landed.

A total of twenty-six Bronze-level fierce beasts were revealed before the young man and woman.

Most of the eight-legged spiders were busy retrieving their dried food, with only three rushing towards Zhen Jin and Zi Di.

Zi Di secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

These eight-legged spiders were beasts after all, without the cunning and insidious nature of that Blue-haired Dire Wolf. This couldn't help but make the young woman regain her superiority and confidence as a human.

As the three eight-legged spiders approached, Zhen Jin stood still.

Once the distance was ideal, Zhen Jin calmly and steadily ignited the Combustion Potion beside his left foot.

A second wall of fire roared up, trapping the three attacking spiders within it.

The spiders let out terrifying screeches and began attempting to spray webs towards the tree canopy to hoist themselves away.

But these webs were roasted and melted as soon as they reached the air above the flames.

The wall of fire gradually spread, easily forcing the three spiders into a desperate situation.

Left with no choice, the three spiders had to charge forward to break through.

They successfully burst out of the wall of fire, with a little bit of flame clinging to them.

Squeak, squeak, squeak...

They let out a series of rapid cries, terrified and panicked.

The spiders that were trying to retrieve their prey saw these three flaming companions rushing towards them and immediately fell into chaos.

"Now!"

A sharp glint flashed in Zhen Jin's eyes and was gone.

He threw three short spears in succession. The spears were wreathed in flames and accurately struck the webs above Huang Zao's head.

There were a total of four strands of web holding him, like four thick, snow-white ropes. The webs encountered the flames and were burned through almost instantly.

Huang Zao, hanging by only one strand of web, instantly lost his stable state, swung in an arc in mid-air, and with a bang, hit the tree trunk.

Then, Zhen Jin's fourth short spear flew out, burning through the last remaining strand of web.

Huang Zao let out a low cry and fell to the ground.

Although it hurt, he was not injured.

Because the extremely sticky web itself possessed excellent elasticity, when he hit the tree trunk, the web stretched, and he was only two meters above the ground.

Unfortunately, an eight-legged spider that had just successfully hoisted its prey noticed the commotion here and immediately pounced on Huang Zao.

Seeing this scene, Huang Zao's eyes widened in shock, and then he suddenly let out a low roar, actually rolling into the wall of fire on his own accord.

The flames instantly burned away the webs all over him, and then began to scorch his skin and hair.

But at this moment, Huang Zao displayed the tenacity and ruthlessness of a man of the sea, not uttering a single sound, continuing to run within the wall of fire until he emerged from another part of the fire wall.

He successfully escaped that eight-legged spider, but what he faced was being completely engulfed in flames, likely facing the tragic end of being burned to death on the spot.

"Good!" Zi Di exclaimed, "Come here quickly!"

She didn't need to call out; Huang Zao had already instinctively rushed towards Zhen Jin and Zi Di.

The distance between them rapidly closed. Zi Di raised her arm and sprinkled a bottle of potion.

Blue powder scattered like stars, falling onto Huang Zao's body.

Huang Zao immediately let out a piercing scream.

The flames on his body strangely subsided, and then were suppressed to nothing by the blue powder.

Huang Zao trembled all over.

In just a short time, he was completely unrecognizable. His hair was burned down to a small pile, emitting thick smoke. His entire face, exposed hands, and arms were scorched black.

He gasped, quickly passing by Zhen Jin and Zi Di in front of them: "Go quickly, go quickly, there's another big one!"

As soon as his voice fell, a surging beastly aura descended from the sky.

Zhen Jin and Zi Di's expressions changed.

This was a Silver-level Eight-legged Spider Leader.

Its body was larger, its blue fur was denser, and its eight spider legs were longer and more slender.

It cut through the air, emitting a sharp whistle, and attacked Zhen Jin, Zi Di, and Huang Zao with astonishing speed.

"You go first!" At the critical moment, Zhen Jin was the first to react. He glared at Huang Zao, then his face turned ashen as he stepped forward.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh.

He rapidly threw short spears one after another.

However, the Eight-legged Spider was as swift as the wind, easily dodging all of these short spears.

Soon, Zhen Jin's short spears were all used up. He gritted his teeth, raised his long spear high, and counterattacked the Eight-legged Spider Leader.

"My lord!" Zi Di's startled cry came from behind him.

"Go quickly, don't let us be a burden," Huang Zao also shouted.

However, in their hesitation, they had already missed the opportunity.

The Spider Leader suddenly shot out three streams of spider silk, accurately hitting the three of them.

Zhen Jin's long spear and hands were bound by the spider silk. For a moment, he could only wrestle with the Spider Leader.

Zi Di's cloak was stuck by the spider silk. At this moment, the young girl fully displayed the agility and flexibility of her young body. She quickly took off her cloak and bent down to pull out the dagger tied to her calf.

"My lord, catch!" Just as Zi Di was about to throw the dagger to Zhen Jin, a ball of spider silk attacked.

The spider silk rapidly expanded in the air, forming an exquisite hunting net. The spider web hit Zi Di, covering the girl's chest and waist, knocking her to the ground and sticking her firmly to the ground.

Zi Di was hit, and the dagger in her hand was greatly affected. Although the dagger was thrown out, it was not thrown to Zhen Jin's side, but happened to land near Huang Zao.

Huang Zao's right foot was entangled by the spider silk. He lay on the ground, struggling frantically, but he couldn't resist the power of the Spider Leader and was dragged over.

Huang Zao instinctively reached out and grabbed the dagger.

He pulled out the dagger and swung it with all his might. In his panic, he swung twice in the air before accurately cutting the spider silk.

Huang Zao narrowly escaped and quickly retreated.

"Quickly throw the dagger to my lord!" Zi Di screamed.

"No, no, I don't want to die! I don't want to die!!" Huang Zao, however, seemed not to hear. He screamed wildly and fled like a madman.

The Spider Leader did not bother him again, letting him disappear into the forest.

"Damn it!" Zi Di was both shocked and angry. At the critical moment, this Huang Zao actually ran away with the only cutting tool!

Zhen Jin and Zi Di tried every means to rescue him, but he betrayed them and chose to escape alone.