Betrayal

Chen Huan was at the sixth level of Qi Refining. The Human-Faced Spider might not have fully developed its intelligence yet, but a Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator wasn't stupid. When the time came, wouldn't it go after the slow-moving Xiao Tasha first?

How was that any different from sending her to her death in place of Huang and Zhang?

At that, Huang Xian and Zhang Zhongqin exchanged flickering glances and said nothing more.

Chen Huan sighed. "Junior Sister Xiao, don't worry. How could I abandon you? Look, I still have one Breath Concealing Talisman left. It's the last one. You're an Array Cultivator; you can use the formation to speed yourself up. Once you've gotten far away, use this talisman to hide. What do you think?"

"The last one?" Xiao Tasha had been angry and anxious, but at his words, she suddenly felt a little embarrassed. She hesitated for a moment, then didn't take it. Instead, she said softly, "Th-then you should keep it, Senior Brother Chen. I'm an Array Cultivator, after all. Maybe I have another way to escape."

Chen Huan unceremoniously shoved the talisman into her hand, then turned to Huang Xian and Zhang Zhongqin. "There's no time to lose! The Human-Faced Spider could catch up at any moment. Hurry to the Sub-array."

Huang Xian and Zhang Zhongqin glanced at each other. Both had exhausted their vital blood and were on their last legs; they truly had no better option. So they cupped their fists. "Yes!"

They hurried toward the Sub-array. Chen Huan watched them go with a deep gaze, and once he had confirmed that both junior brothers were gone, he abruptly turned to Xiao Tasha, who was still fidgeting nervously. "As soon as they enter the Sub-array, activate the formation and refine them into the Soul Summoning Banner."

"...Huh?" Xiao Tasha froze. For a moment, she couldn't make sense of what he'd said. She twisted the hem of her clothes and stared at him blankly.

"The Sub-array couldn't even trap Pei Ling. How could it possibly trap the Human-Faced Spider?" Chen Huan suppressed his impatience and coaxed her gently. "I only said those things just now to keep them calm. They knew full well that the Human-Faced Spider was beyond our ability to handle, yet they still dragged us into this. They clearly meant us harm. If I'd told them the truth—that we couldn't escape with them in tow—then instead of letting us all perish, we'd have to cut off a limb to save the body... But if I'd said that, the two of them might have turned on us."

"Besides, they aren't innocent."

"Don't forget, Mei'er went with them just now. Only those two came back. For all we know, they killed Mei'er to buy time against the Human-Faced Spider."

"If I were alone, it wouldn't matter. We could all run, and as a sixth-level Qi Refining cultivator, I'd be faster than them no matter what."

"But what about you, Junior Sister Xiao? You're at the fifth level of Qi Refining, just like them. They don't think they can make it back to Luoshan City before the Human-Faced Spider catches up. How are you supposed to escape its reach?"

"Should I just leave you behind?"

"But if I take you with me, neither of us will get away!"

As he spoke, a trace of ruthlessness flashed between his brows. "The only way forward is to sacrifice our two junior brothers and refine the Soul Summoning Banner ahead of schedule. That's the only way you and I will have a chance of survival."

At first, Xiao Tasha was utterly shocked. In her mind, Chen Huan might be cunning and ruthless toward outsiders, but he had always been completely open and trusting with his own people. Who could have guessed that the very senior brother who had just blamed her on Huang Xian and Zhang Zhongqin's behalf would turn around and try to refine those two junior brothers into the Soul Summoning Banner?

But from everything Chen Huan said, it seemed he was doing this for her sake. Xiao Tasha had long been in love with him, and even knowing how urgent the situation was, she couldn't help feeling a little sweetness in her heart.

Then she remembered how Huang Xian and Zhang Zhongqin had often made cutting remarks to her. Just moments ago, they had blamed her for Pei Ling's escape. Whenever things like that happened, only Chen Huan ever stepped forward to defend her.

So helping Chen Huan refine them seemed only right.

With that thought, Xiao Tasha stopped hesitating and nodded. "All right! But, Senior Brother Chen, the two of them are badly weakened, and the timing isn't right. I'm afraid the results won't be as good as with Pei Ling."

"We'll have to make do in an emergency. There's no time to worry about that," Chen Huan urged. "The Human-Faced Spider could catch up at any moment. Junior Sister, please hurry! Otherwise, if our two junior brothers notice something amiss, they might cause trouble."

Xiao Tasha didn't hesitate any longer. She hurried into the Mother Array, brought out the formation plate, and repeatedly formed hand seals. The formation patterns on the ground, which had glowed with a faint Bloodlight, gradually lit up. The entire ground twisted as if it were a living thing, and then a slow but steady pulse spread outward...

In the gorge below, the Sub-array received the Mother Array's summons, and the illusion of trees shattered with a roar.

In its place, countless blood-red tentacles surged toward Huang Xian and Zhang Zhongqin, who had been anxiously recovering.

"What's this?!" When the two sensed movement, they thought the Human-Faced Spider had caught up. They hurriedly leaped to their feet, but instead of that bizarre human face, they saw countless tentacles. They were stunned. "This is the Sub-array's soul-drawing, blood-refining effect... The Human-Faced Spider hasn't even entered the formation. Why has it activated?!"

"Chen Huan, you bastard!!!" They only needed a moment to understand what had happened, and immediately began cursing. "I've risked my neck for you for so long, and now you turn around and sell me out?!"

In the Mother Array, Chen Huan paid no heed to the furious curses coming from the gorge. He only asked Xiao Tasha, "How much longer?"

"Almost!" Xiao Tasha was anxious too. The Human-Faced Spider could appear at any moment, and she hadn't fully recovered the spiritual energy she had spent earlier. She could only swallow a pill and force the formation into motion. "Just a little longer, Senior Brother. At most the time it takes to drink a cup of tea."

Chen Huan's gaze flickered. "All right... By the way, Junior Sister, can the Mother Array trap the Human-Faced Spider? The Mother Array's setup looks much more complicated than the Sub-array's. If it can, maybe we can use it to outwit that beast."

"No, Senior Brother." Xiao Tasha was devoting all her strength to operating the formation and had no time to think. She answered casually, "The Soul Devouring Mother-Child Array's Sub-array is specifically designed to trap and kill; that's why it can confine things. The Mother Array can only be used to refine Talisman Tools. Forget outwitting a Foundation Establishment Realm demon beast like the Human-Faced Spider—it can't even trap an ordinary awakened demon beast. After all, anyone can see straight through it when they enter or leave."

As they spoke, the patterns on the Mother Array's floor trembled. Then two streaks of Bloodlight wrapped around souls were forcibly drawn over from the Sub-array and streamed along the formation patterns into the Soul Summoning Banner.

The Soul Summoning Banner stirred without a breeze, and blood-like waves seemed to surge across its surface. The souls inside, who had previously cursed Chen Huan and the others, were both shocked and delighted. "Huang Xian, Zhang Zhongqin? Hahaha, so this is your day of reckoning!"

"Good! Good! I was blind to people's true nature back then, but now I get to see you dogs tear into each other. I can die content."

"Huang Xian, you bastard! I'll fight you to the death!!"

"A dog that bites doesn't bark. Zhang Zhongqin, you were false-hearted and treacherous beneath that loyal exterior. Now you'll have to join me as a vengeful spirit."

The souls immediately fell into a brawl. Only Xiao Tasha's older female cousin stood by with her arms folded, laughing coldly as she fixed Xiao Tasha with a venomous glare. "You wretched bitch! I'll be waiting for you to join us in the banner. When you do, I'll tear you to pieces with my own hands."