After a dizzying spin, Yu Xiaogang found himself standing in Sunset Forest.
The scorching sunlight beat down, sending wisps of heat rising through the trees. Even Yu Xiaogang's senses were severely impaired, as though he were trapped inside a gigantic steamer.
Yu Xiaogang quickly circulated the Mysterious Heaven Skill, and a cool sensation immediately spread through his body.
Then he used Martial Soul Possession and activated Purple Demon Eye, completely nullifying the effects of the environment.
The forest was unusually quiet, but Yu Xiaogang didn't dare let his guard down. He kept a firm grip on the Godly Zhuge Crossbow in his right hand, his purple-lit eyes constantly scanning his surroundings.
Suddenly, a pair of thick spider legs thrust up from underground. Gray Soul Power surged along them as they slashed toward Yu Xiaogang's legs like a pair of sickles.
Thanks to the keen perception of Purple Demon Eye, Yu Xiaogang had spotted the ground's disturbance just before the attack. He immediately used Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track to dodge.
After missing, the spider legs slowly withdrew beneath the ground. Yu Xiaogang didn't dare make a rash move and remained where he was, watching his surroundings.
Before long, the spider legs pierced through the ground again and attacked him.
Yu Xiaogang once more sensed the disturbance in advance and dodged with Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track. This time, however, the spider legs withdrew much faster, and a faint tremor soon rippled through the ground.
By the time Yu Xiaogang had dodged several meters away and reappeared, a pair of spider legs shot up from beneath him, closing like a huge pair of scissors around his legs.
Fortunately, the attack wasn't very fast. With his sharp perception and exceptional control over his body, Yu Xiaogang reacted swiftly and evaded it with Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track.
The spider legs withdrew underground again, and the ground trembled once more.
After this happened several times, Yu Xiaogang used Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track again and stopped in place. But the spider legs he'd expected to burst out from beneath his feet never appeared. The forest fell quiet once more.
The silence didn't last long. In the next moment, several yellow strands ripped through the ground and shot toward Yu Xiaogang, closing around him.
The strands converged incredibly quickly. Even with Purple Demon Eye at the Subtlety Realm, Yu Xiaogang could barely make out a blur, leaving him no time to react.
In an instant, the strands joined together to form a cage, trapping Yu Xiaogang inside. The strands hardened in the wind, becoming as strong as steel.
This was the Cave Demon Spider's signature skill: Spider Web Prison.
Yu Xiaogang was familiar with this move and had already prepared for it. He immediately opened the Magic Spider Compound Eye on his forehead. At the same time, he tensed his right arm, which held the Godly Zhuge Crossbow, ready to aim and fire at any moment.
Boom!
A massive gray figure burst out of the ground behind Yu Xiaogang.
The instant he heard the sound, Yu Xiaogang activated the Magic Spider Compound Eye and unleashed a Spirit Shock infused with all his Soul Power.
An invisible ripple of spiritual energy surged out from the Magic Spider Compound Eye on Yu Xiaogang's forehead, spreading in every direction around him.
When the Cave Demon Spider was struck by the invisible wave, it immediately fell into a daze, its body freezing in midair.
Yu Xiaogang had already turned around. His eyes were weary from the strain on his Soul Power, but filled with anticipation.
Yet when he saw the Cave Demon Spider frozen in midair, disappointment immediately spread across his face.
"What a pity. It didn't expose its abdomen. I was too optimistic to think I'd hit the jackpot on my first try."
Yu Xiaogang shook his head, but still pulled the trigger of the Godly Zhuge Crossbow without hesitation.
Click, click!
The mechanism snapped loudly. In the next instant, a volley of more than a dozen Bone Piercing Arrows and Seven Kill Arrows shot from the crossbow's magazine and bored into the Cave Demon Spider's head.
But the Cave Demon Spider had cultivated for ten thousand years, and its shell was extraordinarily hard. Even the reinforced Godly Zhuge Crossbow struggled to pierce it.
The dozen or so Bone Piercing Arrows and Seven Kill Arrows barely sank halfway into the shell before their shafts trembled and lost all momentum.
The Cave Demon Spider awoke in pain. It fell to the ground, then immediately sprang back up and swung its thick forelegs, slashing at Yu Xiaogang inside the Spider Web Prison.
Under the influence of the Cave Demon Spider's Spirit Power, the web, which had been hard as steel, softened again.
The spider legs easily tore through the cage and slashed toward Yu Xiaogang inside.
In the dormitory.
Yu Xiaogang's consciousness returned to his body. He touched his waist and, after taking a moment to recover, selected the task for the entry once again.
[Selected entry "10000 Year Cave Demon Spider Soul Ring." Corresponding task initiated: Enter the Illusion Realm and defeat a 10000 Year Cave Demon Spider.]
"Time to keep grinding. If I try enough times, I'll get lucky eventually."
Yu Xiaogang closed his eyes, and his consciousness was drawn into the panel once again.
More than ten minutes later, Yu Xiaogang opened his eyes, his expression clearly helpless. After taking a moment to recover, he selected the task for the entry again.
He kept grinding like this all night, gradually figuring out a few patterns. By the next morning, he finally hit the jackpot.
Inside the Illusion Realm, Yu Xiaogang turned around and stared ahead, his eyes full of anticipation.
The Cave Demon Spider in midair was already very close to the cage, with its forelegs resting on the web.
But that position also exposed its abdomen. Yu Xiaogang's eyes lit up, and he immediately aimed and pulled the trigger.
Click, click!
With a series of sharp mechanical snaps, more than a dozen bolts shot out, glinting like cold stars as they burrowed into the Cave Demon Spider's body.
The Cave Demon Spider hit the ground and immediately curled into a ball, rolling wildly across the ground.
The Spider Web Prison, which had trapped Yu Xiaogang, now became his shelter, thanks to its sturdy construction.
The Cave Demon Spider's movements grew slower and slower until it finally froze in place.
[Task complete. Obtained 10000 Year Cave Demon Spider Soul Ring.] [Choose an operation for the Soul Ring: 1. Absorb 2. Disassemble]
His consciousness returned to his body. Yu Xiaogang looked at the prompt that had appeared on the panel and selected Absorb without hesitation. Then, on the Martial Soul page that popped up, he selected Luo Sanpao.
Yu Xiaogang flicked his hand, releasing Luo Sanpao in front of him. A Black Soul Ring floated out from the panel and settled over the chubby figure before him.
Time passed second by second. When sunlight streamed through the window, the Soul Ring's absorption was complete.
A message appeared in Yu Xiaogang's mind.
Fourth Soul Skill: "Fart Like a Black Cloud, Smoke Cage Luo Sanpao."
Releases a thick black fog that forms a cloud at least ten meters in diameter. Once the cloud envelops an enemy, it greatly weakens their senses and leaves them disoriented within the fog.
"Just as I expected. It's a group-control Soul Skill."
Yu Xiaogang nodded, then got out of bed, dressed, and left his room to begin his teaching duties for the day.
Although he hadn't slept all night, the strength growing within him put Yu Xiaogang in a very good mood.
He looked toward the rising sun in the east, its golden light reflected in his eyes.
"Another day full of energy."
Before you continue