Human-Faced Spider

He slammed his fist on the table, making the oil lamp jump. "But in this world, what good are just words and madness! Fists! Hard, solid fists! Cultivation! Demon Cores! Do you have them? You don't! You're not even in the Mortal Transformation Realm, so what are you going to use to go up against a Great Demon in Core Condensation? Huh?"

"That's why I've come to you," Wang Quan's voice was still calm, but carried an undeniable resolve. "Give me something that will make my fists harder. I'll risk my life for a chance, and give you a chance for revenge. You won't lose on this deal."

Madman Xu stopped smiling. He stared intently at Wang Quan, as if trying to see through him from the inside out. After a long moment, he slowly exhaled a breath of stale air, the madness in his eyes settling down, replaced by a near-cold clarity.

"This world truly runs on fists, not words," he slowly sat back down on the dirty stool, his fingers tapping unconsciously on the tabletop. "Since you've put it like this... I need to see your sincerity. Just being crazy isn't enough, you have to bring something real."

He held up three bony fingers. "I want demon beasts. Dead or alive, it doesn't matter, but they need to be fresh, with their demon energy still lingering. At least three at the Spirit Enlightenment Realm, or one at the Soul Sculpting Realm. Bring them to me when you have the ability."

The fanatical gleam reignited in his eyes, and he lowered his voice, as if sharing a shocking secret. "Then I'll give you the Cultivation Method I've been researching for over a decade, my pride and joy! That thing can give you a physique comparable to demon beasts of the same realm! Strength, defense, recovery... far beyond ordinary Martial Realm cultivators! Even..." He licked his dry lips, his voice seductive, "it can give you the capital to challenge the Mortal Transformation Realm while still in the Martial Realm! Of course, there are risks, no one has ever managed to cultivate it successfully yet, hehe."

He rummaged through a tattered rattan box under the table, throwing a few items haphazardly onto the table in front of Wang Quan.

A thin, yellowed, coverless booklet: "Shape-Shifting Art, low-grade Mortal tier. A little trick to alter muscles and bones, adjust facial features and body shape. At higher levels, maintaining it for a few hours isn't difficult. Take it!"

Another, slightly thicker booklet, with strange bloody runes painted on its cover: "Blood Shadow Tracking Art! I named it myself, what do you think, sounds impressive, right? It's not some profound technique, but it's practical! It consumes qi and blood when activated, allowing you to sense residual demon energy and blood energy from demons within a certain range. The deeper your cultivation, the brighter the demons with stronger blood energy will appear in your 'eyes', roughly distinguished by color from red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, to purple, indicating their strength and type. But it's only approximate, don't trust it completely. It's enough for tracking."

He then pulled over a folded, drab, unremarkable coarse cloth garment, and a sheathed straight-bladed long saber. The clothes felt rough and cold, and the sheath was ordinary black wood, without any decoration.

"This garment has been soaked in a special potion and mixed with some powder scraped from the skin of a Shadow Monster. It can help you conceal your living aura. As long as you don't get too close or make too much noise, ordinary demons won't easily smell you from a distance. The saber..." He pulled out half the blade. The blade was dull and even had rough forging marks. Only near the hilt was an extremely tiny, blood-drop-like, strange rune carved. "It's nothing fancy, just hard and sharp. But it has one benefit – it drinks blood! Demon blood, beast blood, even human blood will do! The more blood it drinks, and the stronger the blood, the stronger it will slowly become on its own, and sharper! Of course, it has its limits, depending on how much you can feed it."

Madman Xu pushed the items forward, his eyes returning to that reckless madness. "I've given my sincerity first. Now, it's your turn. Come back with what I want, and then we'll talk about my 'masterpiece'. Get lost, don't disturb my research!"

Wang Quan gave Madman Xu a deep look, said nothing more, collected the items on the table one by one, and cupped his fists. "I'll be back."

He turned and strode out of the room, which was filled with a strange odor.

He didn't return to his lodging, but went straight out of the village and found a secluded, deserted hillside. First, he opened the Shape-Shifting Art. The content wasn't complicated; it mainly involved changing appearance and body shape through subtle movements of specific facial, neck, and body muscles, and temporary dislocation of bones, requiring high control over qi and blood. But for Wang Quan, who had already reached the Martial Realm and gained a great increase in his control over his own qi and blood after getting started with the Turtle Snake Coiling Dragon Strength, it wasn't difficult to understand.

[Upgrade Shape-Shifting Art to Minor Accomplishment, requires 2 points. Upgrade?]

"Upgrade!"

2 points were deducted, leaving 2 remaining. A surge of warmth flowed to his cheeks, neck, and even the fine muscle groups throughout his body, accompanied by a slight soreness. Countless tips on how to finely control these muscles and bones to achieve various transformations flooded his mind. With a thought, the muscles on his face slowly writhed, his nose bridge seemed to rise a bit, his cheekbones protruded, the corners of his eyes pulled down, and his entire demeanor became much more sinister. He then tried adjusting his physique, his shoulders seemed broader, his back slightly hunched. After fiddling for over ten seconds, he took out a small piece of polished iron from his pocket and looked into it. The reflection showed a completely unfamiliar face of a fierce-looking man.

"Not bad, it can last for two to three hours, and the qi and blood consumption is manageable."

Next was the Blood Shadow Tracking Art. This was more like a special method of using qi and blood. Infusing a wisp of qi and blood into the eyes and circulating it along a specific path allowed him to see residual demon and blood energy invisible to ordinary people, which also displayed different colors according to strength and characteristics. It wasn't difficult to get started; it mainly relied on sensing.

"Upgrade Blood Shadow Tracking Art to Minor Accomplishment as well."

Another 2 skill points were deducted, leaving 0. The moment Blood Shadow Tracking Art reached Minor Accomplishment and combined with his own perception, Wang Quan felt a slight movement in his mind, as if an invisible barrier had been broken, and a prompt sound followed:

[Detected auxiliary perception skill Blood Shadow Tracking Art (Minor level), potential synergy with system's underlying perception module. Initiate preliminary fusion to enable enhanced active exploration mode? Note: After fusion, the skill's effects will be enhanced by the system, but active use will consume both mental energy and qi and blood.]

"Fuse," Wang Quan's mind moved.

[Fusion complete. Active exploration mode function expanded. Can combine with Blood Shadow Tracking Art for more precise marking, tracking, and preliminary analysis of demon energy, blood energy, etc.]

He communicated with the prompt in his mind:

"Activate active exploration mode, search for the strongest nearby demon energy, and assess potential threat level based on my current strength."

[Command confirmed. Active exploration mode initiated. Consuming trace amounts of mental energy for continuous scanning.

[Warning: Detected strong demon energy reaction in the northeast direction, quantity: ≥3. Strength assessment: Late stage of Spirit Awakening Realm. Threat level: Medium.]

[Detected faint but abnormal mental fluctuation residue in the east direction, partially consistent with characteristics of Nightmare-type demons from previous echoes. Threat level: Uncertain.]

[Detected faint demon energy reaction in the northwest direction, quantity: 1, strength assessment: Early stage of Spirit Awakening Realm, appears to be in poor condition. Threat level: Low.]

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He put on the gray cloth garment given by Madman Xu. He didn't feel anything special, but when he deliberately restrained his aura and circulated the Turtle Snake Strength to a calm state, his vibrant blood energy seemed to be largely concealed, as if he had merged with the surrounding desolate environment.

Guided by his spiritual sense vision, Wang Quan moved silently through the shadows of plants and rocks. The gray garment did have some tricks up its sleeve. He carefully concealed his aura and encountered two hyena-like beasts on the way, which were busy gnawing on carrion. The two beasts merely raised their heads warily, sniffed the air, and their murky eyes swept over the pile of rocks where he was hiding. Finding nothing unusual, they lowered their heads and continued tearing at the carrion.

The dim crimson demon energy, mixed with the decaying aura of death, grew clearer. Finally, he stopped at the shady side of a mountain hollow. In front of him was a cave entrance, half-hidden by dense vines, about two people high, revealing only a dark, irregular opening. A strong stench of rot and something foul wafted out from within, and the ground near the entrance was littered with small bones and dried, blackened mucus stains.

The cave was pitch black. With Wang Quan's current eyesight, he could barely make out the outlines of the rough rock walls nearby. He gripped the hilt of the Blood Drinking Saber, its cold touch steadying him. Holding his breath, he listened intently. From the depths of the cave came faint, sticky scraping sounds, like something heavy being slowly dragged across a rough surface, accompanied by low, sandpaper-like gasps.

He crouched down, his footsteps extremely light, and crept into the cave like a civet cat. In his spiritual sense vision, the crimson light representing demon energy was not far ahead, but the winding cave walls blocked his view. The further he went, the stronger the stench, and the ground became slippery and sticky, making a faint squishing sound with each step.

Turning a corner, the cave ahead opened up slightly. There were a few cracks in the cave ceiling, letting in a faint sliver of daylight, providing some illumination. In this dim light, Wang Quan saw the source of the demon energy, and his pupils constricted sharply.

It was a black giant spider that occupied almost half the cave. Its massive body lay on a pile of jumbled white bones and decaying matter. Its eight legs, covered in coarse bristles like black iron spears, were curled up at its sides. The two legs near its abdomen on the right were clearly unnaturally twisted, with thick, dark green scabs covering the wounds, still oozing foul-smelling mucus. Most unnerving was its swollen black abdomen, covered in bizarre patterns, which faintly revealed a distorted human face etched with pain. As it breathed, the face seemed to writhe, as if silently wailing.

The moment Wang Quan saw it, the giant spider seemed to sense him. Its massive body moved ever so slightly. In front of its head, four pairs of eerie, cold green compound eyes suddenly lit up in the darkness, like eight flickering ghost fires, instantly locking onto Wang Quan's indistinct figure at the cave entrance.

"Who?"

A sharp, hoarse voice, like fingernails scraping bone, erupted from the cave, filled with undisguised rage and malice.

Wang Quan's hair stood on end, his heart nearly stopped.

In a flash, countless thoughts raced through his mind, but his body's instincts were faster. The instant those four pairs of green compound eyes fixed on him, his knees buckled, and he fell to his knees on the cold, slippery ground with a thud. He bowed his head deeply, almost touching the ground, his voice trembling uncontrollably from extreme fear. "L-Lord, spare me. I, I stumbled in. I accidentally intruded. I, I'll leave now, I'll get out of here. I would never dare disturb your peace."

As he spoke, his body trembled like a sieve. He buried his head even lower, his shoulders hunched, his hand gripping the saber hanging limply at his side, his fingertips white from the force. Every subtle movement was the perfect portrayal of a humble Blood Tax citizen, terrified by a monstrous demon and begging for mercy.

The giant spider let out a cold chuckle, its eerie green compound eyes glowing brighter, with a cruel, condescending air of playing with its prey. "Did I say you could leave?"

It slowly adjusted its posture, its injured legs moving with a pained tremor, making its voice even more irritable. "You can come and go as you please? What do you think this place is? A marketplace? You lowly Blood Tax!"

The last four words were spat out with utter contempt and disdain.

Wang Quan trembled all over, then kowtowed hard. His forehead met the cold, slippery moss and grime. His voice, choked with sobs, pleaded, "G-great… Lord, forgive me. This lowly one deserves death, this lowly one was blind. Lord, Lord, what are your orders? This lowly one, this lowly one would die a thousand deaths without complaint, and I will do my utmost to fulfill them. I only beg, I only beg the Lord to show mercy and spare this lowly one's dog life. Please."

As he begged, he used the motion of kowtowing to quickly glance at the giant spider's condition from the corner of his eye. Beneath the human-faced pattern on its abdomen, the carapace seemed to have an inconspicuous crack, with darker coloration around it. The wounds on those two twisted legs were oozing something with a grayish-green hue. In his spiritual sense vision, although the mass of crimson monster energy wasn't small, its core was indeed entwined with a heavy, dark gray death energy, and its circulation was sluggish. Clearly, its injuries were severe, and not just superficial ones. This might be his only chance.

The giant spider seemed quite pleased with Wang Quan's subservient demeanor, or perhaps its injuries made it desperately need sustenance and a lackey. Its sharp voice rang out again, with an unquestionable tone of command: "Orders? I do have a small matter here that requires a lowly creature like you."

The human-faced pattern on its abdomen seemed to twist, and it emitted a sticky sound: "I'm a bit hungry. Go, find me some blood food. Fresh, full of spirit, preferably tender, delicate young ones for nourishment."

Wang Quan's body shook even harder. He prostrated himself on the ground, his voice trembling, "Yes, yes, Lord, this lowly one will go now, will go now to find it for the Lord." He seemed to scramble up in a panic, but his legs gave out, and he stumbled. He fumbled around on his body, as if searching for something to rely on or offer. Suddenly, his movements paused, as if he remembered something. He took out a rough, small wooden box from his robes, held it up with both hands, his voice carrying a hint of hope and flattery:

"L-Lord. This lowly one, this lowly one has a pill here, obtained by chance, said to have miraculous effects on external injuries. Perhaps, perhaps it might be of some use to your Lordship's injuries? This lowly one wishes to offer it to the Lord, only asking the Lord to grant some leniency in time, and this lowly one will certainly find the most nourishing blood food for the Lord."

"A pill?" The giant spider's compound eyes flickered, revealing a trace of greed and suspicion. It didn't hold much hope for what good things it could get from blood food, but the pain of its injuries made it uncomfortable, and it didn't want to miss any possibility. "Bring it here, let me see."

"Yes, yes." Wang Quan quickly responded. Bending over, head lowered, he held the wooden box with both hands and shuffled towards the giant spider, step by tiny step, his posture utterly humble. His movements appeared slow, cautious, and filled with fear.

Just as he reached a spot about ten feet away from the giant spider's terrifying maw, the spider suddenly shouted sternly, "Stop!"

Wang Quan froze, stopping in place. The hands holding the wooden box trembled slightly. He raised his head blankly, his face etched with terror and confusion. "L-Lord? What is it?"

The giant spider's compound eyes stared at him coldly, especially at his right hand, which was lowered but tightly gripped the scabbard. Its sharp voice, laced with suspicion and command, said, "Just throw it over. Who gave you permission to get so close? You lowly creature."

Wang Quan's face instantly lost all color, as if he had been terrified. But within this extreme fear, a cold glint, almost manic, flashed deep in his lowered eyes. He maintained the posture of holding the box with both hands, his body trembling violently from fear. His voice took on a strange inflection, like an unconscious mumble, or perhaps a rhetorical question:

"W-what is it, Lord? Are you… are you afraid of me coming closer?"

His voice wasn't loud, but in the silent cave, it was exceptionally clear.

The giant spider clearly paused, seemingly not expecting such a remark from this Blood Tax civilian, who was as humble as an ant and trembling all over in fear. Immediately after, boundless rage engulfed its simple mind.

"What did you say?" The sharp screech almost pierced the eardrums. Its dark green compound eyes flared with terrifying light due to anger. "You dog. Say that again. You want to die, don't you."

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