Fighting

Before the sound of his voice had even faded, the Giant Spider's massive body shuddered violently with rage. It did not even use its two injured legs. Instead, it suddenly sprayed a pale, viscous strand of webbing from beside its vicious mouthparts. It was as fast as lightning, carried a pungent stench of blood, and shot straight at Wang Quan's face. This strike was fueled by fury; if it hit, he would be stuck instantly, then dragged over and torn to pieces.

Wang Quan let out a shrill, terrified scream, as though he had been scared witless. He did not dodge—or rather, he had no time to—and the viscous web struck him squarely in the chest.

With a muffled thud, Wang Quan cried out as the force carried in the webbing sent him stumbling backward. He fell flat on his back, then awkwardly rolled across the slippery ground, wailing nonstop, "My lord, I was wrong. I'll never dare again. Spare me!"

The direction in which he rolled happened to be straight toward the Giant Spider. His movements looked frantic and helpless, his body even twisting from the pain, but every roll's angle and distance was controlled with astounding precision. It was as though invisible strings were pulling him. After several rolls, he had somehow reached a spot less than three steps from the Giant Spider's injured leg.

The Giant Spider felt a cruel thrill at having struck this lowly Blood Food so easily. Mockery and savagery gleamed in its compound eyes as it prepared to enjoy its prey's struggles before death—or pondered whether to spare him and slowly torment him. It had not taken the ant that had been scared shitless and struck down in a single blow seriously at all. Its attention was even somewhat scattered by its injuries and fury.

At that very instant.

The prey that had been rolling on the ground in agony, howling without pause, suddenly shifted from absolute stillness to explosive motion. All the trembling, fear, and disarray vanished from him in an instant, replaced by a cold, precise, long-prepared killing intent.

Before the momentum of his roll had completely faded, Wang Quan's curled body sprang open like a compressed spring. The Blood Drinking Saber that his right hand had never released left its sheath at that moment.

There was no earth-shaking aura, no dazzling phenomenon. There was only a dim, swift gray-black blade light, condensed from all of Wang Quan's spirit, vital energy and blood, and the heavy explosive force of Turtle Snake Coiling Dragon Strength.

Shadow Rend—the fastest and strangest move in Wind Slaying Saber Technique. Driven by Wang Quan with reckless abandon and even a hint of madness, it reached the utmost limit he could currently achieve. The blade split the damp air with a faint yet hair-raising hiss, aimed directly at the joints connecting the two nearest legs on the Giant Spider's right side, which were visibly twisted and injured.

Fast. Too fast. From rolling closer to exploding into action with his saber, it had taken no more than a blink. In the Giant Spider's compound eyes, the mocking, savage light had not even had time to turn into astonishment before the blade light arrived.

Hiss. Hiss.

Two faint yet teeth-grating cutting sounds rang out almost simultaneously. The dim edge of the Blood Drinking Saber sliced through the joints without the slightest obstruction, like a hot knife cutting into half-congealed grease. They were covered in hard chitin, yet had long since been corroded into extreme fragility by the strange injuries.

Dark green, viscous blood that reeked of blood surged from the severed ends like fountains. It splashed across Wang Quan's face, but he paid it no heed. His eyes held only icy killing intent.

A shrill screech beyond description suddenly erupted from the Giant Spider's vicious mouthparts. It was not a roar of rage, but a mad howl of pain mixed with terror and disbelief. Both legs had been severed at the roots. Not only did this bring soul-rending agony, it also caused its already clumsy, wounded body to lose its balance completely. Its massive form crashed to the right, slamming into the rock wall and sending countless fragments and clouds of dust raining down.

"You lowly Blood Tax. You ant. How dare you... I'll tear you to pieces. I'll chew your bones to bits and pull out your soul to torment for all eternity."

The Giant Spider went completely mad. Its remaining six legs thrashed wildly to support its body, while its vicious mouthparts opened and closed, spewing poisonous curses and roars. The human-face pattern on its abdomen twisted violently, as though it too were suffering. It suddenly raised its head, its abdomen contracted, and in the next instant countless strands of pale webbing—thicker and stickier than before—descended like an inescapable net, roaring through the air as they blanketed Wang Quan from head to toe. It wanted to bind this lowly bug that had dared injure it, then swallow him alive.

Faced with the overwhelming web attack, Wang Quan not only showed no fear; instead, a feral smile blending pain, exhilaration, and madness appeared on his face. The clothing over his chest had been corroded through by the earlier webbing, and his skin burned with pain, but he was utterly oblivious to it.

"Heh heh, my lord, don't rush." His hoarse voice was slightly distorted by excitement and pain, yet at the critical instant he relied on the steady lower stance and agile footwork brought by Turtle Snake Coiling Dragon Strength to weave and dodge through the limited space like a ghostly shadow. The Blood Drinking Saber in his hand became a gray-black curtain of light, constantly severing the approaching webbing. Every time the blade swept across the viscous strands, it let out a hissing sound. Some strands were so sticky that even after being cut, parts of them remained clinging to the blade or his body, bringing a searing pain of tugging and corrosion.

"Aren't you high and mighty? Don't you look down on us Blood Food, treating us like pigs and dogs?" He dodged while provoking the Giant Spider, which had lost part of its reason to pain and fury. Mad flames danced in his eyes. "So even an exalted lord like you can feel pain. You can bleed too."

"Roar! Trash! Ant! I'll kill you!" The Giant Spider's roar had changed from the pain of its severed legs and its extreme fury. Its attacks became even more frenzied and chaotic, but they also revealed more openings. The wound on its abdomen split open from the violent movement, spilling more grayish liquid.

"Then let's see." Wang Quan seized an opportunity and kicked off the ground. His body shot low across the earth, narrowly evading two strands of webbing that crossed in midair. The Blood Drinking Saber once again became a streak of sharp light, this time aimed at the three relatively intact legs on the Giant Spider's left side that supported its body. "Let's see whether Heaven's favor is still on your side this time."

"No!" The Giant Spider sensed the deadly crisis. For the first time, unmistakable fear appeared in its compound eyes. It wanted to retreat and spray more webs to protect itself, but its toppled body and excruciating pain disrupted its movements.

The blade light flashed again. This time, it was no strange swiftness like Shadow Rend, but the weight and violence of Windbreaker. Wang Quan poured all his strength, vital energy and blood, and the pent-up savagery he had held in his chest for so long into this strike.

Crack. Crack. Crack.

The bone-and-shell shattering sounds made one's scalp crawl as they rang out in succession. Carrying an eerie hunger, the Blood Drinking Saber severed the three remaining legs on the Giant Spider's left side at the joints as easily as cutting rotten wood.

Thud.

With five legs severed, the Giant Spider's massive body could no longer support itself. Like a mountain of flesh, it toppled completely onto its side. The anguished human-face pattern on its belly faced the cavern ceiling, twisting and writhing madly. Dark green blood and grayish pus sprayed from multiple severed ends, blackening a large area of ground in the blink of an eye. Only its three intact legs remained, feebly scraping at the ground. It could no longer rise and could only emit despairing, agonized whimpers.

"Hiss... spare me... spare me..." By now, the savagery and cruelty in the Giant Spider's compound eyes had long been replaced by boundless terror. It watched the Blood Tax citizen approach step by step, carrying a dim long saber that constantly dripped its blood. Its voice broke apart from pain and fear. "No, don't kill me. I—I won't make you look for Blood Food anymore. Go, hurry and go. I—I'll let you off. I swear."

It seemed to remember something and screamed with the last of its strength, "You—you can't kill me. I—I have companions. Very powerful companions. If you kill me, they'll definitely find out. You won't escape. The entire county town will be buried with me. Let me go, and I'll let you leave. I promise."

Wang Quan stopped before it and looked down at the demon beast that had once been imperious, treating him as ant bait. His face was smeared with dark green demon blood and grime, and the web-corroded wound on his chest burned fiercely, but his gaze was terrifyingly calm, even carrying a trace of mockery.

"My lord, you really are too kind." He spoke slowly, his voice calm yet sending an icy chill through the Giant Spider. "Even now, you're still thinking of letting me go."

He paused. Under the Giant Spider's compound-eyed stare, filled with fear, resentment, and a faint glimmer of hope, he slowly raised the Blood Drinking Saber. Its tip pointed at the Giant Spider's vicious mouthparts, which opened and closed incessantly as foul saliva dripped out.

"But I've changed my mind. I don't want you to let me go." The corner of Wang Quan's mouth slowly pulled into a cold, cruel curve. "I suddenly remembered that there's something else I particularly want. I'd like to ask my lord to bestow it upon me. As long as you give it to me, I'll leave immediately and won't linger."

The Giant Spider seemed to have seized a lifeline. Enduring the pain, it spoke hurriedly: "What is it? Tell me. As long as I have it... the Monster Core? My poison sac? Or my silk glands? I'll give them all to you. Just let me go." Yet in its heart, it roared and cursed furiously: You lowly bastard, wretched Blood Tax. Just wait until I recover, just wait until I contact them. I'll tear you limb from limb. I'll capture your family, your friends, and everyone connected to you, then eat them bit by bit in front of you. I'll turn this filthy county town into a living hell.

Wang Quan bent slightly at the waist and leaned closer. In a voice only the two of them could hear, he said softly, his tone calm enough to make one's scalp prickle:

"I'd like to borrow your lordship's life for a while. I hope you can do me this favor."

"W-what?" The Giant Spider's compound eyes widened to their limits, filled with extreme shock, bewilderment, and then the overwhelming terror that surged up after them. "You—you said what? No. No!"

The instant the Giant Spider's shrieked "no" rang out, he moved. He drove off the ground and lunged forward, then viciously planted one foot against the side of the Giant Spider's grotesque head, covered in hair and slime, pinning it firmly to the cold, slippery ground. The tremendous force made its head slam into the earth with a dull thud, cutting off its desperate shriek.

He pressed down with his foot and slowly ground it across the Giant Spider's ugly, ferocious head. The rough sole scraped against the hard chitinous shell with a teeth-grating creak. Viscous saliva and blood were squeezed out, coating his boot. He felt the once-high-and-mighty head beneath his foot deform and sink under his trampling. A scorching current rushed from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head—the exhilaration of revenge, the sheer satisfaction of crushing a powerful foe.

"Giant Spider." Wang Quan's voice was cold, carrying a hint of amusement. "Have you ever enjoyed treatment like this?"

"No, don't kill me! My lord! Great king! Grandfather! I was wrong. I truly was wrong. I was blind and failed to recognize Mount Tai." The Giant Spider completely collapsed. Its remaining legs scraped weakly at the ground, and its voice warped from extreme terror, sounding almost like a wail. "Spare me! Please, spare me! I can acknowledge you as my master. I can be your mount, your slave. I know many secrets. I know where treasures are. I can still help you fight. Please, don't kill me. I don't want to die!"

It begged incoherently. Its former loftiness and arrogance had now been reduced to nothing but the most humble and grotesque desire to survive.

Wang Quan's foot pressed slightly harder against its head as he listened to the shell creak under unbearable strain. His face held no expression, only the frozen coldness of ice.

"Become my slave and servant. Fight and kill for me." He repeated the Giant Spider's words, his tone flat yet laced with bone-chilling ridicule. "You can't even defeat me while I'm seriously injured."

He paused, then slowly raised the Blood Drinking Saber. Having drunk its fill of demon blood, the dim blade now faintly carried an extremely thin, ominous dark-red halo. A soft, indistinct hum drifted from its edge, as though it yearned for more.

"What use is a piece of trash like you?"

As his voice fell, the blade light descended with it.

There were no fancy techniques, only the simplest, most direct, and most powerful vertical slash. It gathered all of Wang Quan's strength and will, along with the killing intent he had held in for so long and could finally vent.

Splurt.

The Blood Drinking Saber hacked deep into the weak point connecting the Giant Spider's head and body, then cleaved downward with irresistible momentum. The hard chitinous shell, sticky tissue, and revolting bodily fluids seemed to count for nothing before this strike.

The Giant Spider's frenzied pleas, vicious curses, and desire to live all stopped abruptly.

The light vanished from its eight dark-green compound eyes in an instant. The final expression frozen within them was endless terror, bewilderment, and a trace of disbelief, as though they could never believe what had happened.

Its massive body spasmed violently several times, then finally stiffened and fell still. The anguished human-face pattern on its abdomen also stopped writhing, gradually becoming dull and blurred.

Slain: late-Spirit Awakening Realm demon beast, Bone-Corroding Human-Faced Spider. Obtained 4 Skill Points.

The notification sounded in his mind. Wang Quan breathed slightly harder as he pulled out the Blood Drinking Saber. Dark green demon blood flowed down the blade, but it was quickly absorbed into the metal. The tiny blood-colored rune seemed a little brighter than before, and the blade faintly exuded a sharper aura.

He shook the remaining blood from the saber and looked at the Giant Spider's massive corpse on the ground, his gaze cold.

Four points. Adding the zero points left from before, that made four in total. Turtle Snake Coiling Dragon Strength required five points to advance from Beginner to Minor Accomplishment.

Not enough.

He could only go try the other side. He muttered under his breath, wiped the foul-smelling demon blood from his face, and began efficiently cleaning up the scene.

Following the direction of the three crimson streams of Monster Qi in his spiritual perception, Wang Quan traveled through the craggy rocks and sparse woods, moving even more cautiously than before. The concealment effect of his gray cloth clothes was still active, but he could feel that the closer he got, the more pungent the scent of blood mixed with wild Monster Qi became.

After circling around a slope covered in thorns, he found an open, rocky riverbank ahead. The turbid waters of Blackwater River rushed by not far away. Between several gray-white boulders, Wang Quan spotted the source of the Monster Qi, and his stomach lurched.

Three bizarre-looking jackals were gathered around a small heap of something. They were larger than ordinary wild wolves, their dark-red fur filthy, but several clusters of stark-white short spikes—like splinters of bone—stood up along their backs. Most disturbing were their eyes: two glowing green orbs without pupils, staring straight ahead as they flickered.