The Man-Faced Demon Spider
The phenomenon lasted for about half a minute before it ended.
Xia Ran was now in Martial Soul Possession. His black outfit made him look dashing, his cat ears swayed in the wind, and his tail flicked gently.
His deep-set eyes were gold and black, and a mass of dark energy gathered in his palm, which he held before his chest.
Everyone present was dumbstruck!
"So handsome!"
Ning Rongrong's beautiful eyes sparkled with stars.
Zhu Zhuqing stared at him, stunned.
Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun swallowed unconsciously, their Adam's apples bobbing.
Oscar remained lost in his grief...
"What happened to your eyes? I remember they weren't different colors!"
Zhao Wuji hadn't spent much time with him, but he still remembered what Xia Ran had looked like when he first came to the academy.
He certainly hadn't had this kind of presence. And Zhao Wuji especially didn't remember the Mysterious Cat Martial Soul having an ability like the dark energy gathering in Xia Ran's palm.
"It's just a minor ability."
Xia Ran didn't offer Zhao Wuji any further explanation.
As he spoke, he dismissed his Martial Soul and turned back into the white-clad young man he usually was.
"Xiao Ao, don't be sad. I'm in a good mood today, so I'll find you a Soul Ring myself."
He met Oscar's resentful gaze, then followed in the direction Xiao Wu had gone.
If nothing unexpected happened, the Titan Giant Ape was about to show up!
"Rongrong, wait here!"
"Zhuqing, stay close to me!"
"Old Zhao, I'm going to check on Xiao Wu and the others."
The two girls on the tree exchanged glances. Zhu Zhuqing jumped down first and followed Xia Ran into the depths of the forest.
Zhao Wuji didn't stop them. Instead, he gathered the rest of the group and had them rest where they were.
It looked like Xia Ran had gone to find Tang San and Xiao Wu, so Zhao Wuji naturally couldn't leave the group as well.
"Get yourselves together and recover!"
"What a mess. The whole team's scattered all over the place."
He was starting to regret taking on the role of escorting teacher for this trip. He truly hadn't expected these kids to be so difficult to handle.
Dai Mubai ate a few of Oscar's sausages, and his injuries began to heal.
Ning Rongrong quietly stayed behind the others. Until Xia Ran returned, she wanted to keep silent!
Meanwhile, Xiao Wu ran a long way, crying, with Tang San chasing close behind.
Only when they reached an open space did Tang San catch hold of her arm.
But Meng Yiran's lip print was still on his face. When he grabbed Xiao Wu, it was right there in plain sight.
[Xiao Wu's level of aversion to Tang San: 40%] [Reward for the host: Second Martial Soul: Light Element Control]
Xia Ran caught up and heard another prompt. A moment later, a surge of rich light-element energy gathered toward his right eye.
"Huh? Why did it jump so much again?"
The Mysterious Cat and Annihilation Eye Martial Souls appeared of their own accord, and the familiar scene played out once more. This time, though, Xia Ran gave off an inexplicable sense of warmth.
Zhu Zhuqing, following close behind, was suddenly drawn in by his presence. Once she got closer, she realized just how captivating Xia Ran was.
Without even noticing, she forgot to stop and walked straight into his back.
"Ah!"
The girl's cry startled Xia Ran.
At the same time, he felt a soft, springy sensation against his back...
"Tsk. What are you doing?"
He frowned slightly and turned to face Zhu Zhuqing's flushed cheeks.
But the blush on the girl's face said everything.
"Ah... sorry!"
As the two spoke, an utterly terrifying wave of energy suddenly swept in from the horizon.
The ground began to shake violently in a steady rhythm. Countless towering trees crashed down, and a massive figure blotted out the sky.
The instant the Titan Giant Ape appeared, even the sunlight was blocked out.
Backlit, Xia Ran could make out only a hill-like silhouette rushing toward them at incredible speed.
On the other side, Zhao Wuji sensed the Titan Giant Ape's presence as well. It was coming from the direction of Xiao Wu and Xia Ran.
Without hesitation, he entered Martial Soul Possession with his Vajra Bear and shot forward, leaving everyone else frozen in place.
Meanwhile, with Zhao Wuji and the others no longer there to stop her, Xiao Wu was scooped up by Er Ming and carried off toward the Lake of Life.
"No! Xiao Wu!"
Tang San reached for his waist, only to realize he had already given away the Twenty-Four Moonlit Bridges. All he could do was stand there, helplessly furious.
After hesitating for a moment, he seemed to make up his mind. He gritted his teeth and chased after them through the fallen trees.
"We're going too. Stay close to me!"
Xia Ran followed after Tang San.
"Eight Spider Lances! Tang San, don't disappoint me!"
He wasn't sure whether Tang San would still come across that Man Faced Demon Spider. After all, the current timeline was a little earlier than in the original story.
But if Tang San really was the chosen protagonist, then surely he would encounter it somehow.
Without Oscar's flying Mushroom Sausage or Ning Rongrong's Speed boost, Xia Ran had no choice but to wrap Soul Power around his legs and run after them.
Perhaps the time he'd lost had just made up for the few minutes' difference from before. Or perhaps Tang San really was the chosen protagonist.
He actually did run into the Man Faced Demon Spider from the original story.
A dark shape stirred among the fallen trees, hiding right along Tang San's path.
Xia Ran was delighted and hurriedly entered Martial Soul Possession.
The instant the Man Faced Demon Spider lunged, he flashed in front of Tang San and blocked its deadly attack.
"Xia Ran? How did you..."
When Tang San saw what had happened, he couldn't help drawing in a sharp breath.
He'd nearly fallen prey to the beast. Thankfully, Xia Ran had stepped in just in time. Otherwise, that attack would have left him badly injured, if not dead.
"Don't stand around congratulating yourself. Hurry and find Xiao Wu!"
Xia Ran held his long blade against the spike on the spider's leg, then turned and barked at the dazed Tang San.
Tang San's stunned expression cleared. He finally snapped out of it, quickly steadied himself, and ran off into the distance.
"Hmph! If Xiao Wu's aversion hadn't maxed out, you'd already be dead."
The Black Blade traced two nearly invisible slashes through the air, and the Man Faced Demon Spider was instantly dismembered.
The enormous spider, no longer supported by its eight legs, thrashed wildly in the clearing, kicking up clouds of dust.
Xia Ran shook the blood from the blade and sheathed it.
He gestured for Zhu Zhuqing, who was standing nearby, to come over.
"Come here!"
Zhu Zhuqing hurried over to him.
"Absorb it. This is the surprise I prepared for you."
Xia Ran kicked the Man Faced Demon Spider, exposing the human face on its abdomen.
"Strike its abdomen directly. That'll kill it in one blow."
Zhu Zhuqing's purple eyes met the spider's sinister "face," and her eyelashes trembled slightly.
She had never seen a Soul Beast this hideous and revolting. The fear that only a woman could feel welled up inside her, and she hesitated where she stood.
Xia Ran saw how frightened she was and drew the Black Blade again.
He placed Zhu Zhuqing's hands around the hilt, guiding her to grip it. Frightened, she squeezed her eyes shut.
Xia Ran wrapped his arms around her from behind, held her wrists, and guided her hands forward...
The long blade plunged straight into the Man Faced Demon Spider's abdomen. Its violent death throes shuddered through the blade into the girl's hands, making her tremble and shrink further into Xia Ran's embrace.
Moments later, the Man Faced Demon Spider fell completely silent.
When Zhu Zhuqing opened her eyes, a purple Soul Ring had already formed...
"Get ready to absorb the Soul Ring. I'll protect you!"
They were standing very close. As Xia Ran spoke, his breath fell right against Zhu Zhuqing's ear.
In her Martial Soul Possession state, the girl's tail stiffened with nerves.
She froze for a moment before realizing how intimate their position was, then hurriedly broke free of his embrace.
"S-sorry..."
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