Glimmer of Hope in Despair!

After hours of high-intensity, desperate flight, compounded by the piercing agony of a fractured arm, Lin Feng's body and spirit had long since been pushed to their absolute limits.

His legs felt as heavy as if they were filled with lead, trembling uncontrollably with every step, while sweat soaked his robes and blurred his vision, his very breath burning with a searing, visceral pain.

He slammed to a halt, bit down on his molars, and spun around, his eyes surging with the ruthless resolve of one who has burned their bridges.

He could no longer run; continuing would only lead to death, but even if he were to die today, he would fight this persistent Ghost-Faced Beast Monkey until they both perished.

Yet, the anticipated pounce never came.

The Ghost-Faced Beast Monkey, which had hunted him for three full hours, seemed to have suddenly stumbled upon a presence of absolute terror.

Without even sparing him a glance, it let out a shriek of pure panic, turned, and bolted into the depths of the dense forest, disappearing without a trace in a few leaps.

Lin Feng stood frozen, staring at the empty woods in utter bewilderment, stunned for a long time before he could mutter in disbelief.

"It... it actually ran?"

He held his breath for a few more seconds, confirming that the damn monkey truly wasn't coming back, and the nerves he had kept taut for hours finally snapped.

His strength drained away in an instant, and he slid powerlessly down the side of a thick tree trunk, leaning against the cold bark, gasping for air while unable to stop himself from laughing out loud.

"Hahaha! I survived again! It seems my luck isn't as rotten as I thought!"

His laughter was raspy, filled with the manic joy of one who had narrowly escaped death.

Just then, a glob of cold, sticky white slime dripped from above, landing squarely on his shoulder.

The smile on Lin Feng's face froze instantly, and a bone-chilling cold shot straight up his spine.

He finally realized why the Ghost-Faced Beast Monkey had suddenly abandoned its prey and fled without looking back.

He stiffly tilted his head upward, inch by inch.

In the shadows of the canopy above, a five-thousand-year-old Man Faced Demon Spider, ten meters wide, was hanging upside down from a thick branch.

Eight cold, ghostly green compound eyes were locked onto him, and the hideous, twisted human face on the spider's abdomen parted its lips, revealing jagged, venom-dripping fangs.

Almost the moment he looked up, the Man Faced Demon Spider opened its mouthparts, and a mass of incredibly tough white silk shot out instantly.

Lin Feng's pupils constricted; his body, already pushed to its limit, didn't even have the strength to lift an arm to dodge. He could only watch helplessly as the web slammed into him, pinning him firmly against the tree trunk.

His limbs were bound tight.

He watched as the Man Faced Demon Spider moved its eight long, black-haired, barbed legs, inching closer toward him step by step.

The ferocious, oppressive aura of a top-tier predator made it difficult for him to even breathe.

Lin Feng's heart turned completely cold.

Even with a Resurrection Armor in his possession, he had no confidence that he could survive this.

The Man Faced Demon Spider was renowned for its speed and lethal venom, and this was a top-tier specimen with five thousand years of cultivation.

Its explosive power and hunting efficiency were leagues beyond the Ghost-Faced Beast Monkey that had merely been toying with its prey.

The moment he resurrected, the creature would strike again immediately, leaving him no chance to catch his breath.

He suddenly smiled miserably, a mix of self-mockery and resignation.

"I've really fallen this time... but at least compared to ending up in the hands of that damn monkey, my purity is preserved. Does that count as a silver lining in a tragedy?"

The smile faded, leaving only deep unwillingness in his eyes.

"I'm so unwilling... I haven't even unlocked my full six-piece gear set, and my path as a support god is ending just as it began."

"I haven't paid back Uncle Zhao or the Dean, and... I'll never have the chance to repay the kindness of the Angel Goddess."

The next second, The purple thousand-year soul ring on his body surged upward, its brilliant halo lighting up the dim forest.

With a thought, the Thornmail he had been wearing was instantly retracted, replaced by the gold coin engraved with the Sage's Protection, which merged into his body in an instant.

Warm, mysterious golden rays of light wound around his body like streams, forming a faint golden shield; the passive [Resurrection] of the Resurrection Armor was now ready.

Lin Feng raised his eyes to calmly look at the Man Faced Demon Spider, which had reached him and bared its fangs. There was no fear in his eyes, only a trace of faint mockery and composure.

"Killed by a spider? Tsk, that's a first."

Just as the Man Faced Demon Spider's foreleg, dripping with ink-green venom, was about to pierce Lin Feng's chest.

A brilliant, razor-sharp golden sword aura suddenly tore through the forest.

A fierce, sacred aura swept across the scene, carrying an innate suppression against evil soul beasts.

The Man Faced Demon Spider instantly sensed the sacred light, which it instinctively loathed and feared. Ignoring its prey, it let out a sharp hiss and quickly dodged the sword aura.

The aura slammed into the ground, instantly carving out a trench several meters deep, while the surrounding rotting leaves and weeds were incinerated into ash by the sacred energy.

Lin Feng was stunned for a moment, then jerked his head up, his pupils suddenly brightening.

"It's her!"

Above the forest, a woman in a gilded dress hovered silently, her face veiled, revealing only a pair of sharp, cold phoenix eyes that shone like molten gold.

Golden angel wings slowly unfurled behind her, a faint sacred halo surrounding her body. She held a long sword shimmering with golden light, appearing like an angel descended into the mortal realm.

Four soul rings—yellow, yellow, purple, and purple—rose steadily; she was, without a doubt, a Soul Ancestor powerhouse.

It was that mysterious wealthy woman from the Soul Recovery Pavilion... no, wait, right now, she was his only lifeline!

"I'm saved!"

Lin Feng's eyes lit up, his will to survive in this desperate situation instantly climbing to its peak.

Even though he was pinned tightly to the tree trunk by spider silk, one yellow and one purple soul ring suddenly rose from beneath his feet as he chanted softly.

"Blue Sentinel Power!"

"Red Sentinel Power!"

With a flick of his fingertips, two Thornmail Gold Coins engraved with thorn patterns shot toward Qian Renxue, wrapped in brilliant golden light.

Terrified that his savior might mistake this for an attack, he hurriedly shouted.

"Sister, thank you for the rescue! I am a support-type Soul Master; please don't resist these coins, they are my support blessings."

Hearing this, Qian Renxue, who had instinctively intended to dodge, suddenly froze. She watched the two strange gold coins flying toward her with great interest, her gilded phoenix eyes filled with curiosity.

The two coins instantly merged into her body, and a vast, surging power swept through her limbs and bones.

Power increased by 90%
Defense increased by 600%
Maximum HP increased by 140%

Qian Renxue clearly perceived that this power not only brought terrifying attribute boosts, but also granted her a soul skill that could be actively triggered.

Immediately following, azure and scarlet halos appeared around her, and her soul power recovery speed instantly maxed out.

At this moment, Qian Renxue felt an unprecedented sense of strength.

Even though she only possessed the cultivation of a Soul Ancestor, with the full set of buffs from Lin Feng, her overall combat power had increased several times over.

She looked toward the Man Faced Demon Spider opposite her, her phoenix eyes igniting with battle intent. With a fierce flap of the golden wings on her back, she transformed into a streak of golden light, brandishing a light sword as she charged ferociously at the Man Faced Demon Spider!

The Man Faced Demon Spider was already furious to the extreme because its meal had been interrupted, and seeing this tiny human dare to take the initiative to charge, it let out a piercing shriek.

Opening its mouthparts, it sprayed several clusters of white spider silk, laced with paralyzing venom, toward Qian Renxue like cannonballs.

"Watch out for the silk! The Thornmail can actively trigger Thorn, reflecting 35% of true damage for 3 seconds. The Red Buff adds slowing and true burn effects to your attacks—keep your distance and kite it!"

Pinned to the tree trunk, Lin Feng was terrified that Qian Renxue wouldn't know how to utilize these effects, so he quickly shouted out all the key points of his skills, wishing he could teach her personally.