Soul Beast Battle: Green Blade Mantis vs. Man Faced Demon Spider!

By noon on the fourth day, they had already ventured deep into the edge of the outer zone where Hundred-Year Soul Beasts and Thousand-Year Soul Beasts gathered, nearing the mixed zone dominated by Thousand-Year Soul Beasts, where Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts appeared more frequently.

They walked along a narrow path carpeted with weeds. Ancient trees towered all around them, their canopy blotting out the sky and slicing the sunlight into countless fine beams that dappled the forest floor covered in dead leaves.

Suddenly, Yang Wudi stopped, his foot frozen atop the fallen leaves.

"There's movement."

He released his spiritual power, and moments later, a flicker of delight appeared in Yang Wudi's eyes.

"Jian'er, stay close to me. Your first Soul Ring has been found."

Following Yang Wudi's lead, the two silently crept forward. After passing through a thick patch of shrubs, Yang Wudi pushed aside waist-high unknown weeds, and the scene before them caught Yang Jian's attention.

In the clearing not far away, two figures stood locked in confrontation.

On the left was a jade-green Soul Beast, nearly two meters long, with a slender body shaped like a blade.

Its forelimbs were two enormous scythes, raised high at that moment, their edges glinting with an eerie cold light.

On the right stood a spider completely covered in black armor. It was a full size larger than the Green Blade Mantis.

The most eye-catching feature was the white pattern on its lower abdomen. Formed naturally, it vaguely gathered into the shape of a vicious human face.

Its eight long legs resembled eight sharp spearheads, deeply embedded in the ground.

Human-like emotions flickered within its eight compound eyes, each covered by a transparent protective layer, as if it were calculating the distance between itself and its opponent.

"A Green Blade Mantis and a Man Faced Demon Spider. Both are around four hundred years old."

Yang Wudi lowered his voice, a sharp glint flashing through his eyes.

"Interesting. When these two kinds of Soul Beasts meet, one of them won't stop until the other is dead."

"Then which one do you think will win, Grandpa?"

Yang Jian knew the Man Faced Demon Spider well. Its entire clan had been loyal and devoted, repeatedly coming close to killing Tang San. Unfortunately, it had not been blessed by fate and instead became a stepping stone on Tang San's path to growth.

As for the Green Blade Mantis, he knew far less about it.

"The Green Blade Mantis is an assassin among small Soul Beasts. It is incredibly fast, and its attacks carry cutting properties. Once wounded by it, the injuries are extremely difficult to heal. The Man Faced Demon Spider is the nightmare of small Soul Beasts. Its webs are incredibly tough, and they carry deadly neurotoxin. Its eight spider legs can even pierce steel."

Yang Wudi paused, seeming to sink into thought.

"Given the same cultivation age, the two should be evenly matched. Neither should have a clear advantage."

But what happened next slapped Yang Wudi's judgment in the face.

In the clearing, the Man Faced Demon Spider moved first.

Its abdomen suddenly contracted, and with a puff, it sprayed out a great web that blanketed the sky as it fell toward the Green Blade Mantis.

The web was silvery white, gleaming with a sticky sheen beneath the shafts of light.

Yang Jian remembered that this web was exceptionally resilient. After Tang San acquired this soul skill, he could easily trap Dai Mubai, even though Dai Mubai's rank was higher than his. Dai Mubai had even needed to use White Tiger Vajra Transformation to break free.

Although this Man Faced Demon Spider was only four hundred years old, once its web trapped an opponent, Soul Beasts of the same level would find it difficult to escape.

The Green Blade Mantis seemed to understand the power of the Man Faced Demon Spider's web as well. Its cicada-thin wings gave a light flutter, and its body became a green blur, nearly brushing past the edge of the web.

The web, which could have trapped most small Soul Beasts to death, did not even touch it.

The Man Faced Demon Spider was clearly unwilling to accept that. Its abdomen contracted again, and a second web followed close behind. This time, the angle was even trickier, sealing off the Green Blade Mantis's room to dodge.

But the Green Blade Mantis reacted even faster.

Its wings beat fiercely, and it shot directly into the air. With a sharp turn in midair, it not only evaded the second web, but also dove toward the Man Faced Demon Spider with the momentum of its descent!

Its two scythes rose high, blade light flickering as they hacked down!

All eight of the Man Faced Demon Spider's legs exerted force at once, and it retreated explosively.

But its speed was ultimately inferior to that of the Green Blade Mantis. The tip of a scythe scraped across its carapace, leaving a deep gash. Dark green blood seeped out and dripped onto the ground, corroding a large patch of earth.

The Man Faced Demon Spider let out a piercing shriek, seeming to descend into madness. Its eight spear-like legs began attacking the Green Blade Mantis wildly and without order.

This method was clearly ineffective. After several breaths, not only had it failed to strike the Green Blade Mantis, but several more wounds had appeared on its body.

Yang Jian watched with a slight frown. In his memory, the Man Faced Demon Spider should not have been this weak, unless...

As if realizing something, Yang Jian fixed his gaze on the Man Faced Demon Spider. If he remembered correctly, a Man Faced Demon Spider could spray its web three times a day. Up to now, it seemed to have used only two.

Another ten breaths passed, and the Man Faced Demon Spider's movements visibly slowed.

The Green Blade Mantis also seemed to have lost interest in playing any longer. Its wings beat behind it as it rushed at the Man Faced Demon Spider in a zigzag pattern, aiming straight for its head.

With a lift of its limbs and a fall of its scythes, the Green Blade Mantis's arm blades hacked viciously into the Man Faced Demon Spider's head.

"Pshk!"

The sound of a sharp weapon slicing through flesh rang out. Half the Man Faced Demon Spider's head slid off, hanging by only a thin strip of flesh. Its pulsing brain could even be seen.

"Hiss!"

The Man Faced Demon Spider released a miserable scream that shook the surrounding fallen leaves loose in a rustling shower.

As the Green Blade Mantis pulled back its blade, the Man Faced Demon Spider's abdomen suddenly contracted. Its remaining four compound eyes held human-like resentment and satisfaction.

Its final web, activated!

At such close range, let alone the Man Faced Demon Spider itself, even Yang Wudi, a Soul Douluo, believed that the Green Blade Mantis had no chance of dodging.

He had therefore already prepared to intervene before the Man Faced Demon Spider could kill the Green Blade Mantis.

And the result was indeed as expected. The Man Faced Demon Spider's final web completely enveloped the Green Blade Mantis.

Yet strangely, the Green Blade Mantis showed not the slightest trace of panic. It merely slowly raised its left arm blade and aimed it at the web surrounding it.

Dazzling azure light instantly covered the arm blade. Even from a hundred meters away, Yang Jian could feel its sharpness, enough to make his eyes ache.

The azure light flashed.

The web, capable of trapping even Hundred-Year Soul Beasts to death, was no different from the dead leaves around it that could be crushed without effort. It split in two in an instant.

The Man Faced Demon Spider clearly had not expected the web it had sprayed at the cost of severe injuries to be cut apart so easily by the Green Blade Mantis. The resentment in its compound eyes gave way to obvious dullness.

Without its web, the Man Faced Demon Spider was a tiger without teeth. The Green Blade Mantis raised its scythes again.

"Psh!"

Dark green blood sprayed everywhere.

The Man Faced Demon Spider twitched several times before falling completely silent.

Its arm blades rose and fell as the Green Blade Mantis began carving up the Man Faced Demon Spider beneath its feet, preparing to enjoy its lunch.

From beginning to end, less than thirty breaths had passed.

The four-hundred-year Man Faced Demon Spider, known as the nightmare of small Soul Beasts, had died just like that.

What incredible speed! What terrifyingly sharp attacks!

To tear apart the Man Faced Demon Spider's prized web so directly—this level of attack power truly caught Yang Jian's eye.

"What do you think? Shall we save it?"