All Torment

The moment the Dream-Weaving Spider landed, Hu Liena immediately charged at it.

She dodged sideways as the Dream-Weaving Spider raised its Spider Spear and brought it swiftly down, then punched its leg joint with her other hand.

A sharp crack rang out. The joint bent on the spot, and silver light seeped through the fracture.

Hu Liena followed up by kicking the Dream-Weaving Spider in the side, sending it stumbling back.

She was about to continue chasing Duan Fan.

But she realized he had already put some distance between them.

At the same time, a muffled "shick, shick" sounded behind her, like something weaving. Hu Liena's attention was immediately drawn to it.

She turned around, and her expression darkened at once.

The first Dream-Weaving Spider Duan Fan had drawn was spitting out strands of silvery-white webbing.

The strands weren't flying toward her. Instead, they continuously crossed and wound around one another in midair, as if an invisible pair of hands were shaping them.

The outline of a Giant Spider was soon woven from the threads.

Hu Liena sensed trouble and tried to stop it.

But the Dream-Weaving Spider she had just sent stumbling back charged at her again, giving her no chance to interrupt.

Hu Liena gritted her teeth.

The Third Soul Skill ring around her lit up.

Pink light spread from her body. Her nails grew sharper and longer, her pupils turned completely vertical, and her Soul Power surged as an invisible pressure radiated in every direction.

This was her Third Soul Skill, Demon Fox Transformation. Once activated, it greatly enhanced all her attributes.

With Demon Fox Transformation active, Hu Liena's strength and speed skyrocketed. She kicked the second Dream-Weaving Spider in front of her flying, then ignored the first one as it wove a Giant Spider on the other side and charged straight for Duan Fan with a clear target in mind.

But it was as if Duan Fan had seen through her intentions ahead of time. He had already moved behind the first Dream-Weaving Spider.

To get close to Duan Fan, Hu Liena still had to deal with the Dream-Weaving Spider.

And it wasn't just the Dream-Weaving Spider.

The first one had finished weaving. The Giant Spider had landed, its two black holes in the head and thorax fixed on Hu Liena like eyes.

Worse still, the second Dream-Weaving Spider had also begun to weave. The sound of the threads crossing and winding around one another was like a demonic tune, making Hu Liena increasingly irritable.

If she turned back now to deal with those two Dream-Weaving Spiders, the two spiders in front of her would surely attack.

But if she ignored them, then even after she took down the two in front of her, two more would appear behind them.

Duan Fan also had excellent control over his distance, leaving her no opening at all.

And Duan Fan's hands never stopped moving. Even as he shifted positions, he kept drawing.

Silver lines danced through the air. The outline of a third Dream-Weaving Spider was nearly complete.

Hu Liena's expression grew darker by the moment.

I can't drag this out!

If this keeps going, I'm definitely the one who'll lose!

I'm a level-thirty-five Soul Elder. Lose to a junior who's only a Soul Master?

If word gets out, I'll never live it down!

Calm down!

Stay calm!

Hu Liena took a deep breath and steadied herself.

She stopped worrying about the Dream-Weaving Spider behind her and faced the two spiders in front.

She even abandoned the idea of going around them to grab Duan Fan directly.

She had already tried that. There was no way around these spiders.

Now she had to kill the spiders blocking her path. If she let this drag on, more and more would appear.

Once she had made up her mind, Hu Liena charged straight at the Giant Spider woven from webbing.

She punched the Giant Spider back, then seized the opening to slip past its side. Soul Power gathered in her left hand as she clawed at the first Dream-Weaving Spider.

Hu Liena had already injured this Dream-Weaving Spider once, and it moved much more slowly than before.

Her claws plunged straight into a gap in its shell. With a forceful yank, she tore away a large chunk of the shell along with the soft tissue beneath it.

Hu Liena followed with another kick, smashing the Dream-Weaving Spider's abdomen.

At last, the first Dream-Weaving Spider stopped moving. Its massive body turned into silver motes and faded into the air.

The Giant Spider woven from webbing didn't disappear when the first Dream-Weaving Spider fell. Instead, it seized the opening while Hu Liena was killing it, raised its Spider Spear, and pounced at her.

By then, Hu Liena had completely calmed down. She faced the Giant Spider's attack without a hint of panic and dodged swiftly to the side.

As the Giant Spider's Spider Spear came down, Hu Liena spun into a roundhouse kick and snapped it clean in two.

The Giant Spider wobbled. Hu Liena seized the chance and darted forward, hammering down with alternating fists, each punch bursting with Soul Power.

"Bang, bang, bang—!"

The Giant Spider's shell shattered and its fluids splattered. Soon, it too became silver motes and faded away.

Hu Liena straightened up and caught her breath.

But before she could even take a moment to recover, two more spiders charged at her.

It turned out the second Dream-Weaving Spider Duan Fan had drawn had just finished weaving. It charged alongside the Giant Spider.

Hu Liena had no choice but to fight again.

Meanwhile, Duan Fan drew a third Dream-Weaving Spider. It stood guard behind him and began weaving another Giant Spider.

Hu Liena saw it and furrowed her delicate brows.

She felt as if she could never kill all the spiders.

If Duan Fan controlled all three spiders and had them attack her together, she might actually have an easier time. She could seize the momentum and take them all down at once.

But Duan Fan refused to do that. He always kept the number of attacking spiders at two, leaving one in front of him to guard.

It made Hu Liena miserable.

She desperately wanted to break the cycle.

So as she fought the two spiders, Hu Liena tried every way she could to get close to Duan Fan, hoping to use her Second Soul Skill, Charm, on him.

But Duan Fan seemed to have seen through her intentions ahead of time. He gave her no chance to Charm him and always kept a certain distance between them.

He could also always control the spiders to block his body, so Hu Liena's Charm could only land on them.

And the spiders were immune to Charm.

As time passed, the third Dream-Weaving Spider Duan Fan had drawn also finished weaving its Giant Spider.

By then, Hu Liena had just taken down the second Dream-Weaving Spider and the Giant Spider woven from its webbing. Now she had to face a new cycle.

Duan Fan was right there, not far ahead of her, yet she simply couldn't attack him. It was unbearably frustrating.

But Hu Liena was a level-thirty-five Soul Master, after all, and she hadn't used many Soul Skills, so she could keep going.

Relying on her unyielding will, Hu Liena took down the two spiders in the third round and watched them fade into silver light.

After killing the last spider, Hu Liena panted and looked at Duan Fan with weary eyes.

She thought it was finally over.

But somehow, Duan Fan had finished drawing again. A fourth Dream-Weaving Spider landed.

Hu Liena broke down on the spot. She braced her hands on her knees, panting, and shook her head in surrender. "I'm done."