Dream-Weaving Spider

After confirming the development path, Fang Qingshan found several more Soul Beasts similar to the Dream-Weaving Spider for Duan Fan and formulated corresponding combat plans.

Two hours passed quickly, and the carriage smoothly arrived at the Soul Hunting Forest.

Stepping off the carriage, they were greeted by an extremely bustling market.

Fang Qingshan paid the carriage fare, instructed the driver to wait outside the market, and then led Duan Fan straight through the market's path.

"It's lively here, isn't it? Every Soul Beast forest has such a vibrant market outside," Fang Qingshan explained the situation as they walked.

He didn't linger in the market with Duan Fan, and soon they emerged from it, finally arriving before a massive iron fence.

Guarded by over a hundred heavily armored soldiers, the fence exuded an aura of killing intent just by their presence.

"You need a permit issued by the Spirit Hall to enter the Soul Hunting Forest. This one I have was given to me by your father." Fang Qingshan produced the permit, and he and Duan Fan entered the Soul Hunting Forest without issue.

Upon entering the forest, the fresh air, mixed with the scent of earth, immediately filled their lungs, invigorating their senses.

"Our first target is the Dream-Weaving Spider. They live in the Withered Wood Forest, located to the southeast of the Soul Hunting Forest. We'll go this way, stay close to me." Fang Qingshan carefully identified the direction and then set off with Duan Fan.

The two walked steadily through the forest, the broken branches underfoot making crisp sounds. Along the way, they encountered many Soul Beasts, mostly of the ten-year level. Fang Qingshan diligently explained each one to Duan Fan, covering their habits, abilities, and methods for discerning their age. Duan Fan learned a great deal.

With a clear objective and a complete hunting plan, Fang Qingshan and Duan Fan reached their first destination, the Withered Wood Forest, in just half a day.

Entering the Withered Wood Forest, they saw dead trees everywhere. Some trees weren't completely dead, their trunks covered in grayish-green moss, their canopies sparse, allowing sunlight to filter through the gaps and cast dappled golden patches on the ground. The air was filled with a damp, rotting smell, and stepping on the ground, the soft, decaying leaves almost swallowed their ankles.

Fang Qingshan suddenly stopped and crouched down. "Little Fan, look at this." Duan Fan leaned closer and saw a mass of grayish-white silk threads wrapped around a dead tree trunk. The threads had a faint sheen, as if coated in oil.

"This is the silk of a Dream-Weaving Spider." Fang Qingshan used a small knife to pick up a strand of silk, sniffed it, and then handed it to Duan Fan. "Smell it, it has a sour scent." Duan Fan took it and indeed detected a faint, sour aroma.

"Dream-Weaving Spider silk is very resilient, but they don't use it to weave webs to catch prey." Fang Qingshan stood up, scanning the surroundings. "Their ability is to weave larger spiders from their silk, letting the big spiders hunt for them. I mentioned this on the carriage." "And after the big spiders kill prey, they revert back into silk, wrapping the prey."

"Look over there." Fang Qingshan pointed in a direction. Duan Fan followed his gaze and soon spotted a silk mass the size of a watermelon, within which a dead mouse was faintly visible.

"Judging by the size of that silk mass, the Dream-Weaving Spider living here is less than a hundred years old. We need to go further in." With that, Fang Qingshan continued forward. Duan Fan immediately followed.

The deeper they went into the Withered Wood Forest, the darker it became. The canopy overhead grew denser, almost completely blocking out the sunlight. The decaying leaves on the ground turned into wet mud, making squelching sounds with each step. Suddenly, Fang Qingshan stopped. Duan Fan immediately stopped with him.

"Little Fan, look over there quickly." Fang Qingshan lowered his voice. Following Fang Qingshan's pointed direction, about thirty meters away stood an exceptionally thick dead tree. In the middle of the trunk was a dark tree hole, and a spider was perched on the edge of the opening.

The spider wasn't large, its body about the size of a washbasin, its eight legs spread out to nearly two feet wide. Its carapace was dark brown with darker patterns, and its eight eyes were arranged in three rows. The two in the front were the largest, glowing with a faint green light.

"Good luck, this is a Dream-Weaving Spider over four hundred years old, perfect for you!" "Dream-Weaving Spiders are territorial Soul Beasts. With this four-hundred-year-old spider here, there won't be any other dangers within a hundred meters." "You stand here, and I'll take it down. The fight will be over quickly."

"Azure Ox, possess!"

Fang Qingshan finished his command and activated his Martial Soul.

A flash of cyan light flickered, and the already tall and burly Fang Qingshan instantly became even more robust.

Immediately following, two massive ox horns sprouted from his head.

At the same time, three Soul Rings—yellow, yellow, and purple—slowly rose from beneath Fang Qingshan's feet, radiating a heavy, imposing aura.

With his Martial Soul possessed, Fang Qingshan charged straight toward the Dream-Weaving Spider.

As he advanced, his first and second Soul Rings lit up one after another; his physique grew even larger, and the ox horns on his head glowed with a cyan light.

The Dream-Weaving Spider reacted quickly as well.

Almost the moment Fang Qingshan possessed his Martial Soul, it sensed the danger and immediately utilized its weaving ability.

Its abdomen contracted sharply, and a mass of grayish-white spider silk shot out from its rear.

The mass of silk expanded in the air; instead of forming a web, it swelled rapidly like a tangled mess of thread.

In less than two seconds, the silk pieced together a silhouette: four legs, a body, and a head.

A spider woven from silk, roughly three times the size of the original, emerged.

Supported by its four legs, it lunged toward Fang Qingshan.

Fang Qingshan showed no fear, crashing straight into it.

"Bang!"

With a muffled thud, the giant spider woven from silk was smashed to pieces.

Fang Qingshan continued his charge toward the Dream-Weaving Spider.

There were no flashy offensive techniques, just a straightforward, brutal collision.

"Bang!"

Another muffled thud echoed as the Dream-Weaving Spider was sent flying, and the dead tree it had been perched on was reduced to splinters dancing in the air.

Under Duan Fan's watchful eyes, the Dream-Weaving Spider flew a full ten meters before crashing heavily to the ground.

"Xiaofan, it's your turn. Use your blade to deliver the final blow," Fang Qingshan shouted.

Duan Fan immediately complied, sprinting to the front of the Dream-Weaving Spider.

At this moment, the Dream-Weaving Spider's body was twisted, its brown carapace completely cracked open, leaking gray fluid. Its body twitched rhythmically, gasping its final breaths.

Is this the strength of a Soul Exalt?

Taking down a four-hundred-year-old Soul Beast is like child's play.

Duan Fan felt a surge of emotion, then raised his blade and brought it down, ending the Dream-Weaving Spider's suffering.

The next second, a yellow ring of light slowly rose from beneath the corpse of the Dream-Weaving Spider.