Tang San sprinted through the dense forest like a madman.
Branches lashed across his face, carving bloody streaks into his skin, but he barely noticed.
At that moment, only one thought remained in his mind:
Xiao Wu had been snatched away by that Titan Giant Ape!
What would he do if anything happened to her?
At the thought, he quickened his pace even more.
But just then, a black figure suddenly swooped down from the treetops.
Tang San reacted at once, rolling sharply to the side.
Boom!
The thing slammed into the ground, sending dirt flying.
Tang San scrambled to his feet and took a closer look. His heart sank.
A Man Faced Demon Spider!
And judging by its size, it had cultivated for at least two thousand years!
A grotesque, twisted face sat on the beast's abdomen, turned toward Tang San as if sneering at him.
Purple-black venom dripped from its body. With every step it took, the plants beneath it withered as the poison ate away at them.
Tang San gritted his teeth.
He didn't have time to waste on this thing.
"Get out of my way!"
Tang San summoned his Blue Silver Grass. His First Soul Ring lit up, and countless vines lashed toward the Man Faced Demon Spider.
But the instant the Blue Silver Grass touched its body, the corrosive venom dissolved it.
Tang San furrowed his brow and immediately changed tactics.
He used Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track, his figure turning elusive in an instant.
The Man Faced Demon Spider's pounce missed. Its eight legs scraped furiously at the earth, and white smoke rose as its venom seeped into the soil.
Tang San seized the chance to circle around to its side. He flicked his right hand, and three Sleeve Arrows shot through the air.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The Sleeve Arrows struck the Man Faced Demon Spider's shell, but left behind only a few white marks.
The beast's defenses were far too tough.
Though the Man Faced Demon Spider wasn't hurt, the attack enraged it.
It immediately opened its mouth and spat out a huge spray of venom.
The venom spread through the air like a vast net, descending toward Tang San.
Tang San hurriedly retreated, but some still splashed onto his clothes, eating a large hole through them in an instant.
He acted decisively, channeling his Mysterious Jade Hand as he tore the contaminated patch of cloth from his body.
But the Man Faced Demon Spider gave him no time to catch his breath. While Tang San was distracted, it raised a foreleg and swept it at him.
Tang San couldn't dodge in time. The blow caught him in the chest, sending him flying into a large tree with a heavy thud.
Pfft!
A mouthful of blood burst from his lips.
Tang San felt as if his internal organs had been knocked out of place.
The Man Faced Demon Spider gave him no chance to recover. Its eight legs scuttled rapidly as it charged at him.
As the grotesque, twisted face loomed closer,
Tang San gritted his teeth against the pain and reached for his waist with his right hand.
The Dragon Whisker Needle.
It was his strongest killing move, one he'd planned to save for a last resort.
But now, he had no choice.
Tang San's gaze sharpened. He was about to strike.
Suddenly, a shout rang out from afar, interrupting him.
"Look out!"
Before Tang San could react, a figure appeared out of thin air above the Man Faced Demon Spider.
The person gripped a baseball bat and brought it crashing down on the Man Faced Demon Spider's head.
Bang!
One blow was all it took. The beast's head burst like a watermelon.
Tang San immediately channeled his Mysterious Jade Hand, sweeping it rapidly to deflect the venom spraying through the air.
The Man Faced Demon Spider didn't even have time to scream. Its eight legs buckled, and it slumped motionless to the ground.
Then a purple Soul Ring slowly rose from its corpse.
Tang San froze at the sight.
He stared at the gray-haired young man before him, his mind completely blank.
Who was this guy?
Ye Qiong put away his baseball bat and turned to look at him.
"You all right?"
Tang San didn't answer. His eyes remained fixed on the purple Soul Ring.
This was the prey he'd risked his life to hold off.
And now someone had stolen the kill with a single swing of a bat!
Tang San drew a deep breath, forcing down his anger.
"I found this Man Faced Demon Spider first."
Ye Qiong shrugged.
"I just put a little extra oomph into my accidental swing. Besides, if I hadn't stepped in, you'd be a corpse by now."
Tang San gritted his teeth.
"That doesn't mean you had to kill it! I could've handled it!"
Ye Qiong smiled.
"Could you? Who was the one getting beaten until he spat blood?"
Tang San had no answer.
He knew the other man was telling the truth, but he still couldn't swallow his anger.
Ye Qiong had killed the Man Faced Demon Spider, so Tang San couldn't absorb its Soul Ring.
And by the rules of the Soul Master World, the Soul Ring belonged to whoever killed the Soul Beast.
He didn't even have the right to contest it.
Just then, footsteps sounded from within the forest.
Zhao Wuji arrived with Dai Mubai and the others.
"Xiao San! Are you all right?"
Zhao Wuji saw the blood at the corner of Tang San's mouth, and his expression changed.
Tang San shook his head.
"Teacher Zhao, I'm fine."
Zhao Wuji glanced at the purple Soul Ring and furrowed his brow.
"What happened here?"
Tang San was about to speak, but Ning Rongrong cried out first.
"Ye Qiong?! Why is it you again?"
Ye Qiong looked at Ning Rongrong, one corner of his mouth lifting.
"Well, look who it is. What a coincidence, Miss Ning."
Ning Rongrong bit her lip and took a few steps forward.
"What are you doing here? Trying to steal something from Shrek?"
Before Ye Qiong could answer, footsteps sounded from the other side of the woods.
Tribbie came out with Phainon and the others.
Wang Sheng glanced at Tang San without a word, then took his place behind Ye Qiong.
Phainon walked over to Ye Qiong's side and spoke to him in a low voice.
After listening, Ye Qiong nodded.
Phainon looked toward the people from Shrek.
"Everyone, I think you've misunderstood. The principal was saving someone."
Zhao Wuji gave a scornful laugh.
"So you're from Amphoreus Academy. Saving someone? Looks to me like you were trying to steal the Soul Ring."
Phainon calmly shook his head.
"We saw everything clearly from a distance. The Man Faced Demon Spider was about to attack Tang San. The principal shouted a warning, then stepped in."
"That's right, I heard him too. And the principal killed the beast with a single swing. Who knew it was so fragile?"
Bai Chenxiang also stepped forward to defend Ye Qiong.
Zhao Wuji fell silent for a moment, then looked at Ye Qiong.
"Be that as it may, we from Shrek found this Man Faced Demon Spider first."
Ye Qiong smiled.
"Found it first? Then tell me, when Tang San was nearly killed by it just now, where were you?"
Zhao Wuji was at a loss for words.
But Ning Rongrong wouldn't let it go.
"Ye Qiong, you did it on purpose! You must be jealous of Shrek, so you're trying to pick a fight with us!"
Ye Qiong glanced at her as if she were a joke.
"Ning Rongrong, you think far too highly of yourself."
Ning Rongrong trembled with rage and turned to Zhao Wuji.
"Teacher Zhao, let's fight him!"
Dai Mubai stepped forward as well, his fists clenched and his fighting spirit surging.
"Right. We can't let this go."
Seeing this, everyone summoned their Martial Souls.
Zhao Wuji took a deep breath and released the pressure of his Soul Sage cultivation as well.
"Ye Qiong, principal of Amphoreus Academy, right? Give us an explanation."
Ye Qiong looked at them, one corner of his mouth lifting.
"An explanation? Heh."
The next second, he stepped forward, and seven Soul Rings rose from beneath his feet.
Yellow, purple, purple, black, black, black, red!
"What kind of explanation are you asking for?"