Ah Yin Captured

"No."

Ah Yin's body shuddered, transforming into a massive Blue Silver Grass with golden veins. Like a vine, she coiled around the spider spear, extending rapidly until even Zhu Huang's massive spider form was bound.

"Ah Yin!"

Tang Hao roared in grief. Once a Soul Beast transformed into human form, it could never return to its original state; doing so meant death.

Even with Ah Yin's immense vitality and the mystery of immortality, forcibly reversing her origin carried immense risk. One slip, and she would revert to Blue Silver Grass forever, unable to return to human form.

Tang Hao desperately wanted to rush back and live or die with her, but Ah Yin had done this to save him. If he threw his life away now, wouldn't her sacrifice be in vain?

His own life mattered little, but who would avenge Ah Yin? He could not betray the sliver of hope she had sacrificed herself to secure.

Besides, that damned spider had held back against Ah Yin earlier. Surely, out of respect for their shared kind, he wouldn't harm her... right?

Tang Hao hesitated for a split second, and the spider spear, still slowly thrusting forward despite being coiled by Ah Yin, pierced into his body.

Tang Hao was jolted with horror. With a furious roar, he swung his Clear Sky Hammer backward while simultaneously twisting his body and leaping forward.

Bang!

The Clear Sky Hammer struck the spider spear, deflecting it slightly. Combined with the pull from Ah Yin, the fatal strike aimed at Tang Hao's heart was diverted. The spear tip grazed between his legs, and blood sprayed into the air.

"Ah!"

Tang Hao let out a shrill scream, his face twisted in agony and terror. Summoning every ounce of strength he possessed, he cast one last glance at Ah Yin, who was still wrapped around the spider, and vanished into the horizon.

"How touching. You risked your life to save him, and he abandoned you to flee. Is this the legendary, tear-jerking romance? It truly is an eye-opener!"

Seeing that Tang Hao had vanished and Ah Yin was still tightly coiled around him, Zhu Huang sighed and came to a halt.

His gaze flickered, resting on Ah Yin's abdomen with a thoughtful expression.

Looking closely, one could see a mysterious power shrouding her lower abdomen, something he found unfathomable.

That power clearly surpassed the level of a Titled Douluo; it had to be the legendary divine power.

Asura?

Zhu Huang grew inwardly vigilant.

He used the technique of observing destiny he had recently learned, only to see an incredibly dense aura of fortune gathering above Ah Yin's head, far exceeding what a Soul Beast should possess.

Without a doubt, this fortune came from the little life within her. It was so vast that even a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast could not compare, meaning the potential of this child surpassed even the Titled Douluo level.

"It shouldn't be Tang San in Ah Yin's womb yet, which means this child possesses the destiny of a protagonist from the start."

"Tang San is also a protagonist. Two protagonists devouring and merging with one another—that is how Tang San achieved such greatness, inheriting dual godhood, because his capacity and fortune were inherently vast."

Zhu Huang seemed to understand. When he had intended to kill the child, the instinctive warning from the Heavenly Demon Creation Art had occurred because this child of destiny was already being watched by Asura.

"To think Asura had designs on Ah Yin's child so early. Indeed, Tang San's transmigration was orchestrated by Asura from the very beginning."

Zhu Huang found it hard to fathom. At best, Tang San was merely a successor to Asura; why would the god value him so highly?

"Could it be, as some say, that Tang San is merely a pawn for Asura, a contingency plan laid out before he left the God Realm, so that if he were to fall, he could use Tang San to return?"

Zhu Huang's mind was in turmoil, but he remained uncertain. Regardless, it was no longer wise to strike at the mother and child.

Hearing Zhu Huang's words, Ah Yin remained silent for a long time before saying hoarsely, "Everything I did was to win a chance for Hao to survive! Hao... he left alone because he didn't want my sacrifice to be in vain."

"Stop being stubborn!"

Zhu Huang's lips curled upward. It wasn't hard to hear the insincerity in her tone.

Who wouldn't feel hurt and resentful after being abandoned without hesitation by the lover they had risked their life to save? Even if Tang Hao's actions seemed rational, they were heartless in terms of affection.

Clearly, Tang Hao would not live or die with Ah Yin; at the very least, he loved himself far more than he loved her.

"You can let go of me now. Tang Hao has run far away, and I can't catch him. As for you, if you don't return to human form soon, you never will."

Zhu Huang pried at the Blue Silver Empress's body. He had to admit, the texture was quite pleasant. Even as a blade of grass, having cultivated for a hundred thousand years, she was a celestial herb; even her scent was extraordinary.

"Ugh!"

Ah Yin gasped, her body trembling. With a flash of light, she reluctantly returned to human form. A faint blush appeared on her pale face; clearly, Zhu Huang's touch was more than she could handle.

"For the sake of us both being Soul Beasts, I won't kill you. Go. Even though what you did was excessive—leading humans to hunt me—do you know that's called betraying your kind? If it were any other Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast, you wouldn't be leaving here alive."

"You... you aren't killing me?"

Ah Yin looked up abruptly, her face filled with disbelief. Having already closed her eyes to await death, a sudden hope for life surged within her.

"Hmph, killing a pregnant woman isn't much of an achievement. Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts are rare enough; I don't want to engage in mutual slaughter."

"Thank you!"

Ah Yin's eyes were filled with gratitude, and she bowed solemnly. She knew full well how egregious her actions were; bringing humans to kill her own kind was betrayal. Traitors were often hated far more than enemies, and few were willing to forgive them.

"Don't thank me. Who told me to be such a good Soul Beast! Actually, back then, I also once..."

Zhu Huang stopped mid-sentence, his eyes revealing a strange look as he gazed at Ah Yin.

Ah Yin was startled and couldn't help but lower her head, her heart in a complex state. She never expected this Death Spider Emperor to have...

Ah Yin felt a strange sensation. After what had just happened, her favorability toward the spider emperor had increased significantly, and knowing he admired her made her feelings even more complicated.

Before entering the human world, she hadn't known what love was. By the time she did, she was being pursued madly by the Tang brothers, and she had already developed feelings for Tang Hao.

If she hadn't entered the human world back then, perhaps something might have happened between her and this kind-hearted Death Spider Emperor?

Ah Yin let her imagination wander, then shook her head. Now that she was a wife and a mother, what was the point of thinking about such things?

"I... I have to go."

"Go then. If you go back too late, Tang Hao might get eaten by some soul beast; he's certainly not in the best state right now."

Zhu Huang transformed into a hazy male figure, waving his hand with his back turned to Ah Yin, as if he couldn't bear the separation.

"Take care of yourself. I won't let him come after you again."

Ah Yin took one last deep look at Zhu Huang and turned to leave.

"Wait!"

Zhu Huang suddenly called out to stop her. Ah Yin paused, and heard Zhu Huang say, "Although it is not my place to interfere in your affairs, I must warn you: be careful of Tang Hao."

"Judging by his behavior just now, he is not a good match. He might be with you only because he covets your soul rings and soul bones. You had best keep your guard up and be careful in everything. Especially, do not easily sacrifice yourself for him; otherwise, I'm afraid it would be difficult for me to resurrect you."

Ah Yin instinctively shook her head. "Impossible. Hao is not that kind of person. He doesn't love me enough as it is, so how could he hurt me? I won't allow you to say such things about him."

"I am merely reminding you. It never hurts to be cautious. I hope such a thing never happens, but it is never wrong to be on your guard. I have said all I can; you must look after yourself!"

Having planted another seed of doubt between Tang Hao and Ah Yin, Zhu Huang transformed into a streak of light and departed.

He was curious to see if Ah Yin, having experienced this series of events and developed a rift with Tang Hao, would still follow the same path as in the original story.

"Thank you for your concern. I will be careful."

Watching Zhu Huang's disappearing figure, Ah Yin sighed. A moment later, she chased after the direction in which Tang Hao had left.

Zhu Huang soon returned to his lair in the Death Great Gorge. Along the way, he saw over thirty Death Spiders—some hundred-year-old, some thousand-year-old, and five or six ten-thousand-year-old ones—all distributed around his lair.

These were not his offspring, but his subordinates. The strongest among them possessed eighty thousand years of cultivation, enough to make even an ordinary Titled Douluo flee in terror.

The remaining ten-thousand-year Death Spiders, the weakest of which were equivalent to human Soul Saints, had been named by Zhu Huang from strongest to weakest: Zhu One, Zhu Two, Zhu Three, Zhu Four, Zhu Five, and Zhu Six.

These Death Spiders revered Zhu Huang as a god and were absolutely loyal to him.

"My Emperor!"

"Guard the perimeter and do not disturb me."

"As you command!"

Zhu Huang lay down in his lair and began to cultivate the Heavenly Demon Creation Art.