A Perilous Place

The ancient forest deep within the Ascension Platform grew ever darker. Towering trees interlaced their branches, nearly blocking out all daylight. Only a few scattered rays struggled through the gaps in the leaves, casting shifting patches of mottled light across the thick layer of fallen leaves.

The air was filled with the damp, earthy stench of vegetation. The deeper they went, the fainter that gentle aura of life became, replaced by an unsettling pressure, as though every shadow concealed a danger waiting to devour them.

Zhang Yangzi and Wang Jinxi moved side by side through the trees, their footsteps exceedingly light.

Zhang Yangzi had fused with his Dark Illusion Demon Eagle Martial Soul. Faint black wings spread behind him as his soul power condensed into threads and dispersed around them in vigilance. His dark soul power was like a fine spiderweb; at the slightest disturbance, it would immediately relay its perception back to him.

Wang Jinxi, meanwhile, carried a heavy, solid presence. His Bone Dragon King Martial Soul circulated silently, a layer of pale blue bony scales covering his body. His bones crackled faintly as powerful soul power surged steadily within him. The combat strength of a level-twenty-two assault-type Battle Soul Master could erupt at any moment.

The two had originally intended to follow the faint traces of soul power left by their companions and rendezvous with them. But just as they passed a patch of fallen deadwood, an icy, sticky aura carrying a powerful corrosive quality burst from beneath their feet without warning.

"Buzz—"

The earth exploded violently, and a bead-shaped soul beast, more than half the height of a man and black as ink all over, slowly rose into the air.

Its surface was covered in strange spiral patterns. At its center protruded a blurry yet incomparably vicious human face. Its features were twisted, its eyes tightly shut, yet it radiated malice that seemed to pierce directly into the soul.

"A Hundred-Year Human-Faced Demon Spider..." Zhang Yangzi's voice sank, and his eagle eyes instantly sharpened.

"A legendary forest assassin. Its poison is incurable. Even a Thousand-Year Soul Beast can be killed alone if it falls prey to its ambush."

Wang Jinxi's heart tightened. He had heard of this soul beast's fearsome reputation. Its cultivation was only around a hundred years, but the potency of its poison and the strangeness of its methods far surpassed those of ordinary Hundred-Year Soul Beasts. Once touched by its poisonous mist or needles, one's soul power would rapidly become contaminated and paralyzed. No matter how strong a Soul Master was, once their mobility was restricted, death was the only outcome.

Almost before the two had finished speaking, the Human-Faced Demon Spider abruptly opened its eyes.

Even Wu Changkong and Shen Yi, standing before the screens, furrowed their brows tightly.

There was no emotion in those pitch-black pupils, only pure killing instinct. It did not roar. Instead, it opened its mouth and sprayed forth a mass of poisonous mist as thick as ink. Wherever it passed, grass instantly withered, yellowed, and blackened. Tree trunks sizzled as they corroded, while even the air filled with a cloying, deadly stench.

"Careful!"

Wang Jinxi stepped in front of Zhang Yangzi. His second soul skill, Bone Dragon Transformation, activated at full power in an instant. His right arm swelled several times over, transforming into a huge, savage Bone Dragon Claw that blocked before him.

But the poisonous mist fell upon the bony armor and immediately emitted a piercing corrosive hiss. The pale blue bone surface blackened and cracked at a visible rate. A numb sensation raced up his arm and into his meridians, even causing his soul power circulation to stagnate.

"Even the Bone Dragon King's defense can't stop its poison!"

Zhang Yangzi did not dare waste any time. His first soul skill, Darkness Control, erupted at once. Dense dark mist swept out wildly, attempting to obscure the Human-Faced Demon Spider's senses and interfere with its lock-on, while the eagle wings behind him spread wide.

His second soul skill, Eagle Strikes the Sky, activated. His entire body transformed into a streak of black shadow, diving from above. His talons, carrying sharp dark soul power, clawed straight at the Human-Faced Demon Spider's main body.

Yet the Human-Faced Demon Spider's reaction was bizarrely swift. With a slight bounce, it shifted several feet sideways and easily avoided the ambush. Its tail twisted, firing several dark green poisonous needles through the air, their tips aimed directly at Zhang Yangzi's vital points.

Zhang Yangzi forcibly twisted his body midair and narrowly evaded them. The poisonous needles embedded themselves in tree trunks, instantly blasting open deep black holes, while the wood chips were immediately poisoned into charcoal.

Seizing the opening, Wang Jinxi strode forward and slammed his Bone Dragon Claw fiercely into the ground. Several sharp bone spikes burst from the earth, stabbing straight at the Human-Faced Demon Spider. "Bone Dragon Claw!"

However, the Human-Faced Demon Spider's surface was extraordinarily slick. The bone spikes bounced off one after another, barely dealing any effective damage. Instead, it pressed its advantage, rolling as it continuously spewed poisonous mist. Before long, the entire area was shrouded in black toxic fog.

The two alternated between attack and control, cooperating with considerable tacit understanding. Yet before this unsolvable venom, they were still forced back step by step, becoming more passive with every exchange. Wang Jinxi's bone armor had already been corroded in many places, and his soul power was being consumed rapidly. If this continued, the poison would sooner or later completely invade his meridians.

At that critical moment, their eyes met. Without needing words, they understood each other perfectly.

"Martial Soul Fusion Skill—"

Zhang Yangzi's dark soul power surged explosively, while Wang Jinxi's Bone Dragon power erupted with all its strength. Two entirely different strands of soul power intertwined with a crash, and an eagle's cry and a deep dragon's roar shook the forest at the same time.

"Eagle-Dragon: Dark Bone Canopy!"

A gigantic dark Eagle-Dragon phantom shot into the sky. A heavy Dark Bone Canopy, thick as a fortress wall, spread open with a boom, forcibly blocking the incoming poisonous mist outside. Countless sharp bone blades condensed above the canopy and crashed down like rain.

The Human-Faced Demon Spider finally showed a trace of wariness. It hurriedly curled up, a layer of black sheen spreading over its surface to withstand the attack. Even so, it was blasted backward repeatedly, and the poisonous mist around it scattered considerably.

But both of them knew this was not enough.

The Human-Faced Demon Spider possessed extraordinary vitality, and its venom was inexhaustible. A single Martial Soul Fusion Skill was nowhere near enough to deal with this fiend. The true fight to the death had only just begun.

At the same time, in a forested ravine on the other side of the Ascension Platform, Wu Nianbing's situation was equally perilous.

Her Martial Soul was the Icebound Frost Sword, its blade wreathed in pure icy energy. A level-twenty-five assault-type Battle Soul Master and Wu Changkong's daughter, she had trained in ice-element techniques since childhood. Her fighting style was calm and fierce, but at this moment, she faced a gigantic python nearly ten meters long, covered from head to tail in purple-gold scales—the Thousand-Year Purple-Gold Python.

Its scales were as hard as refined iron, and its immense strength could smash apart trees thick enough for two people to embrace with every twist of its body. A foul wind rushed toward her, and the pressure of a Thousand-Year Soul Beast alone made breathing difficult.

Wu Nianbing knew full well that she had no chance in a direct clash. She immediately refused to act recklessly, relying on her agile body to dart rapidly through the forest. Trees flashed past beside her as the massive Thousand-Year Purple-Gold Python charged through everything in its path, rumbling after her in relentless pursuit, determined to swallow her whole.

Wu Nianbing retreated while continuously activating her soul skills.

Her first soul skill, Frostmark Sword Shadow, sent ice blades filling the sky. They struck the Thousand-Year Purple-Gold Python's scales with a chorus of clangs, leaving only shallow white marks. They could not break its defense, but they did slow it slightly.

Then her second soul skill, Skyfrost Mist Shadow, spread out at full force. Frosty mist instantly filled the area, the temperature plummeting as a smooth layer of ice quickly formed over the ground. Every pounce from the Thousand-Year Purple-Gold Python made it slip and lose balance, visibly slowing its movements.

She fought as she retreated, using the environment as a weapon and ice as restraint, constantly buying herself room to withdraw. She never confronted the Thousand-Year Purple-Gold Python head-on. Just as it was about to catch up to her again, a green figure suddenly shot out from the bushes at the side.

"Nianbing, I'll help you!"

Wei Xiaofeng had fused with his Azure Shadow Serpent Martial Soul. His body was light and ghostlike, and as a level-twenty agility-type Soul Master, he was incredibly fast.

His first soul skill, Azure Shadow Stack, activated. His body instantly split into several afterimages, drifting unpredictably around the Thousand-Year Purple-Gold Python and successfully disrupting its vision. Immediately afterward, his second soul skill, Azure Shadow Sword Finger, gathered a sharp green gleam at his fingertip and stabbed without hesitation at the python's vulnerable point.

The Thousand-Year Purple-Gold Python howled in pain and fury, its massive tail sweeping out with a howling gale. Wei Xiaofeng did not dare meet it head-on. He quickly retreated in a burst of speed, coming to a stop back-to-back with Wu Nianbing.

The two exchanged a glance and both saw the realization in each other's eyes—they had no possibility of defeating the Thousand-Year Purple-Gold Python. If they continued fighting, they would only be worn to death.

"Go!" Wu Nianbing shouted.

The two no longer lingered in battle. They turned and sprinted together into the depths of the forest.

Along the way, Wu Nianbing continuously swung her sword to freeze the path, further slowing the Thousand-Year Purple-Gold Python's pursuit. Wei Xiaofeng used the Azure Shadow Serpent's agility to cover their rear, occasionally interfering with it.

The two worked together seamlessly and finally, by the narrowest margin, temporarily shook off their pursuer. Though breathing hard and looking somewhat disheveled, they had at least escaped the immediate danger.

On the viewing platform outside the Ascension Platform, the atmosphere was relaxed and approving.

Long Hengxu stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze fixed on the figures within the light screen. Obvious admiration gradually appeared on his face. Several Spirit Pagoda staff members beside him nodded repeatedly and spoke in low voices, their tones filled with surprise and appreciation.

"This year's students truly are unexpected."

"Facing a vicious creature like a Hundred-Year Human-Faced Demon Spider, Zhang Yangzi and Wang Jinxi remained calm in danger and worked together flawlessly. At a critical moment, they could even decisively unleash a Martial Soul Fusion Skill. Both their composure and coordination far surpass those of their peers."

"Wu Nianbing is even more remarkable. Knowing she could not defeat the Thousand-Year Purple-Gold Python, she did not resort to reckless bravado. She used ice to restrain it and maneuvered around it with measured advances and retreats. In the end, she even coordinated with Wei Xiaofeng to withdraw. Her combat awareness is exceptionally mature."

Wu Changkong, dressed in white like snow, stood to one side of the crowd. A faint smile, rare on his usually indifferent and icy face, appeared at this moment. As he watched Wu Nianbing respond calmly within the light screen, a trace of barely perceptible gratification passed through his eyes. His daughter had not disappointed his strict teachings.

Shen Yi stood beside him, her expression gentle as she nodded lightly. She was clearly very satisfied with the students' performance.

Meanwhile, inside the Ascension Platform, another team had just completed its rendezvous.

Yun Zhiyu, Gu Yue, Tang Wulin, and Xie Xie gathered in a forest clearing. After briefly exchanging updates, they were preparing to continue searching for the others.

Yun Zhiyu's spiritual power already far exceeded that of others at her level. With Spirit Sea Realm spiritual power, combined with the Torch Dragon Bloodline hidden in her body that drew close to nature, the range and sharpness of her perception were far beyond those of ordinary Soul Masters. Almost instantly, she caught two intense and dangerous soul power fluctuations coming from different directions.

One direction was filled with rampant poison and violent, chaotic soul power—it was Zhang Yangzi and Wang Jinxi.

The other carried the overwhelming pressure of a fierce python, with chilling air intertwined with a foul wind—it was where Wu Nianbing and Wei Xiaofeng had encountered danger.

Yun Zhiyu's originally calm expression tightened slightly, and a trace of gravity flashed through her brows as her fingers unconsciously curled. But that gravity lasted only an instant. She quickly drew a deep breath and returned to calmness. The more critical the situation, the less she could panic.

After a brief moment of thought, she made the most reasonable decision.

"Nianbing and Wei Xiaofeng are facing a Thousand-Year Purple-Gold Python. They're under immense pressure. Gu Yue and I will support them."

She turned to Tang Wulin and Xie Xie, her tone crisp and decisive, without the slightest hesitation. "You two head east and support Zhang Yangzi and Wang Jinxi. They're up against a Hundred-Year Human-Faced Demon Spider. Its poison is extremely potent and impossible to guard against. Go quickly, and be careful not to directly touch the poisonous mist or needles."

Tang Wulin nodded immediately.

His Bluesilver Grass Martial Soul emerged quietly, its vines swaying lightly. Though he possessed only level-thirteen soul power, the Golden Dragon King Bloodline released from its first seal was already stirring. The Golden Dragon Claw on his right hand grew faintly hot, concealing an unimaginable, violent power. Xie Xie already held his Twin Martial Souls, the Light Dragon Dagger and Shadow Dragon Dagger, in his hands. Light and dark soul power flowed around him as the aura of an agility-type Battle Soul Master fully erupted, eager for battle.

"Understood!"

"Let's go!"

The four immediately split into two groups without the slightest hesitation.

Yun Zhiyu took Gu Yue with her. With a flash of her body, she sped toward the direction in which Wu Nianbing and Wei Xiaofeng had fled.

She deliberately suppressed the immense sword aura of the Xuanyuan Sword and the presence of her Torch Dragon Bloodline, advancing only with the nimble footwork of Dusk Dragon Flash: Instant Step so as not to alert the Thousand-Year Purple-Gold Python in advance. Gu Yue followed closely behind. Her Elemental Envoy Martial Soul circulated silently as her first soul skill, Elemental Tide, gently spread out. Moisture gathered around her body, precise and gentle, ready at any time to condense and control water in support, combining with ice-element soul skills for exceptional results.

On the other route, Tang Wulin and Xie Xie charged out side by side, heading straight for the area where Zhang Yangzi and Wang Jinxi were entangled with the Human-Faced Demon Spider.

Xie Xie moved like lightning, his light and dark daggers cutting two afterimages through the forest as he pushed his speed to the limit. Tang Wulin used Bluesilver Grass to wrap around tree trunks and propel himself in leaps, conserving stamina while advancing rapidly. The Golden Dragon Claw on his right hand remained poised to strike, ready to deliver a fatal blow at the crucial moment.

The wind through the forest suddenly grew urgent.

On one side, the Icebound Frost Sword faced the Thousand-Year Purple-Gold Python, soon to receive the support of Xuanyuan Sword aura and elemental power.

Yun Zhiyu's Xuanyuan Sword was already suited to both offense and defense. Winged Dragon Thunder Draw and Heavenly Thunder Instant Slash possessed immense destructive power, while the Black Tortoise Sword Shield could protect everyone. Combined with Gu Yue's precise water-element control, which complemented Wu Nianbing's icy energy, water could freeze into ice, and ice could enhance the cold. It was the perfect counter to the Thousand-Year Purple-Gold Python's scales and speed.

On the other side, the poison-rampant Human-Faced Demon Spider was about to face the restraining power of Bluesilver Grass, the ambush of light and dark daggers, and the frontal assault of the Bone Dragon King and Dark Illusion Demon Eagle.

Tang Wulin's Bluesilver Entanglement could restrict the Human-Faced Demon Spider's movements. Xie Xie's Light Dragon Storm and Shadow Dragon Storm could disrupt the poisonous mist across a wide area. Added to Zhang Yangzi and Wang Jinxi's already formidable combat strength, as well as the Eagle-Dragon: Dark Bone Canopy Martial Soul Fusion Skill, a coordinated siege had taken shape.

The sunlight was completely swallowed by the canopy, and the depths of the forest became utterly dark.

The soul power fluctuations grew increasingly violent. Icy energy, sword aura, darkness, Bone Dragon power, light and dark power, and poisonous mist intertwined and collided.

There were no shouts, no warning.

Two breathtaking battles that would determine life and death silently descended upon this quiet ancient forest.