The Short-Sighted Poachers

In the end, Bibi Dong did not insist any further.

She knew her son was stubborn; once he made up his mind, no one could change it. And she would have been lying if she said she was not tempted.

The Hundred-Thousand-Year Death Spider Emperor was far too alluring to her. With it, her strength could rise to another level, giving her far greater confidence in dealing with Qian Xunji and taking control of Spirit Hall.

She secretly made up her mind that when they hunted that Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast, the Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone had to be saved for Ah Xu.

A Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast was guaranteed to produce a Soul Bone, and it would certainly be a top-grade one. It would be the perfect piece to fill a crucial gap for her son.

Mother and son silently let the matter pass.

"Let's not talk about that for now." Bibi Dong patted his back, released him, and pointed at the External Soul Bone in the jade box.

"Absorb this External Soul Bone first. The earlier you absorb it, the better it will integrate with your body, and the greater its potential for future growth. I'll stand guard for you."

"Alright."

Bibi Xu nodded, sat down cross-legged, and picked up the dark green External Soul Bone.

The Soul Bone felt smooth and warm in his hand, carrying a faint chill. It was highly compatible with the aura of his martial soul, and the moment he held it, a stream of pure energy seeped into his body through his palm.

Following the method Bibi Dong had taught him, he poured Soul Power into the Soul Bone and guided it slowly into both sides of his spine.

Absorbing an External Soul Bone was much gentler than absorbing a Spirit Ring, but it demanded far greater compatibility. Fortunately, this Soul Bone had come from a spider-type Soul Beast and shared the same origin as his Spider Empress Martial Soul, so there was almost no rejection.

Threads of cool energy spread along his spine. The skin on his back itched faintly, as if something were breaking out of a cocoon. Bibi Xu could clearly feel new "limbs" growing from his back, perfectly connecting with his nerves, bones, and Soul Power.

Bibi Dong stood guard at his side, completely focused, afraid that even the slightest mistake might occur.

About half an hour later, accompanied by a soft tearing sound, eight slender dark green spider legs extended from Bibi Xu's back.

The spider legs were roughly two meters long, their tips as sharp as spears and gleaming with an eerie blue poisonous light. Their surfaces were covered in fine armored plates, making them both tough and flexible.

With the slightest movement, the spider legs moved so fast they left several afterimages. Their sharpness was obvious.

"How does it feel?" Bibi Dong hurriedly asked.

With a thought, Bibi Xu made the eight spider legs dance nimbly.

Some braced against the ground for leverage, while others cut afterimages through the air. He controlled them as naturally as if they had always grown from his body.

He tried stabbing a nearby rock with one of the spider legs. With a soft puff, the hard stone was pierced as easily as tofu. The wound rapidly turned black as the poison corroded it into dense little holes.

"It's incredible." Bibi Xu was overjoyed. "It can attack, defend, and help with movement and climbing. The poison on these spider legs is even stronger than Poison Death Armor's. And I can feel that it can evolve. If I absorb the Soul Power of stronger spider-type Soul Beasts in the future, it can keep getting stronger."

The External Soul Bone truly lived up to its name.

With this thing, both his ability to survive and his combat strength had more than doubled.

"It's good that it can evolve." Bibi Dong was equally satisfied. "Whenever we encounter suitable spider-type Soul Beasts in the future, you can let it devour and absorb them, allowing it to grow gradually. It may even evolve to the hundred-thousand-year level someday."

By the time he finished absorbing the External Soul Bone, the sky was already bright.

Mother and son briefly packed their things, ate some dry rations to replenish their strength, and prepared to set off for Spirit Hall.

They had traveled lightly when they came, but they were returning laden with rewards.

Two Millennium Soul Rings far beyond the norm, one External Soul Bone, and an enormous opportunity involving a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast. This soul-hunting trip had yielded far more than expected.

When they left Demon Spider Canyon, the morning sun was just rising over the horizon, bathing the entire mountain forest in golden light.

Bibi Dong held Bibi Xu's hand as they walked step by step toward Spirit City. The boy's hand was still small, but it was warm, and holding it made her feel incomparably at ease.

After walking for about half a day, they had just left the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest when they encountered a group of short-sighted poacher Soul Masters.

There were seven or eight of them, and the strongest was only a rank-thirty Soul Elder. Seeing that mother and son were richly dressed, with only one woman accompanying a child, they assumed they had found easy prey. They sprang out from the woods, blocked the road with weapons in hand, and spat vulgarities as they demanded the storage Soul Tools.

Bibi Dong frowned, about to make her move, when Bibi Xu stopped her.

"Mom, let me handle it." Bibi Xu looked up at her, his eyes gleaming with eagerness. "It's the perfect chance to see whether my new soul skills work well."

Seeing how enthusiastic he was, Bibi Dong shook her head with a laugh. "Alright, you can use them for practice. Be careful and don't get hurt."

She stepped aside and folded her arms, clearly having no intention of intervening.

With her there, there was naturally no chance that her son would be hurt. This was the perfect opportunity to see how Ah Xu performed in actual combat.

When the poachers saw that only a child was stepping forward, they immediately burst into laughter. They cursed and jeered, not taking a six-year-old seriously at all.

Bibi Xu did not get angry. His eyes turned cold, and the First Spirit Ring beneath his feet lit up.

"First Soul Skill, Crescent Moon."

A crescent-shaped black blade of light, carrying an eerie blue poisonous glow, howled through the air at astonishing speed.

The Soul Grandmaster in front, who was in his twenties, had no time to react. Before he could even scream, the blade severed his weapon and carved a bone-deep wound into his arm. Black poison spread instantly, and he collapsed to the ground, convulsing.

The faces of the remaining men changed drastically. Only then did they realize they had kicked an iron plate.

"Get him together! This kid is strange!"

The men roared as they released their martial souls. Spirit Rings of various colors lit up, and they charged at Bibi Xu.

Bibi Xu remained calm. The Second Spirit Ring beneath his feet lit up, and he instantly switched into the Soul Devouring Spider Emperor form.

"Second Soul Skill, Soul Devouring Threads."

Nearly transparent spider silk silently spread through the air, weaving itself into a massive net.

The Soul Elder charging in front crashed headfirst into it and was immediately wrapped from head to toe in spider silk.

Just as he tried to force himself free, he discovered in horror that his Soul Power was rapidly draining away. His head grew dizzy, and he could barely maintain his martial soul.

In only a few breaths, his legs gave out beneath him. He crumpled to the ground and completely lost the ability to fight.

The remaining people were scared out of their wits and turned to flee.

The eight spider legs of Bibi Xu's External Soul Bone slammed against the ground, and his body shot forward in an instant, moving so fast that he left afterimages behind.

As the spider legs whirled, screams rose one after another. In little more than ten seconds, all seven or eight men had fallen to the ground. Some had been paralyzed by poison, while others had their Soul Power drained dry. Not a single one escaped.

The entire process was swift and clean, without the slightest hesitation.

Bibi Dong watched her son draw to a stop, excitement gleaming in his eyes, and could not help applauding. "Very well done. Your timing was accurate, and your soul skills were used together wisely. You did not waste your talent."

Bibi Xu smiled even more happily at his mother's praise.

He had not dealt killing blows. He had merely crippled their Soul Power and spared their lives. The poachers were hateful, but their crimes did not warrant death, and he did not want his hands covered in blood immediately after absorbing his Spirit Rings.

Mother and son ignored the people on the ground and continued on their journey.

As the sun set, the towering outline of Spirit City had already appeared on the horizon.

"Mom, do you think Xiao Xue has already returned?" Bibi Xu suddenly asked.

"She should have returned long ago." Bibi Dong answered calmly. "Her hunting grounds are closer, and the Soul Beasts there are all raised in captivity and ready to use. She was definitely faster than us."

"I wonder how her Spirit Rings turned out." Bibi Xu smiled. "She even bet me that her Spirit Ring age would not be lower than mine. If she finds out that my second ring is already three thousand five hundred years, she'll probably be furious."

Bibi Dong looked at her son's smiling face, and a smile unconsciously appeared on her own lips.

She said nothing, merely held his hand and walked with steadier steps.

The setting sun stretched their shadows long across the ground, one large and one small, leaning close together as they walked toward home.