Human-Faced Demon Spider Appears!

Ning Chen took out jade boxes from his storage ring one after another.

The jade boxes varied in size. Each had been polished from the finest jade, with dense sealing array patterns engraved across its surface.

This was a preservation method he had developed himself based on the array knowledge in Fundamentals of Dao Refinement, combined with the principles of soul tools.

It was not particularly profound, but it was more than enough to preserve the medicinal potency of immortal herbs.

After all, the precious immortal herbs of the Douluo World were merely somewhat rarer spirit herbs in the cultivation world. Their preservation did not require excessive care.

He crouched down and began harvesting them one by one with great care.

First was the Serene Fragrance Qiluo Immortal Herb. Its pale pink flower emitted a soothing fragrance and possessed the ability to neutralize all poisons.

Using a jade shovel, he carefully dug it out along with its roots and soil, placed it into a larger jade box, and closed the lid. Soul Power flowed from his fingertips, and the sealing array patterns on the box glimmered faintly, firmly locking the herb's potency inside.

Next came the Eight-Petal Immortal Orchid, pristine white as snow and carrying an elegant medicinal fragrance.

It was an excellent medicine for consolidating one's foundation and nurturing one's origin, making it ideal for stabilizing one's base after breaking through a realm.

Ning Chen harvested it just as carefully and sealed it inside a jade box.

There were also the Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum, Ninth-Rank Purple Ganoderma, Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower...

One by one, the immortal herbs and spiritual medicines that would have caused an uproar throughout the Soul Master World were harvested, sealed away, and placed in his storage pouch.

His movements were gentle and practiced. He kept the roots of every immortal herb as intact as possible, ensuring that their medicinal potency remained whole.

About half an hour later, all the mature immortal herbs and spiritual medicines in the garden had been harvested. Only a few immature seedlings remained where they were.

Ning Chen stood up, brushed the dirt from his hands, and placed the final jade box into his storage pouch, ensuring that none of the medicinal potency would leak out.

He turned back for one final look at the Icefire Yin-Yang Well.

The spring where crimson red and icy blue intertwined continued to flow quietly. Mist of alternating heat and cold rose in hazy swirls, reflecting brilliant halos of light.

Without the immortal herbs surrounding it, this treasured land seemed somewhat empty. Yet the core spiritual energy of heaven and earth remained abundant. Given time, new spiritual medicines would grow here again.

After finishing everything, Ning Chen took out the Windrider Airship and flew out of the valley.

After leaving the valley, Ning Chen returned to Sunset Forest.

Having absorbed the four immortal herbs, Ning Chen's Soul Power had risen directly from level forty-five to level fifty.

He could hunt soul beasts and absorb another soul ring again.

His fourth soul ring had already reached seventeen thousand years. His fifth soul ring had to exceed twenty thousand years at the very least.

Although his Fourth-Level Fierce Slash Blade had been declared unusable after he killed the Diamond Mammoth,

he had more than one Fourth-Level Fierce Slash Blade. There were still three spare Fourth-Level Fierce Slash Blades in his storage ring.

Moreover, with the Starlight Bracer and the boost of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, he might be able to try hunting a soul beast around thirty thousand years old!

He traveled through the forest for two full days, entering the area between the middle and core regions of Sunset Forest.

The trees here blotted out the sky, leaving the light dim, while the air was thick with dampness and decay.

The ground was covered in thick layers of dead branches and fallen leaves, which rustled beneath his feet.

On the afternoon of the third day, Ning Chen arrived at a low-lying depression.

The trees here grew even denser, with vines tangled everywhere. It was nearly impossible to see farther than ten meters ahead.

He slowed his pace and carefully pushed aside the bushes in front of him. Suddenly, he felt a faint stickiness beneath his foot.

Ning Chen looked down and saw that a nearly transparent strand had stuck to the sole of his boot.

The strand was exceptionally thin and tough, almost impossible to notice in the dim light. If his five senses had not been enhanced by Autumn Water Dew, he would never have detected the spider silk.

Spider silk?

A sense of danger immediately rose within him. Without a moment's hesitation, he leaped backward!

Ning Chen had not even steadied himself after landing when a massive black shadow pounced down from the canopy.

It was a Human-Faced Demon Spider.

Its body was enormous. Eight spider lances, like eight long spears, supported it on the ground and held its body high above the earth, casting a vast shadow.

Ning Chen had seen quite a few soul beasts, but the Human-Faced Demon Spider before him was undoubtedly the largest spider-type soul beast he had ever encountered.

Judging from its size, this Human-Faced Demon Spider had cultivated for at least thirty thousand years!

Ning Chen's heart sank instantly.

Human-Faced Demon Spiders were notoriously troublesome among soul beasts.

Their carapaces were hard, and ordinary blades could scarcely harm them.

Their spider lances were incomparably sharp and carried deadly poison. A single cut could prove fatal.

They could also spray spiderwebs with extreme stickiness and corrosive properties. Once entangled, escaping would be exceedingly difficult.

Even more terrifying was their speed. Despite their immense size, they moved as fast as Gui Mei. Often, their prey was pierced through by spider lances before it could even react.

Facing an opponent of this level, Ning Chen did not dare hold anything back.

With a flip of his right hand, a Fourth-Level Fierce Slash Blade appeared in his palm. Fiery patterns flowed across the blade, radiating searing heat.

At the same time, he raised his left hand. Silver starlight burst from the Starlight Bracer. Star Lake, activate!

Silvery-white starlight poured from his arm like flowing water, rapidly spreading in every direction and unfolding across a radius of several dozen meters.

The starlight domain was like a silver lake, shrouding the entire battlefield.

Within this starlight domain, Ning Chen could clearly sense every minute movement of the Human-Faced Demon Spider. He could even perceive each grain of dirt clinging to its spider lances.

Immediately afterward, the phantom of a magnificent nine-tiered pagoda emerged at his side. It was the fully evolved Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda!

The pagoda shimmered with flowing light, its gentle treasure-light shining brilliantly within the dim forest.

Four soul rings rose beneath his feet. Yellow, purple, purple, and black rings alternated in flashes, radiating surging Soul Power.

"Nine Treasures turn with glazed light. Nine Treasures have a name: first, strength!"

"Nine Treasures have a name: second, speed!"

"Nine Treasures have a name: third, spirit!"

"Nine Treasures have a name: fourth, defense!"

Four streams of multicolored light flew from the pagoda and precisely entered Ning Chen's body.

Strength, speed, spirit, defense.

With all four boosts applied at once, Ning Chen's aura instantly surged to a whole new level.

Gripping the Fierce Slash Blade, he stepped through the starlight domain, his gaze locked tightly onto the Human-Faced Demon Spider before launching the attack himself!

The blade flashed like a rainbow, wrapped in blazing flames as it slashed straight at the Human-Faced Demon Spider's front leg joint!

Clang!

Sparks scattered in every direction.

The Fierce Slash Blade struck the spider lance with a sharp metallic clash, leaving only a shallow white mark on its carapace.

The Human-Faced Demon Spider's carapace was far tougher than Ning Chen had expected. Even a fourth-level magical artifact enhanced by the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda could barely break through its outer defenses.