Seizing the Eight Spider Lances, Tang San Was Stunned!

Zhu Zhuqing had never experienced this kind of companionship.

She had grown up amid competition and killing.

The brothers and sisters in her family guarded against one another, and everyone fought for survival and the right to inherit.

Only Tang Chen had never demanded that she prove anything.

As long as she was willing to follow him, he treated her as a companion.

Zhu Zhuqing had always kept that trust in her heart.

As the sky gradually darkened, the three of them stopped by a stream to rest.

Tang Yuan lit a campfire and began sorting through the medicinal herbs they had gathered that day.

Zhu Zhuqing sat by the stream, her fair fingers stirring the water's surface.

Tang Chen returned from the forest and placed several fruits beside her.

"Eat something first."

Zhu Zhuqing looked up at him.

"Thank you."

She picked up one of the fruits but did not eat it right away.

"Tang Chen."

"Hmm?"

Zhu Zhuqing looked at him.

"Thank you for not despising me over the past year."

Tang Chen sat down beside her.

The stream flowed before them, reflecting the shadows of trees and the firelight.

"You are our companion."

"Since I promised to protect you, I will not break my word."

Zhu Zhuqing's fingers paused on the fruit.

She looked up at Tang Chen.

Her cool eyes softened somewhat in the flickering firelight.

"If you run into trouble in the future, you can come to me too."

Tang Chen looked at her.

"You are still not strong enough."

"Not strong enough now does not mean I never will be."

Zhu Zhuqing stood and walked over to Tang Chen.

The black fabric of her clothes clung to her waist, rising and falling gently with her breathing.

A faint fragrance drifted from her, mingling with the scent of grass and trees in the mountains.

The next moment, Zhu Zhuqing opened her arms and gently embraced Tang Chen.

Tang Chen's body stiffened for a moment.

Zhu Zhuqing pressed her face against his chest.

Her smooth long hair fell over her shoulders, its tips brushing Tang Chen's arm.

"No matter what happens in the future, I will do everything I can to help you."

She did not release him immediately.

"You saved me and stayed by my side for a year."

"I will not take any of that for granted."

Tang Chen looked down at Zhu Zhuqing in his arms.

The girl's body was slender, yet it carried the firm strength she had developed after cultivating the Nether Civet Martial Soul.

His arm wrapped around her waist, and their bodies were pressed close together.

Through their clothes, Tang Chen could feel her heartbeat quickening slightly.

Tang Chen raised a hand and gently placed it on her back.

"I will remember that."

Zhu Zhuqing pressed her cheek to his chest and said nothing.

After a moment, she finally released her arms and took a step back.

A faint blush colored her fair cheeks.

She looked away and picked up the fruit beside her again.

"Let's eat first."

Tang Chen nodded.

"Alright."

Not far away, Tang Yuan was crouching beside the campfire.

The old man kept his head lowered as he sorted the herbs, but a smile remained on his lips.

Tang Chen looked over.

"Grandpa, what are you smiling about?"

"Grandpa simply thinks the fire is burning quite well tonight."

Tang Yuan looked up, his expression utterly serious.

"Though Grandpa also saw Zhu Qing hugging you."

Zhu Zhuqing froze.

"Grandpa," Tang Chen said helplessly.

"Fine, Grandpa will not say anything."

Tang Yuan immediately turned back around.

Yet not long after, the old man added another sentence.

"Still, Zhu Qing really does have good taste."

Zhu Zhuqing lowered her head, and the tips of her ears turned red again.

Tang Chen picked up a fruit and stuffed it directly into Tang Yuan's hand.

"Eat first."

Tang Yuan accepted the fruit, smiling even more happily.

The next morning.

The three continued deeper into the Star Dou Great Forest.

Tang Chen searched for a suitable Soul Beast for himself while observing the surrounding environment.

The choice of his third Soul Ring was extremely important.

Both of his Martial Souls possessed immense potential. Soul Rings from ordinary Soul Beasts simply could not meet his needs.

At the very least, he needed to find a Ten Thousand Year Soul Beast.

At noon.

Violent Soul Power fluctuations suddenly came from the forest ahead.

Thick trees toppled one after another, and great swathes of branches and leaves fell from the air.

Tang Chen stopped walking.

Tang Yuan and Zhu Zhuqing immediately came up behind him as well.

"Someone is fighting ahead."

Tang Chen gazed into the depths of the dense forest.

That aura felt extremely familiar.

One side's Soul Power Level was not high, yet it possessed powerful control abilities.

The other carried the sinister aura unique to a Man Faced Demon Spider.

After thinking briefly, Tang Chen guessed what had happened.

At this time, it should have been after Xiao Wu was taken away by the Titan Giant Ape.

In order to catch up to Xiao Wu, Tang San had encountered this Man Faced Demon Spider.

That Man Faced Demon Spider was only around two thousand years old.

Tang Chen had no interest whatsoever in a Soul Ring like that.

But a Man Faced Demon Spider could drop the External Soul Bone, the Eight Spider Lances.

He could not let Tang San have it.

Tang Chen pushed off the ground and charged into the dense forest first.

Tang Yuan and Zhu Zhuqing followed close behind.

After passing several fallen ancient trees, the battlefield appeared before the three of them.

A man dressed in long blue robes stood in the forest.

His face was pale, and his body bore multiple wounds.

Blue Silver Grass continuously burst out from the ground, tightly binding a giant Man Faced Demon Spider.

The Man Faced Demon Spider stood more than two meters tall.

Its eight long legs repeatedly stabbed into the ground, while cracks covered its jet-black carapace.

Two yellow Soul Rings circled beneath Tang San's feet.

Driven by Soul Power, the Blue Silver Grass continued tightening.

The Man Faced Demon Spider's struggles grew weaker and weaker.

"Hold on a little longer."

Tang San stared at the Soul Beast before him.

"This Soul Ring will definitely be mine."

The Man Faced Demon Spider raised its forelimbs, trying to tear apart the Blue Silver Grass wrapped around its body.

But its injuries were already too severe.

The Blue Silver Grass had slipped through gaps in its carapace, restricting its movements.

Tang San was about to continue channeling his Soul Power.

A figure descended from above.

White robes unfurled in midair.

Tang Chen landed in the center of the battlefield, standing between Tang San and the Man Faced Demon Spider.

Tang San immediately looked up.

"Who are you?"

Tang Chen did not answer.

He looked at the Man Faced Demon Spider before him.

This Soul Beast was already close to death.

Three of its eight spider legs had broken, and black blood continuously flowed from its abdomen.

Tang Chen raised his right hand.

Purple-black light blossomed from his palm.

The Destruction Scepter appeared instantly.

The dark-purple crystal at the top of the scepter lit up, and terrifying destructive power gathered in the air.

Tang San's expression changed.

"What are you doing?"

Tang Chen's second Soul Ring rose beneath his feet.

The Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring released a dense black radiance.

Purple-black energy condensed into a black sphere before him.

The sphere was only the size of a fist, yet it swallowed all surrounding light.

Tang Chen raised his hand and pushed forward.

"Second Soul Skill."

"Myriad Annihilation Return to Void."

The black sphere streaked through the forest.

The Man Faced Demon Spider did not even have the strength to dodge before its body was engulfed by the sphere.

Its black carapace rapidly shattered.

Its enormous body kept shrinking as its flesh, blood, and Soul Power were consumed bit by bit by the sphere.

In just a few breaths.

The Man Faced Demon Spider lost its life on the spot.

The Blue Silver Grass lost its power along with it and scattered across the ground.

Tang San stood where he was, his expression turning extremely ugly.

"You killed it?"

Tang Chen recalled the Destruction Scepter.

"It was already dying."

Tang San looked at the Man Faced Demon Spider's corpse.

"I found this Soul Beast first."

Tang Chen walked over to the corpse.

"I know."

"Since you know, why did you interfere?"

Tang Chen ignored Tang San.

He sat cross-legged beside the corpse, waiting for the Soul Ring to appear.

Tang San's hands gradually clenched.

Although this Man Faced Demon Spider was only two thousand years old, it was exceptionally suited to be his third Soul Ring.

More importantly, the Man Faced Demon Spider had a certain chance of dropping an External Soul Bone.

He had already severely wounded the Soul Beast just now.

In just a moment, he would have been able to kill it with his own hands.

But Tang Chen had suddenly appeared and directly taken the Soul Beast's life.