"Damn it, what am I supposed to do? Do I really have to hunt for a Soul Ring in the Star Dou Great Forest?" Qin Chao muttered. "Wait, the Star Dou Great Forest... isn't this where Xiao Wu lives?"
Nuoding Academy began its term three months after Martial Soul Awakening. Judging by the current timeline, Xiao Wu should still have been cultivating in the Star Dou Great Forest. Perhaps he still had a chance...
But Soul Beasts abounded in the Star Dou Great Forest, and danger lurked on every side. Going alone would probably put him at risk... Oh, to hell with it. Fortune lay amid danger. Take a gamble, and a bicycle could become a motorcycle. Even if his chances were only one percent, he had to try. What if it worked?
Having made up his mind, Qin Chao promptly rose and headed deeper into the Star Dou Great Forest.
He had never thought much of it while reading the novel. Only after experiencing it himself did Qin Chao truly grasp just how "great" the Star Dou Great Forest was.
Three days. Qin Chao had walked through the forest alone for three whole days, yet he still had not found the legendary Lake of Life.
The boundless forest left Qin Chao numb. Fortunately, he had not encountered any vicious Soul Beasts along the way.
It's all that author's fault. Back then, he only mentioned in passing that Xiao Wu and the others lived near the Lake of Life at the center of the Star Dou Great Forest. He never said exactly where it was. Master Ju must be worried sick by now. He might find me before long...
Maybe I should just give up, retrace my steps, and let Master find me a suitable Soul Ring...
Qin Chao silently weighed his options, utterly unaware that a pair of murderous eyes was fixed on him from behind...
A rustling came from behind him, like leaves brushing together in a gentle breeze.
Qin Chao instantly went on alert. His Soul Power circulated, and he summoned his Heaven and Earth Tower at once. Carefully looking toward the sound, he spotted an enormous black shape concealed among the trees.
It was a spider roughly a meter across, with eight spear-like legs and a gleaming carapace. One glance was enough to tell that it was no ordinary creature.
Seeing that Qin Chao had discovered it, it abandoned concealment. Its eight long legs moved rapidly, bringing it before him in an instant.
Two sharp legs rose high, exposing its peculiar underbelly. White markings stood out starkly against its black body, forming a hideous human face. Eight small eyes glowing purple were clustered tightly against its underside.
"Shit! A Man Faced Demon Spider!"
This creature had been infamous in the Douluo Continent novel, known as the nightmare of small Soul Beasts and a terrifying, evil slaughterer.
The moment he saw it, Qin Chao understood why he had encountered no Soul Beasts earlier. It might well have been because of this creature. Even Soul Beasts feared it. With its armored carapace, incredible speed, eight highly piercing legs, and terrifying venom, very few Soul Beasts escaped its hunts.
If that was true of Soul Beasts, it was naturally true of Qin Chao as well.
The Man Faced Demon Spider charged at Qin Chao. The instant they faced each other, it spat out an enormous web, completely enveloping the spot where he stood.
With Qin Chao's speed, dodging was impossible. Fortunately, he still had the Heaven and Earth Tower.
The Soul Ring on the little golden tower flashed as the tower rapidly expanded, scorching flames blazing across its surface. The Heaven and Earth Tower left his hand, but its target was not the Man Faced Demon Spider. It was Qin Chao himself...
Are you kidding? Not only was the Man Faced Demon Spider enormous, but its eight clawed legs were razor-sharp. If it spread them out, the little tower might not withstand its attacks. Rather than attacking with the Heaven and Earth Tower, defense was Qin Chao's best option now.
With a thought, the Heaven and Earth Tower enclosed Qin Chao in a flash, just in time to block the Man Faced Demon Spider's disgusting web.
Seeing its prey enclosed by the suddenly appearing tower, the Man Faced Demon Spider's gaze grew even more savage and sinister. Its two front legs flicked outward, spreading over two meters apart. Their sharp tips stabbed at the Heaven and Earth Tower without hesitation, raising a series of metallic clashes.
Amplified by the tower's hollow interior, the noise became unbearably piercing. Qin Chao instinctively covered his ears, only to feel something sticky beneath his hands. The sudden noise had already damaged his eardrums. Blood trickled out, soaking his palms in moments...
Qin Chao had been injured after only a brief exchange, but the Man Faced Demon Spider was not faring well either.
The flames on the Heaven and Earth Tower seemed exceptionally adhesive. Only a little touched the sharp tips of its legs, yet the fire spread upward along their barbs. Despite the protection of its carapace, the Man Faced Demon Spider could still feel the searing pain, which only deepened its vicious resolve.
Its flame-wreathed leg tips struck again. This time, the Man Faced Demon Spider put every ounce of strength into the blow, determined to shatter the Heaven and Earth Tower...
Qin Chao was curled up inside the Heaven and Earth Tower, a faint black haze spreading across his face.
Although the Heaven and Earth Tower was a tool Martial Soul, the bond between a Martial Soul and its Soul Master was incredibly close. The deadly venom on the Man Faced Demon Spider's web had already passed through the Heaven and Earth Tower into Qin Chao's bloodstream.
Qin Chao felt his body stiffen and go numb as stabbing pain swept through him. Remembering Ma Hongjun's festering palm in the novel, he could only sigh inwardly. My life is over...
"Er Ming, that's the one that bullied Little Fuzz! Hurry up and kill that nasty thing!"
A clear girl's voice suddenly rang out. That signature scorpion braid, those large, watery eyes, and the name Er Ming slipping from her lips-who could it have been but Xiao Wu?
Xiao Wu sat upright on the Titan Giant Ape's broad shoulder, looking every bit a little forest sprite.
"You dared provoke Sister Xiao Wu? You must be tired of living!"
The Titan Giant Ape's voice was rough, perfectly matching his appearance.
He towered like a mountain, his glossy black fur covering powerful muscles.
Er Ming's appearance made the Man Faced Demon Spider immediately abandon its attack on Qin Chao. Beneath the might of this king of the forest, it began trembling instinctively. This was a creature at the very top of the food chain, with supreme strength, speed, offense, and defense-far beyond anything the Man Faced Demon Spider could withstand.
Its eight legs abruptly drove into the ground, gouging distinct pits. The creature that had been so wildly arrogant moments earlier now wanted nothing more than to flee...
With Xiao Wu's order to kill it, how could Er Ming let it leave?
His powerful legs flexed slightly, and Er Ming instantly leaped into the air. His landing point was the Man Faced Demon Spider's glossy black carapace...
Under the crushing impact, the Man Faced Demon Spider sank deep into the earth, leaving an enormous crater. Its carapace shattered, and it was left barely breathing.
Xiao Wu jumped down from Er Ming's shoulder and pounded her little fists against the Man Faced Demon Spider's carapace in retaliation. "That's for bullying Little Fuzz! I'll beat you to death! Beat you to death..."
Although Xiao Wu had undergone soul beast transformation, her current strength was far too low. Her blow did not hurt the Man Faced Demon Spider at all; instead, the recoil left her little fists numb.
"Er Ming, my hands hurt. I want it smashed into a pancake!" Xiao Wu puffed up angrily, her pursed lips looking especially pretty.
"Got it, Sister Xiao Wu!"
Er Ming answered good-naturedly. His millstone-sized fist instantly descended, one punch after another. He not only flattened the Man Faced Demon Spider into a pancake, but even squeezed the bloody pulp out of it...
"Hmph! That's what happens to anyone who bullies my people!" Xiao Wu stood with her arms folded, her face full of haughty pride.
"Help... help me..." Seeing that the Man Faced Demon Spider was dead, Qin Chao used the last of his strength to call for help. Its venom truly was potent. Within moments, he had already lost consciousness.
Before he passed out, he dimly saw a pretty figure skipping toward him...
Before you continue