Sageross flipped the Man Faced Demon Spider onto the ground, steadily dismembering and carving it apart along its joints.
Shrill, agonized howls rang out incessantly.
With its sharpest means of attack utterly crippled, the Man Faced Demon Spider instantly became a lamb awaiting slaughter, able only to feel its body being eaten away bit by bit.
A few seconds later.
The Man Faced Demon Spider had been brutally dismembered, not a single part of its corpse left intact. Its two remaining abdominal eyes were filled with venomous resentment even in death.
Purple light and blue liquid sprayed everywhere, corroding the delicate plants nearby until they withered and died.
As the Man Faced Demon Spider died, specks of bluish-purple light began gathering over its body, coalescing into a purple Soul Ring.
"This was actually a thousand-year Man Faced Demon Spider. No wonder it was so hard to kill!"
Zhu Zhuqing appeared beside Lin En just then. A flicker of surprise crossed her eyes when she saw the purple Soul Ring.
Just then, Sageross seemed to discover something and began dissecting the Man Faced Demon Spider through its abdominal cavity.
Before long, he dug out an entire piece of strange bone from where its legs connected to its thorax.
The bone had a purplish-black sheen, its surface exceptionally smooth and translucent, like a violet gemstone.
"Sa..."
After obtaining the strange bone, Sageross immediately returned to Lin En's side and handed it to him.
"Is this... an external soul bone?"
Seeing the peculiar bone and sensing the rich fluctuations of Soul Power emanating from it, Zhu Zhuqing could not help exclaiming in surprise.
Lin En was also utterly astonished.
Could the one I just killed be the very same one Tang San would encounter in Star Dou later on?
A smile curled Lin En's lips. Looks like I'll gladly claim this Man Faced Demon Spider's external soul bone first!
Seeing Zhu Zhuqing's envious gaze, Lin En playfully tossed the external soul bone in his hand.
"What, do you want it?"
Zhu Zhuqing shook her head. She understood what mattered. Had he not created an opportunity to kill the Man Faced Demon Spider, she might not have survived the night.
"It's your spoils. If you hadn't defeated the Man Faced Demon Spider head-on, we would've had no choice but to flee with our tails between our legs tonight!"
Zhu Zhuqing said with a faint smile.
"All right. Since you put it that way, I suppose I'll reluctantly accept it."
Lin En smacked his lips, showing no intention of standing on ceremony.
The corner of Zhu Zhuqing's mouth twitched, and a helpless smile appeared on her face. This guy really is an iron rooster who won't part with a single feather...
After returning to camp.
Lin En took a moment to settle himself, then began absorbing the Man Faced Demon Spider's external soul bone.
Zhu Zhuqing sat nearby, quietly watching him absorb it.
As she watched, her gaze grew somewhat transfixed. Just where did this guy come from?
His bizarre abilities and that strange pet beast kept overturning everything she thought she knew.
"Ngh..."
As the absorption began, the bones in Lin En's body started crackling densely, as though his body might split apart at any moment.
A fine layer of blood droplets gradually seeped through his skin. The blood had a faint purple tint and looked extremely eerie.
The energy of the Man Faced Demon Spider's external soul bone was forcefully cleansing Lin En's essence and marrow. The pain, like his bones and muscles being torn apart, was beyond an ordinary person's imagination.
Yet despite that agony, Lin En gritted his teeth and endured, his face trembling.
I've had it comfortable for so long. What's wrong with suffering a little now?
Sageross never complained about suffering when absorbing Soul Rings beyond his level. As his master, how could I give up so easily?
Holding on to that mindset, Lin En bore the excruciating pain and began fusing with the external soul bone.
Under his guidance, the external soul bone finally began to yield, and the energy within his body began to be absorbed, converted, and fused together.
The fine blood droplets stopped seeping out, and Lin En's tightly furrowed brows relaxed a little. A faint purplish-black glow began quietly spilling from his back.
The sky gradually brightened.
Purple qi rose in the east, and a faint fish-belly white appeared along the horizon.
Zhu Zhuqing was meditating cross-legged when a muffled groan suddenly interrupted her thoughts, rousing her from her meditation.
Zhu Zhuqing turned to look and saw Lin En's entire body convulse violently, his upper body gradually arching.
With a sharp ripping sound, the clothes on Lin En's back tore apart, and four fist-sized bulges rose on either side of his spine.
Immediately afterward, the eight bulges abruptly burst open. Deep-purple spider legs emerged from them, only gradually stopping once they had grown over three meters long.
Lin En let out a long breath, then opened his eyes. A purplish-black gleam flashed deep within them.
The eight spider legs were purplish-black throughout, their surfaces resembling pillars carved from gemstones. They were thickest near Lin En's back, growing progressively slimmer as they extended outward, until their tips became as sharp as pointed awls.
"Did it work? How do you feel?"
Looking at the strange exoskeleton that had grown from Lin En's back, Zhu Zhuqing could not help stepping forward to ask.
"Not bad. Feels like my body could unleash the power of the primordial wilderness."
Lin En moved the eight spider legs under his control and found that, after fusing with them, he could wield them as nimbly as his own hands and feet.
This way, even if Sageross left his side, he would still possess considerable combat ability.
An epic upgrade this time!
His expression calm, Lin En withdrew the Eight Spider Lances into his body, then changed into another shirt right in front of Zhu Zhuqing.
Though he did not mind, Zhu Zhuqing still tactfully turned away.
"What are you afraid of? I'm not afraid of letting you see everything, so why are you getting shy?"
Lin En chuckled softly.
"Do you think everyone's as shameless as you?"
Zhu Zhuqing's face flushed as she muttered under her breath.
As time passed, daylight had fully arrived. The sun's rays pierced the clouds and shone upon them both.
"Let's go. I'll take you to Suotuo City."
Lin En glanced at the sky, then jumped onto Sageross's back and held out a hand to Zhu Zhuqing.
Zhu Zhuqing took Lin En's hand and used his support to leap up, landing behind him.
With Sageross's current size, flying with two people was no problem at all.
The space on his back was just a little cramped. Squeezed together, the two inevitably bumped against each other.
Helpless, Lin En glanced back at her. "Hold on to my waist. If you get thrown off later, don't blame me for not saving you!"
"Huh?"
Zhu Zhuqing opened her mouth in surprise, then instantly turned bright red.
"What do you mean, 'huh'? Do you want to go to Suotuo City or not?"
Lin En rolled his eyes at her in exasperation. "I'm taking a huge loss today, letting you take advantage of me. But for the sake of a hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins, I won't hold it against you!"
Who's taking advantage of whom?
Zhu Zhuqing inwardly spat, but still reluctantly reached out and wrapped her arms around Lin En's waist.
"Hehe, hold tight!"
Lin En chuckled softly. The next moment, Sageross spread his wings and shot into the sky with them both.
The force pushed Zhu Zhuqing forward, pressing her tightly against Lin En's back.
This guy definitely did that on purpose...
Fuming, Zhu Zhuqing thumped his back, a trace of embarrassed anger on her face.
He's absolutely infuriating!
Before you continue