"Boss, with your strength, you could easily deal with this ten-thousand-year Man Faced Demon Spider."
"It was probably drawn here by the presence we gave off while fusing. Luckily, we fused fast enough that we didn't disturb the fellows in the core area. Otherwise, we'd be in trouble."
The Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's voice rang out in Huo Yuhao's mind.
Huo Yuhao said inwardly, Don't you think this is fun? When everyone falls into utter despair, Shadow makes his entrance. The protagonist always acts last.
The Sky Dream Ice Silkworm was momentarily speechless. He glanced at the Man Faced Demon Spider outside, his eyes filled with sorrow. You'd better pray for good fortune.
The Man Faced Demon Spider's compound eyes fixed on the three of them. It raised its body, its hard legs leaving deep marks in the ground.
Suddenly, it drew its legs together and lowered its abdomen. Its entire body sprang up like a spring, and it opened its cavernous, bloody maw as it lunged at Huo Yuhao.
"Yuhao, watch out!"
Tang Ya moved, stepping directly in front of Huo Yuhao. Countless strands of Blue Silver Grass grew from the ground, forming a wall before them.
The Man Faced Demon Spider roared. Its hard legs instantly stabbed into the wall of Blue Silver Grass. The wall did not last even a second before the powerful attack tore it apart.
The Man Faced Demon Spider immediately lunged at Tang Ya.
Blue lightning flashed, and a dragon claw swiftly shot out. The Man Faced Demon Spider had no choice but to change direction, spewing a huge web from its abdomen toward Bei Bei.
Bei Bei extended his dragon claw. Lightning rapidly gathered at his right hand into a net that shot toward the Man Faced Demon Spider.
Thunderous Might!
Lightning collided with the spiderweb. Crackles rang out as the lightning flashed incessantly.
As the two clashed, the lightning was steadily depleted until it actually dispersed completely. The huge white web enveloped Bei Bei, binding him in place.
Damn it!
Bei Bei gritted his teeth. The lightning covering his body grew denser, carrying a destructive presence. His thousand-year Soul Skill, Thunder's Wrath.
Unexpectedly, the ten-thousand-year Man Faced Demon Spider's web was so tough that Bei Bei had no choice but to unleash another Soul Skill, Thunder Dragon Claw.
Only under that powerful burst did the huge web break. Bei Bei had used up over half his Soul Power.
Bei Bei clearly realized that he was no match for it at all. If they kept wearing themselves down against this beast, none of them would escape.
"Xiao Ya, run! I'll draw its attention. Hurry and get out of here."
"Come on! You beast, come at me!" Bei Bei shouted. Lightning gathered in his hand again as he charged at the Man Faced Demon Spider.
Tang Ya gritted her teeth. Seeing their situation clearly, she could only take Huo Yuhao and flee first.
The Man Faced Demon Spider showed no fear whatsoever. In its eyes, the three were already its food, and it did not mind playing a little longer.
Streams of venom sprayed from its mouth. Bei Bei struggled to dodge, but with so much of his strength spent, he could not avoid all of it. The highly poisonous liquid landed on his clothes, immediately sending up bluish smoke.
Bei Bei hurriedly circulated his Soul Power and shook off the venom, only then avoiding injury.
The Man Faced Demon Spider rapidly spat several huge webs from its abdomen, instantly covering the surrounding trees.
Bei Bei looked closely. Webs already surrounded him, leaving him nowhere to go.
It was in that very moment of distraction!
The Man Faced Demon Spider swiftly lunged at him, countless legs stabbing toward him at once.
Thud, thud, thud!
Its sharp legs plunged into the ground with dull thuds.
A web flew straight at Bei Bei's face. Unable to dodge in time, he took a direct hit. The Man Faced Demon Spider followed up by spitting silk, and a huge cocoon appeared on the spot in the blink of an eye.
Rather than immediately enjoying its meal, the Man Faced Demon Spider looked toward the direction Tang Ya and Huo Yuhao had fled and chased after them.
"Huff, huff, huff!"
Tang Ya's pretty face was flushed, her breath fragrant as orchids.
After fleeing for so long with Huo Yuhao, she had already exhausted most of her Soul Power, which had only just reached rank thirty.
Huo Yuhao let her lead him along, his expression calm as he simply stared behind them.
Tang Ya looked in the direction Huo Yuhao was watching. Faint rustling came from the distant darkness.
The sounds drew closer and closer. The surrounding trees began trembling incessantly, their leaves falling like rain.
Tang Ya said in panic, "Oh no! The Man Faced Demon Spider must have caught up. Once this kind of Soul Beast sets its sights on prey, it won't stop until it's killed it!"
As her words fell, the Man Faced Demon Spider had already appeared before them.
It was too late to run now!
Tang Ya made her decision. Even if she could no longer leave, she would at least give Yuhao a chance to escape.
Resolve filled Tang Ya's eyes. "Yuhao, start running straight ahead now. Don't look back. No matter what you hear, you absolutely mustn't stop!"
With that, Tang Ya turned around. The Blue Silver Grass in her hands grew rapidly, its branches thickening until they were soon as thick as vines.
"First Soul Skill, Blue Silver Entanglement!"
Countless Blue Silver vines rose beneath the Man Faced Demon Spider, swiftly winding around its legs.
Caught off guard, the Man Faced Demon Spider was restrained on the spot.
Tang Ya did not let down her guard. Her second Hundred-Year Soul Ring flashed.
"Second Soul Skill, Parasite!"
Blue Silver Grass grew wildly over the Man Faced Demon Spider's body.
Tang Ya's two Soul Rings flashed alternately, and more and more Blue Silver Grass wound around the Man Faced Demon Spider.
Meanwhile, the relentless use of her Soul Skills drained her Soul Power dry.
"Phew!"
Tang Ya had just breathed a sigh of relief and was about to leave.
The Blue Silver Grass enveloping the Man Faced Demon Spider actually began snapping apart inch by inch. Her Blue Silver Grass had restrained it for only thirty seconds.
The Man Faced Demon Spider shook the scraps of grass off its body, its compound eyes filled with fury as it hissed incessantly.
Tang Ya's actions had thoroughly enraged it. Its legs moved, and it was before her in the blink of an eye.
Tang Ya sank into deep despair, yet she no longer had any strength left.
Foul-smelling liquid rushed at her face. There was nowhere to dodge!
Tang Ya thought that at least her sacrifice could buy Yuhao a slim chance of survival. That should be enough.
Yet she truly could not accept it!
Dad, Mom, I haven't avenged you yet! I haven't revived the Tang Sect...
Childhood memories kept surfacing in her mind. Tang Ya smiled helplessly and closed her eyes.
Yet the cavernous, bloody maw did not descend as she had expected.
A deep male voice sounded beside her ear.
"Will the flames of vengeance die out or burn anew? Do you yearn for great power? Can you light your own campfire in the dark forest?"
"Tang Ya, do you yearn for power?"
The voice was familiar. Tang Ya slowly opened her eyes.
At that moment, the formerly arrogant Man Faced Demon Spider was pinned down by countless threads, able only to hiss incessantly.
Tang Ya turned to look.
Huo Yuhao stood tall and straight, holding a black longsword. More black slime erupted from behind him, covering his body and rapidly transforming into a robe, its hood shrouding his head.
In the dim light, Huo Yuhao's face was indistinct. Only his eyes were visible, those eyes glowing with dark purple light.
What a pair of eyes they were!
Like a beacon in the darkness, they illuminated everyone's path.
Tang Ya stared at those eyes in a daze. She had seen them before!
On the day her sect was massacred, her parents had died horribly beneath the enemy's blades.
Amid that sea of flames, the owner of those eyes had led her through the encirclement and escaped.
Before the young Tang Ya could recover her senses, the dark figure who had brought her out had vanished.
From then on, that dark figure had left an indelible mark on her heart.
She had thought she would never see him again.
She had never imagined that the dark figure was Huo Yuhao, standing right before her!
"Yuhao, so he was you." Tears glimmered at the corners of Tang Ya's eyes.
Huo Yuhao did not answer her. He continued in a deep voice, "I am Shadow! Do you yearn for power?"
"Once you accept, you shall completely abandon your current identities, such as that of the Tang Sect's sect master..."
Tang Ya looked at Huo Yuhao before her, at that dark figure, and murmured.
"Abandon everything? My identity as the Tang Sect's sect master?"
"If accepting it means I can stay by your side forever..."
Tang Ya stood up, a trace of determination flashing in her eyes.
"I'm willing!"