Snatching the Eight Spider Lances
That night, deep within the Star Dou Great Forest, a campfire was lit.
The group set up camp under a sheltered rock face. After a day of fighting and absorbing Soul Ring, everyone was exhausted. After arranging the night watch order, they all went into their tents to rest. Yan Zu volunteered to be on the first watch.
At midnight, all was quiet except for the occasional crackling of the campfire and the faint roars of beasts in the distance. After confirming that everyone was asleep, including Tang San who had recovered from the Deep Meditation he had undergone during the day by absorbing the Soul Ring, Yan Zu slowly opened his eyes, a glint of light flashing in them.
The Little Jade on his shoulder gently rubbed against his cheek, emitting a barely audible hum, guiding him in the right direction.
Yan Zu moved swiftly, like a ghost blending into the night, leaving the camp silently and speeding towards the direction the Man Faced Demon Spider had fled during the day. He used the Nine Spiral Shadows movement technique to its fullest extent, moving through the dense forest as if on flat ground, without making a sound.
Using the scent trail left by Little Jade, Yan Zu quickly located the Man Faced Demon Spider. It was hiding in a cave healing its wounds, clearly exhausted from being chased by the Snake Duke and Snake Granny, and its breathing was somewhat disordered due to the injuries it sustained while dealing with the two earlier.
"I apologize," Yan Zu said softly. The Xuanyuan Sword quietly appeared, the ancient longsword radiating a faint aura of warding off evil, instantly locking onto the Man Faced Demon Spider.
Sensing danger, the Man Faced Demon Spider pounced, its eight legs covered in sharp barbs, its human-faced features twisted, and it released a potent toxin.
Yan Zu unleashed his Wind God Legs, dodging the attack with lightning speed. At the same time, he activated his Third Soul Skill, "Starlight Descent." Little Jade's figure swelled, enveloped in silver-blue starlight, and Yan Zu's attributes instantly increased by 50%. He wielded the Xuanyuan Sword, his sword energy crisscrossing, instantly severing the two legs of the Man Faced Demon Spider.
The Man Faced Demon Spider let out a shrill screech and spewed out a cloud of black poisonous mist. Little Jade activated "Jade Blessing," a shield that blocked the poisonous mist, while Yan Zu gripped the Xuanyuan Sword and thrust it towards the Man Faced Demon Spider's head.
"Pfft!"
The sword energy struck precisely, instantly halting the Man Faced Demon Spider's movements, its massive body slowly collapsing. A deep purple Soul Ring rose, and simultaneously, a palm-sized, purple Soul Bone emerged from its body— the External Soul Bone, the Eight Spider Lances!
Suppressing his excitement, Yan Zu took out the jade box he had prepared beforehand. He carefully placed the eight Spider Spear into the jade box, sealed it tightly, and then stored it deep inside his Storage Soul Tool.
Then, he quickly dealt with the scene. He circulated his Nine Yin True Qi, thrusting out with both palms. The powerful palm force caused part of the cave's interior to collapse, covering up the traces of the battle and the remaining corpses of the demonic spiders.
After doing all this, it was still pitch black. Yan Zu, like an elf in the night, returned to the camp silently without disturbing anyone.
He sat down again by the campfire, as if he had never left, and Little Jade, perched on his shoulder, affectionately nuzzled his chin. Yan Zu stroked the smooth fur on its head, his gaze fixed on the flickering light of the campfire, his eyes deep and thoughtful.
The Eight Spider Lances, he's got them. A single External Soul Bone that would drive countless Soul Master mad, now lies quietly in his storage space. But he won't absorb them; the attributes of the Eight Spider Lances don't suit him, nor are they suitable for Xiao Wu and Rongrong. Perhaps they might bring some value in certain special circumstances in the future.
Tang San, having lost this crucial early-game advantage, will inevitably see his growth trajectory deviate. Although he gained the Spider Web Restraint, the difference is immeasurable compared to the all-around improvement brought by the Eight Spider Lances.
"The trajectory of fate has begun to change," Yan Zu thought to himself. He glanced in the direction of Tang San's tent, where the aura was steady, indicating that Tang San was still in Deep Meditation and completely unaware that his opportunity had been snatched away.
The conflict between myself and Tang San was never a petty squabble over opportunities or acting on impulse, but a fundamental struggle over the path to enlightenment.
The path he chooses to take is to sow the Core Flame of civilization and cultivate the lives and culture of the Douluo Continent —so that ordinary people can also enjoy the benefits of civilization. These Vow Power, which originate from the consensus of all beings, can not only unseal the Xuanyuan Sword but also give back to himself, coexisting and prospering with this continent.
But Tang San is different. In the original story, after becoming a god, he seemed to protect Douluo, but in reality, he used any means necessary to absorb the continent's fortune and origin to nourish his own godhood, turning Douluo Continent into the "foundation and nourishment" for his godhood.
If this continues, this continent will only gradually decline, with thinning Soul Power and dwindling Soul Beast, eventually becoming a desolate land with only empty shells. Even tens of thousands of years later, most Soul Master will only have white Soul Ring. Yan Zu's fingertips tightened slightly, and his eyes became firm: Tang San must never become a god.
This is not a personal grudge, but rather an effort to protect the foundation of this continent and to uphold one's own principles.
Yan Zu pondered in secret that Tang San had five key opportunities that laid the foundation for his rise to godhood.
Firstly, the External Soul Bone, the Eight Spider Lances, has now been intercepted by him;
Secondly, the immortal Immortal Herb treasured by Dugu Bo helped him solidify his foundation;
Thirdly, the Blue Silver King sacrificed himself to help it awaken the Blue Silver Emperor Bloodline;
Fourth, the Sea God Inheritance —To obtain the Sea God Inheritance, one must first acquire the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud, which is currently gathering dust in the Heaven Dou Imperial Family Treasury and cannot be touched for the time being;
Fifth, and most importantly, Asura God Inheritance. Its token, the Asura Demon Sword, is still in the Slaughter City, controlled by the Nine-Headed Bat King who is Parasite Tang Chen's body, and it is not easy to deal with.
However, Yan Zu could consider planning ahead regarding Dugu Bo's immortal Immortal Herb and the sacrifice of the Blue Silver King. As for the speculations of some netizens from his previous life about whether Tang San was indeed the chosen successor of the Asura God and the Sea God, Yan Zu was not yet qualified to verify or interfere. Walking his own path was the most important thing.
The next day, everyone returned safely to the Shrek Academy and began their daily training.
A few days later, in the early morning.
Yan Zu sat cross-legged under an ancient locust tree at the edge of the arena, surrounded by a faint blue aura. The Nine Yin Manual Manual's inner power flowed slowly within his body, and with each cycle, his Soul Power became more solidified.
In the days since leaving the Star Dou Great Forest, his resolve to leave Shrek Academy has grown stronger.
The conflict at the Canghui Academy, Tang San's increasingly intense hostility, Flender's belief that "those who dare not cause trouble are mediocre" all made him realize that this was ultimately not a place where he could peacefully cultivate and practice the way of "civilized coexistence".
What he needs is a space where he can develop freely and bring together like-minded people, rather than wasting time in endless internal strife and ideological conflicts.
Suddenly, a series of footsteps approached from afar, carrying a deliberate heaviness. Without even opening his eyes, Yan Zu sensed the presence of the newcomer—it was Tang San.
Tang San walked straight up to Yan Zu, stopped, and stared at him intently. His Soul Power was faintly restless, clearly indicating that he was holding back a lot of anger.
During the Star Dou Soul Hunting, Yan Zu let his Man Faced Demon Spider escape, and then persuaded Oscar to give up his top-grade Soul Beast with his own words, stealing the spotlight throughout. Meanwhile, Yan Zu himself could only settle for absorbing the Soul Ring of the Crypt Spider. This resentment and jealousy had been brewing in his heart for several days.
(Thanks to readers 0147, 2817, 8562, and Deep Blue Purification for their monthly ticket support)