The giant stone spider wasn't fast but each of its eight limbs were like small mountains as they swung around. Every time it struck the ground, it would blast out waves of shattered rock and choking dust. It could easily lift boulders the size of horses and throw them like it was nothing.
Bei Yingluo was barely holding on. She ducked and dodged while stabbing at the beast's limbs. They were like pillars of stone and her spear could only leave small scratches. Although her weapon was strong, she was too weak to fully utilize its power. It could not be broken by the spider's attacks but her own attacks were as effective as tickling it.
Still, she pressed on.
She swung her heavy spear left and right and stabbed with all of her strength. Her opponent was so strong it was like sparring against her senior sisters. Except, this spider did not know the concept of holding back.
As the fight dragged on, she suffered more and more injuries. Her hands were bruised from holding onto the spear while trying to block massive flying boulders. She had several cuts on her cheeks from razor-sharp rock shards. Her clothes were also starting to turn into tatters as she was battered by the beast's spiritual aura.
"Damn it!"
She struck out with her spear but it only managed to leave behind a small hole in the spider's stony carapace. The spear felt so heavy but she couldn't lighten it any further. Her whole body ached and she was about to faint.
The concept of a Mind Focusing Realm cultivator fighting an opponent at the Spirit Initiate Realm was already an improbable concept. One side could utilize spiritual energy to protect their bodies and also empower their attacks. The other side could only utilize some tricks of the mind to improve their physical capabilities. It was an entire realm and it was just too difficult.
"Yingluo! Let us help!" Bei Yujing shouted over the noise of the battle.
Bei Yingluo shook her head as she lifted herself up once more with the support of her spear, "No, first aunt, don't. This is my master's mission for me. I have to keep going!"
She lightened her spear a little and once again attacked.
The giant stone spider roared and swung its thick limbs around like battering rams.
Chen Wentian watched from the rear with a sour feeling in his heart. He had no problem with Bei Yingluo trying her best. She was always diligent in her training and it was good that she could bring the same mindset to a real battle. He was concerned only with the number of injuries she was suffering in the process.
Her outfit was naturally high-quality but it was not meant to completely protect her in a dangerous battle. That would be impossible unless she was wearing a full set of protective armor from head to toe or if she had high-quality spiritual armor.
Lin Qingcheng's Golden Serpent Robe came to mind. After wearing that armor, she had never suffered a single scratch ever since. It was a truly remarkable feat.
But that was the only spiritual armor he had and he had spoiled his first disciple with it. She deserved it but his other disciples also deserved better. It was difficult to find compatible souls for spiritual armor but he resolved to work it in the future. The idea was to have his disciples all wielding a Spirit Lord weapon as well as wearing a Spirit Lord armor. It was an extravagant dream but he could pull it off if he worked hard enough.
"Ahh!" Bei Yingluo's pained scream brought the fight to a stop.
She had just suffered a full-on blow from the giant stone spider. She was sent flying but before she could slam into the sharp stones that littered the ground, Chen Wentian had slipped past the bystanders and caught her.
"Master… I can still…" She gasped even though her mouth was full of blood and she had suffered some internal injuries.
"Silly girl. You did alright. You can rest now."
Bei Yingluo swallowed thickly and then nodded. She was disappointed in herself. That last blow she suffered had been her own doing. She had put herself in a dangerous situation in an attempt to trigger the crimson energy but it didn't work out. She couldn't fool her body and her secret power.
Being tired to the point of fainting was not the trigger. Being in mortal danger was also not the trigger. It was frustrating. She still couldn't control her power.
Chen Wentian brought Bei Yingluo to the rear. He fed her a high-quality recovery pill and treated her external wounds with a healing salve. Meanwhile, her four aunts had all charged ahead together and were pressuring the large beast from all sides.
The giant stone spider roared in fury but it was pinned down by four sets of spears and spear arts. First Aunt Bei Yujing was fierce and unrelenting. Her spear, infused with spiritual energy, constantly broke off chunks of sandy stone from the spider armor. In a blink, she had already crippled one of its limbs with a series of non-stop attacks.
Fourth Aunt Be Jixiang was quick and agile. She was able to occupy four of the beast's limbs while still holding her ground. She also didn't let it run and constantly moved to cut off its path back up the cliff.
Fifth Aunt Bei Shuang was tall and slender but her physique hid a lot of innate strength. Her attacks were more like a metal hammer crashing down than a slender spear. She attacked the spider's head, blinding its eyes and smashing its fangs into dust.
Tenth Aunt Bei Yifang was short and petite. She was even quicker than the fourth aunt and had managed to climb onto the spider's huge back. She stabbed away at this vulnerable spot even as the spider bucked around wildly to try and throw her off.
The four Bei Clan women worked together and made quick work of the spider. After only a few rounds, it collapsed and let out its last breath. Its limbs curled up and it almost looked like a jagged boulder from a distance. The dumb beast had been fooled by Bei Yingluo's weak cultivation and had left the safety of the cliffs. On flat ground, it was easy prey.
"Great! Start a fire! We're having roasted spider legs for lunch!" Bei Yujing shouted.
"Yeah!"
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