"Buzz."
Suddenly, the Spider Queen began to transform. Li Taixing noticed that her body was being enveloped by countless spider webs.
'What's going on? Is she evolving?' He looked at the Wind Wolf King beside him, who nodded in response.
Li Taixing was shocked and turned his gaze to the giant python's inner pill on the ground. The Spider Queen had only swallowed a few hundred of them. 'I still have 10 billion pills with me. If she refines all of them, how big will the transformation be?' But he quickly realized it might not be that simple.
Seeing the Spider Queen entering her evolution, Li Taixing wondered how long it would take. He couldn't help but feel a bit bored. "Will this take a long time?" he asked the Wind Wolf King. The wolf shook its head.
Li Taixing sighed. "Well, I guess I'll just hang around for a few days."
He had already ensured Xiong Er and the others had enough food, and even if they ran out, they could hunt for themselves. There was nothing to worry about.
While the Wind Wolf King initially found staying in one place dull, once Li Taixing fed it, the boredom seemed to vanish entirely.
A week passed by.
"Crack!"
A sudden sound drew their attention to the enormous spider cocoon before them. The web began to tear apart. Both Li Taixing and the Wind Wolf King watched closely as a figure emerged.
"Golden Core Realm?" Li Taixing muttered in surprise.
The Spider Queen had officially stepped into the Golden Core Realm. Not only that, but her appearance had drastically changed. Her once dark skin had become soft and pale, like that of a young girl. Her face was now several times more beautiful than before, radiating an allure that could captivate anyone. From a distance, she resembled a stunning, sensual woman. However, her lower half still retained its spider form, reminding them that her transformation wasn't entirely human.
"Master, Master," a crisp voice echoed in Li Taixing's mind.
"Who is it?" Li Taixing asked, looking around in confusion.
"Master... it's me."
Li Taixing narrowed his eyes, realizing the voice was coming from the Spider Queen, telepathically.
"Xiaozhu?" he called out tentatively.
"Master, I... can... hear... you," the Spider Queen replied in a somewhat broken yet clear manner, as though still adapting to her new form.
Li Taixing couldn't hide his excitement. "Hahaha! So you reached the Golden Core Realm and gained telepathic abilities? That's great!"
"Yes," she replied simply.
Just then, the Wind Wolf King looked at Li Taixing, puzzled as to why he was talking to himself. 'Has he been cooped up in here for too long? Maybe he's gone mad and might try to kill me!' Worried, the Wind Wolf King cautiously moved away.
Li Taixing, noticing this, raised an eyebrow. "What are you doing?" he asked.
The Wind Wolf King shook its head quickly, though it continued to eye Li Taixing warily, worried that something unexpected might happen.
"Alright, since Xiaozhu has finished evolving, let's head back."
"Master, where are we going?"
"To hunt a few fierce beasts with wind, earth, and water attributes. We need their inner pills."
"Understood."
"Xiaofeng, come here!" Li Taixing called, motioning for the Wind Wolf King to approach. But the wolf hesitated, reluctant to move.
At that moment, the Spider Queen cheerfully suggested, "Master, how about... riding me?"
Li Taixing immediately felt a chill. "No thanks, I'll ride Xiaofeng," he said, shooting the Wind Wolf King a glare. Reluctantly, the wolf came closer, still cautious.
As it drew near, Li Taixing slapped it hard. "You've grown bold, haven't you? Ignoring my commands?"
The Wind Wolf King gave him a wounded look but allowed Li Taixing to mount it. With the Spider Queen in tow, they left her lair and ventured deeper into the fierce beast forest.
"Xiaozhu, we need to find beasts in the Golden Core Realm, specifically those with wind, earth, or water attributes."
"Okay... Master," the Spider Queen replied, still getting used to her telepathic communication but clearly enjoying the newfound ability.
She led the way, and soon enough, they encountered a dragon rhino with earth attributes in the Golden Core Realm.
"Perfect," Li Taixing said. "Sword Sacrifice!"
Instantly, thousands of Qingyue swords materialized, shredding the dragon rhino into a pile of meat in mere seconds.
"Check for an inner pill," Li Taixing commanded.
The Spider Queen and the Wind Wolf King were speechless. The dragon rhino hadn't even had time to register what was happening before it was obliterated. Unfazed, the Spider Queen swiftly retrieved the inner pill from the mess.
"Master, here it is."
"Great! Let's keep going."
"Yes, Master," she replied obediently.
Afterward, they hunted beasts with wind and water attributes, obtaining the corresponding inner pills.
"Alright, mission accomplished. Let's head back."
"Where are we going now, Master?" asked the Spider Queen.
"Back to my place."
"Understood."
Li Taixing led his group back toward his cave. As they approached, Xiong Er and the other three pets, who had been feeling rather bored during his absence, suddenly sensed his return. Overjoyed, they hurried to greet him, but stopped in their tracks when they saw the newcomers—a Wind Wolf King and the imposing Spider Queen.
Both beasts radiated power, but it was the Spider Queen that unnerved them the most. Her strength far surpassed theirs.
"Xiong Er, Silly Bird, and Vest, come over! Let me introduce your new companions." Li Taixing's figure loomed large on the back of the Wind Wolf King. "This is Xiaozhu, and the Wind Wolf King here is Xiaofeng."
He pointed to each of them as he spoke.
"You three were here first, so Xiaofeng will be ranked fourth, and Xiaozhu fifth. But in the future, as more pets join us, I'll have you all compete for rankings."
Li Taixing chuckled as the pets familiarized themselves with each other. He then dismounted from the Wind Wolf King and started toward the cave. However, he sensed something approaching in the distance.
Li Taixing stopped in his tracks and turned to his beasts, his voice deep and commanding. "You all head back to the cave first."