As Li Wen clashed with the newly summoned half-spiders, the rest of the battlefield fell silent. Wei Xuan, the humans, and the barbarians had finally slain the remaining half-spiders on their side. The three divine warriors had used their divine energy to enhance their strength, ending the battle in a decisive victory.
But just as they caught their breath, they turned to see Li Wen surrounded—facing nearly fifty half-spiders alongside a girl whose upper body was human, yet her lower half was that of a monstrous spider with eight legs.
However, rather than being overwhelmed, Li Wen fought like a force of nature. In each hand, he wielded a sword wreathed in dark green flames. Every slash left a searing wound, and in mere moments, the afflicted half-spiders collapsed, reduced to nothing but ashes by the plague fire. His movements were too fast to follow—almost as if he were teleporting across the battlefield, striking down his foes before they could react.
Wei Xuan let out a low whistle. "Looks like the Demon Lord doesn't need our help."
The others nodded in agreement, their eyes locked on the battle.
Fang Xin, who was hailed as a sword master among humans, watched in stunned silence. His grip tightened around his sword as he observed Li Wen's technique—each movement, each strike, a perfect execution of mastery beyond anything he had ever witnessed.
Zhou Yi turned to him with a smirk. "Fang Xin, how does your swordsmanship compare to the Demon Lord's?"
Fang Xin exhaled slowly, shaking his head. "It's the difference between heaven and earth. If he is the master, then I am merely the pupil. If he is the sky, then I am but the dirt beneath his feet."
Wei Hong raised a brow. "Brother Fang Xin, how can that be? You are known far and wide as the Sword Master."
Zhu Pan chuckled. "Among humans, yes. But he—" Zhu Pan gestured toward Li Wen, who cut down another half-spider with effortless grace. "—he is something else entirely."
Before they could continue, a barbarian clad in stone armor stepped forward, his stone sword still slick with blood. His voice was rough yet filled with sincerity as he bowed deeply.
"Thank you, benefactors, for saving us."
As the battle raged on, the humans and barbarians stood together, their eyes locked on Li Wen as he cut through the half-spiders with inhuman precision. They spoke amongst themselves, exchanging introductions while keeping watch on the fight.
The barbarian who had thanked them stepped forward once more, tapping his stone sword against the ground in a traditional gesture of respect. "I am Mokta of the Stonehawk Tribe," he said in a deep voice.
Wei Xuan gave a polite nod. "I am Wei Xuan, and these are my companions—Fang Xin, Zhu Pan, Zhou Yi, Wei Hong, and the others."
Zhu Pan crossed his arms, glancing at Li Wen, who was still locked in battle. "To be honest, we didn't save you. He did." He jerked his chin toward the Demon Lord, who continued to cut down the half-spiders with deadly precision.
Fang Xin's curiosity got the better of him. "Who were your attackers?" he asked Mokta.
Mokta's face darkened, his grip tightening on his weapon. "The Arachne Kingdom."
Zhu Pan's interest was piqued. "The Arachne Kingdom? I've never heard of them. What can you tell us?"
Mokta exhaled, glancing at his fellow tribesmen before answering. "The Arachne Kingdom is a kingdom of the Arachne race and is divided into three great houses—Dark, Curse, and Dead. Each has its unique magic and power, but the Dark House is the one currently ruling the kingdom."
Wei Xuan frowned. "And why did they attack you?"
Mokta shook his head. "I do not know. They came suddenly, without warning, slaughtering our people. We barely escaped." His voice was filled with bitterness.
For a moment, silence settled between them, but then Fang Xin asked another question. "What about the Bitter White Lotus?"
Mokta blinked in surprise. "The Bitter White Lotus?"
Fang Xin nodded. "We came here searching for it."
Mokta sighed. "You won't find it in this season. The Bitter White Lotus only blooms in the spring. Right now, it is impossible to find."
Wei Xuan's face fell. His expression turned desperate as he took a step forward. "Are you sure? There must be another way—somewhere else we can find it?"
Mokta hesitated, thinking for a moment before finally answering. "If you urgently need the Bitter White Lotus, there is only one place you might find it—the Fox Clan."
Wei Xuan's expression brightened slightly, but before he could say anything, Mokta continued, "However, traveling there now is extremely dangerous. The Fox Clan is currently at war with the Wolf Clan. Entering their territory means stepping into a battlefield."
A heavy silence settled over the group as they absorbed this information. The danger was clear, and yet, they had no other options.
Their conversation faded as the battle stretched on for hours. The green miasma around them slowly thinned, and as the fight came to an end, the first rays of the sun broke through, casting golden light beyond the mist.
Li Wen stood still, his gaze fixed on the spot where Valia had disappeared into the black portal. The battlefield was littered with the ashes of the half-spiders, their bodies reduced to nothing by his plague fire. The once-consuming green miasma had begun to thin, allowing the golden light of dawn to seep through, casting long shadows across the ground.
He exhaled slowly, his mind retracing the battle. If he hadn't completely analyzed that small stone before the fight, things could have turned out differently. Until now, his demon energy had been limited to energy-based attacks, but after infusing his power into the stone, something changed.
He had unlocked a new ability—transforming his demon energy into stone itself. That was why he had been able to form the stone spear, swords, and even the deadly stone spikes that tore through his enemies. It was a revelation that had altered the course of the battle.
His cultivation had taken a step forward as well. The Spirit Cultivation method he had created was proving its worth. He had successfully reached the first realm, which he named the Spirit Seed Realm—a realm where one's spiritual thoughts condensed into a seed of power. In terms of strength, it was equivalent to the Enlightenment Realm.
Yet, because he cultivated two methods simultaneously, his strength surpassed his current realm. Before, at the Initial Source Realm, he had been able to hold his own against an Intermediate Source Realm opponent. But now, after analyzing the properties of the stone and integrating them into his cultivation, he was certain that the Intermediate Source Realm was no longer his match.
His thoughts drifted toward the next step—how to reach the next stage in his unique cultivation method. The answer was clear. The Virtual Seed Realm. To break through, he had to continue analyzing the world, understanding its principles, and its essence. He had only reached 2% in the Initial Spirit Seed Realm, but this battle had given him invaluable experience.
The battlefield was silent except for the distant groans of the wounded behind him. Li Wen turned, his gaze sweeping over the injured humans and barbarians who had fought alongside him. Though victorious, the battle had taken its toll. The night had been long, but the war was far from over.
Li Wen approached the humans and barbarians, listening carefully as they explained their dire situation. The Arachne Kingdom had declared war, but their main forces remained stationed near the mountains. Only small groups infiltrated their lands, attacking the tribes and weakening their defenses.
He also learned that the Bitter White Lotus could not be found in the Evil Lake during this season. The only place to obtain it now was Fox Canyon, home to the fox tribe. However, it was too dangerous for the humans to venture there alone. With his help, they had a chance, but their original agreement only covered the Evil Lake. If they wanted his assistance, they would have to formally request it.
Before making a decision, Li Wen asked about materials from the Divine Realm used in crafting weapons. In response, they gave him a Thunder Branch and a 1,000-year-old turtle shell—rare and powerful materials. Satisfied, he agreed to travel with them, following the barbarians to their tribe since it was on the way to Fox Canyon.
The battle had left many wounded. Wei Xuan and the other four had only minor injuries, but the guards had suffered serious wounds. To recover, they decided to rest in the Stonehawk Tribe for a day before resuming their journey.
As they walked, Li Wen took one of the barbarians' stone swords, turning it over in his hands. The stone he had analyzed earlier was different from the material used in the sword. Curiosity sparked, and he began studying its properties, eager to uncover its secrets.
Li Wen walked in silence, his thoughts focused on the stone sword in his hands. The Spirit Seed inside the weapon worked tirelessly, analyzing its composition. Though the stone used in forging the sword was different from the small piece he had studied before, they still shared similarities. He discovered that 63% of the material structure matched, confirming a connection between them.
As they arrived at the Stonehawk Tribe, he observed their settlement. A wide clearing lay before them, shielded from the green miasma by large stones covered in thick layers of fungus. It was a familiar sight, similar to the Blackstone Tribe's defenses.
Turning to the new leader of the tribe, Li Wen spoke calmly. "Take me to a house." Without hesitation, they led him to the second-largest dwelling in the settlement, a structure made entirely of stone.
Once inside, he sat cross-legged on the cold stone floor. The dim light cast long shadows on the walls as he focused once more, deepening his analysis of the stone sword.
By midnight, Li Wen had fully analyzed the stone sword. As the Spirit Seed absorbed the weapon, his cultivation advanced by 1%, a small but significant step forward. He reflected on what he had discovered—the key differences between the stone sword and the small piece of stone he had analyzed before.
The sword's material possessed slight elasticity, making it harder to break, and its edge was naturally sharper. This newfound understanding filled him with confidence. If he had faced himself from before, he was certain he could now defeat his past selves with ease.
Setting aside the stone sword, he prepared to analyze the Thunderwood Branch and the 1000-year Turtle Shell. But before beginning, he decided to step outside for a break. The midnight air was cool, and the tribe was silent, its inhabitants resting after the exhausting battle. He walked beyond the settlement, his gaze drifting to the landscape.
That was when he spotted it—a rose garden.
At first glance, the plants seemed like ordinary roses, their stems and leaves no different from any other. But the roses themselves were made entirely of stone. Intrigued, Li Wen approached the garden, examining the strange phenomenon. How could a flower turn to stone naturally? Was it a rare mutation, or was there something more at work?
He carefully plucked a stone rose from the garden and channeled his Spirit Seed into it. As his spiritual energy seeped into the material, he immediately sensed its complexity. The structure was far more intricate than the stone sword he had just analyzed.
After several moments, he realized 11% of its composition he had already comprehended from the piece of stone and the stone sword. The stone rose in his hand plucked from the plant but he can still feel vitality from the stone rose.
Li Wen's curiosity deepened. This was unlike anything he had encountered before. If he could unravel the mystery behind this stone rose, it might reveal secrets far greater than he had anticipated. With the stone rose in his hand he returned to his house and started analyzing the stone rose.