"Lin'er, look over there! What's that?" Tang Liu raised his walking stick, pointing to a boulder in the forest with a deliberately mysterious tone.
Following the direction of his stick, a spider-like soul beast rested under the shade of the boulder. Its body was dull gray-black, about a dozen centimeters long, with short and stubby legs. Judging by its aura, it had a soul power of a few dozen years—barely acceptable for Tang Lin'er's first spirit ring.
Tang Liu was about to tell Lin'er that this was a Man-Faced Demon Spider, but Lin'er tilted her head and gave her father a helpless look.
"Obviously, it's a Ground Spider," she said flatly. "Do you think I wouldn't recognize my own martial soul?"
Tang Liu's smile froze. "Ah, yes, Lin'er, you're so clever!" he stammered, trying to save face as they continued into the forest.
After about ten minutes, they encountered another spider-like soul beast, this one about the size of a teapot.
"Lin'er, look! What about this one?" Tang Liu asked, eager to redeem himself.
This soul beast was a species even Tang Liu couldn't identify. However, he was certain it wasn't a Man-Faced Demon Spider, and its strength was manageable—a spirit power of around 100 years. If he claimed it was a Man-Faced Demon Spider, surely Lin'er would believe him, right?
Lin'er hesitated, then shook her head. "I don't know."
Tang Liu's face lit up. Finally, she didn't recognize one! Waving his hands dramatically, he declared, "This is the Man-Faced Demon Spider you've been looking for!"
"Hmm? Dad, are you trying to trick me?" Lin'er pouted.
"Our teacher at the academy said Man-Faced Demon Spiders are huge." She spread her arms wide to demonstrate.
"I like big ones," she added with a cheeky grin. "At least as big as you, Dad. And they're supposed to have a scary human face on their abdomen. Look at this one—where's the face?"
Tang Liu groaned inwardly. Teachers these days teach too much!
Standing awkwardly, he sighed. Why couldn't his daughter take after him? He had been cautious his whole life, surviving 90 years with careful steps. Yet his daughter was as reckless as they came.
Realizing he couldn't deceive her, Tang Liu reluctantly continued deeper into the forest with Lin'er in tow.
"Let's hope we don't actually run into a real Man-Faced Demon Spider."
Elsewhere in the Star Dou Forest, Fang Chang cautiously peeked out from under the shade of a tree. His stealth skill deactivated as he scanned the surroundings.
As he ventured further in this direction, the likelihood of encountering humans seemed to increase. If he encountered weaker soul masters, it wouldn't be a problem, but facing stronger ones would force him to hide.
Earlier, he had spotted an elderly couple in the forest. Although they looked unassuming, they were both Spirit Douluo with soul power above level 80. Thankfully, Fang Chang was quick to activate his stealth skill and avoid detection.
Stealth wasn't cowardice—it was wisdom.
Hiding ensured survival, survival meant more time to grow stronger, and growth would one day allow him to exact revenge.
After waiting for over ten minutes to confirm the couple had left, Fang Chang cautiously resumed his hunt for prey.
The soul beasts in this area were noticeably weaker, likely due to frequent human activity. Most had soul power between 10 and 20 years, occasionally reaching 100 years.
This suited Fang Chang perfectly.
While devouring a 1,000-year-old Phoenix-Tail Crest Serpent would yield the same soul power increase as consuming 100 ten-year soul beasts, the effort and risk were incomparable. Weak soul beasts were practically free snacks!
Fang Chang's eyes lit up when he spotted a pair of Phantom Spirit Cats lounging on a nearby tree branch. The male had a soul power of around 200 years, while the female was weaker, only 90 years.
The two cats were grooming each other affectionately, occasionally nuzzling their foreheads together in a display of intimacy.
Watching them, Fang Chang couldn't help but recall a similar scene from his university days—the Couple's Hill, or as he called it, Despair Hill, where couples flaunted their love while singletons like him suffered.
Even after reincarnating into the Douluo Continent as a spider, he was still subjected to such emotional torment.
"This is unacceptable!"
Stealthily, Fang Chang crept closer. He climbed the tree trunk silently, moving within striking distance.
The male cat suddenly stiffened, sensing danger. Its body froze in place as its gaze locked onto Fang Chang's eight scarlet eyes.
"Meow!" The female cat yowled, rushing to shield her mate.
Fang Chang didn't hesitate. One of his black spider legs shot forward, impaling the male cat as it tried to flee. He dragged the limp body back and devoured it in one gulp.
"Meow!" The female cat shrieked in rage and sorrow, leaping toward Fang Chang with claws bared.
Unfazed, Fang Chang merely opened his mouth, adjusted his angle, and swallowed her whole as she lunged.
"Show off your love, die quickly. A timeless truth."
After consuming the two Phantom Spirit Cats and several other small soul beasts, Fang Chang's soul power grew again:
Soul Power: 2,874 years
Evolution Points: 8,950
HP: 771/778 (slow recovery)
Strength: 167
Attack: 184
Defense: 288
Speed: 221
His greatest gain was a new skill acquired from the 1,000-year Phoenix-Tail Crest Serpent:
Leap: Greatly enhances jumping ability for a single leap. Allows brief suspension in mid-air.
This mobility skill was invaluable for traversing terrain and evading danger.
Standing on a high branch, Fang Chang surveyed the forest. In the distance, about 600 meters away, he spotted four humans surrounding a rabbit-like soul beast near a small spring.
Fang Chang recognized the group—they were the Spirit Hall team he had encountered earlier, the ones who had delivered a 1,000-year-old Soft Bone Rabbit to Tang San.
I didn't expect to run into them again here.