Name: Bai Yu
Species: Human
Soul Power: Level 37 Soul Elder
Martial Soul: Flying Feather Sword
Name: Xue Wu
Species: Human
Soul Power: Level 30 Soul Elder (absorbing the third soul ring)
Martial Soul: Snow Rabbit
The sudden appearance of Bai Yu and Xue Wu added immense pressure on Fang Chang. Coupled with Du Hongxue's abilities that were especially effective against him, he found himself with a growing headache.
Fang Chang considered fleeing, but the three had already spread out to block his escape routes. He couldn't be certain he could break through before the others reacted.
As for fighting them? He struggled even against Du Hongxue alone—facing all three at once seemed like a losing battle.
"In the end, it's because I'm still too weak..."
Before Fang Chang could think further, the three Spirit Hall members closed in on him in perfect coordination.
"Don't kill it. Catch it alive," Du Hongxue ordered, her voice deliberately loud enough for Fang Chang to hear.
Huh?
Both Fang Chang and the other two Spirit Hall members froze for a moment.
Bai Yu and Xue Wu nodded. Though Bai Yu was the oldest and usually referred to as the leader, Du Hongxue's strength and assertive personality, coupled with some unspeakable reasons, often made even Bai Yu defer to her.
In Spirit Hall, as in life, power determined authority—a truth that was immutable.
Fang Chang instinctively took half a step back, leaning against the ancient tree behind him.
"Catch me alive? Don't tell me she has some sinister plans for me! I'm just a weak, helpless little spider!"
Still, if they wanted him alive, it meant they'd be holding back. That was a rare piece of good news for him.
The three drew closer, their formation tightening. His chances of breaking through grew slimmer by the second.
Finally, Fang Chang made his move.
A six-meter-wide poisonous web shot out of his mouth, hurtling toward the three of them.
He had been waiting for this moment. With only two uses of the poisonous web left today, he couldn't afford to waste them—each needed to count.
However, the Spirit Hall trio had some understanding of Man-Faced Demon Spider habits and had been prepared for such a tactic.
Bai Yu raised his long sword over his head and crouched slightly, blocking the left side of the web.
Du Hongxue turned, her eight spider legs on full display as they spread out behind her, blocking the web's right side.
Xue Wu crouched down behind the two, completely avoiding the web.
The poisonous web, losing its momentum after hitting Bai Yu and Du Hongxue, fell limply to the ground.
Fang Chang hadn't expected the web to defeat them. His real goal was already achieved.
Using the brief moment of distraction caused by the web, Fang Chang activated his "Leap" skill, vaulting over the three and sprinting away on his eight spider legs as if his life depended on it.
Du Hongxue was the first to recover, cursing under her breath as she conjured two balls of black light in her hands and hurled them toward Fang Chang.
The black light streaked through the air, striking Fang Chang and eliciting two sharp hisses of pain. His health bar dropped by two large chunks.
Yet, he didn't stop. Instead, he sped up even more.
"Keep chasing!" Du Hongxue barked, transforming into a black shadow and pursuing him again.
Bai Yu and Xue Wu exchanged a helpless glance before reluctantly following.
Fang Chang had a clear goal. Knowing he couldn't win in a direct confrontation, he had decided to lure the battle to his home turf—his underground nest.
After running about half a kilometer, just as the black shadow was about to catch up, Fang Chang suddenly dove into a haystack on the ground.
The haystack collapsed under his weight, revealing a hole leading underground.
The black shadow overshot slightly before twisting back, reforming into Du Hongxue at the hole's edge.
She inspected the tunnel, wide enough for only one person, then gestured for Bai Yu and Xue Wu to follow her down. Without hesitation, she transformed into a shadow again and slipped into the hole.
Inside the underground tunnel, Fang Chang moved cautiously, avoiding the traps he had laid earlier, and slipped into a connecting passage.
Du Hongxue's shadow form pursued him halfway through the tunnel before stopping abruptly. Emerging from the shadows at the boundary between light and dark, she stomped her foot in frustration.
This was her third soul skill, Shadow Escape, which allowed her to transform into a shadow for rapid movement, ignoring most terrain and attacks. It was incredibly powerful—except for one glaring weakness:
It required shadows to function.
And shadows required light. The pitch-black underground tunnel was the perfect counter.
Outside the passage, the traps Fang Chang had laid also slowed down Bai Yu and Xue Wu, causing them to momentarily lose track of him.
Emerging from a hidden exit, Fang Chang saw no sign of the trio and exhaled in relief.
The day's ambush and chase had left him fuming. Worse, his nest's location was now exposed. The Spirit Hall members had to be dealt with.
Resolved, he headed toward the clearing where the Spirit Hall members had set up their camp.
By now, it was deep into the night, and the clearing was bathed in eerie darkness. Two tents stood on the edge—one pitch-black, the other faintly lit.
Inside the lit tent, the plump Fourth Brother was awake and bawling, clutching the thin Third Brother's leg. Tears and snot drenched the latter's pants.
"Third Brother, my life is so miserable! That damn spider hurt me in the worst place... Waaaaah!"
"Enough, enough! Can't you stop crying already? You've been at it all night. Besides, it's not like you needed that thing anyway," the Third Brother snapped impatiently, clearly not the comforting type.
"You! You! You—!" The Fourth Brother, already heartbroken, was further enraged. His anger reopened his barely healed wounds, causing fresh blood to seep out as pain shot through him.
Suddenly, something struck their tent with a loud thump, causing it to shake.
The Third Brother gestured for silence, then cautiously peered out through a small opening in the tent.
No sooner had he moved his head when a sharp spider leg pierced through the opening, impaling his face.
The Third Brother toppled backward without a sound.
"Third Brother! Who's out there? Say something—ahhh!"
Turning around, the Fourth Brother saw the gaping hole in the Third Brother's face and screamed in terror.
Before his scream ended, the tent's other side was ripped open.
A purple-black Man-Faced Demon Spider loomed outside like a ghost in the night, its eight crimson eyes gleaming malevolently as it locked onto him.