"Psychic Power..."
Bai Jie immediately focused his mind. A mysterious energy emanated outward along his will, like invisible tentacles. It was similar to his previous perception ability, yet different.
This mysterious energy was more nimble, clearer, more "tangible"—a high-degree unification of the five senses plus the sixth sense.
Bai Jie instantly understood: this was "Psychic Power."
The "Psychic Power" spread at incredible speed, actually covering every slightest movement within a hundred-meter radius.
Color, scent, sound, motion, texture, vitality, interaction...
All manner of information signals were absorbed into Bai Jie's perceptual world by the "Psychic Power."
Suddenly, Bai Jie frowned at the smell of rotting saxifrage, and then "saw" a patch of ground littered with palm-sized "little pouches" of various colors...
He hastily retracted his "Psychic Power," a shiver running through his entire body...
Steering his "Psychic Power" away from that zone of trouble, he focused his mind toward one direction and discovered that the perception range could reach nearly 200 meters.
"This Talent—only 5% awakened—and already like this. When it reaches 20%, 50%, or even 100%... what then?"
The experiment concluded. The five little ones were still sound asleep at this moment.
In the early morning sunlight, Bai Jie left the spider nest, revealing his terrifying form—with its 1.6-meter leg span—and headed directly toward the shaded side of the back mountain.
Before long, he arrived beside a clear, tranquil pool of water.
Plop.
The spider leaped into the water with a single bound, sending out rippling, glistening rings that spread toward the edges of the pool, touched the stone bank, and lazily rebounded back.
The pool wasn't large—once the spider submerged, it occupied about a fifth of the area. The pool bottom wasn't very deep either, but it was enough for the spider to bury its entire body beneath the water's surface.
The pool water was icy cool, piercing straight to the heart and lungs. Every inch of skin was wrapped in something soft and smooth.
Bai Jie lay perfectly still. Though he was soaking in cold water, he felt an urge—like being in a hot bath—to become drowsy and fall asleep again.
"Where's that ditzy airhead? I'm making this much noise and she's not coming out?"
"I clearly sensed she's hiding at the bottom of the pool..."
Just as he was wondering, Bai Jie saw the sand at the bottom stir. From the crevices between the green and golden-brown rocks at the shore, a golden, gleaming something wormed its way out.
"Big Sister, I've missed you so much~"
Who else but Bai Huahua?
The little golden-white snake seemed to have grown a fair bit. As it threaded its way over the spider's body, the latter distinctly felt as though a thin rope were rubbing and binding against it.
He focused his gaze. Information about the little snake coalesced in the void.
[Target]: Spirit Jade Pupil-Cleansing Snake (High-Level Awakened Form)
[Vitality]: 50
[Body Length]: 55cm
[Status]: Healthy
Only then did Bai Jie come to a realization. So this thing had been off Advancing.
"Uh... Big Sister, why do you have a weird smell on you?"
The demonic spider's old face flushed red.
"You must be smelling it wrong."
"Ah, it's fine. Just let me wash it off for Big Sister."
The demonic spider was about to refuse, but on second thought, since this wasn't a paid service, it didn't really matter.
And so, he let the soft, slippery little snake glide over his body—three circles left, three circles right, sniffing here, nuzzling there.
"..."
If he hadn't sensed that the little snake was actually releasing spirit power, he would have long since kicked it several meters away out of discomfort.
"What made Big Sister think of coming to visit me?" the little snake asked sweetly.
"Got something unclean on me, so I came to your place to wash up," the demonic spider replied matter-of-factly.
But inwardly, he was worried that Bai Huahua might put on a disgusted expression and say with a sidelong glance: "Sister Bai Zhi, you're so noble, so amazing. Just because you evolve fast, you only come to me when you're filthy."
Imagining this, his eight long spider legs couldn't help but dig at the sand and stones at the pool bottom.
Thankfully, reality was more like this...
"Did Sister Bai Zhi get into another fight? Your legs have gotten longer again. Wuu, I feel so safe."
"Sister Bai Zhi, is this pressure okay?"
"..."
"All right, Sister Bai Zhi, that weird smell is all gone now."
It took over twenty full minutes before Bai Huahua chirped out, her voice carrying a hint of seeking credit.
Bai Jie grumbled inwardly: Are you sure you didn't just transfer your own scent onto me to replace the sewer stench?
"Oh, much appreciated."
The demonic spider's tone was neither warm nor cold.
"Then..."
The little snake hesitated bashfully. "Can Big Sister give me a reward?"
"No," the demonic spider sternly refused.
"Wanting a reward for such a small thing? Learning bad habits at such a young age?"
The deeper reason for his refusal was his consideration of the potential risks posed by "Mutant Venom"—he was unwilling to casually use it on the ditzy airhead.
"Mm..."
The little snake slumped dejectedly onto the sand at the pool bottom, playing pitiful.
The demonic spider, for the time being, had no intention of getting up and leaving the pool either. Having finally gotten a spa treatment, he'd lie here a while longer.
"Oh right, I remember now. That smell—it was a lot like something I smelled before," Bai Huahua suddenly transmitted.
"This sewer stench... you've smelled it before?" Bai Jie's interest was immediately piqued.
"Mm-hmm. About two days ago, the stench actually wafted all the way into my home. It took me quite some effort to purify the pool water clean again," Bai Huahua recalled.
Bai Jie silently cursed: It's only been less than two days, and you're only just remembering now?
"Then, did you see anything strange around here?" Bai Jie asked.
"Something strange?" Bai Huahua was momentarily confused.
"I mean... like a crocodile or something? Cockroaches or rats bigger than you?" Bai Jie supplied.
Bai Huahua thought for a moment. "Nope, didn't see anything."
"All the bugs around here have been eaten by those two little ones of Sister Bai Zhi's—they're too scared to even come out anymore."
"..."
Ahem... Bai Jie hadn't expected Bai Huahua to recognize them. More to the point, were those two little ones really such bottomless pits?
Bai Jie suddenly felt that his decision to let those two roam free was not great for ecological balance.
"Then... how did you smell that stench?" Bai Jie pressed the key point.
"Hmm... it seemed to come from the underground water passage connected to the pool."
"Underground water passage?"
Bai Jie immediately speculated that the water channel beneath the pool likely intersected with some part of Xingchuan University's sewer system.
And that stench was very likely brought in by the Sewer Crocodile or the Giant-Headed Demonic Infant.
"How long and wide is the underground water passage? Where does it lead?"
Bai Jie wanted to know if the Sewer Crocodile might be hiding in the underground water passage.
Bai Huahua tilted her head and transmitted, "I don't know how long it is. As for the passage itself, Sister Bai Zhi definitely couldn't squeeze through."
"But the farthest I've swum along the passage, I reached a huge underground river. That river was more than twice as wide as my home here."
An underground river?
Bai Jie sensed trouble.
Because if there was an underground river, then the Sewer Crocodile's possible hiding places multiplied—it could have followed the sewers into one of Yongan City's several major rivers, or it could be hiding in the underground river beneath the back mountain.
It seemed he would have to temporarily give up on the idea of extracting spiritual essence from that crocodile.