Chapter 20: Meng Yiran Will Have to Suffer. The Man-Faced Demon Spider Appears!
After entering the forest, Zhu Zhuqing did not stray far from the Shrek group. She positioned herself precisely at the outermost limit of her hearing range under martial soul possession.
Yes.
She was eavesdropping… No!
She was subtly broadening her understanding of the diverse world of soul masters in an unorthodox way!
That's right, that's exactly it!
Less than two minutes after Chao Tianxiang and Meng Yiran left, she heard the two groups encounter one another and fiercely argue over the ownership of the Phoenix Tail Crest Serpent.
When she heard Zhao Wuji reveal that Oscar was actually a food-system soul master with innate full soul power, a trace of surprise appeared in her eyes.
"There's actually a food-system soul master with innate full soul power?!"
"The times are advancing. Anything is possible. Before you and I, there had never been a precedent of a soul beast offering a sacrificial intelligent soul ring, nor of the Hell Spirit Cat and White Tiger being twin martial souls."
Bai Lu signaled for her not to be too shocked.
"That's true."
Thinking about her own situation, Zhu Zhuqing felt relieved.
No matter how special others were—
None of them were as special as her.
Proud.jpg.
"By the way. In a bit, stop following Tang San and the others. Memorize their scent, then follow that grandmother and granddaughter instead."
At that moment, Bai Lu suddenly made a decision.
Zhu Zhuqing froze and instinctively asked:
"Why?"
Bai Lu brushed it off directly.
"Don't ask. If you must know, it's the powerful intuition of a hundred-thousand-year soul beast."
Intuition? What nonsense.
Recalling the original storyline, Bai Lu vaguely remembered that Meng Yiran's side was the first to discover and injure the Man-Faced Demon Spider.
Yet for some reason, the Dragon Duke and Serpent Lady appeared to put in effort without truly committing. They somehow let the Man-Faced Demon Spider escape, after which it was intercepted midway by the group pursuing Xiao Wu after she was captured by the Titan Giant Ape.
So why let a middleman take the profit?
Instead of intercepting Tang San—
Why not directly intercept Meng Yiran?
After all, Meng Yiran was destined to be intercepted sooner or later. It didn't matter who did it. Better for it to be done by a little kitty.
There was no helping it.
If they wanted to grow stronger, Meng Yiran would just have to suffer a little more.
"Alright."
Zhu Zhuqing nodded and stopped asking questions.
She suppressed her aura and quietly altered her direction, trailing far behind Meng Yiran's group as she gradually distanced herself from Shrek.
Before long, Chao Tianxiang reunited with Dragon Duke Meng Shu, and together they brought Meng Yiran to search for a suitable soul beast.
"I'll transmit a scent to you. Follow them and carefully search along the way."
As Bai Lu spoke, he passed a fragment of memory into Zhu Zhuqing's mind.
As a retired killing star, he had hunted countless soul beasts. The Man-Faced Demon Spider was naturally among them.
"I'll do my best."
After all, Zhu Zhuqing was human, not a beast. Even with enhanced smell under martial soul possession, tracking an unfamiliar prey was still difficult.
But Bai Lu hadn't placed all his hopes on her.
"Use the White Tiger clone. Let it help search."
"That works too?!"
Zhu Zhuqing's eyes lit up.
Right!
Her White Tiger clone wasn't only for combat!
She immediately switched martial souls and created the White Tiger clone.
"Roar~"
The White Tiger let out a low growl, curling its upper lip and using the flehmen response to draw in scent particles more precisely.
One human, one tiger—they split apart and searched from different directions.
When it came to acquiring a soul ring, the most grueling part was always finding the soul beast.
With bad luck, searching for ten days or even half a month was common.
Time flew.
In the blink of an eye, two days passed.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
On this day, faint tremors rippled through the forest floor, as if some powerful existence was moving nearby.
But Zhu Zhuqing paid it no mind.
Because—
"Found it."
Within the spiritual sea, Bai Lu slowly opened his eyes as he controlled the clone.
Just before the White Tiger clone's soul power ran dry and it dispersed, he successfully "scented" the Man-Faced Demon Spider.
"Southeast. Five kilometers. Go."
Hearing this, Zhu Zhuqing decisively stopped following Meng Yiran's group and headed toward the indicated direction.
Her steps were light. In less than ten minutes, she arrived at a darker, more densely wooded region.
Ahead, a massive spider web stretched between trees. Several corpses hung from it, bound tightly in silk.
She approached cautiously, but found no sign of the Man-Faced Demon Spider in sight.
"Be careful. It's already locked onto you."
Bai Lu spoke at just the right moment.
Zhu Zhuqing said nothing, silently heightening her vigilance.
Rustle… rustle…
A faint sound like leaves brushing together echoed nearby.
She turned only to glimpse a shadow flash past.
"This thing is intelligent and well-rounded in ability. Its spider legs are like spears and extremely penetrative. Don't take them head-on."
Bai Lu warned, "Prepare early. This isn't an official match. No need to talk about fairness with a soul beast."
"Understood."
Zhu Zhuqing took a deep breath and immediately switched martial souls.
"White Tiger, possess!"
Black fur rapidly turned white. Tiger ears, tail, and claws emerged. On her forehead, the faint pattern of the character "王" appeared.
"White Tiger Vajra Transformation!"
The hundred-thousand-year soul ring beneath her feet lit up. Her slender body instantly became more powerful and agile, her stature subtly increasing.
All attributes doubled.
At the same time, she gained immunity to all abnormal states, including the Man-Faced Demon Spider's venom.
The moment the enhancement completed, a sharp tearing sound cut through the air.
Whoosh!
A black shadow dropped from above. Several razor-sharp "spears" stabbed downward at her body and head!
The ambush was so swift that even Zhu Zhuqing was briefly caught off guard.
Yet she did not panic.
Her left leg bone faintly glowed. A surge of dark energy erupted beneath her feet, and her speed skyrocketed.
Shua!
Her figure flickered like a phantom streak of light. In an instant, she appeared ten meters away as if she had teleported.
Phantom Flash is derived from the powerful soul skill of the sixty-thousand-year Nether Swiftwind Leopard.
Not true teleportation—
But better than teleportation.
Rip!
The spears struck empty air, tearing into the earth.
The attacker's full form now revealed itself.
It was a grotesque spider with a body diameter exceeding one and a half meters. Its entire body was clad in black armor, and its eight legs resembled sharp spears.
On its abdomen, eerie white markings formed a hideous human face. Eight small eyes glowing with dim purple light were embedded within that "face."
It was the Man-Faced Demon Spider.
Judging by its size, it had at least two thousand years of cultivation.
"That's right. This is the target."
Bai Lu's tone sharpened.
"Kill it."
"Understood!"
Excitement flashed in Zhu Zhuqing's eyes as she switched martial souls once more, returning to the Hell Spirit Cat.
Though the Man-Faced Demon Spider seemed puzzled by her "transformation," it had no intention of retreating.
Its eight legs moved rapidly, leaving afterimages behind. In the blink of an eye, it was in front of her.
Its two forelegs lifted and stabbed down toward her head.
Shua!
The air shrieked pitifully as the spider spears pierced through it.
"Hell Rush Stab!"
Her soul ring flashed. Zhu Zhuqing became a streak of black shadow, evading the attack and appearing at the spider's flank before lunging forward.
Her hands flickered.
The sharp claws extended from her fingers struck precisely.
Rip!
The hardened black carapace shattered instantly, leaving several conspicuous bloody holes. Strange purple fluid dripped out, corroding the ground where it fell.
Hissss!
A bizarre screech erupted from the Man-Faced Demon Spider.
It twisted its body and opened its mouth, spewing a massive venomous web that spread wide enough to blot out the sky.
Its intent was clear—
To trap Zhu Zhuqing completely within it.
End of Chapter