"Zhao Wuji, greetings to Dragon Duke!"
Long Gong Meng Shu glanced sideways at him, snorting coldly. His aged face was full of displeasure, his tone carrying undisguised accusation:
"Zhao Wuji? Immovable King? What, after snatching a Phoenix-Tailed Crested Serpent from my granddaughter, is this Human-faced Demon Spider not enough for you? Do you want to interfere with this one too?"
Hearing the dissatisfaction in Long Gong's tone, Zhao Wuji quickly stood up and bowed again, adopting a more humble posture:
"Dragon Duke, you jest. This Human-faced Demon Spider suddenly rushed out from the forest and ambushed us. We only counterattacked in self-defense, with no intention of competing for it."
"I know this Human-faced Demon Spider is something you've been tracking, Senior. Naturally, I wouldn't dare act recklessly."
"Since you've arrived, this Soul Beast should rightfully belong to you. I have no objections."
Hearing Zhao Wuji's words, Long Gong Meng Shu's expression softened slightly as he snorted:
"At least you know your place. If you dare covet my granddaughter's Soul Beast again, don't blame me for being impolite!"
With that, he led Meng Yiran and Chao Tianxiang as they turned and walked toward the severely injured Human-faced Demon Spider, preparing to take this Soul Beast's Soul Ring.
Just then, a slightly staggering figure emerged from the forest—it was Tang San, who had left earlier.
He held one hand to his chest, his face pale and forehead beaded with cold sweat, clearly in extreme discomfort.
Rewind three minutes earlier—
When Tang San turned to leave, a sharp, stabbing pain suddenly pierced his heart, as if something closely connected to him was being forcibly torn away.
At first he didn't pay it much mind, thinking it was just aftereffects of excessive Soul Power consumption.
But the farther he moved from Zhao Wuji and the others, the more intense the pain became, like countless fine needles pricking his heart, making it almost impossible to breathe.
He had a vague premonition that something important was slipping away from him, a feeling so strong it couldn't be ignored.
Finally, Tang San could bear it no longer and forced himself to turn back, step by step.
Now, clutching his chest as he approached, his gaze instinctively swept across the scene before settling on the Human-faced Demon Spider in Long Gong Meng Shu's grasp.
"Tang San?" Zhao Wuji noticed his pallor and quickly stepped forward. "Are you alright?"
Tang San's eyes remained fixed on the Human-faced Demon Spider, ignoring Zhao Wuji's question.
Looking at this Soul Beast, Tang San felt the longing in his heart growing deeper!
It was as if this Human-faced Demon Spider was inherently meant to be his. He had a premonition that if he lost this creature, he would regret it for the rest of his life!
Long Gong Meng Shu also noticed Tang San's gaze and frowned:
"What's this kid back for? Does he still have designs on this Human-faced Demon Spider's Soul Ring?"
Ignoring the hostility from Long Gong's group, Tang San clutched his chest and spoke with difficulty:
"I... I just came back to look..."
Before he could finish, another wave of intense pain struck his heart. He grunted, his body swaying violently as his knees nearly buckled, almost causing him to collapse.
He quickly steadied himself, taking several deep breaths until the tearing sensation in his chest eased slightly.
Though his face remained pale and sweat still coated his forehead, he gritted his teeth and walked step by step to stand before Long Gong's group, where he properly performed a bow of respect to his seniors.
"Senior Dragon Duke, Senior Serpent Woman. I am Tang San."
His voice carried a trace of weakness, yet was exceptionally firm.
"I wonder if you two seniors would be willing to part with this Human-faced Demon Spider and grant it to me?"
Upon hearing this, Dragon Duke seemed to have heard the biggest joke in the world. He threw his head back and laughed loudly, his laughter booming with undisguised mockery:
"Haha! Brat, what do you think you are? How dare you ask me to just give you this Human-faced Demon Spider we've been tracking for days?"
His eyes sharpened, and his tone abruptly turned cold: "Earlier, you stole the Phoenix-Tailed Crested Serpent meant for my granddaughter. If that Soul Ring hadn't been unsuitable for her, do you think I would have let it go so easily?"
"Do you truly believe I, Dragon Duke, fear a bunch of brats like you? Or do you think I'm easy to bully?"
Serpent Woman Chao Tianxiang sneered beside him, her triangular eyes narrowing to reveal a dangerous glint:
"You impudent child! You just crawled back from death's door and already you dare to boast?"
"We went through considerable effort to trap this Human-faced Demon Spider. Do you think we'd just hand it over because you asked? How naive!"
Meng Yiran, standing behind her grandfather, grew even more furious, her grip tightening on her short blade.
Facing the anger of the three, Tang San did not retreat. Instead, he raised his head, his gaze burning as he looked at Dragon Duke:
"Senior, this Human-faced Demon Spider is crucial to me. If you are willing to part with it, I am prepared to exchange it for three promises. I will ensure you do not suffer a loss."
"Haha, you're merely a Great Soul Master! Even if you cultivate to my level in the future, it will take you twenty or thirty years!"
"You think your three promises are enough to trade for my Human-faced Demon Spider? Are you looking down on me, Dragon Duke?"
As he spoke, Dragon Duke's Soul Power suddenly erupted, a powerful pressure sweeping outwards, clearly showing his genuine anger.
Seeing this, Zhao Wuji quickly stepped forward, shielding Tang San, and said in a deep voice:
"Dragon Duke, please calm your anger! My disciple is ignorant; I apologize on his behalf!"
Tang San still wanted to step forward and argue, but Zhao Wuji, fearing he would further provoke Dragon Duke, decisively struck the back of Tang San's neck with a swift chop. Tang San's body went limp, and he instantly lost consciousness.
Zhao Wuji caught him steadily, then turned to Dragon Duke with a polite expression:
"Senior Dragon Duke, this Human-faced Demon Spider was yours to begin with. It was my failure in disciplining my disciple that led to this embarrassment. Please, take your granddaughter and go absorb the Soul Ring."
Seeing that Zhao Wuji knew his place, Dragon Duke couldn't be bothered to press the issue further. He snorted coldly, picked up the Human-faced Demon Spider from the ground, and turned to leave with Chao Tianxiang and Meng Yiran. Their figures soon vanished deep into the dense forest.
Only after they had completely disappeared did Zhao Wuji finally let out a long sigh of relief, wiping the sweat from his forehead.
He looked down at the unconscious Tang San, a flicker of clear dissatisfaction in his eyes—this kid really caused trouble.
Su Yu, who had watched the entire scene unfold, spoke up: "Everyone, rest here for a moment. We'll leave shortly."
After speaking, his gaze turned in the direction Dragon Duke had left, a strange glint flashing in his eyes before he stealthily followed after them.
The potential of the Eight Spider Lances was no small matter. This Human-faced Demon Spider was worth fighting for.
Meanwhile, Dragon Duke led his granddaughter and Serpent Woman to a secluded valley. After setting up simple defensive measures around the area, he had Meng Yiran sit cross-legged, preparing to absorb the Human-faced Demon Spider's Soul Ring.
Just then, a figure silently appeared not far away—it was Su Yu, who had followed them.
Dragon Duke whirled around, his eyes instantly filled with vigilance, his Soul Power instinctively surging.
"What? You want to snatch this Human-faced Demon Spider too?"
He stared at Su Yu, feeling this face looked somewhat familiar, yet couldn't quite recall where he'd seen it before.
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