Hearing Gu Xuan's words, Li Li fell silent. She placed absolute trust in her big brother.
The Man-Faced Demon Spider was already wounded. Across its lower abdomen, distinct white markings contrasted sharply against its purplish-black body, forming the shape of a sinister, agonizing human face. Eight small eyes shimmering with a faint purple light were clustered near the bottom, though two of them appeared to have been smashed, leaving a mess of flesh and gore. Several cracks spiderwebbed across the carapace of its underbelly.
Despite its condition, Tang San, in his current state, stood almost no chance. His end was seemingly destined to be death.
However, Gu Xuan knew better. The "little brat" Tang San was supposed to use the Godly Zhuge Crossbow to slay the beast, forcibly absorb the ring, and obtain his first major cheat: the Eight Spider Lances.
Tang San was locked in a life-and-death struggle with the spider. Every attack seemed to push him to his absolute limit, yet he showed no sign of giving up. He was determined to kill this beast and claim its ring.
Suddenly, a black hammer began to manifest in Tang San's left hand, while his right hand brushed against his waist, drawing a black metallic box.
Li Li gasped in shock. 'Twin Martial Souls?'
The black box was clearly a specialized weapon, but the black hammer manifesting from his left hand was unmistakably a Martial Soul.
It was at that moment that Gu Xuan's voice rang out indifferently. "Flying Dragon Piercing Heaven!"
One of the two dragon-swords beneath Li Li's feet suddenly shot forth, hurtling toward the Man-Faced Demon Spider with lightning speed. Gu Xuan didn't use his full power—he only deployed a single blade—but it was more than enough.
Tang San was startled by the sudden voice. The black hammer in his left hand vanished instantly. He watched as a dragon-sword pierced through the spider's abdomen, pinning it firmly to a massive tree.
"Who's there?!" Tang San demanded, his voice cold as he looked up at the two figures descending from the sky.
Gu Xuan glanced at Tang San and landed gracefully. "You're in bad shape," he said calmly. "Take this first."
He tossed a porcelain vial toward Tang San. Tang San hesitated for a fraction of a second before catching it just before it hit the ground.
Gu Xuan stood with the remaining six dragon-swords unfurled behind him, exuding an overbearing pressure. Once Li Li touched the ground, the blade she had stood upon also flew toward the spider, effortlessly severing its eight legs. It was as easy as cutting through tofu.
Seeing this, Tang San immediately judged that this handsome young man was anything but ordinary. With his heterochromatic eyes and hair of red and blue, the mere aura he radiated and the strength he displayed were enough to instill fear.
Facing Gu Xuan, Tang San felt a pressure similar to what he felt when facing Zhao Wuji. This realization shocked him. Neither the handsome man nor the cute girl beside him looked old; he estimated the man was under twenty and the girl was definitely no older than fifteen.
'To have such strength at this age? He neutralized a Man-Faced Demon Spider I had to go all-out against without even revealing a soul ring?' Tang San wondered. 'Does such a monster truly exist in this world?'
These thoughts flashed by in an instant. Tang San took a steadying breath and clasped his hands toward Gu Xuan. "Tang San of Shrek Academy. Thank you for the rescue."
"No need for that, and don't worry about my intentions," Gu Xuan replied without any polite preamble. "The pill I gave you is for healing. However, I'd like you to yield this Man-Faced Demon Spider to my sister. Her Martial Soul is also a Man-Faced Demon Spider."
Tang San froze. He looked at his injuries and the vial in his hand, falling silent. "I..."
Before he could continue, Gu Xuan spoke again. "There was a battle here just now, wasn't there? The fluctuations caught our attention, so we came to investigate. My grandfather is currently tracking that 100,000-year soul beast. If you still need a third ring later, I can assist you."
Tang San's eyes lit up instantly. He spoke with urgent sincerity. "Your grandfather? Is he really tracking the Titan Giant Ape? My sister was taken by it... I... I beg of you, can he save my sister?"
Seeing Tang San's desperate display, Gu Xuan sneered inwardly, though his face remained pleasant. "I see. No wonder you dared to run in here alone; your bond is truly deep."
After a pause, Gu Xuan continued, "Rest easy. My grandfather is a Titled Douluo. The Titan Giant Ape cannot harm him. Since he has gone after it, if he finds your sister alive, he will certainly do his best to rescue her. After all, our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan has always been known for its benevolence."
"Titled... Douluo!" Tang San wasn't entirely surprised. Since these two youngsters were so talented and from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, having a Titled Douluo for a grandfather made perfect sense.
Tang San thought that if a Titled Douluo acted, there might be a chance to save Xiao Wu. He was exhausted; even if he had killed the spider himself, he wasn't sure he'd have the strength left to absorb the ring safely. Yielding the ring to the man's sister seemed like the best—and only—choice.
Tang San nodded. "Your sister may take the kill and the ring. I, Tang San, thank you once more for saving my life." He bowed again with cupped hands. If one didn't know his true nature, they might have been fooled by the boy's apparent sincerity.
Gu Xuan didn't bother replying. He looked at Li Li and said, "Kill the spider."
Li Li nodded and summoned her Martial Soul. She walked toward the legless, dying spider pinned to the tree. Two yellow rings rose around her. Her second ring lit up, and her slender arms transformed into a pair of razor-sharp, purplish-black scythes. This was her second soul skill: Slaying Demonic Scythe, taken from a Slaying Demonic Spider.
The sharp scythes plunged into the pale human face on the spider's belly. After a moment, the beast went limp. A purple soul ring slowly coalesced above its carcass.
Tang San didn't spare the spider another glance. He took a pill from the vial, sniffed it to find it refreshing, and swallowed it. It wasn't poison; it was indeed a high-quality healing pill. He sat cross-legged and began circulating his Mysterious Heaven Skill to recover his soul power.
Just as Li Li began absorbing the ring, the foliage rustled, and two uninvited guests burst from the woods.
Gu Xuan looked up. Two Soul Masters had arrived. Tang San also opened his eyes. He recognized one of them immediately: it was the Serpent Woman, Chao Tianxiang, who had only recently parted ways with them. Her granddaughter, Meng Yiran, was currently with the Shrek team.
Beside Chao Tianxiang stood a tall, thin old man. He appeared to be at least seventy years old, with silver hair just like his partner. In his hand was a four-meter-long dragon-headed staff of bright silver. The dragon's head was lifelike and domineering. Eight rings rhythmically pulsed around him: two yellow, three purple, three black.
Though the ring configuration wasn't optimal, the fact that there were eight of them meant he was a Soul Douluo above Rank 80. Gu Xuan knew exactly who this was: the Serpent Woman's husband and Meng Yiran's grandfather, the Dragon Duke Meng Shu.
Tang San had reached the same conclusion.
(End of Chapter)
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