In the past, the Lake of Life was the dwelling place of the Silver Dragon King Gu Yue and Di Tian. However, after Gu Yue followed Fang Chang into the Divine Realm, Di Tian and the others also ascended.
Now, the Lake of Life had become a breeding nest for mutant slimes, endlessly spawning and spreading outward.
The most alarming part? Unlike ordinary slimes, which were born with negligible soul power, these mutant slimes started at thousand-year strength right from birth, skipping the most difficult growth phase.
Fang Chang observed for a while before quietly retreating. If he were here in his true form, these creatures wouldn't be a threat.
But this was just an avatar. He wasn't confident he could defeat the god-level beings likely lurking in the depths of the lake.
For these things, he needed to fully understand their origins before striking—annihilating them in one sweep without alerting them.
Even a single survivor could become a future calamity, threatening the peace of the Divine Realm.
At the outermost edge of Star Dou Great Forest, the Bloodwing Demon Spider had been waiting for a long time. Seeing Fang Chang, it immediately approached.
Due to certain natural restrictions, Fang Chang's descendants couldn't directly inherit his God-level bloodlines like the God-Devouring Evil Spider Emperor or the Undying Evil Spider Emperor. The Bloodwing Demon Spider was the highest-tier variant among his offspring.
Fang Chang shrank it with divine power and took it to Sunset Forest. Since this place was far enough from Star Dou, the spider kin—though weakened—had managed to preserve some of their bloodline.
By the time he finished, dawn was breaking. Fang Chang returned to Spider God Academy.
The boundary between the Inner and Outer Academies was marked by a vast lake, covering nearly a third of the campus and dividing it into two sections.
The larger section was the Outer Academy, where Fang Chang resided. The smaller one was the Inner Academy. Under normal circumstances, outer students weren't allowed into the inner district—but inner students could freely visit the outer areas.
At this moment, a commotion erupted.
Countless students—especially the boys—were staring intently at a small boat gliding across the lake.
At the bow stood a girl around eighteen or nineteen, dressed in a white robe, her face partially concealed by her black hair.
The disturbance was because of her—Zhu Zhu, one of the Inner Academy's Top Five, a 57th-ranked Control-Type Soul King.
Fang Chang squeezed through the crowd, finally getting a close look at her.
She was the 100,000-year soul beast in human form he had sensed yesterday.
But something about her concealed her aura so well that even Fang Chang had almost missed it.
Clearly, she was extremely popular among the students. A girl with both strength and beauty naturally became the center of attention.
Soon, she disembarked. The students instinctively parted, forming a path for her—almost like a royal welcome.
Zhu Zhu paused briefly but quickly regained her composure, walking forward as if she hadn't noticed the crowd.
Then—
A male student in the red-and-white uniform of the Outer Academy suddenly stepped forward, bowing obsequiously.
"Senior Zhu Zhu! What brings you to the Outer Academy today? If you need anything, just say the word—I'll arrange it for you!"
His soul power was around 40th rank, similar to Wei Li's, meaning he likely held some status in the Outer Academy.
"No need. I can handle it myself."
Her voice was cold, devoid of emotion.
"O-Of course! I won't disturb you further!" The young man retreated hastily, knowing when to quit.
After this interruption, Zhu Zhu continued walking—until she passed Fang Chang.
Suddenly, she stopped.
"Hm?"
She turned her head, staring at him.
Then, to everyone's shock, she leaned in, her face almost touching his.
The crowd erupted in whispers.
This was the first time the famously aloof "Ice Beauty" had ever shown such interest in a man!
"Who are you?" she asked, curiosity flickering in her voice. "I've never seen you before."
Fang Chang wasn't surprised. Instead, he raised two fingers, lightly pressing them against her forehead and pushing her back.
"Fang Qi. A temporary student who arrived yesterday. Of course you haven't seen me."
"Oh… Fang Qi? A temporary student?"
Only then did she notice—he wasn't wearing a uniform. If he hadn't said it, no one would've guessed his status.
After a brief pause, her tone shifted—unusually emotional for her.
"Wait here tonight. I'll come find you."
"..."
The crowd froze.
What?!
Zhu Zhu, the top beauty of the Inner Academy, just invited a TEMPORARY STUDENT to a private meeting?!
This was unprecedented in Spider God Academy's history!
"Mm. Go do your thing first."
Fang Chang waved dismissively, even yawning, as if her words meant nothing. His attitude was almost… condescending.
"I'll be here. You'll see me when you arrive."
"..."
A temporary student—acting this arrogant?!
How dare he?!
The girl he was brushing off was a top-tier genius of the Inner Academy, one of the most sought-after beauties in the entire academy!
"Ah?"
Zhu Zhu seemed momentarily stunned, unused to being treated so casually. After a few seconds, she nodded and hurried away.
Fang Chang had expected this reaction.
The moment she approached, he had secretly released pheromones—a unique communication method among spider kin, often used during courtship but also for other purposes.
When Zhu Zhu detected them, she immediately realized: He was also a spider-type soul beast.
Given the setting, it was natural for her to assume he was a 100,000-year soul beast in human form, just like her.
It was like a human stranded alone in the wilderness suddenly meeting another human—of course she'd be curious.
But after she left, hostility surged among the male students.
The boy who had tried to flatter Zhu Zhu earlier stormed up to Fang Chang.
"You! You're a temporary student?" He reached out, grabbing for Fang Chang's collar.
"What's the academy thinking, accepting an old guy like you?"
Before he could finish, Fang Chang intercepted his wrist, freezing him in place.
"Scram. I don't have time for brats like you."
With a flick of his hand, he hurled the boy over ten meters away.
At the same time, his five simulated soul rings flared to life.
Yellow, Purple, Purple, Black, Black.
The crowd gasped.
A temporary student—who was actually a Soul King?!
And those soul rings… What kind of monster was this?!