Man-Faced Demon Spider!
One of the apex predators among spider-type soul beasts. While its bloodline might not rival that of super soul beasts, it still ranked among the top-tier. It possessed terrifying speed, poison, offensive, and defensive capabilities. Only raw strength was not its forte.
It was like a shadow assassin of the forest. Wherever it appeared, fear followed.
The one in front of them—even if it was just a hundred-year soul beast—could still hunt down thousand-year-level creatures.
If it hadn't been for Blackie scouting from above, and they hadn't detected it early, that web from the Man-Faced Demon Spider might have ended their Spirit Ascension Platform test then and there.
When Wang Jinxi saw the creature, his body involuntarily trembled. He had suffered psychological trauma due to a similar spider before. Now facing one head-on, it was like his nightmares had returned.
Fireballs burst from Gu Yue's palms, flying at the spider while the others quickly regrouped.
"Do we run or fight?" Nan Fusheng asked Tang Wulin.
The Man-Faced Demon Spider was extremely dangerous, and its poison was lethal. Even just a graze could prove fatal to Class Zero. And since this was the Spirit Ascension Platform, killing it would only grant a hundred-year-level spirit energy—a poor trade if they lost someone.
Yet while they were speaking, the spider didn't hesitate at all. It instantly revealed its deadly strength.
Facing Gu Yue's barrage, it lifted its forelimbs—light trailing behind them—and jabbed rapidly into the air. Each fireball was instantly dispersed on contact, leaving behind only sparks.
It didn't rush. Instead, it slowly circled them, dragging a line of yellow-green silk from its abdomen. Everywhere the thread passed, plants withered in moments.
"We're not running. We're killing it!" Tang Wulin said firmly.
They had been here long enough to understand the area. Since it was the Riot Phase, wandering blindly could lead to encounters with even stronger soul beasts.
So Tang Wulin made the call: kill it now. This was also Wang Jinxi's chance to overcome his inner demons—and with all six members present, their odds weren't bad.
"Stay tight. I'll engage directly. Gu Yue, support. Fusheng, wait for an opening to control it.
Xie Xie, strike opportunistically.
Yangzi, Jinxi—hold back and wait for the right moment."
"I can fight!" Wang Jinxi said, his voice low but determined. Though his body still trembled, his eyes were burning with fierce light.
Yes, he'd felt real fear when he first saw the spider. But when Tang Wulin shouted, "Don't run. Kill it!" something ignited inside him.
The trembling wasn't fear anymore—it was adrenaline.
The Man-Faced Demon Spider continued circling, forming a perimeter of poisonous silk. Ruthless and cold, it was also terrifyingly patient, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
But Class Zero wasn't panicking. Their calmness forced the spider to slow its offensive. Its earlier web had also cost it a good chunk of energy.
Soon, the perimeter of silk had wrapped around multiple trees, forming a crude cage. The toxin-laced threads even caused the tree trunks to wither.
Gu Yue tried attacking the silk with various elements, but the poison acted like a protective coating, even resisting fire damage.
"It's building a cage to trap us," Xie Xie said grimly, "shrinking the battlefield."
"Fusheng," Tang Wulin added, "if I fall out of formation, you're in charge."
Everyone knew—under the Man-Faced Demon Spider's deadly assault, not everyone would escape unscathed.
Tang Wulin hurled his Thousand-Forged Heavy Silver Hammer, attached to Blue Silver Grass like a meteor flail.
The spider leapt nimbly, bouncing away like a spring, and landed outside the web it had woven. The hammer slammed into the web, stretching it, but couldn't break through. Instead, it got stuck.
Tang Wulin yanked it back, dragging the web inward. The hammer's surface began turning pitch black from the venomous contact, but the hammer's Thousand-Forged structure held for now.
"This web… insanely strong."
Tang Wulin had just probed with a light attack and had already lost a weapon. The spider was more cunning and agile than expected.
It was waiting—and when it struck, it would be lethal.
The webbing grew tighter, limiting movement, but at least it meant no other soul beasts could enter their zone.
As the confrontation stretched on, Class Zero didn't act rashly. The spider spun more and more silk, forming a dome nearly 100 square meters wide.
Tang Wulin crouched beside Gu Yue and whispered something. She nodded and stood.
At that moment, the Man-Faced Demon Spider froze—its intelligence showing. It stared with cold eyes as its abdomen slowly expanded.
Gu Yue's soul power surged, and her soul ring lit up.
First soul skill: Elemental Tide!
"Screee!"
The spider suddenly rotated and spat out a massive yellow-green net.
This web was even larger than the first, aimed at forcing the team inward, compressing them into a tighter, more vulnerable formation.
The spider then charged. Its eight venomous legs—all deadly spears—closed in fast.
Just then, Gu Yue raised both hands. A stone pillar, about a foot in diameter, erupted from the ground, propping up the incoming web and stopping it midair.
The spider closed in.
Xie Xie scaled the stone pillar with agility. At the same time, Zhang Yangzi activated his first soul skill—Dark Veil.
Dark Veil enveloped the area in black fog, selectively allowing only marked allies to see clearly. The more soul power used, the wider the range.
The spider lost sight of its prey—its momentum faltered.
Suddenly, Blue Silver Grass vines surged from the ground, wrapping around the spider.
Then, Wang Jinxi soared into the air, launched by Tang Wulin.
Both of Jinxi's soul rings glowed:
First Soul Skill: Bone Dragon Claw
Second Soul Skill: Bone Soul Conversion
He slammed downward with full force.
Now the spider showed why it ranked among the top.
It spun rapidly, eight legs extending. Hidden behind them were blade-like edges.
Though Tang Wulin's Blue Silver Grass was resilient, it couldn't withstand both the venom and razor-sharp limbs—it was cut apart instantly.
From below, the spider whipped its tail and spat out another venomous web. Though smaller than the last, it was more than enough to ensnare Wang Jinxi midair.
The fight had entered its climax instantly.
Just as the net neared, Blue Silver Grass around Wang Jinxi's waist pulled him back.
At the same time, one of the vines wrapping the spider turned gold, immune to the poison. The spider's motion stalled—it was tightly bound.
From above, a golden cyclone descended—Xie Xie, mid-air, had launched Light Dragon Storm straight at its back.
Clang!
The drill-like attack slammed into the spider's back, sparks flying.
It screamed and flung Xie Xie off, green-yellow blood splashing from the wound.
The golden vine snapped, unable to hold any longer.
The spider's body compressed—its legs pulling inward, curling into a tight ball.
CLANG—!
Tang Wulin's Golden Dragon Claw struck the curled body, sending it flying.
It uncurled midair and slid across the ground, leaving deep gouges.
But if one looked closely, they'd see the front two spider legs were now cracked. Tang Wulin's strike had done real damage.
"Hsssss…!"
The spider hissed, stabbed the ground with its limbs, and launched forward again.
But this time, toward where Xie Xie had been thrown.
"Xie Xie!" Tang Wulin shouted. He yanked on Blue Silver Grass, trying to pull him back.
All this had happened in just five or six seconds.
Xie Xie was still adjusting his posture in the air when the spider appeared in front of him.
"Crap!" he cursed, instinctively shifting into a defensive stance.
But then—a tug on his waist. Blue Silver Grass!
"Ha! You can't hit me, spider freak!"
But it was as if the spider understood him. Its two front legs glowed purple, then slashed, sending out two purple arcs of light.
"WHAT!? It can slash?! Why didn't anyone tell me?!"
Xie Xie shouted in panic. Whoever wrote the bestiaries was getting punched later—serious lack of intel!
Fortunately, Blue Silver Grass yanked him out just in time—but the purple slash tore through the vine, causing him to stagger midair.
And then…
The Man-Faced Demon Spider was waiting below.
Its two sharpened forelegs thrust upward, directly targeting—
My butt?!
This… is Thousand-Year Kill?!