The sudden transformation on Tang San's back shocked everyone once again.
Had something gone wrong again?
Up in the towering tree nearby, the Emerald Dragon Snake's eyes gleamed with human-like excitement.
As a ten-thousand-year soul beast, its intelligence was no less than a person's.
Seeing Tang San's condition, it instantly understood that what its master predicted had come true.
An external spirit bone had appeared.
At once, it sent out a mental signal through the Pearl, transmitting the message to its master. Its slender body coiled slowly around the branches, marking the direction below as a guide.
In the clearing, Tang San's transformation continued.
The eight bulges on his back suddenly burst open. From within emerged thick, dark purple limbs, each the width of a man's fist.
Under the astonished gazes of the Shrek group, those limbs extended rapidly — transforming into eight spider legs, each three meters long.
The legs gleamed like polished amethyst, their edges sharp as blades, the tips narrowing to deadly spikes.
The dangerous aura radiating from them made everyone's scalp tingle.
Flender's heart almost stopped, "This… these are the legs of a Man-Faced Demon Spider!"
He had roamed the continent for decades, seen countless strange things but nothing like this.
The eight purple legs stretched wide behind Tang San, embedding themselves into the ground with faint tremors.
Tang San's entire body was lifted into the air, suspended by the legs. If he leaned forward, he would truly look like a giant spider.
Moments later, the terrifying soul power around him slowly dissipated. Tang San opened his eyes.
A wave of relief swept through his body, the agony of exceeding his limits had finally faded, leaving only pure exhilaration. His three spirit rings — two yellow, one purple — pulsed rhythmically around him, his soul power now at the Spirit Elder realm.
His Xuan Tian Skill surged within his veins. Every cell in his body cheered.
Even more exhilarating was seeing Xiao Wu standing right before him.
The girl he'd been yearning for had returned!
"Xiao Wu… am I dreaming? You're really back?" Tang San's voice trembled.
Through the torment of absorbing the spirit ring, the thought of finding her had been his only support. And now, when he'd just finished… she was truly there.
"Brother…"
Tears streamed from Xiao Wu's crimson eyes, falling like broken pearls. Her shoulders shook, her voice choked with emotion.
Only then did Tang San fully believe that she was real.
But as he moved slightly, he felt an odd itch behind him.
Eight spider legs twitched in response.
Flender's voice broke through the silence.
"Tang San, you've grown the legs of the Man-Faced Demon Spider. It seems your spirit ring caused a mutation. Try controlling them and see if you can retract them."
Though he didn't know whether this was good or bad, they couldn't just let Tang San walk around like a monster.
Tang San nodded, "I can feel the Man-Faced Demon Spider's venom within them. It's not directly tied to my spirit ring. I'll have to study this with Teacher later. For now, I'll try controlling them. Everyone, back up!"
The mention of poison made everyone take several cautious steps back.
Tang San gathered his spirit power, channeling it into his spine.The eight spider legs trembled, then began to fold inward.
Each leg had two segments: the upper one, about a meter and a half long, connected firmly to his back. The lower segments were thinner, sharper, like spearheads.
Under Tang San's control, they bent smoothly, folding together from the joints, merging back into his body one by one.
Seeing that, everyone exhaled in relief.
"They can retract…good! Those legs are like eight spears, and they're poisonous. Their attack power must be terrifying," Flender said with admiration. "You're lucky, Tang San. Once you return, let Xiao Gang study them…they'll greatly enhance your combat ability."
But just as he finished speaking—
Flender's pupils suddenly shrank. His expression froze.
Tang San's body…it was sinking.
At first, it seemed like an illusion, but then his feet vanished into the ground, his whole figure being pulled down.
"Third Brother!"
Xiao Wu's scream tore through the clearing.
"Little San!"
Flender and Zhao Wuji leapt forward at once.
But the speed of Tang San's descent spiked in an instant.
A deep pit opened beneath him, swallowing him whole.
Flender reacted fastest , his body transformed midair, wings of a Spirit Cat-Eagle spreading wide as he dove straight down.
But even then, he was too late.
With a heavy bang, he slammed into the narrowing pit, barely catching himself before crashing further.
"Who's there?!"
He shouted in fury, his voice echoing underground.
Zhao Wuji roared as well, his body erupting with golden light.
"The third spirit skill — Gravity Amplification! The fifth — Gravity Crush!"
The pressure of the Vigorous Vajra Bear exploded outward. The ground hardened, the very air seemed to freeze.
But Zhao Wuji's face was grim, "He's gone. My gravity field only reaches a few meters below the surface. The enemy escaped underground!"
Flender's voice trembled with rage, "Tang San is the son of the Clear Sky Douluo! Whoever you are…if you harm him, the Clear Sky Clan will hunt you to the ends of the world!"
His furious shout shook the forest. Countless birds took flight, yet the ground remained deathly silent.
"Dean, was it a soul beast or a soul master?" Dai Mubai asked coldly.
Flender's brows furrowed, "A soul master. The way he moved…It was a burrowing-type soul skill. He went straight underground with Tang San."
Ning Rongrong, Zhu Zhuqing, Oscar, and Ma Hongjun all exchanged stunned looks.
Too many unexpected things had happened today… Xiao Wu had just returned, and now Tang San was gone.
Even more shocking was learning that Tang San was the son of the Clear Sky Douluo himself.
Though they had seen his Clear Sky Hammer before, none had imagined his lineage was this powerful.
As everyone stood in stunned silence, Xiao Wu suddenly transformed.
Her spirit ring flared to life as she bolted into the forest.
"Don't stop me! I'm going to find San-ge!"
"Xiao Wu—!"
Zhao Wuji called after her, but she vanished among the trees.
He clenched his fists helplessly. Even he couldn't sense the kidnapper's presence, so what could Xiao Wu possibly do?
But Flender descended slowly from above, his sharp eyes narrowing.
"Let her go," he said suddenly, "Maybe… Xiao Wu can bring Tang San back."