đź’– If you enjoy my work, consider supporting me on Patreon! I'm offering advanced chapters there as a thank-you to readers.
--------------------
Check out advanced chapters on : patreon.com/Veni_V
---------------
With a loud shout of "Yu!", Su Yan signaled his mount to stop. The Iron Armored Rhinoceros reacted instantly, digging its heavy feet into the soft earth and carving a long, deep ditch in the dirt before coming to a complete halt right between the two groups. Su Yan sat firmly on its back, looking down at the scene below.
Meng Yiran stood nearby, her eyes widening as she saw Ning Rongrong and Ye Lingling both sitting comfortably in Su Yan's arms. A wave of sharp displeasure washed over her, and she couldn't hide her irritation as she snapped, "Why is it you guys again? Do you just follow us around?"
Ning Rongrong didn't seem bothered by the girl's temper at all. Instead, she leaned over and waved her small hand toward Meng Yiran with a playful grin. The Little Demoness felt like she had finally seized the initiative in their rivalry. She was cheerful and happy no matter who she saw now, feeling that she no longer needed to be wary or on guard around other girls.
The Dragon Grandfather, Meng Shu, glanced at his wife, the Snake Granny. They shared a silent look of recognition and caution. After Snake Granny gave a slight nod, Meng Shu stepped forward and called out to the young man on the beast. "This must be our little friend, Su Yan, right? I have heard quite a bit about you lately."
He looked Su Yan up and down, noting his calm posture and the powerful aura he projected. "You are truly as handsome and talented as the rumors say," the old man added, his voice polite but firm.
Su Yan didn't stay on the rhinoceros for long. He jumped down from its back with an easy, practiced grace and replied with a respectful smile. "Senior must be the famous Dragon Grandfather Meng Shu. I have long admired your great name and the reputation of the Unrivaled Dragon and Snake couple."
Meng Shu smiled and nodded at the compliment, but his mind stayed focused on the situation at hand. He turned his head to look at the dying Man Faced Demon Spider pinned to the ground, then shifted his gaze toward Zhao Wuji and Tang San. Finally, he let his eyes rest back on Su Yan, signaling with a tilt of his head for the young man to speak first.
In truth, the only one Meng Shu was truly wary of in this forest was Su Yan. While Zhao Wuji was a strong Spirit Saint and Tang San showed potential, they didn't command the same presence. Snake Granny also maintained a calm expression, keeping her eyes fixed on Su Yan. She felt that with his polite demeanor and respectful words, he probably wouldn't try to snatch their prey this time like people often did in the Star Dou Great Forest.
Meng Yiran, however, wasn't thinking about spirit rings or polite talk. She looked strangely at Zhu Zhuqing and the other girls standing with Su Yan's group. She couldn't help but wonder how he managed to find yet another beautiful woman in the middle of a dangerous forest. She bit her lip, thinking to herself that this guy was just too handsome for his own good. He really attracted women like bees to a flower. What made it even worse was that none of these women, including the cold and silent Zhu Zhuqing, seemed any weaker than her in terms of spirit power.
Su Yan cleared his throat to get everyone's attention. He looked directly at the Dragon Grandfather and Snake Grandmother and spoke clearly. "Two Seniors, please forgive my bluntness, but I have to tell you that this Man Faced Demon Spider is not fated for you or your granddaughter."
Upon hearing this, the faces of the Dragon Grandfather and Snake Grandmother instantly darkened. Their polite smiles vanished, replaced by a cold tension.
"We have been chasing this Man Faced Demon Spider for a day and a half," Meng Shu said, his voice dropping an octave. "If not for that annoying, sticky spider web it kept leaving behind, it would have become Yiran's spirit ring long ago. Little friend, we have already yielded to your group once before today. Do not push your luck."
Tang San, who was standing nearby, was just about to feel happy. He thought Su Yan was intervening to help him secure the spider for himself. But then he heard Su Yan continue, "And actually, it is not fated for Tang San either."
"Why not?" Tang San asked, his voice filled with annoyance. He felt a surge of frustration. He had worked so hard to track this beast, and he felt in his gut that it was meant for him. He looked at Su Yan, thinking that his friend was being intentionally difficult.
Zhao Wuji and the others, including the Dragon and Snake couple, all looked at Su Yan with confusion. They didn't understand why he was rejecting the prize for everyone involved.
Su Yan shook his head helplessly and explained his reasoning. "This time, Seniors, I think we all misjudged the situation. Take a closer look at the markings and the leg span. The age of this Man Faced Demon Spider exceeds two thousand years. May I ask who among these students is strong enough to absorb a ring of that level for their third slot?"
"What?" Meng Shu whispered. He and Snake Granny immediately turned their focus back to the Man Faced Demon Spider. They began observing its features with much more care than before.
At this moment, Tang San also looked solemnly at the creature. He stayed quiet, recalling all the knowledge about spirit beasts he had learned over the past six years from his teacher. He looked at the joints of the legs and the pattern on the spider's back. In the end, both sides showed a look of reluctance and realization in their eyes. Indeed, just as Su Yan said, the age of this Man Faced Demon Spider was well over two thousand years.
Dragon Grandfather and Snake Grandmother cupped their fists toward Su Yan, bowing slightly in a gesture of gratitude. "Thank you, Little Friend. We almost made a huge and terrible mistake. The Man Faced Demon Spider is simply too rare to find, and we wanted this spirit ring for Yiran so much that we failed to judge its age correctly. If she had tried to absorb it, she would have been in grave danger."
Su Yan waved his hand dismissively. "It's nothing, Senior. I just didn't want anyone to get hurt over a misunderstanding."
Zhao Wuji scratched his head and let out a long sigh of relief. "Well, that was a false alarm. It's a shame, but we have to keep looking now. Tang San, don't look so down. We'll find you something else."
"I... I still want to try," Tang San said, gritting his teeth. He stepped forward, his eyes locked on the spider.
Zhao Wuji looked utterly bewildered. "Try what? Wait, you can't be serious. You want to try and absorb a spirit ring that is over two thousand years old? Are you tired of living? Do you want to explode?"
Dragon Grandfather and Snake Grandmother were originally planning to leave, but hearing Tang San's bold words made them stop in their tracks. They looked over at the boy together, thinking that this youth was either incredibly brave or incredibly stupid. The danger of a Man Faced Demon Spider was well known, and at over two thousand years, the mental shock alone would be enough to kill a Spirit Grand Master.
Su Yan looked at Tang San and sighed. "Buddy, I knew you really wanted a Man Faced Demon Spider. Luckily, I came prepared. If I let you kill yourself trying to absorb this one, I'd never forgive myself."
Just as everyone felt confused by what Su Yan meant, a shadow fell over them. They saw a Little Monkey descend from the high branches of the trees. It wasn't empty-handed; it was carrying another Man Faced Demon Spider that was almost as large as the monkey itself. The monkey tossed the stunned beast onto the ground.
"This?" Meng Shu was clearly surprised. Man Faced Demon Spiders were rare and solitary hunters. Finding one was hard enough, but this Little Monkey had apparently hunted one down and captured it all by itself. He also couldn't help but notice that the monkey seemed to have moved through the air with strange ease. "Why can this monkey fly?"
Zhao Wuji's face was filled with wild joy. "This is great! It really is perfect!"
Dai Mubai, however, looked confused. He pulled his hair back, wondering if he was dreaming. He thought to himself that the plot was going in a very strange direction. He wondered if Su Yan had suddenly turned over a new leaf and decided to be the most helpful person in the world.
Tang San was stunned for a moment. He looked at the spider the Little Monkey had brought, but he felt a strange lack of interest. His eyes kept wandering back to the one that was over two thousand years old. It was bigger, more menacing, and felt more "right" to him. "I... I think I still want the other one..."
"Absolutely not!" Zhao Wuji and Su Yan shouted in unison.
Zhao Wuji began to curse. "Stop talking nonsense, kid! This larger spider is over two thousand years old. If you even attempt to absorb its spirit ring, you will die before the process is halfway finished! The one the Little Monkey brought back is much better. It is slightly over a thousand years old, which is the perfect challenge for your third ring."
Su Yan added more seriously, "Tang San, do you not believe in the theories of your teacher, Yu Xiaogang? He taught you that the maximum age limit for the third spirit ring is exactly one thousand seven hundred and sixty years. This spider exceeds that by a lot. As your friend, I'm not going to let you throw your life away on a gamble."
Without waiting for another argument, Su Yan signaled the Little Monkey. The monkey immediately tossed the thousand-year-old spider toward Tang San. While Tang San was distracted, Su Yan walked over to the two-thousand-year-old spider. He grabbed one of its long, hairy legs and started dragging it away as if it weighed nothing. No matter how the beast struggled or tried to bite, it couldn't even scratch Su Yan's skin.
"Hurry up and start your meditation, buddy," Su Yan called over his shoulder. "Absorb the ring that fits you. I'm going to take this dangerous one into the woods and dispose of it so it doesn't hurt anyone else."
Seeing this, Tang San felt a sharp pang in his heart. He didn't know why, but he felt a deep sense of loss. It was as if Su Yan had just walked away with something incredibly important that belonged to him.
Ning Rongrong and Dugu Yan followed Su Yan into a nearby small grove. They were holding a jade mirror and looked at the struggling spider with curiosity. Su Yan didn't waste any time. With a single, powerful slap, he ended the beast's life.
A few moments later, a faint red mist began to rise from the spider's corpse. Suddenly, a pair of purple-black spider legs erupted from the mist. "Wow! Golden Legend!" Su Yan whispered. He knew exactly what these were: the Eight Spider Lances. Without hesitating for a second, he waved his hand and stored the external spirit bone into his spatial ring.
"Huh?" Ning Rongrong and Dugu Yan blinked, looking confused. "What was that? We didn't even get a good look at it before you hid it away."
"Don't worry about it. Let's go back," Su Yan said, pulling the two girls back toward the clearing. He was secretly thrilled. He had successfully taken the external spirit bone for himself. Now, he wanted to see if Tang San would have any luck with the smaller spider he had provided.
Later that evening, the girls were busy on their communication devices.
Ning Rongrong posted a video titled "Nine Treasures Little Princess" showing a quick clip of the forest.
Dugu Yan posted a picture of the dead spider with the caption "Yanzi is not a Swallow."
The members of the Group Chat saw the new posts and clicked on them immediately.
Liu Erlong was the first to comment. "Wait a second, go back to that frame in the video. That thing coming out of the red mist... was that actually a spirit bone?"