Volume 1: The Strongest in the Mine Chapter 111: Ghost Spider Ally

  The monk with the surname Lu had a glint in his eye, and he nodded firmly: "You and I will hurry up, first suppress him, and force him to reveal the origin of the Spiritual Brightness Divine Water. This gain is much greater than you and I leading everyone into the central area of the Heavenly Demon Ridge!"

  "If elder brother is so confident, what's the wait?"

  Lu Xing also showed a hint of greed, after all, the temptation of Lingming Shenshui, an extinct spiritual material in many inland sects, was too great. If he could find the source of Lingming Shenshui, it would be a stroke of luck that would bring him immense wealth. The two figures flashed by, rapidly breaking into the first layer of heaven.

  "Halt!" The Lu surname cultivator suddenly stopped in his tracks, his eyes darting back and forth as he scanned the surrounding walls. "It should be around here."

  "Senior brother, look over there!" The Lu surname cultivator suddenly exclaimed with a hint of terror.

  Following the direction of the finger, three withered human skulls suspended in mid-air by white spider silk were imprinted on the eyelids of Ru Xing Shi. Instantly, he forgot his original intention to search for others and whispered: "Shi Di, absolutely do not make a big noise, I recognize these three people, one is Hou Ren Wang of Li Bao Zong, one is Du Chang Feng of Jiu You Ling Gan Zong, and the other is Chen Yuan Ming of Bi Luo Xian Zong. They are all at the peak of the spiritual movement period. Who would have thought that they were so unlucky to run into that deadly star in this line of heaven?

  Soon, the Lu surname cultivator was quietly told by the Ru surname cultivator about the various rumors of the nine-stage demon beast, Jade-Faced Ghost Spider. He then paused for a moment and said: "It seems that this Jade-Faced Ghost Spider has set up this place as its forbidden land. Have you seen the spider silk road surface laid out on the path ahead, over a hundred feet long? That is a deliberate mark left by the Jade-Faced Ghost Spider, clearly giving out a warning of death to any intruder.

  "What should we do then? Are we just going to retreat like this?"

  "No need to, our Jiu Yin Sect is one of the eight demonic sects that specializes in poison, others may be helpless against it, but for you and me, passing through this place isn't a difficult task"

  The Lu surname cultivator didn't know when, had already taken out a delicate jade bottle from the storage space. The two of them each poured out a small pinch of powder from the bottle, pinched it in their palms and catalyzed it with true yuan force. After that, the Lu surname cultivator still had a hint of worry and said: "Senior brother, can this 'Ling Long Powder' really avoid the Jade Face Ghost Spider?"

  "The smell emitted by the Linglong powder is the most unbearable to poisonous creatures, as long as you and I don't intentionally provoke the Jade-faced Spider Ghost, it will absolutely not bother us."

  But what about that little one who has the Spirit of Luminous Water in his belly?

  Lu Xing's eyes narrowed as he said, "Judging from the scent of 'Xian Yin Wu Wo Xiang' that I sprinkled on him earlier, this person should be nearby. This mountain path is so narrow, and we haven't seen a third person along the way. It's likely that he has already gone ahead."

  Just as the two of them were talking, Chu Yi, who was hiding at the mouth of the cliff, suddenly opened his eyes and listened to their conversation, after which he couldn't help but feel a surge of nameless evil fire in his heart.

  "How dare you play tricks on me?"

  Watching the two Jiu Yin Zong disciples slowly step onto the spider web-filled path ahead, Chu Yi silently circulated his divine yuan energy and pried off a fist-sized rock from the rocky layer beside him.

  "Senior brother, it's just over a hundred zhang away, why don't we speed up and rush over?" asked the Lu surname cultivator with doubt.

  "Nowadays, the spider silk we're treading on isn't anything ordinary. If there's too much noise, it will attract that Jade-Faced Ghost Spider. Unless we had sprinkled Dragon Spirit Powder on ourselves beforehand, even with our current light footsteps, we would have attracted this calamity. Follow me quietly and stop talking nonsense."

  He played with the rock in his hand until the moment when the Lu and Ru surname cultivators reached the central section of the spider silk, then Chu Yi suddenly flicked his wrist, and the rock shot out at an incredible speed, heading straight for the several strands of crystal clear spider silk that had three human skulls hanging from them.

  With such a force, even if it were a hundred refined iron wires, they would be broken in one strike, but that spider silk was far beyond the ordinary person's imagination of toughness, never breaking, only violently shaking, three heads under this power's traction, violently shaking, issuing a chilling scream.

  Suddenly hearing this sound, the Lu surname monk's face changed drastically, his eyes peeking at this scene, hastily saying: "Not good, someone has set up an ambush for us, let's speed up and advance with all our might!"

  He and the Lu surname cultivator accelerated, and over a hundred zhang distance was only a few breaths of time. How could Chu Yi let them have their way? In his hidden state, he silently took out two true demons. Two gusts of dark wind whizzed by, and the speed of the demon's movement was not inferior to that of a Golden Elixir cultivator's escape light. Moreover, they had the terrifying ability to break through space for short distances in an instant. In the blink of an eye, they were already blocking the two cultivators' path. The demonic aura burst forth as they bared their teeth and pounced on the Lu surname cultivator and the Ru surname cultivator.

  At the same time, the shrill whistling sounds emitted by the three floating dry skulls also grew louder.

  "Is this a Dark Demon? No, it's actually a True Devil" Could it be someone from the Mystic Temple?

  Among the eight sects of Demon Dao, Xuanming Temple is the most skilled in cultivating demon heads. No wonder the Lu surname cultivator had this reaction at the first time.

  As a seasoned veteran who had entered the Tianyao Ridge for the second time, he was far more aware of the terror of the Jade-Faced Spider than anyone else. At this moment, although his heart was raging with anger, he didn't have the guts to search for who was secretly harming him at this critical juncture. Alongside the Lu-named cultivator beside him, they both unleashed their strongest divine abilities, striving to blast open a path forward and flee far away.

  Hidden in the precipice, Chu Yi saw that it had already caused such a commotion, but still did not see the "accomplice" being summoned. With a fierce determination, a burst of golden flames exploded, transforming into several fire blades that severed the spider silk suspending three heads.

  The lingering, ear-piercing shriek finally came to an abrupt end. In the sky above, a black shadow swooped down with lightning speed, and in an instant, a loud "Boom" shook the air. A giant spider, its body as large as a house, with eight legs under its belly, its entire body gleaming like jade, and sporting a human-like face that resembled an old nun's, landed firmly on the ground several dozen meters away from the two True Devils.

  In almost no time, the white-faced ghost spider's eight legs were stuck to the ground, its mouth opened and a pure white web thread was sprayed out in an instant, wrapping around the nearest true demon.

  The demon head was originally an intangible thing, but that spider silk was different from ordinary objects. It actually made the real demon unable to exhibit its ability to break through space and perform small teleportations. The more it struggled, the tighter the spider silk wrapped around it. Chu Yilong's spiritual power changed behind him, and the demon followed with a large-scale transformation, but no matter how it changed its shape, it was all in vain, which really made Chu Yi feel depressed.

  "It seems that due to the 'Linglong Powder' on those two guys, in a situation where they have a choice, the Jade-Faced Spider Ghost will not attack them."

  Chu Yixin's mind was racing, and she made a swift decision. Her hands moved swiftly, and the true demon's body, which had been wrapped in spider silk, suddenly swelled up violently, like a balloon that had been blown over its head. It flew forward and collided with the Jade-Faced Spider Ghost. "Demon Blast."

  In an instant, a massive shockwave that shook the ground spread out from this true demon as its center. The sturdy spider silk wrapped around it was reduced to flying ash in the blink of an eye. Under the self-destructive might of this true demon, even a Golden Dan True Person would have to retreat.

  At the same time, another true devil was hit by a law-protecting treasure of a certain Ru surname cultivator and broke through space, disappearing with a small teleportation.

  The Jade-Faced Spider Demon was indeed a formidable ninth-grade demon beast, and under the impact of this close-range magic explosion, it didn't even flinch. The bloodthirsty creature's face twisted in rage as it let out a heart-piercing shriek, its mouth agape. Even with Chu Yiyuan's peak Spiritual Movement period cultivation, if he hadn't used his divine yuan energy to defend himself, his mind would have been unsettled by this sonic attack.

  "Something is terribly wrong. The miscellaneous lock of the Xuan Ming Temple actually sacrificed a true demon to self-destruct and frame you, my junior brother. Now, our only option is to fight this Jade-Faced Ghost Spider with all our might. Whatever happens, don't even think about escaping - in this Tian Yao Ridge, no cultivator's speed can surpass its."

  Lu Xing's face turned pale with shock, not because he didn't want to retreat early, but because this sudden change had happened too quickly. However, as a man of character, he didn't hesitate and launched an attack first, taking out a pair of silver hammer-shaped magic artifacts the size of millstones and fiercely smashing them towards the incoming Jade-Faced Ghost Spider.

  "Losing a true demon's head in exchange for these two guys' lives, I wonder if it's worth it or not."

  Always hidden in the dark, Chu Yi's voice was low and even, his eyes fixed on the two Jiu Yin Zong disciples who were already entangled in a fierce battle with the Jade-Faced Spider, their spirits highly concentrated, waiting for an opportunity to gain the most benefit for themselves, a chance to strike.

  The Jade-Faced Spider's ferocity exceeded everyone's expectations, far surpassing what was recorded in the Jade Manual. The two cultivators, one with the surname Lu and the other with the surname Ru, each possessed a top-grade spiritual artifact, and when they combined their formations, their attack became so fierce that it almost reached the level of a Golden Dan True Person.

  In contrast, the jade-faced spider was completely fearless, its body as hard as steel casting, and even the most exquisite spiritual instruments could only scratch or shatter some insignificant small wounds on its hard shell, without causing any fatal damage. Its eight legs were like eight sharp blades, cutting out intangible air blades that shattered jade and broke gold. Even with divine artifacts protecting one's body, they would still be instantly defeated upon contact. If one were to be hit squarely in a defenseless state, their life would likely be forfeit immediately.

  Apart from that, the ghost spider's incessant sharp whistling was also unsettling, and with its mouth continuously spewing out highly toxic spider silk, even Lu and Lu, who were both elite disciples of the Jiuyin Sect, a sect known for their expertise in poison, did not dare to let themselves be tainted by even half a point.

  In this way, especially in such a cramped space that cannot be dodged or escaped, the two of them were at a loss for words, looking extremely embarrassed and flustered, giving people a feeling of impending doom.

  At the same time, Lu Xian's fellow disciple whispered to him: "Junior brother, when that happens. The miscellaneous people of the Xuanyuan Temple think we are at our last gasp and sneak up on us, I will block all the ghost spider's attacks, you don't need to worry, use the thing given by the sect leader, even if it means burying ourselves in the spider's mouth today, let this person take the blame.

  "I understand, this Shīn Líng Jiǔ Jué Fú in my hand is a top-grade spiritual symbol personally refined by the Sect Master. Anyone who touches it will be doomed, even if they are a Golden Elixir True Person, their life will be in danger. Hmph, dare to plot against us? Then let him die without a whole corpse."

  "But once this last resort is used, how will we deal with this Jade-Faced Spider Ghost?"

  "Don't worry about this, at worst I'll exhaust my hundred-year lifespan and use the Wan Du Body God Technique to bring you out of here. Even if we can't kill the Jade-Faced Spider, it's enough to get us a mile away from its lair. The Jade-Faced Spider has a habit of never leaving its nest too far away, so as long as we escape ten miles away, we'll be safe."

  At this moment when the two brothers were discussing in a low voice, Chu Yi also came up with an idea in his heart.

  "These two may not be as powerful as myself, but they shouldn't have only this little trick up their sleeves. Anyone who can enter the Tianyao Ridge must be an elite within their sect. The Eight Great Demon Sects and the Nine Supreme Sects are equally renowned, so the cultivation powers of their disciples should also be on par with each other. Hmph, these two from the Jiuyin Sect definitely don't just have this little bit of power, could it be that they have ulterior motives?"

  Chu Yi's current eyesight is so sharp, his judgment of others' strength is increasingly accurate. Watching the battle until now, he can't help but think to himself: "Wanting to lure me into action? Well, I'll just turn the tables and let you see what it means to be a master of dark calculations."

  Two, old meaning, Chu Yun did not know when he pinched a handful of various shapes and types of talismans in his palm.

  "Wind Chaser Symbol, Godly Power Symbol, Frenzied Symbol, Light Spirit Symbol, Boulder Symbol, Gold Shattering Symbol." There were over a dozen of them in total.

  Right after that, Chu Yi did something extremely wasteful. He actually used the power of the Divine Origin to forcibly erase more than half of the spiritual effects of these valuable auxiliary spirit symbols, which were originally able to last for three incense sticks' worth of time and now could only last for one incense stick's worth of time at most.

  "The enemy of an enemy is a friend, I never thought that I would have a guest appearance as a 9th-tier demon beast ally"

  Chu Yi's mouth curled up into a faint smile, and with a swift motion, he threw out a dozen specially treated spirit talismans that exploded on the Jade-Faced Ghost Spider in an instant.

  For a moment, more than ten layers of spiritual light enveloped her body. The Jade-Faced Ghost Spider's entire being had expanded by a circle, and under the blessing of so many auxiliary spirit symbols, at this moment, the Jade-Faced Ghost Spider's strength had increased by at least one level, which is to say that as it was now, it already possessed the strength of a spiritual beast.

  Because of the loss of stealth effect after casting the Ling symbol, Chu Yi was finally seen by Lu and Lu, two members of the Jiuyin Sect. However, at this moment, Chu Yi was too far away from them, making it impossible for the duo to launch a fatal attack.

  "I personally can't stand it when people take advantage of others, since you two have already given me a big gift of 'Xian Yin Wu Wo Xiang' at the trading fair, I'll just have to return the favor and give you a big gift in return."

  Chuyi, who was over a hundred feet away, burst out laughing. One sentence made Lu and Lu so angry that they spat up blood.

  "This is too sinister, first not hesitating to self-destruct and enrage the Jade-Faced Spider Ghost to attack his own two fellow disciples, now again putting more than a dozen auxiliary spirit symbols on the Jade-Faced Spider Ghost's body" "Don't play like this, okay?"

  Under the blessing of many spiritual symbols, the Jade-Faced Ghost Spider launched an unprecedented fierce attack. The originally feigning Ru and Lu surname cultivators, who were pretending to be unable to withstand it, have now turned fake into real, truly struggling left and right, their hair standing on end in alarm.

  "Brother, we can't wait any longer. As long as the green hills remain, we won't be afraid of running out of firewood. Follow closely behind me and charge out with me."

  Lu Xing's voice fell, and he suddenly activated the "Wàn Dú Bà Tǐ" (Ten Thousand Poison Overlord Body), a powerful divine ability that could easily shorten one's lifespan by a hundred years. His body suddenly expanded three times its original size, his skin turning a eerie iron-blue color, and even his face twisted into a terrifying shape.

  The Jiuyin Sect holds poison in high esteem, and the Wan Du Ba Ti is a creation of the second leader of the Jiuyin Sect. It is extremely difficult to cultivate, requiring one to first feed their body to insects in an insect cave filled with countless poisonous substances for 100 days. Then, using the sect's secret medicine to refine one's bones and muscles, they must soak in scalding medicinal liquid for 81 days to be considered initially successful. After that, every year they must ingest 100 types of poison, and after a full cycle of 60 years, they can reach the state of great completion.

  Cultivating this divine ability is so difficult, and the sacrifice of a hundred years of life span is even more severe. The requirements are so harsh that even a cultivator like Lu surname is not a fool, yet he still wants to cultivate it, and its power can be imagined.

  In the blink of an eye, Lu's body had swollen to a size not much smaller than that of the Jade-Faced Spider. At this moment, he grasped his ultimate spiritual treasure "Secret Silver Thunder Hammer" in hand and charged forward with abandon, completely disregarding the poisonous spider silk and the invisible blades filling the space before him, like a locomotive at full speed, charging straight for the Jade-Faced Spider.

  Jade-faced spider is a highly toxic insect, a nine-level demon beast. Although it senses the opponent's momentum, it will not retreat in the slightest. With eight legs tapping on the ground, it suddenly stands up and emits a sharp whistle. A cyan flame pillar bursts out of its mouth, which is abnormally cold, without any high temperature or heat. Wherever the flame pillar passes, even the air seems to condense into an unusual phenomenon.

  "Zhilin, 'Ten Thousand Poisonous Nasal Body.' The divine Ru surname cultivator seemed to know the ferocity of this cyan flame pillar and dodged it with a speed that didn't match his massive body shape. With a loud crash, he heavily collided with the Jade-Faced Ghost Spider."

  "This guy, as expected, has an ace up his sleeve."

  A hint of murderous intent flashed across Chu Yi's eyes, which were separated by a hundred feet, and he secretly thought: "Wait a little longer, it's not time yet."

  Under the impact of the giant force, the Jade-Faced Spider was actually knocked flying dozens of feet away. Taking advantage of this opportunity, the Lu surname cultivator took the lead and galloped forward at high speed without looking back. He knew that his own strength was limited, and although the Poisonous Overlord's body was powerful, it could only be sustained for a short period of time. If it weren't for the fact that Chu Yi, that sinister and cunning guy, was lurking in the shadows, Lu surname cultivator would have had at least a 70% chance of taking down the Jade-Faced Spider. However, Chu Yi's previous series of calculations had already made him feel apprehensive, so he didn't dare to linger any longer in this dangerous situation. In his view, escaping first was now the top priority.

  "I'd like to run, but I didn't agree. Now Chu Yi is standing on the side of the Jade-Faced Spider Demon, coldly snorting as the eight Great True Devils emerge, tearing open space with a small instant shift that's several times faster than Lu's speed. In an instant, they've sealed off his path ahead."

  "Go die!"

  Lu surname cultivator's double-handed thunder hammer swung, and actually forcibly smashed the two true devils blocking in front of him to pieces. The fierce aura was unmatched for a moment. The Lu surname cultivator following closely behind also didn't idle around, already pinching the "Yin Ling Nine Extremes Symbol" in his hand, ready to cast it at any time.

  "Brother Spider, I've done my part, now it's up to you to perform."

  Chu Yizhen's voice had just fallen when the jade-faced spider that was knocked flying by the Lu surname cultivator suddenly sprang up, its eight legs stomping fiercely as its massive body shot up like a spring, pouncing swiftly once more towards the Lu surname cultivator who had been blocked off by the Eight Great True Devils.

  Yesterday, I overindulged in food and drink at the company's year-end dinner party and was unable to update this chapter of 5,000 words. I will continue writing tomorrow.

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