Tang Lan summoned his Life Spirit Blue Silver Emperor and gave it a sharp tug—
The seeds he had previously planted on everyone sprouted instantly,
binding them with Blue Silver Emperor vines that connected to the Lightning Flame Clear Sky Hammer.
Then—
Tang Lan's entire body gleamed with golden light as he activated Vajra Indestructible Body,
gripping the hammer tightly and unleashing Sky-Shattering Strike!
With all his might,
he hurled the Lightning Flame Clear Sky Hammer in the opposite direction—
And since everyone was tied to the vines,
they were dragged along,
instantly flung away from the Titan Giant Ape!
Titan Giant Ape's Real Target—Xiao Wu!
The Titan Giant Ape ignored the others completely.
It simply extended one massive hand—
And grabbed Xiao Wu!
The Blue Silver Emperor vines snapped instantly under its sheer strength.
And, quite coincidentally—
Tang San's vine connection to Xiao Wu was the same one attached to her.
So he was also yanked off the hammer and left behind.
The rest of the team watched helplessly as Tang Lan, Tang San, and Xiao Wu shrunk into the distance.
Their eyes were filled with emotion!
—Sect Master actually sacrificed himself to cover their retreat?!
They tried to break free and rush back to help Tang Lan—
But the Life Spirit Blue Silver Emperor's resilience wasn't something they could overcome.
Oscar reacted first,
tossing every single Flying Mushroom Sausage he had—
both in his hands and in his storage ring—toward Tang Lan.
Seeing this,
everyone else did the same!
Zhao Wuji roared furiously, attempting to shatter the Blue Silver Emperor vines—
But—
"Old Zhao!" Tang Lan's calm voice rang out.
"I have a way to escape! Take them back to the Tang Sect Inn and wait for me!"
Zhao Wuji hesitated for a moment.
And in that brief hesitation—
They had already been flung far away,
making it impossible to return in time.
He could only accept reality with a bitter smile.
—Hopefully, Sect Master wasn't just saying that to comfort him.
Tang Lan's Pursuit—"Alive or Dead, I'll Find Her."
With the "obstacles" out of the way,
the Titan Giant Ape grabbed Xiao Wu and leaped high into the sky,
heading deeper into Star Dou Forest.
Tang Lan ate a Flying Mushroom Sausage,
his green wings unfolding as he hovered in midair.
Looking down at Tang San, he said in a low voice—
"I'm going after Xiao Wu."
"Dead or alive, I will bring her back."
"Xiao San, don't worry about me. Just go back."
Then, his wings turned crimson,
leaving a fiery trail as he blasted forward in pursuit of the Titan Giant Ape!
Leaving Tang San behind, frozen in hesitation.
—Should he chase?
—Or should he leave?
His gaze fell on the scattered Flying Mushroom Sausages on the ground.
After a moment's hesitation—
He used Blue Silver Grass to retrieve them all.
Tang Lan's Hidden Observation—The Truth About Tang San
From the shadows,
Tang Lan watched everything unfold through his Blue Silver Domain.
—Xiao Wu was one thing.
—Tang San was another.
He had taken care of Tang San all these years,
guiding him, protecting him—
Yet because Tang San chose to hide his true nature,
he was unable to benefit from Tang Lan's care.
And the result?
He hesitated even now.
Tang Lan scoffed.
—Looks like it's time for Plan B.
—I'll have to deliver that Man-Faced Demon Spider to Tang San myself.
Just as he was about to act—
Tang San finally moved.
He ate a Flying Mushroom Sausage,
his fire wings igniting as he sped off in pursuit!
Tang Lan's Amusement—"Maybe I Misjudged You, Xiao San."
Oh?
He actually followed?
Tang Lan did some quick calculations.
A single Flying Mushroom Sausage in Fire Wing mode
only provided 30 seconds of flight time.
Each person had originally been given three sausages—
That's only 90 seconds of flight.
Not nearly enough to accomplish anything.
But counting the 30 extra sausages they had just thrown down…
—Now he had enough to sustain himself for a while.
—"I might have misjudged you, Xiao San."
—"Then again…"
In the original story, when Xiao Wu was taken,
Tang San went absolutely berserk trying to save her.
And now—
Tang Lan was his brother.
After all these years of PUA manipulation,
his importance to Tang San wasn't any lower than Xiao Wu's in the original timeline.
This works.
The Hunt Begins—Man-Faced Demon Spider Sighted!
Tang Lan left a burning trail through the trees,
guiding Tang San toward him.
Gradually—
The path diverged from the Titan Giant Ape's route—
And instead,
they were closing in on the two Man-Faced Demon Spiders.
Tang Lan timed it perfectly.
Just as his Fire Wings expired,
he plummeted toward the ground.
The two Man-Faced Demon Spiders immediately perked up—
—A free meal in the middle of the forest?
The smaller 2,000-year-old Man-Faced Demon Spider spat out a web without hesitation!
"Whoosh—"
But—
Life Spirit Blue Silver Emperor vines surged from the ground, forming a barrier that blocked the web!
The larger 30,000-year-old Man-Faced Demon Spider let out a low, cautious hiss
and pulled the smaller one back.
The next moment—
Tang San descended from the sky, landing beside Tang Lan.
"A Man-Faced Demon Spider?" Tang San muttered grimly.
"These creatures are nightmares for small soul beasts… They devour life itself…
Even a hundred-year-old one can fight a thousand-year-old beast.
Brother, this is trouble!"
Tang Lan nodded.
"The small one shouldn't be a problem for you, right?"
"It's already used one web attack."
—Man-Faced Demon Spiders under ten thousand years old can only spit webs three times per day.
Tang San didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he carefully observed his target.
The small Man-Faced Demon Spider was about 1.5 meters long,
its eight legs resembling black spears, each about three meters long.
Its dark exoskeleton gleamed ominously—a clear sign of its 2,000-year age.
Tang San was only level 28,
but with firearms in hand, he wasn't completely helpless.
However—
The larger Man-Faced Demon Spider…
30,000 years!
"Brother, I can handle the small one!" Tang San said seriously.
"But that big one is 30,000 years… Can you handle it?"
"Not sure." Tang Lan frowned deliberately.
"A ten-thousand-year-old Man-Faced Demon Spider can already use Spider God Possession…
I'll do my best to stall it.
You need to finish your fight quickly."
Tang San's expression turned sharp.
—Looks like I'll have to go all out today!
Battle Begins—Tang San's Attack Strategy
Tang San launched forward, heading straight for the small Man-Faced Demon Spider.
At the same time—
Tang Lan's left eye gleamed—
🔹 Life Burial!
Life Spirit Blue Silver Emperor vines erupted, engulfing the large Man-Faced Demon Spider, draining a small portion of its energy.
Meanwhile—
Tang San raised his Uzi.
But instead of firing at the smaller spider—
He aimed at the large one's underbelly!
—Where a grotesque human-like face was imprinted, surrounded by eight eerie violet eyes—its weakest point!
"Ratatatatata—"
The Uzi unleashed a storm of bullets!
But—
The large Man-Faced Demon Spider intercepted every shot with its sharp legs,
blocking the bullets with precision!
The small Man-Faced Demon Spider screeched in rage!
It spat out another web, aiming to stop Tang San from continuing his attack!
But Tang San had been watching closely.
Just before the web attack,
he used Ghost Shadow Perplexing Step to sidestep just in time,
narrowly dodging the attack!
The small Man-Faced Demon Spider immediately chased after him,
its eight eyes burning with fury—
—Determined to tear apart the "food" that hurt its mother!
Meanwhile—
The large Man-Faced Demon Spider was no fool.
It quickly realized Tang San was leading its offspring away.
It tried to slice through the Life Spirit Blue Silver Emperor vines,
but—
It barely cut halfway through!
—What?!
Using full strength, it finally broke free—
But—
Tang Lan had already activated his next soul skill!
🔹 Second Soul Skill: Blue Silver Emperor Explosion!
"BOOM—"
The engulfing vines detonated,
sending shrapnel-like thorns tearing into the large spider's exoskeleton.
Sparks flew, metal shrieked, and—
Tang Lan seized the opportunity.
He summoned the Lightning Flame Clear Sky Hammer,
its lightning-infused body materializing in his right hand.
Before the large spider could recover—
Tang Lan charged in,
unleashing the Disorder Wind Hammer Technique!
The large Man-Faced Demon Spider braced itself,
blocking the first attack with two of its legs,
while using two others to strike from the sides!
But—
Tang Lan's left hand flickered—
🔹 First Soul Skill: Blue Silver Emperor Thorn!
Vines shot forward, coiling around the spider's two attacking legs!
"CLANG—!!"
The Lightning Flame Clear Sky Hammer collided with the defensive legs,
its 2,000-jin impactburying the spider's legs into the ground!
Tang Lan spun with the recoil,
bringing down a second hammer strike!
The spider was forced to defend again!
Tang Lan's Plan—Forcing Tang San to His Limits
The Disorder Wind Hammer Technique accelerated—
Each strike faster than the last.
Each impact heavier than the last.
The large Man-Faced Demon Spider was forced into full defense.
It couldn't break free.
It was trapped.
And at that moment—
🔹 [Host has forced Tang San to overuse his Indestructible Impregnable Skill, overdrawing his potential. Future achievements will decline. Stole a portion of Tang San's fortune!]
🔹 [Reward: +1 Level!]
Excellent!
Tang San had finally started to go all out.
But Tang Lan didn't change his pace.
—Let's keep this going.
Because soon—
Eight Spider Lances were about to drop!
Tang Lan monitored the battlefield through Blue Silver Domain,
always ready to act.
Until—
"BOOM!!!"
A thunderous gunshot roared through the air!
The large Man-Faced Demon Spider's body tensed instantly.
Its glowing red-gold aura flared as it activated Spider God Possession!
—In this mode,
the Man-Faced Demon Spider gains massive enhancements to everything but defense.
—At 30,000 years old, it could briefly rival even a 100,000-year soul beast!
But—
Every second of Spider God Possession drained one year of cultivation!
"Now's my chance!"
🔹 Sky-Shattering Strike!
The Disorder Wind Hammer Technique flowed seamlessly into Tang Lan's most powerful attack.
His full strength poured into the Lightning Flame Clear Sky Hammer—
And he slammed it down onto the Man-Faced Demon Spider's back!
The spider miscalculated—
And was instantly crushed to the ground!
—Because Spider God Possession doesn't enhance defense!
Tang Lan's left eye gleamed with violet light—
🔹 Dragon Subduing Palm!
A golden dragon phantom coiled around the Man-Faced Demon Spider's legs,
flipping it over to expose its weakest spot—
—the eerie human face on its abdomen!
A Perfect Finisher—Ice-Fire Poison Needle!
"SPLRT—"
A vivid green tailripped through Tang Lan's pants.
🔹 Ice Jade Scorpion Tail!
Tang Lan stepped sharply,
using Wave Steps to angle himself right beneath the spider,
locking eyes with its grotesque human-like face.
Within his body—
🔹 The Ultimate Ice from the Ice Jade Scorpion
🔹 And the Ultimate Fire from the Nine Yang Divine Art
—clashed violently at his tailbone!
🔹 Soul Bone Ability: Blazing Frost Venom Needle!
BOOM!!!
Extreme energies erupted simultaneously,
propelling the Ice Jade Scorpion Tail like a bullet!
The spider's legs tried to block—
But it was too late!
The venomous stinger pierced one of its eerie purple eyes!
Two clashing extreme forces—Ice and Fire—
poured directly into the Man-Faced Demon Spider's brain.
And then—
🔹 "KABOOM—!!!"
Its red-gold glow flickered violently,
its exoskeleton cracked,
and its legs collapsed lifelessly beneath it.
The massive corpse slammed into the ground—
And a deep black soul ring rose from its body.
—One mistake. Dead instantly.
Tang Lan retracted his scorpion tail,
his eyes flashing with excitement.
—A 20,000-year-old external soul bone… What a monstrous power!
He stored away the Barrett sniper rifle he had prepared for finishing blows,
then scanned the spider's corpse with his spiritual power.
—No soul bone. What a pity.
He wrapped the corpse in Life Spirit Blue Silver Emperor vines,
then activated his Blue Silver Right Leg Bone
and sped toward Tang San's side.
Tang San's Situation—Overdrawn Potential!
Even from afar,
Tang Lan immediately noticed the small Man-Faced Demon Spider's corpse—
A purple soul ring floating above it.
Tang San sat cross-legged beside it,
new streaks of white appearing in his hair,
his skin glowing faintly with flames—
It looked exactly like when the Phoenix-Tail Crest Snake absorbed the Ten-Thousand-Year Fire Spirit Ginseng.
—No surprise there.
Tang San had used Reverse Undying Seal to push himself beyond his limits,
but still struggled to kill the 2,000-year-old spider.
So—
He had desperately consumed the Ten-Thousand-Year Fire Spirit Ginseng
that Oscar had thrown alongside the Flying Mushroom Sausages.
—Swallowed it whole.
With the fire energy forcibly replenishing his depleted life force,
he barely managed to kill the small Man-Faced Demon Spider—
by using Disorder Wind Hammer Technique to create an opening,
and finishing it with a Barrett headshot.
Now—
The wild, uncontrollable medicinal energy surged through his body,
overpowering his meridians.
Tang Lan's "Assistance"—Draining the Energy for Himself
Would Tang Lan stand by and watch his little brother suffer?
🔹 Third Soul Ring—Life Burial!
Life Spirit Blue Silver Emperor vines wrapped around Tang San,
devouring the excess energy he couldn't absorb.
Unlike pure soul power,
this was medicine-infused energy,
which, after being refined by Nine Yang Divine Art,
could partially be converted into Tang Lan's internal energy!
—One man's poison, another man's treasure.
As he siphoned the excess,
Tang Lan floated toward the small Man-Faced Demon Spider's corpse.
🔹 A single Blue Silver Emperor vine extended forward…
And pierced the spider's abdomen—
Extracting a deep purple-black light orb!
—An external soul bone.
—Eight Spider Lances!
Tang Lan smirked.
—I kill a 30,000-year-old Man-Faced Demon Spider. No soul bone.
—Tang San kills a 2,000-year-old one. Drops the rarest external soul bone.
Hah!
—If this isn't rigged, I'll take Tang San's last name.
Without hesitation,
Tang Lan stored the Eight Spider Lances into his Blue King Ring—
He didn't care about offending the "hidden forces" behind this.
—After all, that mysterious entity was only looking for a successor.
—If I outperform Tang San, why shouldn't I take his place?
Tang Lan waited patiently.
Half an hour later—
Tang San had completely absorbed the violent medicinal energy,
so Tang Lan withdrew the Life Spirit Blue Silver Emperor.
🔹 [Host has absorbed Tang San's Ten-Thousand-Year Fire Spirit Ginseng energy, stealing a portion of Tang San's fortune!]
🔹 [Reward: +150 years to all soul bones!]
—Again?!
Tang Lan frowned.
That meant his two external soul bones had already lost 300 years of potential growth.
He glanced at Tang San.
His face was unnaturally flushed,
his eyes filled with deep frustration.
—He had been using Nine Yang Divine Art to better absorb the medicinal power.
—As a result, his Mysterious Heaven Skill's internal energy had become unstable—
A mixture of purple mist and fiery energy, now completely impure.
To restore it, he would need at least half a month of careful adjustments.
But the good news—
Tang San's eyes burned with excitement as he looked at the floating purple soul ring above the small Man-Faced Demon Spider's corpse.
"Brother! I reached level 30!"
"Can you help me absorb this 2,000-year soul ring?"
Tang Lan thought it over.
—This soul ring was a minor opportunity for Tang San.
But he had no way to take it for himself.
—What was he supposed to do, absorb it himself?
If he took it, he wouldn't be able to condense his innate soul ring,
losing his unique ability to increase its age over time.
Plus, if he only denied Tang San the soul ring but didn't take it himself,
—The system wouldn't count it as stealing fortune.
It would just be pointless sabotage.
And to be fair—
Tang San had indeed risked his life while Tang Lan was "in danger."
So—
Tang Lan nodded.
"Xiao San, start absorbing. I'll protect you."
Tang San didn't hesitate.
He immediately sat cross-legged, summoned his Blue Silver Grass martial soul,
and guided the purple soul ring into his body.
And instantly—
His entire body tensed violently, trembling from the overload!
🔹 Life Burial!
Tang San was wrapped in Life Spirit Blue Silver Emperor vines,
as Tang Lan siphoned off the excess soul power to prevent his body from exploding.
Even so—
Tang San groaned in agony.
Tang San's Success—His First Purple Soul Ring!
Despite his slower leveling compared to the original timeline,
Tang San had never slacked on physical training.
In fact, with Tang Lan constantly pushing him,
his body was even stronger than in the original story.
And after consuming the Ten-Thousand-Year Fire Spirit Ginseng,
his physique had been further enhanced.
So in the end—
He successfully absorbed the 2,000-year soul ring.
🔹 His soul ring colors became—
⚪🟡🟣 (White, Yellow, Purple).
Tang San opened his eyes in excitement!
Only for Tang Lan to immediately cut him off.
"This 30,000-year Man-Faced Demon Spider soul ring is perfect for me."
"Xiao San, guard me while I absorb it!"
Tang San glanced at the black soul ring,
noticing that it was already beginning to fade—
—If he had taken any longer to finish his own absorption, it would have vanished!
His heart swelled with emotion.
—Brother let this soul ring almost disappear…
—Just so he could guard me while I absorbed a mere 2,000-year soul ring…?
—As expected!
—Following my brother was the right choice!
"Alright! Brother, hurry and absorb it!"
Tang Lan sat down cross-legged,
summoning Life Spirit Blue Silver Emperor,
pulling the black soul ring toward him.
At the same time—
🔹 Left Eye Spirit—Life Burial!
A massive cluster of Life Spirit Blue Silver Emperor vines engulfed Tang Lan,
completely obscuring him from Tang San's view.
And then—
The precious 30,000-year-old soul ring was…
🔹 Completely abandoned.
It dissipated into the air—
And instead—
🔹 Tang Lan began condensing his innate soul ring.
Perhaps due to the energy released from the dissolving black soul ring,
his surroundings became rich with natural power.
And within just one hour—
🔹 Tang Lan successfully condensed his fourth soul ring.
He focused his senses inward—
🔹 Fourth Soul Skill—???
🔹 (End)