"Pfft!"
The tip of the dark blue spider leg easily pierced through the hastily condensed spirit power defense Xiao Wu had raised, plunging deep into her left shoulder.
"Ah!"
Xiao Wu cried out in pain, her face instantly turning deathly pale. The blood flowing from the wound actually carried a trace of a bizarre ink-green color and quickly began to turn black and swell.
It was clear the Human-Faced Demon Spider had injected its venom into Xiao Wu's body.
"Xiao Wu!!"
Seeing Xiao Wu injured, especially with the rapidly spreading venom, a raging inferno of fury ignited in Tang San's heart.
On a large tree not far away, Lin Mu frowned slightly. This Human-Faced Demon Spider's venom was quite potent—he couldn't let Xiao Wu die from this.
Under his tutelage, Tang San's cultivation level was significantly higher than Xiao Wu's.
Although Xiao Wu also possessed innate full spirit power, her playful nature and lack of focus meant her spirit power was still stuck at level 29.
The battle continued.
Tang San did not lose his reason. Taking advantage of the moment the Human-Faced Demon Spider was still restrained by the Blue Silver Grass, he carried Xiao Wu to a relatively safer spot.
The Human-Faced Demon Spider let out another sharp screech, struggling fiercely to break free from the Blue Silver Grass's bindings. It charged towards Tang San at an extreme speed.
Its remaining seven spider legs moved like seven sharp spears, launching a continuous barrage of attacks against Tang San. Each strike came with a sound of tearing air, so fast they left only afterimages.
Tang San's expression was grave. He pushed his Ghost Shadow Perplexing Step to its limits, his body twisting, dodging, and weaving within the confined space like a phantom, narrowly avoiding each deadly thrust.
"Second Spirit Skill, Plucking Flowers and Flying Leaves!"
After creating some distance, Tang San shouted a low command. The second yellow spirit ring at his feet burst with bright light.
The ordinary leaves on the Blue Silver Grass vines swirling around him instantly took on a faint golden sheen, their edges becoming sharp as blades.
Immediately after, using an esoteric technique, Tang San launched all these pale golden leaf blades forward in a burst. They transformed into a dense golden rain of blades, whistling as they shot towards the Human-Faced Demon Spider.
"Sizzle! Sizzle! Sizzle!!!"
The sharp leaves collided with the hard carapace, erupting in a shower of sparks. Most were deflected, but many successfully found their mark.
Especially the softer membranes at the joints and the wound of the broken leg were instantly cut into a ragged mess, splattering dark green fluid.
"Hiss!! Hiss!!!"
Under this relentless assault, the Human-Faced Demon Spider emitted a series of shrieks. It was utterly incapable of mounting an offense now and could only frantically wave its seven legs in a desperate defense.
"Good chance!"
Seizing this fleeting opportunity, Tang San's hands flashed over the spirit guide at his waist. Several cold glints of light shot out silently.
Under the special throwing technique Tang San employed, these hidden weapons spun through the air, tracing bizarre arcs that circumvented the spider's blocking forelimbs, striking its abdomen with pinpoint accuracy.
"Thud! Thud! Thud!"
Several muffled thuds sounded as the hidden weapons successfully pierced the Human-Faced Demon Spider's abdomen. Though they didn't penetrate deeply, the wounds they created bled profusely.
Consumed by intense pain, the Human-Faced Demon Spider flew into a complete frenzy. Ignoring the injuries to its abdomen entirely, it charged straight at Tang San, its speed even greater than before.
Seeing this, Tang San immediately used Ghost Shadow Perplexing Step to retreat.
Simultaneously, his hands flew out in a continuous motion, sending another several dozen Blue Silver Grass leaf blades, enhanced by his second spirit skill, shooting forth.
This time, the attack wasn't linear. The blades collided with each other in mid-air, changing direction as if they possessed life, assailing the Human-Faced Demon Spider's eyes and mouthparts from various devious angles!
This was precisely the "One Thousand and One Nights" technique from the Tang Sect's hidden weapon arts.
Ever since obtaining his second spirit ring, Tang San had begun studying this technique, aiming to maximize the utility of his second spirit skill.
Although he could currently only utilize a fraction of its power, it was more than sufficient to deal with this Human-Faced Demon Spider.
"Whoosh! Whoosh—"
Accompanied by the sounds of tearing air, these pale golden leaves struck the Human-Faced Demon Spider's eyes and abdomen with perfect accuracy.
"Hsssss!!"
The Human-Faced Demon Spider let out a final, agonized shriek. Its massive body was now riddled with wounds, blood gushing like a fountain.
It managed only a few stumbling steps before its body began to convulse violently. Finally, it crashed to the ground with a heavy thud, its life force rapidly dissipating. A deep purple spirit ring slowly materialized above it.
Tang San didn't even glance at the spirit ring. He rushed back to Xiao Wu's side in a flash, gathering her limp body tightly into his arms.
"Xiao Wu, how are you?"
Tang San's face was a mask of panic and worry. He swiftly sealed the acupoints around Xiao Wu's wound to slow the venom's spread, but seeing the already festering injury, his heart sank to the depths.
The Human-Faced Demon Spider's potent venom was no trivial matter. The ordinary antidotes he carried likely wouldn't be effective.
"Brother... I'm so cold..."
Xiao Wu nestled against Tang San's chest, her consciousness already beginning to blur, her body trembling slightly.
Seeing this, Tang San was frantic with worry. Just as he was about to seek his master's help, the ground beneath them suddenly began to tremble.
"Thoom! Thoom! Thoom!"
Heavy, drum-like footsteps sounded, growing closer and closer. The tremors grew stronger and stronger.
Lin Mu also sensed this disturbance. He appeared silently beside Tang San, a look of unprecedented gravity flashing in his eyes.
"Master."
Seeing his master appear, the restlessness in Tang San's heart quickly calmed.
Lin Mu first glanced at the unconscious Xiao Wu, then took out a medicinal pill and handed it to Tang San. "Xiao San, take her and leave this place immediately."
"Master..."
Before Tang San could ask for a reason, the trees ahead were torn apart as if they were mere straw. A mountainous figure crashed through the dense forest, appearing before them.
Its appearance was a cross between an ape and a gorilla. It stood over fifteen meters tall, with eyes the size of lanterns blazing with a violent yellow light.
"Titan Giant Ape!"
Tang San couldn't help but exclaim in shock.
At the same moment, the Titan Giant Ape's attention fell upon the unconscious Xiao Wu. The corpse of the Human-Faced Demon Spider was behind a large tree, not within its line of sight.
"ROAR!!!"
The Titan Giant Ape let out an earth-shaking roar.
Endless fury blazed in its eyes—these two humans must have been the ones who harmed Xiao Wu like this!
Recalling the fate of Xiao Wu's mother, the Titan Giant Ape's eyes turned bloodshot.
It raised a colossal fist, like a meteor falling from the sky, and smashed it viciously towards Tang San's head.
Lin Mu's armor materialized around him in an instant. He positioned himself in front of Tang San, crossing his arms to block the gigantic fist head-on!
"BOOM!!!!"
A deafening crash erupted. The ground beneath Lin Mu's feet cracked and shattered, collapsing into a large crater.
In the next second, his entire body was sent flying like a cannonball for over ten meters, crashing heavily through a large tree before he managed to steady himself.
"Master!" Tang San cried out in alarm.
"Go! Now!"
Tang San gritted his teeth. He could only hold Xiao Wu tightly and flee madly towards the forest's periphery.
Seeing this human trying to take Xiao Wu away, the Titan Giant Ape grew even more enraged. It took massive strides, intent on giving chase.
Lin Mu was faster, intercepting it once more. The fire elements around him had been replaced by wind elements; his originally red armor had now transformed into a cyan-green armor.
"A hundred-thousand-year spirit beast, and you think I'll be afraid?"