Chapter 48: Now It's Doomed!

"The Blood Spirit Pool?"

A sharp glint flashed in Han Yang's eyes. "Take me there!"

Hu Mei'er sneered inwardly, though outwardly she put on a docile and gentle expression.

"Little brother, that Blood Spirit Pool is no friendly place. Why don't you join my Myriad Monster Valley, and together we—"

"Shut up!"

Han Yang impatiently cut her off. "Lead the way!"

Hu Mei'er cursed him silently in her heart, but she dared not disobey, obediently taking the lead.

The group journeyed deep into the Hundred Thousand Mountains. The surrounding trees grew increasingly dense, and the air was thick with a bizarre and eerie aura.

Right at that moment, a rustling sound suddenly echoed from ahead.

Immediately following, a swarm of massive spiders crawled out from the woods.

Each one was the size of a water buffalo, covered entirely in coarse black fur, with eight scarlet eyes gleaming with a bloodthirsty light.

"Blood Spiders!"

Hu Mei'er gasped in alarm. "These Blood Spiders are violently poisonous, and there are countless numbers of them! Run!"

However, it was already too late.

Innumerable Blood Spiders had completely surrounded them.

"Blood Spiders! So many of them! We're dead for sure!"

Hu Mei'er shrieked, her face draining of color as she instinctively tried to bolt backward.

"Want to run? Where do you think you're going?"

Han Yang let out a cold snort, grabbed Hu Mei'er by the tail, and hauled her back.

"Behave yourself, or I'll drain you dry first!"

Terrified, Hu Mei'er trembled all over, yet she dared not resist. With a crying expression, she pleaded, "Spare my life, great lord! This humble one was only forced by circumstances!"

Too lazy to bother with her, Han Yang abruptly unfurled his Golden-Winged鹏 (Peng) Wings, transforming his figure into a streak of golden light as he instantly plunged into the swarm of Blood Spiders.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Fists and feet collided amidst roaring gales. Blood spiders exploded into pieces under his blows, splashing green fluids everywhere.

Han Yang was like a tiger dropped into a flock of sheep, completely unstoppable.

"Hiss, hiss, hiss!"

The Blood Spiders emitted piercing screeches, frantically surging toward Han Yang.

Bai Suzhen was not about to be outdone. Her serpentine tail whipped through the air with fluid agility, swatting approaching Blood Spiders away.

At the same time, a pale purple poisonous mist spewed from her mouth, engulfing the spider swarm.

"Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle!"

Afflicted by the venomous fog, the Blood Spiders let out agonizing shrieks as their bodies rapidly rotted away, dissolving into pools of pus.

The Horned Dragon was even more direct and brutal. Its massive body barreled through everything in a reckless charge, smashing the Blood Spiders into a chaotic, screaming mess.

Even Zhu Ganglie charged into the fray with wild bellows, tearing with tusks and bludgeoning with brute force.

Though his cultivation fell slightly short of the others, he still managed to crush several Blood Spiders.

Amidst the combat, Han Yang discovered that the blood of these Blood Spiders contained a peculiar energy that could be absorbed by his Taotie Soul.

"Ha, what an unexpected harvest!"

Overjoyed, he began actively devouring the blood of the slain spiders, boosting his strength at a rate visible to the naked eye.

[Ding! Taotie Soul strengthened!]

...

The system's prompt tones rang out continuously. Han Yang felt his strength growing ever more formidable, his entire body pulsing with explosive power.

Following a fierce battle, the swarm of Blood Spiders was finally exterminated.

Though Han Yang and his companions were somewhat fatigued, they were completely unharmed.

Seeing how terrifyingly powerful Han Yang was, Hu Mei'er dismissed any lingering thoughts of betrayal and obediently continued leading the way.

"This brat is an absolute monster!"

She sighed inwardly, looking at Han Yang with eyes full of lingering dread.

After wiping out the Blood Spiders, Han Yang noticed the surrounding environment growing increasingly gloomy and bizarre.

"Xiao Bai, Dragon, Old Zhu, stay on your guard. Something is wrong with this place."

Han Yang said in a deep voice.

"Boss, I feel it too. This place gives me the creeps; it's giving me the chills," Zhu Ganglie rumbled in his thick voice.

"Young master, the scent of blood here is intensely heavy. I fear there are even greater dangers ahead," Bai Suzhen said, her expression grave.

The Horned Dragon remained silent, merely scanning its surroundings with sharp vigilance, ready for battle at a moment's notice.

The group pushed deeper. The surrounding trees grew even denser, blotting out the sun and leaving barely a sliver of light.

"Rustle, rustle, rustle..."

Suddenly, a faint sound drifted from ahead, as though something was crawling along the ground.

Han Yang immediately halted and signaled the others to be on guard.

"What's that sound?"

Zhu Ganglie asked nervously.

"Shh!"

Han Yang made a gesture for silence, concentrating his hearing.

The sound grew closer and clearer, sounding like... countless legs crawling simultaneously!

"Careful!"

Han Yang let out a low cry, unfurling his Golden-Winged Peng Wings to shield the others behind him.

The next moment, countless massive centipedes crawled out from the forest.

Each one was several zhang long, covered from head to toe in hard exoskeletons that gleamed with a metallic sheen, green venom dripping from their mandibles.

"Holy shit! So many giant centipedes!"

Zhu Ganglie let out a startled squawk.

Even more bizarrely, riding atop the backs of these centipedes were... women dressed in scarlet bridal gowns!

Their faces were deathly pale, lips brightly crimson, and eyes completely hollow, resembling walking corpses.

As the centipedes crawled forward, the bodies of the brides swayed in rhythm, emitting an eerie, hair-raising rattling sound.

"What on earth is this?!"

Zhu Ganglie's stout body shuddered three times as he stared at the "brides" on the centipedes' backs.

"This is way too creepy!"

"Stop blabbering! These are all puppets—strike first!"

Han Yang vibrated his Golden-Winged Peng Wings, transforming into a streak of golden light that charged straight into the centipede swarm.

A violent wind howled, flipping several centipedes over instantly and exposing the vulnerable flesh of their bellies.

Bai Suzhen followed closely behind. Pale purple poisonous fog poured forth like a tidal wave, corroding the centipedes' tough shells.

The continuous sizzling sounds were relentless as the centipedes writhingly twisted in agony.

The Horned Dragon acted with even greater brutality. Its colossal body functioned like a runaway chariot, charging through the horde and shattering the centipedes to pieces.

The sound of cracking bones intertwined with the shrieks of the centipedes, forming a bizarre and grotesque symphony.

"Arooo!"

Zhu Ganglie refused to lag behind. He bit down with his tusks and charged with raw physical might; though clumsy in appearance, he dispatched quite a few centipedes himself.

However, the number of centipedes was simply too vast, appearing endless as they surged forth from all directions.

Gradually, Han Yang and the others began to feel the strain. Even with their formidable strength, resisting such a staggering quantity was immensely difficult.

Noticing this, a beam of light flashed through Han Yang's All-Seeing Golden Eyes.

He observed that while the centipedes possessed astonishing defense, the "brides" on their backs were exceptionally fragile.

"Attack the brides! Their weakness is on their backs!"

Han Yang shouted, altering his strategy. His Golden-Winged Peng Wings whipped up fierce gales as he targeted the brides directly.

Hearing this, the others swiftly shifted their offensive focus toward the brides.

As one "bride" after another was destroyed, the centipedes lost their control like severed puppets and collapsed onto the ground, unable to move.

Throughout the battle, Han Yang's Taotie Soul frantically devoured the lingering energy radiating from the centipedes and brides, increasing his power once more.

[Ding! Beast power increased to 3,500,000 / 50,000,000!]

[Ding! Current cultivation: 10,500 years!]

The system prompts echoed endlessly. Han Yang felt his might ascend to a new tier, his entire body brimming with explosive energy.