Perfect Defence

A shimmer of golden light washed over the Nightmare's massive, chitinous body at the exact moment all those combined attacks struck. What should have been a fatal onslaught of blades, flames, and Qi blasts instead melted into the creature's exoskeleton like water soaking into sand. The spider's wounds, which had looked severe moments before, vanished as though they'd never existed. Its eight legs, now gleaming a burnished gold at the joints, lashed out with renewed strength.

A handful of cultivators who'd rushed in for a close-range kill were impaled in a single, sweeping motion. Sharp, glistening limbs punctured their torsos, and screams filled the cavern. Within seconds, they lay limp on the ground, dark blood pooling beneath them. Most of these unfortunates were still in the Spirit King stage—no match for a creature wielding such a bizarre, impenetrable defense.

"Fall back!" Scarface shouted, face gone ashen. "That barrier's more than we can handle!"

The survivors scrambled, clambering over rocks and scurrying away from the Nightmare's reach. Five bodies remained where they'd fallen, ragged holes torn straight through their chests. And yet, the spider itself did not give chase. Instead, it stood almost statuesque near the slick cavern wall, seeming to watch the trembling crowd as the golden aura slowly ebbed from its body.

Perched by the cavern's entrance, Xuefeng and the two women observed in tense silence. Ling, Xuefeng thought frantically, What's your analysis? How can a Spirit Beast use a Fate Fragment power?

In his mind, Ling's voice came through, carefully measured. It's not possible for a beast to bond with a Fragment directly. This must be something else. She paused, recalling centuries of fragmented memories. The ability the Nightmare just used is called "Perfect Defense." Twenty years ago, a man in the Central Region terrorized many famous warriors with it.

Perfect Defense? Xuefeng repeated, eyes narrowing as he studied the spider's still-glowing body.

Yes. It's a top-tier Fate Fragment power—purely passive, absorbing any incoming attacks and converting them into Spirit Qi for the user. Ling's mental tone soured. That man eventually died when he absorbed too much energy. His mediocre talent prevented further breakthroughs, and his dantian ruptured from the overload.

Xuefeng felt a chill dance across his skin. So how did the Nightmare end up with it?

The only explanation is that the person who inherited "Perfect Defense" is inside the spider's stomach, Ling said quietly. Every time someone attacks the Nightmare, the host reflexively conjures the defense—protecting both of them. The spider benefits by soaking up all that Spirit Qi, effectively healing any wounds.

Xuefeng shot a look at Xiao Wen. Her eyes met his, and a flicker of understanding passed between them. She'd clearly come to the same conclusion. Meanwhile, Wuying stood off to the side, confusion plain on her face.

"What's going on?" she asked, voice low. "What was that golden barrier about?"

Xuefeng exhaled. Here goes. "Wuying… you'll have to trust us for now. We can't intervene yet. The more they feed that spider, the closer we'll be to killing it."

She blinked. "That doesn't make any sense."

He gently rested a hand on her shoulder. "It's complicated, but I promise I'll explain everything once we're done. In short, there are certain… special abilities in this world. Some people are born with them. I have one, and so does Xiao Wen." He took a breath, wanting to choose his words carefully. "We believe there's someone trapped inside the Nightmare—a person who can generate that barrier whenever the spider is attacked."

Wuying's eyes darted from him to Xiao Wen, realization dawning. "I see," she murmured. "Your special ability is that you can increase someone's inborn talent, right?"

Xuefeng nodded. "Right. I kept it secret for obvious reasons, but I was thinking about upgrading yours after all this. In due time, of course."

A faint flush colored Wuying's cheeks, a small smile ghosting across her lips. "Thank you… that means a lot." She glanced at Xiao Wen's amused expression and coughed, regaining her composure. "So how do we kill the spider?"

Xiao Wen folded her arms. "The only sure way is to overfeed it with Spirit Qi. Force it to keep absorbing until it literally bursts from the overload. Joining the battle now is an unnecessary risk, so let's wait until the Nightmare reaches its limits."

Wuying's jaw tightened in distaste, knowing what will happen if they don't help right away. Only Xuefeng's safety matters, she thought, convincing herself it was the best decision. "Alright, we'll wait."

On the battlefield, a hush had fallen over the ragged group of cultivators. Some looked ready to flee; others were trembling with rage and fear at the horrific deaths they'd just witnessed. Yet pride and greed kept them rooted in place. If they left, they gained nothing—and gave up the chance to avenge their fallen allies.

Scarface's halberd glowed faintly, residual green Qi flickering along its metal edges. "Anyone recognize that golden barrier?" he demanded. Beads of sweat clung to his temples, an outward sign of his inner turmoil. "I've never seen a Nightmare do something like that before."

"Neither have I," muttered another. "Probably some weird one-off mutation. It can't last forever, right?"

Near the spider's towering form, the floor was slick with blood. The Nightmare plucked one of the fresh corpses—an unfortunate swordsman—and hauled it to its fangs, mandibles crunching audibly. The sight sent a wave of revulsion through the surviving cultivators.

A muscular man with fury in his eyes stepped forward. "That bastard ate my friend!" he roared. "I don't care what fancy trick it has, I'm going to chop it into pieces!"

Scarface grimaced, but seized the opportunity. "All right," he relented. "Let's push again—carefully. We strike from all directions so it can't focus on any one of us. If it can't sustain that golden shell, maybe we can wear it down."

He didn't mention the possibility of it absorbing all their attacks again. Hope and desperation made for a toxic mix, and the ragged group clung to the slim chance that the monstrous defense was limited.

"All right, spread out!" Scarface shouted, slapping the butt of his halberd against the stone floor. "On my command, hit it with everything you've got!"

The cultivators, eyes burning with vengeance, fanned out in a ring around the Nightmare, each preparing for another assault.