Chapter Thirty-two: The Eight-Legged Human-Faced Mite

"Master, what is this?"

"The owner of this tomb was no ordinary figure—he was likely a powerful heretical god. If my guess is correct, these six compartments once held 'Luo Fish.' As the Fire Cloud Tomb drifted northward, it absorbed vast amounts of spiritual energy from the heavens and earth, gradually concentrating within these chambers.

Under normal circumstances, Firelight Beasts roamed freely in this area, while the Luo Fish, confined within their compartments, cultivated slowly by absorbing external spiritual energy. However, these compartments were sealed with restrictive spells. Once the Luo Fish reached a certain level of cultivation, they would attempt to break free using celestial power. The moment they did, the tomb chamber would flood with water.

Firelight Beasts, fearing water, would desperately flee to higher ground, inadvertently carrying the spiritual energy upward. The tomb owner, having strategically placed his cultivation chambers in the elevated areas, ensured that his spiritual essence would continue to ascend even in death.

This heretical god, unwilling to relinquish his divinity, entombed himself voluntarily, hoping to one day awaken and circumvent the celestial laws."

Hearing this, Chen Fan couldn't help but marvel. The tomb owner's foresight was astonishing. But could all this effort truly be just to reclaim his godhood?

"Then, Master, how do we find the main chamber?"

"Simple. Just look for the tunnel with the most signs of frequent passage. That should be our way in."

As soon as Elder Ge finished speaking, Zhao Gu's voice rang out excitedly, "Master, over here! The Firelight Beast must have entered through this passage!"

Chen Fan glanced over. Indeed, the entrance bore numerous crawling marks.

Just as the three of them were about to step forward and investigate, a massive shadow suddenly descended from above. Instinctively, they leaped backward.

Boom!

A colossal figure crashed into the ground, shaking the earth and sending dirt and debris flying in all directions. The creature turned its gaze on Chen Fan and let out a thunderous roar.

But what sent a chill down his spine wasn't its sheer size or aggression—it was its face.

It had only a single eye, positioned horizontally across its visage, grotesque and unnerving.

Chen Fan's heart pounded. Without a second thought, he grabbed Zhao Gu's hand and bolted toward the tunnel.

But just as they entered—

The ground beneath them gave way.

In an instant, they were in freefall.

When Chen Fan regained consciousness, he had no idea where he was. Darkness swallowed everything, and the only sound was a persistent, eerie rustling. In pitch-black conditions, the smallest noises could morph into a terrifying orchestra of fear.

The only reassurance he had was the pair of hands clinging tightly to his arm.

"Zhao Gu, was that the Firelight Beast? Do you have a way to deal with it?"

Normally, Zhao Gu would have responded without hesitation. But now, there was only silence.

"Zhao Gu?"

No reply.

Chen Fan called out again, but the grip on his arm only tightened. Meanwhile, the rustling sounds grew louder.

Thinking she was simply frightened, he gently pressed her head against his chest and whispered, "Don't be afraid, Zhao Gu. I'll protect you."

To his surprise, she lightly bit his clothes.

"The hell, Zhao Gu? Is this some kind of graveyard roleplay?" Chen Fan muttered.

But before he could finish his thought—

A sharp pain pricked his chest.

Like something had stabbed him.

A horrible realization dawned on him.

The figure holding onto him... might not be Zhao Gu at all.

A chill ran down his spine. Recalling the techniques Zhao Gu had taught him, he quickly summoned a simple tool—a flashlight. Though not a powerful celestial artifact, conjuring small objects like this was within his ability.

With a flick, the flashlight illuminated the darkness.

And what it revealed nearly made his soul leave his body.

The figure in front of him was not Zhao Gu.

It was a woman's face—ghastly pale, her eyebrows unnaturally short, her teeth blackened beyond recognition. Two sharp fangs jutted out, still glistening with fresh blood.

But the most horrifying part?

Her body.

It wasn't human.

It was that of a monstrous spider, grotesquely large—its size rivaling the wheels of an ancient carriage.

And worse, as Chen Fan's eyes adjusted, he realized the entire cave was crawling with smaller spiders. Each one bore a human face, each more eerie than the last.

His stomach churned. The rustling sounds from before—the ones he had ignored—had been the sound of these creatures skittering toward him.

Chen Fan scanned the cavern. The walls were solid earth, and the hole they had fallen through was too high to climb. There was only one way out—a faint glimmer of light in the distance. But a swarm of human-faced spiders blocked his path.

Trapped.

A deep sense of dread clawed at his heart. The smaller spiders began closing in.

Then, Chen Fan suddenly remembered—the Zhurong Tears!

Before entering the tomb, he had applied this rare substance, known to repel the beasts of the Fire Cloud Tomb.

But before he could act, one of the human-faced spiders reached his foot. Instinctively, he stomped down.

Splatter!

The creature burst apart, releasing a foul-smelling liquid.

Disgusted but desperate, he continued attacking with his bare hands, crushing the spiders one by one. To his surprise, the Zhurong Tears worked—the creatures recoiled from his touch.

But their leader wasn't so easily deterred.

With a piercing screech, the monstrous spider-woman shot out two thick strands of silk, binding Chen Fan's arms to the cave wall. Her immense strength rendered him powerless.

Slowly, she crawled closer, her grotesque fangs gleaming.

Chen Fan knew what was coming.

Spiders paralyze their prey before liquefying their insides for easy consumption.

Cold sweat drenched his back as he felt her fangs inch toward his scalp.

Just then—

A hand shot out from his scent pouch.

A massive hand.

Thick, grotesque fingers wrapped around the spider-woman's head, yanking her backward with terrifying force.

She shrieked in agony. The smaller spiders panicked, scrambling to free their leader.

Chen Fan could only stare in shock as his body was swarmed. Countless human faces twisted in anguish, their expressions filled with horror.

But despite their numbers, they were powerless.

One by one, they were dragged into the scent pouch along with their leader.

Silence fell.

The surviving spiders scurried away, fleeing the cavern entirely.

Chen Fan collapsed, panting heavily. His scent pouch lay still, as if nothing had happened.

But just as he dared to relax—

The pouch suddenly flared open.

From its depths, half of the spider-woman's face emerged.

Twisted. Broken.

Her already horrifying visage now even more nightmarish.

Her remaining eye burned with pure, undying hatred.

Before she could fully emerge, the hand inside the pouch grabbed her once more—

And yanked her back into the abyss.

Chen Fan's vision blurred.

And then—

He fainted.