Chapter Forty-two: The Silver Hunter

"Fairy sisters..."

Chen Fan was completely entranced, acting like a love-struck fool. Just as he was about to approach the ethereal figures, a razor-sharp, multi-bladed boomerang tore through them mid-air. The shrill, ear-piercing screams snapped him back to reality.

Only then did he realize—the figures drifting down from above were not fairies at all but grotesque, human-sized spiders. Their silken webs stretched across the space like a suffocating net, sending shivers down his spine. At the very top, a monstrous spider king loomed, its grotesque eyes shifting in a sinister manner as if calculating its next move.

"Hey, you lot—how did you get here?"

A voice interrupted their shock. The three turned to see a silver-haired youth standing nearby, gripping the same boomerang that had just saved their lives. Dressed in beast hide, an earring glinting on his ear, he exuded a wild yet enigmatic aura.

"We don't know," Chen Fan admitted. "Something—some creature—dragged us in, and the next thing we knew, we were here."

"Oh, I get it now. You must be from the lower world—brought here by a Dream Tapir," the youth scoffed. "Ha! Just as my master said, people from the lower realms are all low-tier."

His condescending tone irked Chen Fan, but given their precarious situation, he forced a smile and replied, "Brother, we're not exactly experts here. Please, show us some mercy."

Zhao Gu, however, was less patient. "What did you just say? Low-tier? Do you have any idea how much skill our work requires?"

"Sure, sure," the youth sneered. "Then why don't you use that 'skill' of yours to get out of here? But don't say I didn't warn you—the creature above you is a 'Phantom Thousand-Web Spider.' Its silk releases a sweet scent, and once you inhale it… well, let's just say you'll get to enjoy some very beautiful hallucinations before you die."

"Gu, I think we should focus on getting out of here first," Little Flying Elephant advised, trying to calm things down.

The silver-haired youth clearly had no interest in further conversation. While they spoke, he had already taken several steps forward. Meanwhile, the swarm of spiders above them regrouped, preparing to descend once more.

"Wait!" Chen Fan called out. "You saved us—consider this a thank-you gift."

He pulled out a small pill bottle from his belongings. From their conversation, he had gathered that this youth likely hailed from a higher realm and would recognize the value of what he held.

The youth's sharp eyes immediately spotted it, even in the dim lighting.

"A Thunder Pill? Where did you get that?"

"That's not important. If you get us out of here, it's yours."

The young hunter hesitated for a moment. Then, without another word, he flicked his boomerang once more. A second wave of deadly precision sliced through the incoming spiders. The monstrous spider king, enraged by the slaughter of its kin, let out a guttural roar and lunged downward, its massive body crashing toward them like a collapsing mountain.

The youth didn't flinch. Instead, with a single powerful kick, he sent the beast hurtling back, snapping off one of its thick, hairy legs in the process.

The spider king shrieked in fury and spewed a torrent of webbing—a flood of silk cascading down like a waterfall.

"Annoying," the youth muttered. Moving with practiced ease, he pulled a small, crimson-furred dog from his robes. The moment the creature was exposed to the air, it exhaled a stream of fire. The flames licked up the webbing, racing back toward the spider king, engulfing it in an inferno.

"Hmph. A single ember from a Huodou beast is more than enough for the likes of you," he scoffed.

Zhao Gu, watching the spectacle unfold, leaned toward Chen Fan and whispered, "This guy… he can tame demonic beasts. His strength is no joke."

Chen Fan nodded, silently replaying the youth's earlier words in his mind.

Meanwhile, the remaining spiders scrambled desperately, spewing more silk in an attempt to smother the flames. Ironically, their frantic efforts only served to feed the inferno, the threads burning like kindling. Some of the larger spiders, in their eagerness to save their king, overexerted themselves and collapsed, their bodies shriveling in exhaustion.

"Wow, look at that fire spread. Their teamwork is just top-tier," Fatty Bird whistled in amusement.

Chen Fan observed the burning spider king, its writhing body reduced to little more than a husk. Through the flames, he thought he could see its remaining eyes welling with regret. Shaking his head, he sighed, "Big guy, I get it. Next time, try not to pick such useless allies."

In no time, the spider king was reduced to a hollowed-out shell. Little Flying Elephant, struck by a sudden bout of mischief, flew over and stomped on the charred remains. "What a waste," he mused. "Chen Fan, next time, bring your phone. We could livestream a 'Fire-Roasted Giant Spider' special—bet it'd go viral."

"Alright," the silver-haired youth interjected impatiently. "The Thunder Pill. Hand it over."

"I told you—you get it when we're out of here," Chen Fan replied shamelessly. Given the sheer level of danger in this place, he had no intention of letting go of his leverage too soon. Right now, not only did he need to hold onto this thigh—he needed to cling to it for dear life.

"Tch. Just as my master said—you lower-world people have weak cultivation and even weaker morals. Lucky for you it's me you met. If you had run into someone truly ruthless, you'd have been wiped out already."

Despite his grumbling, the youth clearly valued the Thunder Pill. In the end, he conceded. "Fine. Follow me. But if you idiots fall into another trap, don't expect me to keep saving you."

Zhao Gu was still fuming, but he knew better than to argue now. Instead, he simply scoffed and fell into step behind them.

"Come on, Gu, don't be mad. Let's get out of here first. I'll buy you some fries later," Little Flying Elephant coaxed.

"I don't want them. Unless… you buy me ten packs."

"Hah! So you do have your weaknesses," Little Flying Elephant sighed dramatically. "Is there no one else like me, someone truly indifferent to worldly temptations?"

"If you keep talking, I'm going to rip out your Soul Tree and end your temptations for good," Zhao Gu shot back.

"Don't! Gu, the Soul Worm isn't food—it's faith. You wouldn't understand."

Meanwhile, Chen Fan ignored their squabble and turned back to the silver-haired youth. "Hey, brother, what's your name?"

"Hunting Silver. But if you're thinking of making friends, don't bother. My friends are all strong. Up there, in the sky, power is the only thing that matters."

"Misunderstanding, brother Hunting Silver," Chen Fan said with a grin. "I just wanted to ask—how do you know about this pill? Can you read the inscription on the bottle?"

"I can't read it," Hunting Silver admitted. "But I've seen my master swallow one before. That's how I know it's a Thunder Pill."

"And what exactly does the Thunder Pill do?"

Before Hunting Silver could answer, the ground beneath them trembled violently. A massive shadow loomed as the earth split open—

A colossal creature emerged from the depths.

"This is… a White-Backed Sky Dragon?"