What are you doing out here alone?

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The Man-Faced Demon Spider let out a growl, its eight legs propelling it toward Ning Tian with relentless speed. Two of its front limbs rose high, aiming to pierce through the shimmering sword shield encasing him.

Just as the strike loomed, a faint hum cut through the air—soft at first, then swelling into a piercing buzz. The spider froze, its bristly hairs spiking as if it sensed death itself. With a sudden unsteadiness, it scrambled backward.

In that instant, the fragments of the silver orb Ning Tian had hurled earlier, twitched and came alive. They morphed into hundreds of thumb-sized silver beetles, swarming the spider in a glittering tide.

Ning Tian didn't hesitate. With a flicker of his mental energy, he urged the Gold Devouring Beetles forward. They latched onto the spider like a plague, their tiny jaws sinking into its flesh with insatiable greed.

The Man-Faced Demon Spider shrieked, flailing in desperation, but the beetles stuck fast, devouring it piece by piece. Ning Tian's lips curved into a subtle smirk. 

Within moments, the beast's massive body withered, shrinking under the relentless assault until nothing remained, not even a soul ring. All that lingered was a palm-sized soul bone, eight delicate spider legs sprouting from its edges.

"Eight Spider Lances?" Ning Tian's eyes gleamed. He snatched the soul bone, stashing it in his storage soul tool, then called the beetles back. They surged toward him in a dazzling silver mist.

The spider's dying wails had echoed far too loudly, and with the Dragon Duke likely lurking nearby, Ning Tian knew he couldn't linger. His beetles were the perfect smokescreen–detached martial souls were rare, and insect swarms even more so. Paired with his Azure Bamboo CloudSwarm Sword already in play, suspicion would be the last thing on anyone's mind.

His caution proved wise. Two figures burst from the tree line: the Serpent Lady from two days prior and a weathered old man wielding a four-meter dragon-headed staff. Eight soul rings—two yellow, three purple, three black hovered around him. Meng Yiran's grandfather, the Dragon Duke.

The couple had only recently reunited. As Ning Tian had predicted, the Serpent Lady had escorted Meng Yiran out of the Star Dou Forest before circling back to join her husband. The Dragon Duke, relieved his granddaughter had claimed her soul ring, had been ready to call off his hunt until the spider's screams pulled him in.

He arrived to see Ning Tian 'battling' the beetle swarm, his brow creasing in confusion. Ning Tian played dumb, slashing at the beetles with his sword and darting toward Tang San's position. 'Time to redirect the chaos.'

"What kind of soul beasts are these?" the Dragon Duke muttered, squinting at the beetles that chewed through Ning Tian's sword shield.

The Serpent Lady didn't know the beetles but recognized Ning Tian. "That's one of Zhao Wuji's students—the one who catched the Phoenix-Tailed Crest Serpent for Yiran."

"Is that right?" The Dragon Duke rubbed his chin. "He's got some skills and he is already a Spirit Elder at his age. His teacher must be something else."

The Serpent Lady caught his meaning, her eyes glinting. "Should we lend a hand?"

"What does Yiran think of him?" the Dragon Duke countered.

Recalling Oscar's absurd wager, the Serpent Lady grinned, her face wrinkling like a chrysanthemum. "She didn't hate him."

That settled it. The Dragon Duke's gaze hardened as he focused on the silver beetle mist. His fourth soul ring blazed, and a beam of red light shot from his staff, engulfing the swarm.

The mist turned scarlet, erupting into flames but then the impossible happened. The beetles didn't burn. They 'ate' the fire, extinguishing it in seconds.

Ning Tian 'grabbed his chance' to bolt toward Tang San, sending the beetles surging at the Dragon Duke and Serpent Lady. He chuckled inwardly. 'Fire's just a snack for Gold Devouring Beetles.'

"These things are freaky," the Dragon Duke grumbled. "You chase the kid, don't let him slip away. I'll deal with the bugs."

The Serpent Lady nodded, trusting her husband could handle it, and sped after Ning Tian.

Tang San was less than five hundred meters away. Even with her speed, catching Ning Tian in that stretch was a long shot.

As he neared, Ning Tian popped a potent laxative into his mouth, slyly shifting its effects onto Tang San.

When he arrived, Tang San was hunched by a tree, mid-purge in a scene of pure misery. The Serpent Lady caught up just in time to witness it.

For a heartbeat, the three locked eyes. Tang San's face flushed with mortification, yearning for a hole to crawl into but his body wouldn't cooperate. Standing meant disaster.

The Serpent Lady's lip curled in revulsion. Shrek was supposed to breed prodigies, yet here was this… spectacle. Twice now, she'd stumbled into his shame.

Ning Tian pinched his nose, transferring the 'gag reflex' to Tang San as he asked, "Tang San, what are you doing out here alone?"

"What do you think?" Tang San growled, his voice strained with humiliation and fury.

Tang San nearly keeled over from sheer rage. Between the embarrassment and the unending purge, he was at his breaking point but fainting wasn't an option. He had to endure.

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