Doulou Dalu 19

The Star Dou Forest

The deeper one ventures, the more perilous the surroundings become. Lin Fan had already noticed that the soul beasts appearing around him were much larger and exuded an even stronger aura than before.

Watching the anime was one thing, but experiencing the forest firsthand sent chills down his spine. The eerie silence of the night only added to the unsettling atmosphere.

"Be careful. Ten-thousand-year-old soul beasts are beginning to appear. Move slowly and try not to alarm them," Tang Yiran warned. She then turned to Lin Fan and asked, "Xiao Fan, what kind of ten-thousand-year-old soul beast are you looking for? Remember, facing a creature of this caliber alone is reckless. Even the weakest among them is as strong as a level-50 Soul King."

Lin Fan thought for a moment. According to Ling'er, all he needed to advance his Divine Stroke was to absorb a ten-thousand-year-old soul ring. The older the soul beast, the more powerful his enhancement would be.

From this perspective, the beast's strength and attributes were irrelevant. He wasn't aiming to acquire its soul skills—only the ring itself mattered.

"As long as it's a ten-thousand-year-old soul beast, the older, the better," Lin Fan whispered. "I just need to find one with weaker combat capabilities so I can handle it."

Tang Yiran sighed. "I really don't understand you, Xiao Fan. You're willing to absorb a spirit ring without even considering the beast's attributes? Fine, do as you please, but if I see you struggling or forcing yourself beyond your limits, I'll knock you out and drag you back."

Lin Fan simply smiled and said nothing more. The five of them continued their cautious trek through the woods. Occasionally, hundred-year-old soul beasts would scurry past, their eyes gleaming in the darkness. These creatures were abundant in the Star Dou Forest, but most were non-aggressive and paid no attention to humans.

"Wait..."

Tang Yiran suddenly stopped. Lin Fan and the others followed suit, sensing the tension in her stance.

Liu Erlong suddenly pointed towards the river ahead, her voice trembling. "Xiao Fan, look over there..."

Lin Fan followed her gaze and froze. A massive, armored two-headed crocodile stood by the water's edge, its long tail sweeping the ground. In his previous life, such a creature would have been the size of two trucks.

"What is that...?" Lin Fan asked hurriedly.

Tang Yiran's expression turned grave. "That's a Two-Headed Rock Crocodile. Judging by its size, it's at least twenty thousand years old. Its defense is incredibly high—I might not even be able to take it down. Let's avoid it and head in another direction."

Lin Fan nodded, and the group immediately adjusted their course, circling around the formidable beast.

Thankfully, they had not yet reached the core of the Star Dou Forest. While ten-thousand-year-old soul beasts roamed this area, they each claimed their own territory and rarely crossed paths.

Suddenly, Lin Fan spotted a small figure darting through the underbrush. It looked just like a domestic kitten, except for its mismatched eyes—one white, the other red. It meowed anxiously, running as though something terrifying was chasing it.

Other small soul beasts were also fleeing in the same direction.

Something's wrong.

Then, Lin Fan saw it. Emerging from the shadows of the trees was an enormous spider. Its razor-sharp legs gleamed under the moonlight, each one as long as an elephant. Most disturbing of all was the grotesque human-like face on its head.

Tang Yiran's voice was grim. "That's a Human-Faced Demon Spider. It's the nightmare of smaller soul beasts, specializing in devouring those with lower cultivation. Judging by its size... it's at least ten thousand years old."

Lin Fan's eyes widened. A ten-thousand-year-old Human-Faced Demon Spider?

Wasn't this the same kind of soul beast Tang San had fought in the anime? Back then, Tang San was only at level 30 and nearly died facing a two-thousand-year-old one. And now, he had to face a ten-thousand-year-old version...

Lin Fan clenched his fists. "This is perfect. I want it."

The spider suddenly spat out a thick stream of webbing, aiming to capture the kitten. Without hesitation, Lin Fan lunged forward. His Shadow Battle Axe slashed through the air, cutting the sticky threads apart before they could ensnare their target.

The kitten turned to look at Lin Fan, meowed softly, then scurried behind a nearby tree, its curious eyes watching him.

Tang Yiran grabbed Lin Fan's wrist. "Xiao Fan, are you insane? That thing is highly venomous! Even I wouldn't dare touch its poison lightly. Let me handle it. You can take the kill when it's weak enough."

Lin Fan shook his head. "Master Yiran, don't underestimate me. This is my fight. If things go south, you can step in. But I won't stand by and do nothing."

Tang Yiran hesitated, then sighed. "You stubborn brat..."

Seeing that the Human-Faced Demon Spider had already locked onto Lin Fan as its target, she had no choice but to release her Clear Sky Hammer Martial Soul in preparation for battle.

Lin Fan summoned his Shadow Battle Axe once more and charged at the spider. His Purple Flame Tiger Martial Soul roared to life alongside him.

With a powerful leap, Lin Fan swung his axe and severed one of the spider's legs before it could react.

The beast let out a screech of agony and retaliated with a barrage of venomous silk. Lin Fan dodged with a quick double jump, though some of the threads grazed him. Fortunately, the Purple Flame Tiger's flames burned away the poison before it could take effect.

The Human-Faced Demon Spider shrieked again, abandoning its webs. Instead, it raised its venomous stingers—each as long as a spear—and thrust them at Lin Fan with blinding speed.

Too fast! No time to dodge!

"A Stroke of Genius!"

Lin Fan activated his special ability. A Green Lotus Sword Formation bloomed around him, paralyzing the spider for a crucial eight seconds. Though it wasn't entirely immobilized, its speed dropped drastically. At the same time, Lin Fan vanished for a moment, becoming untargetable just as the stingers were about to pierce him.

The spider roared in pain as countless sword energies slashed across its body, leaving deep wounds. Four of its remaining legs buckled, its defense significantly weakened.

Lin Fan seized the opportunity. He leaped into the air and hurled his Shadow Battle Axe directly at the creature's head.

At the same time, he unleashed his newly acquired third soul skill—Poison Flame Shock.

A surge of purple flames engulfed the spider, consuming it from the inside out. The beast let out a final, agonized screech before collapsing. Moments later, a black soul ring emerged from its lifeless body.

Liu Erlong, Ye Keke, and Shui Yue'er stood frozen in disbelief.

"Did he just kill a ten-thousand-year-old soul beast... alone?" Liu Erlong whispered.

Shui Yue'er, who had once looked down on Lin Fan, was utterly speechless. The weakling of their team had just performed an impossible feat.

Just as Lin Fan prepared to absorb the soul ring, four figures leaped out from the shadows.

Tang Yiran immediately stepped in front of him. "Who's there?"

The figures hesitated before stepping into the light. One of them cursed, "Damn it! We were too late! How did this brat kill the Human-Faced Demon Spider so quickly?"

An eerie voice chuckled. "No matter. Even if we can't steal the soul ring, we can still drain their spirit power... And these lovely young ladies will make for an entertaining bonus."

Lin Fan narrowed his eyes. A battle wasn't over just yet.