Chapter 49 – Encountering the Spider Again

Though he hadn't yet decided to attach a Spirit Ring to his Fire Martial Soul, Lin Jie knew the Sunset Forest was rich with fire-attribute spirit beasts. If he wanted one, he wouldn't lack for choices.

His current fourth Spirit Ring, attached to his Lightning Martial Soul, was from an eighteen-thousand-year-old beast—something he'd only been able to absorb thanks to his exceptionally strong physical body.

But now, after refining his body with the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, along with the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass and Infernal Delicate Apricot, Lin Jie's physique had reached an incredible level. Absorbing thirty- or even fifty-thousand-year-old Spirit Rings posed no real danger to him anymore.

Still, even with that power, Lin Jie hadn't decided whether to attach a Spirit Ring to his Fire Martial Soul just yet. After a long deliberation, he chose to wait. For now, his Lightning Martial Soul's abilities were more than enough.

Some might ask: if dual Martial Souls can already cause mutual backlash, wouldn't a third Martial Soul make that even more dangerous?

Normally, a Spirit Master could only possess one Martial Soul. Rarer still were those with two, and Lin Jie had three. That might seem impressive—glorious even—but strength often walked hand in hand with danger. The greatest risk of cultivating dual Martial Souls was Spirit Ring backlash. After all, having something that should only appear once manifest a second time was already abnormal.

That's why twin Martial Souls were often likened to a double-edged sword. Yes, you could double your Spirit Rings and Spirit Abilities, but the slightest mistake could end your cultivation—or your life.

But Lin Jie wasn't worried.

His three Martial Souls—Ice, Fire, and Lightning—were all elemental. Despite Lightning not being considered an extreme attribute like Ice and Fire, it showed no signs of being weaker. In fact, the three seemed to exist in a strange harmony within him.

Most importantly, Lin Jie's physical body was now so powerful that backlash was unlikely. And he had another ace: traces of divinity within his spirit, likely inherited from the Dragon Kings' remnants. With that kind of soul foundation, the usual risks simply didn't apply.

He withdrew his Ice and Fire Martial Souls and looked down at his arms.

Each one now housed a Spirit Bone—the ones left behind by the Ice and Fire Dragon Kings. What surprised him most was how effortlessly the Spirit Bones had fused with his body. He hadn't refined them; they'd just… entered.

That lingering mystery weighed on his mind.

Could it have been the Dragon Kings themselves? But I already absorbed their souls… unless those weren't truly their full remnants?

After thinking for a while and getting nowhere, Lin Jie shook his head and let it go.

What mattered now were the abilities granted by those Spirit Bones—and they were powerful. Just how powerful, he hadn't tested yet.

After resting another day in the mountain cave, Lin Jie cleaned up any traces of his presence and departed.

He now found himself in the inner region of the Sunset Forest, where ten-thousand-year and older spirit beasts roamed freely. In just half a day, he'd encountered several formidable spirit beasts. Though he wasn't looking for a fight, that didn't mean the beasts would leave him alone.

Just ahead of him, a ten-thousand-year-old Man-Faced Demon Spider stood, fangs bared and bristling with hostility.

Seeing it made Lin Jie freeze for a moment.

A Man-Faced Demon Spider? Again? What is it with me and spiders lately?

The spider suddenly lunged forward. Its eight spear-like legs stabbed the ground as it skittered forward with terrifying speed, screeching sharply as venomous purple mist hissed from its mouth.

Seeing it charge, Lin Jie sighed.

You've got a death wish? Fine. Let me send you to meet your kin.

He didn't bother using the railgun this time—he was already quite adept at it. Instead, he decided to try out his newly acquired Ice and Fire Martial Souls. Though they had no Spirit Rings yet, this spider would be the perfect test.

Just as the spider's leg came slashing toward his chest, Lin Jie's right hand surged with icy blue light. He twisted his body sideways, narrowly dodging the strike, and countered with a sharp blow to the spider's head.

Frost erupted upon contact.

A layer of ice spread rapidly across the creature's face, causing it to rear back in pain. Lin Jie used the rebound to spring away.

The Man-Faced Demon Spider shrieked and flailed, rearing up on its back legs. With a hiss, it spat out a net of black-purple webbing tainted with poison.

Lin Jie's eyes narrowed.

He knew how deadly this webbing could be—highly toxic, corrosive, and incredibly tough. Better to avoid it altogether.

Kicking off the ground, he launched himself into the air.

The spider, seeing it missed, scuttled rapidly forward and spat out more venomous webs, aiming to block Lin Jie's path midair.

Blocked...

Lin Jie frowned. If he didn't break through the net, he'd be a sitting duck.

Then an idea struck.

His right hand glowed with frost, his left with flame.

He surged his Spirit Power, and with a swing of his left hand, a blast of searing fire shot toward the incoming web.

The spider silk met the fire midair—and within seconds, burned to ash.

Landing lightly, Lin Jie dashed forward, his figure flickering with speed. He darted to the spider's flank and then launched himself in close, both hands brimming with elemental power.

The spider reacted quickly, its legs stabbing at the ground to reposition. More venomous webs spat forth to intercept him.

But Lin Jie weaved through the onslaught like a shadow, sidestepping and slipping past every strand. With a flick of his wrist, waves of frigid air surged from his right palm and slammed into the spider's side.

The creature screamed in pain as frost spread rapidly across its carapace.

Within seconds, the ice encased its entire body.

Frozen in place, the Man-Faced Demon Spider became a towering ice sculpture, unmoving.

Then—

The sculpture twitched.

Lin Jie didn't hesitate. His left hand erupted with blazing flames, forming a circle of fire around the creature.

The flames wrapped around the frozen spider like a cage, but curiously, the frost did not melt.

The spider twitched once more… then stilled completely.

Motionless. Silent.

Frozen and scorched, the fearsome spider now stood as a frozen statue within a ring of fire.