The reward, equivalent to slaying a ten-thousand-year soul beast, might seem simple on the surface, but its implications were enough to drive countless people into a frenzy.
The Spirit Hall had prepared abundant cultivation resources as rewards for the Soul Hunting Tournament. To claim these rewards, participants needed to achieve standout performances in the competition.
Rewards varied according to achievements.
Slaying a common thousand-year soul beast earned basic treasures or equivalent value in soul coins.
Defeating a soul beast with over five thousand years of soul power offered significantly richer and rarer rewards.
As for slaying a ten-thousand-year soul beast, rumors hinted that the Spirit Hall might even reward a soul bone as the ultimate prize.
While the rumor remained unconfirmed, the Spirit Hall had neither denied it, fueling speculation.
Even if the final reward wasn't a soul bone, it was likely something equally precious. The difficulty was so high that the Spirit Hall wouldn't risk losing face by offering anything less.
Of course, most people could only dream of such an ultimate prize. Yet, the emergence of the mutated Man-faced Demon Spider changed the game.
According to rumors, its soul power was only around three to four thousand years.
Although Man-faced Demon Spiders were notoriously dangerous, with even a few hundred years of soul power making them a match for thousand-year soul beasts, and this one being mutated and likely stronger, it was still far easier to kill than a ten-thousand-year soul beast.
As soon as the bounty was announced, nearly all participants in the tournament were eager to take action. The Spirit Hall subtly fanned the flames, further heightening the atmosphere.
Unaware of the news, Fang Chang continued wandering the Star Dou Forest, searching for his next target.
Name: Fang Chang
Species: Dark Armored Demon Spider
Soul Power: 3,580 years
Evolution Points: 16,010
HP: 811/811
Strength: 184
Attack: 196
Defense: 310
Speed: 243
Earlier, he had taken advantage of the Draconic Kite and the You brothers fighting to exhaustion, swooping in to devour the kite. His soul power increased, and he gained a new skill, Dragon Blood Lv1.
Dragon Blood Lv1: Temporarily increases strength by 10% during combat for 10 minutes. Cooldown: 3 hours.
"Finally, an offensive skill!" Fang Chang couldn't help but feel excited.
Since evolving into the Dark Armored Demon Spider, most of his acquired skills had leaned toward tank-like abilities—healing, burn resistance, fire immunity, leap... At one point, he even joked that his next skill might as well be something ridiculous like Heart of Ice.
While reveling in his gains, a large web suddenly sprang up from the leaf-covered ground, wrapping around his body and suspending him from a tree branch.
"Hm? A trap?" Fang Chang immediately realized what had happened. However, he didn't struggle to escape. Instead, he curled up and quietly waited within the web.
After about two minutes, three men emerged from the surrounding underbrush.
Name: Shen Mazi
Species: Human
SoulPower: Level 35 Soul Elder
Martial Soul: Eight-foot Battle Axe
Name: Xu Wei
Species: Human
SoulPower: Level 33 Soul Elder
Martial Soul: Trusty Snake Spear
Name: Wang Hu
Species: Human
SoulPower: Level 32 Soul Elder
Martial Soul: Scarlet-eyed Tiger
Fang Chang checked their stats and let out a sigh of relief.
These men had hidden themselves so well that even Fang Chang hadn't detected them before falling into their trap. For a moment, he feared they might be powerful opponents.
"Big brother, is this the one? We're gonna strike it rich this time!" Wang Hu, the youngest, shook off the grass clinging to his clothes and looked at their leader, Shen Mazi.
"Yes, it should be," Shen Mazi replied, his scarred face making him look every bit the villain.
These three were professional soul beast hunters who made a living by killing soul beasts, harvesting valuable materials, and selling them outside the forest.
Occasionally, they took on odd jobs, such as helping noble families' children obtain soul rings or escorting people into the forest to gather rare herbs.
Upon hearing the Spirit Hall's announcement, they immediately investigated the Man-faced Demon Spider and its last known location.
Familiar with the terrain of the Star Dou Forest, they quickly set up an ambush and, to their surprise, encountered the mutated spider so soon.
"What should we do with it, boss?" Xu Wei finally spoke, glancing at the trapped Fang Chang. "Kill it now or hand it over to the Spirit Hall as it is?"
Shen Mazi thought for a moment before replying, "Kill it now. No point in delaying—too many things could go wrong."
For some reason, he couldn't shake the feeling that this "Man-faced Demon Spider" wasn't as simple as it seemed.
Hearing this, Fang Chang's spider face twisted into a surprisingly human-like grin. You think you can kill me?
With his grin, flames suddenly erupted from his body as he activated Flame Armor.
The coarse rope of the trap burned instantly. The scorched web could no longer hold his weight, and he fell to the ground as the trap disintegrated.
The three hunters, initially thrilled, froze in shock.
They had seen plenty of Man-faced Demon Spiders before, but this was the first time they'd encountered one that could control fire.
Fortunately, as experienced hunters, they were used to unexpected situations. Though surprised, they quickly formed a defensive formation, encircling Fang Chang.
Fang Chang's eight eyes swept over the three men, finally locking onto Shen Mazi, the strongest and most dangerous of the group. Once he was taken care of, the other two wouldn't pose a threat.
Meeting Fang Chang's gaze, Shen Mazi instinctively took half a step back.
He quickly pointed at Wang Hu, shouting urgently, "Huzi! Go send a signal!"
"Huh?" Wang Hu hesitated. "But if others come, won't they take a share of the reward?"
"Do as I say, damn it!" Shen Mazi roared.
After years of hunting soul beasts, Shen Mazi could tell at a glance which ones were trouble. This mutated Man-faced Demon Spider was definitely not something they could handle.
Realizing the severity of the situation, Wang Hu stumbled away, lighting a firework-like signal device that shot a flare into the sky.
Seeing the signal, Fang Chang immediately shifted his focus, attempting to chase Wang Hu. However, Shen Mazi intercepted him.
Shen Mazi wielded a massive battle axe nearly two meters long, its blade over half a meter wide—his martial soul, the Eight-foot Battle Axe.
His one white and two yellow soul rings pulsed as his third ring glowed. He leapt high into the air, swinging his axe down in a powerful vertical slash.
From the start, he unleashed his strongest soul skill.
Meanwhile, Xu Wei joined the fray, combining forces with Shen Mazi to hold Fang Chang at bay.
In just a few moments, Wang Hu reached an open area outside the forest and launched a signal flare into the sky.