Name: Tang San
Species: Human
Spirit Power: Level 30 Spirit Master
Martial Souls: Blue Silver Grass / Clear Sky Hammer
Perched in the treetop, Fang Chang glanced at the approaching group. Just like the earlier Spotted Cat, glowing panels appeared above each of them, displaying their information.
Fang Chang sighed. These people are no pushovers.
Dai Mubai, the strongest, had a spirit power level of 37, while Ma Hongjun, the weakest, was nearing level 30.
"Everyone, be cautious," Dai Mubai warned as they neared the treetop. "This Man-Faced Demon Spider is on the brink of death. If any of you accidentally kill it, Tang San will have to find another spirit ring all over again."
Fang Chang heard this loud and clear.
Dai Mubai hadn't bothered lowering his voice, not realizing that the spider could understand human language. Fang Chang suddenly had a revelation: spirit rings can only be acquired by the one who kills the spirit beast.
This explained why the group hadn't recklessly attacked—they didn't want to steal Tang San's opportunity.
This was good news. As long as Fang Chang remained in his weakened state, Tang San was the only one who could truly pose a fatal threat. The pressure instantly lessened.
The Shrek Seven Devils had already surrounded the base of Fang Chang's tree. Preparing for their attacks, they aimed to bring him down.
But Fang Chang decided to make the first move. He darted toward the weakest among them—Ning Rongrong.
With all eight legs outstretched, Fang Chang looked utterly menacing as he charged.
"Ah!" Ning Rongrong shrieked, startled by the terrifying sight. Instinctively, she moved to hide behind Ma Hongjun, the nearest person to her.
On her other side, Oscar quickly grabbed her hand and pulled her back. Their momentum caused both to swing away slightly in mid-air.
This brief gap was all Fang Chang needed.
With a sudden burst of speed, he dashed out of the encirclement and disappeared once more into the dense forest.
Ning Rongrong blinked innocently. "This Man-Faced Demon Spider is so mean! Bullying a girl like me—hmph!"
The others laughed awkwardly but soon fell silent.
Ning Rongrong's words, though childish, contained some truth.
The spider had faked its death and nearly killed Tang San. It had led them on a wild chase all night through the Star Dou Forest. And now, it had escaped again, deliberately targeting the weakest among them.
This level of intelligence was far beyond a typical 1,000-year spirit beast. It was as cunning as a human.
"Stay alert," Tang San instructed. "Oscar, keep protecting Rongrong."
His gaze flicked to where the spider had vanished, his eyelids twitching. "Let's continue the chase."
The group nodded. At this point, they were fully invested in capturing this elusive creature.
Meanwhile, Fang Chang was fleeing under the cover of night, pushing his eight legs to their limits. Despite his flight, he spared some focus on scanning for spirit beasts to devour.
Before long, he spotted his next target—a Slime with 430 years of cultivation.
Slimes were among the most common low-level spirit beasts in the Star Dou Forest. They were slow-moving and lacked offensive abilities, but their most notable trait was their incredible vitality.
The Slime Fang Chang had locked onto, despite its moderate cultivation, boasted an HP limit of over 200 points.
Importantly, the Slime posed no real threat to Fang Chang, which made it a perfect target for his weakened state.
Fang Chang glanced behind him. The Shrek group hadn't caught up yet, but he felt they weren't far away.
Turning his attention back to the Slime, he analyzed its attributes:
Species: Slime (Devourable)
Spirit Power: 430 years
HP:
Strength: 5
Attack: 5
Defense: 7
Speed: 3
Aside from its thick health bar, the Slime had no redeeming qualities.
Confirming there were no immediate dangers, Fang Chang advanced confidently, his eight legs striding purposefully toward the Slime.
Sensing danger, the Slime attempted to flee, dragging its gelatinous body toward a nearby patch of grass. But to Fang Chang, its sluggish movement was nothing more than a crawl.
In just a few breaths, Fang Chang was upon it.
"Shrieek!"
The Slime emitted a high-pitched cry, trying to intimidate Fang Chang. At the same time, it launched its semi-transparent body upward in a desperate attempt to ram into him.
But such feeble resistance was futile.
Fang Chang's front legs skewered the Slime with precision, lifting it off the ground and bringing it to his mouth.
Despite having more than half its HP left, the Slime could do nothing but watch helplessly as it was devoured whole.
In the world of spirit beasts, the law of the jungle reigned supreme. The weak were destined to become the sustenance of the strong.
For the Slime, its fate as prey was sealed the moment it was born.
The Slime's texture was soft and bouncy, reminiscent of an oversized jelly. Its interior fluids tasted faintly sweet, with a hint of medicinal flavor—oddly similar to the herbal teas Fang Chang remembered from his past life.
As the Slime dissolved in his stomach, it transformed into a warm energy that spread through his body.
Fang Chang smacked his lips in satisfaction. Compared to the Spotted Cat, the Slime was far more delicious.
Checking his panel, Fang Chang noted the changes:
Name: Fang Cang
Species: Man-Faced Demon Spider
Spirit Power: 2063 years
Evolution Points: 630
HP: 24/428 (Slowly regenerating)
Strength: 106
Attack: 123
Defense: 99
Speed: 144
Devouring the 430-year-old Slime had provided:
+43 years of spirit power.+430 evolution points. Minor increases in attributes.
As Fang Chang prepared to shift his focus away from his status panel, he noticed a surprising development—an Extra Skill had appeared:
Regenerate LV1: Gradually restores HP after taking damage. (Recovers 3 HP per hour.)
"Well, isn't that neat?" Fang Chang grinned.
Though seemingly unimpressive, this skill hinted at the immense potential of Devour. If he could devour stronger spirit beasts in the future, who knew what incredible abilities he might acquire?
Renewed with determination, Fang Chang set his sights on devouring more spirit beasts while the Shrek Seven Devils were still searching.
The night deepened.
If he could hold out until morning, his strongest skill, Poison Web, would reset, giving him an edge.
The roles of prey and hunter were beginning to quietly reverse.