The arrow flew swiftly toward Fang Chang, giving him just enough time to raise one of his shield-like forelegs to block it.
"Clang!" A dull sound echoed as Fang Chang was knocked off the body of the Four-Eyed Golden Horned Snake. His shield-leg now bore a small dent from the impact.
"Hmm?" From the dense forest, a shadowy figure let out a puzzled sound, surprised that the Mutated Man-Faced Demon Spider had managed to deflect the attack.
Fang Chang landed behind the Four-Eyed Golden Horned Snake and quickly hid, his sharp eyes scanning the forest for any sign of the attacker.
The forest was silent except for the rustling leaves and the interplay of light and shadows among the dense trees.
Then Fang Chang's sharp gaze caught a glint—sunlight reflecting off something metallic at the base of a tree.
"Whoosh!"
Before the arrow arrived, the sound of it slicing through the air reached him.
The Four-Eyed Golden Horned Snake's body shuddered as a green arrow pierced through it, narrowly missing Fang Chang.
Fang Chang gasped, realizing how powerful the attacker was. Whoever it was, their skill and strength weren't ordinary.
Under a tree, a middle-aged man holding a longbow furrowed his brows. He shifted positions quickly, moving to the base of another tree, keeping his movements fluid and calculated.
He drew another arrow and nocked it, his gaze fixed on the area behind the Four-Eyed Golden Horned Snake.
The man wasn't aware of the rumors about the Mutated Man-Faced Demon Spider, having spent his time wandering the outer rings of the Star Dou Forest. If he had known, he might have been more cautious.
Meanwhile, Fang Chang analyzed the situation. Judging from the attacker's methods, it was undoubtedly a human—a soul master skilled in ranged attacks, likely using a bow-and-arrow-type martial soul.
The attacker's soul power was probably above level 40, possibly nearing level 50.
But something didn't add up. The Star Dou Forest's outer ring was supposedly under Spirit Hall's lockdown. What was a human soul master of this caliber doing here?
"Could he be a participant in the competition?" Fang Chang wondered, considering the possibility that other contestants might rival Spirit Hall's Golden Generation in strength.
Fang Chang lowered his body, crawling along the length of the Four-Eyed Golden Horned Snake toward its head. The snake's death pose—coiled in a U-shape—provided partial cover.
Hiding behind its body offered a safer position; the attacker's arrows likely couldn't penetrate two segments of the snake's thick body.
Reaching the fold in the snake's body, Fang Chang cautiously peered out, searching for the glint he'd noticed earlier.
The area was empty. The attacker, experienced and wary, had likely changed positions.
Fang Chang scanned the nearby trees and finally spotted a shadow hiding about ten paces from the original spot.
The moment Fang Chang noticed the attacker, the attacker also noticed him. The bowstring released, sending an arrow hurtling toward Fang Chang.
Fang Chang, anticipating this, retracted his head and pulled his body back into cover just in time.
The arrow whizzed past, striking a nearby tree with enough force to make it shake and drop a cascade of leaves and fruits.
Now that he had a general idea of the attacker's position, Fang Chang began formulating a plan.
The attacker was likely a long-range specialist. Such fighters were typically weak in close combat... though exceptions existed.
To defeat the attacker, Fang Chang would have to close the distance.
From his rough calculations, they were separated by about 50-60 meters—a distance he could cover in two leaps using his Leap skill.
With his Poison Web and Harden skills off cooldown and Shadow Doppelganger ready, he was confident he could withstand the attacker's strikes long enough to reach him.
Fang Chang kicked a small rock with one of his spider legs, sending it tumbling toward the snake's tail.
The sound of the rock hitting the ground—"thud, thud, thud"—drew the attacker's attention. Startled, the attacker instinctively fired an arrow at the noise.
Seizing the opportunity, Fang Chang activated Leap and Shadow Clone.
Four Fang Changs leaped in different directions, all converging on the attacker's position.
Realizing the trap, the attacker quickly nocked another arrow and fired at the nearest "spider." The arrow pierced the illusion, which dissipated instantly.
"Damn it, fooled again," the attacker cursed, moving backward while firing another arrow.
This second shot hit another illusion, leaving only two Fang Changs—one real, one fake—rapidly closing the distance.
The attacker panicked, missing his third shot entirely. By the time he attempted a fourth, the two Fang Changs were less than half a meter away.
The illusions spat webs at him simultaneously.
The attacker tried to evade by turning sideways, using his bow as a makeshift shield, and leaping backward. But he couldn't avoid both webs.
The sticky poison webs caught him mid-leap, wrapping around him and his bow, immobilizing him.
The paralytic venom took effect, slowing his movements significantly.
The real Fang Chang emerged from behind his illusion, striking with his shield-like foreleg to knock the bow from the attacker's hands.
Without hesitation, he drove a spider leg into the man's throat.
Blood sprayed as the attacker's hands feebly grasped at the leg impaling him. The light in his eyes dimmed until it vanished completely.
Now able to inspect the corpse, Fang Chang noted the attacker was a middle-aged man, likely in his forties, with soul power at level 47.
What truly caught his attention, however, was the man's attire—he was dressed in Spirit Hall's uniform.
"This isn't a competition participant," Fang Chang thought, his mind racing.
"What's Spirit Hall's real agenda here? Why send people into the Star Dou Forest under the guise of the Hunting Tournament?"
A chilling sense of conspiracy began to take root in his heart.