Name: Fang Chang
Species: Ghost Armored Demon Spider
Soul Power: 7125 years
Evolution Points: 41,160
HP: 2546/2848 (Recovering Slowly)
Strength: 692
Attack: 699
Defense: 1028
Speed: 784
After devouring the Purple Flame Owl Beast, Fang Chang's soul power had finally surpassed 7,000 years, inching ever closer to the significant milestone of 10,000 years.
He did a quick mental calculation. By now, Tang San and the rest of Shrek Academy's "Seven Devil Little Monsters" were likely still undergoing training with the Grandmaster, preparing for the upcoming Soul Master Competition.
If he were to encounter them now, Fang Chang was confident he could easily take on all seven of them by himself.
More importantly, since Fang Chang had escaped Tang San's pursuit and avoided becoming his soul ring, Tang San would never have obtained the soul ring of an overpowered Man-Faced Demon Spider.
This also meant that Tang San's iconic Eight Spider Lances should no longer exist.
Following this train of thought, Fang Chang suddenly recalled the Ten Thousand-Year Earth Pit Demon Spider he had once encountered.
While the Earth Pit Demon Spider wasn't exactly a rare species, reaching a soul power of 10,000 years was an entirely different matter—there were probably only a handful of such spiders in existence.
Could it be...?
The more Fang Chang thought about it, the more uneasy he felt. If that spider had merely been an ordinary Earth Pit Demon Spider, he wouldn't have cared much. After all, they had shared a brief connection.
But if it ended up as Tang San's stepping stone, contributing to his growth, Fang Chang could never forgive himself.
"I have to go back and check," Fang Chang decided, leaping down from the cliff and retracing his steps toward the barren wasteland.
Meanwhile, back at the wasteland, the Golden Generation trio had just finished their battle.
The corpse of the Ten Thousand-Year Earth Pit Demon Spider lay at their feet, marking yet another victory against a ten-thousand-year soul beast.
Hu Liena and Xie Yue appeared surprisingly unscathed, their clothes and demeanor showing no signs of having just experienced a fierce fight.
Yan, on the other hand, looked far worse. His clothes were in tatters, and a terrifying wound stretched from his upper left chest all the way down to his groin.
Had he not dodged in time, the wound could have cost him much more than his pride.
As a gust of wind blew across the wasteland, Yan winced in pain as his wounds were aggravated.
"Damn that Earth Pit Demon Spider! It really knew how to hit where it hurts," Yan grumbled, collapsing onto the ground with his legs spread, clutching his chest as he panted heavily.
Xie Yue, standing with his hands on his hips, couldn't help but laugh at Yan's sorry state.
"Yan, did you offend this spider somehow? It looked like it wanted to kill you and only you."
Yan rolled his eyes, clearly annoyed. "How would I know? Maybe it was jealous of my good looks!"
Turning his attention to Hu Liena, Yan's demeanor shifted dramatically. With his eyes darting about playfully, he sprawled on the ground and let out exaggerated groans.
"Nana, Nana, come quick! I think I've been poisoned!"
Hu Liena cast him a cold glance but didn't bother responding. She walked straight past him to stand beside Xie Yue.
"Brother, let's go this way." Her tone was indifferent, as if Yan wasn't even there.
Earlier, during the fight, Hu Liena had noticed faint traces of battle near the edge of the greenery. Though they weren't obvious, they warranted investigation.
"Nana, Yan's in bad shape. Let's let him rest for a while," Xie Yue suggested, glancing between Hu Liena and Yan.
Xie Yue was well aware of Yan's feelings for Hu Liena. Privately, he supported his friend's pursuit of his sister and felt obligated to mediate between them.
From his spot on the ground, Yan gave Xie Yue a thumbs-up, silently mouthing the words: "I'll book the best room at the Ten Thousand Blossoms Pavilion for you!"
Xie Yue gestured for Yan to continue with his act, suppressing a chuckle.
Hu Liena, seeing even her brother siding with Yan, reluctantly agreed to let him rest.
"Nana, while we're waiting, why don't you help Yan apply some medicine?" Xie Yue suggested, pulling out a small jade bottle of ointment from his belt and handing it to Hu Liena.
Hu Liena hesitated, her brow furrowing. "Why don't you do it?"
Xie Yue laughed awkwardly. "I'm just a big, clumsy guy. You know I'm no good at delicate tasks like this. It's better if you handle it."
Before Hu Liena could refuse, Xie Yue practically shoved the bottle into her hand and nudged her toward Yan.
As Hu Liena approached, Yan was ecstatic. To have his goddess tend to his wounds was a dream come true.
Before she could say a word, Yan eagerly began removing his tattered clothing.
"What are you doing?" Hu Liena snapped, grabbing his hand to stop him.
"I'm taking off my shirt so you can apply the medicine properly," Yan explained with a cheeky grin, continuing to undress.
"Enough." Hu Liena's face grew colder. "Do you want me to apply the medicine or not?"
Yan froze, his grin faltering. Reluctantly, he stopped.
Hu Liena crouched beside him, her expression unreadable. She reached into the tear in his shirt and ripped it open further, exposing more of the wound.
"Let's apply some medicine~" she said sweetly, her voice rising slightly.
As her fingers touched his wound, Yan felt a momentary relief from the cool sensation of the ointment.
But as she pressed harder, her nails dug into the wound, sending sharp pain through his body.
Yan let out a muffled groan, biting his lip to stop himself from crying out.
"Oh dear, Yan," Hu Liena cooed, feigning innocence. "Did I hurt you? Should I be gentler?"
"N-no! You're doing great!" Yan stammered, forcing the words out through gritted teeth.
Smirking mischievously, Hu Liena continued, her movements growing rougher.
"Let's keep going~ Apply more medicine~"
Within seconds, Yan's forehead was drenched in sweat, his face contorted in pain.
Behind her, Xie Yue watched, completely unaware of the reality of the situation.
From his perspective, Hu Liena seemed to be dutifully tending to Yan's injuries while Yan lay back, visibly "enjoying" the treatment.
"I should find more opportunities for these two to bond," Xie Yue thought, smiling to himself.
Meanwhile, Fang Chang had returned to the site where he devoured the Four-Eyed Golden Horn Snake. Without pausing, he pressed on toward the barren wasteland.