Chapter 37: Alien Species

“Rumble—”

This was not the sound of thunder, but the roaring upheaval of the earth itself.

Everyone could clearly feel the ground beneath their feet trembling incessantly, the vibrations growing more intense by the moment, as if some colossal creature deep within the earth was steadily ascending, about to emerge.

“Sssssk—sssssk—sssssk—”

Suddenly, a chorus of insect-like sounds echoed, and numerous Shadow Soul Guards tumbled out from the darkness, writhing in pain on the ground. Their black robes slipped off, revealing their dreadful faces to all.

Amid their shock, the head of one Shadow Soul Guard suddenly exploded, and a dark green spider, slick with viscous fluid, crawled out from the shattered skull. Its menacing mandibles gaped wide, and its four pairs of compound eyes gleamed with bloodthirsty madness, fixated on the onlookers.

As the trembling origin beneath the earth drew nearer, more and more Shadow Soul Guards exhibited the same grotesque transformation.

A nobleman’s teeth chattered in fear as he exclaimed, “Is this…the true form of the Shadow Soul Guards?”

Many shared his dread.

They had thought that enslaving their own kind to refine elixirs and consume humans was as dark as it could get, never imagining anyone could stoop to such depths—using humans as egg sacs to incubate inhuman creatures!

“These are Soul-Devouring Spiders! How can this be? This species was nearly extinct! How can there be so many inside the Spirit Fighting Imperial Palace? No, that’s not right!” An erudite person cried out, realization dawning as he lowered his gaze to the trembling earth below, fear overtaking his expression.

“These are all larvae. Then where is the mother spider? The queen!”

“Could it be…?”

Everyone’s expressions shifted dramatically as the truth sank in.

Behind an elderly woman, a pair of glossy black, magnificent wings unfurled. She swiftly took to the sky, shouting, “Fall back, quickly!”

Those who had already sensed the danger began to retreat swiftly, employing their lifesaving techniques to flee. Just as they lifted their feet, the earth suddenly cracked!

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Rocks and soil exploded open, revealing a massive hollow.

Thick strands of spider silk, as thick as adult forearms, shot out from the chasm. Once these sticky threads latched onto a person, escape was nearly impossible. The silk retracted, dragging all captured living beings into the abyss. Before long, chilling sounds of tearing and biting echoed from within.

Gigantic spider legs, covered in dark green fuzz, crawled out from the hollow, gradually revealing a horrifying figure in full.

It was a creature so repulsive it made everyone’s stomach churn. Its lower body was that of a spider, while its upper half was human, with bluish-purple skin and a grotesque face bearing fangs. Four pairs of compound eyes stared greedily at the gathered crowd.

The monster fixed its gaze on the Spirit Fighting Emperor and said, “Boy, your ancestor once made a pact with me. He pulled me out from that cursed place, and in exchange, I promised to do three things for him within my power. Training the Shadow Soul Guards was the first. You are now the second.”

“Of course, once these three tasks are complete, your ancestor shall be freed,” the Emperor replied fearlessly to the terrifying creature.

“Please, elder, annihilate everyone here!”

As the words fell, all eight eyes of the monster locked onto everyone except the Emperor. A chilling coldness swept over them, as if they were standing at the edge of the polar wasteland.

One person trembled, whispering, “Sentient? The Soul-Devouring Spiders possess sentience? Impossible! Even the Soul-Devouring Spider Emperor from a hundred thousand years ago had no intelligence!”

“Heh heh.”

The creature’s laugh echoed eerily like a cruel joke, surrounding their ears.

“That’s right, that’s right! Soul-Devouring Spiders normally lack intelligence—but I am an exception. I am a mutant born from a divine corpse!”

The piercing laughter gave everyone splitting headaches, as if their souls were being torn apart. Yet the Spider Emperor’s words acted like a sedative, briefly numbing their pain and leaving them immersed in terror.

Seeing this, the Spider Emperor laughed even more wildly. From the hollow behind him, countless small Soul-Devouring Spiders swarmed out, closing in on them!

“Seventh Soul Technique: True Martial Soul Transformation!”

Suddenly, a sharp shout rang out from the sky. A black swan, its entire body pitch black except for a dazzling crimson beak, struck down from above. Countless feather blades rained down, precisely slicing through every Soul-Devouring Spider, splattering green ichor across the ground.

The black swan danced elegantly in the sky, its divine voice singing a deadly song, ruthlessly claiming the lives of its enemies.

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The elderly woman exposed the Spider Emperor’s words, stating, “Mutant insect? At best, you’re just a lucky maggot.”

“No matter how much time passes, you cannot change the truth of being a maggot.”

“Heh heh…” The Spider Emperor was unfazed, sneering at the nine soul rings circling the elderly woman. “I didn’t expect you to be a titled Spirit Douluo.”

Those following the elderly woman were filled with joy. They hadn’t realized she had already broken through the barrier that stymied ninety-nine percent of soul masters. Now, they felt their chances of victory had vastly improved!

“Spirit Master troops, form up! The heavy assault and swift strike units, use your soul skills on all Soul-Devouring Spiders present. Support and auxiliary soul masters, provide cover from the rear!”

Orders rang out, rallying the previously scattered soul masters into formation. Brimming with renewed confidence, they surged forward, cleansing the lingering Soul-Devouring Spiders while others charged toward the Spirit Fighting Emperor.

A soul master of Emperor rank and swift attack class broke through layers of cover and reached the Emperor’s side. As he raised a poisoned dagger to strike the Emperor’s chest, a golden light flashed beside him, and he was severed in mid-attack!

“Take this chance, Your Majesty, flee quickly!” the Golden Cavalier Douluo urged.

There was no better moment than now. The elderly woman was entangled by Soul-Devouring Spiders, and the remaining soul masters were more than capable with just him alone. Moreover, Spirit Fighting City was virtually deserted; no one could impede the Emperor’s escape.

Many nobles and officials realized this and shouted anxiously, “Golden Cavalier, you fool! Do you think after all this, he could still trust you if you do this?!”

Golden Cavalier ignored their protests, replying calmly, “Your Majesty, I swore to be the sword in your hand. Some say a double-edged sword harms both wielder and foe, but no matter what, this sword will never turn against you.”

“Hahaha! Truly my Golden Cavalier!” the Spirit Fighting Emperor laughed heartily. “A fine sword indeed! You have never betrayed my trust. But you want me to leave? You mean you want me to flee? Like a coward?”

“No, no, no! That would be undignified for an Emperor. Even in death, an Emperor must die like an Emperor.”

“Besides, today’s outcome is far from decided!”