The abandoned cave passage was narrow, only wide enough for two people to walk side-by-side.

Cai Heng and Luo Qi walked at the front. Lu Song stood beside Xun Shuang, and Bai Zichen brought up the rear.

In the dark, damp environment, they were terrified of startling the Ghost-Faced Jade Spider. Only the faint sounds of their footsteps and dripping water echoed through the passage.

After walking for a while, a sense of oppression weighed on them. The pitch-black passage looked like a Demon Beast with its maw wide open, ready to swallow them whole.

"Luo Qi, are we there yet? Did you go this deep last time?"

The Luminous Pearl cast a white glow, projecting their flickering, indistinct shadows onto the stone walls, making them look like demons baring their fangs and brandishing their claws.

Xun Shuang asked in a low, trembling voice.

"There are too many forks... I think it’s somewhere around here..."

Luo Qi had been scared out of his wits that day; there was no way he could remember the correct path.

"Quiet!"

Bai Zichen appeared to be walking casually at the rear, cradling his sword, but he had actually extended his Divine Sense, taking in every detail of his surroundings within his Sea of Consciousness.

He faintly sensed a colossal creature rustling along the ceiling up ahead. He straightened his posture and switched the Ink Bamboo Sword to his other hand.

"HISSS..."

As they rounded a corner, a spider the size of a millstone came into view, perched on a sharp, jutting rock on the ceiling above.

Webs spread out in all directions from its position. In the faint light of the Luminous Pearl, they could see drops of sticky fluid dripping from the strands.

"The Ghost-Faced Jade Spider!"

Cai Heng shouted, sounding relieved. The appearance of their target actually calmed his nerves; it was better than constantly worrying about an attack from the shadows.

"Stick to the plan! Senior Brother Bai, please cover us and strike the killing blow against the Demon Beast at the critical moment!"

"Alright."

Bai Zichen gave a brief reply, his attention focused entirely on the Ghost-Faced Jade Spider.

The spider was entirely white, save for the black rings marking the joints of its limbs.

Its back was covered in a ferocious pattern that, at a glance, resembled a man-eating ghost’s face.

Furthermore, the Ghost-Faced Jade Spider’s eight legs had a faint, jade-like luster, a clear qualitative difference from the rest of its body.

Cai Heng forcefully jammed his Beast Hide Round Shield into the ground. An earthy yellow Spirit Light flared, and the shield seemed to become one with the earth beneath it.

The once-small shield suddenly exuded an immense weightiness, as if a mountain stood firm and an abyss lay still. It was as if a hill had risen up in front of him.

Talismans flew swiftly from Luo Qi’s hands—a volley of Fireball Techniques, interspersed with two even more powerful Fire Serpents.

The fireballs set the webs ablaze with a CRACKLING sound. The webs quickly shriveled and melted in the inferno.

The two Fire Serpents flew toward the Ghost-Faced Jade Spider from the left and right.

Lu Song flicked his small golden knife. It multiplied in midair into twelve blades that slashed at the Ghost-Faced Jade Spider from all angles.

As for Xun Shuang, he sat down cross-legged, held the Oil Lamp high, and closed his eyes to channel all his power into it.

A tiny flame, no bigger than a grain of rice, leaped to life within the lamp. It pulsed, looking as if it might be extinguished at any moment.

’Not bad. They’re starting to look like a team.’

Bai Zichen praised them inwardly. These servant disciples were clearly a far cry from some makeshift, amateur squad.

Though nervous, they didn’t panic upon seeing the Ghost-Faced Jade Spider and were able to execute the plan as intended.

Ghost-Faced Jade Spiders lived underground, favored the dark, and feared fire. Cai Heng and his group had clearly come prepared.

The four of them were well-coordinated. Even without Bai Zichen, they would have had a decent chance of taking down the Ghost-Faced Jade Spider with just two more servant disciples.

The Ghost-Faced Jade Spider scuttled along its web. With its eight legs spread, it spanned nearly ten feet, yet it moved with unbelievable agility.

The Fireball Techniques all missed, smashing into stone and sending rubble flying.

The two Fire Serpents collided with a BOOM, exploding into a shower of sparks and sending a heatwave radiating outward.

The Ghost-Faced Jade Spider burst from the flames completely unharmed. In the instant before the two Fire Serpents converged, it suddenly accelerated, dodging with a ghostly speed that defied its massive frame.

At the same time, its mandibles opened, and it spat out a ball of silk. Initially only the size of a fist, it instantly expanded into a large net.

The web descended, enveloping all twelve golden knives and binding them within layers of silk until they formed a thick cocoon.

Lu Song’s face paled. He had suddenly lost his connection to the Magical Artifact he had refined. He could only frantically channel his Magical Power in an attempt to recall the set of golden knives.

SKREEE!

The Ghost-Faced Jade Spider let out several sharp, rapid screeches and scrambled to the front of their formation in just a few movements, raising its two shorter forelegs and swinging them down.

Like two sharp scythes, they whipped up a gust of wind, poised to cleave everything in their path in two.

Bai Zichen’s eyes were fixed on the pale white underbelly the Ghost-Faced Jade Spider exposed by raising its forelegs. His Ink Bamboo Sword shot out, ready to run it clean through.

The Ink Jade Sword Light flared brightly in the passage. Halfway to its target, it abruptly changed course and slashed toward the shadows.

With the sound of clashing metal, the Ink Jade Sword Light was repelled. From the shadows crawled another Ghost-Faced Jade Spider.

It was twice the size of the first, its body completely turned to jade.

"There are two Ghost-Faced Jade Spiders... Hold on! I’ll come help after I take care of this big one!"

Bai Zichen had kept his Divine Sense extended and had sensed an object rapidly approaching from the darkness, which was why he had redirected the Sword Light.

Whether it was a mutation or had simply lived long enough to advance, this giant Ghost-Faced Jade Spider had already become a Tier One Peak Demon Beast.

It had taken a direct slash from the Ink Bamboo Sword on its leg, yet only a shallow Sword Mark remained, a testament to the hardness of its body.

Without a second thought, Bai Zichen threw out the Red Cover Treasure Pearl Umbrella. The Treasure Umbrella spun open. Just as its crimson, cloud-like canopy unfurled, several flashes of Cold Radiance struck it.

THUD! THUD! THUD!

The spider’s legs, strong enough to shatter gold and stone, struck the crimson canopy but only managed to pierce the first layer before being repelled. Enraged, the giant Ghost-Faced Jade Spider spat a glob of venom. It splattered against a nearby wall, instantly dissolving holes into the rock and releasing a foul green smoke.

’Such potent venom!’

Bai Zichen was startled. Luckily, the Red Cover Treasure Pearl Umbrella lived up to its reputation as a masterpiece among Top-Grade Magical Artifacts. A few of its Treasure Beads flashed, and the crimson canopy easily deflected the venom.

With the Treasure Umbrella protecting him, he let loose. He employed Sword Control, completely ignoring the Ghost-Faced Jade Spider’s attacks to land several consecutive strikes on the same leg.

The Ghost-Faced Jade Spider shrieked in pain. A web, larger and more substantial than the last, descended from above. Its thousands of strands contracted rapidly, threatening to wrap him up tight.

Bai Zichen chuckled softly. Achieving Body and Sword Unity, he sent his Sword Light charging head-on into the web.

His figure twisted gracefully in midair, his sword an extension of his will. Wherever the Sword Light went, the silk strands snapped. In just a few passes, he had diced the web to pieces.

He moved with an indescribable and effortless grace.

He could only be so bold because he was protected by the Red Cover Treasure Pearl Umbrella. Each snapping strand of silk whipped back with a sharp TWANG and incredible force.

Even though he did his best to twist and evade, at least fifty or sixty strands still lashed against his body.

The force of each strand was enough to whip a person in two.

But striking the crimson canopy, they merely created a series of endless ripples.

The giant Ghost-Faced Jade Spider actually showed a hint of fear. It retreated several steps, the ghost-face pattern on its back scrunching together like a crumpled, grotesque visage.

Hearing the shouts and cries from behind him, Bai Zichen knew he couldn’t let the giant Ghost-Faced Jade Spider escape. He spun his Ink Bamboo Sword, channeling all his power into it. A streak of Ink Jade Sword Light, far more dazzling than before, shot out like a bolt of lightning.