Just as the two were being affectionate with each other, a roar of a soul beast was heard from the direction of the camp. They glanced at each other before running back.
When they arrived, Zhao Wuji and the others had pinned down a sleek, black spider—smaller than the two-thousand-year Man-Faced Demon Spider, with six legs. A Black Widow.
"Black Widow?" Ning Tian muttered.
Zhao Wuji laughed, loud and hearty. "What luck! A thousand-year Black Widow stumbles into our camp. Tang San, your soul ring's sorted."
Tang San nodded. It wasn't his ideal Man-Faced Demon Spider, but it'd do. Xiao Wu frowned. "It's over two thousand years old. Absorbing it could kill him."
Zhao Wuji blinked. "How do you know its age?"
Xiao Wu hesitated, but Ning Tian stepped in. "Spider soul beasts' ages show in their legs. Man-Faced Demon Spiders over three meters are two thousand years; Black Widows, it's two and a half. This one's close, probably just under."
Zhao Wuji nodded. "Ning Tian's right. Tang San, we'll find you another beast tomorrow."
Tang San shook his head. "No, I'll absorb it."
Zhao Wuji's tone hardened. "You're not Ning Tian. Your body can't take it. If something happens, I can't explain it."
"Please, Teacher Zhao," Tang San pressed. "I've trained hard. I can handle it."
He couldn't forget Xiao Wu being taken due to his own weakness. He needed strength, now.
Zhao Wuji didn't budge. "No. As your teacher, I'm responsible for you."
But Tang San drew a short knife from his storage soul tool, pressing it to his throat. "Don't force me."
Blood trickled as he nicked his skin.
Zhao Wuji sighed, relenting. "Fine. Absorb it. But if you die, it's on you."
Ning Tian smirked inwardly. As Tang San's theatrics held everyone's attention, he slipped two potent laxatives into his mouth, transferring their effects.
Tang San plunged his knife into the Black Widow's eye, killing it. His stomach twisted instantly.
A rancid fart tore through the air.
Ning Tian yanked Zhu Zhuqing and Ning Rongrong who were near him back, shouting, "Gas! Move!"
Zhao Wuji leaped clear, Xiao Wu ran to Ning Tian's side. Ma Hongjun and Oscar weren't so lucky, choking on the stench.
"What did you eat, Tang San?" Oscar gagged.
"Damn it! I can't stand it anymore. Oscar, give me Detox sausage, now!" Ma Hongjun wheezed.
Tang San, mortified, fled into the trees, Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track carrying him out of sight.
......…
It wasn't until an hour later that the Black Widow Soul Ring, left unabsorbed, finally dissipated into the air. Tang San still hadn't returned, and all the group could hear from the depths of the jungle were faint, pitiful sounds—gurgling noises and Tang San's weakened groans as he succumbed to exhaustion.
"Teacher Zhao, it seems Tang San won't be finishing anytime soon," Ning Tian said, his voice calm but edged with a subtle smirk. "This Black Widow corpse is just sitting here, and it might attract other Spirit Beasts. I'll go and toss it out."
He was curious—would this Black Widow drop a Spirit Bone too?
"Hm, there's still two hours until dawn," Zhao Wuji replied with a nod, his tone gruff but relieved. "Hongjun, keep watch. Oscar, hand me a few sausages, I'll check on Tang San and make sure he doesn't get himself into more trouble. The rest of you, get some rest."
Zhao Wuji couldn't help but feel a weight lift from his chest. Tang San's diarrhea had saved them from a potential disaster. If he'd absorbed that Black Widow Soul Ring and something went wrong, Zhao Wuji wouldn't know how to face Tang Hao.
A short while later, Ning Tian dragged the Black Widow's corpse several kilometers into the forest, with Zhu Zhuqing trailing behind him.
In her presence, Ning Tian didn't bother hiding his second Martial Spirit. With a flicker of intent, he summoned the Gold-Devouring Beetle. In an instant, a faint silver glow enveloped the Black Widow's remains, and the corpse began shrinking at a visible pace.
"This is..." Zhu Zhuqing's eyes widened as she turned to him, surprise flickering across her usually composed face.
"This is my second Martial Spirit," Ning Tian said smoothly, a hint of pride in his voice. "I call it the Gold-Devouring Beetle."
There was no need to conceal it from his little kitten.
Zhu Zhuqing's shock deepened. "So you're a Twin Spirit Master!"
Ning Tian nodded, his lips curling into a teasing smile. "To be honest, you're the first to know about my second Martial Spirit. Even my teacher hasn't figured it out yet."
His sudden revelation caught her off guard, a faint blush creeping up her cheeks. Before she could respond, an even more astonishing sight unfolded.
As the Gold-Devouring Beetle consumed the Black Widow's corpse, a burst of shimmering black light erupted. When the glow faded, a palm-sized Spirit Bone emerged, adorned with six delicate spider spears.
"Quick, put it away," Ning Tian said sharply, his reflexes kicking in as he snatched it up and stuffed it into Zhu Zhuqing's storage Soul Tool.
"Was that a Spirit Bone?" Zhu Zhuqing whispered, her voice hushed with awe. She understood the gravity of what she'd just witnessed.
Retracting his Gold-Devouring Beetle, Ning Tian slid an arm around her waist and leaned close, his breath brushing her ear. "To be precise, it's an External Spirit Bone, rarer than the six main body Spirit Bones. It can grow stronger as its user's power increases, making it, in some ways, more valuable than even a hundred-thousand-year Spirit Bone. But until you fully fuse with it, don't let anyone see it. Otherwise, you'll invite killers eager to rip it from you. Before it's fully integrated, an External Spirit Bone can still be taken."
His warm breath against her ear sent a flush across her face, but she grasped the weight of his words. Without hesitation, she said, "Ning Tian, you should keep this Spirit Bone. Compared to me, it suits you better."
He didn't mention that he already possessed the Eight Spider Lances. Instead, he chuckled softly. "Silly girl, what's this talk about 'suiting' someone? What's mine is yours. You know my strength, this Spirit Bone won't make much difference for me."
External Spirit Bones were precious, after all. Giving her one he didn't already have was the perfect way to show how much she meant to him. As for the Eight Spider Lances, he'd find a chance to tell her later.
Sure enough, her heart softened at his words, a tingling warmth spreading through her. She leaned into his embrace, her voice turning tender as she murmured in his ear, "I won't hold you back."
With that, she stole a quick kiss on his cheek and darted off toward the camp, too shy to look back. In her flustered escape, she even activated her Martial Spirit.
Watching her adorable, flustered figure vanish into the trees, Ning Tian smiled faintly. He brushed a hand over the spot she'd kissed, a quiet satisfaction settling over him.
At the same time, he pulled out the last six potent laxative pills from his Soul Tool, his mind already spinning with anticipation. What surprises would Tang San bring him next?
......
The next morning, the group set out to hunt a Soul Ring for Tang San.
Despite Oscar's recovery sausages, Tang San's face remained deathly pale, drained from the previous night's ordeal.
Fortunately, as they ventured deeper into the Star Dou Forest, thousand-year Spirit Beasts grew more common. By that afternoon, they encountered a two-thousand-year Crypt Demon Spider. But Ning Tian, ever the schemer, slipped Tang San another laxative, wasting the Soul Ring once again.
This time, though, no Spirit Bone dropped.
The following day, they crossed paths with a Pink Lady Spider. Still, no Spirit Bone appeared.
Seeing that Tang San had been thoroughly milked dry, Ning Tian finally relented.
In the end, under Tang San's desperate threats of self-harm, Zhao Wuji gave in. They tracked down a nineteen-hundred-year ordinary spider Spirit Beast for him to absorb. It granted him the same Web Restraint skill as in the original story—just without an External Spirit Bone or the corrosive venom of the Man-Faced Demon Spider's ring. While it could be cast instantly, it wouldn't grow in range as his cultivation advanced.
With that, their journey through the Star Dou Forest came to a satisfying close.
......…
The group emerged from the forest.
As they stepped beyond its borders, Zhao Wuji's stern face finally broke into a grin. "If we push a bit longer, we'll reach the town. We'll rest there for a couple of days before heading out again."
Ning Rongrong piped up, her tone bright and generous. "Teacher Zhao, we owe this trip to you and Ning Tian. Without you two, we might not have made it out of the Star Dou Forest alive. Once we get to town, I'll treat everyone to drinks."
Zhao Wuji let out a hearty laugh. "Rongrong, I know you're the little princess of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan with deep pockets. But I can drink a lot, you'd better not regret it later."
Ning Rongrong giggled, unfazed. "Teacher Zhao, drink as much as you want. Even if you empty the whole town's stock, it's fine by me."
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