Chapter 342: Demon King Chaos Battle

The two stayed in the cave for a little while longer, until there was no sound outside. Only then did Dong Rui whisper, "We can go."

He Lingchuan drew his knife and with two slashes, cut through all the spiderwebs blocking the entrance.

The spider silk, which ordinary knives and swords couldn't handle, was no match for Fusheng.

He also tangled up the spiderwebs so no one would get stuck. Then, covered by a black cloth, the two lay prone on the demon puppet.

Dong Rui had already rubbed spider shells and legs on the cloth beforehand to mask their human scent. Now, he patted the demon puppet's head and said, "Go!"

As it started to move, other creatures would only see a slightly high-arched back of the spider.

However, Madam Zhu's spider guards were not all identical. They varied somewhat, so this characteristic wouldn't attract attention.

The demon puppet carried them through the maze, heading towards the nest entrance. It moved much faster than human legs could run.

After running less than a dozen steps, the demon puppet suddenly stopped. Dong Rui whispered, "Something's ahead!"

Yellow smoke rose into the air, but it didn't trigger the spider guards' alarm in the Jiana ruins.

However, not long after, dozens of small spiders emerged from the jungle to the west, scurrying towards them with rustling sounds.

The sound of their movement was itself a high-frequency call for help.

Unfortunately, the spiders in the Jiana ruins didn't react.

However, their kin at the entrance of the demon nest did detect something unusual. They struggled to lift their sluggish heads and turn them in that direction.

Something was rushing over, shaking the ground.

Immediately after, with a shrill shriek, a dozen colossal creatures burst from the bushes and charged directly towards the demon nest!

Steward Zhao clutched the nearby large tree, his face pale. If any of them hit him, he would surely meet his maker.

These were, surprisingly, robust wild boars. The lead one was over twenty feet tall, an imposing sight. It ran like a massive locomotive, but possessed curved tusks over ten feet long. It broke trees and tore down buildings in its path, without even trying to dodge.

The herd of wild boars trampled over the bonfire. Sparks and crackling fire erupted as they passed, creating an astonishing spectacle.

At their speed, they reached the demon nest in an instant. There, they gored any vehicles and killed any spiders they encountered.

The poor spiders were still under the effects of the tranquilizer, their movements not agile enough. They were mercilessly bullied by the wild boars, who exploited their size advantage. A few stomps from the boars' large hooves were enough to crush them into a mess.

As for the caravan, they quickly scrambled up the hillside. Steward Zhao and his men could only tremble uncontrollably. Tu Zhongli, however, led his subordinates in a detour, stealthily approaching the demon nest.

The dozen or so wild boars weren't content with just flattening Madam Zhu's main entrance. They used their large tusks to scoop up burning firewood and fling it into the demon nest.

Most of the firewood fell into the sinkhole and was extinguished by the water, but dozens of pieces landed in the passages.

The passages were covered in fluorescent spores. They quickly ignited as the piles of firewood burned.

The lead boar then puffed out its long snout and blew downwards. Its snout was like a bellows, and each blast sent a powerful, pungent wind roaring into the demon nest.

Chaos erupted everywhere.

Even if Madam Zhu was incredibly dull, she couldn't possibly be unaware when others were openly wreaking havoc on her territory.

Before long, the fire inside the cave diminished.

Inside the demon nest, dense spiderwebs separated sections at regular intervals. These webs weren't sticky to people but had excellent fire and heat insulation properties. They were superior to human gables, preventing open flames from spreading further.

Of course, the main reason the fire quickly extinguished was that the spiders in the nest had rushed over and started spraying webs to put out the flames.

Immediately after, a dense army of spiders surged out of the cave to confront the wild boars.

These wild boars were, of course, also inhabitants of the Demon Nest Swamp. Their leader, the Boar Demon King, was always unreasonable, charging and goring haphazardly. It was only after Madam Zhu personally taught it a few lessons and devoured several of its piglets that the herd finally settled down.

However, during the last appearance of the Emperor's Dew, a large chunk of the mystical paste landed directly in the wild boars' territory. The entire herd benefited; those with cultivation advanced, and those without awakened. The boar demon clan's power suddenly surged, and their confidence skyrocketed.

After enduring for so long, they had finally come for revenge.

The cave spiders' webs were astonishingly tough. If just a dozen spiders sprayed together, the overwhelming spiderwebs could trap most creatures in place, rendering them immobile. Some spider guards could also spray acid. Two wild boars, unfortunately, got hit, were instantly blinded by the acid, and charged around uncontrollably in pain.

Over a hundred years ago, General Nanke of Panlong City led over a thousand soldiers to confront Madam Zhu and her offspring, but they ultimately suffered a bitter defeat. Even with their elemental energy protecting them, this outcome demonstrated the formidable combat prowess of the spider demons.

These creatures also employed multi-unit coordination. Under Madam Zhu's training, their tactics were flawless.

Although Madam Zhu's family was far less prosperous than before, her ability to dominate the Demon Nest Swamp certainly spoke to her strength.

However, the Boar King was twice as large as its companions. It possessed immense power and weight. Whenever it saw one of its kin caught in spiderwebs, it would charge and effectively free them with a single forceful thrust.

Sheer force can overcome all tactics. Against such a purely strength-based opponent, the spider demons' abilities seemed somewhat inadequate.

Fortunately, at this moment, Madam Zhu finally squeezed out of the cave entrance. She climbed up the large tree beside the sinkhole to reach the surface, then angrily exclaimed, "Fat Pig Si, are you mad?!"

The Boar Demon King once captured a scholar. Before devouring him, it acquired a refined nickname: "King Cultured."

It thought this nickname was excellent and adopted it.

But Madam Zhu looked down on it. She always called it "Fat Pig" as soon as she spoke.

King Cultured flicked its small, curly tail towards the bonfire. "Madam Zhu," it declared, "you captured my great-great-grandchildren and fed them to humans! Today, we settle all scores, new and old!"

Madam Zhu cast one of her eyes towards the bonfire. Sure enough, half a roasted suckling pig, crispy and glistening with oil, was still cooking over the flames. *Tsk*.

Of course, that wasn't the main point. King Cultured never needed a reason to fight.

It pawed at the ground. Then, lowering its head, it charged at Madam Zhu.

The charge was incredibly fierce. However, just as it lunged at Madam Zhu, its opponent suddenly ascended into the air.

Yes, Madam Zhu had shot a silk thread towards the large tree above, directly hoisting herself up. This was an innate spider ability; despite her massive size, she was incredibly agile, moving up and down with ease.

King Cultured slammed on the brakes. If its grip on the ground hadn't been exceptional, it would have plunged headfirst into the sinkhole.

While it paused, Madam Zhu, who was directly above, rapidly descended, crashing straight into the Boar King!

The two colossal beasts tumbled on the ground, shaking the earth.

No other creatures could intervene.

King Cultured tried to use its size and weight to pin Madam Zhu to the ground. However, Madam Zhu was agile and always managed to quickly flip on top, but finding an opportunity to bite wasn't easy either.

Although Madam Zhu's venom was potent, King Cultured's hide was too thick. It would take some time for the spider's mouthparts to penetrate this defense.

Fortunately, Madam Zhu showed no panic. As she rolled, she also sprayed silk, intending to encase King Cultured layer by layer.

Her silk's stickiness and toughness were unparalleled in the swamp. King Cultured knew very well that once it was wrapped into a cocoon, it was a death sentence. Madam Zhu would surely inject venom into its body; spiders always dealt with their prey this way.

So King Cultured, using all its might, swelled outwards. Hundreds of long, bristly hairs on its body suddenly stiffened like steel needles and shot out with a *whoosh*.

This scene was like a launched volley of extended "Pear Blossom Rain Needles." After all, the boar's bristles, when stiffened, were over a foot long. Madam Zhu was pressing down on it; how could she possibly dodge at such close range?

She hissed loudly, her body covered in boar bristles. It was as if she had been struck by many steel nails, with several of her smaller legs even pierced through.

That sensation certainly couldn't have been pleasant.

Taking advantage of Madam Zhu's momentary lapse, King Cultured abruptly contracted. Its body suddenly shrunk by a full circle, and it actually squeezed itself out of the nascent silk cocoon!

Not only were the other spiders startled, but Madam Zhu was also surprised; she had always been confident in her silk webs.

However, upon closer inspection, King Cultured had actually left its outer shell within the silk cocoon.

It had rolled in the swamp mud for untold years. Its entire body had long since developed a thick layer of mud shell, which, with the addition of demon magic, became an armor harder than adamantine rock.

No matter how powerful Madam Zhu's silk was, it only adhered to this mud shell. By shedding this shell, King Cultured regained its freedom.

In previous fights, it had never used this trick. It had saved it for a critical moment.

However, it was now stripped bare. In its next confrontation, it would face the dilemma of greatly reduced defense.

In terms of combat power, King Cultured knew very well that it was no match for Madam Zhu. So, it immediately let out an ear-splitting roar, meaning:

"My kin, help!"

With a rustle in the jungle behind them, a giant python shot out from the dark tree shadows and bit Madam Zhu with one swift strike!

It had been exceptionally well hidden before, so well that even the two battling demon beasts hadn't detected it. Its pounce was as fast as lightning; all creatures felt their vision momentarily darken as the giant python, Lord Boshan, joined the battle.

The two massive wild boars blocking its path were even sent flying with a single impact.

Madam Zhu didn't even react in time; it bit her abdomen in one go. Lord Boshan had specifically ambushed from the rear to avoid her sharp mouthparts.

Once its attack succeeded, Lord Boshan immediately coiled around. It aimed to constrict Madam Zhu's abdomen and several of her legs, incapacitating her.

At the same time, King Cultured also got emboldened. It charged over and bit Madam Zhu's head, then gored her body with its pair of scimitar-like tusks. Unlike ordinary boar tusks, these had been sharpened by King Cultured, creating a large bloody hole with each thrust.

The two colossal beasts, working in coordination, seemed to instantly push Madam Zhu to a dead end.

The subordinates brought by all three parties were not idle either.

This was Madam Zhu's territory, and spiders were the most numerous. Seeing their progenitor in trouble, the spider army immediately launched an attack on the two demon kings. From the hillside, Steward Zhao could see them swarming all over Lord Boshan and King Cultured, so densely that their original body colors were obscured.

Although the spider demons' mouthparts were not as sturdy as their progenitor's, their sheer numbers meant that hundreds of them puncturing flesh and injecting venom at once was hard to bear. Lord Boshan fared better; its body was covered in hard scales, making it difficult to penetrate its defenses. King Cultured's mud armor had just shed, significantly reducing its defensive power. Several spider guards, over a hundred years old, were able to pierce its outer skin, making King Cultured bellow in pain.