Chapter 347: The Most Dangerous Moment

An hour passed. The sun, having passed its zenith, was now beginning to set in the west. Still, there was no sign of He Lingchuan.

This is how it is with hunting down fugitives: if they are not caught in the first hour, the chances of apprehending them later drop sharply.

Another hour passed, but the spider army found nothing. The thought of the lost spider molts filled Madam Zhu Er with even greater frustration. However, her immediate priority was to return and recuperate from her injuries.

This was especially true after a small spider returned with news that King Siwen's wild boars were constantly probing the border, as if wanting to investigate the situation. King Siwen had previously been terrified and driven out of its territory, yet despite this pig demon's apparent foolishness, it occasionally displayed some cunning. If it were to discover that the Spider Queen and Lord Boshan were mutually wounded and gravely incapacitated, the demon lair would be in danger.

Therefore, despite her profound reluctance, Madam Zhu Er had no choice but to return to her nest. As for the spider army, except for a few guards, the rest were still dispatched to search the entire mountain range for He Lingchuan.

Halfway to her destination, Madam Zhu Er suddenly remembered something and quickly sent a spider guard to attend to it.

Soon, the spider guard carried back Tu Zhongli's corpse, dropping it before Madam Zhu Er, and reported that King Siwen's young ones had already begun cautiously entering Lord Boshan's territory. The news of Lord Boshan's death would reach King Siwen within the next hour or two. It was uncertain how the wild boar king would react then.

Madam Zhu Er had Tu Zhongli's corpse retrieved because she wanted a few small spiders to search it for something in front of her. Soon, a patterned spider retrieved a small cloud-brocade flag from Tu Zhongli's sleeve.

Yes, this was the only pass for humans to leave the Demon Lair Swamp. Madam Zhu Er took it into her hand and let out a long sigh of relief.

Even though He Lingchuan was as cunning as a ghost, he had overlooked this crucial detail. Without the cloud-brocade flag, he could not leave the Demon Lair Swamp. The cave spiders would eventually find him.

At this moment, the red spider also returned, leaping onto her head and transforming back into an eyeball. Madam Zhu Er then took weary steps, slowly descending into the sinkhole and returning to the underground palace.

A spider guard also returned to report that Dong Rui was missing. Earlier, while the spiders were all chasing He Lingchuan, this fellow had taken the opportunity to escape. However, without the token, he couldn't leave the Demon Lair Swamp and would eventually be found by the cave spiders. Madam Zhu Er was exhausted and numb; she couldn't be bothered to ponder why he did this, and simply proceeded directly back to the heart chamber of the demon lair.

The passage, usually walked with ease, now felt interminably long. Why did that ferry ghost back then create such a complicated underground palace?

By the time Madam Zhu Er arrived at the display room, the spider guards had already retreated outside, maintaining strict vigilance at the door. This had always been a space she preferred to enjoy alone. She habitually scanned it with her divine sense to confirm it was safe, then sprayed out several strands of web, sealing the entrance shut.

Inside the display room, only three molts remained. One had been stolen in Beijia, and another had mysteriously disappeared just moments ago.

The Spider Queen looked on, filled with sorrow. After lying still for a long while, she slowly moved to the wall, standing close beside the other molts. Then, she began to twist her body, resembling both a dance and a struggle. If an outsider had been present, they would likely have perceived her as being in great pain, as her claw tips frequently twisted in unnatural directions.

This process lasted for over fifteen minutes. The Spider Queen's back split open, and the crack grew wider and wider, eventually forming a hole. Remarkably, she twisted her body, slowly backing out through the ruptured opening. Meanwhile, the shell remained in place.

Indeed, what Madam Zhu Er was now experiencing was yet another shedding! After shedding her tough outer shell, her entire body was covered in mucus, and her new shell was extremely soft. Not to mention blades or swords, even an ordinary human could press a finger into it and create a dent that would slowly rebound.

This was Madam Zhu Er's most painful and vulnerable moment, requiring absolute foolproof security. Thus, she sent all spider guards outside to defend strictly and sealed the entrance with spider webs. She no longer trusted anyone.

Fortunately, in just two cups of tea's time, the new shell would harden again, and she would once more be an unrivaled great demon.

But just then, Madam Zhu Er suddenly sensed a hint of danger: One of her eyes, located at the back of her head, saw a person suddenly appear by the wall! The bioluminescent spores cast a green hue on his face, making him appear sinister and fierce. This person was none other than He Lingchuan.

As soon as he appeared, he wasted no words, leaping directly behind Madam Zhu Er's head. Agile as a leopard, he gripped a short knife in his right hand and plunged it in fiercely! Strike while it's vulnerable.

At this moment, Madam Zhu Er's entire body was stuck, and her new shell was too delicate to offer any defense. Just as He Lingchuan's attack was about to succeed, Madam Zhu Er suddenly spat something out of her mouth. It was a black spherical pearl, the size of an ostrich egg. Upon emerging, it behaved like a living thing, directly hurtling towards He Lingchuan.

He paused, then hastily dodged. The black pearl did not pursue. It paused mid-air for a moment, then suddenly exploded! A black halo, centered on the explosion point, instantly expanded in all directions. The sound of its explosion was not as loud as ordinary explosives and did not cause the ground to shake, yet wherever the halo passed, most things silently vaporized. Even the hardest stone walls met the same fate.

He Lingchuan bore the brunt of it. Madam Zhu Er even watched his figure disappear bit by bit into the air. This was known as annihilation.

Fortunately, the halo's affected area was not large, only about two zhang (approximately 6.6 meters) in radius, after which it disappeared on its own, without harming the entire cave. The display room then fell silent.

Only then did Madam Zhu Er breathe a sigh of relief. The shedding period was her most dangerous time. It was truly a pity to have used the Pearl of Annihilation on a weak human without being fully prepared.

She had treasured this item since ancient times; originally there were seven, but two later became ineffective, and four had been used. Alas, her very last one was expended here today.

However, having lived for so long, Madam Zhu Er had a clear understanding of one thing: No matter how precious a treasure, it was never as valuable as her own life. Trading it for her life was worth it.

Just as she continued to focus on her shedding process, a figure suddenly emerged from deep within the leg socket of the tallest molt. This blind spot, where even bioluminescent spores didn't grow, would ordinarily not be noticed by anyone or any spider. Moreover, he was hiding within a concave shell amidst a cluster of sharp spines, and since the Pearl of Annihilation clearly didn't harm Madam Zhu Er's main body or molts, he was spared.

While hidden, this person was like an unmoving stone, with neither breath nor heartbeat, even deceiving Madam Zhu Er's senses. Of course, as he now leaped out, his presence was revealed, and Madam Zhu Er immediately became alert. But his speed was extreme; before Madam Zhu Er could react, he leaped onto her head. A cold glint flashed at his waist, and a long knife plunged into her soft, newborn-like body!

Madam Zhu Er's screams echoed through the spacious stone chamber. The assailant also sneered, "Struggling is useless. I want you to wish for death but not be able to find it!" This person was, of course, He Lingchuan. She had previously said this in the ruins, and he was now returning the exact words.

However, she had only half-shed her skin; her head was out, but her abdominal segments were still stuck in the hard old shell, neither up nor down, and only two of her eight legs had emerged. While a moth traps itself in its cocoon, she was trapped by her own molting process. There was nowhere to hide; this was truly the most awkward moment.

The spider guards outside the door also heard her screams, but the web sealing the entrance was too strong for them to break through. Thus, she could only shout, "Stop, stop! Let's talk." The assailant's blade cut directly into her crown, but her soft top shell offered no defense whatsoever. Another foot deeper, and it could scramble her brain. Having used up her last life-saving move, she was temporarily out of options.

Madam Zhu Er pleaded for mercy. He Lingchuan's blade paused, and he quickly said, "If you don't want to die, then swear allegiance to me and form a spirit beast contract!" What had just been shattered by the Pearl of Annihilation was, naturally, his clone.

Such ancient great demons were incredibly cunning. Even during her most helpless shedding period, He Lingchuan wasn't confident he could take her down in one blow, so he sent a clone to test the waters first. With that test, the clone perished. Fortunately, it wasn't his main body.

The chance to control such a great demon was once in a lifetime, and he would certainly seize it firmly. Madam Zhu Er had struggled to survive since ancient times, which clearly showed the strength of her will to live.

The Spider Queen froze, then erupted in fury: "No!" He Lingchuan's blade advanced another half-inch, applying pressure. Madam Zhu Er endured the pain and said, "I would rather die than be a slave! To make me your pet is a delusion!" She had once been an ancient great demon and still retained the pride of one. How could she willingly humble herself by acknowledging a human as her master?

He Lingchuan suddenly turned around, and with his other hand, holding a dagger, stabbed through a small spider. This was Madam Zhu Er's eye, which had secretly transformed to sneak around and deliver a venomous kiss. However, at such a crucial moment, He Lingchuan had his divine sense fully active and was intensely vigilant, specifically guarding against her insidious moves.

With her eye pierced, Madam Zhu Er cried out again in pain. He Lingchuan patted her crown, a look of regret on his face: "Since you're so unyielding, I'm sorry, but I'll have to send you on your way."

Just as he was about to politely kill the Spider Queen, Madam Zhu Er hastily said: "I won't acknowledge you as my master, but I can swear an oath not to harm you and to let you safely leave the swamp!"

"No," He Lingchuan flatly refused, "the victor enjoys the spoils. Such a treaty offered no advantage. An ancient great demon is full of treasures. How much better would it be for me to dismantle you, refine you into artifacts, and sell them for money? If I took your eyeballs to Beijia, I might even be appointed an official, gain nobility, and receive rewards."

Madam Zhu Er trembled all over, unsure if it was from pain or rage. "If I live, I can let you use my divine abilities!" She continued to persuade He Lingchuan, "Not only will this empower you greatly, but it can also save your life at critical moments!"

He Lingchuan chuckled: "You're at a critical moment right now; why haven't I seen that skill appear to save your life?"

"I am utterly exhausted now," Madam Zhu Er, whose life was in his grasp, spoke plainly. "In the past, even during shedding, you wouldn't have been able to get close." She couldn't help but lament: "You are truly lucky."

He Lingchuan smiled, knowing full well that this was the result of careful planning, not mere luck. "Earlier, there was one less molt in the display room. I knew then that you had put that shell back on." When he had previously entered the display room with the mountain bandits, he found only four molts there; one was missing without explanation. It turned out that King Siwen had brought his entire brood to cause trouble, and Madam Zhu Er, sensing that this provocation was not straightforward, had donned one of the molts and gone out to confront them.