Chapter 715: The Spider Immortal's Counterattack

Grand Master Qingyang frowned. "You surrender just to ask this?" This person's behavior was growing increasingly strange.

"I know it's a relic from Panlong City. Please, enlighten me."

The mention of "Panlong City" made Grand Master Qingyang's eye twitch. Both she and the Heavenly Palace now understood that anyone capable of infiltrating the Star-Picking Tower to steal a divine artifact must, of course, be connected to the Great Flask and Panlong City. This was a topic neither side needed to avoid anymore.

"Are you unwilling to say, or afraid?" The other person even resorted to provocation.

"How do I find your accomplices?" Grand Master Qingyang fixed her gaze on him. "You're a captive; I ask, you answer!"

"When you found this flute, was its original owner alive or dead?" Grand Master Qingyang pressed the tip of her staff against his throat. "Which faction do you belong to? Speak!" The captive ignored her threat. "That's an old story from over a hundred years ago. Panlong City is no more; what do you still fear to say?" Grand Master Qingyang smiled, producing the Sky Centipede Bone Flute and dangling it in her hand. "What can't be said? When I acquired this flute, I personally witnessed its owner die a truly miserable death! You committed monstrous crimes in Xushan; your fate won't be any better than hers!" He pressed on, "Who was the flute's owner? Their name! If you tell me the name, I'll confess the intruder's whereabouts!" Grand Master Qingyang replied calmly, "You first."

"Afterward, gather at the back of Xiangshan Inn, outside the city's south gate!" the man answered swiftly. "Your turn," Grand Master Qingyang said, throwing out a grappling rope that bound him tightly. "I'll tell you once I've caught the person." The man showed no anger, pressing on: "Did you kill someone to take the flute? You can at least answer that, right?" This young man was quite persistent. Grand Master Qingyang, glancing at him, found his expression oddly wooden. "Sort of," she admitted. The man immediately let out a long breath. Grand Master Qingyang couldn't discern if it was relief or frustration.

"That's enough. That's all I truly wanted to know," he murmured. "We'll meet again, Grand Master Qingyang. We have a score to settle!" As the captive finished speaking, his head suddenly dropped.

Had he taken poison? Grand Master Qingyang's pupils contracted. She quickly cupped his chin, but saw no signs of poisoning.

When the man opened his eyes again, he saw the Grand Master close by. First, he looked startled, then utterly bewildered. "Gra... Grand Master? What happened?" Why was his reaction like this?

Grand Master Qingyang slightly furrowed her brows. "State your name."

"Wang Lijie, Tongxin Guard, Third Camp, Seventh Team," the man recited fluently. "Seconded to Caohai since July."

"Who are your accomplices involved in the unrest in Xushan?" Things were looking increasingly grim.

"Accomplices? Disturbing Xu... Xushan..." Wang Lijie looked utterly astonished. "Grand Master, I assure you, I have no accomplices! I haven't been to Xushan in two years!"

"Why did you swim here?" Wang Lijie glanced around, both startled and frightened. "I jumped into the water earlier to hide from a Danube Beast, but I only swam a few yards before I passed out. Then, then I was here, and I saw you!" Had this man just been controlled? Did he not remember what he had said?

Grand Master Qingyang, connecting his earlier stiff expression and demeanor, gave his words some credence. The person behind the manipulation had told her they had a score to settle. Could it be… Xi Yunhe?! Xi Yunhe knew about the Sky Centipede Bone Flute and understood its origins somewhat. No, something still felt off. She had worn this flute in public dozens of times; many had seen it. What was the relationship between this man and the flute's owner? The Great Flask, Panlong City, and those cataclysmic battles—for an old warrior like her, these are unbearable memories. Now, the lid of the Great Flask had actually been stolen. Were these past events about to resurface? This was surely what the Emperor and the gods desperately wanted to avoid. No wonder the Heavenly Palace reacted so violently; she sensed the scent of anger and fear. She held up the soaking wet mask. "Before you fainted, did you see this mask?" Wang Lijie nodded fervently. "Yes, yes! I was swimming, and someone emerged from underwater, less than two feet from me! He was wearing this mask; it startled me." Grand Master Qingyang recalled a little-known secret art that allowed one to control others. However, there was a distance limitation between the caster and the controlled person. This meant the target must have been nearby earlier. Yet, she had just circled the sandbar and hadn't seen a soul. The other party wasn't using an illusion, as illusions rarely fooled her. It seemed they were hiding underwater. Once Wang Lijie was taken back, the Heavenly Palace would, of course, have ways to verify his words. But Grand Master Qingyang knew in her heart that this fellow was very likely innocent. The surrounding water was calm, and the intruder had escaped right under her nose. The location the captive had given under manipulation was, of course, pure fabrication. This capture had failed, and her plan to atone for her past missteps had also fallen through. Grand Master Qingyang took a deep breath, her thoughts scattered.

...Four legs usually run faster than two legs, so eight legs... In any case, Zhu Erniang's massive form moved with blurring speed; aside from the Hundred Battles War God, no one could keep up.

In a chase and a retreat, they quickly moved away from the waterline. The hills undulated, and the vegetation grew denser. As Hundred Battles God pursued, the entire hillside suddenly shifted, sending a shower of earth and debris toward him. The swirling sand threatened to obscure his vision. Hundred Battles God swept his palm, and a powerful gust of wind cleared the grit. Unexpectedly, the ground behind him suddenly gave way, and the giant spider flipped over, its two chelicerae extending to seize him from behind!

Two small trees were also caught in the embrace, and Hundred Battles God immediately heard a snapping and cracking as branches broke. Though Zhu Erniang's forelegs didn't articulate as freely as a sea crab's, the crushing force of her sudden embrace was enough to squeeze the very breath out of a person. Even with divine power protecting Hundred Battles God, he was still pressed until his vision blurred. Had it been Lu Shishi herself, she would have been flattened into a patty. At the same time, he inhaled and contracted his abdomen, making the aura around his body exceptionally slippery. Zhu Erniang squeezed him as if trying to grasp a wet bar of soap, and with a swift *whoosh*, he slipped free from the dire grip. Zhu Erniang's poisonous fangs, already extended to deliver more venom, now struck only empty air. She uncomfortably shook her forelegs. A bowl-sized wound on her chelicera was expanding rapidly, growing to the size of a millstone in an instant, her flesh and blood turning to black ash and dispersing with the wind. In the moment of his escape, Hundred Battles God had retaliated, landing a punch on Zhu Erniang's foreleg. This power of annihilation was like a parasitic worm; even the Spider Immortal found it difficult to withstand.

The two sides swiftly exchanged several blows, resulting in two layers of the ground being stripped away entirely, leaving the surroundings looking as if a hurricane had passed through. Together, this man and spider could embody the word "Extinction." The two opponents circled each other a few steps, each taking the other's measure. Hundred Battles God spat a mouthful of blood onto the ground, then changed his approach. "If you come back with me now, we'll let bygones be bygones. From now on, you'll be an honored guest of Lingxu City, with an endless supply of spiritual energy and power. What do you say?"

"Like Ju Ju?" Zhu Erniang was, after all, an ancient Great Demon; how could she be swayed by a few words? "Or like the owner of the tortoise shell?" Ju Ju was incredibly powerful, a natural guardian deity of Mount Xu, yet Lingxu City and the Heavenly Palace still did everything they could to suppress and tame him. With the stunt Zhu Erniang pulled today, she had effectively declared herself an enemy of the Heavenly Palace, leaving virtually no room for compromise.

"Just hand over the intruder and return the divine artifact." Hundred Battles God lightly tapped his chest. "We can confer upon you the title of Marquis Bishan, and your domain will stretch from Bishan to Lanwan. You and your descendants can thrive endlessly, undisturbed by anyone!" he said softly. "Didn't you angrily leave Beijia back then precisely because the Lingxu Royal Court failed to grant you sufficient respect and territory? We're old acquaintances; I can advocate for you."

"Negotiate for me?" Zhu Erniang chuckled. "I don't think you're faring so well in the God Realm, acting as Lingxu's lackey, barking at whoever it points to. You finally descended to the mortal realm, and Lingxu City only provided you with a dilapidated vessel, incapable of unleashing even a tenth of your power. Heh heh, are you still the arrogant and untamed Hundred Battles God of yesteryear?" There were many reasons for her departure from Beijia, not just the one he mentioned. However, this was not the time for debate; she knew the Heavenly God's typical behavior well. Hundred Battles God said coldly, "Do you think you can still escape?" He had been in constant contact with the Heavenly Palace and knew that in less than half an hour, at least dozens of great demons and two thousand soldiers would arrive here! By then, the massive spider would have no way to escape. Yet Zhu Erniang retorted, "Your eyes are still as blind as they were three thousand years ago!" What did she mean? Hundred Battles God was puzzled.

"You suddenly offer incentives to delay, don't you?" The giant spider had long seen through his ploy, and it scratched its abdomen. "Actually, so am I!" As it finished speaking, its left fore-chelicera detached. A giant spider over four zhang tall, its great chelicera weighing at least a thousand jin, landed with a resounding thud. This was a formidable weapon, yet Zhu Erniang seemed utterly unconcerned. Like crabs, giant spiders could voluntarily shed limbs for later regeneration.

Hundred Battles God frowned, suddenly hearing a rumbling sound from behind him. It was the distinct thud of countless hard footfalls on the ground. Had reinforcements arrived so quickly? He quickly glanced back, shocked. What approached was not the Lingxu reinforcements, but the Thunder Behemoth, which had clearly already fled far away! Naturally, it was accompanied by its numerous smaller kin. Even worse, there was no one else on this hillside—only the confronting Hundred Battles God and the Spider Immortal. It was clear the Thunder Behemoth was heading straight for them.

"They're here for you; I'm not getting involved," Zhu Erniang said, lifting her right claw. "Until next time!" How could Hundred Battles God allow it to escape? But just as he began to move, Zhu Erniang, with all eight—no, seven—of her claws, moved in unison, swiftly darting towards the Thunder Behemoth. As Hundred Battles God moved, the Behemoth followed, and the herd of Danube Beasts behind it changed direction in sync. All those hundreds of eyes were fixed on him, unblinking. Hundred Battles God was startled, only then realizing that it was indeed coming for *him*! Furthermore, over four hundred large Danube Beasts had gathered behind the Thunder Behemoth, their charge shaking the ground, exuding an aura as if they would crush any god in their path! No matter how arrogant Hundred Battles God was, he had no desire to approach the Thunder Behemoth now. After all, this was merely a temporary vessel, not his true form.