Chapter 1502: Mutation

Bit by bit, Ban Ci ascended. Her movements were very slow; often, after stepping onto one stair, it would be a long time before her next move. Wherever she passed, the hazy mist completely vanished.

Lu Ye became increasingly certain that the mist was the source for cultivators to temper their spiritual power. He looked up towards the top of the stairs, at the strange stone cauldron. The mist was the source for tempering spiritual power, and the mist itself originated from this stone cauldron. In other words, the stone cauldron was the true treasure. If he could take this stone cauldron out, wouldn't he be able to temper spiritual power anytime, anywhere? In the future, if any of his friends or relatives wished to advance to the Moon-Illuminated realm, they wouldn't need to trouble themselves with acquiring precious elixirs. However, Lu Ye merely entertained this thought. Ban Ci had known about this place for a long time, yet the stone cauldron remained, which undoubtedly indicated a problem. This stone cauldron... was likely not easy to obtain.

A day later, Ban Ci had reached the halfway point. At this pace, she should reach the end in another two or three days. At that time, with her spiritual power transformed, she would meet the conditions to advance to the Moon-Illuminated realm and could ascend at any moment. Although this journey had consumed a fair amount of time, it was essentially just a quick trip, and the reward was a Phoenix Sky Blue Crystal, which wasn't bad at all.

Another day passed, and Ban Ci had reached over eighty steps, roughly in line with Lu Ye's estimated progress. However, upon reaching this point, the pressure Ban Ci endured significantly increased. She often had to rest for a long time before taking another step up. At one moment, Lu Ye suddenly noticed Ban Ci's body trembling slightly. He realized the situation seemed dire; Ban Ci appeared to have reached her limit.

Looking closer, her clothes were soaked with sweat, clinging to her body, revealing her voluptuous figure. Lu Ye had long known she had an impressive physique, but he hadn't realized she was so curvaceous. For a moment, he couldn't resist looking a few more times. His heart burned with desire, and even his gaze became intrusive. As if sensing his gaze, Ban Ci's body trembled even more violently.

Something was wrong! Lu Ye's expression instantly became wary. While it was true that he would glance a few times at attractive female cultivators with impressive physiques in his daily life, it was just that—a glance. Everyone had their aesthetic preferences, and it was natural, instinctive even, to look more at people or things that matched one's taste. But Lu Ye had never harbored any malicious or depraved thoughts because of it. Yet, just now, he had developed thoughts that he shouldn't have.

Was it Ban Ci's fault? Lu Ye vaguely felt it wasn't. He tried to avert his gaze, but a voice deep within him stopped him, making his eyes even more intrusive. His gaze clung to Ban Ci's voluptuous figure like a leech, and his mind was flooded with fantasies. Lu Ye quickly calmed his mind and examined himself. There was nothing unusual! It seemed as if everything he had just experienced was merely a result of his own inner thoughts. But this was clearly wrong; something must be influencing him.

However, he had the Talent Tree within him, and if any unusual external force invaded his body, the Talent Tree would react. To date, he had only experienced a slight disruption to his rationality from the song of White Dew in the mermaid territory. Yet, that was due to the profound mystery of the mermaid's song, something the Talent Tree's power couldn't resolve. He had ultimately overcome White Dew's influence through sheer willpower. But this time, the situation was completely different. He knew the thoughts appearing in his mind were wrong, but the more he tried to suppress them, the harder it became to break free. Subconsciously, he even felt an urge to dive into them and act on them immediately. It could be said that the force influencing him this time was more terrifying than White Dew's song. This was somewhat chilling.

Since there was no abnormality within his body, the problem wasn't physical. With this realization, Lu Ye quickly examined his Sea of Consciousness. When his soul-spirit manifested, Lu Ye was slightly startled because he discovered a pink mist floating in his Sea of Consciousness, appearing at some unknown point. Moreover, the mist was continuously expanding with the changes in his thoughts. The more he tried to suppress those inappropriate ideas, the faster the pink mist expanded, seemingly poised to envelop his entire Sea of Consciousness. And as the mist expanded, his thoughts became increasingly wild!

"Fellow Daoist Li!" Ban Ci's voice suddenly came from the stairs, trembling as if she was trying hard to endure something. Lu Ye abruptly looked up to see Ban Ci, who had turned to face him at some point. Her face was frighteningly red, her fists clenched so tightly that her nails had dug into her palms, drawing blood. Lu Ye could tell at a glance that she was experiencing the same torment as him, but her willpower was clearly as strong as his, otherwise she would have succumbed to the chaotic thoughts constantly surging in her mind.

It wasn't Ban Ci's doing! Lu Ye had initially suspected Ban Ci of secretly manipulating something, but seeing her condition, he knew he was mistaken. But if it wasn't Ban Ci, then what was wrong? Before Lu Ye could ask, Ban Ci provided the answer: "Heavenly Desire Demonic Spider!"

"What?" Lu Ye was astonished and uncertain.

Ban Ci closed her eyes, her chest heaving violently. "The Heavenly Desire Demonic Spiders we killed weren't all of them. There's a stronger one. It might have been hiding here all along, or it might have secretly followed us. We need to find it and kill it to be free. Otherwise..." She didn't say what would happen otherwise, but Lu Ye knew the outcome would be dire.

But how could there be a Heavenly Desire Demonic Spider in this place? He hadn't noticed any abnormality at all. As he looked around, Lu Ye was horrified to realize that white spider webs had appeared throughout the cavern at some unknown time, crisscrossing and weaving the entire cavern. Looking back, the entrance he and Ban Ci had used was also covered by a spider web. This was almost unbelievable. Although he had been observing Ban Ci for the past two days, he hadn't let his guard down regarding his surroundings. He had no idea when these webs and silk threads had appeared.

Lu Ye faintly realized that this was a big problem. Whether the Heavenly Desire Demonic Spider had been hiding here all along or had secretly followed them, its strength must be immense. It was highly likely a Moon-Illuminated realm Star Beast; otherwise, it couldn't have remained completely undetected by him.

Forcibly suppressing the chaotic thoughts in his mind, Lu Ye raised his hand, drew his Pan Mountain Saber, and slashed it at the spider web behind him. As the long saber struck, Lu Ye was astonished to find that the seemingly not-so-tough web was completely unaffected. The Pan Mountain Saber, imbued with the Divine Edge Spirit Pattern, couldn't cut it. Instead, an incredibly strong adhesive force came from the web, sticking the saber firmly to it. Lu Ye's spiritual power surged around him, frantically pouring into the saber. In an instant, a raging flame erupted on the Pan Mountain Saber. The web remained undamaged, further confirming Lu Ye's suspicion that the Heavenly Desire Demonic Spider hiding in the shadows was a Moon-Illuminated realm Star Beast. The mere fact that its web was so tough meant it was incomparable to the Heavenly Desire Demonic Spiders he had previously killed.

When a whooshing sound echoed, several threads of silk suddenly shot out from the web, coiling towards Lu Ye. His eyes twitched, and he swiftly retreated. The Pan Mountain Saber, however, remained stuck on the web and was quickly covered by silk, obscuring the blade from view. For a Weapon Cultivator to lose their weapon was unprecedented for Lu Ye, but in that situation, if he hadn't abandoned his saber, he would have inevitably been entangled by the silk. Silk threads assailed him from all directions, forcing Lu Ye into a desperate evasion.

His current situation was dire. On one hand, he had to fight against the various chaotic thoughts deep within him, which, ironically, retaliated more fiercely the more he resisted. On the other hand, he had to evade the harassing silk threads and search for the Heavenly Desire Demonic Spider's whereabouts. In just a moment, Lu Ye felt he could no longer sustain the effort. Even with the Insight Spirit Pattern activated, Lu Ye couldn't see a single shadow, let alone the Heavenly Desire Demonic Spider. In this situation, he could escape by using the artifact he had left outside the cavern and activating a Void Spirit Pattern. However, if he left like that, his Pan Mountain Saber would be lost, and leaving Ban Ci alone would surely mean her death.

Ban Ci's situation was even worse. Although she was also evading the harassing silk threads, the surging desires in her heart clearly had a significant impact on her. Within moments, one of her hands was entangled by the silk. The situation worsened as more threads coiled around her, and Ban Ci could no longer evade, her two hands and two feet becoming thoroughly bound. Lu Ye saw this and knew she was done for. He feared Ban Ci would die in the very next instant.

What puzzled Lu Ye was that after binding Ban Ci, the hidden Heavenly Desire Demonic Spider seemed to have no intention of killing her. Judging by Ban Ci's expression, she didn't seem particularly flustered either. Her eyes had become exceptionally hazy, like spring water, yet her face showed extreme shame and indignation. The moment she was completely bound, the shame vanished, replaced by a look of resolve, as if she had made a firm decision.

"Li Taibai, do you know why it's not killing us?" Ban Ci suddenly spoke.

"I don't!" Lu Ye dodged the silk threads assaulting him from all directions. Ban Ci's question was also what puzzled him. At this moment, if the Heavenly Desire Demonic Spider wanted to take Ban Ci's life, it could easily do so. Moreover, Lu Ye could feel that the silk threads attacking him were merely trying to trap him, not to harm or kill him. The Heavenly Desire Demonic Spider hiding in the shadows had no intention of killing.

"Because it wants to devour our vital essence!" Ban Ci explained.

"It could still devour it if it killed us!" Lu Ye interjected amidst his busy dodging.

"It's not the same!" Ban Ci shook her head. "This is a Moon-Illuminated realm Heavenly Desire Demonic Spider. Ordinary vital essence doesn't hold much appeal for it. What it desires is vital essence from a state of extreme passion and intense emotion. That's what it craves. Moreover, both of us are late-stage Constellation cultivators, which makes us incredibly appealing to it. It's currently hiding in the shadows, and neither of us can find it. It absolutely won't reveal itself easily before it achieves its goal!"

***

Tang San's control over time, position, and distance was exceptionally precise this time. He knew very well that even with his Tang Sect unique skills and a third-stage Mysterious Heaven Skill cultivation, the wolf demon, with its innate talents and powerful body, might be too much for him in a direct confrontation. Especially given his young age and insufficient vital energy, he certainly couldn't sustain a long battle. If the transformed human hadn't already killed one wolf demon, he might not have even acted against two third-stage wolf demons; his own life was paramount.

However, once he decided to strike, he had to ensure a hit. The wolf demon was currently in a state of extreme rage. Therefore, it wasn't until Tang San's palm struck the side of its eye that it finally realized. It sharply turned its head, its maw snapping directly at Tang San. Tang San's other hand, however, grabbed the wolf demon's clothes. Taking advantage of his slender build, he pulled at its fur, changing his direction. He almost flipped directly past the third-stage wolf demon's chest to its other side. His right index and middle fingers formed a sword-finger. Activating the Mysterious Jade Hand, his two fingers glowed with a pure white jade color as he swiftly stabbed at the wolf demon's eye, which was turning back towards him.

*Pfft!* His slender fingers almost instantly pierced into something warm. In terms of physical strength, Tang San was certainly far inferior to this third-stage wolf demon, but once he struck a vital point with equivalent energy, there was no room for luck. With the Mysterious Heaven Skill infused through the Mysterious Jade Hand, it almost spun into the wolf demon's brain. As a result, the wolf demon's other eye instantly burst, and its brain was pulverized into a paste. Its roar abruptly ceased as if choked, and its strong body fell to the ground.

Tang San pushed off its body with the tip of his foot, rolling to land some distance away. This single strike achieved such a result thanks to his rich combat experience from his previous life. His slender child's body and the cover of night were his best advantages, coupled with the fact that the third-stage wolf demon was in a rage, its perception diminished. In a head-on confrontation, Tang San's Mysterious Jade Hand might not have even broken through the wolf demon's thick hide. However, the eyes were the most vulnerable spot. Piercing the eye and injecting Mysterious Heaven Skill energy meant certain death.

With both feet on the ground, the other third-stage wolf demon was also motionless. Tang San finally let out a sigh of relief. He didn't rush to check on the human but quickly lay on the ground, pressing his ear to the earth, listening for any signs of pursuers. With his current strength, a direct confrontation with a third-stage wolf demon was difficult. No matter how good his technique, his small body was too fragile. A single hit from a wolf demon could very well be fatal. The seemingly simple attack just now had been his full effort, raising his mental will to its highest degree.

There were no other movements in the surroundings. Clearly, only two third-stage wolf demons had been chasing the human who could transform. This also relieved Tang San; otherwise, he would have had no choice but to flee. He then walked towards the human, maintaining his vigilance. When he approached the person, he immediately noticed that the fur that had previously grown on them had vanished. This caused Tang San's heart rate to quicken slightly.

Given his young age and no relation to the transformed human, the safest option before would naturally have been to not intervene and wait for the wolf demons to leave. Yet, he chose to act. One reason was that the person being pursued was human. Another important reason was the transformation he had just witnessed. In Tang San's original world of Douluo Continent, there were Soul Masters with Beast Martial Souls who possessed similar abilities. They could also continuously grow and become powerful by cultivating their Beast Martial Souls. If such an ability existed in this world, learning it would naturally be greatly beneficial for improving his own strength and would also make it easier for him to integrate into this world!