The Demon Lord's Invasion

Chapter 7: The Bone Spider

Deep within the Sand Sea, amidst the vast expanse of yellow sand, lay an oasis. At the center of the oasis was a spring, and the lakeside formed by the spring’s flow was known to local cultivators as Green Moon Lake. This wasn’t Jiang Tang’s first time here. Two years ago, when his physical body was still at the peak of the Qi Martial Realm, he had ventured deep into this area and hunted down a Howling Wind Wolf. The puppet mount he currently rode was crafted from the materials of that very wolf. However, as his physical body had weakened and his speed had plummeted, he could no longer capture any demon beasts—except during sandstorms. Now, as Jiang Tang stepped onto this land once more, brimming with confidence and clutching his bone spear, the scene before him left him at a loss! “Come take a look! A foal I just caught—the best first-tier mount there is, with the potential to even advance to the second tier. I’ll sell it for ten crystal stones.” “Ten Howling Wind Wolf carcasses for sale at a bargain price—in pristine condition with undamaged demon cores. First come, first served.” “Fire-Poison Snakes—anyone want a Fire-Poison Snake?” “High prices paid for Netherfire Ant essence blood—any amount accepted.” Like a vegetable market, Green Moon Lake no longer bore the majestic sight of Blazing Wind Horses galloping across it; instead, there were hundreds upon hundreds of cultivators hawking their wares and making purchases. “Humans.” Dongfang floated calmly beside Jiang Tang. “Yes, humans.” A hint of sarcasm flickered at the corner of Jiang Tang’s mouth. He refused to spare these people another glance and rode his wolf golem deeper into the area. The further he went, the more scenes of demon beasts being hunted down Jiang Tang witnessed. Not only first-tier beasts, but even second-tier Alpha Wolves and third-tier Wolf Kings were falling under the combined assault of large groups of cultivators. The Sand Sea—for the first time in a million years—was finally at peace! With all danger completely gone, cultivators were everywhere. “This is even scarier than an online game—at least in those, monsters respawn, but here…” For some reason, Jiang Tang felt a sense of emptiness in his heart. “Judging by the materials being sold, there seem to be very few demon insects,” Dongfang said suddenly. “That’s not surprising. The Sand Sea’s three major demon insects aren’t that easy to hunt. First, there are the Netherfire Ants—their nests lie deep beneath the Sand Sea. Bone Spiders rely on hunting Netherfire Ants to cultivate, so they only dwell near the ant nests. As for Blood Mosquitoes, they’re too dangerous for the reward—hunting them is simply not worth the effort.” After Jiang Tang finished speaking, he flipped his palm and produced a piece of animal hide. “What’s this?” Dongfang floated closer, his curiosity piqued. “A map. It marks several ant nests. I bought it from a cultivator a year ago but haven’t had a chance to use it yet.” After saying this, Jiang Tang tucked the map away and nodded toward the northwest. “If we head that way, there’s an abandoned ancient city built of massive stones. There’s an ant nest right beneath it. Let’s hope it hasn’t been abandoned.” “There’s no time to waste.” Dongfang said, then floated over and settled onto the wolf golem’s back. After half a day of galloping on the wolf golem, the ruins of the ancient city came into view in the distance. “We haven’t seen any cultivators for an hour now. Could it be that they don’t know about this place?” Dongfang asked, puzzled. “Who knows? Just be careful—don’t let anyone loot your gear,” Jiang Tang said. He then jumped off the wolf golem, took out his storage pouch, and stowed it away. He brushed the curls from his forehead, shook his head, and, together with Dongfang, cautiously approached the ruins. In the vast, desolate desert, the solitary ancient city had been eroded by wind and sand for untold ages, yet its state of preservation was enough to leave one speechless. Not a single building had collapsed; all were constructed from massive stones, perfectly intact. Yet it lay as desolate as a ghost town—especially the skeletal remains, each covered in cobwebs, which were truly harrowing to behold. “It’s truly awe-inspiring. Why is the architectural style here so advanced? It could rival the Maya civilization—I wonder how many centuries ahead of Tucheng it is.” “It’s your way of describing it that’s truly shocking to me. All right, be careful—see those skeletons? The spiderwebs on them are from bone spiders!” Jiang Tang’s warning was of no use to Dongfang, because the moment he heard it, he floated over, grabbed a strand of spiderweb, and tugged at it repeatedly, exclaiming in surprise, “It’s incredibly tough.” No sooner had he finished marveling than he seemed to have discovered a new Continent, his tone growing even more astonished: “It can actually conduct Yuan Power! I’ve got an idea!” “Wait until you’re still alive to say that!” Jiang Tang’s dark face grew even darker, for his powerful divine sense detected a surge of murderous intent behind him! “Pfft!” A white flash suddenly pierced the spot where Jiang Tang had been standing, slamming into the ground and scattering outward to form a white web the size of a window, stretching across the ground. As for Jiang Tang, he had long since flipped over and leaped onto the roof of a stone building, where he sat down in the lotus position. Dongfang, however, needed no rest, so he immediately began his research on the spider silk. An hour later, Jiang Tang opened his eyes and examined his body, saying, “My Yuan Power has dwindled to less than one-third of a crystal stone’s worth, and my recovery rate is nowhere near what it used to be. If I keep using it at this rate, in another half a year I’ll be completely useless!” Dongfang looked at Jiang Tang, remaining silent for a long time. Finally, he spoke: “I need a cultivator—one who’s still alive.” “We’ll discuss that later,” Jiang Tang said as he stood up and surveyed the area. “Let’s split up and search.” “We’ve already found one,” Dongfang said, pointing to a fortress in the center of the ancient stone city. “Then let’s go.” Jiang Tang immediately set off toward the fortress. Once inside the fortress, they found the grand hall—as majestic as a palace—in utter disarray, with cobwebs covering the floor. Yet there was nothing of value—at least, not in Jiang Tang’s eyes. Dongfang’s small form floated ahead of Jiang Tang, guiding him around a stone pillar before coming to a stop. He pointed to the entrance of a cave half a zhang wide and said, “It’s just as full of spiderwebs inside as it is outside. I suspect this ant nest has likely been taken over by bone spiders.” “We’ll have to go down and take a look anyway. If there’s any black crystal, it’ll make the trip worthwhile.” With that, Jiang Tang leaped into the cave without hesitation. Meanwhile, at Green Moon Lake. On a desolate patch of withered grass, Li Yishang coldly stared at the three cultivators across from him. “Is your sword forged from the fangs of an Earth Dragon?” asked the one standing in the center of the three cultivators. “You’ve been following me for an entire hour just to ask that?” Li Yishang’s voice was icy. “Enough with the nonsense. Attack!” The hot-tempered man on the left was the first to draw a long sword. Leaping three zhang into the air, he pointed the blade toward the sky—its blade blazing with flames—and swung down at Li Yishang’s forehead. Li Yishang appeared to make no movement whatsoever—neither advancing nor retreating. With a fleeting blur at his shoulder, a afterimage flashed by in an instant. The next moment, the charging man’s body was severed in two mid-air, and even the long sword in his hand was not spared. Blood spread rapidly from the severe wound and fell below. “So fast!” The other two were both filled with horror. A Mid-Stage Qi Martial cultivator had been killed just like that, and his opponent was merely an Early-Stage Qi Martial cultivator! “Li Yishang of the Sword Sect—I await you at any time.” Ignoring the two stunned men, Li Yishang turned and walked away. From a distance, Yuan Shangpiao watched the scene, a strange gleam flickering in her eyes. “Sha Hai, it’s over. After this, where do I go from here?” With a wistful sigh, Yuan Shangpiao followed the footprints Li Yishang had left behind, drifting away.