The Golden Spider was on the verge of exploding with rage. A mere brat actually dared to face him with such an attitude, as if some supreme being were lecturing a junior. Unforgivable! That brat even had the audacity to pat his shoulder—casually at that—with an air of nonchalance, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
A thunderous boom erupted as golden lightning crackled through the void. The Golden Spider erupted in fury, manifesting a massive golden hand to crush Shi Hao, intending to erase him from existence.
Silently, the gray-clad Captain of the Guards appeared, coughing lightly. The void froze, and the Golden Spider found himself immobilized, even the laws of order he had unleashed now locked in place.
The crowd was stunned. This was the first time they had witnessed the Captain of the Guards take action—a mere cough had restrained the mighty Golden Spider.
“His Majesty’s grand celebration forbids disturbances. If you wish to duel, proceed to the martial arena,” the Captain declared.
At Shi Hao’s feet, the little wolf let out a yelp and pounced, clamping onto the Golden Spider’s leg with frenzied bites. Golden feathers scattered as the leg was exposed, its garment torn to shreds.
Hearts skipped a beat—how could a mere foot-long wolf be so ferocious? That was a treasure-grade garment, yet it had been gnawed apart, and the tiny beast’s claws and teeth had left ghastly wounds on the leg.
One must remember, this was a pure-blooded creature, its body harder than refined steel, impervious to ordinary weapons. Yet this unassuming little wolf, previously seen as nothing more than Shi Hao’s playful companion, had managed to injure it.
The Captain’s eyes flashed with divine light in astonishment. He had sealed the void, yet this wolf had broken free, unaffected, continuing its savage assault. Extraordinary!
He withdrew his divine power—otherwise, the Golden Spider’s leg might have been devoured entirely. As it was, blood already dripped freely.
“Little Gray, come back. That leg’s poisonous and stinks. Don’t eat it,” Shi Hao called, summoning the wolf back, mainly to prevent it from suffering any harm.
The moment the Golden Spider regained freedom, his fury erupted. He shot a venomous glare at the Captain before swiping at the little wolf with a tempest of golden gale-force winds.
The wolf dodged nimbly, leaving behind an afterimage as it teleported ten zhang away. Then, wagging its tail, it circled around and trotted back to Shi Hao’s side, rubbing its head against his leg.
“The martial arena is that way,” the Captain gestured sharply, his gaze as sharp as a hidden divine sword, its edge concealed yet formidable.
“Let’s go. I’ll take your head!” the Golden Spider sneered. There was no way he’d let this brat live after such humiliation.
“You say ‘go’ and I should obey? Why? One, you’re inedible. Two, you’re not a pretty fatty. Three, you’ve got your nose stuck up in the air. Why should I listen to you?” Shi Hao refused.
“The Golden Spider of antiquity symbolizes divinity, radiating auspicious energy. Its flesh glows with golden mist—it’s a unique variant among demonic spiders, devoid of poison,” someone murmured in the shadows.
“Really?” Shi Hao’s eyes widened.
Others chimed in—indeed, the Golden Spider was a sacred pure-blooded creature, lacking venom. Legend spoke of a golden spider from antiquity that ascended to godhood, dominating the world.
“Fine, I’ll fight you. Never tasted spider before—let’s see how it is!” The Bear Child howled and charged toward the arena.
The Golden Spider’s face darkened. This brat’s reason for fighting was utterly insulting. He yearned to crush him on the spot, his lungs burning with rage.
He dashed after Shi Hao, eager to slaughter the human youth. Every extra second the boy lived was torture.
A group of pure-blooded creatures followed, especially the youths who had arrived with the Golden Spider.
The crowd at the Heavenly Palace stirred. Many rose, heading to the arena to witness the battle—an appetizer before the main event. If the Golden Spider failed, the elders would surely step in.
The vast martial arena exuded an ancient aura. Rumor had it the stones paving the ground were transported from an ancient battlefield, sealed within a grand formation.
Standing there, one felt minuscule against its boundless expanse.
“Crack!”
The Golden Spider surged forth, wreathed in golden lightning that made the void tremble. He was berserk, intent on annihilating Shi Hao instantly.
“Be careful—he wears the Divine Armguard of the Heavenly God Mountain, a sacred artifact!” a pure-blooded creature warned.
Startled, the Golden Spider unleashed golden lightning from a distance, flooding the sky with blinding arcs.
“Am I that uncouth? If I used the armguard, I’d smash him to pulp—what would I eat then?” Shi Hao muttered, opting not to use it. Instead, he merged with his Indestructible Golden Body, donning a suit of black-gold battle armor.
“Roar—!”
Ten Suan Ni, each as massive as a mountain, materialized on the battlefield. Thankfully, the arena was vast enough. They roared, devouring all the lightning before transforming into ten streaks of purple lightning, lashing back at the Golden Spider.
“Boom!”
A clash of thunder erupted, light exploding between them. In the end, black smoke billowed as the lightning dissipated.
The Golden Spider was undeniably powerful. Though young, he was already a Marquis—this was the terror of pure-blooded creatures. Upon maturity, their strength surged naturally to terrifying heights.
He punched forward. Shi Hao smirked, standing firm as he met the blow with his own fist.
The collision was louder than thunder, deafening. Neither moved, but blood splattered from the Golden Spider’s fist.
“This…” He inhaled sharply. The boy’s fist was impossibly hard. At the last moment, he’d felt overwhelming force—even his golden web defense couldn’t prevent his finger bones from nearly snapping.
What kind of monstrous physique was this? The Golden Spider had assumed human flesh was weak, only to kick an iron plate. And with Shi Hao’s ten heavenly passages, he seemed flawless. The Golden Spider shuddered—this human youth had to be eliminated now, or he’d become a calamity in the future.
Shi Hao hadn’t used the Divine Armguard—its consumption was too great, and he didn’t want to rely on it. Since he could fight evenly, he preferred to test his own strength. Besides, he wanted to study the Golden Spider’s techniques to better understand the ancient demonic spiders.
The Golden Spider was undeniably formidable, a Marquis capable of summoning storms and celestial phenomena. His golden webs blotted out the sky, layer upon layer, nearly overwhelming Shi Hao. The threads were nigh indestructible.
“Die!”
By the battle’s climax, though in human form, the Golden Spider manifested the phantom of a colossal golden spider behind him, terrifying and draped in golden chains of order that lashed out like whips.
“Clang!”
Shi Hao flicked his finger against one chain, the metallic clang resonating through souls.
He was shocked. Anyone else would’ve been skewered—these chains could pierce through swathes of treasures, unbreakable.
The Golden Spider fused with his phantom, radiating golden light. Chains danced around him like divine shackles, clinking ominously.
He resembled a golden deity, his aura surging like a tidal wave.
Shi Hao secretly activated the Kun Peng Art. His fingers gleamed, gold streaked with black, as he flicked the incoming chains. One by one, they shattered with metallic screeches.
The Golden Spider gaped. What kind of monstrous finger strength was this? Even his supreme chains had been severed!
After testing the Kun Peng Art, Shi Hao reined it in, instead unleashing his ten heavenly passages. His entire body blazed as he channeled his physical might and runes.
“Boom!”
His aura erupted like a slumbering true dragon awakening, soaring to the heavens.
Shi Hao seized several golden chains, snapping them with brute strength. He realized he could match the chains with sheer power alone.
“No!” the Golden Spider screamed.
Under Shi Hao’s relentless assault, he buckled. The boy fought savagely, each punch infused with the most fundamental runes from the Primordial True Record, transforming the mundane into the divine.
“Great Roc Fist!” the Captain murmured, his eyes flashing gold like a divine eagle’s.
In truth, Shi Hao was merely interpreting the Kun Peng Art through basic runes, fluid and ever-changing. Soon, his fists shifted again, roaring like a Suan Ni, as if capable of shaking the moon from the sky.
“Thud!”
The Golden Spider was sent flying, blood spraying from his mouth. A single strike had shattered over a dozen bones.
The crowd gasped. Shi Hao’s punch was monstrous—even a Marquis-level pure-blood had been crippled in one blow.
Unable to endure, the Golden Spider reverted to his true form—a golden spider over ten zhang long.
“Boom!”
Shi Hao punched again. The Golden Spider blocked desperately, but one leg was severed, blood gushing as it collapsed.
Shi Hao summoned the Heaven-Transforming Bowl. The unassuming clay vessel spun, its rim glowing as it sucked the Golden Spider inside, shrinking him to mere inches.
“He’s… subdued?” The crowd was dumbfounded.
The Golden Spider’s companions were especially shaken. A Marquis-level pure-blood, defeated by a teenage human in moments?
“I’ve never eaten spider before. How’s it taste?” Shi Hao hoisted the severed leg—several zhang long—and spat runic flames, roasting it on the spot.
He carried it back to the banquet, continuing to cook it amidst the festivities.
Everyone recoiled. This was… savage. He was actually roasting it? At the emperor’s birthday feast?
Soon, the aroma of meat wafted out. Shi Hao’s mouth watered as he cracked the golden shell—like peeling a lobster—revealing tender, glistening white meat.
“Edible after all! Not like regular spiders!” He took a huge bite, moaning in delight before washing it down with wine, utterly pleased.
“So delicious! Tender and fragrant—even better than Azure Luan meat!”
Many wiped sweat. This was beyond brutal. In moments, the Golden Spider had become his meal. Was this kid even human?
“Human! You disgrace the Demon Spirit Lake! Not even a god can save you now!” A furious roar echoed from the distance—the voice of the Ancient Demonic Spider.
He had left before the banquet, avoiding the emperor, only to learn of his descendant’s fate.
“To the military field. Let them fight.”
Golden flames erupted from the central Heavenly Palace, so intense they seemed to scorch the heavens. The emperor himself had spoken.
The military field lay far from the palace, a training ground for elite troops.
The crowd buzzed with anticipation. What trump card did this savage youth hold to dare challenge a sacred mountain’s elder?
Suddenly, the Heavenly Palace and its plaza lifted from the ground, shocking everyone as they soared like a colossal flying artifact.
In an instant, they crossed the sky, landing atop a vast military field—perfect for a decisive battle.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage