Chapter 268: White Spider

This is a vast, interconnected limestone cave. Though its full extent is unknown, it clearly stretches a considerable distance.

After examining the area with a Moonlight Stone in hand, Han Li came to this conclusion.

The moment the tunnel collapsed and rocks began to fall, Han Li swiftly activated a protective barrier. Although he was buried deep underground amid the violent tremors, he at least managed to create a small pocket of safety to catch his breath.

However, the shifting terrain made it impossible for him to determine his location or direction. Left with no other choice, he released several lizard puppet beasts and directed them to dig in multiple directions, hoping one would find an escape route.

He deeply regretted not having learned the Earth Escape Technique earlier. If he had, a simple spell would have allowed him to move freely through the earth. Instead, he had to crawl slowly through the narrow tunnels dug by the puppet beasts.

The thought of using a magic tool to clear a path crossed his mind, but he dismissed it immediately. Wasting spiritual power without knowing his location or direction was unwise. Moreover, using magic tools underground was extremely dangerous—one wrong move could trigger another collapse.

So, Han Li proceeded cautiously, controlling the puppet beasts to scout ahead in all directions before choosing the most promising path. After hours of tedious crawling, he finally emerged into this unknown limestone cave, allowing his tense nerves to finally relax.

The feeling of surviving a disaster was truly exhilarating!

Glancing back at the hole he had crawled out from, Han Li knew others must have also survived the tunnel collapse. But whether they could find a way out from the rubble was another matter.

Trapped in an airtight space, even a Foundation Establishment cultivator would struggle to hold out for long. For Qi Condensation disciples, the odds were even grimmer.

Still, amid his relief, Han Li felt puzzled.

Why did the tunnel collapse and earthquake occur so soon after they entered? Could it be the work of the Devil Dao? Han Li was almost certain his guess was correct.

…

Near the entrance of the surface spirit ore mine, Devil Dao cultivators were wreaking havoc, smashing everything inside the cave with their magic tools.

High above the spirit ore mine, an old man in yellow robes said regretfully to a red-robed young woman, “Junior Sister Lian, wasn’t this a bit excessive? Using a rare intermediate-level Earth Tremor Talisman just for a few fleeing dogs—was it really necessary?”

“Hmph! Did they really think they could escape right under my nose, Lian Feihua? Although sweeping this spirit stone mine was only a secondary mission, letting them get away so easily just doesn’t sit right with me!” the red-robed young woman retorted dismissively.

The yellow-robed old man could only smile wryly. Wasting such a rare talisman for such a trivial reason was absurd. But who could argue with the only daughter of the Devil Flame Sect’s leader? As a guardian of the Heavenly Evil Sect, it was best not to meddle in her affairs.

With that thought, the old man fell silent.

Before long, the Devil Dao cultivators, having completely destroyed the spirit ore mine, flew away and gradually disappeared from sight.

A day later, a massive medicinal herb garden hidden by the Seven Sects far from the mine was ambushed by the same group. All the herbs ready for alchemy were plundered, and even the seedlings were burned to ashes by Azure Sun Devil Fire.

This incident immediately gripped the attention of the Seven Sects’ higher-ups. In comparison, the ambush on Han Li’s spirit stone mine seemed insignificant. While a destroyed spirit ore mine could be restored with time, the stolen and burned herbs would take decades to regrow.

Furious, the Seven Sects dispatched experts to hunt down the perpetrators. However, the pursuers were ambushed by reinforcements mid-journey and suffered another minor defeat.

After repeated setbacks, the Seven Sects refused to swallow their pride. Feeling they had regained some strength, they launched a second large-scale offensive against the Six Sects.

…

Underground, Han Li frowned and finally identified a cave opening where a breeze was flowing. He sent two puppet beasts to scout ahead and followed cautiously.

After passing through dozens of interconnected caves, the limestone cavern grew increasingly spacious, with the largest chamber easily able to accommodate a hundred people. The airflow also grew stronger, reassuring Han Li—where there was wind, there was likely a passage to the surface.

Just as Han Li stepped into a new cave, he encountered six or seven people—Xuan Le, Lü Tianmeng, and other cultivators, including Zhong Wu.

They were slightly startled to see Han Li and his two puppet beasts.

Just as Xuan Le smiled and was about to speak, a piercing scream echoed from another direction, causing everyone’s expressions to shift in alarm.

Xuan Le and Lü Tianmeng exchanged glances and immediately hurried toward the source of the sound, forgoing any questions for Han Li. Defensive spells and magic tools were activated, and everyone remained on high alert.

Han Li hesitated for a moment before taking out his White Scale Shield and slowly following. He didn’t cast any defensive spells on himself but instead applied the Lightbody Technique and Windriding Art. He always believed that in narrow spaces, speed was more important than defense.

After passing through three or four large caves, the group arrived at an enormous limestone cavern and were startled by the scene before them.

In the center of the cave, a several-zhang-long crystalline white spider was gnawing on a mangled corpse with its massive fangs. The tattered white robes on the corpse identified the victim as a Moon Mask Sect disciple who had escaped being buried alive. Near the body lay three or four damaged magic tools.

But what drew even more attention was behind the spider: nestled among piles of raw spirit ore was an ancient hexagonal teleportation formation. Beside it, a five-colored skeleton sat cross-legged, floating three feet above the ground, holding a gleaming blue token that emitted a soft glow.

“What is this?” a Qi Condensation cultivator asked hoarsely, swallowing hard. No one knew whether he was referring to the strange spider, the teleportation formation, or the skeleton and token. Naturally, no one answered.

Perhaps the cultivator’s voice alerted the spider. The monster stopped chewing and raised its head, casting a cold gaze toward the group that had just entered the cave.

Han Li and the others shuddered and immediately raised their guards.

However, after a moment, the spider lowered its head and continued tearing at the corpse, completely ignoring the group. The cultivators exchanged bewildered glances.

“Die!” A Moon Mask Sect disciple, perhaps feeling a sense of kinship with his fallen comrade, suddenly raised his hand and launched a fiery dart-shaped magic tool toward the spider.

Lü Tianmeng and other experienced cultivators were alarmed, silently cursing the recklessness of the move.

With a sharp *clang*, the dart struck the spider’s head without any attempt to dodge and was deflected, leaving not even a scratch on the creature. The tip of the dart was slightly bent. The other cultivators were astounded—the spider’s exoskeleton was unbelievably hard!

“Attack together!” Xuan Le glared at the reckless disciple but had no choice but to call for a joint assault. The spider had stopped eating and was now slowly crawling toward them.

As soon as the order was given, over a dozen magic tools were summoned, unleashing their powers simultaneously toward the giant spider. Han Li also summoned his Golden Blade.

For a moment, the spider was engulfed in a dazzling array of lights, seemingly on the verge of being obliterated. But after a series of chaotic clashes, the radiance of the attacking magical tools dimmed rapidly. Five or six lower-tier magical tools lost their spiritual energy entirely and fell to the ground.

Horrified, Han Li and the others hastily withdrew their magic tools to inspect them.

The top-tier magic tools were largely undamaged, but the high-tier ones showed significant wear. The ones that had fallen were undoubtedly of lower quality. Meanwhile, the white spider reappeared completely unscathed, still advancing toward them unhurriedly.

“Retreat!” Lü Tianmeng and Xuan Le exchanged glances and spoke in unison.

Although they were curious about the teleportation formation and the token, fighting such a demonic beast would come at a great cost. Escaping to the surface was far more important.

But at that moment, the spider opened its mouth and spewed a stream of white liquid toward the group.

Having witnessed the creature’s power, no one dared to face the unknown substance head-on. They all scattered to the sides.

“Not good!” A realization flashed through Han Li’s mind, and he cried out involuntarily.

The other cultivators were momentarily confused.

The liquid suddenly transformed into a giant web mid-air, shooting toward the cave entrance and sealing it shut. In an instant, the only exit was blocked.

The cultivators’ faces paled. Only then did they realize this limestone cave seemed to have only one entrance.