Chapter 55: Chasing the Human‑faced Demon Spider

Long Gong Meng Shu was a bit impatient; he had heard plenty of flattering words before, and even more about his granddaughter.

Whether you leave or not, the ink marks remain; he was wondering whether to give this kid a lesson.

But hearing that final word "Soul Ancestor", Meng Shu's face darkened.

"Stop!"

Xiao Xian's body trembled, he stopped abruptly, and his lifted face bore just the right hint of bewilderment and panic.

"Pre… senior?"

Meng Shu glanced at the nearby Human‑faced Demon Spider, a subtle unease rising in his heart, and said, "Soul Ancestor… tell me, how did you see that my granddaughter is a Soul Ancestor?"

Chao Tianxiang, standing behind him, also looked a bit off.

But the pretty girl beside them looked anxious and impatient; she had wanted to tell her grandfather: perhaps they were mistaken, grandpa, really stop the ink marks.

But she was pulled back by Chao Tianxiang.

Xiao Xian still looked somewhat confused and panicked.

He dared not delay at all, quickly pointing at the nearby Human‑faced Demon Spider, he said hastily, "That Human‑faced Demon Spider's legs are over three meters long, its age is at least two thousand years, perhaps even close to three thousand."

"The Third Soul Ring can absorb up to a little over seventeen hundred years; otherwise the body will explode and die!"

"The Fourth Ring's maximum age is a little over five thousand years."

"Given a senior Soul Fighter's prowess, they naturally understand these, so I, as a junior, boldly guess that your granddaughter is a Soul Ancestor… I wonder whether my guess is…"

"…"

Xiao Xian spoke with a hint of caution, and also seemed a bit regretful, as if regretting why he had spoken so much earlier instead of leaving quickly.

"Quiet!"

As Xiao Xian spoke, the clearing gradually fell silent!

Not far away, the Human‑faced Demon Spider's spear‑like long legs made a faint scraping sound on the ground, clearly audible, and it seemed somewhat anxious.

Long Gong Meng Shu's expression, however, turned sour.

Chao Tianxiang grew increasingly alarmed as she listened, glanced at her granddaughter, and couldn't help feeling a bit relieved.

At that moment, her granddaughter also became bewildered.

This Human‑faced Demon Spider is two thousand years old, perhaps even three thousand?

And I almost still absorbed it?!

Grandpa didn't say this Soul Beast's age was fine?!

Long Gong Meng Shu's Dragon Head Cane paused on the ground, and a faint soul power ripple surged out like waves, showing his inner unrest.

Xiao Xian's face turned pale instantly, and he stepped back several times.

He stared at Xiao Xian, saying coldly, "My granddaughter only seeks to break through to Soul Elder."

"You little brat, you seem to understand a bit of Soul Beast Theory."

"The Third Ring is seventeen hundred years; I won't go into that."

"But you claim this Soul Beast is two thousand years, even three thousand—where is the evidence, the evidence?"

"Soul… Soul Elder?!" Xiao Xian's eyes widened sharply, and he glanced at the pretty girl with great surprise.

Meng Shu's expression seemed about to crack.

"Oh… evidence…" Xiao Xian, not daring to delay, quickly reached his waist, pulling out a thick, tattered book.

He then opened it immediately.

His fingers seemed to tremble; sometimes he flipped several pages at once, then had to flip back a few, and cold sweat began to bead on his forehead.

Finally.

"Found… found it!"

Xiao Xian, looking relieved, said, "Senior, this is the material my teacher once copied from the Spirit Hall! Of course, I transcribed it a few years ago… the handwriting may be a bit ugly, but it's still readable…"

When Long Gong Meng Shu saw Xiao Xian pull out the tattered book, he realized perhaps the kid wasn't wrong.

"Hand it over!"

Xiao Xian promptly handed it to Long Gong Meng Shu, pointing to the copied illustrations and the tiny lines of text on the pages.

"Human‑faced Demon Spider… cultivation is judged mainly by the legs; over three meters indicates over two thousand years…" Long Gong Meng Shu glanced quickly and then stopped looking; the ink marks were from years ago, and the paper was very old.

Chao Tianxiang touched Meng Shu's arm and asked, "How is it, old man?"

"Alright, put it away." Long Gong Meng Shu's tone softened, and he looked at his granddaughter, a hint of lingering fear in his eyes.

Having been together for decades, Chao Tianxiang naturally understood Long Gong's meaning.

That means the kid is right!

This Human‑faced Demon Spider really is over two thousand years old!

"Thank goodness… thank goodness!" Chao Tianxiang patted her chest, then couldn't help complaining, "You old fool!"

Long Gong Meng Shu's face turned a bit awkward, and his grip on the Dragon Head Cane loosened.

At this critical moment.

Whoosh—!

The Human‑faced Demon Spider seized the chance, its long legs stabbing repeatedly on the ground, and it fled straight backward!

Everyone was startled instantly.

But they quickly brushed it off.

Meng Shu said, "Let it run; anyway, we still can't absorb it."

"What do you mean can't absorb? At least we didn't absorb it!" Chao Tianxiang struck Long Gong again.

Meng Yiran stared at the direction where the Human‑faced Demon Spider vanished, a look of surviving a disaster on her face.

She turned to Xiao Xian, extended her hand and said, "Thank you, little brother! Fortunately you appeared in time. I'm Meng Yiran; and you?"

"I... my name is Xiao Xian..."

After a round of pleasantries, Long Gong Meng Shu casually asked who Xiao Xian's teacher was, meaning he wanted to properly thank Xiao Xian and his Master.

Xiao Xian naturally gave the renowned Master's name.

Meng Shu and Chao Tianxiang were somewhat surprised; the Master is a famous figure.

At the same time, they were also a bit curious about Xiao Xian's soul power.

Xiao Xian didn't want to cause extra trouble; unintentionally, he mentioned that his martial soul is the same as the Master's...

The Gai Shi Long She Couple immediately exchanged a glance, fell silent, and that slight enthusiasm turned much colder.

Xiao Xian was unfazed.

He didn't want the Gai Shi Long She Couple to run around with their granddaughter, so he decisively told them: If it's only the Third Ring, he actually knows where a suitable Soul Beast for Meng Yiran is.

Xiao Jue, in a frantic search, found a Thousand-year Black Python.

Actually, this Soul Beast isn't the most suitable.

Unfortunately, the most suitable one might pass by the camp where Zhao Wuji and his group are.

This Thousand-year Black Python is just the farthest from the camp.

Meng Yiran, hearing that, became a bit excited and hurriedly grabbed Long Gong Meng Shu to go hunt it.

Long Gong Meng Shu still felt a lingering fear and asked Xiao Xian how to judge the age of this Soul Beast.

Xiao Xian tore out the few pages about the black python from that tattered book and gave them to the group.

Xiao Xian wanted to hand over the whole book directly, because he saw what Long Gong Meng Shu wanted.

But his granddaughter seemed embarrassed, feeling a bit shy, and threw a little tantrum on the spot.

The Gai Shi Long She Couple, being prideful, sneered for a moment, but in the end they didn't snatch the whole book from him.

Watching their backs as they hurried away.

Xiao Xian relaxed, thinking silently, "All that hard work on my acting wasn't wasted... and the preparations I made early on, which were originally meant for a third party, I didn't expect them to be used on them."

Xiao Xian quickly headed back toward the camp, waiting until he was some distance away from the clearing where the Gai Shi Long She Couple had just been.

Soul power surged in his palm, and he directly released Xiao Jue, while also taking off the Twenty-four Bridge Bright Moon Night from his waist.

"You should have marked it, go kill it, and pack its corpse inside and bring it back!"

Xiao Xian said coldly.