Chapter 186: The Initiative

"White Dragon, act quickly!"

Seeing He Pingsheng had trapped one of the spiders, Xuan Yuan hurriedly urged White Dragon.

White Dragon said: "Understood..."

"Binding Immortal Chains..."

"Release!"

As White Dragon spoke, he waved his hand and summoned a golden rope that instantly unfurled, wrapping around the second venomous spider.

This operation succeeded remarkably—the second venomous spider was swiftly bound.

"Hahaha..." White Dragon laughed. "Done... That was too easy!"

Xuan Yuan said: "Zi Xian, quickly retrieve the flower!"

"Understood..." Before Xuan Yuan's words had fully faded, Zi Xian leapt into the air and flew toward the flower.

He was about to pluck the flower.

At that moment, the spider bound by White Dragon suddenly broke free, hissing twice as six strands of silk shot toward Zi Xian.

Under these circumstances, Zi Xian could not possibly pluck the flower.

He could only spin around to evade the attack from behind.

Otherwise, he would perish here.

"What's going on?" Xuan Yuan watched in growing anxiety.

White Dragon said: "I don't know... how did it break free?"

"No good... my treasure!"

"Damn it..."

Everyone turned to look at White Dragon's hand and saw his magic treasure, the Binding Immortal Chains, had snapped into two pieces.

While binding the second venomous spider, the chains had been bitten through.

"Crack... crack... crack..."

On the other side, the spider trapped by He Pingsheng was frantically gnawing at the surrounding venomous thorns.

The poison on the thorns could not even stun the spider.

In fact, it had absolutely no effect on it.

It was estimated that within two more breaths, the venomous spider would break free again.

What to do?

Everyone grew anxious.

White Dragon's Binding Immortal Chains were broken—he could no longer trap the other spider.

Yet the venomous spider was cunning, moving only within three feet of the Mist God Flower.

The four of them were now hesitant, afraid to strike rashly.

He Pingsheng took a deep breath and said: "I'll handle it..."

"Zi Xian, prepare to take the flower!"

As he spoke, He Pingsheng pointed his finger.

Boom...

A surge of spiritual energy rippled through the air.

Then a massive block of ice suddenly sealed the second spider inside.

Technique: Crystal World!

This technique was an enhancement He Pingsheng developed from Feng Dao Gu's Ice Spike Technique.

He had mastered it but never used it before.

He never expected his first use would be against a spider.

Whoosh...

Zi Xian seized the moment, darting forward in a flash to pluck the Mist God Flower.

Mission accomplished.

"Excellent..." Xuan Yuan said. "Done..."

Boom...

At that moment, the first venomous spider, bound by He Pingsheng's venomous thorns, suddenly broke free!

Hiss-hiss-hiss!

Several strands of venomous silk shot toward He Pingsheng.

The spider, the size of a millstone, seemed enraged, relentlessly spitting silk at He Pingsheng.

Though He Pingsheng dodged several strands, he could not evade them all.

Two strands struck his legs.

The silk pierced his robe and landed on his skin with deadly poison—but did not pierce his flesh.

After all, he possessed the Nine Poison Golden Body.

"Slash..." Now unencumbered, He Pingsheng had no further hesitation—he waved his hand, unfurling a black flag that roared with lightning, engulfing the face spider.

Technique: Great Flag Rolling Thunder.

Whether or not it had a suppressing effect, after this storm of lightning, the face spider collapsed backward from the air, thudded to the ground, and lay motionless.

Dead.

Meanwhile, the massive ice block created by He Pingsheng's Crystal World shattered with a crack.

He Pingsheng had intended to strike again—but the face spider inside had already died.

This...

He Pingsheng was stunned: Could the Crystal World be this powerful?

He did not know that the three others around him were even more shocked.

White Dragon's body trembled twice.

He had thought he had already overestimated He Pingsheng, which was why he apologized earlier.

But now, how could he have been so wrong?

He had clearly underestimated him.

In the blink of an eye, he had slain two face spiders.

These demon creatures were no ordinary foes.

Both were at the peak of Foundation Establishment—White Dragon himself, even without restraint, had no confidence he could defeat even one, let alone kill both.

Yet this young man had slain two with a mere gesture?

This...

"Huh..."

Xuan Yuan Changgeng drew a deep breath, staring at He Pingsheng—he too was utterly astonished.

This kid was too formidable!

Meanwhile, He Pingsheng landed quietly on the ground and began looting the corpses.

He retrieved two venomous elixirs.

"He Dao You," White Dragon smiled and reminded him, "Face spiders contain not only venomous elixirs but also silk sacs—their true silk can be used to forge magic treasures!"

"Oh..." He Pingsheng took the silk sacs as well, showing no intention to share—he kept them all for himself.

After all, he had killed them.

According to cultivation world rules, they were rightfully his.

"Hehehe..." White Dragon smiled at He Pingsheng. "Old man believes the primary merit for slaying the face spiders and obtaining the Mist God Flower belongs to He Dao You!"

"Yes!" Xuan Yuan nodded. "Absolutely!"

"When the elixirs are made, I'll take four, He Dao You four, and you two split the remaining four."

"Agreed!"

"I agree!"

Everyone had no objections.

"Zi Xian, hand me the flower!" Xuan Yuan took the Mist God Flower and placed it in a jade box filled with spiritual fluid. "Let's return first—I'll refine the pills later!"

With the mission complete, they returned.

Once again, they soared into the sky, riding their swords back.

Only by midnight did they return to Xuan Yuan's alchemy shop.

Xuan Yuan Changgeng gathered all the materials, then looked at the three and said: "Friends, I must speak plainly before we begin!"

"This Mist God Flower can be refined only once!"

"And alchemy always carries a risk of failure!"

"Though I am an alchemist, I cannot guarantee success—if we fail, all our efforts will be wasted!"

"But rest assured, my alchemy skills are solid—I have a thirty percent chance of successfully refining this second-rank elixir!"

"Do not blame me if it fails!"

At this, everyone's expressions darkened.

The joy from obtaining the Mist God Flower vanished.

Yet alchemy was always uncertain—no one could say anything.

Bai Long said: "If one prospers, all prosper—there's no other choice!"

Muxian said: "I agree!"

Xuanyuan Changgeng looked at He Pingsheng: "He Dao You should have no objections either!"

"I have objections!" He Pingsheng said: "Xuanyuan Dao You, I believe this elixir should be refined by me."

He must seize this initiative.