Part 2
In Tang San’s disheveled black hair, several locks were bright purple, that purple hair in itself seemed to emit a similar light, making Xiao Wu see unusually clearly.
The previous groaning was emitted by Tang San, right now, both his eyes just slowly opened, a completely bewildered expression within his eyes.
Tang San himself also didn’t know what had happened, he only continuously suppressed and endured extreme pain. The conviction to save Xiao Wu all along supported his willpower. As the extremely violent pain suddenly disappeared, a kind of difficult to describe relaxing pleasure spread throughout his whole body in a moment.
The pain could be endured, but the instant the relaxing pleasure arrived after the extreme pain, Tang San’s entire person in the end sunk into a deep sleep. As he once again recovered consciousness, it was the scene Xiao Wu had just witnessed.
The scene before him was hazy, like it was shrouded in a layer of white cotton. Various kinds of senses gradually returned to the body, following his consciousness gradually awakening, the scenery before Tang San gradually became clear.
His body was indescribably comfortable, like every single cell within the body was cheering excitedly, only somewhat itchy, rather like something was stretching out from his back. He was able to feel the moistness of the earth, and the brush of air surrounding him, but Tang San vaguely discovered, it seemed to have somehow become different.
By now the others had also taken note of Tang San’s changes. Zhu Zhuqing and Ning Rongrong saw his naked body and hurriedly bashfully turned away, not daring to look again. Although Xiao Wu was equally bashful, Tang San’s safety was even more important to her, resisting the shyness in her heart, she still earnestly gazed at Tang San.
Two yellow and one purple, three spirit rings revolved around Tang San moving rhythmically up and down his body, that purple spirit ring looked exceedingly clear, the purple shining within, setting of Tang San’s naked body extremely clearly. But at Tang San’s side all the Blue Silver Grass already quietly faded away, only those eight three metre long enormous spider legs on his back still remained.
“Ge——”
Xiao Wu couldn’t help but softly call out.
The sudden voice made Tang San start. This voice was really too familiar to him, also one he longed for, subconsciously looking in the direction of the voice, just right to see Xiao Wu looking up at him.
Tang San trembled fiercely once, at once wanting to leap at Xiao Wu, but, right now his body supported by four spider legs was floating in midair. Those spider legs themselves were part of his body, following his desire to move, the spider legs naturally accepted, pulling out from the ground.
Tang San himself wasn’t clear on the changes of his body, and he immediately entirely lost his balance, dropping from midair.
“Careful.”
Xiao Wu cried out in alarm, extending both arms to catch Tang San’s body. Fortunately her strength was good, the impulse of Tang San falling from two metres in the air couldn’t be considered too great, and he was just caught well by Xiao Wu.
The eight spider legs simultaneously rose to his back, although they looked monstrous, they didn’t at all affect Tang San’s mobility.
A familiar scent reaching his nose, Tang San practically at once moved his arms to embrace Xiao Wu,
“I, I’m not dreaming? Xiao Wu, it’s really you?”
Xiao Wu held Tang San just as tightly, already sobbing wordlessly.
Currently, Tang San’s haziness from just awakening was already clearing. He was only too familiar with Xiao Wu’s scent, adding the warmth reaching him from the soft delicate body in his arms, he knew that this was all real, Xiao Wu had returned, she had returned.
“Silly, don’t cry, coming back is all well, coming back is all well.”
Lightly patting Xiao Wu’s back, Tang San also couldn’t stop his eyes from misting up. All his worries melted away at this moment, the feeling of again seeing Xiao Wu after what felt like a lifetime made his entire body tremble. Compared to Xiao Wu, just now obtaining the third spirit ring counted as nothing, in his heart, nothing was more important than Xiao Wu’s life.
“Ge, it’s all my fault, making you worry.”
Xiao Wu said, choking with sobs.
Tang San shook his head,
“Idiot, it was my fault, I who lacked ability, didn’t protect you properly.”
“Cough cough”
Coughing sounds to the side made the simultaneously sad and happy pair wake up.
The coughing was from Dai Mubai,
“Little San, although I admit, your means are very good, but, aren’t you at least putting on pants? After all there are still other girls present.”
Tang San looked blank a moment, subconsciously looking at his body, at this discovering that unexpectedly he wasn’t wearing even a strip of cloth.
Xiao Wu right now also came to herself, her charming face immediately blushing shyly. Hurriedly closing her eyes, but still reluctant to part with little San’s hug, merely buried her head in his chest unwilling to lift it.
“This……, how would I become like this? Who took off my clothes?”
Tang San stupidly asked.
Oscar made his way over from the side,
“Nobody took off your clothes, who knows how they ceased to be?”
Tang San felt at his waist, fortunately, Twenty Four Moonlit Bridges was still there, at once hurriedly softly pushing away Xiao Wu, he rapidly took out a set of clothes to put on.
Wearing trousers still went well, but putting on his jacket was problematic. Tang San now discovered the unusual condition on his back. As he looked behind him at the eight pointy spider legs sprouting on his back, he couldn’t help but stare blankly.
Fatty Ma Hongjun with great understanding said:
“Don’t ask us why it would be like this, none of us knows. This happened in the process of absorbing that Man Faced Demon Spider’s spirit ring. Tang San, didn’t that spirit ring cause variation for you?”
By now Tang San had at least put on trousers, so Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing also turned back around. After waiting for one day and one night, Tang San was now at last out of danger, but the change in his body was nevertheless so monstrous, it couldn’t help but pique everyone’s interest. Even Zhao Wuji was no exception.
“Let me sense myself at once.”
Tang San standing there slowly closed his eyes.
Generally speaking, Spirit Masters after absorbing a spirit ring were able to sense what new spirit ability they possessed. Just like how Oscar when he had absorbed the third spirit ring immediately knew his third sausage spirit incantation.
The pain Tang San endured in absorbing the spirit ring had been too great, to the extent that he had spent the latter half of the absorption changing process unconscious. Right now he could only search his soul to sense everything the third spirit ring had provided him.
Tang San’s meditation went on for no less than half a double hour. As he once again opened his eyes, his expression was somewhat strange.
“Well?”
Xiao Wu anxiously asked.
Tang San puzzled said:
“There should be no problem. The spirit ring wouldn’t vary. Teacher once said, only a spirit varies, different spirits absorbing the same spirit ring would still give different results. I already obtained an ability from absorbing the Man Faced Demon Spider’s spirit ring. Everything is very ordinary. Only, I can’t explain these eight spider legs on my back.”
“Aiyou!”
A miserable shriek suddenly erupted, everyone jumped with fright, believing it was a spirit beast attack, immediately on alert as they looked in the direction the scream came from, discovering no warning signs.
Emitting the shriek was Ma Hongjun, his right hand tightly holding his left hand, a painful expression on his face. His left hand was already becoming purple, furthermore the skin appeared damaged, with black liquid flowing down, a black qi rapidly spr
eading up his arm.
“Not good, he’s poisoned. Oscar, quickly.”
Zhao Wuji shouted in a deep voice, in one stride reaching Ma Hongjun’s side, one palm directly slapping his shoulder, using his vigorous spirit power to help him suppress the poison invading his body.
“I your father have a small sausage.”
A dried small sausage was promptly delivered to Fatty’s mouth. At this everyone breathed out.
Unfortunately, their relaxation didn’t continue for too long.
Part 3
With the small sausage in his belly, the detoxifying effect showed in a moment, that flow of black qi following the arm upwards immediately stopped spreading, reversing direction. But, this only continued for a very brief time, that black qi had not even passed Fatty’s shoulder before it suddenly stopped decreasing, a moment later it unexpectedly once again spread upwards.
Oscar’s complexion changed greatly,
“Not good, my little sausage is unable to break up this poison, too fierce. Fatty, how did you manage to get poisoned?”
Big drops of sweat continuously rolled off Ma Hongjun’s forehead, clearly he was enduring enormous pain. Even though he had Zhao Wuji’s assistance, the resisting effect of the two’s spirit power wasn’t great enough, the black qi was still spreading, and Fatty’s palm was even more already beginning to fester.
From Fatty’s scream up till now, only a short period of time had passed, that’s all. That poison’s severity made everyone turn pale with alarm.
Fatty while enduring the enormous pain with clenched teeth, with difficulty said:
“I was curious to touch one of the spider legs on Tang San’s back and became like this. Tang San, those spider legs of yours are poisonous.”
Tang San startled, light flashing in his mind, suddenly recalling something,
“Fatty don’t move. Everyone get out of the way, do not under any circumstances again touch the points of my spider legs.”
While speaking, he came before Fatty with one big stride, in spite of Fatty’s palm already festering, he directly lifted the hand to hold it up. Right now, Tang San’s palm in a moment changed into jade color.
A bizarre scene appeared, even Oscar’s small sausage was unable to remove the poison, but after Tang San’s palm held Fatty’s hand, it unexpectedly rapidly withdrew along its former path, dull dark purple liquid continuously flowing into Tang San’s palm and disappearing unseen.
In only the time of several breaths, Fatty’s arm had already recovered to normal, the wound on the palm also beginning to disseminate bright red blood.
“What is after all going on here?”
Apart from Tang San this question simultaneously appeared in everyone’s hearts.
Seeing that Fatty was out of danger, Tang San also breathed out. He knew everyone had numerous questions, but was in no hurry to explain. After releasing Fatty’s hand, with quick steps he arrived before that already dead Man Faced Demon Spider, lifting his hand to press on it.
The Man Faced Demon Spider’s corpse had by now already become completely gray, lacking any life force. Tang San only use a minute amount of spirit power, at once causing a concentrated series of cracking sounds. That Man Faced Demon Spider’s corpse unexpectedly shattered into fragments.
“I understand.”
Combined with his sense from the previous meditation, Tang San finally roughly understood the sequence of events.
“From now on, no one come into contact with the spider legs on my back, these spider legs contain the Man Faced Demon Spider’s poison. When I absorbed the spirit ring, for some reason, I also completely absorbed the Man Faced Demon Spider’s poison within my body. Why these circumstances would be like this perhaps we can only see if Grandmaster can clearly understand. Its most expert spiderweb and my Blue Silver Grass should also based on the Man Faced Demon Spider’s spirit ring after mixing produce a certain variation. As for the actual degree of variation, I can only return to slowly experiment. All my attributes received a not inconsiderable upgrade, especially the two areas physical strength and speed. Spirit power also increased greatly, to my senses it’s seemingly even more than thirty first rank.”
Zhao Wuji asked:
“Then what’s going on with these spider legs on your back?”
Tang San said with a wry smile:
“Like with absorbing all the Man Faced Demon Spider’s poison, I also don’t know why something like this would occur. Those spider legs do not appear related to my absorbing the spirit ring. I’m able to control their movement, if only somewhat awkwardly.”
Dai Mubai said:
“Then can you withdraw them? You can’t be like this always. People would consider you a monster.”
Tang San helplessly said:
“Aren’t we all monsters? I’ll try.”
While speaking, he condensed his spirit power and transmitted it to his spine. Issuing an order to those eight spider legs to recall.
A bizarre scene appeared, those spreading open three metres long spider legs slowly folded, bending twice to fit closely together, afterwards bit by bit merging into Tang San’s body.
Tang San only felt some tickling on his back, nothing worth mentioning. During this process, the three spirit rings over his body all flared brightly. Tang San could clearly feel his spirit power being rapidly consumed. Evidently, putting away these spider legs required the support of spirit power to carry out.
As no less than a third of Tang San’s spirit power was consumed, all the spider legs finally completely merged into his back. Tang San could distinctly feel those eight spider legs had not disappeared within his body, rather than changing into eight bizarre energies, from his spine they fit in closely over eight of his ribs.
“If they can be put away it’s fine.”
Zhao Wuji nodded to Tang San,
“These spider legs are quite good. If they truly are like the Man Faced Demon Spider’s spider legs, then, little San your strength is at once even more powerful. Eight three metres long spider legs that can be controlled at will is completely equivalent to eight pikes. With the poison, if it’s as poisonous as the Man Faced Demon Spider, then it should be neurotoxin in addition to corrosive poison. From even little Ao’s small sausage being unable to remove it, it can clearly be seen just how violent the poison is.”
Tang San all along pondered, the process of obtaining this Man Faced Demon Spider spirit ring was extremely painful, at present having already finished absorbing it, the things he obtained were more than common Spirit Masters absorbing many spirit rings. Let alone the attributes themselves substantially improving, and possessing the ability he most hoped to obtain, and on his back these eight spider legs Tang San also didn’t know whether he should be happy or concerned about. After all, he didn’t know what consequences conditions like these would bring him in the future.
Right now, Tang San even more missed his Teacher, if Grandmaster was here, perhaps these questions could all be answered.
“Well, don’t think about it right now, everything can wait until we return.”
Zhao Wuji wore a smile looking at these children before him, his mood greatly relaxed,
“Although this time we came across not a few inconveniences, and also went through danger a number of times, in the end we dealt with them. Oscar, Tang San and Xiao Wu have smoothly obtained spirit rings and advanced to the Spirit Elder realm. The crop is certainly pretty good. It’s also time to go back. Returning to Shrek Academy, we’re setting off.”
Everyone cheered in chorus. The students had a number of times been in danger of death, now everything was already settled and they were at last returning home. The seven students looked at one another, an intangible deep connection extending between everyone’s hearts. Undergoing this time’s visit to Star Dou Great Forest, whether obtaining spirit rings, or without obtaining them, right now the only thought was to return to the Academy, comfortably lying down to sleep in their own beds.
If saying
that when coming here the seven were still somewhat estranged, then, by now their relationship had undoubtedly pulled much closer. The previously least accepted by everyone Ning Rongrong also used her actions to gain everyone’s approval, and in the end between life and death she herself also felt the meaning of the word ‘friends’. Before a group even more outstanding than herself, what could she still feel superior about?
Although some time had already passed, because of using Spirit Avatar, Zhao Wuji’s strength only had fifty percent of his peak condition, therefore, everyone were still extremely careful while leaving Star Dou Great Forest. Not only were everyone provided with one of Oscar’s mushroom sausages and Recovery Sausages, but also still maintained the most defensive formation.
While walking out of Star Dou Great Forest, Xiao Wu recounted the story she previously told everyone to Tang San, also telling him about obtaining her third spirit ring.
“Xiao Wu, what is your third spirit ring ability?”
Tang San curiously asked.
Xiao Wu giggled, saying:
“Secret, I’ll tell you after we’ve returned. Little San, how did you kill that Man Faced Demon Spider? At that time you were alone. Even if it was an injured Man Faced Demon Spider, its attack power should still have been extremely terrifying. Moreover it was still venomous.”
Hearing Xiao Wu’s question, Tang San suddenly started,
“Oh, that’s right, I almost forgot about it. Zhao Wuji, wait a moment before going on.”
By now, they were already approaching the edge of Star Dou Great Forest, although they still saw some spirit beasts, for the most part they were ten year and hundred year levels, no cause for concern.
Zhao Wuji halted, looking at Tang San,
“What’s going on?”
Tang San’s right hand swiped at Twenty Four Moonlit Bridges, taking out the Zhuge Godly Crossbow[ (诸葛神弩) “Zhuge God Crossbow”, Zhuge probably refers to Zhuge Liang, the supposed Three Kingdoms era strategist and supposed inventor of the repeating crossbow.]. Xiao Wu mentioning killing the Man Faced Demon Spider made him remember, that day his Godly Zhuge Crossbow had after being loaded twice not been discharged. If the mechanism was kept loaded for a long time, it would harm the crossbow’s body. Fortunately, only one day had passed, right now there was still time to release the tension.
Douluo Dalu - Volume 01-48 Page 65