Chapter 35: Fierce Battle with Ghost Mother Spider, Ming Qi Loses an Arm

Chapter 35: Fierce Battle with the Ghost Mother Spider, Ming Qi Loses His Arm

Jin Ling's heart clenched. She grabbed Ming Qi's wrist, bearing most of his weight, and helped him turn to flee.

Behind them, the spider silk whistled past them, drawing closer and closer to their backs. The icy Death Qi was almost touching their robes.

Ming Qi gritted his teeth, wrenched himself from Jin Ling's grip, and shoved her forward as hard as he could.

"Senior Sister, run!"

He turned around alone, raising his sword to block the oncoming spider silk.

"You'll never get away carrying me! Leave me behind!"

Jin Ling stumbled back several steps from the shove, panic churning in her chest. Her brows knit, lips pressed thin, face drawn tight.

She channeled her spiritual incantation, and the Jiao Silk snapped back, forming a barrier of spiritual energy to shield Ming Qi. She snapped, "Shut up! You run first—I'll hold this wave back and catch up to you!"

Before the words even left her mouth, a cold, eerie female voice dripping with sinister ghostly energy echoed through the dark underground.

It was low and chilling, oozing endless cruelty and mockery:

"A mere Jindan cultivator dares to trespass into this mother's nest?"

The instant the voice fell, the eerie wind in the tunnel died instantly. The suspended spider silk froze in place, and a deathly silence swallowed everything in dread.

Jin Ling's hair stood on end. She shielded Ming Qi behind her, backing away step by step, staring hard into the dark depths ahead.

A massive, grotesque figure crawled slowly out of the darkness—the ruler of this domain: the Ghost Mother Spider.

Its form was hideous and unnatural. A colossal spider body bristling with fine hairs, eight razor-sharp legs gleaming with a pale, cold sheen. Most horrifying of all was the twisted human face sewn into the center of its torso.

A single eye sat alone in the middle of its forehead, while a second narrow, misshapen eye slanted across its left cheek. A blood-red maw gaped across most of its face—twisted, grotesque, utterly monstrous.

Its swollen, distended abdomen writhed with countless tiny ghost spiderlings squirming inside, emitting faint, eerie infant wails—thin, shrill, and enough to make your scalp crawl.

The Ghost Mother Spider hovered in midair, running a long crimson tongue lazily over its sharp fangs. Its cold, mocking voice echoed out again.

"Perfect timing... my children have been starving for a long while. The flesh of you two cultivators will make fine feed for them."

The instant those words fell, every strand of suspended spider silk hurtled at Jin Ling and Ming Qi at once!

"Ming Qi, brace yourself!"

Jin Ling let go of Ming Qi's hand and charged alone into the storm of spider silk. Sword light flashed as she fought desperately to parry the killing blows.

Searing pain crawled up from his ankle and spread through Ming Qi's entire body. Veins bulged at his temples, cold sweat blurred his vision, and black spots swam before his eyes.

He shook his head violently, forcing himself to stay conscious, as waves of self-blame and helplessness crashed through him.

If not for him slowing her down, Jin Ling would never have ended up in such a desperate situation.

The onslaught of spider silk was brutally ferocious—far beyond what any Jindan cultivator could withstand.

Jin Ling was already spent in both body and mind. Several vicious strands of silk lashed past, and a web of bloody gashes quickly soaked through her disciple robes, turning them into a blood-soaked rag.

The sinister, demonic Death Qi seeped into her meridians and flesh through the wounds, searing pain burrowing into bone and muscle. Her limbs turned numb and useless.

She staggered back, bracing herself against the rock wall to keep from falling. Cold sweat beaded and rolled down her pale, haggard face. Her breathing was heavy and ragged—each breath tore at her wounds, stabbing straight to her heart.

"Senior Sister!"

Ming Qi dragged his injured leg forward and reached out to steady Jin Ling, his eyes blazing with worry and pain.

"Are you alright?"

Jin Ling's gaze locked onto the grinning Ghost Mother Spider ahead. She panted hoarsely, her voice raspy.

"I'm fine!"

The Ghost Mother Spider hovered in midair, looking down at the two battered figures with bloodthirst in its solitary eye. It sneered coldly, "Human cultivators are nothing more than this. Since you dared trespass into my nest, accept your fate and become nourishment for my children!"

With that, several more thick strands of spider silk shot through the air—even faster this time!

Jin Ling's mind was clear. There was no retreat left.

If she collapsed now, neither she nor Ming Qi would survive!

The pain had long since numbed her senses. A fierce, resolute cold light ignited in her eyes. Facing the storm of killing intent, she suddenly let out a cold laugh, her voice hoarse and fierce.

"Trespass your ass! Dream on if you think you're using us as feed!"

With that, she raised her spiritual sword and threw herself back into the desperate fight!

Blood continued to seep from her wounds, dizziness crashing over her in waves. Her consciousness slowly scattered and blurred, her movements growing sluggish and heavy.

Seeing this, the Ghost Mother Spider's eyes blazed with savage light. Its massive spider leg struck toward her chest and abdomen!

The piercing howl of breaking air tore through the tunnel. Jin Ling's body was heavy and powerless.

The next instant, a tremendous force slammed down!

Jin Ling's body jolted and crashed to the ground. But the pain she expected never came.

In the second before the strike landed, something warm pressed into her palm—residual heat still lingering. Before losing consciousness, she instinctively clenched her fist around it, refusing to let go.

At the same moment, a heart-wrenching grunt rang out!

Ming Qi, in a desperate bid to shield the fallen Jin Ling, raised his arm to block the descending blade-like spider leg. The razor-sharp limb severed his entire arm clean at the shoulder!

Blood erupted like a fountain, staining the muddy ground beneath him.

Ming Qi clutched the stump of his severed arm with his remaining hand, collapsing to his knees. His body trembled uncontrollably, like a withered leaf swaying in the cold wind, his breathing rapid and broken.

The ghost spiderlings inside the Ghost Mother Spider's abdomen sensed the fresh scent of blood and flesh. They tumbled out in a frenzy, scrambling toward the severed arm clutched in Jin Ling's hand.

The sound of tiny, frantic gnawing filled the air. In mere moments, the living arm was devoured to nothing—leaving only a length of blood-streaked white bone lying quietly in the pool of blood.

The Ghost Mother Spider watched her children feast joyfully, letting out a sinister, grating laugh—shrill and horrifying.

Her solitary eye locked onto the kneeling Ming Qi. She raised her massive spider leg high, intending to tear apart the remaining two completely and feed them all to her young!

But in that instant between life and death!

The rock walls and earth around the underground tunnel exploded outward. Countless emerald vines burst from the ground, surging like a tide to entangle and bind the Ghost Mother Spider's thick legs!

The vines were overwhelmingly fierce, tightening and twisting. With a sharp crack, the spider's legs were crushed and shattered, splattering dark green demonic blood in every direction!

The Ghost Mother Spider shrieked in agony, its ghastly cry echoing through the underground lair. But before it could break free, a streak of snow-white spiritual light came tearing through the air!

Ling Xuance gripped the crescent moon longsword, his sword aura blazing like a rainbow, sharp sword qi sweeping in every direction!

The spiderlings that hadn't made it back to their mother's body were instantly slain by the sword qi, their faint, baby-like cries cut off abruptly, leaving only a few lucky spiderlings alive.

Lin Yu followed close behind, immediately helping up the two unconscious people, slathering spiritual medicine on Ming Qi's severed arm wound to suppress the gushing blood.

His gaze swept over the blood-stained white bone in Jin Ling's palm, the fine gnaw marks horrifying—the gruesome sight made his stomach churn.

He pushed down the fear rising in his chest, spiritual power flowing through his fingertips as he quickly stanched the bleeding and stabilized their meridians.

After finishing, he looked up at the Ghost Mother Spider being forced back step by step by Ling Xuance. His usually timid, gentle eyes filled with hatred for the first time, his voice utterly devoid of warmth:

"Tuanzi! Entangle!"

Hearing its master's command, the surrounding emerald vines crazily tightened, binding tightly around the Ghost Mother Spider's massive body, leaving it no room to move.

The Ghost Mother Spider convulsed in agony, its single eye bloodshot and bulging, as if about to spew blazing fury. Its demonic aura raged wildly, but it couldn't break free of the vines.

Lin Yu pressed his lips thin, showing no mercy, and coldly gave the kill order:

"Tuanzi! Strangle!"

Tens of thousands of vines twisted and squeezed violently, crushing and tearing the Ghost Mother Spider's demonic body apart!

The Ghost Mother Spider thrashed violently, its face turning purple. The cries of the spiderlings still in its abdomen were shrill and piercing.

Squelch—

A dull, wet burst of flesh rang out.

The Ghost Mother Spider's massive body was instantly crushed to pieces, with no more struggle or sound.

Ling Xuance sheathed his sword and turned back, lowering his gaze to the two battered figures lying in the pool of blood.

Lin Yu stood up and steadied himself, his voice heavy with barely suppressed emotion.

"Brother Che, Senior Sister's been invaded by a ton of yin evil demonic aura. She needs to go back to the sect to recover. And Ming Qi's arm..."

Ling Xuance hid the turmoil in his eyes, his expression steady and cold as he made a quick decision.

"This place is too heavy with Death Qi and demonic aura. We can't stay long. Let's get them out of the secret realm first."

"Mm!" Lin Yu nodded heavily, immediately channeling his spiritual power, commanding the supple vines to wrap the two in layers.

Ling Xuance reached out, wrapped an arm around Lin Yu's waist, and headed for the exit of the underground passage.

The moment they stepped out of the desolate forest barrier, the ground beneath their feet suddenly trembled violently!

"Shit! The secret realm's closing early!" Ling Xuance's eyes darkened as he shouted in a low, urgent voice.

He tightened his grip on Lin Yu and rushed toward the Taiyi Sect disciples waiting outside.

The mountain wind whistled past, and in a flash, they arrived.

The Taiyi disciples outside only saw a blur of light. In a daze, they spotted the white-robed, ethereal Ling Xuance appearing with an unfamiliar, green-looking youth.

Ling Xuance stood before the crowd, steady and solemn, and announced in a clear voice.

"The secret realm's closing. Everyone out!"

As he spoke, spiritual power formed seals at his fingertips, and a faint barrier enveloped all the Taiyi disciples.

In a shift of light and shadow, the whole group vanished from the secret realm's forest.

The return flying boat cut through the air, gliding steadily across the sea of clouds.

A crowd of Taiyi disciples gathered on deck, their eyes constantly drifting to the closed cabin door.

Everyone was dying to catch a glimpse of the legendary young grandmaster, but before anyone could get close, Ling Xuance led Lin Yu inside. The door clicked shut, blocking all view.

The cabin was silent, save for the slow flow of spiritual energy.

Yun Yan stood nearby, staring down at the two unconscious figures on the floor. His throat tightened, his jaw clenched, and it took him a long moment to force out a question.

"Demonic aura's invaded their bodies... Elder Lin, Ming Qi's arm..."

Lin Yu was crouched over the two, healing spiritual power gathering at his fingertips as he worked to unravel the yin evil demonic aura inside them.

An unfamiliar voice spoke, and his shoulders tensed, the spiritual power at his fingertips flickering.

A tall, white-robed figure stepped silently in front of him. Ling Xuance blocked Yun Yan's view entirely, his voice flat but clear as he recounted the perilous encounter in the underground nest.

From the two breaking into the formation's secret ground, to Ming Qi shielding Jin Ling and having his arm cleanly severed by a spider limb—every detail, every word, slammed into Yun Yan's heart.