"What’s that!?"

Liu San Niang’s ecstatic voice suddenly rang out.

Chen Qing and Yue Mountain followed her gaze. There, in the shadows near the rock wall at the edge of the Poison Pool, grew seven or eight plants of various forms!

Some were a deep, spectral purple, with leaves like Bone Spikes. Others were a tangle of gnarled vines bearing crimson fruit. One resembled an orchid, with dewdrops like ice crystals gathered at its tip... Each plant radiated a dense, pure fluctuation of Spiritual Qi, clearly over ten years old.

Among them, a Treasure Medicine shaped like a Lingzhi and covered in fine silver patterns was wreathed in Spiritual Qi, faintly glowing with a radiant light. It was likely almost twenty years old!

Chen Qing’s heart skipped a beat, and he subconsciously narrowed his eyes to a slit.

It was common knowledge in the Ten Thousand Poison Swamp that where Treasure Medicines grew in abundance, a fierce Exotic Beast always stood guard.

The True Qi within him began to circulate silently as his vigilance rose to its peak.

Yue Mountain’s eyes, however, shone with greed, and his breathing grew heavy. "The heavens are helping us! So many Treasure Medicines..."

He subconsciously started to step forward.

But the very instant his foot moved—

SPLASH!

The viscous, dark-green water of the Poison Pool violently exploded!

A jet-black spider leg, covered in stiff bristles and shaped like a steel spear, shot out like lightning. It precisely hooked the mangled, bisected corpse of Du Kui, instantly dragging it into the churning depths of the Poison Pool!

"Not good!"

Chen Qing’s pupils contracted. With a low shout, he shot back several yards, holding the Cloud-Coiling Spear horizontally before him.

The green water of the Poison Pool churned violently, and a massive, heart-stopping figure burst from the surface!

It was a giant spider, as large as a millstone!

Its entire body was covered in dark red bristles, as if soaked in dried blood. Its eight compound eyes glinted with a cruel, cold light, and foul-smelling saliva dripped from its opening and closing mouthparts.

Most frightening of all was its raised abdomen, which was covered in a twisted, bizarre black pattern.

"The Red Blood Ghost-faced Spider!"

Jiang Bohong cried out in alarm, his face filled with apprehension. "Watch out for its poison silk and toxic mist! The beast’s silk is incredibly tough, a prime material for crafting Top-Grade Inner Armor! Let’s attack together and kill it!"

Seeing the Treasure Medicines so close yet blocked by this ferocious creature, Yue Mountain quickly agreed, "Right! Let’s kill it!"

With a flick of his wrist, his Scorpion Tail Whip let out a piercing shriek as it tore through the air, coiling toward one of the spider’s supporting legs.

Zhao Tieying grit his teeth against the intense pain, swallowed a Healing Elixir, and secured his fractured left arm. A ruthless glint flashed in his eyes.

He knew if he didn’t fight with his life on the line now, he wouldn’t just lose the Treasure Medicines—he’d lose his life.

He let out a low roar. His remaining right hand gripped the Wind-Splitting Saber tightly as his body shot forward, skimming the ground like a sparrowhawk. The glint of his saber aimed straight for the relatively fragile joint of the spider’s abdomen.

Jiang Bohong’s movements were erratic. With a flick of his hands, several Poison Darts coated in a faint blue, chilling light shot out like a viper’s tongue, cunningly aimed at the spider’s compound eyes and mouthpart joints.

Chen Qing, meanwhile, maintained a relatively safe distance. His Cloud-Coiling Spear became a blur of cold starlight, continuously stabbing at the joints of the legs the spider used to attack the others, providing cover and observing.

His mind wasn’t entirely focused on the spider; most of his attention was on his surroundings, remaining vigilant.

The fierce battle erupted in an instant!

The Red Blood Ghost-faced Spider let out a piercing shriek. Its eight long legs danced like the wind, leaving afterimages in their wake. The clash of its iron-hard bristles against whip, saber, and spear produced a dense clang of metal.

The viscous, tough poison silk it spat from its mouth was highly corrosive, forcing everyone to constantly dodge.

The tip of Yue Mountain’s whip was accidentally caught by a strand of the poison silk. The tough Scorpion Tail Whip actually began to SIZZLE, wisps of green smoke rising as it corroded, startling him into yanking it back.

The battle was intense and deadlocked. Several wounds appeared on the spider’s massive body, oozing a foul-smelling green fluid, but the humans were expending even more energy.

Zhao Tieying’s movements had clearly slowed; the injury to his left arm affected his balance and power.

Yue Mountain’s eyes were bloodshot. He fought like a Mad Tiger, his Whip Technique fierce but without discipline.

Just then, the bizarre ghost-face pattern on the Red Blood Ghost-faced Spider’s abdomen suddenly flared with light!

Its enormous body contracted violently, then abruptly swelled!

PFFFT—!

A huge, dense cloud of dark-green toxic mist, too thick to see through, instantly spread out from its center, blanketing an area of over thirty yards in every direction!

Wherever the mist passed, the decaying leaves on the ground sizzled and rapidly carbonized. Even the air became hot and viscous, carrying a sweet, metallic scent that made one’s head spin!

"Hold your breath! Fall back!"

Jiang Bohong’s expression changed drastically as he roared.

At the same time, he flicked his sleeve, and several turquoise elixirs shot accurately toward Chen Qing, Zhao Tieying, Yue Mountain, Liu San Niang, and the others. "These are special ’Anti-Miasma Pills’ I made! Take them quickly! They won’t last long!"

Taking advantage of the toxic mist that briefly obscured everyone’s vision and attacks, the Red Blood Ghost-faced Spider pushed off powerfully with its eight long legs. Its massive body, trailing a foul wind, lunged straight for Jiang Bohong with lightning speed!

Its hideous mouthparts opened wide, and its Poison Fangs, glinting with a spectral light, bit viciously toward his head!

The lunge was as fast as lightning—unavoidable!

"Old Jiang, look out!"

Zhao Tieying cried out in horror, wanting to help but being too far away to do so.

In that critical, hair’s-breadth moment!

A sinister, determined glint flashed through Jiang Bohong’s eyes!

He didn’t retreat. Instead, his body twisted at an extremely bizarre angle, leaning slightly back and to the left. At the same time, his left hand shot out like an iron pincer, grabbing the arm of Liu San Niang, who was standing to his left, her Heart and Spirit shaken by the toxic mist and the spider’s lunge!

"Ah?!"

Caught completely off guard, Liu San Niang only had time to let out a short, startled cry.

The next moment, an astonishing amount of force erupted from Jiang Bohong’s arm. He viciously yanked Liu San Niang forward, positioning her perfectly between himself and the lunging Red Blood Ghost-faced Spider!