Douluo Dalu: Starting Evolution as the Man-Faced Demon Spider

"Huff… huff…" Fang Chang took deep, labored breaths as he looked back at the valley behind him. "Finally made it up here."

The valley was circular, resembling the crater of a long-dormant volcano, with a central depression about ten meters deep.

Surrounding it was a ring of raised mountains, with the highest point towering 30 to 40 meters above the valley floor.

This spot lay precisely on the border of the Star Dou Forest's fourth ring. Heading outward led to the forest's outermost areas, while moving inward entered the fourth ring of the Star Dou Forest.

Unlike the distinct divisions of cities in Fang Chang's previous world, the so-called "fourth ring" here was more of a natural demarcation formed by connecting rivers and mountain ranges.

For ages, this natural barrier had prevented humans outside the forest from venturing too deeply within.

As a result, the soul beasts within the fourth ring enjoyed better survival conditions and were far more formidable. In general, only soul beasts with over 5,000 years of cultivation roamed this area.

Standing atop the circular mountain ridge and looking down, Fang Chang saw a lush, vibrant forest below. The air was fresher, free from the scent of humans, making the world feel utterly different.

Gazing at this unfamiliar landscape, Fang Chang sighed inwardly. Just a month ago, this world had been out of his reach. Yet now, unknowingly, he had crossed the threshold.

Taking a deep breath of the pure air, he descended the circular ridge with eager anticipation.

Meanwhile, in the underground lair Fang Chang had left behind, Hu Liena and her two companions were embroiled in a heated argument.

"You just had to play hero and insist we search every single tunnel. Now look at the mess we're in!" Hu Liena snapped, pointing an accusatory finger at Yan.

Normally quiet and reserved, rarely engaging in disputes, Hu Liena's current outburst was a rare sight.

Yan scratched his head awkwardly, then rubbed his left heel with his right foot, finally letting out a sheepish laugh.

In his memory, Hu Liena had never scolded him like this before.

Usually, their conversations consisted of little more than curt replies: "Ah," "Oh," "Hmm…" It was rare for her to string together a complete sentence unless something important was at stake.

But today… she had said so much to him.

They say women only argue with those they care about. Maybe, deep down, she likes me just a little?

The thought brought a silly grin to his face.

Xie Yue, unable to tolerate the sight any longer, placed both hands on Hu Liena's shoulders to calm her down.

"Alright, Nana. Arguing won't solve anything right now. Let's figure out how to track down that mutated Man-Faced Demon Spider."

They were back in the main hall of the underground lair. The dozen or so tunnels branching out from it had all been searched thoroughly, yet there was no sign of the mutated spider.

Above ground, every known exit was guarded by human Soul Masters, who reported no sightings of the spider leaving.

Having come full circle, the group found themselves at a dead end. Their time limit of one day, set by the Spirit Hall, was already more than halfway over. Failure to locate the spider would mean mission failure.

As members of the Spirit Hall's "Golden Generation," they carried a certain pride and absolutely could not allow such an outcome.

"So, what now? We've been searching forever. If we could've found it, we would've by now," Yan said, rubbing his forehead. "Either it's playing hide-and-seek with us, or it's already escaped through some route we don't know about."

Yan's reasoning aligned with what most would think. Though not particularly clever, he wasn't outright stupid either.

Xie Yue raised an eyebrow and looked at Hu Liena. Though he said nothing, his meaning was clear: it was times like these when a team's leader should step up.

"Hmph! Why are you all looking at me? Wasn't it your idea to check every single tunnel?" Hu Liena huffed, turning her head to the side with a hint of pride in her tone.

Despite her feigned indifference, her eyes couldn't help but scan the lair's main hall again.

Eventually, her gaze fell on the passage they had initially used to enter the valley.

"Damn it! How did I forget about that?" Clenching her fist, she struck her palm, silently cursing herself.

"Quick, this way!" Without waiting for Yan and Xie Yue to react, she darted into the passage.

The two hesitated for a moment before realizing what she meant. Smacking their foreheads, they quickly followed her.

By now, Fang Chang had descended to the valley floor. Between the forest and the mountain lay a barren expanse of rocky terrain. No vegetation grew here, nor did any soul beasts roam.

Fang Chang found the desolation unsettling. Logically, the two sides of the circular mountain should've had similar characteristics. Even if this side wasn't as lush and guarded as the inner valley, it shouldn't have been so lifeless.

Circling the barren area, Fang Chang's unease grew. The place felt too strange, so he instinctively stuck to the mountain's edge, attempting to bypass the wasteland.

Though peculiar, the area remained uneventful. Seven or eight minutes later, Fang Chang reached the edge of the wasteland.

Just as he began to relax, a faint noise reached his ears from within the barren ground.

Rustle… rustle… rustle…

The sound was faint, like something moving underground.

Had it not been for the quiet surroundings and his brief lapse in focus, Fang Chang wouldn't have noticed it at all.

The noise persisted, growing louder and closer. It felt as if something beneath the earth was cautiously approaching him.

Tensing up, Fang Chang abandoned his earlier calm. He quickened his pace toward the edge of the wasteland, keeping an ear out for the unsettling sound.

Sensing his increased speed, the underground entity seemed to speed up as well, as though racing him. The tension in the air thickened.

"Huff… huff…" Fang Chang panted, seeing the green land ahead just within reach. Activating his Leap skill, he sprang forward, aiming for the grassy area.

The hidden entity finally emerged.

The ground suddenly bulged, forming a mound about fifty centimeters in diameter. Something alive within burst out, chasing Fang Chang through the air—faster than him by a noticeable margin.

As it moved, a pair of sharp, focused eyes locked onto Fang Chang.

Before he could land, the underground creature had already reached his destination and revealed itself.

It was smaller than Fang Chang by an entire size class but bore a striking resemblance: an eight-legged spider.

Fang Chang immediately recognized it—it was a distant relative of his species, known in the original canon as the Abyssal Demon Spider.

This particular Abyssal Demon Spider had cultivated for 10,000 years, making it a true Ten-Thousand-Year Abyssal Demon Spider!

But the most surprising detail was… it was female.