Chapter 70: The Third Spirit Ring, Surpassing the Limit
The Death Demon Spider was powerful, but it was not especially bloodthirsty. In fact, for reasons humans did not understand, its appetite was rather restrained.
By contrast, the Man Faced Demon Spider was extremely murderous, but compared with super Spirit Beasts, its overall strength was somewhat lacking.
The hybrid before Chen Ming had clearly inherited most of the Death Demon Spider's power, while also inheriting the Man Faced Demon Spider's desire for slaughter. It had even taken the Man Faced Demon Spider's devouring ability one step further.
Fight it?
Looking at the massive figure whose main body alone was as large as an armored vehicle, Chen Ming had no desire to test whether his head was harder, or whether the hybrid devil spider's forelimbs were sharper.
If they truly fought, Chen Ming, as a quasi Spirit Elder, would likely be pierced through in a single exchange by this hybrid devil spider with roughly nine thousand years of cultivation. This would remain true even with his Golden Finger and his cultivation of external arts.
This thing simply was not something a Spirit Elder should fight.
A normal Spirit King facing this creature would end up in a one-sided slaughter. The normal Spirit King would be screaming in terror while the hybrid devil spider began its massacre.
"Teacher, save me!"
Faster than Chen Ming's voice was the hybrid devil spider.
The massive devil spider charged toward Chen Ming with a speed that left afterimages in the air. Its sharp forelimbs thrust toward Chen Ming's chest like spears.
But faster than the hybrid devil spider was Zhang Peng.
If the hybrid devil spider was an afterimage, then Zhang Peng appeared before Chen Ming with speed that seemed almost like teleportation. His spirit power left his body and condensed into a giant palm in midair, slapping down directly onto the hybrid devil spider.
The ghostlike devil spider was instantly embedded into the ground. A few cracks appeared across its thick carapace, but overall, it did not seem heavily injured. It was merely unable to escape for the moment.
Seeing this, Zhang Peng raised an eyebrow slightly and increased the force in his hand. He struck the massive hybrid devil spider's carapace until it was covered in cracks, rendering the creature completely unable to move.
"This hybrid Spirit Beast is truly tough. The amount of strength I used just now was enough to kill a ten thousand year Man Faced Demon Spider in my youth, yet it only lightly injured this hybrid. It seems this Spirit Beast is not simple. It must have inherited the strengths of both sides and undergone an additional beneficial mutation."
"Teacher."
Chen Ming, having regained his senses, stepped forward. He looked at the deep pit, five or six meters deep, and at the hybrid devil spider inside it, whose carapace was riddled with cracks. His eyes carried a trace of surprise.
"Teacher, is this the Spirit Beast you found for me in advance? Did you call me over just for this?"
"This… indeed."
Zhang Peng lied.
He had originally thought there should be a ten thousand year Man Faced Demon Spider here.
The reason he had signaled Chen Ming to come over was to let him witness how powerful a truly strong Spirit Beast could be and broaden his horizons. He also intended to kill a ten thousand year Man Faced Demon Spider and use it as a nutritional supplement for Chen Ming's later cultivation.
Zhang Peng truly had not expected to encounter such a hybrid creature.
However, since its cultivation age was about right and its quality was excellent, he might as well act as though he had come here specifically so Chen Ming could obtain this Spirit Beast's Spirit Ring.
"Here. Although it will not be of much use anymore, every bit helps."
Zhang Peng tossed a Heavenly King Heart Protecting Pill to Chen Ming.
"This is already the highest grade Medicinal Pill within the cult for assisting in Spirit Ring absorption. More advanced Medicinal Pills are often rare and come with certain taboos and side effects."
"If you want better cultivation supplements and Spirit Ring absorption pills, you will have to look to the Sun Moon Empire, especially the Medicine Art of the Illustrious Virtue Hall. Although the Holy Spirit Cult has a long legacy, it still falls short compared with the Sun Moon Empire, which has an entire continent as its foundation."
"It is said that the cult has some cooperation with the Sun Moon Empire. I wonder if I can find a way to obtain some suitable medicine from the Cult Master in the future."
The Enshrined Elders of the Enshrinement Hall were somewhat independent from the Holy Spirit Cult. Although their treatment was better than that of ordinary Elders, obtaining extra resources was not that simple. To get better things, one inevitably had to work for the cult in exchange.
If he had a choice, Zhang Peng still preferred not to do so.
"Thank you, Master."
Chen Ming swallowed the Heavenly King Heart Protecting Pill, dissolved its medicinal power, and guided it into his Meridians to protect his heart and vital channels. Then he approached the incapacitated hybrid devil spider and summoned his Spirit.
Chen Ming gathered his Qi and focused his mind, mobilizing his spirit power. As the power contained within his palms was triggered, his originally green hands turned a dark red-black color, and a faint, sickly sweet scent began to emanate from them.
This was the result of Chen Ming gradually fusing external toxins with his own during his cultivation of the Iron Sand Palm, concentrating them into his palms.
His blood-colored palms struck toward the cracks on the hybrid devil spider's head.
However, even though Chen Ming used great force and his cultivated Blood Fiend Palm, the result of those two strikes was only to widen the cracks slightly. It did not directly shatter the seemingly fragile carapace.
"If I were on my own, I probably would not even be able to break this Spirit Beast's defense."
Chen Ming muttered, striking the cracks with his palms one after another.
After several more attacks, the hybrid devil spider's massive head was finally shattered by Chen Ming. After its huge body gave a weak struggle, a deep purple Spirit Ring tinged with a large amount of black floated up from the massive corpse.
"Tsk… over nine thousand years, nearly ten thousand. It seems this hybrid devil spider's indiscriminate devouring of all sizes and species was preparation for crossing that threshold. Even by a generous estimate, with another five hundred years of cultivation, this devil spider would have been able to transform."
"This is a bit troublesome."
Zhang Peng frowned slightly as he looked at Chen Ming.
"The age of this Spirit Ring is slightly higher than the limit I estimated. Absorbing it will carry significant risk. What are your thoughts?"
"Teacher, I want to try. I believe I can do it."
Chen Ming closed his eyes and sensed his condition, then nodded.
It was only less than a thousand years over the limit. As long as it was not a ten thousand year Spirit Ring that had truly completed its transformation, Chen Ming believed he would be fine.
"Fine. Then do your best."
Zhang Peng sighed, signifying his agreement with Chen Ming's decision.
Watching Chen Ming sit cross-legged and begin absorbing the Spirit Ring, Zhang Peng also started monitoring Chen Ming's condition seriously.
As a Super Douluo, if Chen Ming fell into backlash while absorbing the Spirit Ring, Zhang Peng was absolutely certain he could save him. However, interrupting Spirit Ring absorption was something that, even if done by him, would leave Chen Ming with internal injuries.
Even with medicinal nourishment and repair, an injury to one's Origin would require several months to a year of recuperation.
This time was not particularly long in the grand scheme of things, and it would not necessarily leave permanent problems. But in Zhang Peng's view, it was enough time for Chen Ming to rise several levels.
Violent, cold spirit power surged into Chen Ming's body like an endless river.
Dark, evil, freezing.
Every strand of spirit power carried a thick sense of wildness and rage. Even if the total amount of spirit power were the same, the difficulty of absorbing this Spirit Ring would far exceed that of the Locust Fish King's.
Not to mention, the spirit power contained within this hybrid devil spider's Spirit Ring was nearly three times that of the Locust Fish King.
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