They chose to take the northern route, again because of Yin Yi’s formidable strength.

Han Ning clearly remembered that the black beetles had flown in from the north.

Going this way increased the probability of discovering the Insect-man civilization, but it was also the most dangerous path.

If they encountered any Insect-men, only Yin Yi would be able to handle the Soul Beasts they commanded.

The moment Han Ning and the other three laid eyes on the mud-spattered computer science building, at that very instant, countless densely packed eyes, all glowing with an eerie red light, suddenly appeared on the rooftop and in the nearby bushes, staring in unison at their position.

A quick glance revealed at least hundreds, if not thousands, of spiders!

"HISS... So many Brain-Eating Spiders! Get ready to fight!"

Lü Xiuning’s pupils dilated. He seemed to feel an inexplicable chill from the spiders’ collective gaze and instinctively sucked in a sharp breath.

"How are there so many?"

Lin Tianhe tightened his grip on his automatic rifle, his expression tense.

"They must have all hidden in here during the flood," Luo Chen said, his voice hurried.

As soon as he finished speaking,

countless Brain-Eating Spiders of all sizes, each with six pairs of scarlet compound eyes and bodies covered in black fuzz, swarmed down from the top of the building. Like a mad flood, they scurried down the walls as if on flat ground.

"HISSSSS!" 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

The swarm shrieked incessantly. The dense tapping of their chelicerae against the walls and ground created a horrifying, skittering cacophony.

At the top of the roof, a gigantic spider appeared, at least five meters tall and over eight meters long.

BANG!

A loud bang rang out as the bullet Luo Chen fired struck the giant spider’s chelicera, sending out a shower of metallic sparks.

This time, Han Ning finally got a clear look at the true height of the Brain-Eating Spider that had been hidden in the mist a few days ago, glowing with that eerie red light.

Its appearance was different from the other Brain-Eating Spiders. Its entire body was covered in pale white fuzz, and the surface of its round, slightly bulging abdomen bore a bizarre pattern resembling a human face.

From a distance, it looked disturbingly like a weeping face.

The only thing that remained the same were its twelve eerie, scarlet eyes.

Like a king to its swarm, it stood proudly atop the building. It ignored Luo Chen, who had shot at it, and instead fixed its cold gaze on Yin Yi hovering below, as if vaguely sensing her power.

"HISSS!!"

Following a piercing shriek, three slightly smaller giant spiders—though still four meters tall, with mottled black-and-white fuzz—leapt out from behind the massive Brain-Eating Spider and charged down toward them.

"Yin Yi, while that giant Brain-Eating Spider is posturing, take out its three little cronies first."

Han Ning’s gaze was fixed on the giant spider on the roof. He could faintly sense a strange fluctuation of Spiritual Power emanating from its twelve compound eyes.

His intuition told him that getting stared at by those eyes at close range would mean big trouble.

But right now, he was completely unafraid, because Yin Yi was no longer the same as she was three days ago!

She had grown much stronger.

[

Race: Cuiwei Wood Demon

Gender: Female

Talent: E+

Level: Awakening Level II (800/800)

Talent: None

Acquired Soul Techniques: Healing II (423/600), Emerald Flower Thorns II (513/700), Frost Shield II (176/200)

Power: 17 (Maxed)

Body: 16 (Maxed)

Agility: 16 (Maxed)

Spiritual Energy: 55 (Maxed)

Elemental Affinity (Wood): 38.1

Ice: 8.5

]

[Elemental Affinity is too low. To break through to Awakening Level III, Wood Type Affinity must be raised above 45.]

With sufficient Energy, Han Ning had naturally raised Yin Yi’s attribute panel to its maximum.

But when he finished allocating all the Attribute Points, the situation above occurred.

He didn’t know if it was because Yin Yi was growing too fast or due to her living environment, but her Elemental Affinity’s growth rate actually couldn’t keep up with the speed of her Spiritual Energy’s increase.

And this was despite him having boosted her Spiritual Energy by a great deal.

He also came to understand that a Soul Beast’s internal Spiritual Energy and its affinity for the elements were apparently two completely different things!

"Ling~"

Hearing Han Ning’s command, the frost-white flower on Yin Yi’s head swayed gently.

A chilling mist seeped out from between her blooming petals.

The mist rapidly condensed into an arc-shaped, snow-white shield, enveloping the four humans.

After casting the Frost Shield, translucent rings of wind appeared around the leaves on Yin Yi’s back, wrapping around her body and launching her forward at high speed.

"Ling~"

As she flew, a ring of high-speed, spinning green thorns materialized around her, each over 25 centimeters long and shaped like a missile.

One by one, the thorns detached from Yin Yi’s side, leaving brilliant trails of fire in their wake.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Three violent explosions rang out.

The three menacing, mottled giant spiders, along with the dozens of Brain-Eating Spiders around them, were instantly blown into fragments of flesh and blood.

Dozens of Crystal Stones, their surfaces faintly shimmering, were mixed in with the gore, clattering to the ground.

The four of them didn’t even have a chance to rejoice.

"WUUUU~"

Just then, the giant, pale Brain-Eating Spider that had been standing above them suddenly let out a piercing, ear-splitting scream that sounded like a baby’s cry.

Countless specks of pale white light shot out from its body at high speed, engulfing the four humans and all the Soul Beasts present.

The next second.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

A series of formless, invisible waves bizarrely penetrated the Frost Shield Yin Yi had cast, striking the four of them with undiminished force.

BOOM!

Han Ning’s head swam, as if he had been struck hard with a sledgehammer, and his mind fell into a daze.

The Spiritual Power in his mind automatically flared out, jolting him back to his senses.

Coming to his senses a little, he raised his eyes and looked around.

The scene before him had completely changed!

The endless green grass and the tall academic building were gone.

In their place were towering skyscrapers.

"Where is this? An Illusion Realm?"

Just as Han Ning was lost in a momentary daze, someone tugged on his sleeve.

"Please, young man, I’m begging you, help my father! He’s not going to make it!"

Han Ning looked down. A woman with a face covered in dirt and blood was clutching his sleeve tightly.

In her arms lay an old man, his abdomen pierced through, his intestines and organs spilling out onto the ground.

It wasn’t just the woman beside him. His ears were filled with a constant barrage of terrified screams, explosions, and monstrous roars.

Silver-Scaled Pythons, giant white beetles, countless Brain-Eating Spiders... these brutal Soul Beasts were everywhere, a dense swarm that blotted out the sky, relentlessly hunting and slaughtering the humans who were running for their lives.

In the blink of an eye.

A warm splash of liquid splattered across Han Ning’s face.

The putrid, coppery smell that assaulted his nostrils was incredibly realistic.

He gently touched his face, and a soft, pixelated chunk of bloody entrails came away in his palm.

"I..." Han Ning subconsciously started to answer, but he immediately caught himself.

’This is an Illusion Realm. Why should I even bother with her?’