Chapter 30: The Pool

"Brother Chu."

Hao Lan turned his head to look at Chu Fengmian, but found himself somewhat unable to speak.

It was Wang He who had just refused to listen to Chu Fengmian and had even attempted to provoke him; now, he had proactively stepped into the trap of this Hunter Spider.

However, Wang He was still a companion who had come from Wusheng Academy with them. Hao Lan felt a sense of reluctance at the thought of him dying before their eyes.

Currently, the only person capable of dealing with that Hunter Spider was Chu Fengmian.

"Alright."

Before Hao Lan could even speak, Chu Fengmian nodded in agreement.

With a sudden movement, Chu Fengmian drew the Xuanqing Sword from his hand and charged toward the mountain ravine ahead.

The moment Chu Fengmian stepped into the ravine, seven or eight webs surged from all directions, attempting to ensnare him.

"Brother Chu, watch out!" Yue Zhanqing shouted anxiously.

Once caught in these webs, one would be trapped. Unless one had reached the Body Tempering Realm and could forcibly break the webs with raw strength, escape would be impossible.

"Wuji Sword Dance!"

Chu Fengmian's expression remained calm. Facing the webs approaching from all sides, his countenance was as steady as ever, as if even great danger held no weight in his eyes.

The most vital quality for a martial artist is composure; the greater the danger and the more critical the moment, the more one needs to remain calm.

*Ssh!*

The Xuanqing Sword in Chu Fengmian's hand flashed in all directions. In an instant, he unleashed over ten sword strikes, slicing through all the surrounding webs.

*Hiss, hiss, hiss!*

Seeing his meticulously laid trap destroyed by Chu Fengmian, the Hunter Spider let out a series of hissing sounds, seemingly enraged.

Its massive form lunged toward Chu Fengmian, spitting a glob of venom from its mouth.

The most terrifying aspect of the Hunter Spider was not just its webs, but its venom. This venom was potent enough to corrode flesh and blood; once it made contact, it would gradually melt the victim away.

"Phantom!"

Chu Fengmian whispered inwardly. His figure was swallowed by the venom, but what was submerged was merely an afterimage.

His true body had already arrived behind the Hunter Spider.

By the time the Hunter Spider realized what was happening and attempted to turn around, the sword in Chu Fengmian's hand had already descended, piercing straight into the spider's head.

*Thud!*

A spray of blood erupted, and the Hunter Spider's massive body collapsed to the ground.

"The Hunter Spider's demon core should fetch a good price," Chu Fengmian muttered as he walked to the corpse, sliced open its head, retrieved the core, and placed it into his storage bag.

"Junior Brother Wang, are you alright?"

Nearby, Mo Changhen rushed forward to cut the webs off Wang He and rescue him.

"Brother Chu, we owe you another favor," Hao Lan said sheepishly, watching Chu Fengmian from the side.

It was clearly Wang He's own refusal to believe Chu Fengmian that had led him into the trap and caused this trouble, yet Chu Fengmian still had to step in to resolve it.

Hao Lan couldn't help but glare at Wang He.

"As long as you're fine. This should prove that what I said was not in vain," Chu Fengmian said calmly, sheathing his Xuanqing Sword.

After rescuing Wang He from the webs and seeing that he was uninjured, Mo Changhen spoke urgently to him.

"Junior Brother Wang, hurry and apologize to Brother Chu!"

"Brother Chu, I was wrong."

Wang He lowered his head to apologize, but his tone held no hint of remorse; instead, it was filled with resentment.

He resented Chu Fengmian for knowing there was a demon beast in the ravine and not stopping him from entering, but instead waiting until he was inside to act.

Even though Chu Fengmian had the strength to deal with the Hunter Spider, he had made them take a detour, which caused Wang He to lose face in front of everyone.

*Damn it! He's trying to assert dominance over me!* Wang He shouted inwardly.

As an inner disciple of Wusheng Academy, he was naturally arrogant. Being commanded by an outsider like Chu Fengmian made him feel rebellious.

Especially since Mo Changhen, Hao Lan, and the others were also disciples of Wusheng Academy, yet they didn't stand with him; instead, they stood by Chu Fengmian's side to reprimand him.

Even though Chu Fengmian had saved him this time, Wang He was still thinking about why Chu Fengmian hadn't stopped him or killed the spider beforehand, causing him such embarrassment.

"It's all thanks to Brother Chu this time."

"We owe you a massive favor."

Hao Lan, Mo Changhen, and the others stood by Chu Fengmian's side, speaking with embarrassment.

Seeing this only fueled Wang He's jealousy.

Why was a kid from a remote area like Chu Fengmian so highly respected, while everything he said was refuted?

Naturally, Wang He's thoughts could not escape Chu Fengmian's eyes.

Having experienced too much in his past life, Chu Fengmian could see through Wang He's intentions at a single glance.

However, Chu Fengmian had no intention of bickering with him. He only gave opportunities once.

He had saved Wang He this time, but he would never do so again.

"Since the Hunter Spider is dead, let's take the ravine path," Chu Fengmian said, not even glancing at Wang He as he spoke.

To him, Wang He was an insignificant person. He had saved him only out of respect for Hao Lan and Mo Changhen.

The fact that Chu Fengmian had intentionally not stopped Wang He earlier was meant to teach him a lesson; as for whether Wang He would listen or not, Chu Fengmian didn't care.

"Alright," Mo Changhen nodded.

Crossing through the ravine was indeed the fastest route.

After a short rest, the group rose and headed back into the ravine.

As they traversed the ravine, a dense forest came into view in the distance. Beyond the forest, a small pool of water appeared before their eyes.

In the center of the pool, a golden light was clearly visible.

The golden light was not massive, but from a distance, it was extremely conspicuous.

"It really is the Imperial Phoenix Grass," Chu Fengmian marveled, looking at the golden medicinal herb that resembled a flying bird.

It was indeed the Imperial Phoenix Grass, and it appeared to be of a very high medicinal age. The dazzling golden light was the manifestation of its spiritual energy.

"Correct. The Imperial Phoenix Grass is on the island in the center of the pool. However, there is a Ghost Water Cold Snake in this pool. Without killing it, it is impossible to reach the island," Mo Changhen explained.

The pool was not large; the island was likely only ten meters from the shore.

For a martial artist, a few steps would be enough to walk across the water. But with the presence of the Ghost Water Cold Snake, the task became extremely difficult.