Quick, quick, quick, Cha Ming thought, floating up above the floor and flying forward through the tunnel. A cobweb stuck to his skin as he flew through, torn off the wall. A carcass came with it. It was the small drained carcass of a demon fox. He grimaced and summoned Grandmist flames. They engulfed the web and the corpse, destroying both completely and utterly until not even ash remained.
He flew through the tunnel with uncharacteristic slowness, gazing at the soft but hard-shelled infants that lined it. He didn’t hate many things, but spiders were one of the few he did. If it was between spiders and facing Zhou Li again, he’d choose the latter in a heartbeat.
At the end of the tunnel, Cha Ming stopped. He hovered in the hallway and cocked his ear, his eyes widening when he heard skittering sounds. Clenching his teeth, he rounded the corner. He was greeted by the stuff of nightmares.
A giant cave five times larger than the last one appeared before him. The floor, the walls, and even the ceiling of the tunnel was covered in a writhing mass of skeletal spiders. Their metallic exoskeletons gleamed under the illumination of a large golden crystal at the center of the room. Like the last one, it, too, was crystalized gold evanescence. It was ten times larger than the last one.
The spiders scuttled as a unit, squirming when they saw him. Larger ones approached, their dripping fangs biting at him. He wanted nothing more than to smash them all to bits, but with great reluctance, he stowed his staff and held out his hand, summoning a golden shield of combat sigils that repelled them. The spiders clanked off harmlessly. After a few futile attempts, they backed away warily.
Despite his intrusion, the spiders continued their work around the crystal. They didn’t chip away at it like Bear One had but covered it in some sort of acidic slime. A pool of gold evanescence lay at its base. Some of the larger spiders took turns sipping at its contents, shuffling away as a golden sheen appeared on their exoskeletons.
To take or not to take? Cha Ming thought, tapping his fingers on his chin. Somehow he felt like a burglar, an intruder who had snuck into their home and was coveting their hard-earned possessions. They’d laid claim to the pillar, and if the soft pustules from before were any indication, this was where they were nurturing their next generation.
He sighed, then called out, “Who is your leader?”
The spiders shuffled as though not understanding. He waited, however, as he knew that demons were intelligent. They could communicate if they chose to do so. A few torturous seconds passed before more skittering filled the cavern. Large legs covered in bristling metallic hair poked out from one of the four entrances to the chamber, revealing the largest spider Cha Ming had ever seen. It eyed him with sixty-four large beady eyes that had a hypnotic quality to them.
Why have you intruded on our lair, human? the spider asked. Will you take the fight for ore down here to our young? Is your honor so lacking? It grew slightly as it spoke. Demonic qi rushed into it, causing the metallic hairs on its legs to sharpen and take on a golden hue. Know this: If we fight here, we fight to the death. I would rather see this cave collapse on you and destroy everyone here rather than risk the rest of our brood.
Cha Ming shivered as he eyed its mandibles, which dripped corrosive acid onto the rocky ground. All around him, tiny beady eyes and tiny sets of mandibles prepared to attack him. Even the tiniest of spiders was like a coiled spring, ready to pounce.
“I didn’t come here to fight you,” Cha Ming said. “I could have easily smashed and stolen this crystal and left before you could even come. Instead, I called you.”
The spider clicked its mandibles as if tasting the truth of his words. Cha Ming felt the spider’s eyes on his skin, inspecting it for shivers or tells.
“I’m searching for something. Have you seen it?” He held out his hand and summoned a spherical projection. It was a golden orb, and inside it, a liquid floated about, shining in all its natural perfection. “It’s called Gold Source Marrow, a precious treasure.”
The spider’s mandibles clicked again. And you think we would inform you of this treasure like naïve children? So that you could steal it out from under our very legs? How naïve of you.
“I wouldn’t call it stealing,” Cha Ming said. “I have a good friend, a fox. He says demons prize equivalent exchange. I would trade for it.” Given that he’d just spent his entire fortune breaking through, he wasn’t sure how he’d do that. But he was confident that he could work something out. There were resources aplenty north of Bastion Wall.
The spider considered his words, then shook from side to side, its large legs aiding it in physically showing its disapproval. Equivalent trade is among equals. You, though strong, are no demon. You are not an equal, only an intruder.
He’s right, lad, Sun Wukong said from the Clear Sky Brush. You’ll have to show him some credentials. Then he’ll be willing to talk.
Cha Ming had been hoping to avoid using his abilities. His Demon-Subduing Eyes, though growing increasingly powerful, had become very strenuous to use. Nothing permanent, of course; his regenerative abilities were on par with those of a half-step-blood-awakening cultivator. But even then, it would take him minutes to recover.
I guess there’s no avoiding it, Cha Ming thought. He closed his eyes and opened them
