Douluo Dalu: Starting Evolution as the Man-Faced Demon Spider
Chapter 222: Spider Hunters

Chapter 222: Chapter 222: Spider Hunters

The initial victory left the members of Arachnid God Academy in high spirits.

Fang Chang and his team had already cleared the first round. Their next match would be in two days.

Only after the last match of the day had concluded did the group return to their lodgings. But just then, Zhu Zhu pulled Fang Chang aside and led him into a shadowy corner.

"I just saw Big Sis," she said. The ’Big Sis’ she referred to was the same Zhu Jing they had met at the Beast Alliance—the one who had re-cultivated her human form and reached the level of a Titled Douluo.

"She told me she spotted traces of Spider Hunters inside Shrek Academy and warned us to be careful. They may have ways to see through our disguise."

"Spider Hunters, huh?" Fang Chang looked intrigued. "So where is Big Sis now?"

"She didn’t say," Zhu Zhu replied, a worried look in her eyes. "But I think she’s probably gone to deal with them herself. She’s always hated them the most."

"I got it. You’d better look after yourself, and try not to wander around alone," Fang Chang said, then turned to head deeper into Shrek Academy.

"Where are you going?" Zhu Zhu quickly called after him.

She had told him all this in hopes he’d be more cautious—never expecting it would spark his curiosity instead.

Fang Chang turned back and gestured for her to "go back." "I’m just taking a walk around the Academy. Don’t worry about me. Go back now, and no matter what happens outside, don’t come out."

Zhu Zhu had been with Fang Chang long enough to easily guess his intentions. Now she found herself caught in a dilemma.

Follow him, and with her current strength, she might just be a burden. But if she didn’t go, she’d worry about both Big Sis and Fang Chang.

After some internal struggle, she ultimately chose to follow Fang Chang’s advice and returned to their lodgings at Arachnid God Academy.

After all, she had lived for tens of thousands of years—her willpower was far stronger than that of ordinary people.

Seeing Zhu Zhu obediently leave, Fang Chang then spread out his divine sense to search the Academy grounds again. Before long, he located the position of the "Big Sis" she had mentioned.

At the moment, she seemed to be deep within Shrek Academy, near the administrative area where the higher-ups worked—and quite close to two of the Academy’s Titled Douluo.

A cold smile spread across Fang Chang’s face as he vanished into the night, swiftly making his way toward Zhu Jing’s location.

Deep within Shrek Academy, in a small plaza with only one exit, a group of black-robed individuals appeared to be conducting some sort of ritual.

One of them placed the bloody head of a spider-type soul beast onto a table. Around him, a dozen or so soul masters with powerful auras let out frenzied roars, each gripping a silver dagger.

As the ritual progressed, the leader raised his silver blade and plunged it into the spider beast’s skull, pushing the ceremony to its climax.

Not far from them, a slender figure in a red gown crouched behind a nearby building, watching them through a silver mirror in her hand.

She was extremely tense, suppressing even her own breathing to avoid alerting the group inside.

Just then, a hand suddenly tapped her shoulder. She spun around—but saw no one.

Just as she was about to launch an attack, a figure emerged from the shadows.

"Big Sis, it’s me," Fang Chang said.

"Whew," Zhu Jing exhaled in relief and lowered her voice. "So it’s you, kid. You scared me. What’s this? Have you finally come to your senses and decided to become my man?"

Even now, she didn’t forget to tease Fang Chang. Though half in jest, there was some truth to her words.

Others might not be able to gauge Fang Chang’s strength—but she could. Though she didn’t know his exact level, she was certain this man was at least as strong as she was.

Soul beasts had always revered the strong—especially those like them, who had re-cultivated into human form and lived under constant threat. Finding a reliable protector would drastically increase their chances of survival.

Fang Chang chuckled and shamelessly looked her up and down. "Not entirely out of the question—but now’s not the time for that, don’t you think?"

"Mm, you came at the right moment. I was just worried I might not be able to take them all alone. Now that you’re here, I think we can make a big move tonight," Zhu Jing said coldly, a bold idea forming in her mind.

"These are the Spider Hunters?" Fang Chang took the silver mirror from her hand and looked inside. He saw the ceremony in progress and frowned.

"That’s them," Zhu Jing confirmed. "We don’t know who’s behind them, but they specifically target our spider race. Every year, many of our kin are slaughtered by them."

"You guys don’t seem weak. Ever thought of wiping them out completely?" Fang Chang asked, puzzled.

Given the strength of the Beast Alliance—or more specifically, the spider-type soul beasts who had re-cultivated into human form—taking down these so-called Spider Hunters shouldn’t be too hard. Not to mention all the untransformed spider beasts still out there.

"We’ve tried. But it’s no use," Zhu Jing said with a bitter wave of her hand. "They hide better than we do. It’s almost impossible to find their lairs."

"Back when our spider clan was stronger, we launched several campaigns to wipe them out. But they always came back, and in greater numbers."

"With our decline and the constant competition among soul beasts, our spider race has been falling ever since."

In the mirror, the ritual seemed to be ending. The group was preparing to leave the small plaza.

They were all draped in wide black cloaks and wore masks. Their soul power was all above the Soul Sage level, and two of them were even Titled Douluo.

What’s more, these two had been staying inside Shrek Academy all this time—most likely, they were part of the Academy’s leadership.

Which meant that Shrek Academy was probably deeply connected to the Spider Hunters.

"We’re going in," Fang Chang whispered into Zhu Jing’s ear as he raised his hand.

The black-robed group began to exit the plaza, drawing closer and closer to the two of them.

Just as the first black-robed man stepped through the exit, Fang Chang’s right hand morphed into a spider leg and suddenly pierced straight through the man.

At the same time, Zhu Jing in her red dress charged in. With two yellow, two purple, four black, and one red soul ring—nine in total—her strength was clear.

She immediately took down two Soul Sages with lightning speed and landed squarely in the middle of the black-cloaked group, exuding a fierce and commanding presence.

Fang Chang also stepped out from behind the wall. His shadow, cast long by the moon behind him, stretched across the black-cloaked figures.

He stood motionless, but his position blocked off all escape routes—cutting off the Spider Hunters completely.

Following their match, several other teams took the stage one after another, and the group was more than happy to enjoy the rest of the day as spectators.

This tournament was being held in an elimination format. A total of sixteen teams competed based on a randomized draw.

First, the top eight would be determined, then the top four, all the way to the final match. If a team made it to the very end, they would have to fight in four matches total.