Chapter Thirteen: A Bountiful Harvest

The colossal spider opened its jaws and spewed a mass of silvery frost, freezing several nearby apes into solid blocks of ice. With a swift turn of its body and a flourish of its claws, it decapitated those apes who had been bound together.

Zhang Xiao watched from a distance, his breath catching in his throat. He recognized those apes; not long ago, he had encountered one—a level forty monster known as the Stone Club Black Ape. The stone club in its hands weighed at least a thousand pounds; when it swung that weapon, nothing could stand in its way. Zhang Xiao had once considered seizing the club for himself to use as material for forging a magical artifact, but even with the Iron Corpse at his side, he had been battered into retreat. Had he not leapt into the pool at the crucial moment, he feared he would have been crushed, and Number One reduced to a mangled heap.

Yet now, the gigantic silver-armored spider dispatched these Stone Club Black Apes as easily as slicing melons or chopping vegetables. Zhang Xiao compared himself from afar, and his spirits plummeted. His treasured Iron Armored Corpse would not survive even a single round against this monstrous spider; if he attempted the Corpse Armor Technique, merging himself with the corpse, he would be at risk as well. After all, not all damage was absorbed by the Iron Corpse—if the attack was strong enough, it would injure him directly.

As more Stone Club Apes were slaughtered, the battle turned one-sided. Still, the surviving apes fiercely guarded the cave entrance, a dozen of them blocking the way with their stone clubs. The silver-armored spider grew increasingly impatient. After a brief struggle, it suddenly opened its mouth wide and released a burst of silver light, transforming instantly into a field of frost that froze everything within dozens of meters into icy granules. The temperature dropped so low that Zhang Xiao, hidden far away, felt chilled to the bone. The apes at the cave entrance could not evade in time and were turned into statues of ice.

Though the spider had cleared its path, it was clearly depleted, its massive body now noticeably smaller. After scanning the area to ensure no other living creatures remained, it rushed into the cave. Zhang Xiao knew that a monster of this caliber was far beyond his ability to confront; even though it was clearly wounded, he dared not seek trouble. Just as he was about to leave, his eyes gleamed as he noticed two or three stone clubs scattered below. Those clubs were treasures, now lying unattended—a rare opportunity. He could never hope to defeat the apes to obtain them, but now the moment was perfect.

His eyes brightened, and he darted through the valley like a shadow. In just a few breaths, he reached the nearest club, grabbed it, and stowed it in his Bone Ring. Working quickly, he gathered all the scattered stone clubs from the valley, storing them away. Twenty-eight stone clubs now rested in his Bone Ring, and a smile crept across his lips.

Suddenly, his expression changed as he sensed the ground shaking beneath him, growing ever closer. He somersaulted into a nearby thicket to hide. A thunderous roar echoed from the cave, followed by a silver figure hurled out, crashing onto the ground. Zhang Xiao was stunned; it was the very silver-armored spider that had unleashed such carnage moments before.

But now, the once-mighty spider was in disarray, its snowy armor shattered in several places. Most alarming was the gaping blood hole on its back. The spider struggled to its feet, its eight eyes fixed fiercely on the cave entrance. Thudding footsteps echoed across the earth, and a Stone Club Ape of extraordinary size emerged from the cave. This ape’s fur was entirely silver, and its stone club was not only larger than the others’, but crystal-clear and dazzling—a true treasure. The silver ape looked upon the corpses of its kin scattered throughout the valley and flew into a rage, wielding the crystal club in a whirlwind, battering the spider relentlessly.

The spider, unable to maneuver within the confines of the cave, had taken a brutal beating from the silver ape and was now seething with anger. Yet, knowing it was no match, it avoided direct confrontation, circling around and spraying webs to entangle its opponent, launching bursts of frost when an opening appeared. The battle raged intensely, and the collateral damage threatened Zhang Xiao, who saw the spider suddenly turn and unleash a blast of cold at the ape. The silver ape used its crystal club to pivot and evade, the icy breath nearly freezing Zhang Xiao in its path. Had he not dodged swiftly, he would have been killed by the chill.

As the fight intensified, Zhang Xiao dared not linger. He turned to flee, but after a few steps, a fragrant scent washed over him, stopping him in his tracks. He exclaimed in surprise, “Vital Grass!” Though he had never seen it before, the Pill Refining chapter of the Supreme Yin Mystery Manual described the Vital Pill, whose main ingredient was the Vital Grass. This was no ordinary medicinal herb; its spiritual energy was inexhaustible. The Vital Pill could help cultivators at the Foundation Establishment stage break through bottlenecks, and a single pill could instantly restore the spiritual energy of a Core Formation expert. It was the ultimate tool for survival and combat, but the Vital Grass was rarer and more precious than most high-level spiritual treasures.

Zhang Xiao recognized the scent from the manual's descriptions; it was the aroma released as the Vital Grass neared maturity. The fragrance emanated from within the cave—no wonder the silver-armored spider was so desperate to enter. A nearly mature Vital Grass lay inside. Both these monsters possessed power comparable to Foundation Establishment cultivators. If either consumed the herb, they would reach the Core Formation stage.

Despite their fierce battle, neither monster would abandon the cave entrance. How could Zhang Xiao steal the Vital Grass unnoticed? As he pondered, a shrill roar shattered his thoughts. The silver-armored spider was in agony, two of its eight claws broken, cornered by the silver ape. At last, the spider fought desperately, unleashing a wave of frost that blanketed the valley, reducing visibility to barely a meter. The spider used this cover to wage guerrilla warfare against the ape.

Seeing the valley shrouded in frost, Zhang Xiao rejoiced. Taking advantage of the obscured vision, he crept toward the cave entrance. Emerging from the thicket, he saw frost forming on his own hands. Fortunately, his Iron Corpse protected him, or the cold alone would have wounded him. Carefully, he hugged the rocky wall, relying on memory to find the entrance.

From within the frost, the ape’s roars echoed, suggesting it had suffered a setback and the outcome would soon be decided. Zhang Xiao dared not linger; he dashed into the depths of the cave. The light inside was surprisingly good, with several narrow openings letting in sunlight.

The cave was labyrinthine, but Zhang Xiao followed the fragrance step by step until a purple-blue herb appeared before him. Its whole body was purple-blue, delicate and tender, surrounded by a rich, fresh aroma that invigorated his cultivation as he breathed it in. He plunged his hand into the soil, uprooting the herb and earth together, and stowed it in his Bone Ring in one motion. With the Vital Grass secure, Zhang Xiao dared not delay, hurrying toward the exit, but halfway out—

Heavy footsteps sounded nearby; his face turned pale. It was the silver ape, and it had dispatched the spider more quickly than he’d anticipated. The approaching steps made his scalp tingle. Fortunately, the cave was full of twists and corners. Zhang Xiao slipped into a crevice at a bend, where the light was dim and weeds grew thick. He held his breath, waiting silently.

The silver-white figure passed by slowly. Zhang Xiao peered from the shadows, noting that the ape had suffered grave injuries to defeat the spider. Its shoulder was torn open, wounds marked its belly and legs, and a gash on its thigh exposed bone. The silver ape moved toward the spot where the Vital Grass had grown. As soon as it left, Zhang Xiao sprang from his hiding place and fled like the wind. If the ape discovered the missing herb after all it had sacrificed, it would surely go mad; best to leave quickly.

Stepping out of the cave, Zhang Xiao was overjoyed by what he saw. The corpse of the silver-armored spider lay nearby, and, to his delight, a crystal club was still embedded in its body. “Ha! I’ve struck it rich—truly rich this time!” Without hesitation, he collected both the spider's corpse and the crystal club into his Bone Ring. Fortunately, the ring was a rare treasure, its interior vast enough to store a small mountain; with an ordinary storage pouch, not only would the spider’s body not fit, he doubted even the seven-meter-long, thousand-pound crystal club could be accommodated.

Just as Zhang Xiao climbed out of the valley, a furious roar sounded behind him. The silver ape was no doubt enraged—so many of its kin dead, itself gravely wounded, and not only had it lost the Vital Grass, it had also been robbed of its crystal club. But that was none of Zhang Xiao’s concern.

With the stone clubs and materials from the spider, he could forge a Yin-Yang Hundred Ghost Banner of spirit treasure grade. And with the Vital Grass, once he reached Foundation Establishment, he could refine Vital Pills to swiftly advance to the Core Formation stage. Thinking of this, Zhang Xiao strode toward Maoshan Sect in high spirits.