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

Name: Fang Chang

Species: Ghost Armor Demon Spider

Soul Power: 8675 Years

Evolution Points: 56660

HP: 363/3300 (Recovering Slowly)

Strength: 791

Attack: 833

Defense: 1179

Speed: 899

Fang Chang glanced at his depleted health bar and sighed. If he hadn't run fast enough earlier, he would've been beaten to death by those human soul masters.

Drifting aimlessly along the bottom of the mud pit, he finally located a small opening connecting two adjacent pits. Curling his body tightly, he squeezed into the passage and activated "Concealment" again.

In his current state, survival was the top priority. Finding a safe place to recover his health was paramount—if not, even if the human soul masters didn't finish him off, some lurking soul beast might.

The swamp was composed of scattered wetland pools of varying sizes. Some were interconnected, while others were relatively isolated. Fang Chang had managed to reach the edge of the swamp's core, where a cluster of interconnected pits lay, separated by patches of mud and grass above, but linked by water below.

His hiding spot was a small tunnel about two meters beneath the surface, with a diameter of three to five meters. The water in the tunnel was a deep, dark green, covered with blue-green algae on the surface and a layer of silt below.

The visibility in this murky water was less than ten centimeters, making it impossible for either him or the human soul masters to see much. Both sides were essentially blind.

"Any movement?" Hu Liena turned to the reconnaissance soul master at the rear.

The scout shook his head. Ever since Fang Chang had jumped into the water, his crow martial soul had been rendered useless.

The crow continued circling above the swamp, keeping an eye on the surface, but no valuable clues had emerged.

"Keep observing," Hu Liena ordered, frowning at the increasingly deep and expansive mud pits ahead.

Yan, eager to act as her protector, moved in front of her, testing the water depth with his own body.

The muddy water soon rose past Yan's waist—and for Hu Liena, it nearly reached her chest, making it harder for her to breathe under the pressure.

Behind her, the accompanying soul kings and soul sects wore grim expressions. As Spirit Hall's Saintess, Hu Liena commanded respect, but forcing them to wade through this dangerous and unpleasant swamp was trying their patience.

Seeing their reluctance, Hu Liena sighed and relented. "Let's head back to dry land for now and try searching from there."

The soul masters immediately perked up, glad for the reprieve. They set up a temporary camp onshore, lighting fires and pitching tents.

The reconnaissance soul master became the focal point of their efforts, tasked with monitoring the water's surface, while the others searched the surrounding area in pairs.

Fang Chang endured the entire day holed up in his underwater refuge, motionless. Only when his limbs grew numb did he briefly deactivate "Concealment" to stretch and adjust his posture.

As night fell, anxiety crept across Hu Liena's face inside the tent. Another failed hunt loomed large in her mind. They had mobilized so many people and resources, yet the mutated Man-Faced Demon Spider had eluded them.

How was she supposed to explain this to her teacher?

Yan, sensing her unease, approached to comfort her. "Don't worry, Nana. If anything happens, I'll take the blame for you."

Hu Liena rolled her eyes at him and didn't bother responding.

Just then, a scream pierced the camp, followed by splashing and the sounds of a struggle.

Everyone rushed outside to find a soul sect being dragged into the water by some unseen force.

Shining their torches on the muddy surface, they finally spotted the culprit—a Blackwater Crocodile.

The crocodile had clamped down on the man's torso, and though the soul sect fought back desperately, his cries for help grew weaker.

The soul masters onshore unleashed attacks on the crocodile, slowing its movements as it retreated into deeper water, still gripping its prey tightly.

Hu Liena stepped forward and cast "Charm" on the creature, causing it to freeze momentarily and loosen its jaws. The injured soul sect seized the opportunity to thrash free and crawl back to shore.

Xie Yue acted swiftly, using his crescent moon-shaped martial soul to slice through the crocodile's open mouth, severing half its head in a single stroke.

The Blackwater Crocodile sank into the depths, staining the water red with its blood.

The scent of blood carried through the water to Fang Chang, jolting him awake.

He hesitated briefly before deciding to investigate. Carefully stepping out of the tunnel, he followed the trail of blood along the muddy bottom.

Step by step, he approached the source of the scent, his senses on high alert. Above the water's surface, he could faintly hear the commotion from the camp.

Finally, he reached the crocodile's corpse. Pressing his head close, he confirmed its identity.

Species: Blackwater Crocodile

Soul Power: 5600 Years

Status: Deceased

"Thank you, humans! Thank you, nature!"

Fang Chang, who hadn't eaten in hours, couldn't resist the temptation. He quickly devoured the crocodile, savoring its flesh as his energy returned.

After finishing the main body, he tracked down its severed head, courtesy of Xie Yue, and consumed that as well.

Satiated, Fang Chang suppressed his curiosity about the human camp and carefully made his way back to his hiding spot. Curling into the tunnel once more, he reactivated "Concealment" and waited for his health to recover.

This pursuit was both a crisis and an opportunity.

The Star Dou Forest rarely saw such a concentrated gathering of soul sects and soul kings. For Fang Chang, who needed to kill five more human soul masters to evolve into the Shadow Demon Spider, this might be the perfect chance.

Once his strength returned, perhaps the roles of hunter and prey would reverse once again.