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

The slaughter in the swamp continued as the Green Ghost Leeches relentlessly swarmed the Spirit Hall soul masters.

These soul masters, aware of the leeches' infamous reputation, scrambled frantically toward the shore, unwilling to take any chances.

Yan, originally at the forefront of the group and furthest from safety, unleashed his full soul power. His Flame Lord martial soul activated, sending waves of heat from his body.

The intense heat incinerated the two leeches attached to him into ash within seconds, evaporating the surrounding water and leaving a small, clear patch around him. Taking advantage of this moment, Yan propelled himself forward, becoming a fiery blur as he reached the shore first.

The Golden Generation lived up to their reputation, each possessing hidden aces for critical moments.

However, the other soul masters were less fortunate. Each used their abilities in a desperate bid to escape the swamp, but their success depended heavily on their proximity to the shore.

Those closer to the edge managed to climb out relatively unscathed, their wounds from the leeches still manageable.

But the soul masters who had ventured deeper into the swamp faced an uphill battle. With six meters of mud and water to traverse, each step was a grueling effort, made worse by the rising terror as more leeches swarmed toward them.

One soul master slipped and fell into the murky water, where leeches swarmed over his face and head. Within seconds, his plump figure seemed to shrink as his blood was drained, leaving him weak and staggering.

Another, succumbing to panic, screamed wildly and began attacking the leeches clinging to his body. Although he managed to kill a few, the resulting blood in the water only attracted more of the creatures, sealing his fate.

Onshore, the surviving soul masters could only watch in horror as their comrades were overwhelmed. None dared venture back to rescue them.

Instead, they focused on ridding themselves of any lingering leeches while retreating further from the water.

Meanwhile, deeper in the swamp, Fang Chang was having a far easier time.

"HP +99."

"HP +132."

"HP +165."

Taking advantage of the leeches' focus on the soul masters, Fang Chang continued his feast, devouring the Green Ghost Leeches one by one.

Within a short span, his health had recovered significantly, and his Blood Drain skill had climbed to Level 5.

Suddenly, his head bumped into something solid in the murky water—a pillar-like structure. Upon closer inspection, he realized it was the body of a nearly-drained human soul master.

Without hesitation, Fang Chang raised a spider leg and plunged it into the man's abdomen. The leg pierced through effortlessly, and the soul master barely had time to register the pain before collapsing into the water, lifeless.

As blood spilled from the corpse, more leeches swarmed over, drawn to the fresh scent. Fang Chang swiftly withdrew his leg and retreated from the scene.

Following the trail of leeches, he soon encountered another dying soul master. Again, a single, precise strike ended their suffering.

By now, the death toll among the soul masters had risen to four. Fang Chang initially planned to kill one more to complete his evolution requirements. However, after searching for some time, he found no other targets and instead resumed feeding on the Green Ghost Leeches.

Finally, the leeches became aware of Fang Chang's presence and turned their attention toward him.

As they swarmed, Fang Chang spat out a Poison Web, which, while less effective underwater, still acted as a net to trap the leeches.

The leeches that managed to bypass the web latched onto his body. Fang Chang calmly picked them off one by one with his spider legs, sending each directly into his mouth.

"HP -5."

"HP -13."

"HP -36."

"HP +165."

With his high-level Blood Drain, the health he recovered offset the damage he sustained. Though the leeches multiplied, the balance tipped in his favor as his skill level continued to rise.

"Soul Power has reached 10,000 years. Gained racial skill: 'Toxic Mist.'"

Toxic Mist: Enhances the black mist covering your body, increasing evasion and inflicting poison damage on nearby enemies.

Fang Chang's eyes gleamed with excitement. On the surface, the new skill seemed geared toward offense, but when paired with his defensive capabilities, it was a perfect fit for a tank-like combat style.

Curious, he activated both Toxic Mist and Flame Armor simultaneously.

Underwater, Flame Armor was less effective, with the flames extinguished almost immediately, leaving only a faint warmth around him.

But Toxic Mist exceeded expectations. Although the black mist had thinned underwater, the new skill thickened it significantly, creating a dense, toxic cloud around him.

As soon as the leeches touched the mist, they began writhing in pain, their bodies twitching before falling lifelessly into the water.

The mist's poison spread further, dispersing into the surrounding water and forcing the leeches to retreat en masse, leaving Fang Chang in peace.

Sighing at the lost opportunity to feed on more leeches, Fang Chang scavenged the area for the bodies of those killed by his poison.

After devouring the remnants of the Green Ghost Leeches in the vicinity, he returned to the toxic web he had spun earlier, consuming the leeches trapped within.

Onshore, only one of the lagging soul masters managed to crawl to safety. His body was covered with leeches, their bloated forms grotesquely hanging from him.

The others helped him remove the parasites, revealing horrifying, suction-cup-shaped wounds all over his body.

Hu Liena took stock of their numbers. Of the four soul kings they had started with, only two remained combat-capable. Among the five soul elders, only one was still standing.

In just one day, their force had been halved, and those who remained were demoralized, unwilling to approach the water again.

Meanwhile, deep in the swamp, Fang Chang, now a ten-thousand-year soul beast, drew ever closer to the shoreline.