Samsara Paradise: Dream Weaver of Connections.

Just as Su Xiao was about to unleash her ultimate move, Lin Yi's footsteps appeared in the corridor, attracting everyone's attention.

The footsteps were steady and clear, neither hurried nor slow, and sounded particularly abrupt in the stagnant air filled with the hissing of the dragon-hunting spiders and the struggles of the crowd.

It was as if he had not stepped into a perilous hunting ground, but was simply strolling leisurely in the living room.

Mond was wrapped in spider silk like a giant cocoon, with only half his head showing. The moment he saw Lin Yi's figure, he squeezed out an urgent and muffled voice: "Run!"

In his simple and straightforward mind, Lin Yi, this "doctor," was clearly not the type to engage in direct combat, and his appearance at this moment would be tantamount to suicide.

Even though he was in dire straits himself, his demonic instincts compelled him to issue a warning first.

On the other side, Dillin, who was stuck to the wall, stopped chanting her spell and her red eyes suddenly turned to Lin Yi.

The bound wings of the Moon of Sorrow ceased their futile struggles, its eyes locked onto the newcomer, and the knuckles of its fingers gripping the scimitar turned slightly white.

They didn't speak, but the energy fluctuations around them, which had been slightly disordered due to their struggle, began to regroup in a more dangerous way.

That was a sign that high-level spells and killing moves were brewing in silence.

Their mission or the orders behind it placed "Lin Yi's safety" at an extremely high priority, even if the price might be fighting to the death with this troublesome dragon-hunting spider.

Su Xiao also stopped moving.

On the half-drawn blade of the Dragon Slayer, blue-green lightning crackled and shifted.

He looked at Lin Yi, his eyes filled with scrutiny and consideration.

Dragon Spiders are indeed troublesome, as their characteristics make conventional methods ineffective.

After the brief exchange, Su Xiao had several conjectures in mind that needed to be verified, but putting those conjectures into practice and ensuring their effectiveness would be very risky given his current situation of being suppressed and isolated.

He needs a reliable fulcrum, a partner who can restrain or create opportunities.

"Shall we try joining forces?" Su Xiao's voice was not loud, his gaze meeting Lin Yi's with a questioning tone.

He was concise and to the point, without any unnecessary explanations, but his meaning was clear—the Dragon Spider is not easy to deal with. I have ideas, but we need cooperation to have the opportunity to try and break through the impasse.

Lin Yi's gaze swept over the four trapped people, finally landing on the Dragon Hunter Spider, whose mandibles and sharp teeth were still slowly grinding.

He showed no sign of tension or seriousness, and even when Su Xiao made the suggestion, he simply shook his head slightly.

He didn't adopt any fighting stance, but simply walked straight towards the ferocious giant spider.

It was as if he was heading not toward a predator that could easily tear apart a sixth-tier powerhouse, but rather... a large pet that might not be so friendly.

This unusual behavior caused the Dragonslayer Spider to momentarily pause.

Unlike its pure predatory agitation and aggressive desire when facing Su Xiao and the others, its body movements now showed a subtle hesitation.

The forelimbs, which had been raised high as if ready to shoot silk or strike, slowly lowered slightly; the threatening hissing sound from its mouth also weakened, turning into a low murmur filled with doubt.

When Lin Yi was only three or four meters away from the Dragon Hunter Spider, an unbelievable scene unfolded.

Instead of attacking, the dragon-hunting spider took a small step back, its massive body even adopting a posture that was almost... curled up.

Its ferocious head, covered with stiff barbs that could easily pierce metal, was now slightly lowered, the fierce light in its compound eyes quickly fading, replaced by an indescribable gentleness? Or perhaps, a deeper level of awe and obedience.

Mond stared wide-eyed, forgetting he was wrapped up like a dumpling, and unconsciously made a "uh?" sound.

Dilin and Shangyue's energy faltered, their faces filled with astonishment.

Su Xiao opened her half-closed eyes, her fingers gripping the knife hilt slightly loosened, but the look of inquiry in her eyes deepened.

Lin Yi seemed oblivious to all of this, continuing forward until he stood next to the Dragon Hunter Spider's head, which was larger than his entire body.

Then, he made a gesture that caused everyone's pupils to contract.

He reached out and gently, even with a hint of reassurance, patted the side of the dragon spider's head, which was covered with rough bristles.

"Alright, alright, I know you're angry." Lin Yi's voice was very calm, as if he were talking to a sulking little animal. "It's okay now."

Even more astonishing was the dragon-hunting spider's reaction.

It did not fly into a rage, nor did it tear the "offending" hand and its owner to shreds. Instead, it let out a few almost whimpering "gurgling" sounds from deep in its throat.

The voice was incongruous with its massive size and ferocious appearance, conveying a sense of grievance and dependence.

The dragon-hunting spider is not an enemy; on the contrary, its role is to guide and assist participants in the death game through a wooden corridor. The transparent worms in this corridor are extremely dangerous; touching them will result in death.

The Dragon Spider has a clue: the words 'Life' and 'Death' are on its claws.

When the group first arrived at the Death House, they were sitting in a metal chair with a circular mark on the armrest and six small characters below it.

'No regrets in life, no resentment in death.'

What appears to be a personal reflection is actually a hint, relating to the words 'life' and 'death' on the Dragonslayer Spider's legs.

To get the Dragonslayer Spider to guide you, you need to pay a 'toll,' and the circular mark on the armrest of the seat is the toll.

Consuming recoverable life force, and using the circular mark as a medium, one can 'purchase' emerald green fruits from the House of Death.

And this fruit is the reward for the Dragon Hunter Spider. This guy is a glutton. If he can't eat the 'Emerald Fruit' and has led the way for nothing, he will start to vent his anger. After severely injuring or directly killing the participants of the death game, he will throw them into the 'Maze of the Dead'.

In the eyes of the Dragon-Hunting Spider, Su Xiao and his group were just freeloaders, which is why it was so angry.

The dragon spider brought its massive head close to Lin Yi's palm and carefully rubbed the side edge of its relatively less sharp jaw against Lin Yi's hand.

The movement was incredibly gentle, a stark contrast to its previous ferocious attack.

At this moment, Lin Yi was surrounded by an extremely faint light, which was the external manifestation of the blessing of "the house of death" bestowed by the Queen of Pain, Anna.

For any being born or existing within the House of Death, this aura is no different in essence from Anna's own; it is a symbol of supreme rules and authority.

As part of the Death House's "ecosystem," the Dragon Spider's instincts are deeply ingrained with an absolute obedience and affinity to this aura.

Therefore, in front of Lin Yi, it put away all its ferocity and became like the most loyal guard dog.

Lin Yi smiled, glancing out of the corner of his eye at the few people still hanging in mid-air or stuck to the wall, especially their surprised and uncertain gazes.

He turned his body slightly to the side with remarkable ease, and using the massive head of the Dragon Hunter Spider as cover, a fruit quietly appeared in his other hand.

The fruit is small, with naturally formed, mysterious patterns on its surface.

This is the first fruit formed by the Phoenix Tree, containing the pure essence of life and the gentle power of order. It has an irresistible nourishing and soothing effect on any living being, and its value far exceeds that of ordinary treasures.

The dragon-hunting spider's compound eyes instantly locked onto the fruit, their light ignited by an almost greedy thirst.

Its terrifying mandibles and sharp teeth slowed their rotation and cautiously approached.

Lin Yi then presented the fruit to its jaws.

The dragon-hunting spider barely hesitated, and with a movement disproportionate to its size, it rolled the fruit into its mouth and swallowed it.

The whole process happened in the blink of an eye, and Lin Yi's choice of angle was very clever. From the fixed perspective of Mond, Dylin, and Shangyue, they could only see Lin Yi seemingly stroking the head of the Dragon Hunter Spider, and then the Dragon Hunter Spider made an affectionate response. They did not see the appearance of the fruit.

Only Su Xiao, with a relatively free perspective, managed to capture what Lin Yi had done. However, Su Xiao's gaze merely flickered slightly; she remained silent, her face expressionless, as if she hadn't seen anything at all.

He was not a talkative person to begin with, and he knew very well that some things did not need to be said.

After swallowing the fruit, the Dragon Spider's massive body trembled slightly, and its carapace seemed to gleam briefly. It let out a satisfied hum and became even more affectionate and dependent on Lin Yi.

For the Dragon Spider, the Phoenix Fruit is far more than just "delicious" or "nutritious".

As a creation of the House of Death, its essence is mixed with too much shadow, negative energy and the aura of death.

These forces endowed it with formidable combat abilities, but they also eroded its very life essence like a slow poison, leaving it in a constant state of restlessness and thirst.

This is one of the reasons why it is so ferocious and extremely aggressive—it needs to constantly hunt and devour life force to balance the imbalance in its body.

The pure life essence and power of order within the Fengyang Fruit are like a tailor-made antidote.

Although a single newly formed fruit cannot eradicate the "pollution" inherent in its nature, it is enough to greatly alleviate the thirst and restlessness in a short period of time, allowing it to feel the long-lost "comfort" and "peace".

Therefore, after swallowing the fruit, its attitude towards Lin Yi changed from "reverence for authority" to "closeness and dependence".

Authority can make people obey, but favors can earn loyalty—at least for creatures with a certain level of intelligence.

Seeing this, Su Xiao completely relaxed her tense posture.

With a flick of his wrist, the unsheathed blade of the Dragon Slayer slid precisely back into its sheath with a soft "clang," clean and crisp.

He casually took out a clean cloth from his storage space and began wiping the dust off the knife handle, but his gaze remained fixed on Lin Yi and the Dragon Hunter Spider.

"Hey! Doctor!" Mond's voice broke the brief silence, filled with the relief of surviving a close call and his usual straightforwardness. "This giant spider listens to you? Quickly, make it put us down! This slimy thing is awful!"

Upon hearing this, Lin Yi turned to look at Mondstadt, then at Dillin and Shangyue, and finally gently patted the head of the Dragon-Hunting Spider, pointing to the four people trapped in the spider web.

The dragon-hunting spider raised its head, its compound eyes turning toward the four "prey," the gentleness in its eyes quickly replaced by impatience and a hint of hostility.

It was clearly reluctant to give up the "reserve food" it had acquired, especially the one that was shouting the loudest and breathing heavily.

But under Lin Yi's calm gaze, it grunted a few times in its throat and finally raised its forelimbs.

Several gusts of air swept by, and the spider silk that trapped the four people snapped instantly. The sticky substance also lost its activity and became dry and brittle.

Mond landed on the ground with a thud, staggered a bit before regaining his balance, and immediately began vigorously brushing off the remaining spider silk fragments from his body.

Dilin and Shangyue landed lightly, quickly checking their own condition and tidying their slightly disheveled robes and wings.

Mond stretched his newly freed limbs, a hearty smile spreading across his face. He strode towards Lin Yi, saying, "You're amazing! How did you do that? That thing was so fierce just now..."

His words came to an abrupt end.

A thick spider leg covered in blackish-gray bristles suddenly stabbed down without warning, and with a "whoosh," it pierced deeply into the ground less than half a foot in front of Mond's feet!

The hard floor was pierced like tofu, and cracks spread.

Mondl's forward momentum was abruptly halted, and a few strands of short white hair on his forehead were blown by the strong wind.

He was just a hair's breadth away from running into that deadly "spear," and cold sweat instantly seeped out from his back.

The Dragonstalker had subtly adjusted its posture, shielding Lin Yi behind it. Its massive head turned towards Mondstadt, its mandibles emitting a warning hiss.

Its bristles stood on end slightly, revealing a clear sense of wariness and rejection.

The meaning is clear: Don't come near.

Mond froze on the spot, his smile freezing, slowly turning into astonishment and a hint of frustration.

He glanced at the spider leg that was so close to him and was still trembling slightly, then at Lin Yi who was being protected by the giant spider, and finally turned his pleading gaze to the others.

Dilling had already straightened her robes. Seeing this, she scoffed, crossed her arms, and stood there without any intention of moving forward. Instead, she glanced at Mond with a look of amusement.

Shangyue sheathed her scimitar, gently folded her wings, and remained in place without making any statement.

Su Xiao had already wiped the knife clean and put the white cloth back into her storage space.

He leaned back against the wall with a leisurely air, arms crossed, his gaze sweeping between Lin Yi, the Dragon Spider, and Mondstadt. A slight twitch appeared at the corner of his mouth—it was unclear whether he found it amusing or frustrated by Mondstadt's recklessness.

In short, he had no intention of getting involved.

Left with no other option, Lin Yi had to speak up.

He sighed helplessly and patted the dragon-hunting spider's leg that was embedded in the ground: "Alright, put it back."

The Dragon Spider grunted a few times, clearly unwilling, but under Lin Yi's gaze, it still reluctantly and slowly pulled its leg out.

It pierced the floor silently, but when it was pulled out, it kicked up a cloud of dust and made a soft "pop" sound, leaving a round hole half a foot deep with neat edges on the floor.

But even after retracting its leg, it remained positioned between Lin Yi and Mond, maintaining a menacing posture and showing no intention of completely lowering it.

Mond opened his mouth, but ultimately swallowed his words, and reluctantly took a few steps back, standing relatively close to the other three.

He finally understood that this giant spider now only recognized Lin Yi. In its eyes, these "outsiders" were no different from the "reserve food" that had been hanging there before. It was already giving Lin Yi face by letting them down.

The warning hissing stopped only when Mondl retreated.

Its massive body crouched low, its forelimbs bent, and its ferocious head turned toward Lin Yi, gently nudging his arm. It then gestured with its jaws to the area covered in short fur where its broad back met its head.

The intention was clear—to invite Lin Yi to sit down.

Lin Yi hesitated for a moment, then did not refuse.

He lightly touched the ground with his toes, leaped up, and landed steadily in that area.

Just as he expected, the shorter hairs on the back of the dragon spider were exceptionally soft and dense, and sitting on them felt like sinking into a thick, warm blanket, even though its owner's appearance was certainly not one to be described as "comfortable".

Seeing Lin Yi settled down, the Dragon Hunter Spider let out a pleasant hum, stood up steadily on its eight long legs, and adjusted its posture to make Lin Yi sit more securely.

The other four looked at each other in bewilderment.

The situation is crystal clear: Lin Yi possesses a special status or authority within the House of Death that they cannot comprehend, allowing him to not only subdue the ferocious Dragon-Hunting Spiders but also transform them into mounts.

Even a fool knows which option to choose.

Mond scratched his white buzz cut, took the first step, and followed far behind the Dragon Spider and Lin Yi, maintaining a "safe" distance.

Dillian pouted, but followed along at a leisurely pace.

Shangyue's wings fluttered slightly as she silently followed.

Su Xiao finally left the wall he was leaning against and started walking forward. His gaze occasionally swept over the shadows on both sides of the corridor and the massive backs of the Dragon Hunter Spiders, as if he were calculating something in his mind.

Thus, a strange scene appeared in this corridor: a ferocious giant spider carried a calm-looking young man, slowly leading the way; a few meters behind, four powerful figures from different factions followed silently in a loose formation.

There was almost no communication between them; only the rhythmic footsteps and the soft rustling of the dragon-hunting spider's legs scraping the ground echoed. (End of Chapter)