Full health is the kill threshold, no matter if you're a god or a demon!

The interior of the Spider Palace was more spacious than Liu Nian had expected, and also more... oppressive.

The entrance passage wasn't long; soon we entered a huge natural cave space with a ceiling nearly thirty meters high, which should be the so-called Watchtower.

The rock walls here have undergone rough repairs, but still retain their original ruggedness.

The main light sources are dozens of large fluorite cages suspended from the dome, as well as larger pieces of arcane crystal shards embedded in the four walls.

The white light emitted by the crystal intertwined with the cold light of the fluorite, illuminating the entire hall, yet failing to dispel the bone-chilling coldness and silence.

The hall's floor was smoothed stone, with a large, ornate carpet in the center woven from deep purple and silver spider silk. The carpet featured intricate patterns of spider webs and stars, showcasing exquisite craftsmanship. It stood in stark contrast to the rough architecture outside the city, clearly a remnant of past glory.

The carpet stretched all the way to the far end of the hall—where a natural stone platform about three meters above the ground stood, behind which hung a heavy, dark gold curtain woven from some kind of luminous worm silk.

On the stone platform sits a huge stone throne, with the armrests carved with somewhat worn spider and crescent moon patterns.

Behind the throne, on either side of the curtain, stood eight female spider-elf guards, clad in dark metal-trimmed bone armor and wielding long-handled war scythes.

Their demeanor was calm and composed, their eyes sharp as knives; they were clearly the Queen's most elite personal guards.

Apart from these guards, the entire hall was deserted.

Only the footsteps of Pandra, Liu Nian, and a few accompanying soldiers echoed in the empty space, adding to the solemnity and loneliness.

Pendra took a deep breath, and led Liu Nian along the carpet toward the throne.

About ten meters from the stone platform, she stopped, knelt on one knee, lowered her head, and reported in a clear but slightly trembling voice:

"Your Majesty, the Hunting Captain Pendra has returned. During the coming-of-age ceremony trials in the Crystal Cluster Forest, he encountered... a surface adventurer who trespassed into the third level of the Underdark, and has now been captured. This person possesses some information about the surface and upper regions, and has brought him here for Your Majesty's decision."

Pendra's report was largely in line with the pre-arranged script, but the tremor in her voice revealed her extreme unease.

Liu Nian stood still, not forced to kneel like a prisoner, but calmly raised his head and looked at the throne on the stone platform.

A brief silence.

Behind the curtain, a soft, rhythmic "tap...tap...tap..." sound came from afar, like the sound of a hard object lightly tapping a stone surface.

Immediately afterwards, the curtain was gently parted by a pale and slender hand.

A woman came out.

[Level 95 Spider Queen Esmeralda BOSS (Legendary)]

Surprisingly, her lower body was not spider-like, but rather long, slender legs, like those of an elf, encased in a dark purple dress inlaid with silver threads. She was barefoot, with delicate ankles, stepping on the cold stone surface; the "tap-tap" sound she had just heard likely came from some kind of ornament at her waist or wrist.

Her appearance was extremely beautiful, with the exquisite elegance unique to elves. She had pointed ears and long, silvery-white hair that cascaded down like a waterfall, adorned with a few small, obsidian-carved spider-shaped hair ornaments.

Her skin was so pale it was almost translucent, and her eyes were a deep violet color. At this moment, she looked down at us with scrutiny and a hint of weariness.

But there was a slight bulge on her shoulders and back, as if something was hidden beneath her gorgeous clothes.

What is most striking are her four arms—in addition to the normal pair, there is another pair of slightly thinner, but equally flexible arms hanging naturally at her sides, just below her shoulder blades. Each of the wrists of these four arms wears an exquisite silver bracelet, engraved with intricate runes.

She is Esmeralda Shadowscar, the queen of the Shadowmoon Clan.

Esmeralda's gaze swept over Liu Nian first, with her usual authority and a hint of concern that arose when she heard "surface intelligence".

But the next second, as her gaze swept over Pendra, who was about to step forward to report, her violet pupils suddenly contracted!

The color drained from her delicate yet pale face instantly!

"Stop! Pendra! Don't come near me!!" Esmeralda's shrill voice shattered the silence in the hall, filled with unprecedented horror and vigilance.

The voice no longer carried the composure of a queen, but rather the fear and disbelief of someone encountering a natural enemy.

She simultaneously assumed a defensive posture with all four arms, and four exquisitely crafted daggers of different colors appeared in her hands.

The eight guards behind the throne moved in a flash, forming a fan shape to protect the queen. Their scythes pointed downwards, and their cold gazes locked onto Pandra and Liu Nian.

"What...what is that on you?!" Esmeralda stared intently at Pendra, her voice trembling with excitement. "It's not the foul air of the earth, nor the dark filth...it's...it's...the aura of divinity?!"

As a high priestess who once served "Nymos the Shadow Spider Queen", Esmeralda's perception remained even after she was stripped of her qualifications. Her sensitivity to divine aura far exceeded that of ordinary people.

The divine spark of Arachne emanating from Pendra was like a spark in the darkness, piercing the memories and perceptions of faith deep within her soul!

Pendra froze, momentarily at a loss for words.

She hadn't expected Her Majesty's senses to be so sharp that she could detect the changes in her from such a distance.

Liu Nian was quite surprised; it seemed that these NPCs really couldn't be underestimated.

His face remained calm as he took a small step forward.

This move immediately attracted the attention of the Queen and all her guards.

"I really didn't expect this..." Liu Nian said, his voice not loud, but clearly carrying to every corner of the hall, "Queen Esmeralda, your senses are very sharp."

Esmeralda's gaze, sharp as an icicle, pierced Liu Nian: "You...who exactly are you? What did you do to Pendra? You...don't have that aura on you, but you..."

She carefully sensed it, only to find that she couldn't quite see through this seemingly ordinary human adventurer.

No, it wasn't that she couldn't see through him, but rather that the other person's aura was so solid and heavy, like an abyss, yet so restrained, that it gave her a dangerous intuition.

"Who I am is not important." Liu Nian shook his head and decided to get straight to the point. "What is important is that I have brought you and your people a choice, an opportunity to regain faith and power."

"Faith?" Esmeralda seemed to have heard an absurd joke, a desolate mockery appearing on her pale face. "The Shadow Spider Queen has long abandoned us! Exiles are unworthy of faith! You, an adventurer, talking to me about faith? Do you even know what faith is?!"

She was somewhat agitated; clearly, the word "faith" had touched a raw nerve in her deepest wounds.

"The Shadow Queen has abandoned you," Liu Nian said calmly, "but there is more than one 'god'."

He no longer concealed it, a thought stirring in his mind.

The next second, a soft yet undeniable arcane glow shone in the space beside Liu Nian.

The light quickly condensed and took shape—the tall, elegant Arachne, exuding a faint divine majesty, slowly appeared before everyone in a half-spider form!