Demons and monsters wreak havoc: gain one new confidante every day.

"Third rank...?"

Wan Du stared at Shen You, feeling a strong sense of shock and unease.

He had been entangled with Hong Xiugu and Tian Yier earlier, and in his heart he harbored a somewhat manipulative mindset.

After all, he is a spider, and to maintain his understanding of spiders, he needs to imitate the behavior of spiders.

So he toyed with his prey, binding it tightly with a web-like pressure until it was exhausted. Only then was he satisfied, reaping the prey's life and enjoying the pleasure of torturing and killing it.

But to his utter surprise, the prey that he had initially regarded as insignificant suddenly broke free of its cocoon, revealing its fangs and becoming a hunter whose strength was almost on par with his own.

How is this possible?!

He roared in his heart:

"How can breaking through to the third rank be so easy?!"

But the facts are right before our eyes: Hong Xiugu and Tian Yier's desperate protection, coupled with Shen You's unparalleled talent, and his own unintentional indulgence, have achieved such an astonishing miracle.

There really are people who can break through to the third rank in the heat of battle!

"Damn it! Damn it! You'll pay for this reckless behavior!"

Wan Du thought bitterly, and the expression on his face became ferocious again.

"So what if you've reached the third rank? I was already at the third rank long before you!"

"My experience, my knowledge, my strength—all surpass yours. What do you have to fight me with!"

"I am the victor!"

At this moment, his eyes turned completely black, like a spider's web. His gaze was cold and eerie, filled with a chilling killing intent. His body was covered in black spider silk, and he swept down from the sky like a swinging dragon.

As he charged, his double maces were still being pulled by the black spider silk, spiraling out from both sides of his body like a tornado, attacking Shen You.

"Die! Die!!"

The phantom of a spider lit up on Wan Du's body, and his "Thousand Spider Great Force" had been unleashed at full power.

Even considering his decades-long martial arts career, this move was already his masterpiece.

How terrifying is the full-force attack of a veteran martial artist of the third rank!

He didn't believe that Shen You, who had just been promoted to the third rank, could withstand this attack!

"This one strike will kill you!!"

Wan Du gritted his teeth, and as his attack was about to land on Shen You, a hint of joy appeared in his eyes.

There's no escaping it!

The prey before us has no chance of escape!

"The victor is ultimately..."

Suddenly, a blood-red light shone before his eyes.

An astonishing killing intent surged forth in an instant, filling him with terror.

"No! What is that—!"

Wan Du looked shocked, his eyes widening.

The crimson light flashed across his head.

The next moment, his body split in two, flying past Shen You on either side and crashing to the ground behind him.

Amidst the splattering of blood, Shen You swung his broadsword, the wind from the blade scattering all the blood, creating a bloody storm in the hall.

Gripping his broadsword tightly, Shen You stood proudly, a hint of coldness on his face.

"You think I can't beat you even at the second rank? Do you really think I can't even beat you at the third rank?"

Defeating the Ten Thousand Poisons is actually quite simple.

The "Blade Force" blood light, which could be easily blocked by Wan Du at the second rank, becomes an invincible weapon of the same rank at the third rank.

When Shen You unleashed his full power and delivered the "Crimson Serpent Slash," a strike at the third-grade level, the outcome was no longer in doubt.

Shen You let out a long breath, feeling better than ever before. Having just advanced to the third rank, the effects of some miraculous elixir that Hong Xiugu had fed her were still lingering. She had also vanquished the myriad poisons and pushed her mental and physical will to its peak.

Now my energy and spirit are highly concentrated, and my aura has reached its peak.

"Ji Lin Langjun..."

Shen You turned her head and looked deeper into the lobby, thinking of that handsome yet eerie figure.

"You were hiding here, capturing Xiao Hui, intending to use her as a medicinal ingredient..."

"Driven by his own selfish desires, he repeatedly murdered innocent women..."

"I won't let you get away with this..."

Shen You clenched his fists. The helplessness he once felt, which he could only watch from afar as Liu Gongbai and Bilin Langjun fought, was now completely gone. He finally felt that he could truly participate in this great battle to slay demons and monsters.

"...Today, I will kill you!"

In the dimly lit hall, Shen You made a vow to herself.

He settled Hong Xiugu and Tian Yier in a corner, then strode into the depths of the hall.

The Jade Scale Gentleman is right ahead!

"Xiao Hui... I'm here to save you!"

……

In the backyard of the Blackwater Hall, there is a pool of black water.

At this moment, a lotus bud unexpectedly sprouted on the surface of the Black Water.

The flower buds are pink and tender, very eye-catching, and so beautiful that they don't seem like a treasure that would be nurtured in black water. As the buds tremble, they exude a strong life force.

"I'm almost there... After all these years, I've finally created the secret medicine... My long-cherished wish can finally be fulfilled at this moment..."

Beside the small pond, a handsome figure in a green robe stared intently at the flower bud, his face filled with excitement. The thought of the secret medicine being made soon made his fingertips tremble slightly.

"Brother Bilin."

Behind them, a simple-looking young man suddenly clasped his hands and said, "The commotion in the main hall has subsided. He clearly dealt with several first and second-grade opponents, but Wan Du took too long... I'm worried that he might have been caught off guard and failed to stop the enemy..."

"Almost there...almost there..."

Bilin Langjun ignored his words, staring intently at the flower bud and muttering to himself.

Han Shu frowned slightly and continued, "Brother Bilin, we may not have time to waste any longer. Now that we've caught the medicinal ingredient, let's use it quickly!"

"What do you know!?"

But Bi Lin Lang Jun suddenly turned around and roared at Han Shu. His eyes transformed into the vertical pupils of a snake, with blood-red irises that looked extremely terrifying.

"The medicinal ingredient must be purified and its blood exchanged to create a crystal-clear body before it can be used effectively! If there is even the slightest mistake at this step, wouldn't all previous efforts be in vain!"

He glanced to the side and saw Xiao Hui hanging from the high wall, her hands and feet bound. Her entire body was covered in snakes, their bites seemingly injecting some kind of venom into her, making her body shimmer and gradually transform into a crystalline, translucent color.

The Jade Scale Gentleman revealed a satisfied expression: "Almost done, almost done... All these years of waiting have been for this moment..."

He muttered to himself with a sinister and resolute tone, "I will never allow anyone to ruin this harvest..."

"Whoever it is..."

"Those who block my way shall die!"

Seeing his expression, Han Shu calmed down and said, bowing his head, "In that case, I'll go and stop them!"

He turned and walked out.

Behind him, the Jade Scale Gentleman turned his head coldly and glanced at him.