The Ghost-Eyed Demon Spider created a massive physical illusion to conceal itself.
Earlier, it had used the same method, conjuring the physical illusion of tree trunks and branches to stealthily hide within.
Zhao Liuyun concentrated his spirit, hearing the sound of its limbs piercing the rock extremely close by—
It was hiding inside the physical illusion!
The trio's attack had nearly shattered the illusion, causing it to flicker, becoming unstable and on the verge of collapsing.
The spider was using the illusion to mislead them, thereby creating a suitable moment to strike...
It certainly wouldn't miss the instant when Tian Wenlong and the two others had finished their attack, were off-balance, and vulnerable.
At this moment, there was no way to hide or avoid the attack.
This was not the intelligence level of a mere hundred-year Spirit Beast!
Could it be that, by relying on physical hunting, its natural battle-intent was fierce, honed into such combat wisdom through countless battles?
The method to break this, simply put, was easy.
All that was needed was to test the illusion's reality with a long-range attack skill.
The key was that the Long-Tusk Elephant Mercenary Group lacked this link.
They had it before; Ye Ye's Second Spirit Skill could slash out two sharp wind blades.
The problem was that he was dead, and he was the first to die...
Pure energy-type attack skills, lacking a physical basis, consumed the most Spirit Power.
Once Spirit Power was depleted, that person became a burden to the team.
Unless they were a genius destined for a great future, those living a normal life tended to favor sustained combat capability, preserving their last trump card.
The Ghost-Eyed Demon Spider...
"Damn it!"
Thinking of the unjustly killed Ye Ye, Zhao Liuyun cursed under his breath.
His spreading mental force detected no target; the Ghost-Eyed Demon Spider was indeed hiding inside the physical illusion.
He had given the necessary warnings and issued the commands; now, all he could do was watch how they fought.
Zhao Liuyun waited for the next opportunity.
The Agility-Attack System Spirit Master, Zhu Qiaoqiao, flashed like a stream of light, quickly dashing forward as ordered, attempting to cover the gap left by the three Power Attackers.
The Water Deer Spirit Master, Bai Feng, was adjusting his direction.
Cyan-Mist Tiger Fang Rui was between Power Attack and Agility Attack. His speed was not as fast as a pure Agility-Attack Master, so he followed behind Zhu Qiaoqiao, preparing for the second wave of offense.
If the first strike failed, he could fill the void.
The Striped Leopard's attack frequency was extremely high, its fierce claw strikes instantly tearing open the fluctuating physical illusion.
The view suddenly cleared, and the Ghost-Eyed Demon Spider's hideous form was exposed to everyone.
Blood-red, sharp limbs darted out like deadly spears, suddenly pointing toward Tian Wenlong's Earth Rock Body Guard.
Using a point to break a surface, the earth element shield cracked inch by inch and then violently exploded.
The rock armor inside, which was initially deployed as a joke, actually blocked the attack for an instant. At the cost of shattering, and with the coordinated attack from Zhu Qiaoqiao, Tian Wenlong narrowly escaped death.
Still in shock, Tian Wenlong rolled on the ground, letting his teammates take over the battle.
First, armor up, shield up, and then return to the fight after restoring status.
The Ghost-Eyed Demon Spider could identify the colored rings around people; those with more rings were more powerful.
If the strongest was so easily defeated, the rest were simply ants that could be killed at will.
"Hah—!"
Its arrogance grew even stronger. The Ghost-Eyed Demon Spider still chose to pick on the weak first.
It ignored the golden, shimmering meat shield, Wu Qianming, and another sharp front limb stabbed into the chest of the charging Wu Xu.
Blood splattered, and excruciating pain spread from his chest. The smell of blood stimulated Wu Xu's eyes to turn crimson, and his strength surged crazily in his fury.
The price was that his sanity was rapidly being devoured by bestiality.
"Big Ape, come back!" Zhao Liuyun shouted sternly, simultaneously activating the [Hypnosis] Spirit Skill, attempting to use the refreshing floral scent to calm his uncontrollable rage.
Unfortunately, it was useless.
The bloodthirsty impulse and fury made Wu Xu lose all caution. He charged forward without hesitation.
"Roar—!"
He let out a deafening roar toward the sky.
"Boom!"
At the cost of his chest being pierced and his life abruptly ending, the red, demonically charged fist, infused with the force of his rage, smashed heavily onto the Ghost-Eyed Demon Spider's hard carapace like a heavy hammer breaking the air.
"Screech—!"
Fine black thorns snapped, and a hairline crack appeared on the carapace. The Ghost-Eyed Demon Spider cried out in pain and involuntarily staggered backward.
There was no time to grieve for Wu Xu's death. In a flash of lightning, Zhao Liuyun seized this fleeting opportunity and released his First Spirit Skill again.
Before that, the [Enhanced Burst] skill from the [Hunter] had already been used.
This was a more potent dream-making Spirit Skill after extreme mental focus!
It could prevent the Ghost-Eyed Demon Spider from being awakened by the pain caused by Wu Xu's attack.
Pain could wake a person from a dream, but if one was truly exhausted, sleepiness could override the pain!
"It's controlled!" Zhao Liuyun saw the purple spirit light hit its mark precisely and yelled anxiously.
The light in the Ghost-Eyed Demon Spider's scarlet eyes quickly dimmed, and the limbs supporting its body began to go limp.
He could clearly perceive that a dream was forming in the demon spider's mind.
The other Agility-Attack System Spirit Master, Bai Feng, had an excited expression. He seized this chance.
"First Spirit Skill, 'Iron Head'! Second Spirit Skill, 'Water Deer Charge'!"
Bai Feng's hands turned into deer hooves, and he dropped to all fours. A light blue water deer phantom emerged from behind him, rapidly merging into his body.
The antlers on his head swelled, flashing a dazzling blue light. He began a furious acceleration, charging violently at the Ghost-Eyed Demon Spider like a real deer.
Zhao Liuyun had once joked that this was a low-budget version of a Martial Spirit Avatar.
But its power was indeed not to be underestimated. Even a Spirit Elder would find it hard to withstand such a full-body charge.
Even the Ghost-Eyed Demon Spider would be injured by this immense impact force.
Bai Feng had always been less noticeable in the mercenary group, a little timid, and rarely played a major role in general battles.
He was always uneasy, yearning for recognition from others, to prove his qualifications to join the mercenary group.
Now, he aimed precisely at the opportunity, determined to turn the tide of battle and prove his worth!
However, the very next second—
"Buzz~!"
The fissure in the center of the Ghost-Eyed Demon Spider's eight eyes suddenly opened.
The shining, silvery-white eye inside burst forth with a heart-stopping power.
The dream instantly collapsed, and the attack was already upon it.
Facing the unavoidable "Antler Charge," the Ghost-Eyed Demon Spider suddenly lowered its body. Five spider legs plunged deep into the ground, leaving only one rear limb to bravely meet the attack, smashing into the violent charge with a resounding crash!
"Crack, crack, crack!"
"Screech—!"
"Boom!"
Amidst the jarring sound of cracking and the roaring explosion, the Ghost-Eyed Demon Spider bore the full force of this deadly move at the cost of one of its legs being completely broken.
A half-meter-long crack appeared on the carapace of its left abdomen, and dark red blood surged out.
And Bai Feng was completely pierced by the leg!
The white ring's "Iron Head" was ultimately no match for the Ghost-Eyed Demon Spider's sharp leg.
The mercenary group had lost another member.
Wu Xu died in a frenzy of battle; Bai Feng fell unexpectedly.
Everything happened in an instant.
At the cost of two lives, they finally inflicted heavy damage on the Ghost-Eyed Demon Spider.
"Brother Feng!"
Zhao Liuyun was anxious, but [Calm Mind] forced him to cool down.
Think, think carefully about how to fight next!
This should be Dragon Might.
There was no time to worry about where the giant spider got its dragon bloodline. After the silver dragon eye opened, the power of the dream became completely ineffective...
What else could be exploited?
A purple light flickered in Zhao Liuyun's eyes. He keenly captured the demon spider's movements amidst the surrounding poisonous smoke.
The scattered poison powder had taken effect earlier.
Having inhaled too much toxic smoke, the demon spider's movements had become sluggish!
With the large wound inflicted by Bai Feng, it was the perfect opportunity to administer more poison.
[Extreme Reflex] from the [Thief] was activated.
Taking advantage of the spider's momentary stiffness, Zhao Liuyun utilized Crane Catching Dragon controlling technique as an aid. A poisoned flying knife shot out like lightning, precisely lodging itself into the wound on the demon spider's abdomen.
His throwing technique was poor and couldn't compare to Tang San's.
But it was fast in reaction and thought. As long as the general direction was correct, Zhao Liuyun could slightly adjust its path using Crane Catching Dragon.
On the other side, Tian Wenlong quickly reactivated his first two defensive Spirit Skills, and his Third Spirit Skill, Mountain-Shaking Fist, was once again brewing in his fist.
The death of his teammates infuriated him to the extreme. Only the death of the demon spider could lessen this hatred.
As the team's main frontal combatant, he had to step up now, with no room for retreat.
"Cyan-Mist Blade!" Fang Rui's brow furrowed, and he used his Second Spirit Skill.
He clasped his hands together, condensing a meter-long azure sharp blade in front of him.
Zhu Qiaoqiao's expression was sorrowful. She seized the opportunity and launched a fierce attack.
Her First Spirit Skill was Rending Claw, which extended her sharp claws, making them as sharp as blades and giving them a piercing effect.
Her Second Spirit Skill, Swift Wind Thrust, increased her speed by one hundred percent.
Her figure darted out like a gust of swift wind, her offense as sharp as lightning.