Douluo Dalu: The Legend of The Spider Emperor

Ma Hongjun cursed loudly, and almost everyone heard him. Inside the wooden house, the last two words he shouted still echoed.

Outside the door, Tang San, who was just about to enter, suddenly froze. Then, his shock turned into fury, his face contorting with rage, and his eyes filled with intense killing intent.

Anyone who bullied Xiao Wu deserved to die!

Before the Grandmaster and the others behind him could react, Tang San kicked the door open.

At that moment, the wooden door shattered into pieces. Flender, standing behind Tang San, was utterly shocked. What was wrong with Tang San? Even though he had been beaten up by Ye Hao not long ago, there was no reason for him to be in such a bad mood that he would destroy the door.

Inside the wooden house, Dai Mubai and the others shuddered at the sudden outburst and turned their heads.

Tang San walked in with bloodshot eyes. He had heard Ma Hongjun's words clearly. His gaze locked onto Ma Hongjun, unyielding.

"Ma Hongjun, do you dare to repeat what you just said?" Tang San asked darkly, his voice filled with hatred.

"I…" Seeing the Grandmaster and others arrive, Ma Hongjun naturally had no fear of Tang San.

"So what if I say it again?" Ma Hongjun faced Tang San directly, unaffected by his anger.

"Tang San, answer a question for me first."

Tang San narrowed his eyes, gritting his teeth. "Say it."

Ma Hongjun spoke righteously, "I believe you've heard that the Titan Giant Ape, the King of the Forest, was captured alive by the Spirit Hall. Back then, in the Star Dou Forest, we Shrek Seven Devils were almost wiped out by that beast. Tell me, what do you think about this?"

Tang San was confused. He had been about to argue with Ma Hongjun about insulting Xiao Wu, but why was Ma Hongjun suddenly bringing up something else?

At that moment, Xiao Wu fell silent, anxiously looking at Tang San, eager to hear his response.

Tang San glanced at Xiao Wu before saying, "I have nothing to say about it."

Hearing this, Xiao Wu finally breathed a sigh of relief.

But then, Tang San continued, "That Titan Giant Ape deserved to die…"

As soon as these words left his mouth, Xiao Wu's eyes widened in disbelief. She couldn't believe that Tang San had said such a thing. Tears welled up in her eyes.

Tang San, unaware of the gravity of his words, continued coldly, "I wish I could personally kill that Titan Giant Ape. If it hadn't taken Xiao Wu, we wouldn't have suffered so much, nearly losing our lives in the Star Dou Forest."

At this, Zhao Wuji nodded in agreement. "Tang San is right. That Titan Giant Ape truly deserved to die. When I first encountered it in the Star Dou Forest, I was already prepared to die. Fortunately, luck was on our side, and Xiao Wu was taken but unharmed. That was already a blessing. So, when I heard yesterday that the Spirit Hall had captured it, I drank several cups of wine to celebrate. It felt amazing!"

Stab!

Xiao Wu's fragile heart was once again pierced.

Then, the Grandmaster added, "I was surprised that the Spirit Hall managed to capture the King of the Forest. Given their nature, that Titan Giant Ape is doomed. The reason they publicly announced this across the continent is to recruit rogue soul masters and consolidate their power in the soul master world. If my guess is correct, once the Continental Advanced Spirit Master Academy Elite Tournament ends, the Titan Giant Ape will be executed."

"Wu wu wu…"

Xiao Wu suddenly ran out of the wooden house in tears, sobbing uncontrollably.

Everyone was baffled.

That Titan Giant Ape had nearly wiped out the entire Shrek team. Everyone, including Tang San, wished for its death. Why was Xiao Wu so devastated over the fate of a mere beast?

Tang San shot Ma Hongjun a glare before rushing out in the direction Xiao Wu had fled.

"You fatso, did you bully Xiao Wu again?" Liu Erlong grabbed Ma Hongjun's ear and pulled hard.

"Hiss…" Ma Hongjun gasped in pain.

"Teacher Erlong, you wrong me! I was just stating facts. Xiao Wu is being overly sentimental. That Titan Giant Ape deserved to die. She chose to act like a saint; I didn't force her." Ma Hongjun protested, wincing.

"Enough, Erlong." Flender stepped forward and removed Liu Erlong's hand from Ma Hongjun's ear.

"Ma Hongjun isn't wrong. There's no need to argue over a beast. But really, Xiao Wu is too much. That Titan Giant Ape deserved what happened to it. It was just an animal—why take it so seriously?"

Flender shook his head. "I don't get it."

—

Xiao Wu ran to a secluded spot, crying her heart out. She collapsed to the ground, Ma Hongjun's words stabbing at her heart like needles.

"Wu wu wu…"

"Er Ming, don't worry. I will save you. Spirit Hall, I swear I will destroy you in the future!"

Xiao Wu gritted her rabbit-like teeth, hatred for Spirit Hall burning in her heart.

And that fatso… How dare he mock me and say Er Ming deserved to die? He will pay! Dai Mubai, Oscar, Flender, Zhao Wuji, the Grandmaster—you will all pay!

But not Brother… No, Brother doesn't count…

"Xiao Wu! Xiao Wu!"

At this moment, Tang San followed the path Xiao Wu had run along and found her, just in time to see her burying her head and crying bitterly. 

It was evident that this was the first time Tang San had seen Xiao Wu cry so sorrowfully. Compared to the lively and adorable Xiao Wu from before, she seemed like a completely different person. 

Seeing Tang San arrive, Xiao Wu hurriedly wiped away her tears and forced a barely passable smile.

"Brother, you... why are you here?" 

Tang San was very confused. Ever since Xiao Wu heard the news about the Titan Giant Ape being captured, she had been downcast for several days. The once lively girl now frequently hovered around Tang San, but in an abnormal manner—even Tang San, who was very close to her, found her behavior unfamiliar. 

"Xiao Wu, is something on your mind?" Tang San asked anxiously. 

By now, he was almost certain—Xiao Wu was definitely hiding something from him. 

"Xiao Wu, what are we to each other?" Tang San asked with utmost seriousness. 

Xiao Wu looked at the suddenly serious Tang San and instinctively responded, "Of course, we're siblings. You're my brother, and I'm your sister. Is there a problem?" 

Hearing this, Tang San nodded in satisfaction. He stepped forward, placed both hands on Xiao Wu's shoulders, and said earnestly, "If that's the case, then why won't you tell me what's troubling you? Keeping things bottled up can be harmful. Tell me, and I'll help you through it." 

No! She absolutely couldn't let Brother find out about her identity. 

Tang San had already made his stance clear before. If he learned she was a soul beast, Xiao Wu could imagine what would happen—Tang San abandoning her, then her being captured by the Spirit Hall, and ultimately being killed to become someone's spirit ring and spirit bone. 

Just thinking about it was terrifying. What one dwells on in the day manifests in dreams at night. She couldn't let such a tragedy happen! Absolutely not! 

Immediately, Xiao Wu put on a pitiful expression, her eyes brimming with tears as she looked at Tang San and sobbed, "Brother, you heard what Fatty said to me just now, right? He called me an animal, not a human! Brother, you have to stand up for me! No one has ever insulted me like this before!" 

Tang San frowned. He had indeed heard Ma Hongjun's words clearly from outside the door. 

Perhaps things were not as Ma Hongjun and the others had said. 

"Xiao Wu, then why have you been avoiding me these past few days, looking so troubled?" Tang San asked the most crucial question. 

Since Tang San no longer had the immortal herb, Yearning Heartbroken Red, his Purple Demon Eye was still at the Micro-level and hadn't advanced to the point where he could see through Xiao Wu's true identity. 

Thus, he had no way of understanding the reason behind Xiao Wu's behavior. 

"I… I… I…" 

Xiao Wu stammered, unable to say anything for a long time. 

Then, gritting her teeth, she finally said, "I was just in a bad mood those days, that's all." 

Tang San: "…" 

"Really? Just a bad mood? Nothing else?" 

At this point, Xiao Wu could only brace herself and insist, "It's true! Brother, why don't you believe me? I'm your little sister. How could I possibly lie to you?" 

"Xiao Wu, I—" 

Before Tang San could finish, Xiao Wu abruptly cut him off. The next second, she grabbed his hand and started running elsewhere, not giving him a chance to speak. 

At that time, in Heaven Dou City, a simple carriage slowly entered the city. 

After traveling for three days and two nights, Ye Hao and Qian Renxue had finally returned. 

Earlier, Qian Renxue had ordered Snake Spear Douluo and Blood Thorn Douluo to deliver the Titan Giant Ape sealed inside the Death God's Heart to the Spirit Hall. At that time, dusk was approaching. Just then, the Death God's Heart returned to Ye Hao's hands. 

Ye Hao immediately understood—the mission was complete, the Titan Giant Ape had been imprisoned, and all that awaited it was death. 

The day after the Death God's Heart returned to Ye Hao, Snake Spear Douluo and Blood Thorn Douluo came back early in the morning. 

Ye Hao noticed that after their return, the way they looked at him had changed. 

Previously, their gazes were calm, with a hint of polite approval. 

But now, their expressions had completely transformed into one of deep respect—just like how they treated Qian Renxue. 

This puzzled Ye Hao greatly. 

Why would a short trip change them so much? 

Shortly after, Snake Spear Douluo and Blood Thorn Douluo requested a private meeting with Qian Renxue. Naturally, Ye Hao chose to excuse himself. 

Their discussion lasted a long time, so long that Ye Hao nearly fell asleep. 

After a long while, when Qian Renxue finally stepped out from the back of the carriage, Ye Hao was stunned. 

Because Qian Renxue suddenly hugged him tightly, her eyes filled with tears as she kept repeating, "You really are my little brother." 

This baffled Ye Hao. Wasn't he already her younger brother? 

It was one thing for the two Title Douluo elders to change, but why was Qian Renxue acting differently too? 

From that day on, Qian Renxue's attitude toward Ye Hao improved significantly. She frequently showed concern for him and often brought up Bibi Dong in their conversations. 

In response, Ye Hao would always say positive things about Bibi Dong—whatever he could think of, he said. 

It was clear that Qian Renxue's attitude toward Bibi Dong had begun to shift. She was no longer rejecting her outright but was slowly starting to accept her. She just needed more time… 

However, there was one thing Qian Renxue did that Ye Hao couldn't figure out. 

During the journey, Ye Hao had planned to get closer to Qian Renxue. After all, he had already gifted her the Titan Giant Ape, so it was time to foster their relationship. 

But for some reason, Qian Renxue kept avoiding him, always saying, "Brat, I'm your sister." 

Thus, Ye Hao abandoned the idea, thinking he had been too impatient. Qian Renxue probably needed time to adjust. Emotional bonds had to be built gradually and couldn't be rushed. 

Throughout the journey, the two talked and laughed, and the atmosphere in the carriage was harmonious and warm—just like a real family.