Douluo Dalu: Starting Evolution as the Man-Faced Demon Spider

Fang Chang slowly lowered the spider leg he had originally raised. The thought process of the little girl before him was something he simply couldn't wrap his head around.

At her age, shouldn't she be timid and easily frightened? Why was she always so reckless instead?

She had been like this the last time they met in Star Dou Forest, and now here she was, acting just the same.

While he was still lost in thought, Tang Lin'er not only showed no fear but instead took a few steps forward, reaching out her small hand, intending to touch his head.

Fang Chang instinctively dodged, his massive body brushing against the ceiling. The entire room shook, and years' worth of dust rained down, covering both him and Tang Lin'er from head to toe.

Tang Lin'er retracted her hand, patted the dust off her hair, then her skirt, and finally wiped her face with her already dirty hands. She then grinned at Fang Chang, her eyes bright with innocence.

If she hadn't wiped her face, it wouldn't have been so bad—but after that careless wipe, half her face was covered in black dust.

With her current expression, she looked exactly like a husky that had just rolled around in a pile of coal.

Fang Chang shook off the dust on his body and simply stared at the little girl in front of him, unsure of what to do.

Kill her? She was too clueless and cute for that—it made him hesitate.

Besides, her two companions had already run away. If she didn't return soon, the adults from her home would definitely come looking for her.

It was broad daylight, and if he tried to find another hiding spot, it would be too risky—he couldn't afford to be discovered in a human city with his current strength.

But letting her live would also be troublesome…

At that moment, Tang Lin'er suddenly spoke, breaking the long silence. Her little face was flushed, and her voice carried a hint of excitement.

"Spider senior, you're so big! You must be really powerful!"

In her childlike logic, size equaled strength. Since Fang Chang was much larger than any Man-Faced Demon Spider she had ever seen, he must be even stronger.

Fang Chang tilted his head, unsure of how to interpret her definition of strength.

If she was using herself as a reference… then yes, he was indeed very strong.

Thinking this, he nodded.

Seeing that the giant spider understood her, Tang Lin'er became even more excited. She suddenly dropped to her knees with a loud thud, her voice filled with both pleading and determination.

"Spider senior, please be my teacher! I'm begging you!"

Teacher???

Fang Chang was completely stunned.

A human child wanting a soul beast as a teacher?

Had this ever happened before?! Even if it had, wasn't this way too bizarre?!

However, after thinking about it, this could be a way to keep her quiet.

If he pretended to accept her as his student and made her promise not to reveal his hiding place, he could simply sneak away at night.

That way, he wouldn't lose anything, right?

Suddenly, a voice rang inside Tang Lin'er's mind.

"I can be your teacher, but you must promise me one thing."

Tang Lin'er jumped in surprise, her big eyes darting around the room before locking onto the giant spider before her.

"Teacher, was that you talking?"

Fang Chang nodded, and his voice sounded in her mind once more.

"As long as you promise not to tell anyone that I'm here, I will accept you as my student."

"I promise! I promise! I'll do anything!"

Tang Lin'er clapped her hands in joy, practically jumping with excitement.

Fang Chang, on the other hand, felt a bit uneasy.

Could she really keep this promise?

What if she walked out the door and immediately blurted out her 'adventure' to her classmates?

Should he… kill her after all?

Staring at the little girl before him, Fang Chang felt a rare trace of humanity awaken within him.

Maybe… he should test her first.

...

Suddenly, Fang Chang remembered the items he had found earlier in the forest.

A black page, a mysterious ring, and a letter hidden in a Spirit Hall Soul Master's shoe.

He decided to test her with the letter first.

He retrieved the letter from under a piece of his exoskeleton, placing it before Tang Lin'er.

"Read this to me."

"Oh!" Tang Lin'er nodded but then hesitated, looking a bit troubled.

She stared at the letter for a long time, then began to read hesitantly.

"You… are responsible… for… uh… something something… about those soul beasts… make sure to… uh… something something… and something…"

Halfway through, Fang Chang hurriedly stopped her.

Forget it. She was too young to read properly. This was pointless.

Next, he pulled out the black page and placed it before her.

"Put your hand on it and try injecting your soul power into it."

Tang Lin'er's eyes lit up—was this a gift from her new teacher?!

She excitedly placed her right hand over the black page, which just so happened to be the same size as her small palm.

She then concentrated hard, channeling her meager Rank 10 soul power into the page.

Suddenly, the black color faded, turning the black page into white.

The white page then began to emit a dazzling light, and within the light, a ghostly figure of an old man appeared in the room.

As soon as this mysterious figure materialized, Fang Chang felt a chill run down his spine and instinctively pressed himself against the wall.

The ghostly figure sighed softly, gazing into the distance as if observing the vast land before him.

Then, the light around him swirled, revealing what seemed to be a story from long ago.

In the vision, the old man appeared proud and majestic, leading an army of soul masters into Star Dou Forest.

It looked like they were battling colossal beasts—soul beasts of a size and species Fang Chang had never seen before…

...

The story quickly came to an end, and the old man's weary voice echoed in the room.

According to him, a great war had once erupted in ancient times between humans and the ferocious soul beasts of Star Dou Forest, both sides fighting for survival and territory.

The old man himself had been one of the leading figures in that battle. His cultivation had reached the pinnacle of Rank 99, just one step away from godhood.

Under his command, humans barely managed to claim victory, forcing the wounded soul beasts to retreat and hide.

However, the old man was gravely injured in the battle and knew his end was near. In his final moments, he used an ancient secret technique to leave behind some of his power and relics, hoping that future generations would inherit them, grow stronger, and continue protecting humanity from soul beast threats.

After finishing his speech, the old man suddenly pointed at Tang Lin'er, whose small hand was still pressed against the now white page.

"It is decided! You are the one!" he declared.

The next moment, his figure dissolved into a stream of light, surging directly into Tang Lin'er's forehead.

Tang Lin'er seemed to be pulled by some mysterious force, and as she raised her left hand, a martial soul materialized in her grasp.

It was a gigantic sword, identical to the one the old man had wielded in his story.

System Notifications!

『Tang Lin'er has awakened her second martial soul: Storm Holy Sword』

『Tang Lin'er has received an inherited soul power boost』

『Tang Lin'er's meridians have been refined, improving her innate talent』

Fang Chang: Speechless

"Buff stacking much?!"

Fang Chang almost cursed out loud.

How infuriating! This kind of heaven-defying opportunity had fallen right into this silly little girl's lap!

However, after recalling the old man's words, Fang Chang suddenly understood—

The old man must have still held deep wariness toward soul beasts, even in death. That's why he had placed a restriction, ensuring that his inheritance could only be used by humans.

The ring he had found was probably the same…

Once Tang Lin'er regained her senses, Fang Chang immediately had her use the same method on the mysterious ring.

Sure enough, as soon as she channeled her soul power into it, a soul bone flew out!

However, just like before, a restriction appeared—『For humans only.』

The ring itself then emitted a light projection, revealing more information.

It turned out that this ring had belonged to the old man and was actually a soul tool. However, he had set a limitation—each person could only take one item from it.

At this point, Fang Chang gave up all hope.

This damn inheritance!

Not only was it useless to him, but if he simply discarded it, it would end up benefiting humans!

Wait… benefiting humans?

Fang Chang's eyes suddenly gleamed with an idea.

This old man had devoted his entire life to ensuring that his legacy would help protect humanity.

But what if Fang Chang used it for his own benefit instead?

He quickly recalled why Spirit Hall held so much power in the Douluo Continent.

It wasn't just because of its strong forces, but also because people lacked faith.

Spirit Hall had filled that spiritual void, providing people with a sense of purpose, along with power and status for those who sought it.

If anyone wanted to shake the foundation of Spirit Hall, they had to attack this faith-based system—otherwise, even if the current Pope died, another would simply take their place.

So why not establish his own church?

By using the old man's inheritance, he could create a new religious movement, one that could rival Spirit Hall, influence human society, and eventually allow him to control them!

As for the name…

The Spider God Sect.