Douluo Dalu: The Legend of The Spider Emperor

At the outskirts of the Star Dou Forest, Qian Renxue anxiously waited beside the carriage.

The Sky Azure Bull Python and the Titan Giant Ape—those two emperors of the forest—even Spirit Hall dared not provoke them lightly.

By now, the sun hung high in the sky, marking midday.

Qian Renxue, who had been waiting for a long time, still saw no sign of Ye Hao's return. Anxiously, she stepped out of the carriage and gazed at the vast Star Dou Forest before her, a sense of unease welling up in her heart.

It had been half a day already. He had gone in for so long—why hadn't he come back yet? Could it be that… Hao had run into danger?

"Uncle She, come with me to the core region of the Star Dou Forest," Qian Renxue said resolutely, summoning a golden Angelic Holy Sword in her hand. Her gaze was unwavering.

At that moment, Snake Spear Douluo hesitated. With just the three of them, they were no match for those two emperor-class soul beasts. Let alone rescuing Ye Hao from them—it was an impossible task.

Just then, a figure shot out from the jungle like an arrow leaving the bowstring.

As Ye Hao emerged from the forest and once again saw the light of day, his heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally settled. He had finally escaped that damned place.

Before he could react, a soft and curvaceous figure suddenly threw itself at him from the front, embracing him tightly.

The sweet fragrance from the woman's body filled Ye Hao's nose, and his face involuntarily flushed red. Sister's figure is really something...

At this moment, time seemed to freeze.

Snake Spear Douluo quietly walked away, leaving only Qian Renxue and Ye Hao alone.

"S-Sister… Can you let go? I can't breathe…"

As soon as Ye Hao spoke, Qian Renxue was momentarily stunned. Then, realizing what she was doing, her face turned bright red, and she hurriedly pushed him away.

She quickly turned around, rubbing her burning cheeks with both hands. What was I thinking just now? I completely lost my composure…

But thankfully, her little brother was safe. That was what mattered.

Qian Renxue took a deep breath, doing her best to calm her flustered heart.

"Little brother, you nearly scared us to death! It's so good that you made it back safely. So? Did the plan go smoothly?"

Ye Hao smiled slightly and took out the Death God's Heart from his hairpin.

"Everything went as planned. I successfully obtained my fifth soul ring. But I must say, it was quite a tough battle. The Sky Azure Bull Python and Titan Giant Ape are truly worthy of their titles as the emperors of the forest. Luckily, though, I managed to capture the Titan Giant Ape."

As soon as he finished speaking, the Death God's Heart, which was floating in Ye Hao's palm, began to turn transparent. Qian Renxue bent down to take a closer look.

Sure enough, just as Ye Hao had said, the Titan Giant Ape was trapped inside, wildly swinging its massive fists, furiously attacking the barriers of the Death God's Heart.

However, all its struggles were in vain. The Death God's Heart was, after all, a divine artifact. Without Ye Hao's permission, the Titan Giant Ape had no chance of breaking free.

After confirming that the trapped soul beast was indeed the Titan Giant Ape, Qian Renxue smiled knowingly, then grabbed Ye Hao's hand and pulled him toward the carriage. Now that their goal was accomplished, it was time to leave.

The carriage sped off, gradually moving away from the Star Dou Forest.

Inside the carriage, Ye Hao collapsed onto the seat, utterly exhausted. At this moment, he didn't want to move at all. Capturing the Titan Giant Ape had taken every ounce of his effort.

Fortunately, the Titan Giant Ape was quite foolish—unlike the composed and strategic Sky Azure Bull Python. Otherwise, Ye Hao would have had to struggle even more. But in the end, everything had gone according to plan.

Now, the bait for the "rabbit" was set—it was just a matter of waiting for the tournament to begin.

"Hao, you're amazing. This time, you've really won me over." Qian Renxue gave him a big thumbs-up, full of admiration for her little brother. She was utterly convinced by his abilities—after all, capturing such a formidable soul beast as the Titan Giant Ape was no small feat. Was there anything in this world that her little brother couldn't do?

Ye Hao, drained of energy, weakly said, "Sister, arrange for someone to deliver the Death God's Heart—with the Titan Giant Ape inside—to Spirit Hall."

"Send it to Spirit Hall?" Qian Renxue asked in confusion. "Why?"

She didn't understand. It had taken so much effort to capture the Titan Giant Ape, and it was Ye Hao's rightful prize. So why was he giving it away to Spirit Hall?

Ye Hao slowly explained, "First, the Continental Advanced Spirit Master Elite Tournament is about to begin, and the finals will be held in Spirit Hall. It will be an unprecedented grand event. If we send the Titan Giant Ape to Spirit Hall and publicly announce that Spirit Hall has captured it, it will attract even more attention. This kind of publicity is invaluable. As a result, more and more rogue soul masters will choose to join Spirit Hall. After all, if even the king of the forest can be subdued, what can't Spirit Hall accomplish?"

"Second, this Titan Giant Ape is my gift to you, Sister—a betrothal gift of sorts."

Upon hearing this, Qian Renxue's eyes lit up. "A gift for me? This is a 100,000-year-old soul beast! Are you really willing to part with it?"

Ye Hao smiled faintly. "Of course. You have to give in order to receive. This is a win-win deal."

"You're really giving it to me?"

"Really."

"You won't regret it?"

"If I've said it, I won't take it back."

"Alright then! In that case, I graciously accept my dear brother's gift. This Titan Giant Ape is mine now—no take-backs!"

Ye Hao shrugged with a smile. "I won't take it back, because I've already won!"

"Hmm..."

Sensing something was off, Qian Renxue leaned in closer to Ye Hao and sat beside him.

"What do you mean by that? Are you deliberately teasing your sister?"

Faced with Qian Renxue's questioning, Ye Hao remained composed.

"Did I? I wouldn't dare tease you, Sister. I meant every word I said."

Qian Renxue rolled her eyes at him. "You little rascal. What? Have you taken a liking to your sister? Thinking about marrying me and bringing me home?"

Ye Hao's lips curled into a smirk, his gaze locking onto hers.

"Sister, you're stunning. Anyone would be captivated by you."

Then, with a playful tone, he added, "Sister, why don't you take me? I don't mind being the one who marries into your family."

Qian Renxue couldn't help but burst into laughter, teasing back, "Grow up a bit more, and I might seriously consider it."

Without further ado, Ye Hao activated the Death God's Heart, and from within, three figures emerged—Xiao Hong, Spidey, and the Soul-Devouring Spider Emperor.

The sudden appearance of the Spider Emperor caught Qian Renxue's attention. At first glance, she immediately recognized it—it was identical to that woman's martial spirit.

"Little brother, this one is…?" Qian Renxue pointed at the Soul-Devouring Spider Emperor, a trace of curiosity in her eyes. As far as she could recall, there had been no mention of such a creature.

Ye Hao coughed lightly and solemnly introduced, "This is my newest companion, a hundred-thousand-year Soul-Devouring Spider Emperor. Oh, right, what's your name?"

The Spider Emperor spoke, "I am Zhu'er."

"Zhu'er, what a beautiful name. Such a lovely little lady spider," the Death Spider Emperor muttered gleefully, its eight tiny eyes fixed on Zhu'er, as if unwilling to look away for even a second.

Xiao Hong, lounging beside Ye Hao, stretched lazily and glanced at the love-struck spider, sighing deeply.

"Spider, don't forget—roses have thorns."

Spidey remained oblivious, paying no attention to Xiao Hong's warning.

Ye Hao merely glanced at them briefly. The romantic entanglements of soul beasts weren't his concern.

Then, he handed over the Death God's Heart, still containing the Titan Giant Ape, to Qian Renxue and reminded her, "I'm sure Spirit Hall has the means to restrain the Titan Giant Ape. You can arrange for someone to deliver the Death God's Heart to Spirit Hall now."

Qian Renxue nodded seriously, taking the artifact from Ye Hao's hands.

She then turned to look outside the carriage. The Spirit Hall disciple driving the carriage understood her unspoken command and slowly brought the vehicle to a stop.

Moments later, Snake Spear Douluo and Blood Thorn Douluo arrived at the carriage.

Snake Spear Douluo asked, "Young Mistress, what are your orders?"

Qian Renxue handed the Death God's Heart to him and instructed, "This contains the Titan Giant Ape. I want you and Elder Blood Thorn to personally deliver it to Spirit Hall. Ideally, present it directly to my grandfather—there is no need to inform the Supreme Pontiff about this matter."

The two Douluo exchanged surprised glances.

Snake Spear Douluo then carefully extended both hands, cautiously accepting the Death God's Heart from Qian Renxue. After all, this artifact contained the Titan Giant Ape—one of the overlords of the Star Dou Forest.

The weight of responsibility on their shoulders was immense, and neither dared show the slightest negligence. Just as they were about to depart for Spirit Hall, Ye Hao suddenly added,

"One more thing, Elder Snake Spear. If Sister's grandfather asks, tell him that Sister ventured into the Star Dou Forest to obtain her seventh spirit ring and, in the process, used the Death God's Heart to capture the Titan Giant Ape. That's why it was sent to Spirit Hall for safekeeping—to plan for her future soul rings."

Qian Renxue immediately interrupted, "How can that be?! This is your achievement! Why should all the credit be given to me? That's completely unfair to you!"

Ye Hao shook his head with a helpless smile. "Sister, don't you understand? I'm doing this for you."

"For me?" Qian Renxue was puzzled. "What do you mean?"

Ye Hao explained further, "You are the Young Mistress of Spirit Hall, the one destined to inherit its leadership. The Titan Giant Ape is a significant asset, and every soul master on the continent understands its value. By doing this, I'm helping you build prestige. When you take over Spirit Hall in the future, more people will stand by your side."

"Of course, this must remain a secret. Right now, you have heavy responsibilities, so this should only be known within Spirit Hall's inner circle. This way, you won't have to worry about your future soul rings, and at the same time, your reputation within Spirit Hall will grow. It's a win-win."

Realizing Ye Hao's well-intentioned plan, both Snake Spear Douluo and Blood Thorn Douluo were momentarily stunned. They couldn't help but develop a newfound respect for him.

Qian Renxue glanced at the two titled Douluo before nodding.

"Do as Hao says. If my grandfather asks, tell him the truth. I believe he will understand."

"Yes, Young Mistress."

With Qian Renxue's command, the two Douluo wasted no time and immediately set off for Spirit Hall.

Qian Renxue watched them depart before instructing the Spirit Hall disciples to resume the journey.

"With Uncle She and the others' speed, they should reach Spirit Hall in less than half a day. But what a shame…" Qian Renxue sighed.

"What's wrong? Capturing a 100,000-year soul beast and securing your eighth and ninth soul rings—this is a great accomplishment. What's there to regret?" Ye Hao asked.

Qian Renxue gave a bitter smile. "I've been undercover in the Heaven Dou Empire for years, and in all that time, I haven't returned home even once. Now that I finally got the chance to leave, my leave of absence from Xue Ye, that old man, is about to expire. If I turn back and head to Spirit Hall now, I'll be delayed, and my identity might come under suspicion."

"You know as well as I do—being the Crown Prince isn't a position that just anyone can sit in. Though the court appears stable now, I'm sure this is merely the calm before the storm."

"I can only wait until the tournament begins and return home during the finals. But… luckily, with you by my side, I won't feel as lonely. At least I'll have someone to talk to in my daily life."

At that moment, Ye Hao flashed a mischievous grin, deliberately leaning in close to Qian Renxue and chuckling softly. "Sister, since we have nothing to do right now, how about reconsidering what I said earlier?"

Hearing this, Qian Renxue's delicate face instinctively turned red, like a ripe apple—utterly enticing.

"You little rascal, always teasing your sister. I know I owe you a favor, but… how about we change the method?" Qian Renxue suggested.

"Change the method? Please clarify, Sister." Ye Hao's anticipation grew.

"Close your eyes," Qian Renxue commanded.

Could it be…?

As an experienced "veteran," Ye Hao more or less guessed what was about to happen.

Obediently, he shut his eyes, brimming with excitement.

Then, under the astonished gazes of Xiao Hong, Spidey, and Zhu'er, Qian Renxue—her face flushed—leaned closer. Lightly, like a dragonfly skimming the water's surface, she planted a soft kiss on Ye Hao's cheek.

Feeling the warmth and fragrance left by Qian Renxue, Ye Hao instantly felt euphoric. Another step closer to success…

Seeing this, the Death Spider Emperor's eyes lit up. So that's how it's done! Master is amazing!

Inspired, it attempted to imitate Ye Hao's actions. However, just as Spidey was about to approach Zhu'er, she shot him a disdainful glance before sending him flying with a single kick.

At that moment, the one most frustrated had to be Xiao Hong—Did any of you even consider my feelings?!