Race: Chimera Jellyfish (Fused Form)
Soul Power: 148,700 years
HP: 106,502
Strength: 10,610
Attack: 10,321
Defense: 9,791
Speed: 8,925
Fang Chang stared at the stats panel of the fused jellyfish monster in front of him, specifically focusing on the number representing its soul power. He began to calculate.
Currently, his own soul power was just over 80,000 years, and the first heavenly tribulation would likely occur around 100,100 years.
To ensure he could evolve into a Netherworld Soul Chasing Spider before the tribulation, he needed to carefully control the soul power gained from devouring two hundred-thousand-year soul beasts. The goal was to reach just over 100,000 years before devouring the third one.
However, the soul power of this fused jellyfish monster was still too high. If he devoured it directly, he wouldn't meet the required conditions.
Fortunately, this monster had temporarily reached the hundred-thousand-year level through an unconventional method, rather than through gradual cultivation. This meant Fang Chang still had a chance to weaken it further, bringing its soul power close to 100,000 years before devouring it.
He sent a mental message to the Sea Spider Queen, who had gradually recovered: "If you don't want your species to be wiped out, have your people follow my orders."
The power of the "Telepathy" skill lay in its ability to project thoughts directly into the target's mind, translating them into sound. Even though Fang Chang didn't understand the Sea Spider language, he could still communicate with her unilaterally.
The Sea Spider Queen nodded and quickly moved to the shipwreck to organize her tribe. She instructed those with soul power below 1,000 years to take refuge inside the shipwreck, while those with higher cultivation levels formed a battle formation with her.
The fused jellyfish monster clearly had no intention of giving her this opportunity. It lunged toward her with a swift dive.
The Sea Spider Queen let out a cold shout and, along with two other tribe who had soul power exceeding 10,000 years, charged back at the monster to buy time for the others.
*Boom!* The four sea soul beasts collided, and a cloud of white bubbles momentarily obscured the area. As the bubbles dissipated, their figures became visible again.
The Sea Spider Queen was once again entangled by the monster's tentacles. The other two tribe, however, were in better shape since the monster's attention was focused on her.
Meanwhile, Fang Chang activated his "Flexible Size" skill, enlarging his body to its maximum size, which now dwarfed even the shipwreck.
Fortunately, they were far enough from the shore, and the water depth exceeded 100 meters, making his sudden appearance less conspicuous.
He then extended a similarly enlarged spider leg and stabbed it toward the fused jellyfish monster, which was still grappling with the Sea Spider Queen.
The monster had already noticed Fang Chang's sudden transformation. Without hesitation, it released the Sea Spider Queen and retreated rapidly.
*Whoosh—Boom!* Fang Chang's spider leg descended from above, grazing two of the monster's tentacles that hadn't fully retracted, pinning them to the seafloor.
As the bubbles cleared, the two severed tentacles slowly transformed into a dozen flattened ordinary chimera jellyfish.
Checking the monster's stats panel again, Fang Chang saw that its soul power had dropped from 148,700 years to 146,900 years.
Against this kind of composite soul beast, destroying part of its body would cause its soul power to decrease, along with its attributes.
"Attack!" Fang Chang sent the mental command while chasing after the fused jellyfish monster, raising two more spider legs to strike it.
The Sea Spider Queen, still stunned by Fang Chang's earlier attack, quickly snapped out of it and joined him in attacking the monster.
The fused jellyfish monster felt a bitter taste in its heart. It had reached the hundred-thousand-year level through a shortcut, relying on its racial talent, making it one of the weakest among hundred-thousand-year soul beasts.
Facing two genuine eighty-thousand-year soul beasts was already difficult, and one of them was practically cheating!
In desperation, the monster unleashed a burst of intense light from its body, using its vast soul power to create powerful shockwaves that rippled through the water in all directions.
Fang Chang's enlarged body provided more stability, but the force of the shockwaves still pushed him backward. The pressure under his spider legs was immense, making it impossible for him to press down no matter how hard he tried.
As for the Sea Spider Queen, her two ten-thousand-year subordinates were instantly swept away, crashing into the shipwreck and creating two massive holes.
The Sea Spider Queen herself charged forward repeatedly, only to be repelled by the water pressure each time, unable to close the distance to the monster.
The closer they got to the monster, the greater the pressure became. Fang Chang tried to take a few steps forward but found himself immobilized by the overwhelming force.
His enlarged body, while providing stability, also meant he had a larger surface area to bear the pressure, making his size a disadvantage.
Seeing that its tactic was working, the fused jellyfish monster maintained its assault, pressing forward to suppress Fang Chang and the Sea Spider Queen with its superior soul power.
Wait, it had another goal! Fang Chang and the Sea Spider Queen simultaneously noticed the shipwreck behind them.
Under the monster's soul power shockwaves, the already half-rotted shipwreck was rapidly disintegrating.
The weaker Sea Spiders hiding inside couldn't withstand the pressure, and several of them burst apart, their bodies scattering along with the collapsing ship.
The Sea Spider Queen watched helplessly, desperate to stop the monster but powerless to do so. She was forced to retreat step by step as the monster advanced.
With each step the monster took, Fang Chang and the Sea Spider Queen were pushed back, and more weak Sea Spiders inside the shipwreck were crushed under the pressure.
Should they leave the shipwreck? But it was their last refuge. If the weaker Sea Spiders left, they would immediately face the full force of the monster's assault.
*Boom!* A loud crash echoed as the shipwreck flipped over under the pressure, causing several Sea Spiders hiding underneath to burst apart.
Fang Chang gritted his teeth in frustration. These Sea Spiders were his future subordinates, and every loss weakened his forces. He couldn't just stand by and watch.
Without hesitation, he reversed his "Flexible Size" skill, shrinking his body to one-tenth its size. At the same time, a loud dragon's roar echoed as he activated his "Dragon's Blood" skill, further amplifying his strength.
With his smaller size, the surface area bearing the pressure was significantly reduced. Fang Chang took a deep breath and shot forward like a streak of light, charging straight into the fused jellyfish monster's body.
Now only about 60-70 centimeters long, Fang Chang looked minuscule compared to the monster's massive, over-ten-meter-wide body.
He clung to the monster's body, using his spider legs to cut an opening and then burrowing inside.
The interior of the fused jellyfish monster was vastly different from the outside. Countless small jellyfish, like enlarged cells, filled its body.
This was its true form. Fang Chang raised his spider legs and began attacking the nearest small jellyfish.
Inside the monster's body, these small jellyfish were merely a few hundred or thousand-year soul beasts, no match for Fang Chang. In a few swift movements, large swathes of them were destroyed.
With its internal structure under attack, the once-unified chimera jellyfish began to fall into chaos.
The shockwaves finally stopped, and the fused jellyfish monster's body twisted violently. Small jellyfish began to break away from its body, fleeing on their own.
Fang Chang watched as the monster's overall soul power on the stats panel continued to drop. When it fell below 110,000 years, he cut another opening and crawled out.
The monster's soul power was still decreasing. Fang Chang took the opportunity to activate "Flexible Size" again, enlarging his body to its maximum size, and continued attacking from the outside.
When its soul power was about to reach the critical point of 100,000 years, he opened his mouth wide and devoured the fused jellyfish monster in one gulp.