The cavern walls glistened with moisture that reflected the dim spiritual light like scattered stars across a night sky. The air hung thick with the scent of venom and decay, a pungent reminder of the countless battles this ancient cave had witnessed throughout the ages. Lin Feng stood at the rear of their formation, his obsidian eyes scanning the chamber with the precision of a seasoned strategist. His fingers subtly adjusted the jade amulet at his waist—a talisman he'd purchased just hours before their departure, designed to enhance spiritual perception.
The poison should be at its peak effectiveness now, Lin Feng thought with satisfaction as he observed Xia Qingyue's slight tremors. Her meridians will be completely blocked, unable to channel even the most basic fire techniques.
Long Tian stood tall at the front lines, his spear glinting with spiritual energy that danced along its shaft like living flame. The golden aura of heaven-defying luck that surrounded him was almost visible to Lin Feng's awakened senses—a tangible manifestation of his protagonist destiny. Su Wan'er stood beside him, her white shield raised in a defensive stance, water energy swirling around her like protective mist. Bai Luoyan's bow was already nocked with an arrow imbued with wind techniques, her eyes sharp despite her youthful appearance.
Xia Qingyue stood slightly behind them, her face pale but determined. She clutched a jade talisman in her hand—a family heirloom that could enhance fire techniques—but Lin Feng knew it would be useless to her now. The poison he'd administered had been carefully calculated: a rare Qi-suppressing toxin that took exactly one day to reach full potency, rendering its victim completely unable to access their cultivation base while leaving no permanent damage.
"Remember the plan," Long Tian commanded, his voice resonating with authority that seemed to command the very air around them. "We drive them toward the queen, then Qingyue and I will combine our fire techniques for the finishing blow."
Lin Feng activated his support arts, sending waves of spiritual energy through his teammates. "I've already enhanced everyone's physical strength and agility. Our defensive formations are as strong as they can be for our current cultivation levels."
Bai Luoyan nodded, her arrow already glowing with wind energy. "I can maintain situational awareness and strike any spider that tries to flank us."
Su Wan'er adjusted her shield. "I'll hold the left flank. Long Tian, you take the center."
Xia Qingyue forced a smile, though Lin Feng could see the tension in her shoulders. "I'll provide fire support as needed, saving my strongest techniques for the final assault."
The battle began with a roar.
Hundreds of spirit spiders—each the size of a large dog—scuttled from cracks and crevices in the cavern walls. Their carapaces gleamed with an oily sheen under the dim light, and their eight crimson eyes glowed with predatory hunger. The air filled with the hiss of venom being sprayed and the skittering of countless legs against stone.
Long Tian moved first, his spear becoming a blur of motion as he struck down three spiders in a single sweep. Each thrust was precise, targeting the soft underbellies where their carapaces were weakest. Spiritual energy flared with every strike, leaving trails of golden light in the darkness.
Su Wan'er's shield became a fortress, deflecting venom strikes and spider bodies alike. Water energy swirled around her, creating a protective barrier that repelled attacks before they could land. "I can hold this position!" she shouted over the cacophony of battle.
Bai Luoyan's arrows flew true, each one finding its mark with deadly accuracy. Wind techniques guided her shots, allowing her to strike spiders attempting to climb the walls and flank their position. "Left side clear! Watch the ceiling!" she called out, her voice steady despite the chaos.
Xia Qingyue stood ready, fire energy gathering at her fingertips. But when she attempted to release even the smallest flame, nothing happened. Panic flashed across her face as she tried again and again, her movements growing more desperate with each failed attempt.
Lin Feng watched her struggle with detached satisfaction. Perfect timing. Just as we planned, she's conserved her strength for the final assault...or at least, what should have been the final assault.
"Xia Qingyue!" Long Tian shouted as he dispatched another spider. "Now! Use your fire technique to clear the right flank!"
Xia Qingyue's face contorted with concentration, but no flames appeared. "I—I can't!" she cried, her voice trembling with panic. "Something's wrong with my Qi circulation! I can feel the energy, but I can't direct it!"
Long Tian's face darkened as he fought off two spiders simultaneously. "Don't play games! Our lives depend on your technique!"
"I'm not lying!" Xia Qingyue shouted back, tears welling in her eyes. "I can't access my cultivation base! Something is blocking my meridians completely!"
Su Wan'er's expression turned venomous as she blocked a venom spray with her shield. "Xia Qingyue, are you taking revenge on us for accepting Lin Feng into our group? Can't you see our lives are in danger? This mission has already escalated to D-rank difficulty! Only your combined fire technique with Long Tian could end this battle cleanly!"
Bai Luoyan fired another arrow, pinning a spider to the cavern wall before turning to glare at Xia Qingyue. "I always suspected you never truly mastered high-level fire techniques. You only showed off with weak spells to gain Long Tian's favor. You lied to us all this time!"
Lin Feng stepped forward, his expression grave despite the satisfaction brewing within him. "I take full responsibility as the support cultivator. I should have verified Xia Qingyue's abilities during our training sessions. After repeated warnings from Su Wan'er and Bai Luoyan, I should have insisted she demonstrate her full capabilities. We fell for her deception."
Long Tian's spear became a whirlwind of golden light as he fought back a wave of spiders, but his expression had hardened. "I never knew you were such a selfish cultivator, Xia Qingyue. To place your personal feelings above our lives—you've endangered all of us. This mission has escalated beyond E-rank difficulty. Only your combined fire technique could have ended this battle cleanly."
The accusations cut deeper than any blade could have. Xia Qingyue stepped back, her face ashen. "Long Tian, believe me! I've been with you since childhood! There's something wrong with my body—I can feel it returning now! I can use my techniques again, I promise!"
"It's too late for lies," Long Tian said coldly, his spear flashing as he dispatched another spider. "Prepare yourselves, everyone. We must fight our way out!"
The battle that followed was brutal and desperate. Without Xia Qingyue's fire support, their formation quickly broke down. Long Tian and Su Wan'er fought back-to-back, their weapons growing dull from repeated strikes against the spiders' hard carapaces. Bai Luoyan's arrows flew faster and faster, but she was forced to conserve spiritual energy as her supplies dwindled.
Lin Feng maintained his support arts as long as possible, but even his cultivation base was beginning to waver under the strain. He could feel his meridians burning with exhaustion, the spiritual energy flowing through them like fire. Yet he couldn't help but be impressed by his companions' resilience—especially Long Tian's unnatural luck.
The protagonist's golden aura seemed to intensify as the battle wore on, deflecting venom strikes that should have hit their mark and causing spider attacks to miss by fractions of an inch. The Heavenly Dao itself is protecting him, Lin Feng realized with growing excitement. This is exactly the kind of absurd luck I need to steal for myself.
Throughout the battle, Xia Qingyue sat on the ground, her eyes blank as she muttered to herself. "Everything was fine this morning...why now? Why can't I access my Qi? Did someone plot against me?"
No one paid her any attention. In their eyes, their own survival was the priority.
Only Lin Feng occasionally dispatched spiders that ventured too close to her position. I can't let her die yet, he thought. Her downfall must be public, witnessed by all. Only then will she be truly broken, and only then can I begin to rebuild her as my own.
The battle raged through the night and into the early morning hours. The cavern floor became a carpet of spider corpses, their venomous blood creating sticky pools that made footing treacherous. Everyone was battered and bleeding—Long Tian had three deep gashes across his chest, Su Wan'er's shield was cracked and splintered, and Bai Luoyan's bowstring had snapped twice, requiring emergency repairs with spirit thread.
Just as defeat seemed inevitable, Long Tian reached into his robes and produced four jade bottles containing luminous liquid that shimmered with pure spiritual energy.
"Drink this!" he commanded, his voice filled with the confidence of one who knew he could not be allowed to die.
The liquid was divine—literally. As it passed their lips, torrents of energy flooded their bodies like a spring rain nourishing parched land. Their wounds began to heal visibly, their strength returned tenfold, and even their weapons seemed to regain their edge. This was no ordinary recovery elixir, but a treasure that only a true protagonist blessed by the Heavenly Dao would possess.
Sure enough, the protagonist cannot die so easily, Lin Feng mused as he felt his own exhaustion melt away. His destiny is protected by the will of the heavens themselves. But I will change that. I will steal his destiny and make it my own.
With renewed strength, they pressed their advantage. Long Tian's spear became a golden storm, cutting through spider after spider with devastating precision. Su Wan'er's shield glowed with renewed water energy, deflecting attacks with impossible grace. Bai Luoyan nocked arrow after arrow, her movements fluid and precise despite her exhaustion.
And finally, as the first rays of dawn filtered through cracks in the cavern ceiling, the last spider fell.
Long Tian, Su Wan'er, Bai Luoyan and Lin Feng collapsed to the ground, utterly drained despite the elixir's effects. The battle had lasted nearly eight hours, pushing them to the very limits of their cultivation bases.
Lin Feng breathed a sigh of relief. "This time I almost died," he thought to himself. "Thankfully I'm with the protagonist. The protagonist's halo and luck saved us. I still can't believe Long Tian carried high-quality recovery pills whose cost equals countless mansions."
He remembered the critical moment when defeat had seemed inevitable. Long Tian had produced four jade bottles containing luminous liquid. After drinking them, the team felt torrents of energy flooding their bodies, allowing them to continue fighting until victory.
This is exactly how protagonists operate, Lin Feng mused. They always have life-saving treasures or mysterious benefactors appearing at their moment of death. With each crisis, they only grow stronger while their enemies perish.
After resting for several hours, the team members gradually regained their strength. They collected the spider queen's venom sac and carapace—valuable materials for alchemists and weaponsmiths—before returning to the village.
The village chief was overjoyed at their success, rewarding them handsomely and providing horses and a carriage for their return journey.
Throughout the trip home, the team was energetic and cheerful, discussing their techniques and celebrating their promotion to the next cultivation rank. Only Xia Qingyue sat silently in the corner of the carriage, head bowed, unable to face her teammates' accusing eyes.
The poison's effects had finally worn off, allowing her to access her Qi again. She couldn't find any physical explanation for her earlier failure and began to believe her fear of spiders had somehow blocked her cultivation.
Lin Feng watched her dejected expression with satisfaction. My first objective is nearly complete. The foundation has been laid. Now I must build upon it.
As they neared the village exit, Xia Qingyue suddenly spoke up, her voice barely above a whisper. "Long Tian, I'm sorry about what happened in the cavern. But don't worry, I can feel that the problem I had is over now. I can use Qi again." She attempted to demonstrate, lifting her hand to summon a small flame, but it flickered weakly before extinguishing.
Before she could try again, a crisp slapping sound echoed through the silent carriage. Everyone froze as they witnessed Long Tian's palm connect with Xia Qingyue's right cheek. Her head snapped to the side from the force, and she raised her hand to the stinging spot, her eyes wide with disbelief and hurt.
"You are my childhood friend, so this time I will ignore your childish and selfish behavior," Long Tian said coldly, his voice devoid of the warmth it had once held for her. "But I'm not going to trust someone like you again. You won't be able to make any decisions affecting our group from now on, and your responsibilities will be reduced. Who knows what we will do next time after being tricked by you? You should grow up. We are no longer the children we used to be when we played on the streets. I have dreams and goals which I want to achieve in this life."
The words cut deeper than any blade could have. Xia Qingyue's shoulders slumped as if the weight of his disappointment had physically crushed her spirit. Her tears flowed freely now, but she made no sound, as if she had already learned that her pain meant nothing to him.
Without wasting another moment on her, Long Tian turned to the others. "Let's go! Our job is done. Collect the queen spider's remains; we will be able to rank up to silver-ranked cultivators after reporting to the Mission Hall about our battle here. First, let's go to the village and collect our reward!"
As they left the carriage, Lin Feng lingered behind, watching Xia Qingyue's tear-streaked face. She has been broken, he thought with satisfaction. The first piece of Long Tian's harem has fallen. The protagonist's luck has been weakened, and I have grown stronger without his knowledge.
His fingers brushed against the jade slip he had intercepted from the mysterious elder at the Mission Hall. Soon, I will claim what was meant for him. The Void Emperor's inheritance will be mine, and with it, I will begin my ascent to the pinnacle of cultivation.
He turned away from Xia Qingyue's dejected form and followed the others toward the village chief's residence. The path to becoming the strongest cultivator under the heavens had truly begun, and Lin Feng would walk it with his own two feet, without relying on any cheat system or divine blessing.
The protagonist's halo shines brightly indeed, Lin Feng mused. He attracts beauty and opportunity like a magnet. But I have already begun to weaken his luck. Xia Qingyue's downfall during the spider mission has created the first crack in his perfect facade.
As they approached the village center, where the chief waited with their reward, Lin Feng allowed himself a small smile. The hundred spirit stones the chief presented would be more than enough to fund his journey to the Verdant Forest. The Void Emperor's inheritance awaited, and with it, the power to challenge even the heavens themselves.
This is only the beginning, Lin Feng thought as he accepted his share of the reward. The path to becoming the strongest cultivator under heaven starts today. And I will walk this path with my own hands—not relying on any cheat system or divine blessing!
The sun was high in the sky as they began their journey back to the city, but Lin Feng's mind was already racing ahead to the Verdant Forest and the treasures that awaited him there. Xia Qingyue's tear-streaked face in the carriage behind him was a reminder of his first victory—but it would not be his last.
I will become the true protagonist of this story, Lin Feng vowed silently. I will claim these beauties, seize these treasures, and break through the heavens themselves!