Tang San was overwhelmed with gratitude.
In the dangerous depths of the Star Dou Great Forest, there was always a risk of being ambushed by a powerful soul beast.
The process of absorbing a soul ring was when a soul master was at their most vulnerable.
At that moment, even a mere few-hundred-year-old soul beast could be deadly.
But now, someone had not only given him the soul ring—they even volunteered to stand guard for him.
This made Tang San incredibly moved.
Especially since this soul master was from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect—Ning Rongrong's clan, which gave him an added sense of familiarity and trust.
"Big brother, please go ahead and absorb your soul bone first. I'll guard you," Tang San said sincerely.
Chen Feng shook his head.
"Soul bone fusion is easy. Even without a guardian, there's no real risk.
But you—you said you want to get stronger quickly to rescue your friend, right?
What are you waiting for?"
Tang San straightened, serious once more.
"Right. I nearly forgot!
I won't say any more. I, Tang San, will remember this favor for life. May I ask your name, brother?"
"Chen Feng."
Chen Feng gave him a complex look, then calmly walked a short distance away and sat down to begin fusing with the soul bone, saying no more.
The truth was, the Man-Faced Demon Spider wasn't very compatible with Chen Feng's Seven Kill Sword.
Had it been a soul ring, he would never have chosen it.
But this was different—this was an external soul bone.
First, external soul bones don't occupy the six major body slots for standard soul bones, meaning they wouldn't interfere with his future development.
Second, they possessed a unique evolution trait—their strength would grow alongside their owner's cultivation. Some even developed extra skills or enchantment effects.
Chen Feng clearly remembered that Tang San's Eight Spider Lances in the original timeline came with one terrifying feature: poison.
Without that toxin, the Shrek Seven Devils never would have defeated Spirit Hall's Golden Generation.
And later on, the Eight Spider Lances would evolve into wings—a dream ability for any sword-type soul master.
It would allow him to fly freely, not through temporary soul skill boosts, but through real aerial combat capabilities.
Chen Feng took out the external soul bone and, seeing Tang San already in the middle of absorbing the soul ring, began his absorption process.
In this world… never trust anyone too easily.
Fortunately, the fusion went smoothly. There was no rejection—only a warm sensation, as if his whole body were soaking in gentle spring water.
If someone had been watching from the outside, they would have seen a faint violet glow emanating from Chen Feng's spine.
Soon after, eight knobby protrusions slowly pushed up from his back, then burst through the skin—
Eight crystal-like purple spider legs extended outward, glowing faintly like translucent amethyst, glimmering in the forest light.
Chen Feng tried to move them.
He had expected a clumsy, awkward adjustment period—but to his surprise, it was as if he had grown eight extra limbs that were as natural to control as his arms.
Shhhhhh—
A single spider leg whipped out like a sword, slicing across the trunk of a massive tree and carving a deep groove into its bark, nearly a third of the way through.
What was more shocking was the lack of resistance, as if he were cutting through thin air.
And then, Chen Feng's eyes widened.
The slice left behind a faint purple glow, which rapidly spread through the entire tree in the blink of an eye.
Moments later, the once lush tree began to wither. Its leaves turned yellow, then brown, and fell away in clouds of dust before even hitting the ground.
Chen Feng froze for a moment.
He'd known the Eight Spider Lances were strong—but only now, experiencing it firsthand, did he truly understand their terrifying potential.
He sensed something else, too—this soul bone had more to offer than just poison and strength.
He summoned his Seven Kill Sword and gently traced the bark of another tree.
Sssss—
Where the blade cut, a corrosive, poisonous effect immediately spread. The sound of rotting wood filled the air.
It wasn't as fast as the Eight Spider Lances' venom, but it was still impressive.
It meant the venom was now affecting even his martial spirit, like a passive enchantment.
If someone were to get pierced by his blade now, even without a fatal strike, they'd be dead within moments unless treated immediately.
At the very least, even if it didn't kill outright, it would inflict tremendous agony, and the slow corrosion would cripple a soul master's combat ability.
"What a treasure… Though the name 'Eight Spider Lances' doesn't quite fit me."
"I'll come up with a new name later."
Chen Feng made a mental note to rename them eventually.
Meanwhile, in the distance, Tang San was at the most critical stage of his absorption.
Absorbing a soul ring that exceeded one's limit wasn't easy.
The Man-Faced Demon Spider was not only vicious and toxic—it had already surpassed 1,700 years in cultivation.
If it had been any other soul master, they would have died outright.
But Chen Feng knew the outcome. Tang San would pull through—this was his first leap beyond the limit, and from here, each of his soul rings would become progressively more monstrous.
Of course, Chen Feng believed he would be even more monstrous.
Moments later, the sound of wind splitting the air rang out.
Zhao Wuji was the first to arrive, followed closely by the rest of the Shrek Seven Devils.
"Tang San! You're alright—that's great. Did you find Xiao Wu?"
Ning Rongrong rushed forward in concern.
Zhao Wuji's face was grave.
"No questions for now. He's in the middle of absorbing his soul ring—don't distract him. We'll talk after he's done."
Only then did the group notice Chen Feng.
At that moment, Chen Feng had changed into a fresh set of clothes—his last shirt had been ripped to shreds when the Eight Spider Lances erupted from his back.
Thankfully, he had the foresight to pack extra.
Now dressed in plain black combat wear, his expression unreadable, he looked distant and aloof.
Cold, even.
But in truth, Chen Feng wasn't cold—he simply disliked talking.
"Hello," Chen Feng greeted simply, offering a slight nod before falling silent again.
Zhao Wuji raised an eyebrow.
"Hello, young man. I'm Tang San's teacher. May I ask how you ended up with him?"
"I helped him hunt his soul beast," Chen Feng replied honestly. He briefly explained the situation, though he intentionally omitted any mention of the external soul bone.
After hearing the story, the Shrek team's expressions turned… odd.
Dai Mubai scratched his head.
"Didn't Tang San run off to find Xiao Wu?
Why does it sound like he went soul ring hunting instead?"
"Just a coincidence," Chen Feng replied casually. "Besides, stronger power means more security when searching, right?"
Zhao Wuji's face darkened.
"Security? Secure your ass!
That was the Titan Giant Ape! Even a Soul Sage like me would be crushed in seconds.
Becoming a Soul Elder wouldn't make any damn difference!"
Everyone fell silent.
In that moment, they were all thinking the same thing:
Did this guy… go save Xiao Wu?