The Golden Fat Man's boundless arrogance clearly startled the former owner of the shovel. Some things transcend eras; bullying the weak and fearing the strong is a universal human trait.
"I am a wisp of residual soul attached to the shovel. The reason I cannot reincarnate is because I have committed too many sins. If you use this shovel to help me vanquish demons and accumulate merit, I can be reborn and re-enter the cycle of reincarnation. I must trouble you with this matter."
"So you're asking me for a favor. Then why did you threaten me at the start? Fatty here has a bad temper. If you anger me, I won't do the job."
Fatty felt no particular affection for this immortal, so he naturally wouldn't just do whatever this person told him. Wouldn't that make him seem indecisive?
"During the process of vanquishing demons, the abilities of your shovel will also grow stronger. I believe this will be a win-win situation for both of us."
"Then you still have to give me some benefits. Otherwise, why should I help you? We're not related in any way. You don't really think I'd be that kindhearted, do you? I'm not one to act without personal gain."
Fatty always felt there was something this person was hiding, so he tried his best to pry it out. Perhaps it was something challenging, something that would make one unable to extricate themselves.
"How about this, I'll add another layer of efficacy to this shovel. This is also my cultivation, and it can save your life at critical moments."
"Once is not enough. It has to be three times."
Fatty was usually a simpleton, but when it came to negotiating terms, he had a bit of wisdom. He certainly wouldn't be easily fooled.
"I can agree to your request, but if I can't fulfill it, my promise is in vain. So, I think it's better for us to be realistic."
That wisp of a soul was quite straightforward. Fatty liked straightforward people the most. Those who beat around the bush were really quite unpleasant.
"Alright, then it's settled."
With the decision made to help the shovel's former owner vanquish demons and accumulate merit, the wisp of a soul finally disappeared. Fatty quickly found Ye Tiancheng and told him about everything.
"This is quite good. The shovel's owner finding you means this is all destiny. Some things you just have to believe in. If there's destiny, it should continue. In the future, if there's anything that isn't too dangerous, I'll let you be at the forefront. You're in a hurry now and need to make this shovel more powerful so it can save your life at critical moments."
Fatty also felt that what Ye Tiancheng said made a lot of sense. "Okay, Brother Ye, then it's settled. You thought of the same thing as me."
"Alright, then get some rest. We'll set off again tomorrow morning. I believe tomorrow will be much smoother than before."
This was merely Ye Tiancheng's conjecture. He didn't dare to say too much, lest he jinx it.
The next morning, the fog in Black Wind Mountain was even denser. It was broad daylight, yet it wasn't clear at all, giving the feeling that night could fall at any moment.
"Brother Ye, is it going to rain?" Fatty brought Ye Tiancheng a bowl of beef noodles, placed it on the table, and pointed at the sky. "Look at the clouds in the sky, they're so dark they're almost pressing down on our heads. It's truly suffocating."
"Don't worry, this is normal. If the sky falls, your Brother Ye can hold it up. Let's eat first."
The few of them gathered around to eat beef noodles. The beef was very fragrant, and it had a good chewiness when eaten, making them feel very comfortable.
"Fatty, I have to say, your cooking skills are getting better and better. You always manage to shock me."
"Don't mention it. I brought dried beef. It's not as good as fresh beef. There's nothing I can do, the conditions are limited. If I brought fresh beef, it would have probably spoiled long ago."
Fatty's biggest challenge in life now seemed to be figuring out what to eat each day. However, he had truly put in the effort, and it was delicious.
"It's okay, don't worry about the details. As long as it tastes good, that's all that matters."
Lin Xue didn't usually eat much, but recently, being with Ye Tiancheng and Fatty, perhaps influenced by eating with two men, her appetite had grown significantly. She not only finished a whole large bowl of beef noodles but even drank the soup, leaving Ye Tiancheng dumbfounded.
"Alright, Xue'er, your appetite is getting bigger and bigger. I really like how you're becoming more down-to-earth with your eating."
"Master, please excuse me. The spiritual energy I cultivate doesn't require dietary supplements. But lately, perhaps the aura of Black Wind Mountain isn't very good, so I have to rely on food to make myself stronger. It's normal for Master to see this."
"It's alright, as long as your safety is guaranteed. I'm also worried about you. You are my disciple, and as a master, I should ensure your personal safety. However, I'm a bit overwhelmed at the moment. You must take good care of yourself."
The two were preparing for their departure. Fatty always carried a backpack with some emergency supplies. If they were trapped somewhere, they could at least keep warm temporarily and have something to eat.
As the master and disciple were talking, they suddenly heard Fatty shouting outside. This shout startled the master and disciple. Fatty wasn't someone who caused trouble for no reason, so something must have happened.
"Fatty, are you alright? I'm coming right over."
In the face of true danger, everything seemed powerless. When Ye Tiancheng ran out, he saw that Fatty was entangled with some white, thread-like material, which was dragging him a long distance.
"Brother Ye, help! Hurry and save me! I can't break these spider silks no matter what! I'm doomed!"
Fatty had truly tried his best. He swung the shovel at the spider silks, which did make them slightly less tough, but they didn't break. That was the most terrifying part; all of Fatty's efforts were in vain.
Ye Tiancheng unleashed a wave of true qi, causing many fragments of spider silk to explode in the sky. It looked terrifying.
However, even after this, the spider silks still didn't break. This was a major blow to both Ye Tiancheng and Lin Xue.
The situation was clearly not improving, so Lin Xue also decided to act. She gently raised her hand, and the oil-paper umbrella she carried flew out. The umbrella quickly transformed into a sharp blade, spinning madly and shattering more of the spiderwebs.
But even with such powerful attacks, the spider silks flew everywhere. Yet, Fatty still hadn't fallen.
When the spider silks shattered, new ones would appear. It seemed the spider king was truly powerful, clearly a formidable boss of a type that was difficult to deal with.
"Fine, I'll have to use bombs on you. If I don't show you some power, you damned thing won't know how formidable I am."
This finally angered Ye Tiancheng. The bombs he carried, which could blow people to smithereens, should be brought out now to settle the score.
"No, Brother Fatty is still in the hands of that spider spirit. We must be careful not to harm Brother Fatty as well. That would be a loss outweighing the gain."
If Lin Xue hadn't stopped him, Ye Tiancheng might have become a bit reckless and rushed into a fight. But Fatty hadn't anticipated this either. After thinking it over, he decided it was better not to be too impulsive.
"Alright, that terrifying spider spirit has already dragged Fatty away. We should hurry and chase after them to see how we can rescue him. That's the most important thing."
At that moment, Ye Tiancheng suddenly regretted coming to Black Wind Mountain. It was all because he heard his ancestor's hint and came here aimlessly, not knowing what the ultimate goal was. Little did he know that Black Wind Mountain was fraught with danger. Ye Tiancheng hadn't even ventured deep into Black Wind Mountain, and he had already encountered so much danger outside. If he had gone inside, he wouldn't have come out alive.
"Let's hurry. It seems truly difficult to conquer Black Wind Mountain. Ensuring people's safety is more important."
Lin Xue saw things clearly. Compared to Ye Tiancheng, she didn't have so many illusions. She now had only one thought: to get Fatty out of danger quickly, otherwise, it was too worrying.
The two pursued them. The spider spirit dragged Fatty at an incredibly fast speed, almost as if flying. The two could barely keep up.
When they caught up, they found Fatty standing on a spiderweb, waving his hands and struggling with his feet.
"Help! Hurry and save me! I'm going to die! I'm going to be eaten by this giant spider spirit!"
Fatty was also scared. Holding the shovel tightly in his hand was useless. At this point, the shovel was no longer of any use.
"I say, soul on the shovel, didn't you say you would save my life at a critical moment? Why aren't you acting now? I'm about to die, and you're still not showing up, waiting to collect my corpse?"
Fatty was shouting loudly. Ye Tiancheng remembered what Fatty had told him earlier and sent steam directly onto the shovel, wanting to help the residual soul.
After all, for that residual soul,
Since he was already dead, he couldn't easily reappear without help.
The true qi Ye Tiancheng sent out was to help that residual soul be reborn, hoping to save Fatty's life in the process.
Unexpectedly, Ye Tiancheng's move was like a blind cat stumbling upon a dead mouse; he finally gambled correctly. When the true qi hit the shovel, it successfully awakened that wisp of a residual soul.
With a tremendous tremor, the shovel seemed to come alive. It suddenly flew into the air and began to furiously attack the hidden giant spider.
The speed of the attack was incredibly fast. With a crackling sound, it sliced the giant spider into countless pieces. Fatty then fell from the air, considered saved.
"This damned spider spirit dared to harm this Fatty. See if I don't blow you to bits!"
Fatty finally had his moment of triumph, his revenge complete, blowing the spider spirit into smithereens.
"Fatty, are you hurt?"
Ye Tiancheng rushed over anxiously. Fatty was covered in white spiderwebs. The spider was truly dead, its body reduced to remnants, but the king spider's webs had entangled Fatty all over, giving one goosebumps.
"Fatty, this is too disgusting. You can't let this hateful enemy off so easily after what it did to you, Fatty."
Fatty shook his head helplessly. "Alright, Brother Ye, that's enough. That spider spirit is about to turn to dust. What else can I do to it? Let's just let it go."
What Fatty said made sense. Ye Tiancheng transmitted a surge of true qi to Fatty, intending to heal his internal injuries.
Although it didn't look like much on the surface, falling from such a height would cause subtle internal damage to an ordinary person.