That night's battle had ended with Fang Chang's forces annihilating over a dozen gods who had descended to the mortal realm. The most shocking moment came when Fang Chang drew upon the faith energy from the Douluo Continent, leaving an indelible impression on the Divine Realm.
For a time, the Divine Realm refrained from sending any more gods below, opting instead to make preparations within their own domain. Their plan was simple—wait until Fang Chang and his followers ascended to the Divine Realm, then eliminate them all at once.
But Fang Chang was no fool. Knowing full well that the Divine Realm had laid a trap, he had no intention of walking into it. Instead, he remained in the Douluo Plane, continuing to expand his influence.
The Divine Realm seethed with frustration, yet there was little they could do. On the Douluo Plane, Fang Chang wielded immense faith energy. Any large-scale descent by the gods would come at a devastating cost. For now, they had no choice but to let him be.
And so, they waited.
A full decade passed.
During these ten years, Fang Chang extended his reach to the other continents of the Douluo Plane, spreading the Spider God Cult far and wide. His forces grew rapidly, fueled by relentless conquest.
Among them, the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger, Xiao Bai, and the Golden Trio stood out as the vanguard of his expansion. They reaped the resources of multiple continents, their strength soaring to unprecedented heights.
By now, the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger had reached 990,000 years in cultivation—just one step away from godhood. The only thing holding him back was the lack of a divine seat.
Yet, once he ascended, there was no doubt he would become a being rivaling—or even surpassing—a God King.
Xiao Bai followed closely behind, her cultivation now at 970,000 years. Fang Chang had long since charted her evolutionary path, steering her toward the "God-Devouring Evil Spider Emperor" lineage—a route slightly different from his own.
Though she couldn't accumulate evolution points independently, Fang Chang's "blessings" allowed her to progress steadily. Soon, she would become one of his most formidable lieutenants.
The Golden Trio lagged slightly behind, each hovering around 500,000 years in cultivation. Unlike the others, they lacked the ability to devour souls, relying instead on the vast quantities of rare treasures harvested from their conquered territories.
However, their evolutionary path included a unique form—the "Composite Sea Emperor Spider"—which granted them a combined transformation skill similar to Fang Chang's "Fusion" ability.
When merged, their collective soul power exceeded 1.5 million years, placing their combat prowess on par with the former Sea God.
Of course, Fang Chang took particular delight in one development—once they surpassed 200,000 years, all four gained the ability to assume human form.
---
Star Dou Underground Nest
A sultry voice roused Fang Chang from his slumber.
"Master, have you forgotten? Today is the troop inspection. Time to wake up~"
Fang Chang—currently in human form—slowly opened his eyes to find Xiao Bai perched atop him, her snow-white hair and pale skin glowing faintly in the dim light.
Ever since his subordinates gained human forms, Fang Chang had abandoned his spider appearance outside of battle, preferring this more convenient shape.
With a lazy smile, he wrapped an arm around Xiao Bai's slender waist and sat up, the movement disturbing the Golden Trio sprawled haphazardly beside him.
The three blue-gowned sisters shot him reproachful looks, their golden-tinged skin giving them an almost divine radiance. With nearly identical features, they could have passed for triplets.
Flicking one of them lightly on the forehead, Fang Chang chuckled. "Let's go. Big day today."
Leading the way, he guided the group out of the chamber.
Outside, a ten-meter-long Bloodwing Spider waited obediently. Despite nearing 200,000 years in cultivation—a force to be reckoned with in the outside world—here, it served as mere transportation.
The group mounted its back, and with a beat of its crimson wings, the spider shot skyward, streaking southward like a scarlet comet.
---
"Xiao Bai, just how many do we have now? Why the secrecy?" Fang Chang asked, genuinely curious.
For the past decade, he'd lived a life of leisure—tending flowers, creating new spider breeds, and leaving most administrative duties to Xiao Bai and the others. As a result, he had little idea of the current state of his empire.
"You'll see~" Xiao Bai giggled, nuzzling against him playfully.
Though now humanoid, her instincts remained those of a spider—constantly seeking physical contact with her mate.
Not to be outdone, the Golden Trio immediately pressed closer, nearly smothering him in the process.
Fang Chang sighed. "Honestly, you're all mothers to thousands now. Must you still act like this? What would the little ones think?"
Despite his words, he couldn't suppress his delight. By both human and spider standards, his companions were stunning beauties. What male—or spider—wouldn't enjoy their attention?
---
Two hours later, their mount began descending.
Even from hundreds of meters up, the sight below made Fang Chang's phantom spider legs twitch in astonishment.
The landscape teemed with tiny moving dots—his offspring. Mountains, plains, even the sea's surface crawled with them.
Xiao Bai puffed out her chest proudly, as if to say, Impressed?
As they descended further, the sheer scale became overwhelming. Even the Golden Trio stared in shock. While they'd kept tabs on the sea spiders' progress, the overall population data had been in Xiao Bai's paws. The reality dwarfed all expectations.
This river delta sprawled across hundreds of square kilometers, every inch occupied by spiders. The sheer density was mind-numbing.
"Now that you've seen, let me report," Xiao Bai said, rubbing her head against Fang Chang's arm like a cat begging for praise.
"Our current numbers exceed ten billion. With daily growth, exact figures are impossible."
"Of these, about thirty million have reached ten-thousand-year strength."
"Thirty million?!" Fang Chang nearly choked. That many ten-thousand-year soul beasts could flatten the Douluo Continent dozens of times over.
Xiao Bai continued, smiling. "Hundred-thousand-year ones are rarer—only around five thousand."
Fang Chang gulped. The entire Douluo Continent had once hosted fewer than fifty such beings. Now, he commanded a hundred times that number.
"Additionally, roughly a thousand chose to reincarnate in human form, infiltrating human society," Xiao Bai added.
"Most operate within the Spider God Cult. Some have even reached Title Douluo level. Soon, every continent will have spider Title Douluos emerging en masse."
A wicked grin spread across Fang Chang's face. This would be interesting. Once human elites found themselves surrounded by "Spider Spirit" powerhouses, the irony would be delicious.
Ten years of lazing about, and Xiao Bai had not only maintained order but elevated their kind to unprecedented heights. He could never have managed this himself.
Tonight, he mused, she deserves a proper reward...