Chapter 54 : Go! Spider Sister
Chapter 54: Go! Spider Sister
“Daoist Friend Long Tao? I… my current appearance… is it not quite normal? Why do you keep staring at me…”
Luo Yusi felt extremely uncomfortable under Long Tao’s direct, almost dazed gaze.
Her compound eyes blinked as she revealed obvious unease.
She subconsciously turned toward her brother to seek an answer, only to see that Luo Yunluo was not surprised in the slightest.
Instead, he wore a look of deep satisfaction, that kindly and pleased expression inexplicably reminding her of how their mother used to look after carefully dressing her up when she was young.
“Brother! What on earth is going on? My transformation… is there really nothing wrong with it?”
She grew even more anxious, panic creeping into her voice.
“No problem! There’s absolutely no problem at all! This is exactly how my little sister was meant to be! Before, forcing yourself to turn pitch-black just to cater to human aesthetics really was taking the wrong path. We truly have Daoist Friend Long Tao to thank for waking us up!”
Luo Yusi still did not dare believe it.
Her enormous golden body shifted about restlessly as she turned and rushed back into her room to find a mirror.
Her figure seemed somewhat fuller and taller than before, and when she entered, her broad spider abdomen accidentally slammed into the already-widened doorframe with a loud bang.
When she dragged that dazzling, magnificent body back out of the room, the expression on her face became extremely complicated.
Within those six beautiful eyes intertwined unmistakable amazement, shyness, and… a faint trace of unease and fear.
“Brother, Daoist Friend Long Tao, th-this… my current appearance…”
Her voice trembled slightly as several golden walking legs subconsciously curled inward.
“Isn’t it… too… too flamboyant? I… I’m a little afraid… will I be… taken for some kind of… improper… demon woman or something?”
You’re already a spider demon, and you still care about being called a ‘demon woman’?
Long Tao silently complained in his heart, yet his gaze honestly could not leave her.
He coughed lightly and said,
“This is exactly the look! This is the best possible version! Listen to me—go to the sect and apply openly with this appearance. I guarantee that when the reviewing elders see you, they will definitely be captivated by your… er… bearing!”
“Daoist Friend Long Tao! Don’t tease me anymore!”
Luo Yusi was so embarrassed that she used her golden long hair to cover half her face from both sides.
“This look… this look—how could I possibly go out and meet people like this!”
“Hey! I’m not joking at all! You siblings don’t have a powerful background within the sect. If you want to stand out among so many applicants and leave a deep impression on the elders above, external image is the most direct factor! Daoist Friend Yusi, don’t ever think that appearance is merely superficial decoration. In many situations, it is itself a display of strength and value, and even concerns the sect’s public image!”
“Huh?”
Luo Yusi was stunned, her six compound eyes filled with confusion.
“The sect… what would it need a spider spirit like me to display?”
“Of course there is! This secret realm exploration, on the surface, is about competing with the Wuyi Sect for resources. But beneath that, isn’t it also an excellent opportunity to showcase the strength and bearing of the Nine-Xia Heavenly Sect to all the surrounding minor forces and independent cultivators? And the appearance of the team members is a very key part of that! Think about it—haven’t elite teams like this always reserved one or two spots for demon race members known for their looks? Fox demons, snake demons, and the like?”
“That’s true…”
At the mention of this, Luo Yusi’s tone immediately turned a bit sour—it was clear she had suffered no small amount of irritation in this regard.
“That fox-spirit sisters Hu Qianxue and Hu Wanshuang, and that white snake Bai Yingying… it seems every time there’s something like this where people get to show their faces, they’re never left out!”
She subconsciously straightened her upper body, clearly harboring a hidden competitive streak regarding appearances.
“Exactly! Are those few… er… demons really so powerful that they’re irreplaceable? I don’t think so! But they’re beautiful! Take them outside, and they’re living signboards! Independent cultivators and small sect disciples take one look and think—wow! Even the demon race disciples of the Nine-Xia Heavenly Sect are this beautiful! This sect must be strong, wealthy, and highly inclusive! In the future, if there’s a chance to switch allegiances or send their descendants to join a sect, they’ll prioritize us. All of this is part of the higher-ups’ comprehensive considerations!”
“Th-then what you’re saying is…”
Luo Yusi’s voice carried a trembling hint of expectation.
“With my current appearance… the higher-ups would also… give us priority consideration?”
“Absolutely!”
Long Tao replied decisively.
“Although your spider form may indeed frighten many people at first glance, everything has to be evaluated comprehensively! First of all, your transformed upper body can truly be called peerlessly beautiful, enough to crush most competitors.
Second, this secret realm is the Azurewood Demon Forest. Fox demons won’t be of much use there, but your poison techniques, detoxification abilities, and forest mobility are solid, tangible advantages! Of course, you might still need to compete a bit with those snake demons…”
He sized up Luo Yusi’s current form—gorgeous yet brimming with power—and encouraged her,
“So there’s no need to be shy! Go and dress up just a bit more, then go straight for it.”
……
After seeing the spider siblings off, Long Tao stood in the courtyard, rapidly weighing the situation before him.
Originally, he had planned to push through in one burst and break through to the Qi-Refining Sixth Layer before the secret realm mission began, so as to gain at least a bit more self-preservation ability.
But judging from the tense standoff with the Wuyi Sect, the sect’s upper echelon would likely send out the first exploration team as soon as possible.
There probably would not be enough time left for him to calmly break through.
“Delays breed trouble…”
He murmured softly, a trace of resolve flashing through his eyes.
Rather than worrying about uncertain things, it was better to first ensure that his own “ticket” was absolutely secure!
What he feared most was that some higher-up in the sect might suddenly have a lapse of judgment and, using the excuse of “cultivation too low to be competent for cloud vessel maintenance work,” forcibly revoke his maintenance worker qualification and assign someone else.
If that truly happened, all of his previous scheming would become a colossal joke!
But conversely, if he boarded the Pitying Star ahead of time and put on a display of diligence, already being thoroughly familiar with all the affairs—and even demonstrating deep understanding of the vessel’s operating condition—then even if the higher-ups truly wanted to replace him, they would have to consider the risks and costs.
Most likely, they would also feel too embarrassed to forcibly kick him off.
Long Tao no longer hesitated and immediately turned back into the house.
He quickly packed up the pills, talismans, artifacts, and various miscellaneous equipment he had previously set aside for the secret realm journey, finally organizing a bag that looked heavily laden at a glance.
As he walked out of the courtyard gate with the big pack on his back, Long Tao could not help but envy the characters from the cultivation novels he had read in his previous life.
Those protagonists always seemed to have a “spatial ring” or “storage pouch” each—toss everything inside and then roam the world light as a feather.
Sigh…
It was not that this world lacked similar spatial storage treasures, but they were simply too expensive! While not quite priceless, they were nowhere near as common as some novels made them seem, as if every cultivator could have one as standard equipment.
Normally, favored descendants of large families, as well as personally transmitted disciples or inner sect elites, could get their hands on one.
Ordinary disciples’ money all had to be spent on cultivation and breakthroughs—it was utterly impossible to waste it on such luxury items.
And someone like him—an Outer Sect Disciple, still at the Qi-Refining Fifth Layer… dreaming would be faster.
“Ah… the road ahead is long and arduous…”
Long Tao sighed, shrugged his shoulders in resignation, and trudged off toward the foot of the mountain, stumbling step by step.
At that moment, he looked more like a refugee laborer than a cultivator.