CHAPTER 240: CHAPTER 240: THE LEGACY OF SPIDERS VALLEY

"Huh? Is it that scary?" Miss Hu Jiu’s distant memories of the world’s collapse once again weighed heavily on her heart, and her voice carried a sobbing tone, "What should we do? Third sister, are we going to have no way out again?"

Hu Zhile gently touched her silver hair and comforted her softly, "It’s just speculation for now, it doesn’t necessarily mean we’ve reached a dead end due to the Demon Realm’s invasion.

Even if we’ve truly been abandoned, there’s still a long way to go before chaos ensues with the formal invasion. This world is vast, not just a small piece that can be polluted overnight, but you should stay vigilant and cultivate diligently, so that in case disaster strikes, you at least have the ability to protect yourself and escape."

She wasn’t anxious at the moment; after all, whatever the future holds, until now she hasn’t given up on any opportunity to improve apart from diligent cultivation.

Being successfully "employed" at the side of the Venerable Family is already the best path she can seek for herself.

Moreover, the Venerable Family has acquired land in the Netherworld and started laying the groundwork step by step in preparation for future operations. If a disaster truly occurs, as long as we don’t perish instantly, we can take our little sister and follow the Venerable Family to temporarily shelter in the Netherworld.

If we can find a way to foster cooperation between the Venerable Family and my lady, the closer their alliance is, the more likely we can take her Immortal Shuttle to other worlds in the future.

With personal strength, one can rise from nothing regardless of where they go.

That’s the principle Hu Zhile firmly believes in, hoping to let her little sister understand that no matter the time, destiny must be grasped in one’s own hands and never rely on others to survive. Even if you must tread the path of cultivating Charm Technique in the future, it should be treated as your weapon, not a means to please others.

The topic smoothly shifted to urging her to cultivate, while Miss Hu Jiu wailed internally with tears streaming down her face: I just want to find an ideal husband for Dual Cultivation! You, young sir, look at me, hurry and make me yours!

I am beautiful, gentle, can warm the bed, and can sing beautifully, whether a human or a fox. Am I not perfect enough?

But Jiang Yuan, lost in his myriad thoughts, barely glanced at her with furrowed brows.

On the brink of tears, Miss Hu Jiu thought, I just want to quickly advance my Realm through Dual Cultivation. How come he seems oblivious despite me finding a suitable young sir?

"Third Miss, Mister Jiang, please have some tea." The shop assistant wagged his fluffy fox tail as he served the tea, revealing sharp white teeth as he reported, "Miss Jiu, the inventory in our warehouse has been accounted for. We’re running low on the superior robes imbued with Spiritual Energy made from Moon Shadow Gauze and various Treasure Threads. You need to restock quickly."

Despite throwing flirtatious glances all afternoon and receiving no response, Miss Hu Jiu rolled her eyes with a face of hopelessness, "I know. But where should I go to replenish stock? The previous suppliers have hiked their prices, making it tough to do business."

"Then we should raise prices too," the shop assistant chuckled, "Little Eight’s craftsmanship is excellent — her tailoring and embroidery are unrivaled. People wanting to buy good clothes in Cyan Fish Mountain Market can only come to us, so raising prices isn’t a big deal."

Miss Hu Jiu fiddled with the pendant on the pipe and sighed, "You wouldn’t understand even if I explain, just go and tend the shop well."

After the brown little fox went downstairs, she took a puff on her pipe and exhaled a leisurely smoke ring, "Moon Shadow Gauze sells the best. Though its Spiritual Energy content is low, it’s affordable. Coupled with Little Eight’s craftsmanship in our shop, many regular customers like to order a few pieces every season.

But since the spring this year, the price of Moon Shadow Gauze has been rising. I heard it’s because the original material’s production area has been hit by disaster, leading to a shortage in materials for spinning and weaving, hence the price increase. The problem is, most of the custom clothing orders come from old clients, and if prices rise too much, it’s unsuitable; if they rise less, I only earn a craftsmanship fee..."

Listening to her little sister complain about the difficulties in business, Hu Zhile felt relieved in her heart.

Except for not being fond of cultivation, she does seriously engage in business. Even if her Cultivation doesn’t improve much in the future, she will at least have the ability to earn a living independently.

During their casual chat, Little Eight came upstairs, poking out her cute face with a double hair bun, and asked softly, "Third Miss, do you have anything you wanted to see me about?"

"Come up and talk," Hu Zhile smiled and beckoned, "This is Mister Jiang, he has some questions for you."

Jiang Yuan greeted them warmly, and the other’s face blushed slightly as she shook her head, "I’m not good-looking, so I’ll stay here to answer. Mister Jiang, feel free to ask your questions, but... I’m only proficient in the art of tailoring. The rest... I don’t really understand as I don’t go out often."

She stayed behind the staircase, only showing her head and two slightly slender hands, appearing normal.

But faintly visible was a black shadow cast by the downstairs candlelight on the wall, making her hidden body seem exceptionally large.

"Mister Jiang is also a Cultivator and won’t be scared of you. Come up for tea and chat." Hu Zhile stood up to pull her, causing Little Eight’s face to flush redder as she crawled up the stairs with eight hands. Her huge spider body accompanied by a human head and human hands looked quite peculiar.

Jiang Yuan directly inquired, "Miss Little Eight, have you heard of Spiders Valley?"

Little Eight froze in the middle of serving tea, asked back, "Mister Jiang, where did you hear that name? Spiders Valley has been... oh no, it’s been sealed for several thousand years. As part of the White Feather Spider race, I’ve only heard the legends of Spiders Valley. It is said that it was the dwelling place of all our spider race Demon Cultivators’ ancestors."

She twisted her enormous body to display the patterns on her black back, explaining, "The White Feather Spider race’s distinctive trait is the pair of white wing patterns on our backs, and the higher the Cultivation, the clearer and larger the patterns become, even potentially allowing one to cultivate into real white feathers.

Legend says our ancestors had Celestial God Bloodline, and these white feathers are remnants of ancient Celestial God Bloodline. If awakened, one can soar to become a Great Demon with Demigod physique.

However... my talent is average, and the Cultivation Techniques I practice aren’t suited for battles. If it weren’t for Miss Jiu kindly taking me in, I wouldn’t have survived."

Miss Hu Jiu softly explained, "Their family encountered trouble during migration. Little Eight, who is pretty and skillful, was sold in the Black Market after many trials, and that’s how we formed a connection. Now, thanks to her good craftsmanship, the Cloth Shop’s business is thriving. Third sister, don’t assume we have no customers coming in daily; actually, I have many orders here!"

"Then, Little Eight, do you know where Spiders Valley is?" Hu Zhile threw a glance at her little sister, bringing the topic back.

The other obediently nodded, "Of course, as our race’s origin, every thirty years we go to pay respects and pray for ancestral blessings, hoping descendants might awaken Celestial God Bloodline. But due to the seal, we all worship from a distance, and no one dares to approach."

She thought for a moment before adding, "According to our tribe’s traditions, Spiders Valley was originally a wonderful place. Beautifully scenic and rich in Spiritual Energy, it also had a Divine Spider Mountain which, shaped like a spider, had interwoven caves within perfect for weaving webs, retreating, and cultivation. With successive generations, notable treasures existed within.

Precisely due to occupying such a treasured place, Spiders Valley was coveted by many Evil Cultivators. Several thousand years ago, it faced an attack. Various tribal Elders sent the younger generation away to preserve our bloodline, while they stayed back, fighting desperately to guard the ancestral heritage.

The battle waged long and hard until the Elders, unable to resist, resorted to Secret Techniques, unleashing layers of venomous webs to envelop all invaders, sealing Spiders Valley while sacrificing themselves along with the enemies.

The Elders, bearing the resolve to die, exerted Spider Web Seal Technique with deadly toxins, which were truly terrifying. The hastily sent-away young generation was severely wounded, leading to an inadequate inheritance, causing the once prestigious spider race to decline. No one dared to approach the venomous seal since none could cultivate into a Great Demon without complete inheritance.

Yet, ironically, only by entering Spiders Valley can one possibly find the complete inheritance, creating a contradiction. For centuries, many spider race members devised various ways, risking lives to enter Spiders Valley and search for the inheritance, but none succeeded. Today, Spiders Valley’s name is a secret known solely among the spider races with formal inheritance."

[Triggered side quest: The Legacy of Spiders Valley]

[Due to demon and evil cultivation invasion, nearly resulting in the extinction and severed inheritance, Spiders Valley holds both dangers and opportunities inside. Please assist any spider race descendants in obtaining ancestral legacy for rich special rewards]