Dawn.

On a rocky slope overrun with malevolent energy, a giant spider, about the size of a human child, lay on the grass, its eight legs pointing skyward as it sighed in exasperation.

He hadn't always been a spider!

In his previous life, he was Zhang Jiawen, a delinquent high school student from a distant, alien planet. One day, while carrying his blue backpack and tailing a flight attendant he admired, preparing to confess his feelings, a strange book suddenly appeared in the sky and fell on him!

This book was titled "Emperor."

It told a long story set in a fantasy world! Unfortunately, Zhang Jiawen, who preferred pure romance literature, abandoned the book after only 400,000 words because its content was too intense for him.

Unexpectedly, not long after he gave up on the book, he transmigrated into the world it described! Not only that, but he also acquired a magical system called the "Exotic Beast Swallowing System"!

Simply put: start as a spider; leveling up depends entirely on devouring!

Armed with human tenacity and strategic thinking, he followed the life trajectory of the "Duke Spider" from the original novel. Starting as a young spider, he hunted and devoured Spiritual Birds and insects along the way, successfully growing into a formidable Spider King at the Dharma Appearance Realm!

Just as in the original plot, when he turned twenty, he encountered Niu Batian, the Sect Master of the Evil Extreme Sect. Niu Batian singled him out at first glance and strongly invited him to join the Evil Extreme Sect.

He categorically refused.

Because, according to the thirty-word plot summary he knew, the male protagonist, Ye Chen, had already joined the Qinglan Sect by this time, and the Evil Extreme Sect would soon become the first cannon fodder in the upcoming Righteous-Demon War. Feeling his strength was insufficient, he just wanted to stay away from the protagonist's storyline. His plan was to quietly devour prey, accumulate power, and eventually become a world-destroying Primordial Corpse Kun!

However, over the subsequent three months, something horrifying occurred far away in the southern part of the Eastern Region, at the lofty Qinglan Immortal Sect, a place he dared not even spy upon.

In the original book, the protagonist, Princely Heir Beichuan Ye Chen, was shockingly wounded during the Five Branches Martial Meet. His right arm was severed, leaving him crippled!

What was worse, the person who injured him turned out to be Lin Xiao—an utterly unremarkable, transitional lackey antagonist from the early part of the original novel!

This had undoubtedly completely deviated from the novel's plot!

And so, he began to hesitate.

Since the protagonist's luck has begun to waver, and his invincibility was shattered by a mere lackey, then isn't it possible that it's my turn, Duke Spider, to replace him and seize the opportunities that should have belonged to him?

A bold idea surfaced in his mind.

So, he sought out Niu Batian again and gladly accepted the invitation to become the Deputy Sect Master of the Evil Extreme Sect!

Everything that followed returned to its original course. Yuanyi, the undercover agent in the Qinglan Sect, secretly met with the Sect Masters of the Eight Great Demon Sects to discuss the grand plan to annihilate the Qinglan Sect. And the Evil Extreme Sect became the vanguard in this war between the righteous and demonic factions.

Just as he was rubbing his hands, preparing to seize this chance to plunder opportunities, something utterly unexpected happened.

The Northern Territory Queen, Ye Xuan'er, had surprisingly crossed the Northern Territory's Great Wall, arrived in the Eastern Region, and occupied Beacon City ahead of schedule! Not only that, but there was also an extraordinary, heaven-defying Sword Dao prodigy in the city!

Forget it, forget it. The plot I know only extends up to the timeline of the Eight Great Demon Sects' invasion! Now, the plot keeps changing; this world must be breaking down to some extent! I'd better just keep a low profile and continue leveling up! This kind of meddling makes it unplayable!

Just as Zhang Jiawen made up his mind...

DING!

"You have received a new main task!"

"Task Content: Kill the male protagonist, Ye Chen!"

"Task Reward: 2,000 Evolution Points."

"Optional Challenge Task: Kill female protagonist Ye Xuan'er. Difficulty: Twelve Stars."

[1. Once the challenge task is accepted, the host must complete it within 24 hours, or you will be penalized.]

[In addition, accepting the challenge task will directly promote you to the next stage—Deep Sea Demon Hunting Giant Lizard!]

"Host, do you accept the task?"

A line of text appeared in Zhang Jiawen's mind.

After only a second of hesitation, he gritted his teeth and said, "I accept! Gamble big! A bicycle might just turn into an aircraft carrier!"

As if his very words were law, the next moment, an overwhelming evil aura surged from his entire body, enveloping him in a dense, green, otherworldly light...

A long time later, the halo gradually dissipated.

He found that his eight dexterous, slender legs had transformed into four heavy claws covered with black scales! Not only that, but his Demon Core within had grown increasingly potent, and his cultivation level had soared directly to the peak of the Dharma Appearance Realm. He was now only one step away from the Demon King Realm of the demon race!

He quickly went to a small stream and looked at his reflection in the water. For a moment, he was exuberant!

He saw that his hideous, ugly spider body had evolved into a powerful, ferocious giant lizard's body, clad in Demon-Subduing Scales!

"Tsk tsk, as expected of a giant lizard from a fantasy world. Truly impressive!"

"Since I'm a Deep Sea Demon Hunting Giant Lizard, let's test out the diving capabilities of this new body!"

"WOOHOO~~"

Zhang Jiawen opened his mouth and let out an exhilarated howl. With a flick of his massive tail, he dived headfirst into the river!

「Beacon City, City Gate.」

At this time, the sky was already showing the pale light of dawn. A sparse flow of commoners and merchants were already entering and exiting the city gate.

Beacon City was a neutral territory, not belonging to any secular dynasty. It was renowned for its free trade, and all sorts of people congregated there. Therefore, even though the Northern Territory Queen had replaced the Situ family and now administered the city, it still didn't affect the commercial operations of the small city.