Corpse Flame Moths

Two mountains stood closely nestled against each other, resembling an embracing couple when viewed from a certain angle. Local cultivators called them the Male and Female Mountains. Entering the basin through the mountain pass of the Male and Female Mountains was one of the safe paths local cultivators had charted over countless years. A crowd of low-level cultivators had gathered on the mountain. The basin's miasma followed a regular rhythm: rising by night and settling back down by day. Night was the most dangerous time. As soon as the sun set, they would flee the basin and wait on the Male and Female Mountains for the next day's sunrise. Those with higher cultivation, or who had prepared detoxifying spiritual elixirs, could last longer in the miasma, but even they had to come out and recuperate after staying inside for a while. The Male and Female Mountains had once enjoyed great prosperity, giving rise to a decent-sized market square. But as the area's resources were drained dry, it had gradually fallen into decline, and the merchant guilds had migrated elsewhere. Now, only these low-level cultivators remained here, scraping by. The former splendor was gone. Entering the dilapidated market, they casually found a few vacant rooms, took out various jars, pots, and medicinal herbs, and brewed them into a medicinal broth. Each person drank a bowl, immediately breaking into a drenching sweat that purged the miasma poison from their bodies. They had repeated this process countless times and performed it with seasoned familiarity. Their spirits restored, the group began chatting and laughing as they sorted through their gains from this trip. "Sigh! The medicinal herbs around the Male and Female Mountains are growing scarcer and scarcer. Our harvest this time is only eighty percent of the last. At this rate, who knows how long it'll take before we can afford a dose of Spirit Dissolving Powder?" The leader, a sturdy, muscular man, looked dejected. "Heh heh, even with Spirit Dissolving Powder to break through the tenth layer of the Qi Refinement stage, you'd still have to scrape together spirit stones to buy a Foundation Establishment Pill, and one might not even guarantee a breakthrough. If it's this hard for you, Boss, the rest of us don't even dare to dream. As long as we can earn a little nest egg, head back, marry eight or ten wives, and try our luck at siring a child with good talent, I'll be satisfied," someone chimed in jokingly. "Then that's simple—just find a spirit illusion flower, and we'll be rich! A few Foundation Establishment Pills would be child's play. Isn't there a legend about a guy who found a top-grade spirit illusion flower seed? Word is the merchant guild that bought it turned around and sold it to some big shot for dozens of times the price. Even so, that guy struck it rich and moved his entire family away," the second-in-command of the group said with an envious look. A man beside him spat. "Second Brother, you're always talking nonsense. Sure, the spirit illusion flower is precious, but it only shows itself when the miasma is at its fiercest. With our measly cultivation, we wouldn't even know how we died if we went in..." Before he could finish speaking, the door creaked open from the outside, and two people walked in. Startled, the group grabbed their magic tools, on guard against a formidable enemy. The sturdy man leading them stared at the two uninvited guests, his alarm growing with every passing second. Holding his companions back, he stepped forward, clasped his hands, and said, "Meeting like this is a twist of fate. The night wind is cold. If you two friends are looking for a place to rest, I can have my brothers yield a room to you." The newcomers were none other than Qin Sang and Lu Zhang. Anxious to find tracks of the stone toad, Lu Zhang could not be bothered with pleasantries. Releasing just a wisp of true essence, he sent the rest of the group collapsing to the ground in a heap, leaving only the sturdy man standing with a look of utter horror. "Where does the spirit illusion flower you just mentioned appear?" The sturdy man's legs went limp, his voice trembling. "R-reporting to Senior, we only know from hearsay. Word is that its location changes every time, but it's usually around the very center of the basin. If Senior wants accurate information, eight hundred li to the west there is a market square—someone there is sure to know..." Lu Zhang nodded slightly, tossed a few spirit stones to the sturdy man, and turned to leave. Remembering something, Qin Sang interjected, "Do you know what god the nearby tribal villages worship?" The sturdy man thought for a moment and cautiously replied, "Does Senior mean the Gu God Cult? This junior has heard a bit about it. It's just a scheme itinerant merchants use to swindle money and fool mortals. They spread the Gu God Cult everywhere and, under its name, sell hallucinogenic herbs to those villages at exorbitant prices... None of us believe in it." No wonder those mortals were so fanatical. Taking hallucinogenic herbs year in and year out altered their bodies under the drug's influence, and paired with psychological suggestion, in the end even the simplest talisman water would produce a perceived effect. Yet if mortals consumed such herbs day in and day out, their bodies would have broken down long ago. It spread only among mortals, yet its upper echelons possessed Nascent Soul protectors. With such a disconnect, were they truly the same organization? Qin Sang found it strange. The two left the Male and Female Mountains, made brief inquiries at the market, and then, braving the heavy miasma, headed non-stop into the basin. The intervals at which the stone toad emerged to absorb purple qi could last as long as several decades. Furthermore, Lu Zhang judged that this stone toad was nearing maturity and might undergo metamorphosis and flee at any moment; they could not afford to wait idly outside. The area where the stone toad dispersed its spores had a definite perimeter, and its true body was bound to be hidden within this zone. Still, the area was by no means small, requiring them to search thoroughly, and it was uncertain whether it was aboveground or underground. Rumor had it that the subterranean depths of the basin were riddled with tunnels extending in every direction—the very source of the miasma, and exceedingly perilous. Whoosh, whoosh... Qin Sang and Lu Zhang dropped straight to the ground. As the miasma rushed at them, they circulated their true essence to form protective barriers. Looking up, the thick miasma had completely blotted out the moonlight. Both vision and spiritual sense were impaired. Based on the gathered information, Lu Zhang marked out a rough search zone. After speeding through the miasma for a while and reaching the target area, he took out the Precious Hue Bell. Ring, ring, ring... In the desolate, empty basin, the chimes sounded exceptionally crisp. The precious light formed halos that rippled out into the distance. Lu Zhang could isolate the ringing sound to their immediate surroundings, but he could not conceal the fluctuations of the precious light; otherwise, the bell would lose its ability to dispel illusions. Ordinary treasures could not see through the stone toad's camouflage. On their way, they had contacted several merchant guilds, but none had magic treasures that satisfied their needs, leaving them with no choice but to rely on the Precious Hue Bell. There was no need to split up; one person would operate the bell while the other stood guard, alternating duties. Cradling the Precious Hue Bell in his palm, Lu Zhang nodded to Qin Sang and began the search. Qin Sang maintained a distance of several tens of feet from Lu Zhang. Taking advantage of a moment when Lu Zhang was not looking, he parted his true essence barrier and deliberately drew a wisp of miasma into his body. After circulating the miasma through his body for a cycle, Qin Sang felt no noticeable discomfort. Evidently, this miasma caused the greatest harm to flesh-and-blood bodies. As an avatar crafted from spiritual wood, he was largely immune to such harm. This was a significant advantage for their upcoming actions. Qin Sang estimated that the odds of finding the stone toad on the surface were slim; they would almost certainly have to venture deep underground. The underground environment was cramped and served as the source of the miasma. Fending off the miasma while simultaneously maintaining the Precious Hue Bell would be a considerable burden. Not to mention the venomous beasts and toxic insects lurking below, which would be drawn by the bell's fluctuations to attack them. Apart from the two of them, few dared to enter the depths of the basin at this hour. They searched the entire night without encountering a third person. During that time, many venomous creatures were indeed drawn over, all of which Qin Sang dispatched with ease. Come the next morning, the miasma began to recede, but even at its lowest point, a layer still lingered on the ground, so their burden was hardly lessened. However, their movements became more cautious than during the night. They had already confirmed through inquiries that although this place was not the cultivation domain of some grand cultivator, Nanzhou was not lacking in Nascent Soul powers. Causing too great a commotion would attract the attention of local powers and spawn complications. The two alternated several times before finishing their search of the surface. Unsurprisingly, they found no trace of the stone toad, ultimately arriving at an entrance to a subterranean tunnel. Such entrances were scattered throughout the entire basin, concealed beneath layers of humus that revealed them once cleared away. The smallest were as narrow as crevices, while the largest could accommodate dozens of people at once. Every entrance was choked with miasma, which spewed forth in an endless torrent once night fell. "Let us head down from here," Lu Zhang said. Qin Sang nodded, handed the Precious Hue Bell back to Lu Zhang, and took out a spirit stone, holding it in his hand to replenish his true essence. The path they chose was neither too wide nor too narrow. It was said that the subterranean passages were all interconnected and rarely ended in dead ends, so entering from any point made little difference. Even in broad daylight, very few cultivators dared venture underground. Just how deep the subterranean tunnels reached remained unsettled to this day. Qin Sang and Lu Zhang intended to measure it for themselves. Picking a direction, they traversed tunnel after tunnel, descending continuously. Unable to reckon just how far down they had gone, they finally arrived at a tunnel that might or might not be the bottom. Here, the miasma was as thick as water, resembling a subterranean river of poison. Qin Sang was relatively unaffected, but Lu Zhang had to expend considerably more true essence to resist the miasma. "Hiss!" Qin Sang felt a slight headache coming on. "Searching through this area will probably take two to three months. Let's just hope that stone toad hasn't moved around." Lu Zhang hadn't expected it to be so troublesome either. He sighed helplessly. "Before reaching maturity, a stone toad can only move by instinct. It isn't fast, and it generally won't leave the nest that birthed it... It seems I will be taking up more of your time, Daoist Priest." Qin Sang shook his head. "Since I promised you, Fellow Daoist Lu, I will naturally see it through to the end." The two spoke no further, quietly getting to work. The subterranean tunnels crisscrossed and intersected. Some were straight, some winding, their courses unpredictable. Fortunately, both were Nascent Soul cultivators; no matter how complex the terrain, it could not confuse them. Qin Sang constructed a topographic map in his mind. As the days passed, the map grew more complete, passage after passage becoming clear. In the blink of an eye, a month went by. Having searched nearly half the area, they still had not found any trace of the stone toad, but both were steadfast in nature and would not be swayed by this. They had not come away empty-handed, either. Qin Sang obtained many carcasses, bones, and toxic cores from venomous beasts and insects, which he planned to take back and let the fat silkworm try to see if it liked any. Seeing that Qin Sang was interested in these things, Lu Zhang gave all of them to him. The two traversed a tunnel several thousand zhang long. Its far end connected to a stone passage, the widest among all the tunnels they had traversed during this time. After observing briefly, Lu Zhang activated the Precious Hue Bell and took the lead into the stone passage. Qin Sang followed behind. The precious light illuminated the stone walls to either side, while the chimes echoed only around the two of them. Like wayfarers carrying lanterns, they advanced in silence. After walking for some time, doubt surfaced in Qin Sang's eyes. He suddenly called out to Lu Zhang, "Fellow Daoist Lu, something is amiss here. We've walked for so long without seeing a single venomous insect or beast." Lu Zhang stopped in his tracks, his expression turning solemn. In their experience, when this occurred, the most likely explanation was that the lair of a beast or insect king lay nearby, and other creatures dared not approach its territory. During this period, the strongest venomous beast they had encountered was a poisonous python at the mid Demon Core stage. Could there be a Transformation stage demon or a spirit insect that had achieved its fourth metamorphosis here? Any beast or insect residing here was overwhelmingly likely to specialize in poison arts. In such a unique environment, their threat was magnified, so neither dared to be careless. Lu Zhang compressed the radius of the Precious Hue Bell. Qin Sang grasped the Snow-Treading Divine Saber in his palm. They advanced a bit further without encountering any ambush. Just as they were about to exit this stone passage, a rustling, eerie sound suddenly came from deep within the miasma. It was very faint, resembling scales scraping against stone. Lu Zhang reacted with lightning speed, clamping a hand over the Precious Hue Bell. Qin Sang halted immediately. Exchanging a glance, they conferred briefly through voice transmission. Lu Zhang scouted ahead while Qin Sang held the Snow-Treading Divine Saber in a reverse grip, covertly preparing the Profound Qi Great Hand. One following the other, they had not walked far before seeing a ball of dusky yellow firelight up ahead. The firelight flickered. Taking a few more steps, they finally made out the scene ahead. It was truly a ball of fire. This flame hovered just above the ground, expanding one moment and contracting the next. Wrapped within the flame was a venomous spider the size of a human head, its aura faint and on the brink of death. Clinging tightly to the spider, the flames quickly burned through its carapace. Agonized, the spider convulsed, powerless to resist the flames. In the blink of an eye, its flesh and blood were devoured clean, leaving only an empty husk. Lu Zhang frowned, temporarily unable to recall the origin of this kind of flame. "It's Corpse Flame Moths!" Qin Sang said. Having collected manuals on insect mastery far and wide, he recognized this venomous insect. Like rotphosphor fireflies, Corpse Flame Moths were gregarious spirit insects that gathered and dispersed like fire. The firelight was their disguise; in truth, it was toxic powder shed from their bodies, carrying lethal poison. The flame detached from the spider's carcass. Faintly visible inside the glow were dozens of fingernail-sized yellow moths huddled together, forming the core of the flame. "How many are there in a swarm of Corpse Flame Moths?" Lu Zhang asked in a heavy voice. Qin Sang hesitated. "It varies. A small swarm has a thousand or so, but a large one could—" Before he could finish, the miasma ahead suddenly churned. Dusky yellow balls of fire lit up one after another in dense clusters; to the naked eye alone, there were thousands of them. Only in a land of toxic miasma such as this could so many Corpse Flame Moths be bred! "They've spotted us," Lu Zhang shouted as a ring of light erupted from his body, sweeping across the surrounding void. "Watch out for the toxic powder!" Buzz! A violent buzzing arose, its ear-piercing drone reverberating through the enclosed underground with enough force to rupture eardrums. In an instant, all the flames coalesced into a single mass and pounced toward them, driven by the instinct to devour any living being in their path. The stone passage blazed with light. Endless toxic powder swept forward like a hurricane. It was hard to imagine that individual Corpse Flame Moths, so weak on their own, could unleash such a staggering assault. Without a word, Qin Sang gave his wrist a slight flick. The Snow-Treading Divine Saber shot forth frigid glints, carving out a path of snow. The razor-sharp saber qi cleaved the firelight in two like dry twigs. Frozen like melon seeds of ice, carcasses of Corpse Flame Moths clattered to the ground in heaps. Yet the swarm remained unfazed; splitting and reconverging, they surged forward in relentless waves. Lu Zhang was just as quick. Green light flashed at his glabella, then suffused his entire body, expanding outward until it enveloped Qin Sang as well, transforming into an ancient green bell. With the ancient bell protecting them, green light rolled back toward the insect swarm, working in tandem with the Snow-Treading Divine Saber to sever and disperse the horde. Just as they were locked in battle with the swarm, deep underground, in an unknown place, an angry snort echoed in the darkness.