Gu King

A faint glow dispersed the darkness, revealing a figure. Compared to the intricate hidden passages, the space here was not particularly cramped, yet the miasma was at its thickest, flowing with an audible hiss. The figure was enveloped in miasma, his features obscured, radiating a chilly and sinister aura. He sat cross-legged upon a rock. Beneath him, densely packed runes were carved into the stone—curving and writhing like countless venomous snakes and toxic insects crawling across the entire ground, enough to make anyone's scalp tingle. These bizarre runes formed a formation, channeling their qi upward until it converged in the air above the man's head. A closer look vaguely revealed the shadowy silhouette of a spider-like insect. Vividly multicolored, its hues closely matched the surrounding miasma, and its aura was thoroughly concealed. Before the man hovered another spirit insect. It was a beetle-shaped spirit insect whose wings bore an uncanny resemblance to those of the Corpse Flame Moths, though otherwise it differed drastically from common Corpse Flame Moths. It was a size larger than the ones Qin Sang and Lu Zhang had encountered, ethereal and translucent as if sculpted from uncut jade. Far from appearing grotesque, anyone who saw it would be captivated, mistaking it for a work of exquisite art. As the man let out a grunt, a rustling sound echoed within the chamber, coming from this jade beetle. The jade beetle was encircled by a large swarm of ordinary Corpse Flame Moths. Though surrounded by the swarm, it acted brazenly, chewing incessantly—feeding on the carcasses of Corpse Flame Moths. The Corpse Flame Moths were terrified of it. Despite their great numbers, they cowered timidly, not daring to attack, leaving the jade beetle free to hunt among them and reduce them to prey. After devouring several Corpse Flame Moths, the jade beetle lazily flew back before the man. At the same time, the multicolored spider above waved its long legs. The formation began to operate, drawing in the purest toxic miasma to assist the man in refining the jade beetle. It was actually another person who operated the formation. The miasma rippled slightly as a figure clad in a gray robe rose from the shadows and asked softly, "Master, what happened?" The multicolored spider belonged to this gray-robed person. Within the formation, the jade beetle emitted a fiery glow akin to that of the Corpse Flame Moths, illuminating the features of the man in the center. Any ordinary person would have gasped in horror at his appearance. He was extraordinarily hideous. His face was covered in scar-like red marks, resembling vibrant crimson centipedes crawling across his skin, each engorged with blood. His facial features seemed crammed into a centipede nest, twisted and deformed in an uncanny spectacle. The strange-faced man sliced open one of the red marks on his face, squeezed out a drop of fresh blood, and fed it to the jade beetle. His lips parted slightly as he spoke in a raspy voice, "The largest swarm of Corpse Flame Moths has been wiped out. Slaughtered." His tone was devoid of emotion, merely stating a fact with no discernible anger or joy. The gray-robed person's expression shifted slightly. "That swarm numbered in the tens of thousands—the largest batch of living sacrifices prepared for the Gu King. Cultivating another from scratch will cost us a great deal of time. There shouldn't be anything underground in this area capable of slaughtering Corpse Flame Moths. Could the few blind fools we consumed earlier have drawn some old monster here? I will go up and investigate..." "Go up, and take your venomous spider with you." The strange-faced man hesitated briefly before adding, "The Gu King is not yet complete; that remains the priority. That swarm died too quickly. If some troublesome figure merely happened to pass by, do not stir up trouble; we can settle scores with him later. Otherwise, kill them as well to use as nourishment." "This disciple obeys!" The gray-robed person bowed and reached out, beckoning the multicolored spider above the formation into his palm. He darted into the toxic miasma. Evidently thoroughly familiar with the layout, he wound through passage after passage without hesitation, closing in on the location where the Corpse Flame Moths had been slaughtered. As he drew near, the gray-robed person came to a halt. He opened his palm and released the five-colored venomous spider, barking in a low voice, "Go!" The five-colored venomous spider bent its long legs and sprang forward, shooting deep into the miasma. It did not need to touch the ground. Suspended within the miasma, its body blended perfectly into the vapors as its eight long legs moved swiftly, crawling at an astonishing speed. Fast as it was, it did not create the slightest ripple in the miasma, making it nearly impossible to detect. Only after the five-colored venomous spider had advanced some distance did the gray-robed person follow at an unhurried pace. He could share the venomous spider's senses. Before long, a scene of devastation in the stone passage came into view. A thick layer of Corpse Flame Moth corpses blanketed the ground, while the culprits were nowhere to be seen. Seeing this, the gray-robed person grew secretly furious and commanded the five-colored venomous spider to track the trail. *** Not long before. Qin Sang's avatar and Lu Zhang had joined forces, quickly slaughtering the swarm of Corpse Flame Moths to the last. The entire basin, including its subterranean realm, was vast. The area they had searched was only a fraction of it, and no one could say how many Corpse Flame Moths bred here. These moths were inherently vicious. If even a few escaped and lured more swarms from their nests, it would cause no small amount of trouble, so neither man had held back. Qin Sang still vividly remembered the rotphosphor firefly king of Heavenly Fissure Valley. Unfortunately, though this swarm of Corpse Flame Moths had been large, no insect king had emerged among them. Individual Corpse Flame Moths were weak and of little value, and once the main bodies died, their toxic powder lost its potency as well. Having wiped out the swarm, neither Qin Sang nor Lu Zhang paid it much mind. Lu Zhang activated the Precious Hue Bell once more, and they moved into the next tunnel to continue searching for the stone toad. Neither was aware of the shifting situation deeper underground. The Precious Hue Bell's fluctuations shone as conspicuously as a candle flame in this place. Qin Sang and Lu Zhang knew this all too well. Even though a month had passed, their vigilance had not waned in the slightest; they maintained their guard at all times. Yet despite their formidable cultivation, neither noticed that a five-colored venomous spider had quietly crept up behind them. The five-colored venomous spider was virtually part of the miasma itself. Even if someone swept the area with spiritual sense, seeing through its camouflage would be exceedingly difficult. Furthermore, under the gray-robed person's control, the spider cleverly kept its distance from Qin Sang and Lu Zhang. Rather than trailing closely behind their heels, it used its familiarity with the terrain to track them from several passages away. This way, even if Qin Sang and Lu Zhang had left traps along their path, the spider would never trigger them. As long as the Precious Hue Bell was active, there was no fear of losing the trail. As it drifted through the miasma, the five-colored venomous spider rhythmically moved its front legs as though plucking an invisible thread, spying on the intruders through the miasma from afar. The gray-robed person located the two culprits who had slaughtered the Corpse Flame Moths, only to discover that they were both mid Nascent Soul stage cultivators. After tracking them for a while and confirming that they were not here for him and his master, the gray-robed person recalled his master's instructions and gradually thought of retreating. However, he noticed that the two seemed to be searching for something. "Huh? That man looks familiar... Isn't he an elder of Mount Bunian? Master and I have bred so many Corpse Flame Moths here, yet never discovered any treasure that could draw someone like him thousands of li to this place." The gray-robed person murmured to himself. He had intended to withdraw, but this discovery piqued his curiosity immensely.