Chapter 531: True and False Worm Demons

A Record of a Mortal's Journey to Immortality, Volume 4: The Wind Rises Overseas

Cultivator Min wasn't the only one; the pigeon-faced old man and the villainous Xuan were equally on edge. They wondered if their recent words might have offended the young man in front of them.

The stranger could even be the notorious Insect Demon himself!

"Interesting," Han Li said with a light chuckle, showing no sign of anger. "It seems this 'Insect Demon' has quite a notorious reputation. Do you fellow cultivators know what he looks like? And are the flying insects he controls similar to mine?"

"What he looks like? No one has ever described it in detail, but I've heard his appearance is quite ordinary. As for the flying insects he commands, they are said to be gold and silver in color... Wait, Senior, your beetles are three-colored! It seems you truly aren't that demon after all!" Cultivator Min stammered at first, but upon noticing the difference, he exclaimed with a mixture of fear and relief.

The pigeon-faced old man and the villainous man also suddenly realized this distinction, and their spirits lifted instantly.

If their interlocutor wasn't the Insect Demon, their lives would be much safer.

"Thank you, three fellow cultivators, for being so candid," Han Li said, looking up at the sky as if in contemplation, then lowering his gaze. "I have other matters to attend to, so I won't detain you any longer. However, I hope you'll refrain from mentioning our encounter today to others. I certainly wouldn't want to be genuinely mistaken for some 'Insect Demon' and hunted down. I trust you can understand!" His words sent a surge of wild joy through the pigeon-faced old man and his two companions.

"Of course," the pigeon-faced old man replied, barely suppressing his excitement. "We'll certainly remain tight-lipped and ensure you face no trouble. If that's the case, then we shall take our leave." He asked cautiously, with a hint of eagerness.

Han Li nodded with a faint smile. The three men, secretly delighted, immediately bowed to Han Li before swiftly rising and flying away.

A short while later, at the other end of the island, the pigeon-faced old man and his two companions, along with their disciples, eagerly flew away from the island, speeding towards the distant sky.

Han Li, who had risen at some point, stood motionless, watching them. Only after their escape light vanished from sight did his expression suddenly darken.

Although taking the lives of these cultivators would have been effortless, Han Li had no intention of making a move.

He was not a bloodthirsty individual!

Furthermore, whether his location was revealed or not was completely irrelevant.

This sea region was diametrically opposite to his cave dwelling. If he had encountered these three near Mist Sea Island, he would never have allowed any of them to escape alive.

He had also already decided to return to his abode for secluded cultivation, planning not to emerge for at least the next two or three decades.

Let those who wish to find trouble with him slowly waste their time in the Outer Star Seas.

But "Insect Demon"... that was quite an evil moniker for him.

Yet, apart from being forced to use his Gold Devouring Beetles to eliminate the Azure Cloud Sect cultivators back then, when else had he ever committed acts of murder and treasure appropriation?

Someone was clearly trying to frame him!

While it didn't make Han Li furious, it certainly left him feeling incredibly vexed.

Thinking about his adversaries in the Outer Star Seas, it seemed only the Azure Cloud Sect came to mind.

Years ago, due to the dangers posed by high-level demonic beasts, Han Li hadn't ventured too deep into the Outer Star Sea's profound regions. He had only stayed in some peripheral areas, continuously using Rainbow Silk Grass to lure demonic beasts and extract their cores.

On one occasion, just as he had trapped a Level 7 demonic beast, he coincidentally encountered a group of seven or eight high-level cultivators, all in the Core Formation stage. These individuals arrogantly declared themselves to be from the Azure Cloud Sect and, driven by immense greed, attempted to murder him and seize his treasures.

Han Li had no choice but to unleash his swarm of over a hundred thousand Gold Devouring Beetles to eliminate his adversaries.

In his opinion, having taken action, it was naturally best to silence all witnesses.

Unexpectedly, while he eliminated most of the cultivators, one Core Formation late-stage cultivator possessed a powerful ancient treasure for protection. This cultivator managed to break through the swarm of Gold Devouring Beetles and narrowly escape with his life while Han Li was momentarily unprepared.

Han Li, of course, knew that the so-called Azure Cloud Sect was one of Qiyuan Island's major powers.

Left with no alternative, he risked venturing into the deep sea to evade this formidable new adversary.

He could be considered fortunate; during his several years in the deep sea, he didn't encounter any demonic beasts above Level 8.

His most perilous encounter involved merely luring several Level 7 demonic beasts.

Although it left him flustered for a while, he managed to subdue them safely by deploying both his Gold Devouring Beetles and magic treasures.

After years of hunting in the deep sea, he finally accumulated several hundred Level 6 and 7 demonic cores, which were more than enough for alchemy. He also amassed a significant quantity of various demonic beast materials.

With these resources in hand, he resolutely returned the way he came.

However, shortly after returning from the deep sea, as he passed through this particular sea region, he unexpectedly stumbled upon a Glazed Beast.

Han Li, naturally, had no intention of letting it escape, so he set up a formation to trap and eliminate it.

To his surprise, this act attracted the pigeon-faced old man and his two companions, who then, in extreme panic, referred to him as the 'Insect Demon'.

This, naturally, left Han Li feeling utterly dismayed.

The most plausible explanation was that the Azure Cloud Sect, having searched for him in vain and knowing about his insect manipulation techniques and Green Bamboo Bee Cloud Swords, had deliberately fabricated the existence of an "Insect Demon" to stir up trouble everywhere.

Undoubtedly, they intended to ruin his reputation, leaving him no place to hide in the Outer Star Seas. They also aimed to lure and force him into revealing himself, perhaps even dispatching impersonators to commit actual acts of murder and robbery, thereby killing two birds with one stone!

Unfortunately, Han Li had spent all those years in the deep sea, rendering their efforts futile.

At this point, however, Han Li found himself pondering one particular detail he couldn't quite reconcile.

Finding a high-level cultivator equally skilled in insect manipulation was not difficult, and even acquiring flying insects similar to the Gold Devouring Beetles would be effortless.

But if it truly was the Azure Cloud Sect's doing, why did the impersonators use gold and silver-colored flying insects, rather than mimicking his three-colored Gold Devouring Beetles from the time he eliminated the Azure Cloud Sect cultivators? Surely the Core Formation cultivator who escaped wouldn't have gotten that detail wrong!

As for knowing the color of his Gold Devouring Beetles before their evolution, that information should pertain to events prior to his arrival in the Outer Star Seas.

Could it be... those old monsters from the Void Sky Hall who have tracked him to this place?

As Han Li considered this, his heart sank, and his expression changed dramatically.

If that were indeed the case, the situation would be truly dire.

He stood silently for a moment, deep in thought. Then, with a sudden stomp of his foot, Han Li ascended into the sky without the slightest warning.

He then transformed into a green rainbow and shot through the sky towards Mist Sea Island.

Han Li, enveloped in his escape light, maintained a normal expression, though a faint hint of cold mockery lingered at the corners of his lips.

He had just figured it out.

As for the "Insect Demon" matter, whether it was the Azure Cloud Sect causing trouble or those old monsters attempting to force his appearance, it wasn't worth expending much thought on.

The situation in the Outer Star Seas had become somewhat peculiar due to the Deep Abyss demonic beasts, and he had already intended to return to his cave dwelling for years of rigorous cultivation, avoiding all external excursions.

This approach would conveniently allow him to kill two birds with one stone and weather this dangerous storm.

And once his cultivation advanced, even if he truly embraced the infamous title of the Insect Demon, what could anyone do to him?

In the cultivation world, only the strong had the right to speak!

With this conviction, Han Li continued his escape, his mind free of any further doubts.

Meanwhile, in a secret chamber within Blackrock City on Qiyuan Island, two individuals were hidden in the shadows, conversing mysteriously.

"Brother Qi," a cold voice stated impatiently, "It's been two or three years now. Is your method actually working? I can't truly afford to spend seven or eight years here just waiting for that brat to take the bait!"

"Fellow Daoist Bird, this matter cannot be rushed. Don't you use your divine sense to scan every corner of Blackrock City daily? If that brat enters this city in disguise, he certainly won't escape your notice, Brother Bird," a slightly hoarse voice replied in a low tone.

The owner of the first voice was none other than Patriarch Extreme Yin, unseen for many years!

He still appeared as the pale-faced middle-aged man, but his expression was exceedingly grim, with a subtle hint of dissatisfaction in his eyes.

"Hmph!" Patriarch Extreme Yin huffed, his face clearly displeased. "I've followed Brother Qi's method, sending several disciples to impersonate that brat and commit murder and robbery everywhere, yet it's had no effect whatsoever. Brother Qi, aren't you deliberately concealing something for other reasons? I find it hard to believe that a major sect like the Azure Cloud Sect would have so much difficulty finding a Core Formation early-stage cultivator."

"Ahem! Brother Bird, you misunderstand me," the hoarse-voiced man replied. He was a middle-aged Daoist priest, clad in a white crane-patterned robe, his face marred by white pockmarks yet subtly veiled by a warm, jade-like luminescence, giving him an imposing aura. "Brother Qi and I have been acquainted for more than just a year or two; how could I be such a person? Furthermore, our sect also harbors a deep-seated hatred for that brat! We've never ceased our pursuit of him."

"However, Fellow Daoist Bird," the Daoist suddenly said with a smile, as if remembering something, "I'm quite curious! What exactly did that brat do to offend you so profoundly that it prompted you, Brother Bird, to risk sneaking into Tianxing City and then teleporting here? You've always vaguely claimed that your grandson died at his hands, but I find that rather difficult to believe."