Chapter 1533: Corroded Phosphorus Firefly (4k)

He was too late.

Qin Sang flashed into the cavern, finding it exceptionally deep. Judging by the traces, the cavern hadn't been formed by external forces; an internal explosion had destroyed the dwelling and the entire lake. Over time, the traces had weathered away, erasing valuable information. Qin Sang couldn't determine if this power originated from the dwelling itself or if it was caused by an intruder forcibly entering through some means. What was certain was that this place was no longer suitable as a dwelling.

"How time changes everything!" Qin Sang couldn't help but sigh with emotion. It was hard to say how much of the content recorded by Senior Xiaoxiangzi on the jade slip was still valuable. Many locations were likely similar to this one, either discovered or destroyed. Had Senior Xiaoxiangzi not mentioned that only Soul Formation cultivators could uncover the secret of the Buddha bone sarira, he wouldn't have dared to have such high hopes.

Below the Sky Rift Valley, day and night were indistinguishable. He calculated on his fingers and realized he had been searching the Sky Rift Valley for over a month without noticing. According to the cloud patterns in the Sky Rift Valley, it only opened once every ten years or so, each time lasting anywhere from over ten days to nearly a month. It was now the most dangerous period in the Sky Rift Valley, and most cultivators had already exited. Qin Sang, having found nothing, had no interest in exploring the Sky Rift Valley's secrets and prepared to return the way he came.

Inside the Sky Rift Valley, a sheer cliff face was densely covered with vines. They resembled giant pythons coiling there; although it was a place brimming with life, the gray color of the vines created an indescribable eeriness. "Whoosh! Whoosh!" Wisps of chilling wind passed through the gaps between the vines, playing a faint, almost imperceptible whistling sound. Only the sound of the wind echoed across the entire cliff, with no beast roars or insect chirps, intensifying this eerie sensation.

At this moment, in a slightly wider rock crevice, two figures were hidden beneath the vines, cautiously peering through the gaps to observe the top of the cliff. It was a man and a woman: the woman was only at the Foundation Establishment stage, with a faintly sickly complexion, while the man was a Core Formation cultivator. What made them so cautious, treating it like a formidable enemy, was a stone cave at the top of the cliff. The inside of the stone cave was pitch black. The chilling wind carried a foul, fishy smell. They had been lying motionless for over ten days, enduring the stench, not daring to use secret arts to block the smell, fearing they might miss their opportunity.

The woman, accustomed to the foul odor, glanced at the man beside her who was intently staring upwards. Her eyes filled with tenderness, and she parted her red lips, carefully transmitting her voice with a tone of worry. "Senior Brother, the Sky Rift Valley has already closed."

"That information didn't specify the exact blooming period of this Snake Shadow Flower, only an approximate time. It's our bad luck that it didn't bloom when the valley was open." The man sighed, "If we miss this one, who knows how long we'll have to wait. Junior Sister, your illness can't wait any longer. Refining this Snake Shadow Flower will buy us some time, and I will search heaven and earth to find the spiritual medicine to cure you. Before Master passed away, he told me to take good care of you; how can I go back on my word? We must obtain it this time."

"But..." The woman looked anxious, but the man interrupted her.

"Junior Sister, have you forgotten that your senior brother is no longer what he used to be?" The man feigned nonchalance, "I am already a Core Formation cultivator. The Sky Rift Valley isn't as dangerous as before. Furthermore, before I left, I specifically commissioned someone to refine a Yangluo Umbrella, capable of withstanding even the most common lightning disasters in the Sky Rift Valley..."

Just then, a faint fragrance suddenly emerged within the foul odor. The stench was so strong that the subtle fragrance was very easy to overlook. The two had been hiding for days, waiting for this very moment. They immediately detected the unusual scent, and the man swallowed his words, exclaiming with delight, "I'll go lure away that hawk demon right now! Junior Sister, remember, a short while later, the Snake Shadow Flower will be fully bloomed and its medicinal power will be at its peak. Remember to refine it directly with secret arts; do not pluck it!" He had given these instructions countless times, but the man still felt uneasy. What the woman felt, however, was warmth. Gazing at the man's resolute face, she softly pleaded, "I am already critically ill. If things become impossible, Senior Brother, please don't..."

"Don't talk nonsense!" The man abruptly cut her off. Without another word, he suddenly rushed out, conjured his treasured sword, and thrust it directly into the stone cave. The next moment, an angry, ear-splitting shriek emanated from the cave. The treasured sword flew out, its light dim. A demonic wind followed closely, its pungent stench comparable to poisonous gas, causing dizziness. Within the demonic wind was a demonic beast with the body of an eagle but a long, slender neck like a snake. It was incredibly bizarre, like half a snake's body embedded in an eagle's. Seeing that he had easily lured out this Snake Hawk, the man was secretly pleased. Without fear, he actively engaged the Snake Hawk in battle. Unfortunately, the man had only recently formed his Core and possessed no powerful magic treasures. Facing the Demonic Core-stage Snake Hawk, he was at a disadvantage from the start and quickly fell into a defensive position.

The woman remained hidden in the rock crevice, her face filled with tension. The air was filled with black demonic wind, obscuring the sky and sun, and the figures of the man and the demon were no longer visible. She knew her senior brother was doing his utmost to lure away the Snake Hawk, creating an opportunity for her. As time passed, the Snake Shadow Flower's fragrance grew stronger, nearing its full bloom. Unable to kill the man, the Snake Hawk's cries grew sharper. Attracted by the flower's scent, it intended to return to its cave. However, the man began a frantic counterattack, completely forgetting his own injuries, desperately holding onto the Snake Hawk. Tears welled in the woman's eyes as she bit her cherry lips, not daring to look up at the sky, and swiftly slipped into the stone cave.

At this critical moment, the Snake Hawk made a shocking move. The Snake Hawk, engaged in fierce battle with the man, suddenly seemed terrified, forgetting to attack. It was struck by the man's saber at the base of its wing and, as if waking from a dream, let out a hoarse shriek. Unlike before, this cry not only conveyed pain but also extreme panic, as if it had encountered its natural predator. Even the man could sense the fear in the Snake Hawk's heart. Immediately after, the Snake Hawk actually forgot about its cave and the spiritual medicine. Flapping its wings, it fled in a panic, not even bothering to adjust its body, escaping erratically. Seeing that the Snake Hawk didn't return to its cave, the man stopped obstructing it. However, this bizarre sight left him in a state of shock and uncertainty, a strong sense of foreboding rising in his heart. What kind of existence could possibly terrify the Snake Hawk like that? The man suppressed his shock and hastily landed at the entrance of the stone cave. Seeing his junior sister diligently refining the Snake Shadow Flower, he turned around, looking bewilderedly in all directions.

The next moment, the man witnessed a terrifying sight that would be etched in his memory forever. A chill poured into his body from the top of his head, and his blood seemed to freeze. In the depths of the Sky Rift Valley, stone peaks stood tall. At the edge of his vision, the clouds in the sky had a yellowish tint. Upon closer inspection, he realized it was a mass of yellow clouds. The yellow clouds, like fire, covered the sky, spreading with an astonishing speed towards them. Ahead of it was a dense, dark mass—a flock of birds being driven away by the yellow cloud. It was this yellow cloud that had scared away the Snake Hawk.

"Senior Brother, did you scare away the Snake Hawk?" The woman had finished refining the Snake Shadow Flower and was preparing to slowly absorb its medicinal power after ensuring safety. She walked up from behind, and seeing the Snake Hawk gone, she couldn't help but be surprised. Before she could finish, the woman noticed her senior brother's unusual expression. Following his gaze, she saw the rapidly approaching yellow cloud in the distance. Her body trembled, and her face showed deep fear as she whispered in despair, "Ghostfire Insect Cloud!"

"Quick, let's go!" The man grabbed the woman's arm, intending to flee using his movement technique, but unexpectedly felt a sudden pain in his palm as the woman forcibly broke free.

"Junior Sister..." The man turned back in astonishment, only to see the woman had already put distance between them. Clear tears streamed from her eyes, yet she looked at him with a resolute expression, shaking her head repeatedly. With the woman, both of them would surely die. If he went alone, there might be a slim chance of survival. After years of desperately searching for a cure, having just seen a glimmer of hope, they were immediately plunged into despair by the cruel reality.

Suddenly, an unfamiliar voice interjected between them. "I didn't expect to meet two such devoted lovers here; you make quite a pair." The two were startled and looked towards the sound, seeing a figure slowly materialize before the cave entrance. There was no fluctuation in his presence; had he not spoken, they would have remained completely unaware. At any other time, they would have been filled with fear and vigilance. At this moment, however, a glimmer of hope ignited in the man's eyes.

"Is this an insect cloud?" The newcomer was none other than Qin Sang, who was preparing to leave the valley.

"Reporting to Senior, this yellow cloud is indeed an insect cloud," the man replied with cupped hands, disregarding the woman's urging. "Inside the insect cloud are terrifying venomous insects called Ghost Insects. Countless Ghost Insects spew forth poisonous mist, appearing like fire and cloud, making it one of the three most dreadful insect plagues in the Sky Rift Valley: the Ghostfire Insect Cloud. When encountering a Ghostfire Insect Cloud, the only path is to flee for your life. If caught by it, one might have a slim chance of survival by taking a Turtle Breath Pill to feign death, then using a Fire Smoke Pill to ward off the poison, but the price of these pills..." The man spoke rapidly, his expression helpless by the end. Experienced Core Formation cultivators could afford these two pills, but he had just formed his Core and had spent nearly all his wealth for the information about the Snake Shadow Flower.

"Ghost Insects?" Qin Sang mused. Just as he expected, the languages of Central Plains and North Sea originated from the same source. The differences that had developed could be easily adapted to by cultivators with photographic memories, especially with the existence of comprehension spells specifically for such situations. Important texts in the cultivation world and ancient books unearthed in both regions were largely consistent. As far as Qin Sang knew, there were several types of spiritual insects that could form similar insect clouds, but 'Ghost Insects' were not among them. Qin Sang realized this must be a local term used by cultivators. His Heavenly Eye Butterfly could see through the insect cloud, but these were merely the poisonous clouds exhaled by the Ghost Insects; the poisonous clouds were expanding rapidly, while the main army of Ghost Insects was still behind. Wherever the poisonous cloud passed, it didn't devour all vegetation and living beings like a locust swarm, but the damage it caused was equally, if not more, severe. Upon contact with the poisonous cloud, plants withered, their vitality completely drained. Countless birds and beasts fled for their lives, but ultimately could not escape being engulfed by the poisonous cloud. In an instant, their vital energy was sucked away, leaving behind only shriveled remains. The poisonous cloud resembled a colossal monster, wantonly devouring the world's vitality, leaving behind only death wherever it passed. However, the Sky Rift Valley was no ordinary place; it could recover its former vitality in less than half a year.

Finally, the Heavenly Eye Butterfly found traces of the Ghost Insects deep within the poisonous cloud. "So, it's Corrosive Phosphorus Fireflies!" Qin Sang realized. This type of spiritual insect had limited combat strength on its own and wasn't suitable for use as a Gu worm. Too few would lack power, while controlling too many would place an immense burden on the cultivator, making it not worth the effort. However, when the Corrosive Phosphorus Firefly swarm reached a certain size, the poisonous cloud would undergo a transformation, becoming something that even high-level cultivators would retreat from. The larger the number, the more terrifying it became.

Seeing Qin Sang remain silent, the man grew extremely anxious. He opened his mouth, wanting to say something. Qin Sang, seeing through his thoughts, smiled and said, "I'm afraid we can't escape." The man froze, then flashed out of the stone cave. Looking behind them, he truly understood the taste of despair. Behind them, there was actually another insect cloud. The two insect clouds were converging on them, leaving no escape.

At this point, Qin Sang ignored the pair of lovers, cast out several formation flags, and set up a large formation within the stone cave to block all auras, while simultaneously summoning his Fat Silkworm. After consuming the Poisonous Frogeel's venom sac, the Fat Silkworm had been sound asleep. Qin Sang had previously worried it might undergo tribulation in the storm zone, but there were still no signs of a breakthrough. The spiritual formation was completed in an instant. The formation flags were enveloped by a faint, almost imperceptible shadow. Qin Sang flashed inside, his figure immediately vanishing. The Fat Silkworm, awakened, reluctantly exhaled an anti-poison aura that merged with the shadow.

"Get in here!" Qin Sang's voice reached their ears, sounding like heavenly music. The two, who had been on the brink of despair, were overjoyed. They cautiously entered the formation, their movements reserved.

"Junior Zhou Jin, and this is my junior sister Ruan Yu. Senior, we are eternally grateful for your life-saving kindness. We will never forget it throughout our lives, and even if we were to be pulverized, we couldn't repay it." Though the poisonous cloud hadn't arrived, he already believed Qin Sang could help them overcome this calamity.

Qin Sang cast a spell, conjuring a stone wall to block the cave entrance. He glanced at Ruan Yu, and seeing their uneasy expressions, said to the man, "A Core Formation cultivator like you can be somewhat useful. Since you want to repay me, just do one thing for me."

Zhou Jin gritted his teeth, "Senior, please tell me. I will do my utmost to repay you."

"No need to be so reluctant." Qin Sang said indifferently, "The Gui Water Essence Malice has invaded her heart meridian... No, that's not right! It has already merged with the malevolent energy. It seems the malice entered her body as a fetus, leaving a root cause for illness. She managed to achieve Foundation Establishment due to a blessing in disguise that altered her physique, but she doesn't have many years left to live. This spiritual medicine will only alleviate the symptoms for a while; she cannot escape death."

Qin Sang's words were cold and cruel. However, instead of being alarmed, the two were overjoyed, and immediately knelt down, "Senior, please save us!"

"I do have a pill recipe that can suppress the malevolent energy, but there's only a thirty percent chance of completely eliminating the hidden danger. This pill isn't difficult to refine, and I can give you the recipe, provided you complete the task well." Qin Sang shifted his attention to outside the stone cave. The insect cloud had arrived. The poisonous cloud could even penetrate the stone, invading and plundering all vitality, but it was firmly blocked by the Fat Silkworm's anti-poison armor.

Hearing this, Zhou Jin and Ruan Yu exchanged glances. They weren't sure if this senior was trustworthy, but he was their only straw to cling to for survival. Furthermore, Qin Sang hadn't exaggerated the medicinal effects, subtly adding to his credibility. Ruan Yu tightly clasped Zhou Jin's hand, her heart filled with worry. Zhou Jin, however, no longer hesitated. "We will obey Senior's every command!"

Qin Sang took out a blank jade slip. "With your cultivation level, you are qualified to leave the Northern Barrens and travel. Go to the Nineteen Misty States and gather some information for me. Place names might have changed, so find a way to verify them yourself..." Before he finished speaking, Qin Sang paused, letting out a soft 'Eh?' The Fat Silkworm, which had been lazily lying in his palm, suddenly became agitated for some reason. It rolled over, shaking its head and tail, urging Qin Sang to leave the stone cave. Something outside seemed to be attracting it.