Chapter 1557: Corpse Flame Moth

Two mountains stood close together, appearing like a pair of intertwined lovers from a certain angle. Local cultivators called them the Male and Female Mountains.

The pass of the Male and Female Mountains was one of the safe paths into the basin, discovered by local cultivators over countless years. A group of low-level cultivators gathered on the mountains. The miasma in the basin had a regular pattern: it rose at night and descended during the day. Nighttime was the most dangerous.

At sunset, 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 elixirs, could last longer in the miasma, but even they would eventually need to exit and recover. The Male and Female Mountains were once glorious, having hosted a bustling market of moderate size. However, as resources in the area were depleted, it gradually declined, and the merchant guilds relocated. Now, only these low-level cultivators remained, struggling to make a living. The old grandeur was gone.

They entered the dilapidated market, found a few empty rooms, took out various bottles, jars, and herbs, and boiled them into a medicinal soup. Each person drank a bowl, and immediately sweat poured from them, expelling the miasma toxins from their bodies. They had performed similar actions countless times, making them highly proficient. Everyone recovered their spirits, chatting and laughing while sorting through their recent gains.

"Alas! Herbal resources around the Male and Female Mountains are diminishing. This time, our harvest is only eighty percent of what it was last time. At this rate, when will we ever be able to exchange for a dose of Spirit Transformation Powder?" The leader, a sturdy man, looked dejected.

"Heh heh, even with Spirit Transformation Powder to break through the tenth level of the Qi Condensation stage, you still need to gather spirit stones to buy a Foundation Establishment Pill, and one might not even guarantee a breakthrough. If it's this hard for you, Boss, we dare not even dream of it. We're content to earn some wealth, go back, marry eight or ten wives, and be lucky enough to have talented children," someone joked.

"That's easy! If we find a single Spirit Illusion Flower, we'll be rich, and a few Foundation Establishment Pills would be nothing. Isn't there a legend about a guy who got a top-grade Spirit Illusion Flower seed? It's said the merchant guild that acquired it immediately sold it to a prominent figure for dozens of times the price. Even so, that guy made a fortune and simply moved his whole family away," the team's second-in-command said, his face filled with envy.

Someone nearby spat, "Second Brother, you're always talking nonsense. It's true that the Spirit Illusion Flower is precious, but it only appears when the miasma is at its most volatile. With our current cultivation, we wouldn't even know how we died if we went in..."

Before he could finish speaking, the room door suddenly creaked open from the outside, and two people walked in.

Everyone was startled, grabbing their respective magic tools as if facing a formidable enemy. The sturdy leader scrutinized the two uninvited guests. The more he looked, the more alarmed he became. He held back his companions, stepped forward, and cupped his hands, saying, "To meet is destiny. The night wind is cold. If you two friends are looking for lodging, I'll have my brothers share a room with you."

The newcomers were indeed Qin Sang and Lu Zhang. Lu Zhang was eager to find traces of the Stone Toad and had no patience for pleasantries. He merely released a wisp of true essence, causing the group to collapse in disarray, leaving only the sturdy man, whose face was filled with terror.

"Where exactly do the Spirit Illusion Flowers you just mentioned appear?"

The sturdy man's legs turned to jelly, and his voice trembled, "Reporting, Senior, we've only heard rumors. We've heard they don't appear in a fixed spot each time, but generally, it's in the central area of the basin. If Senior wants more precise information, there's a market eight hundred li to the west, where someone will surely know..."

Lu Zhang nodded slightly, tossed a few spirit stones to the sturdy man, and turned to leave. Qin Sang remembered something and interjected, "Do you know what god is worshipped in the nearby villages?"

The sturdy man thought for a moment, then cautiously replied, "Senior is referring to the Gu God Cult, aren't you? I've heard of it; it's something those traveling merchants use to accumulate wealth and fool mortals. They spread the Gu God Cult everywhere, and under its guise, sell hallucinogenic herbs at exorbitant prices to those villages... We don't believe in it."

No wonder those mortals were so fanatical. Consuming hallucinogenic herbs, with their bodies affected by the medicinal power year after year, combined with psychological suggestion, even the simplest talisman water could have some effect later on. If mortals consumed such drugs all day, their bodies would have long since broken down. It only spread among mortals, yet its upper echelons included Nascent Soul protectors. Such a disconnect – could they truly be the same organization? Qin Sang secretly found it strange.

The two left the Male and Female Mountains, entered the market, made a few inquiries, and then, braving the dense miasma, immediately entered the basin. The Stone Toad's intervals for emerging to absorb purple qi could sometimes last for decades. Furthermore, Lu Zhang judged that this Stone Toad was close to maturity and could transform and flee at any time, so they couldn't just wait outside.

The Stone Toad's spore-spreading area had a certain range, so its main body must be hidden within this vicinity. However, the area was not small, requiring a thorough search, and they were unsure if it was on the surface or underground. It was said that the basin's underside was riddled with tunnels, extending in all directions, and was the source of the miasma, making it extremely dangerous.

Qin Sang and Lu Zhang plunged directly into the ground. Miasma rushed at them, so they activated their true essence to form a protective shield. Looking up again, the dense miasma had blocked out the moonlight. Both their vision and spiritual senses were affected.

Based on the information he had gathered, Lu Zhang outlined a rough area. After swiftly traversing through the miasma for a while, he reached their target and took out the Treasure Bell. In the open basin, the bell's sound seemed even clearer. A luminous halo formed from the treasure's light, spreading far and wide. Lu Zhang could contain the bell's sound nearby, but he couldn't conceal the fluctuations of its light; otherwise, the Treasure Bell would lose its illusion-breaking effect. Ordinary treasures could not discern the Stone Toad's disguise.

They had contacted several merchant guilds along the way but hadn't found any magic treasures to their satisfaction, so they could only rely on the Treasure Bell. There was no need to separate; one person would operate the Treasure Bell while the other kept watch, alternating roles. Lu Zhang held the Treasure Bell in his palm, nodded to Qin Sang, and began the search.

Qin Sang kept a distance of several zhang from Lu Zhang. When Lu Zhang wasn't paying attention, he lowered his true essence shield and deliberately drew a wisp of miasma into his body. The miasma circulated within his body, but Qin Sang felt no significant discomfort. Evidently, this type of miasma inflicted the most damage on the physical body, but his avatar was a Spirit Wood body, which could, to a certain extent, be immune to such harm. This was a significant advantage for their subsequent actions.

Qin Sang estimated that the likelihood of finding the Stone Toad on the surface was low; they would definitely need to delve deep underground. The underground environment was narrow and cramped, being the source of the miasma. Resisting the miasma while maintaining the Treasure Bell was a considerable burden. Not to mention the poisonous beasts and insects hidden underground, which would also be attracted by the Treasure Bell's fluctuations and attack them. Besides them, few dared to enter the depths of the basin at this time.

They searched all night without encountering a third person. During this time, they indeed attracted many venomous creatures, all of which Qin Sang easily dealt with. By dawn the next day, the miasma began to recede. Even at its lowest point, a layer still remained on the ground, so their pressure did not decrease. However, their movements were more cautious than during the night. They had already ascertained that while this wasn't the cultivation ground of a powerful cultivator, Southern State had no shortage of Nascent Soul forces. Too much disturbance would attract the attention of local powers and create complications.

The two alternated roles several times, finally completing a search of the surface. As expected, they found no trace of the Stone Toad and eventually arrived at the entrance of an underground tunnel. The entire basin was dotted with such entrances, covered by humus. Once brushed aside, they became visible. Some were as narrow as rock crevices, while others were wide enough for dozens of people to enter. Every entrance was filled with miasma, which would continuously spew out of them at night.

"Let's go down from here," Lu Zhang said.

Qin Sang nodded, handed the Treasure Bell to Lu Zhang, and took out spirit stones to hold in his hand, restoring his true essence. The path they chose was neither too wide nor too narrow. It was said that all underground tunnels were connected, rarely leading to dead ends, so entering from any point was the same. Even during the day, few cultivators dared to venture underground. The depth of the underground tunnels remained undetermined. Qin Sang and the others prepared to measure it themselves.

They committed to one direction, traversing tunnel after tunnel, constantly descending. They had lost count of how deep they had gone when they finally reached a tunnel that might or might not have been its end. The miasma here was as thick as water, like an underground river formed by miasma. Qin Sang was fine, but Lu Zhang had to expend more true essence to resist the miasma.

Qin Sang felt a slight headache. "To search this entire area will probably take two or three months. I just hope that Stone Toad hasn't moved around randomly."

Lu Zhang hadn't anticipated such trouble. He said helplessly, "Before maturing, the Stone Toad can only move by instinct, so it's not fast and generally won't leave the nest where it was born... It will delay Senior Daoist for a while longer."

Qin Sang shook his head. "Since I promised Fellow Daoist Lu, I will certainly see this through to the end."

The two said no more and quietly began their work. The underground tunnels crisscrossed. Some were straight, others curved, their paths unpredictable. Fortunately, both were Nascent Soul cultivators, so no matter how complex the terrain, it couldn't confuse them. Qin Sang constructed a topographical map in his mind. Days passed, and the map gradually became more detailed, with each tunnel becoming clearer.

A month passed in the blink of an eye. They had searched nearly half the area but still found no trace of the Stone Toad. However, both were resolute individuals and would not be deterred. There were also some gains. Qin Sang obtained many bones and poisonous cores of venomous beasts and insects, intending to see if his Fat Silkworm liked any of them. Seeing Qin Sang's interest in these items, Lu Zhang gave them all to him.

The two passed through a tunnel several thousand zhang long. Its end connected to a stone path, which was the widest of all the tunnels they had traversed so far. After a brief observation, Lu Zhang activated the Treasure Bell and stepped into the stone path first. Qin Sang followed behind. The treasure's light illuminated one side of the stone wall, and the bell's sound echoed only around the two of them. They walked silently, like travelers with lanterns.

After walking for a while, a suspicious look appeared in Qin Sang's eyes. He suddenly called out to Lu Zhang, "Fellow Daoist Lu, this place isn't normal. We've walked for so long, yet we haven't seen a single poisonous insect or beast."

Lu Zhang stopped, his expression growing a little more solemn. Based on their experience, the most likely reason for this situation was that there was a nest of an insect or beast king nearby, and other creatures dared not approach its territory. During this time, the strongest venomous beast they had encountered was a poisonous python at the mid-Demon Core stage. Could there be a Great Demon at the Transformation Stage or a fourth-transformation spiritual insect here? The creatures inhabiting this place were likely skilled in poison manipulation, making their threat significantly greater in this unique environment. They dared not be overconfident.

Lu Zhang reduced the range of the Treasure Bell. Qin Sang gripped the Snow Treader Divine Blade in his palm. They continued for another distance without encountering any attacks. Just as they were about to exit the stone path, a faint rustling sound suddenly came from deep within the miasma, very slight, like scales scraping against the ground. Lu Zhang reacted extremely quickly, grabbing and pressing down on the Treasure Bell. Qin Sang's footsteps immediately halted.

The two exchanged a glance, communicated a few words via spiritual transmission. Lu Zhang went ahead to scout, while Qin Sang held the Snow Treader Divine Blade in a reverse grip, secretly preparing his Mysterious Qi Great Hand. The two, one in front and one behind, walked a short distance and saw a faint yellow firelight ahead. The firelight flickered. After a few more steps, they finally saw what was ahead clearly.

It was indeed a ball of fire. This ball of flame floated above the ground, expanding and contracting. The flames enveloped a poisonous spider the size of a human head, its aura weak, on the verge of death. The flames clung tightly to the spider's body, burning through its exoskeleton. The poisonous spider felt pain, its body convulsing, but it couldn't resist the flames. In a blink of an eye, its flesh and blood were completely consumed by the fire, leaving only its outer shell.

Lu Zhang frowned, momentarily unable to recall the origin of this flame.

"It's a Corpseflame Moth!" Qin Sang said. He had collected many secret manuals on insect manipulation and recognized this as a type of venomous insect. Like Rotten Phosphor Fireflies, Corpseflame Moths were gregarious spiritual insects. They gathered and dispersed like fire, their light being a disguise; it was actually poisonous powder on their bodies, containing potent venom.

The ball of fire detached from the spider's corpse. Faintly, within the firelight, dozens of fingernail-sized yellow moths could be seen, huddled together like the heart of the flame.

"A swarm of Corpseflame Moths. How many are there?" Lu Zhang asked in a deep voice.

Qin Sang hesitated, "It varies. From hundreds to thousands, or even..."

Before he could finish, the miasma ahead suddenly turbulent, and faint yellow firelights lit up one after another, densely packed. There were thousands of them visible to the naked eye. Only in such a poisonous miasma-filled place could so many Corpseflame Moths be nurtured!

"They've found us," Lu Zhang exclaimed. A halo of light burst from his body, sweeping through the surrounding void. "Poison powder!"

A buzzing sound suddenly grew louder. In the enclosed underground space, the sound seemed powerful enough to pierce eardrums. Instantly, all the firelights converged into a single mass, then surged towards them, instinctively devouring any living creature they encountered. The stone path was brightly lit by the firelight. Endless poisonous powder swept towards them like a hurricane. It was hard to imagine that such individually weak Corpseflame Moths could launch such an astonishing assault.

Without a word, Qin Sang lightly flicked his wrist. The Snow Treader Divine Blade shot out a cold gleam, carving a path of snow. The sharp blade energy effortlessly sliced the firelight in two. The bodies of the Corpseflame Moths were frozen into ice fragments, falling to the ground, but the swarm remained unaffected, separating and rejoining, charging forward relentlessly.

Lu Zhang's movements were also swift. A green light flashed from his brow, then his entire body was enveloped in this green light, finally covering Qin Sang as well, forming a large cyan ancient bell. The ancient bell protected them, and the green light rolled back towards the insect swarm. Cooperating with the Snow Treader Divine Blade, it split the swarm apart.

Just as they were fighting fiercely with the swarm, deep underground, in an unknown location, a furious snort echoed in the darkness.