Chapter 1558: The Gu King

A faint light dispelled the darkness, revealing a figure.

Compared to the complex passages, the space here wasn't cramped, but the miasma was exceptionally dense; one could clearly hear it flowing. The figure was enveloped by the miasma, its face indistinct, exuding a chilling aura. He sat cross-legged on a stone, beneath which countless intricate runes were carved. The winding runes resembled innumerable venomous snakes and insects crawling across the entire ground, a sight that made one's scalp tingle. These bizarre runes formed an array, with their energies converging above the figure's head. Upon closer inspection, a faint, spider-like insect shadow could be discerned. Its body was colorful, similar to the miasma, and its aura was extremely subtle.

In front of the figure, another spirit insect hovered. This was a beetle-like spirit insect, whose wings closely resembled those of a Corpse Flame Moth, but otherwise differed significantly from ordinary Corpse Flame Moths. It was also a size larger than the Corpse Flame Moths Qin Sang and Lu Zhang had encountered, ethereal and transparent, as if carved from unpolished jade. Far from being ugly, those who saw it would be captivated, mistaking it for a masterpiece of art. As the figure hummed, a rustling sound filled the space, emanating from this jade beetle.

A large swarm of ordinary Corpse Flame Moths surrounded the jade beetle. Though encircled by Corpse Flame Moths, it acted extremely arrogantly, chewing incessantly, consuming the bodies of the very moths surrounding it. The Corpse Flame Moths greatly feared the jade beetle; despite their numbers, they cowered, daring not to attack it, allowing it to prey among them as it pleased. After devouring some Corpse Flame Moths, the jade beetle lazily flew back to the figure. Simultaneously, the colorful spider above twitched its long legs, activating the array, which drew in the purest toxic miasma. This, in conjunction with the figure, refined the jade beetle.

The array was, in fact, being controlled by someone else. The miasma subtly rippled, and a figure in a grey robe rose from the shadows, asking in a low voice, "Master, what happened?" The colorful spider was the grey-robed figure's spirit insect. Inside the array, the jade beetle emitted a fiery glow similar to that of a Corpse Flame Moth, illuminating the figure's face within the formation. An ordinary person seeing his face would surely gasp in horror. He was incredibly hideous, his face covered in wound-like red marks, resembling numerous crimson centipedes clinging there, each engorged and vivid. His features seemed to be squeezed and distorted within a centipede's nest, appearing extremely grotesque.

The monstrous-faced man slit one of the red marks on his face, squeezed out a drop of fresh blood, and fed it to the jade beetle, his lips moving as he spoke in a hoarse voice, "The largest swarm of Corpse Flame Moths is dead, slaughtered." His tone was completely flat, merely stating a fact, betraying no emotion.

The grey-robed figure's expression subtly changed. "That swarm of Corpse Flame Moths numbered in the tens of thousands. They were the largest batch of live sacrifices prepared for the Gu King, and it will take a significant amount of time to cultivate them again from scratch. There shouldn't be anything underground in this area capable of slaughtering Corpse Flame Moths. Could those previous short-sighted individuals have somehow attracted some old expert here? I'll go up and investigate..."

"Go up, and take your venomous spider with you." The monstrous-faced man hesitated for a moment before saying, "The Gu King is not yet complete; this matter is paramount. These Corpse Flame Moths died too quickly. If some troublesome individual happened to pass by, do not cause further complications; we will settle accounts with them later. Otherwise, kill them both and use them as nourishment."

"As you command, Master!" The grey-robed figure bowed, then reached out and beckoned the colorful spider from above the array into his palm. He flashed into the toxic miasma, clearly very familiar with the area, passing through tunnel after tunnel without hesitation, approaching the location where the Corpse Flame Moths had been killed. Just as he was about to reach it, the grey-robed figure stopped, extended his hand, and released the colorful venomous spider, uttering a low command, "Go!"

The colorful venomous spider arched its long legs, its body sprang up, and it darted into the depths of the miasma. It didn't need to touch the ground; it could hover within the miasma, its body perfectly blending with it, its eight long legs moving rapidly, scurrying at high speed. Despite its speed, it created not the slightest ripple in the miasma, making it incredibly difficult to detect. The colorful venomous spider went a certain distance ahead before the grey-robed figure leisurely followed. He could share perceptions with the colorful venomous spider. Before long, he saw a scene of utter devastation in the stone passage. A thick layer of Corpse Flame Moth corpses piled on the ground; the culprits were long gone. Seeing this sight, the grey-robed figure felt a surge of silent anger and ordered the colorful venomous spider to track along the traces.

Not long before, Qin Sang's avatar and Lu Zhang, working together, quickly slaughtered all the Corpse Flame Moths. The entire basin, including the underground spaces, was vast, and the area they searched was only a small fraction. No one could say how many Corpse Flame Moths grew there. These Corpse Flame Moths were ferocious; if a few escaped and led more swarms from their nests, it would be a significant nuisance, so they naturally held nothing back. Qin Sang still vividly remembered the Corroding Phosphor Firefly King from Sky-Rift Valley. Unfortunately, despite the large number of Corpse Flame Moths, no Insect King had been born among them. Individual Corpse Flame Moths were weak and of little value; their toxic powder also lost its potency after death.

After slaughtering this swarm of Corpse Flame Moths, neither Qin Sang nor Lu Zhang paid them much mind. They activated the Treasured Bell and proceeded to the next passage to continue their search for stone toads. The two were completely unaware of the developing situation underground. The fluctuations of the Treasured Bell here were as conspicuous as a burning candle. Qin Sang and Lu Zhang were both well aware of this, and even though a month had passed, their vigilance had not diminished in the slightest; they remained constantly on guard.

Despite their strong cultivation, they failed to detect a colorful venomous spider quietly tracking them. The colorful venomous spider was almost a part of the miasma itself; even if spiritual sense swept through the area, it would be extremely difficult to see through its disguise. Moreover, under the grey-robed figure's control, the colorful venomous spider cleverly maintained its distance from Qin Sang and the others. Instead of trailing directly behind them, it used its familiarity with the terrain to track them from a distance, several passages away. This way, even if Qin Sang and Lu Zhang left any traps in their path, the colorful venomous spider would not encounter them. As long as the Treasured Bell was active, there was no fear of losing track. While floating in the miasma, the colorful venomous spider's front legs swayed rhythmically, as if manipulating an invisible thread. Even from such a distance, it could use the miasma to spy on the enemy's movements.

The grey-robed figure located the two culprits who had slaughtered the Corpse Flame Moths and discovered they were both Mid-Nascent Soul cultivators. After tracking them for a while and confirming they weren't targeting them, the grey-robed figure recalled his master's instructions, and a desire to retreat gradually arose in his heart. However, the grey-robed figure noticed that these two seemed to be searching for something.

"Huh? This person seems familiar... he's an elder from Bùniàn Mountain! My master and I have cultivated so many Corpse Flame Moths here, yet we never found any treasures that could attract them from thousands of miles away?" the grey-robed figure murmured to himself. He had originally intended to cease his activities, but this piqued his interest greatly.