Chapter 1559: Spirit Illusion Seed

"Fellow Daoist Lu, will the Stone Toad flee its nest due to external threats?"

After searching for a long time with no success, Qin Sang couldn't help but voice his doubts. The threat he referred to was precisely the swarm of Corpse Flame Moths. After killing that group of moths, they continued their search, only to find many tunnels completely silent, with no living creature remaining. As expected, the Corpse Flame Moths had likely massacred everything. The moth swarm had no natural predators here, and their widespread slaughter posed a deadly threat to the creatures in the area. Spiritually sensitive insect-beasts must have already migrated away. During their search, they also did their best to suppress their Nascent Soul aura.

Lu Zhang frowned. "The Corpse Flame Moths shouldn't be able to discern the Stone Toad's disguise. Unless they extensively destroy this environment, the Stone Toad should not be startled away. Although there are no explicit records, I suspect that before the Stone Toad matures, its nest plays an irreplaceable role for it."

"A Stone Toad?"

The gray-robed man in the distance rubbed his chin, pondering for a moment, unable to recall the Stone Toad's origin. Figuring the pair wouldn't be leaving soon, he retreated underground to report the matter to the grotesque-faced man. "...One is an elder from Mount Bunian, and the other is unfamiliar, but their cultivation is considerable; both are at the mid-Nascent Soul stage. They are searching for a Stone Toad, though I'm unsure what kind of treasure it is."

The grotesque-faced man remained silent. The gray-robed man waited for a moment, then tentatively spoke, "Master, these two have traveled a long way, so this treasure must be of extremely high value..." He was unconcerned about offending Mount Bunian in the process. The sect leader of Mount Bunian was, at best, an equal to his master. If they seized it, they seized it; what could Mount Bunian do about it?

The grotesque-faced man remained noncommittal, pondering for a long time before slowly remarking, "If it truly is that type of spiritual creature, it would be an excellent candidate for a Gu-beast, with potential far surpassing your Five-colored Poisonous Spider..." The gray-robed man was overjoyed at these words.

The grotesque-faced man stood up, reached out and grabbed the Jade Armor Beetle in front of him, then flicked his sleeve, confining the remaining Corpse Flame Moths within the area. He then sealed the formation, erased their traces, and stepped outside. The gray-robed man hurriedly followed.

The grotesque-faced man moved unhurriedly. First, he went to the site where Qin Sang and the others had massacred the Corpse Flame Moths, scanned the area, and then instructed the gray-robed man to continue tracking their target.

"They're still searching!" the gray-robed man exclaimed, delighted.

However, the grotesque-faced man showed no immediate intention of acting. He calmly followed his disciple, focusing on refining the Jade Armor Beetle, merely instructing the gray-robed man to have the Five-colored Poisonous Spider keep a close watch.

Seeing this, the gray-robed man understood his master's intent: simply to seize the Stone Toad at the opportune moment. There was no need to kill anyone, and engaging in a life-or-death struggle offered no benefit. One of the opponents came from a renowned sect, and the other's strength was certainly not inferior; they were not to be trifled with. Anticipating the imminent acquisition of a Gu-beast with immense potential, the gray-robed man chafed his hands together, concentrating on controlling the Five-colored Poisonous Spider.

Meanwhile, Qin Sang and Lu Zhang had already searched over seventy percent of the area, and nearly two months had passed since they entered the basin. They took turns searching, so neither felt particularly fatigued. They encountered no more large swarms of Corpse Flame Moths, eliminating any fatal threats. However, after spending so much time, if there was no reward in the end, it would inevitably be disheartening. Lu Zhang's confidence had also waned considerably.

Inside the dark tunnels, the two activated the Treasure Bell, moving through the spiderweb-like passages. Listening to the monotonous ringing, they advanced in silence.It was time for another rotation, and the Treasure Bell was handed to Qin Sang.*Ding-a-ling-ling…*

Qin Sang found amusement in their predicament, feeling like a peddler with a hand bell, hawking wares as he roamed the streets. When he shared this thought with Lu Zhang, both burst into laughter. Their laughter echoed through the dark tunnels.

Suddenly, Qin Sang's smile vanished. He let out a soft exclamation, his eyes fixed intently on a side wall like bolts of lightning. At the same time, the true essence within his body circulated at full power, pouring without reservation into the Treasure Bell.*RING! RING! RING!*The Treasure Bell vibrated wildly, its rapid rings piercingly loud. The treasure light suddenly surged, rushing forth like a tide.

Under the illumination of the treasure light, the stone wall became visible in every detail. The wall was smooth and flat, seemingly blank, but after being bathed in the Treasure Bell's light, the area's light appeared strangely distorted. Immediately afterward, subtle, circular lines emerged on the grayish-black stone wall, faintly outlining a thumb-sized, frog-like pattern.It was the Stone Toad!The instant it was illuminated by the treasure light, the Stone Toad sensed danger. Its hind legs twitched, and then the pattern on the stone wall vanished at an extremely fast speed.

The Stone Toad was not merely disguised as a stone; rather, its entire body was integrated into the rock, allowing it to move freely within the stone wall and master earth escape art. This was completely unlike what Lu Zhang had previously described. When fleeing for its life, the Stone Toad proved surprisingly swift!

Lu Zhang reacted swiftly. The instant Qin Sang discovered the Stone Toad's trace, Lu Zhang darted out from behind him, and a streak of green light shot forth from his brow, transforming into a small green bell. The green bell rapidly expanded at a visible rate. With a resounding *boom*, the stone wall was directly shattered by the impact of the green bell.

Not only were the nearby tunnels penetrated, but all the surrounding stone walls were obliterated by Lu Zhang. The impact even extended to the upper and lower directions, fracturing all connecting rocks. In an instant, a man-made spherical cavern appeared underground.

Qin Sang and Lu Zhang cooperated seamlessly. As the stone wall was pierced, the Treasure Bell flew high, its treasure light radiating in all directions, illuminating the entire area. Debris splattered, and dust billowed.

With its path blocked, the Stone Toad was forced out from among the rocks. On its back, a faint purple glow flickered, indicating that it had already begun its metamorphosis into a Purple-patterned Spirit Toad, but they had found it before the transformation was complete.

The Stone Toad flashed, merging into a rock, then rapidly hopped between the rocks, fleeing downwards. Unfortunately, it had been locked down, and its illusionary arts could not be deployed.*Bang bang bang...*

Lu Zhang's green bell exuded an imposing aura, shaking countless broken stones into powder and forcefully carving out a wide passage. The bell tilted slightly, aimed at the Stone Toad, and shot forth an eerie green light beam. Just as the Stone Toad was about to be captured by the green bell, an unexpected turn of events occurred.

From below, the dust suddenly billowed, and a pale hand reached out, attempting to seize the Stone Toad first. The prized creature they had sought was within reach, yet an uninvited guest had appeared.Lu Zhang roared in fury, "How dare you!"The green bell vibrated wildly, heavy as a thousand tons, and directly slammed towards the hand.

The grotesque-faced man's figure appeared right after his hand. Looking at the green bell, a sneer played on his lips. He opened his mouth and spat out a wooden bead, which flew towards the green bell, while simultaneously seizing the Stone Toad in his hand, clenching his fingers tightly!However, he failed to notice that, at that very moment, the Treasure Bell's light had already dimmed. Qin Sang, seeing the dire situation and having no time to assist, had decisively retracted the magical artifact capable of dispelling illusions.The next moment, the grotesque-faced man's smile froze. He looked down at his palm. Instead of a Stone Toad, his palm held a Spirit Illusion Flower. Its petals withered in an instant, leaving only a single Spirit Illusion Seed.