Chapter 2328: Reunion

Mortal World

Two ancient insects, one capable of spewing a Withering Wind and the other emitting Yellow Clouds imbued with devouring power, were perfectly matched adversaries. However, Qin Sang, an innocent bystander, was suffering from being inadvertently caught in their conflict.

These two ancient insects were merely projections, likely from a battle that occurred countless years ago. They seemed to ignore Qin Sang, yet every one of their attacks inevitably swept him in.

Qin Sang dared not strike rashly and could only rely on his spirit insects. Any direct intervention might provoke a backlash from the world itself, further complicating the situation and worsening his plight.

Humans are inherently self-serving, often prioritizing their own preservation. However, Qin Sang knew that if his spirit insects perished, he would be utterly helpless. Striking the right balance tested his wisdom. For the spirit insects, dodging the attacks from the ancient insect projections while simultaneously protecting their master was an immense challenge.

For a time, under the cover of night, the Withering Wind and Yellow Clouds collided repeatedly, and a silver electric light darted agilely through the gaps between them.

The Heaven-Eyed Butterfly, having mutated by absorbing lightning, not only knew how to unleash bolts but had also instinctively mastered a thunder-escape-like ability. Its speed was remarkable, though it had never had a chance to demonstrate it fully while by Qin Sang's side. Now, carrying Qin Sang, it continuously weaved and dodged, appearing to be in mortal peril yet always narrowly escaping danger with extraordinary precision.

By now, they had moved far from their original location, but the ancient insect projections' battlefield followed them, their clash spanning from one mountain to another.

Realizing escape from the ancient insect projections' battlefield was impossible, Qin Sang abandoned any attempts to flee. Instead, he concentrated on observing their fight, noting how they materialized and vanished abruptly with each appearance. This wasn't due to invisibility spells, but rather a characteristic of the ancient insect projections themselves.

A thought sparked in Qin Sang's mind: though they were projections, they might not be invincible. Otherwise, if he couldn't determine how long these projections would persist and had no means to counter them, were they doomed to simply endure the attacks?

With this in mind, Qin Sang began searching for an opportune moment to act. As their predicament wasn't yet critical, he continued observing for a while longer before finally pinpointing the perfect timing.

At that moment, the two ancient insects had just finished a round of combat, and a new one was about to begin. The figure of the Horned Locust had just materialized in the void, directly in front of him.

"Whoosh!"

The Withering Wind blew directly towards him.

Confronted by the incoming attack, Qin Sang abruptly separated from the Heaven-Eyed Butterfly. The strange insect in his hand unleashed a seven-colored poisonous light, forming a glowing path beneath Qin Sang. As he stepped onto it, he felt a force propel him rapidly away, narrowly missing the Withering Wind.

Simultaneously, the Heaven-Eyed Butterfly, unburdened, flickered and appeared directly before the Horned Locust. Its pair of celestial eyes glared at the Horned Locust, unleashing dazzling thunderous light. A bolt of lightning then fiercely struck the Horned Locust.

Though seemingly slender, this lightning bolt's power was no less than the Withering Wind, rending the air as it struck.

At that precise moment, as the Horned Locust was about to vanish, Qin Sang fixed his gaze upon it. If the Horned Locust retaliated, it would signify something more than a mere projection, and they would need to drastically alter their strategy.

Unexpectedly, the Heaven-Eyed Butterfly's lightning easily struck the Horned Locust. The Horned Locust's body stiffened, emitting a piercing shriek, and the Withering Wind it controlled began to dissipate. Just then, the centipede spat out Yellow Clouds, which forcefully scattered the Withering Wind and engulfed the Horned Locust.

The Horned Locust didn't die from the lightning strike but was left paralyzed. Now enveloped by the Yellow Clouds, its shriek transformed into a mournful wail, its aura rapidly diminished, and it lost all capacity to resist.

With the Horned Locust's demise now certain, Qin Sang closely observed the centipede's movements.

"Oh?"

Qin Sang perceived an unsettling change: unlike the Horned Locust, the centipede's aura was subtly growing stronger, filling him with an ominous premonition.

"Kill it!"

Qin Sang's eyes narrowed, and he made a swift decision. The strange insect flew from his hand, and the Heaven-Eyed Butterfly changed course, both pouncing on the centipede.

The two spirit insects converged, poisonous smoke and lightning assailing the centipede almost simultaneously.

"Roar!"

Despite its relatively small size, the centipede's roar was deafening, like a lion's. Suddenly, the two antennae on its head twitched—they appeared to be its eyes—"looking" at the strange insect and the Heaven-Eyed Butterfly respectively, as if only just now registering the presence of these two adversaries.

As the centipede's gaze fixed on them, Qin Sang, through the connection with his Heaven-Eyed Butterfly and the strange insect, felt shivers run down his spine.

His unease intensified, and Qin Sang resolved not to hold back. The Heaven-Eyed Butterfly and the strange insect encircled the centipede from left and right, repeatedly striking it with lightning and poisonous smoke.

Instantly, the centipede's body writhed, roaring repeatedly, its cries filled with pain and fury.

"Kill!"

Qin Sang's gaze was ruthless.

The Heaven-Eyed Butterfly and the strange insect showed no mercy, closing in for the kill.

Suddenly besieged, the centipede was wounded immediately. Under the exquisite coordination of the two spirit insects, its injuries steadily worsened.

Just then, the Horned Locust's aura vanished as it finally perished. The very next moment, the centipede's aura surged dramatically!

What was astonishing was that in a short span, the centipede's aura soared by a full thirty percent, showing no signs of stopping.

Witnessing this, Qin Sang was startled and began to grasp the pattern of these ancient insect projections: upon the death of one, its cultivation would be absorbed by the other. If the remaining insect then lost its adversary, even if they didn't act proactively, they would likely become its next target.

With the Horned Locust's death, the centipede benefited. If the cultivation of both ancient insects were to merge into one, their combined strength would be far more than merely doubled; Qin Sang and his insects would face a truly terrifying adversary.

This implied that in similar future encounters, the timing of their strike would be crucial—neither too early nor too late. Ideally, both ancient insects should be eliminated simultaneously, though many mysteries about this place remained unsolved.

Fortunately, Qin Sang gave a decisive command. Although the centipede's power had surged, its existing injuries remained. The Heaven-Eyed Butterfly and the strange insect intensified their assault. The centipede roared relentlessly, seething with fury. It should have been reveling in its newfound power, but these two aggravating pests relentlessly harassed it.

"Whoosh!"

A mass of Yellow Clouds materialized, swiftly expanding towards the Heaven-Eyed Butterfly and the strange insect.

The Heaven-Eyed Butterfly was well-prepared. A silver electric net appeared in the void, suddenly contracting inward, effectively suppressing the Yellow Clouds.

Simultaneously, the strange insect advanced instead of retreating. It possessed three distinctively shaped eyes on its head, and these three peculiar eyes stared intently at the centipede, projecting a gaze so potent it materialized into an identical illusion of the centipede.

The strange insect shook its head and tail, burrowing into the tail of the centipede's illusion. As the illusion vanished, the centipede's body stiffened, and it let out an earth-shattering shriek.

Qin Sang observed from the sidelines, seemingly passive, yet the tactics employed by his two spirit insects were entirely his devising.

With that successful strike, the centipede's injuries became even more severe, making its demise a simple matter.

Just as Qin Sang was about to press his advantage, he suddenly turned, his eyes catching an unusual spiritual light flickering deep within the mountains.

"That is..."

Qin Sang's gaze sharpened. Sensing the fluctuations emanating from afar, he realized it was likely another cultivator caught in a similar predicament.

In the vast night sky, the two unexpectedly encountered each other, both plagued by the same inescapable trouble. As Qin Sang discovered the other individual, the other naturally detected Qin Sang's presence as well. The spiritual light suddenly halted, immediately changing direction, clearly indicating a desire to avoid an encounter with Qin Sang.

At this juncture, Qin Sang, even amidst the chaos, instructed the Heaven-Eyed Butterfly to use its divine eye ability for a quick look. Upon seeing a figure within the spiritual light, he was greatly surprised.

"It's her?"

It was Yu Ling from the Heavenly Foolish Clan, who had also been drawn into the ancient insect battlefield, with insect shadows intermittently appearing and disappearing beside her.

"How is she here? Is it a coincidence, or..."

Qin Sang's brow furrowed as he vaguely deduced a few things, and his gaze turned cold.

Throughout this period, the Heaven-Eyed Butterfly and the strange insect maintained their relentless assault. The centipede, at its last gasp, finally perished with a final, unwilling shriek.

Under the night sky, there was nothing but emptiness.

After the two ancient insects perished, they left no trace behind.

Qin Sang kept a constant watch on Yu Ling's movements. He immediately recalled his two spirit insects and pursued her closely.

In the distance, Yu Ling glanced back and couldn't help but let out a bitter laugh.

She hadn't anticipated encountering Elder Qin so soon, yet to her, meeting anyone in this place amounted to the same. She still couldn't sense the Heavenly Pivot Spirit Core, which implied that Grandfather Qi and Grandmother Qi had survived and hadn't been drawn in. Thus, everyone else here was an enemy!

Nevertheless, cultivators here were heavily restricted, and Elder Qin was no exception. Yu Ling felt little fear; indeed, encountering Elder Qin was preferable to encountering a descendant of Shaohao.

Qin Sang had already shaken off the ancient insect projections, while she was still being harassed by them. Knowing she would inevitably be caught, she simply stopped.

A faint green light hovered above her head, emanating from an extremely small green-feathered spirit bird. This was not a demonic beast but her personal natal spirit insect.

The green-feathered spirit bird ceased its circling and landed before Yu Ling. At some point, a jade bottle containing several transparent pills had appeared in Yu Ling's palm. She poured one out and fed it to the green-feathered spirit bird.

"Chirp, chirp..."

Both in appearance and call, the green-feathered spirit bird greatly resembled a common fowl, yet it was a genuine spirit insect.

After swallowing the pill, the green-feathered spirit bird's body trembled, then split into three, transforming into three green long arrows that shot through the air.

Around Yu Ling, streaks of light crisscrossed as the three long arrows zipped back and forth, leaving trails of afterimages. They moved faster than lightning and were incredibly sharp.

"Thwack! Thwack!"

The two nearby ancient insects were both struck by the long arrows. The arrows pierced straight through their bodies, then immediately returned, repeatedly impaling them.

Under the relentless onslaught, the two ancient insects were overwhelmed and perished almost simultaneously!

Having dealt with the two ancient insects, Yu Ling turned to face the approaching Qin Sang. Her expression was calm, her pretty face devoid of caution, and she offered a charming smile. "Elder Qin, we truly are fated. To think we'd meet again here so soon after parting."

Qin Sang landed before Yu Ling, his lightning aura receding. He said meaningfully, "Miss Yu's appearance here... is it truly mere coincidence?"

It appeared this woman had deliberately mentioned the insect tomb to him back then. But what was her true objective? And how did she know he would certainly come?

The demeanor of the people outside clearly indicated they didn't know him, suggesting this woman was not allied with them.

Sensing Qin Sang's unconcealed killing intent, Yu Ling's smile vanished. "Back then," she said, "I merely mentioned it in passing. I neither threatened nor coerced Elder Qin. Surely, Elder Qin can't place all the blame on a mere girl like me?"

Yu Ling's face was etched with a look of injustice, making her appear truly pitiable.

Qin Sang remained unmoved, letting out a cold snort. "You do indeed harbor ulterior motives!"

Yu Ling looked even more wronged. "Elder Qin, please understand. When I mentioned the insect tomb, She Chen vehemently tried to stop me. If you had heeded his advice, I would have been powerless. I admit to having some ulterior motives and wanting to use Elder Qin, but it is hardly an unforgivable offense. I know Elder Qin is a heroic figure who dislikes being manipulated. I hope you can quell your anger and grant me an opportunity to atone for my actions!"

As she spoke, Yu Ling bowed deeply to Qin Sang, her demeanor appearing quite sincere.

Qin Sang remained silent, a cold glint in his eyes as he scrutinized Yu Ling. He noticed a faint yellow glow emanating from her, making her appear somewhat ethereal and not quite corporeal. He couldn't help but find this peculiar.

This was also one of the reasons he hadn't immediately attacked.

Yu Ling perceived Qin Sang's gaze and secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Maintaining a composed expression, she asked, "Is Elder Qin curious why I appear this way? It is due to my clan's supreme treasure, the Heavenly Pivot Spirit Core..."

As she spoke, she voluntarily disclosed the origin of the Heavenly Pivot Spirit Core and some of its potent abilities.

"Are you threatening me?" Qin Sang asked coldly, his gaze growing even sharper.

He knew Yu Ling was certainly not revealing the entire truth, but the existence of this Heavenly Pivot Spirit Core might not be fabricated.

Ever since arriving in this place, Qin Sang had already tested his abilities. Any artifact he attempted to activate was met with a counterforce from the surrounding environment.

The fact that this woman maintained her current state without relying on spirit insect abilities, and if it were indeed the power of a supreme treasure that remained unaffected by the world's counter-force, Qin Sang couldn't help but view it with extreme seriousness.

Moreover, if she could maintain this state, was it possible to leave this place through her connection with that supreme treasure?

Hearing this, Yu Ling instead breathed a sigh of relief. Her greatest fear was Qin Sang attacking without a word; since they could converse, there was room for negotiation.

She appeared composed, yet inwardly, she was anxious. Although she could maintain the Spirit Core state, she had lost her connection to the Heavenly Pivot Spirit Core; it was merely a facade.

"Elder Qin misunderstands, Yu Ling absolutely had no such intention!"

Yu Ling declared solemnly, "Yu Ling swears that whether within or outside this forbidden area, if Elder Qin can collaborate with me, it will be mutually beneficial. Furthermore, I am willing to compensate Elder Qin to appease his anger!"

"Within or outside the forbidden area?"

Qin Sang's eyes flickered. "So, Miss Yu is quite knowledgeable about this place?"

"Not exactly 'knowledgeable,' but my clan's profound heritage is rarely matched within the entire Witch Clan, certainly incomparable to the mere Dongyang Clan! Our clan's ancient texts contain records about the insect tomb, though not extensive. However, many years ago, a senior from our clan entered the insect tomb and emerged alive. Yu Ling is willing to share this knowledge with Elder Qin and cooperate to find a way out of the insect tomb together..."

Yu Ling stated without reservation.

Qin Sang remained unmoved, stating indifferently, "If I capture you, I can still extract the secrets of the insect tomb through interrogation, and settle this grievance."

Facing Qin Sang's threat, Yu Ling remained remarkably composed. "I believe Elder Qin is not one to act on impulse! Moreover, the cooperation I seek isn't limited to this moment. Being here merely serves to demonstrate our sincerity to Elder Qin. I presume Elder Qin's current venture aims for significant accomplishments. Forming an alliance with our Heavenly Foolish Clan is undoubtedly the optimal choice!"

"Oh? How so?"

Qin Sang gave Yu Ling a deep look.

The woman's previous display of innocence and naivety had clearly been a facade. Her current responses were well-measured and adept, addressing his every need and leaving him without a justifiable reason to attack. Such intelligence was far from ordinary.

"Elder Qin possesses formidable strength and is a peerless master," Yu Ling countered, "but to achieve great things, one must align with the prevailing currents of the world. Does Elder Qin know the true origins of those people outside, and how many hidden currents are stirring in the world today?"