Chapter 3126: Firefly Clan

Qinglian Island, Qinglian Peak.

Wang Changsheng sat in a cyan stone pavilion, his gaze grim. Wang Yihong was reporting the situation to him, his expression solemn.

"Both spirit-body cultivators have been killed!" Wang Changsheng's face hardened. Years ago, in the Demonic Cave Heaven of the Azure Glaze Sea, he had crossed paths with True Monarch Bloodblade. At that time, True Monarch Bloodblade's cultivation was higher than theirs. True Monarch Bloodblade had no major conflicts of interest with Wang Changsheng and possessed treasures that countered spiritual attacks. Coupled with his unpredictable whereabouts, Wang Changsheng had not attempted to kill him. After Wang Changsheng and Wang Ruyan advanced to the Integration Stage, a racial war broke out, and they were busy fighting the Lizard Clan. Now that the war was over, Wang Changsheng had cultivated to the mid-Integration Stage and acquired many treasures.

"Is the Seven Gourd Vine alright? Does our family have a direct conflict with Bloodblade Sect?" Wang Changsheng pressed. According to his analysis, True Monarch Bloodblade never acted without personal gain. It seemed illogical for him to split his soul and descend to the lower realm just to kill cultivators from the Wang family.

"Ten Nascent Soul cultivators are guarding Qinglian Island, so it's safe for now. I've arranged for five Void Refinement cultivators to be ready to split their souls and descend at any time. If Qinglian Island is attacked, they will immediately use boundary-breaking stones to descend. The Seven Gourd Vine is fine. From what I've gathered, our family has no direct conflict with Bloodblade Sect." Wang Yihong reported truthfully. This was also something he found puzzling. Without a deep grudge, why would True Monarch Bloodblade, seemingly out of nowhere, descend to the lower realm by splitting his soul? Could it be that there were rare materials in the Ice Sea Realm, and True Monarch Bloodblade descended to retrieve them, only to be obstructed by Wang family Nascent Soul cultivators, thus leading him to attack? Of course, these were all their conjectures; they couldn't prove that True Monarch Bloodblade had descended to the lower realm to kill Wang family cultivators.

"Understood. You may go. Keep a close eye on True Monarch Bloodblade's whereabouts." Wang Changsheng waved his hand, dismissing Wang Yihong. He sent a sound transmission talisman to Wang Ruyan. Not long after, Wang Ruyan emerged from her secret chamber, her expression grave.

"Let's make a trip to Bloodblade Sect. Whether he did it or not, this person cannot be allowed to remain." Wang Changsheng said in a deep voice. With him and Wang Ruyan joining forces, they had a relatively high chance of eliminating True Monarch Bloodblade. Wang Ruyan nodded and left Qinglian Island with Wang Changsheng.

***

Azure Glaze Sea, Feiyun Island.

A vast bluestone plaza featured a circular cyan platform at its center. True Monarch Seven Swords sat cross-legged on the platform, giving a lecture. Tens of thousands of cultivators sat on the plaza, listening in silence. Their expressions varied: some were excited, some looked bewildered, and others appeared to be deep in thought.

When a Mahayana cultivator lectured, not all listeners gained insights; it depended on individual comprehension. Wang Qingshan's eyes were slightly closed, a misty cyan flying sword floating before him. Upon closer inspection, the cyan flying sword was not a physical entity. Dong Xueli wore an expression of sudden understanding, seemingly having gained a lot. Wang Qingfeng appeared pensive. Although he practiced saber techniques, True Monarch Seven Swords' cultivation experience still held some valuable insights for him.

"The lecture concludes here. How much you've comprehended is up to you. Junior Nephew Lu, I'll leave this place to you." True Monarch Seven Swords instructed, then stood up and departed. Lu Yuyun acknowledged him, watching True Monarch Seven Swords leave. Most cultivators then departed. However, hundreds of cultivators had gained enlightenment, so Lu Yuyun activated a restriction. Cyan light screens appeared out of thin air, enveloping these cultivators to prevent outsiders from disturbing them. Both Wang Qingshan and Dong Xueli had gained insights, while Duan Tongtian and his five companions waited in the plaza.

***

Qianyuan Continent, Guyue Mountain Range, stretching for hundreds of millions of miles. This region was perpetually shrouded in miasma, teeming with countless venomous insects and beasts, and home to many rare poisonous plants and herbs. Deep within the Guyue Mountain Range, in an open area, three identical-looking men were battling a completely purple toad. The purple toad had three blood-red eyes on its head and numerous bumps on its back. The three men's hair emitted a faint spiritual glow, and their bodies bore natural golden spiritual patterns. Their eyes were golden, clearly indicating they were not human. Judging by their aura, they were Void Refinement cultivators. The leader was a fair-skinned man in a golden robe, cultivated to the late Void Refinement stage, while the other two men had darker skin and were at the mid-Void Refinement stage.

Golden light burst forth from their bodies, and the humanoid illusions above their heads each shot a golden beam from their eyes, striking the purple toad. The toad was instantly immobilized as if confined. The void vibrated and distorted, and a golden longsword, about two *zhang* long, materialized out of thin air—a manifestation of spiritual sense! The golden longsword struck the purple toad's body. The toad trembled, then fell, lifeless. Seeing this, the three men in golden robes rejoiced.

Just then, a shrill bird cry echoed from high above. A monstrous bird, massive in size, appeared in the sky. Its eyes were emerald green, and its feathers and claws were blood-red. Upon closer inspection, many of its plumes were missing, suggesting it had suffered severe injuries. "The Azure Blood Dove!" A hint of surprise appeared in the golden-robed man's eyes.

The Azure Blood Dove was a formidable demonic bird in the Guyue Mountain Range. Not only was it swift in flight, but it could also spew poisonous flames to harm enemies. Even a Void Refinement cultivator, if scratched by its sharp claws, would face trouble without promptly consuming an antidote pill. Just as they were about to attack the Azure Blood Dove, a deafening thunderclap roared from above. A thick silver lightning bolt streaked across the sky, precisely striking the Azure Blood Dove. A dazzling ball of silver lightning appeared high in the air. As the void rippled, a five-colored giant hand materialized out of nowhere and swatted at the silver lightning. A scorched Azure Blood Dove then plummeted from the sky, landing on the ground.

A silver flying boat approached from afar at an exceptional speed. Soon after, the silver flying boat stopped, revealing Wang Mengbin and Wang Yingjie standing aboard, their expressions solemn. They had encountered an ambush by alien Void Refinement cultivators on their journey. After an intense battle, they eliminated their enemies, but Wang Zongyun was injured and afflicted with a potent poison. He required the inner core of a Sixth-Rank Azure Blood Dove to refine an antidote pill. Thus, Wang Mengbin and Wang Yingjie came to the Guyue Mountain Range to hunt for an Azure Blood Dove, while Liu Hongxue and Bai Yuqi cared for Wang Zongyun and kept an eye on True Monarch Hunyuan.

"The Firefly Clan!" Wang Mengbin saw the three men in golden robes, and his eyes filled with apprehension. Qianyuan Continent harbored many races, and among the numerous minor clans, the Firefly Clan was somewhat renowned. The Firefly Clan was known for producing multiple births, usually twins, though they had once seen a set of nonuplets. Firefly cultivators were naturally telepathic and could execute combined attacks, their spiritual senses capable of superposition, provided they were siblings. Individually, Firefly cultivators were not particularly strong, but their combined strength was formidable. However, their low reproductive rate prevented them from rising to greater prominence. Other races were aware of the Firefly Clan's weakness: if a Firefly cultivator's siblings were killed, their strength would significantly decline. Therefore, Firefly cultivators almost always traveled with their siblings, enhancing their collective power.