Druid Fairy

Chapter 131 Soul-Eating Insects

The moonlight was like a hook, and the cold stars were few and far between.

Li Pingcan stood atop Listening Wind Cliff, the mountain wind blowing his blue robes, making them flutter loudly.

He gazed into the distance, his eyes deep and unwavering.

Although his battle with Liang Zhiyuan ended without serious injury, it still served as a wake-up call for him.

In this world, without hidden strength, one can only live a life of illusion and wishful thinking.

"The Martial God's Treasure... it's time."

In the past few days, Li Pingcan has been trying out the "language of dreams" and has discovered that he can not only communicate with the "spirits" of the mountains and rivers, but also hear the whispers of ghosts when the yin energy is strong at midnight.

These ghosts walk in a daze, have no memory of their past lives, and are unable to even communicate in a basic way.

"Even so, with the Yin Soldier Token in hand, we can still give it a try."

He turned back to his cave and began to take stock of the gear he would need for his trip to Laoyin Mountain.

For defense, he wore a mid-grade first-tier magic robe called "Mystic Tortoise Armor" that he had seized from Liang Zhiyuan as his innermost layer. This armor was made from the shell of a thousand-year-old mystic tortoise, impervious to water and fire, and possessed astonishing defensive power. On the outside, he wore an ordinary magic robe that he had purchased from a rogue cultivator. This robe could change color and blend into the environment, aiming for a low profile.

He then placed the unactivated Yin-Yang Mirror on his chest, using it as a protective mirror for his heart.

Offensively, he carried the blunt heavy sword forged from star iron on his back. After his battle with the sword cultivator's divine sense, his understanding of the sword was now completely different. Even a tree branch could be transformed into a weapon in his hands, let alone this extraordinary iron sword.

His storage pouch at his waist was stuffed full of his "ultimate weapon".

He had meticulously modified over a dozen "Thunderbolts," powerful enough to threaten even Qi Refining cultivators. He also possessed three high-grade Tier 1 "Swiftness Talismans," five mid-grade Tier 1 "Golden Light Talismans," and a thick stack of low-grade Tier 1 attack talismans—fireball talismans, ice cone talismans, wind blade talismans…you name it. These talismans alone would be enough to give a poor, rogue Qi Refining cultivator a run for their money.

As for that flying knife, it was hidden in his sleeve; it might have a miraculous effect.

"A sense of security comes from building up layers." Li Pingcan was very satisfied with his equipment.

"Battery life and resupply are also essential."

He brought all the Spirit Nourishing Pills and Rejuvenating Pills with him, and used the [Divine Berry Technique] to induce the growth of ten berries in advance, put them into the medicine porcelain bottle, and stuffed it into his bosom.

Through planned and efficient skill level refresh, the skill proficiency of Divine Berry has been maxed out at "1999" points. Not only can it generate ten Divine Berries a day, but it has also obtained the max-level trait - Reflection.

No matter how severe the injury, the Divine Berry Technique can keep you alive for a short period of time, making you exactly the same as when you were not injured. It can be called a miracle drug for desperate situations.

After doing all this, Li Pingcan looked at the ordinary, even somewhat slovenly, middle-aged rogue cultivator in the mirror and smiled with satisfaction.

"We're armed to the teeth, and I hope this trip goes well."

He checked one last time to make sure there were no more oversights, and then, with one man and one eagle, they shot off like arrows towards Laoyin Mountain.

…………

I visited Laoyin Mountain again.

A chilling, biting wind rushed towards us, carrying with it an indescribable stench of decay and blood, making one want to vomit.

"This place is so bad even a dog wouldn't come here."

Li Pingcan landed on the ground and couldn't help but mutter a complaint.

As a druid, he was naturally attuned to nature. In this forbidden zone of life, he felt uncomfortable all over, as if he were a fish out of water, with every inch of his skin protesting.

The golden eagle, Xiaofei, was even more restless. Even though it wasn't its first time there, its eyes were still full of vigilance, and its feathers stood on end. If it weren't for Li Pingcan's reassurance, it probably would have turned and flown away long ago.

"Don't be afraid, just wait here."

Li Pingcan patted Xiaofei's neck and placed a mulberry leaf on its forehead. The cool spiritual power finally calmed it down a little.

Instead of rushing to explore further according to the map, we first found a sheltered mountain hollow.

From his robes, the "Yin Soldier Token" flashed, absorbing the Yin energy, and the chilling Yin wind around him seemed to have become much less intense.

"It really worked." Li Pingcan felt a little relieved.

He spread out the fungal carpet again, but the result was the same. The yin energy of this place seemed to be the natural enemy of all life spores, and it dissolved without a trace as soon as it came into contact with them.

"It seems I can only rely on myself."

Li Pingcan hung the Yin Soldier Token on his waist, held the Starry Iron Sword in his hand, and walked step by step into the depths of the thick fog.

The valley was completely silent, save for the sound of my own footsteps and the howling of the wind.

The ground was covered with a thick layer of black dust, which felt soft and spongy underfoot, like stepping on a rotting corpse.

The mountain walls on both sides are covered with caves of all sizes, dark and gaping like the gaping maws of monsters, leading to who knows where.

Li Pingcan held his breath, spreading his divine sense to the fullest extent, and vigilantly observed his surroundings.

“Rustle…rustle…”

Suddenly, a very faint sound, like a silkworm eating mulberry leaves, came from beneath the black soil in front.

Li Pingcan abruptly stopped, his eyes instantly turning sharp as knives as he stared at the ground where the black soil was constantly rising slightly, his heart involuntarily pounding in his chest.

coming!

The next moment, the black soil suddenly exploded!

A strange insect, about the size of a palm and completely black, resembling a centipede but not quite, burst out of the ground like lightning!

This strange insect was covered with a hard black carapace, had no eyes, and its head had only a mouth that opened and closed constantly, revealing fine, needle-like teeth inside.

On its sides, the hundreds of pairs of segmented legs were not made of flesh and blood, but of a nearly transparent, bone-like substance that gleamed with a chilling light in the dim light.

"hiss!"

The strange insect let out a sharp screech and, without the slightest hesitation, transformed into a black lightning bolt, rushing straight at Li Pingcan's face!
"So fierce!"

A strange light flashed in Li Pingcan's eyes. Instead of being surprised, he was delighted. The contract field had been empty for a long time, so it was definitely worth a try.

With his current powerful soul strength, the chances of forcibly forming a contract with low-intelligence insect creatures would be greatly increased.

Instead of retreating, he stepped forward, silently chanting in his mind: "Insect Contract!"

The vast power of the divine soul instantly enveloped the attacking spirit-devouring insect.

The insect, like a ferocious beast enraged, rampaged and hissed wildly within the mental cage, its chilling and tyrannical mental energy piercing fiercely into Li Pingcan's sea of ​​consciousness!

"Pretty intense?"

Li Pingcan frowned; the pain was still within his tolerance range.

Although this little thing's consciousness was chaotic, its strength was in no way inferior to that of an ordinary mid-stage Qi Refining cultivator!

After testing the waters, he no longer held back, unleashing a massive divine sense power comparable to that of a late-stage Qi Refining cultivator, like an invisible mountain, which slammed heavily onto the spirit of the strange insect!

They weren't idle with their mouths either, using both threats and inducements.

"Little bug, follow me, and I'll guarantee you a life of luxury. You can absorb all the spiritual energy in this mountain! If you dare to resist, I'll tear your body apart and burn it for firewood!"

On one side is absolute dominance at the spiritual level, and on the other side is a tempting (threatening) offer of "recruitment".

With this two-pronged approach, the strange insect's resistance gradually weakened, conveying a sense of fear and submission.

The contract is done!
The moment the contract was successfully formed, a clear stream of information about the strange insect flooded into his mind.

These peculiar creatures, born in the most yin and evil places, indeed possess incredible abilities.

[Spirit-Devouring Insects: They can devour free-floating spiritual energy, cultivators' mana, and Yin energy. They can silently parasitize the bodies of mortals or low-level cultivators, and the offspring possess the abilities of their mother.]

Li Pingcan's eyes lit up.

Devouring a cultivator's magical power... this ability is just too abnormal!

Not only that, it can also absorb Yin energy.

It is important to know that the formation of an array requires the right timing, location, and people. In the depths of Laoyin Mountain, the yin energy is dense, and there is no right timing or location. How can we set up an array? It is equivalent to Li Pingcan losing his most powerful arm.

He was worried about how to set up an array in this yin and evil place, but with this little thing, the problem was solved!

The Soul-Devouring Insects cleared the way ahead, using their own aura to neutralize and disperse the dense Yin energy of Old Yin Mountain, creating a small, relatively "clean" area.

Then, he can calmly set up his Seven Star Array within this "safe zone".

Step by step, steadily and surely, like playing chess, they gradually advanced their territory towards the core area of ​​Laoyin Mountain!

Li Pingcan patted the Spirit-Eating Insect that had become incredibly docile. "From now on, you'll be called Xiao Hei. No, Xiao Hei already has one... so let's call you Xiao Sha!"

"hiss~"

The Soul-Eating Insect emitted an affectionate hiss and gently rubbed its mouthparts against his fingers.

"Let's go, Little Demon." With this powerful "map-opening artifact," Li Pingcan made his progress quite easy. The man and the insect strode confidently into the depths of the forbidden area.

The little demon led the way, and wherever it passed, the dense Yin energy was swallowed up, forming a "safe passage" about ten feet wide.

Li Pingcan followed behind, occasionally taking out a formation flag and planting it in the ground according to a specific direction.

As each array flag fell, a simple yet subtly aligned miniature array, subtly representing the positions of the seven stars, quietly took shape.

This is his strategy of "nibbling away".

Taking a step-by-step, steady approach, they brought the entire Laoyin Mountain under their control through their formation.

The deeper you go, the more bizarre the surrounding scenery becomes.

On the withered tree trunks hung desiccated skeletons, their faces no longer recognizable.

Rusty, broken weapons were scattered everywhere on the ground, and a broken flagpole was stuck diagonally in the black soil.

The faint cries and roars in the air became clearer, as if a thousand troops were charging into battle right next to their ears.

"This place is really shrouded in resentment."

Li Pingcan secretly clicked his tongue in amazement. If it were someone with a weaker constitution, they would be scared out of their wits just by the atmosphere.

He gripped the Yin Soldier Token at his waist even tighter. Although this thing couldn't command all ghosts, it could at least reduce some unnecessary trouble for him in this "ghost realm".

"Fizz!"

Just then, the little demon walking in front suddenly stopped and let out a rapid and wary screech.

Li Pingcan immediately concealed his presence, hid behind a boulder, and stared intently.

In the ravine not far ahead, dozens of translucent shadows were seen wandering aimlessly.

Those shadows, clad in tattered armor and wielding weapons formed from yin energy, were clearly a patrol of yin soldiers!

The leader of the ghost soldiers was much more solid than the others. He wore a tattered captain's armor, and two eerie green flames burned in his empty eye sockets as he mechanically scanned his surroundings.

"The Yin Soldier Captain is comparable to a mid-stage Qi Refining cultivator."

Li Pingcan felt a chill run down his spine. He hadn't expected to encounter such a troublesome opponent so soon, only halfway up the mountain.

Forcing your way in is definitely not the best strategy.

Instead of immediately producing the Yin Soldier Token, he activated the [Dream Language] he had just comprehended.

A thought silently probed over.

"My lords, you have worked hard."

The wandering group of ghost soldiers suddenly froze, and the ghostly fire in the eyes of the leading ghost soldier captain flickered violently, as if trying to discern the source of this intent.

Its mind had long been extinguished by resentment, leaving only the purest fighting instinct and obsession with "commands".

"Where...is the enemy?" A cold, stiff thought came intermittently.

"The enemy is just ahead." Following its words, Li Pingcan continued to guide it with his divine sense, "Follow me... to kill the enemy!"

"Kill the enemy!"

"Kill the enemy!"

As if a switch had been flipped, all the ghostly soldiers unleashed a terrifying aura at that moment, and the eerie green ghost fire in their empty eye sockets instantly turned blood red.

Li Pingcan then leisurely took out the Yin Soldier Token, infused it with a trace of magic power, and shook it.

On the token, the hideous ghost head instantly lit up, and an invisible pressure spread out.

The ghostly soldier captain sensed this familiar aura and confirmed Li Pingcan's identity as "commander" once again. Facing Li Pingcan's direction, it knelt on one knee and gave a standard military salute. The ghostly soldiers behind it also knelt down in unison.

"It actually works!"

Li Pingcan was overjoyed. This [Words of Dreams] combined with the Yin Soldier Token was practically a "VIP pass" for the Old Yin Mountain!

He straightened his face and used his divine sense to transmit an order: "Clear the way ahead, without fail!"

The ghost soldier captain saluted again, then stood up and led his ghost soldiers, transforming into a gust of ghostly wind, drifting forward, actually acting as Li Pingcan's "vanguard".

With this ghostly army clearing the way, Li Pingcan's subsequent advance became increasingly smooth.

He made his way through without any obstacles, and half an hour later, the core area marked on the map, the valley known as the "Tomb of the Martial God," finally appeared before his eyes.

As soon as he stepped into the valley, a wave of Yin energy, more than ten times stronger than before, rushed towards him, making him shiver involuntarily.

In the center of the valley, a huge tomb made of black boulders stands silently.

In front of the tomb stands a broken stone tablet with three large, blood-red characters engraved on it in an ancient and vigorous script.

Tomb of the God of War!
An indescribable sense of tragic desolation emanated from the stone tablet.

"finally reached."

Li Pingcan took a deep breath, but dared not relax in the slightest.

He gestured for the group of ghostly soldiers to wait outside the valley, while he, along with Xiao Sha, cautiously made his way towards the enormous tomb.

However, just when he was still ten feet away from the tomb, a strange thing happened!
"boom!"

The entire tomb began to shake violently without warning!

On that huge tombstone, the three large, blood-red characters seemed to come alive, radiating an eerie light.

An aura of pressure, several times more terrifying than that of the Yin Soldiers, suddenly erupted from the tomb!

"Trespassers will die!"

A cold, authoritative voice, filled with a ruthless and murderous intent, echoed throughout the valley.

The next moment, the black soil in front of the tomb suddenly exploded, and a tall figure wearing heavy black armor, holding a halberd, and riding a warhorse made of white bones slowly rose from the ground!
The figure was enveloped by a solidified black aura, and the eyes beneath the helmet were filled with savage madness.

"Soldier's Curse!"

Li Pingcan's pupils suddenly contracted.

This is no ordinary ghostly soldier; it is a terrifying existence formed from the resentment of countless soldiers who died on the battlefield and the evil aura of the battlefield—a ghostly soldier!

In this Yin Valley, his strength is probably already very close to the Foundation Establishment stage!
Li Pingcan was about to retreat and was about to send the "ghost soldiers" he had previously subdued to charge into battle and cover his retreat so that he could leave this old Yin Mountain.

But the soldier did not attack immediately; his blood-red eyes were fixed on Li Pingcan, as if scrutinizing something.

Li Pingcan's heart stirred, and instead of leaving immediately, he used [Dream Language] again.

This time, he was not conveying an order, but a respectful inquiry.

“Senior, I have no intention of offending you. I have only come here to seek the legacy of the Martial God.”

The ghostly fire in the soldier's eyes flickered, seemingly quite surprised that Li Pingcan could communicate with it.

Its cold voice rang out again, but this time it was less violent and more majestic.

"The legacy is reserved only for true martial artists. What right do you have to claim it?"

"This junior is not talented, but has achieved some minor success in martial arts."

Li Pingcan remained neither humble nor arrogant, slowly shedding his disguise and unleashing the full power of his Divine Martial Realm physical body.

A similarly fierce and domineering pressure soared into the sky, actually rivaling the malevolent aura of the soldier!
"Divine Martial Realm?!"

For the first time, Bing Sha's tone carried a hint of genuine surprise: "I never imagined that there would be someone in this world who could temper their physical body to such an extent."

It remained silent for a moment, seemingly weighing its options.

After a long silence, its majestic voice rang out again: "You are quite good. But the path of martial arts is not just about brute force. Take one of my moves, and if you survive, this inheritance will be yours."

Before he finished speaking, the halberd in his hand moved.

There was no earth-shattering fanfare, just a simple forward movement.

Yet this simple act seemed to embody the will of a thousand armies, sealing off all changes in the world.

In Li Pingcan's perception, this halberd seemed to be the only thing in this world, impossible to avoid or block.

This is pure "momentum," the supreme fighting spirit that the God of War comprehended from a lifetime of battles amidst mountains of corpses and seas of blood!

Li Pingcan's expression hardened slightly. Stimulated by this overwhelming force, his fighting spirit surged, and he advanced instead of retreating!

(End of this chapter)