95: This bug is a bit ugly.

The speed of that black shadow was extreme!

It ignored Ye Chenfeng and the other two, its target clearly the fleeing Cultivator.

"Pfft!"

A faint sound, like a sharp needle piercing leather, rang out.

The rushing figure of the Cultivator came to an abrupt halt.

He stiffly lowered his head and saw a pitch-black, sharp, segmented claw emerging from his chest.

Clutched in the claw was a heart, still beating "thump-thump."

"Er..."

The vitality in his eyes quickly dissipated.

His entire body shriveled up at a speed visible to the naked eye, as if all his essence, energy, and spirit had been instantly sucked dry by that claw.

The black shadow casually flicked the dried corpse aside.

Only then did it slowly turn around, revealing its true appearance.

This was not a Yao Beast at all.

It looked more like a praying mantis, magnified countless times and walking upright.

It was pitch black all over, covered in unknown carapace that shimmered with a metallic luster.

It had no eyes on its head, only a mouthpart filled with fine, sharp teeth, constantly opening and closing, making a "kaka" sound.

Several long antennae swayed slightly in the air, seemingly sensing something.

"Holy crap, this thing looks way too abstract."

Wang Duojin looked at this "Abyssal Mantis" and subconsciously complained.

Not only was he not afraid, but his eyes were shining, and the abacus in his hand rattled "pilipala."

"This carapace looks quite hard. I wonder if I can strip it off and make armor."

"It's just that the appearance is too ugly; it probably won't sell well."

"How about capturing it and making it a guard beast? No, no, that would affect the Sect's image."

Zhao Wuji frowned deeply, unconcealed disgust showing in his golden pupils.

"Filth."

He coldly spat out four words, and the innate Imperial Majesty surrounding him burst forth.

The Abyssal Mantis seemed to sense the threat, and the "kaka" sound from its mouthpart became more rapid.

Its antennae all pointed directly at Zhao Wuji.

"Hiss—"

An invisible, sharp Mental Shock pierced straight into the Sea of Consciousness of the three of them!

Wang Duojin groaned, feeling like his head had been pricked by a needle, and he nearly dropped his abacus.

Zhao Wuji's figure swayed slightly, his Dragon Robe moved without wind, and a surge of vast Dragon Qi erupted from within him, neutralizing the Mental Shock.

Only Ye Chenfeng remained standing in place, his expression unchanged.

His Divine Soul had long been tempered by Sword Intent, making it indestructible, like Ten-Thousand-Year Cold Iron.

An attack of this level couldn't even cause a ripple in his Heart Lake.

"Seeking death."

Zhao Wuji was enraged.

He, the magnificent Human Emperor Sacred Body and Mandated Emperor, was actually provoked by a mere bug.

"Aung—"

A high-pitched Dragon Roar erupted from his mouth.

Golden Dragon Qi condensed behind him into a massive, majestic Dragon Head Phantom.

The Dragon Head opened its massive maw, and an invisible pressure, like the collapse of the heavens, suppressed the Abyssal Mantis!

This was suppression originating from the Bloodline!

It was the absolute crushing force of a superior against an inferior!

"Siga!"

The Abyssal Mantis let out a shrill scream, and cracks actually appeared on its hard carapace.

It seemed to be in extreme pain, its massive body twisting wildly on the ground.

Seeing this, Wang Duojin's eyes lit up.

"Junior Brother, don't kill it completely! Leave the body intact so I can study it!"

While shouting, he tossed the abacus in his hand into the air.

"Qiankun Borrowed Position, Eight Directions Dragon Locking Formation! Rise!"

One hundred and eight abacus beads instantly flew out, transforming into streaks of light, weaving a complex Formation in the air, trapping the Abyssal Mantis within.

"Senior Brother, it's up to you!" Wang Duojin shouted.

Ye Chenfeng did not speak.

He simply drew his sword.

The qingshuang sword was still that High Grade Spiritual Artifact.

But in his hand, it was sharper than any Immortal Artifact.

There was no earth-shattering Sword Light, no world-destroying Sword Qi.

There was only one sword strike.

It was stabbed out, utterly unremarkable.

Simple and unadorned.

It was like the first strike delivered by a youth learning the sword.

Yet, this single sword strike caused the Abyssal Mantis, struggling wildly within the Formation, to suddenly halt its movements.

All its antennae pointed fearfully at Ye Chenfeng.

It wanted to flee, but the Formation held it tightly captive.

It wanted to resist, but found all its movements appeared clumsy and slow before that sword strike.

Time seemed to slow down at this moment.

Everyone clearly saw the tip of the qingshuang sword precisely tap the center of the Abyssal Mantis's mouthpart, on a barely perceptible gap.

That was the only weakness in its entire body.

"Ding."

A crisp sound.

The sword tip sank in.

The massive body of the Abyssal Mantis instantly froze.

The next second, with a "bang," it exploded into black dust filling the sky.

Not even a single drop of blood flowed out.

The Formation dispersed, and the one hundred and eight abacus beads flew back onto Wang Duojin's abacus.

Ye Chenfeng returned his sword to its sheath, his movements smooth and flowing.

"Done."

Wang Duojin clapped his hands, looking relaxed.

He quickly ran to the pile of black powder, squatted down, and rummaged through it with his hands.

"Let me see if any equipment dropped."

Zhao Wuji's mouth twitched, and he turned his head away, unable to bear watching.

Too embarrassing.

Soon, Wang Duojin found a crystal in the pile of powder, the size of a fingernail, pitch black, and resembling obsidian.

The crystal emitted the exact same cold and decaying aura as the mantis before.

"Good stuff!"

Wang Duojin's eyes shone, and he carefully put it into a specialized Jade Box.

"This thing has pure energy. If used to refine disposable assassination Magic Treasures, it would definitely be effective! I've decided to call it 'Yuan Crystal,' and our Merchant Association will sell it exclusively from now on!"

Ye Chenfeng walked over, looking at the dried corpse and the pile of powder on the ground, frowning slightly.

"There are probably many more of these things in the Secret Realm."

Zhao Wuji nodded, saying, "That Dragon Qi is getting closer. We need to hurry."

The three stopped lingering and continued deeper into the forest... Meanwhile, at the other end of the Secret Realm.

Within ancient Ruins of broken walls and dilapidated structures.

Lin Yi, along with Ergou and a dozen other Inner Sect Disciples, was carefully exploring.

"Senior Brother Lin, look here!"

Ergou pointed excitedly at a stone wall covered in moss.

Lin Yi walked over, brushed away the moss, revealing mottled carvings on the stone wall.

They were massive Murals.

The Murals depicted an extremely fierce war.

Countless Cultivators wearing ancient Daoist Robes flew on Swords, utilizing Divine Abilities, battling a group of hideous black monsters of various forms.

Some of the monsters resembled mantises, some spiders, and some centipedes... but without exception, they were all pitch black and emitted an ominous aura.

At the end of the Murals, a huge rift was torn in the sky, like a giant eye of the Abyss, and countless monsters continuously poured out from that rift.

The entire world was plunged into a sea of fire and despair.

Everyone who saw it felt a chill in their hearts.

"These monsters..." Lin Yi's pupils suddenly contracted.

He recalled the Devil Head named Chen Fan who was easily erased by the Sect Master in the Sect Master Hall.

The aura emanating from him was exactly the same as these monsters!

"It seems this Secret Realm is inextricably linked to the so-called 'Demon Lord,'" Lin Yi said solemnly.

He led the group deeper into the Ruins.

In the deepest part of the Ruins, within a collapsed Temple, they discovered a shattered Stone Tablet.

Several large characters were carved vigorously onto the Stone Tablet, full of defiance and tragedy.

[The Heavenly Dao is dead, the Abyss shall rise.]

[...Only our Human Race fights ceaselessly in blood!]

[...I regret that I cannot personally sever that Abyss...]

The last character was already blurred and indistinct.

But that immense hatred and unwillingness seemed to transcend the ages, deeply imprinted in everyone's hearts..."Achoo!"

On a patch of grassland filled with strange flowers.

A cold-faced young man wearing a blue Long Gown suddenly sneezed.

He rubbed his nose, a hint of confusion flashing in his cold eyes.

His name is Xiao Han, he is a Loose Cultivator at the Mid-stage Soul Transformation cultivation level.

He entered the Secret Realm this time solely to find a "Nine Nether Ice Lotus" that could temper his "Ice Soul Sword Body."

He was naturally aloof and disliked fighting with others, so as soon as he entered the Secret Realm, he found a secluded spot to cultivate alone.

Just now.

An extremely sharp Sword Intent suddenly shot up into the sky from another direction in the Secret Realm without warning!

That Sword Intent was pure and domineering, seemingly capable of punching a hole through the heavens.

His Ice Soul Sword Body within him was involuntarily activated!

A powerful Battle Intent fiercely ignited in his heart.

How long has it been?

Since he stepped into the Soul Transformation realm, he had yet to find an opponent among his peers who required him to use a second sword strike.

He had thought his Sword Dao was invincible among his peers.

But today he realized that there is always someone better, and the world is vast.

The owner of that Sword Intent was definitely a Swordsman purer and stronger than him!

"Interesting."

Xiao Han stood up and brushed the grass clippings off his body.

A rare curve actually appeared on his ice-block face.

He looked in the direction from which the Sword Intent originated, his eyes filled with the excitement of meeting a worthy opponent.

---

PS: If you have any questions, feel free to ask. If you want a character or faction, let me know. There are too many candidates for the protagonist's Disciple, so they will take a long time to appear, but secondary ones can appear quickly. Does anyone want to be a villain or a small boss or something?

Click on the short video, click on the update reminder.