Chapter 217 - 17: Heading to Qingyang Prefecture City

Chapter 217: Chapter 17: Heading to Qingyang Prefecture City

WHIMPER... WHIMPER... WHIMPER...

The whimpering sounds from all around grew closer and louder.

The thick fog churned ever more violently.

Chen Ye’s Asura’s Eye could now clearly see the Ghost Shadows formed from resentment. They had completely surrounded them.

They had no fixed form, at times appearing human, at others like beasts. Their twisted faces were filled with anguish and venomous hatred.

They stretched out ethereal claws and let out silent roars, looking as if they would pounce at any moment.

"They’re here!" Chen Ye barked.

He was just about to draw his saber, intending to use its blade, condensed with Blood Fiend Qi, to slice these evil spirits to pieces.

But just then, Su Yuan, who was behind him, suddenly made her move.

Su Yuan took a step forward, positioning herself in front of Chen Ye, her small face alight with excitement.

"Perfect. My little darlings are hungry." As the words fell, she abruptly opened her palm.

With a BUZZ, the bizarrely shaped Gu Insects she held in her hand transformed into several streaks of light and instantly shot into the thick fog.

Immediately after, a series of grating squeals emanated from deep within the fog.

The resentful Ghost Shadows had been baring their fangs and brandishing their claws, letting out mournful wails. But the moment they came into contact with the Gu Insects, they shrieked even more miserably, as if they had met their nemesis.

Chen Ye’s Asura’s Eye saw it all clearly.

A beetle-like Gu Insect flew before a Ghost Shadow, suddenly opened its mouth, and generated a massive suction force, actually pulling the Ghost Shadow formed of resentment directly into its stomach.

As for the scorpion Gu Insect, it flicked its stinger, shooting out a dark ray of light. Any Ghost Shadow struck by the dark light immediately began to dissolve, emitting black smoke, as if splashed with concentrated sulfuric acid.

But the most terrifying was the spider Gu Insect.

It spat out an invisible silk net, which instantly enveloped an area of over ten meters in radius.

All the Ghost Shadows caught in the net were like flies stuck on a spiderweb. They were completely immobilized, able to do nothing but watch as their bodies were slowly broken down and absorbed by the net.

In just a few short breaths.

The surrounding fog began to thin at a rate visible to the naked eye.

The number of Ghost Shadows also plummeted.

They, too, seemed to feel fear. They stopped charging forward and instead let out terrified screams, beginning to scatter and flee in all directions.

Su Yuan quickly formed several strange Seal Techniques with her hands, muttering something under her breath.

The Gu Insects, which were in the middle of a slaughter, suddenly glowed with different colored lights.

Their speed and aggression instantly rose to another level. Like tigers descending upon a flock of sheep, they began a one-sided massacre among the remaining Ghost Shadows.

Chen Ye stood behind Su Yuan, watching everything unfold in a state of numbness.

’Just how many types of Gu Insects does this girl have?’

Although these resentful Ghost Shadows lacked physical attacks, their Spiritual Shocks and Illusion Techniques were enough to give an ordinary Unobstructed Realm Cultivator a massive headache.

But before Su Yuan’s Gu Insects, they were like lambs to the slaughter, completely powerless to fight back.

’Is this the power of the Gu Saint Sect?’

Soon, the surrounding fog completely dissipated.

The resentful Ghost Shadows had been devoured by Su Yuan’s Gu Insects, leaving not even a trace behind.

The forest returned to its previous dead silence.

Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, dappling the ground and chasing away the last vestiges of the chilling air.

Su Yuan gestured with a satisfied look.

The Gu Insects, their bellies full and round, turned back into streaks of light and flew into her palm.

She carefully tucked them back into her sleeve, a look of lingering satisfaction on her face.

BURP~

With that soft sound, an all-black beetle actually let out a human-like burp.

The corner of Chen Ye’s mouth twitched again.

"All done," Su Yuan said to Chen Ye, turning around and dusting off her hands with a relaxed expression.

"Do your Gu Insects specialize in devouring Divine Spirits and resentment?" Chen Ye couldn’t help but ask as he looked at her.

"Yep," Su Yuan nodded, as if showing off her treasures.

"I poured my heart and soul into raising these little darlings. They love eating these ethereal, intangible things."

"To them, these ghostly things are a great source of nourishment."

She said with a grin, "So the more they eat, the stronger they become."

"Aren’t you afraid that if they eat too much, they’ll turn on their master?" Chen Ye asked.

"How could they?" Su Yuan gave him a strange look.

"I raised them on my own Essence Blood. We’re connected, they’re like my children. Why would they ever turn on me?"

As she spoke, she held out a finger. A small scorpion obediently crawled out from her sleeve and gently nuzzled her fingertip with its stinger, looking incredibly affectionate.

Chen Ye watched this scene, not knowing what to say.

’To him, power was just power—a tool for fighting and survival.’

’But to Su Yuan, these terrifying Gu Insects that could kill silently were like her children and pets.’

"Alright, let’s keep moving," Su Yuan said, withdrawing her Gu Insects. She reverted to her innocent and cheerful demeanor, pulling on Chen Ye’s sleeve to lead him forward.

After dealing with the Ghost Shadows in the fog, the rest of their journey was much more peaceful.

Su Yuan continued to chatter away, while Chen Ye remained as taciturn as ever.

They walked for another day. When evening fell, the two found an abandoned Mountain God Temple where they decided to spend the night.

The Mountain God Temple wasn’t large. The god’s statue had toppled over and was covered in dust and cobwebs. It looked like it had been deserted for a very long time.

"Let’s rest here tonight." Chen Ye did a quick sweep of the temple and then started a campfire.

Su Yuan, meanwhile, pulled all sorts of things from her treasured satchel.

There was dried meat, flatbread, a waterskin, and even a small jar of fruit wine.

"Come on, let’s eat." She handed a portion of the food to Chen Ye before hugging the wine jar to herself and taking small sips.

The firelight flickered across her round face, making her seem less sinister and more adorable.

Chen Ye silently ate his dried meat, never once letting his guard down.

He would even activate his Asura’s Eye from time to time, checking to see if any nefarious entities were approaching.

In his blood-red vision, the flow of Energy around the Mountain God Temple was perfectly clear.

He could even see a faint cluster of Yin Qi lingering under an old locust tree several dozen meters away—likely just a minor ghost that posed no real threat.