NFBE Chapter 140 Soul-Devouring Insects
Chapter 140 Soul-Devouring Insects
Lin Yu's hands trembled slightly as he picked up the box. The box was ancient and heavy, gleaming with a deep, dark light. The patterns on it seemed to have a life of their own, subtly flowing under the tense gazes of everyone.
Everyone held their breath, their eyes fixed on the box, their heartbeats growing ever clearer in the silent space.
Zhao Yu clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles turned white, and large beads of sweat rolled down his forehead. His eyes were wide open as he said urgently, "Lin Yu, open it and take a look!"
Lin Yu took a deep breath, calmed himself down, and slowly reached out to gently unfasten the clasp on the box.
With a soft click, the box slowly opened, and a gentle light emanated from it, illuminating the tense yet expectant faces of the crowd.
Inside the box lay a jade pendant emitting a pale blue light. Engraved on the pendant was an intricate map, and in the center of the map was a mark radiating an even brighter light. Beside the mark, some faintly glowing characters appeared and disappeared.
Zi Ling leaned closer, her eyes narrowing slightly as she examined the map closely. She said, "This seems to be a map that guides us to a certain place. Look at these words: 'The source of spiritual energy, the source of power, the key to breaking the curse.'"
Xu Xiaoxiao frowned, her expression grave. After a moment of contemplation, she said, "Could it be that this is related to the disaster that the ancient city suffered? Finding the spiritual source could unravel the mystery surrounding this place, and might even restore the ancient city's vitality?"
A flicker of fear crossed Sun Yao's eyes. She bit her lip and whispered, "But we've encountered so many dangers along the way. Won't this place, the Spirit Source, be even more dangerous?"
Zhao Yu patted his chest, his face full of pride, and said loudly, "What's there to be afraid of! We've come this far, no matter what lies ahead, we'll face it together! Maybe this spiritual source will greatly increase our strength!"
Lin Yu stared intently at the map on the jade pendant and nodded, saying, "Zhao Yu is right. Since we are fortunate enough to receive this guidance, we cannot back down. Judging from the map, the spiritual source should be located deep underground in the ancient city."
As he spoke, he carefully picked up the jade pendant and put it into his pocket. The group looked around, searching for the entrance to the underground.
On one side of the altar, a stone door slowly rose, behind which was a deep, dark passage, from which a damp, decaying smell wafted out.
Qian Feng swallowed hard, gripped his spear tightly, and said in a slightly trembling but calm voice, "Let's go. No matter what's inside, we're not afraid."
The group exchanged glances, their eyes conveying determination and trust, and slowly stepped into the passage, where darkness instantly enveloped them.
The passageway was eerily quiet, with only the soft footsteps and tense breathing of the group.
A few eerie green lights flickered occasionally on the wall, as if the eyes of a monster were watching them.
As they walked, a deep roar suddenly came from ahead, echoing in the narrow passage and making everyone's eardrums ache.
Sun Yao turned pale with fright and almost screamed. Xu Xiaoxiao quickly covered her mouth to signal her to be quiet.
Lin Yu's eyes sharpened, and he quickly unfolded his folding fan, whispering, "Everyone be careful, danger is approaching."
The group immediately assumed fighting stances, staring intently into the darkness ahead, preparing to face the unknown challenges to come. Their figures appeared small in the gloom, yet were filled with courage.
The group cautiously made their way towards the source of the spirit in the dimly lit and deep passage.
The air grew increasingly humid and stifling, each breath carrying a thick, musty smell.
The eerie green light on the wall grew denser, as if countless eyes were peering at them from the darkness, sending chills down their spines.
Suddenly, a low hissing sound came from all directions, gradually growing louder, as if countless pythons were rapidly approaching.
Zhao Yu gripped his broadsword tightly, his eyes wide with fear, and nervously scanned his surroundings before shouting, "What's that? Everyone be careful!"
Sun Yao clung tightly to Xu Xiaoxiao's back, gripping Xu Xiaoxiao's clothes tightly with both hands. Her face was ashen, and her lips trembled as she said, "What...what is that sound? I'm so scared."
Xu Xiaoxiao gently patted Sun Yao's hand, trying to comfort her, but her own voice trembled slightly: "Don't be afraid, we'll face it together."
At the same time, she gripped her longsword tightly, her eyes revealing tension and determination.
Zi Ling's expression was cold and stern as she muttered incantations. The tip of her staff shone brightly, illuminating the surrounding environment for everyone.
Just then, they noticed that swarms of black insects were rapidly crawling along the walls of the passage. These insects were slender, each about the size of a palm, with eyes that gleamed with an eerie green light, and their mouths were constantly secreting a nauseating mucus.
"It's a Spirit-Devouring Insect!" Lin Yu's expression changed drastically, and he shouted a warning, "These insects can devour spiritual energy; we must not let them get close!"
He quickly waved his folding fan, and a spiritual energy barrier instantly unfolded, temporarily blocking the insects' attack.
Sweat beaded on Qian Feng's forehead as he gripped his spear tightly, his voice tinged with panic: "So many, how am I supposed to fight them all!" Despite his words, he mustered his courage and thrust his spear at the insect charging at the front.
Zhao Yu roared and brandished his broadsword, each slash creating a gust of wind that killed the approaching insects.
But there were just too many insects, and they kept coming in, some even falling from above their heads.
Despite her fear, Sun Yao raised her shield to protect her companion from the attack from above.
Her hands trembled violently with nervousness, but she gritted her teeth and insisted, "I...I can do it."
Xu Xiaoxiao moved nimbly through the swarm of insects, her longsword flashing as she unleashed sword energy that repelled the surrounding creatures.
But as time went on, her movements gradually slowed down, and fine beads of sweat appeared on her forehead. So she took out several defensive magical artifacts and covered each person's head with one, giving everyone a moment to catch their breath.
Zi Ling unleashed her full power of magic, and purple light surged towards the swarm of insects like a tide. With each flash of light, a large number of insects were wiped out.
However, the swarm continued to advance relentlessly, showing no sign of retreating.
The passageway was filled with tension and despair. Everyone's spiritual energy was being depleted, and their physical strength was gradually failing.
Just as everyone felt powerless, Lin Yu's eyes flashed and he discovered that the swarm of insects seemed to be pouring out continuously from a crack in the passage.
"Everyone, concentrate your firepower on that crack! Cut off their path!" Lin Yu shouted, his eyes revealing determination and resolve.
Upon hearing this, everyone turned their attacks towards the crack, and in an instant, all kinds of spiritual energy attacks poured out like a storm.
With everyone's combined attack, the rocks around the crack began to loosen and eventually collapsed, completely burying the crack.
With the last Soul-Eating Insect eliminated, the passage finally returned to calm. Everyone collapsed to the ground, panting heavily, their faces filled with relief at surviving the ordeal.
Qian Feng wiped his face and looked at Xu Xiaoxiao with great admiration, "Miss Xu, if you hadn't taken out that top-grade magic artifact in time, we would probably have been defeated and devoured by the Spirit-Devouring Insects. Where did you buy that magic artifact? I want to buy one too when we leave."
Lin Yu and Zi Ling also looked at her. Top-grade magic artifacts are very difficult to buy in the cultivation world, but this little girl bought six at once. They were very much looking forward to her providing purchasing information.
Xu Xiaoxiao looked at them with such intense gazes, wondering if such magical artifacts were not sold in the cultivation world.
"This magical artifact was crafted by my senior brother for me to use for self-defense," he said, looking at them apologetically.
"Is your senior brother a weapon refiner? I'll offer a large sum of money. Could you have him refine a sword for me?" Lin Yu's eyes lit up when he heard this. In the cultivation world, someone who can refine so many top-grade magical artifacts at once is no ordinary person. If he could obtain a top-grade sword, it would be a once-in-a-century opportunity.
"My senior brother is at the Huitian Sect. He's in seclusion right now. I'll ask him for you when I get back." Xu Xiaoxiao didn't know if her senior brother would help with the refining, and since he was in seclusion, she didn't know how things were going.
Zhao Yu and Qian Feng also looked at her. Xu Xiaoxiao added, "I'll ask for you too, but whether it succeeds or not is none of my business."
"With Miss Xu's words, we are relieved. At least we have a chance," Zhao Yu said with a simple smile.
"Alright, let's deal with the immediate matter first," Zi Ling thought, planning to visit the Returning Heaven Sect after they left.