Han Li stood beside the shattered armor and weapons, lowering his head to examine them for a moment before suddenly furrowing his brows. With a flick of his hand, he made a grasping motion in the air.
*Whoosh!*
A gleaming fragment of a blade shot into his palm.
Han Li raised it to his eyes for a closer look.
The seemingly indestructible fragment bore an exceptionally clear and deeply embedded claw mark, as if meticulously carved into its surface.
After a brief pause, Han Li exerted force with his fingers, and a flash of golden light appeared at his fingertips, sinking directly into the fragment.
A finger imprint, nearly as deep as the claw mark, appeared on the fragment.
“Oh? What has Fellow Daoist Han discovered?” Xie Lian, intrigued, couldn’t help but ask.
“See for yourself,” Han Li replied indifferently, tossing the fragment to her.
Xie Lian chuckled lightly, catching it with her slender hand. Upon closer inspection, she gasped in surprise.
“Great Yang Platinum! This weapon was forged from such a material!”
“Great Yang Platinum! That’s a legendary substance renowned across realms. While there may be materials harder than it, they are exceedingly rare. The owner of this weapon must have had incredible fortune to obtain such a large piece,” Greenstone the Venerable exclaimed in astonishment.
“Hmph, no matter how great the fortune, it was still devoured by those vicious insects. However, to leave such a deep mark on an object forged from this material—Fellow Daoist Han’s physical strength must be extraordinary. I wonder, how much of your true power did you use just now?” Xie Lian marveled, her fingers glowing with a dazzling white light as she left a much shallower imprint on the fragment before shaking her head.
Greenstone, witnessing this, was first horrified, then could only force a bitter smile.
“Naturally, I exerted considerable effort. Otherwise, how could I leave such a deep mark? But have you two considered how terrifying the insect must be to shatter a weapon forged from Great Yang Platinum with a single grasp? It certainly couldn’t have been one of those human-faced insects we encountered earlier,” Han Li said gravely.
“Those human-faced insects were weaker than us, so they couldn’t have done this. Could it be the Mother of the Parasitic Insects herself?” Greenstone’s face paled.
“Unlikely. With the Mother’s immense power, why would she personally deal with mere underground palace guards?” Xie Lian dismissed the idea without hesitation.
“So, besides the human-faced insects, there’s another, far more dangerous breed lurking in this palace,” Han Li murmured.
“I’m afraid that’s the case,” Xie Lian admitted helplessly.
“Fellow Daoists, there’s no need to worry too much. Even if such insects exist, their numbers must be few. Besides, dozens of cultivators have entered this palace—surely they can handle any threat,” Greenstone said, trying to reassure them.
“Indeed, this second type of insect must be extremely rare. Otherwise, Lady Baohua and Yuan Ya would have known about them. There may only be a handful,” Xie Lian agreed after some thought.
“If their numbers are limited, they pose no real threat. Fellow Daoists, let’s first inspect the damaged restrictions,” Han Li said, his expression easing.
With that, he and Crab Daoist led the way deeper into the hall.
Xie Lian and Greenstone exchanged glances before following.
A short while later, in a grand chamber at the center of the palace, Han Li and the others gathered around a massive formation that sprawled across the floor, discussing in low voices.
The formation was incredibly intricate, its patterns dense and profoundly mysterious.
However, parts of it had been forcibly altered recently, while other sections had been outright erased, leaving it nearly unrecognizable.
“Fellow Daoist Xie Lian, are you unable to repair this formation?” Greenstone asked with a furrowed brow.
“I brought the original blueprint of this place’s restrictions before setting out, but I never expected the modifications to be so extensive. Given enough time, I could restore it to its original state. But Lady Baohua hasn’t given us that luxury. That’s why I’m at a loss,” Xie Lian replied with a bitter smile.
“If that’s the case, we’re in serious trouble. My expertise in formations is limited—I’m afraid I can’t be of much help,” Greenstone sighed.
“If we have the original blueprint, I might be able to assist. Lady Baohua only asked us to activate the restrictions here, not fully restore them. Let me study the blueprint and see if there’s a way to temporarily activate the formation without complete restoration,” Han Li said after a moment of contemplation.
“Fellow Daoist Han is also versed in formations? If you can achieve what you’ve described, that would be ideal!” Xie Lian exclaimed joyfully.
With a flick of her wrist, she tossed a translucent jade slip to Han Li.
He caught it and probed it with his spiritual sense, confirming that it indeed contained an extremely complex formation blueprint—likely the original design for this place.
From then on, Han Li and Xie Lian began studying the restoration method, while Greenstone and Crab Daoist stepped outside to stand guard.
Thanks to Han Li’s expertise and the blueprint, they devised a solution within half a day.
After listening to Han Li’s proposal and carefully reviewing it several times, Xie Lian nodded in satisfaction.
She immediately retrieved materials from her storage bracelet, and together with Han Li, they began repairing the massive formation in the hall.
The process was painstaking, as even a minor mistake could trigger the palace’s restrictions and awaken the Mother of the Parasitic Insects.
After a full day and night of labor, they finally completed the repairs.
When Xie Lian solemnly cast a spell onto the formation, the entire hall hummed, emitting layers of soft white light. A profound ripple of energy spread outward before vanishing into the void.
“Excellent, no issues. Fellow Daoist Han’s solution works perfectly,” Xie Lian said with relief, smiling at Han Li after confirming no anomalies occurred.
“Since there are no problems, we need only wait for Lady Baohua’s signal to fully activate the restrictions. I wonder if the others have completed their tasks on time,” Han Li remarked, surveying the formation with a faint smile.
“According to Lady Baohua’s plan, we should receive word within half a day. Until then, let’s rest and prepare. A fierce battle may await us soon,” Xie Lian said, sending a messenger talisman to notify Crab Daoist and Greenstone before sitting cross-legged in a corner of the hall.
Han Li had no objections and likewise took a seat.
Moments later, a green and a silver streak of light shot into the hall, materializing in the remaining two corners before sitting down.
The four of them sat motionless, meditating in silence.
Time passed swiftly, and within four or five hours—
Han Li’s eyes suddenly snapped open.
He wasn’t alone—Xie Lian and Greenstone also jolted awake in alarm.
*Boom!*
Without warning, the ground trembled violently. The entire hall shook as the formation erupted with radiant light, and a white beam shot from its center, vanishing into the ceiling.
Simultaneously, the entire underground palace began to quake.
In a hidden region of the palace, ancient stone pillars burst from the ground, forming a dense and eerie stone forest.
From above, the pillars arranged themselves into a bizarre, square-shaped formation.
At its center stood eight bronze pillars, distinct from the rest.
These pillars were rusted and inscribed with mysterious ancient scripts, each topped with a glowing spherical barrier.
Inside these barriers rested blood-red ancient lamps.
Only one of the lamps flickered with a faint yellow flame—the other seven had long been extinguished.
At the heart of the eight pillars stood a blood-red altar over ten zhang tall, upon which rested a pitch-black alms bowl wreathed in dark mist, exuding an eerie aura.
From the bowl came a low, sinister chuckle.
“Impossible! We haven’t even activated the formation yet—how could the restrictions trigger on their own?” Xie Lian’s face turned deathly pale as she cried out.
Greenstone was equally horrified.
Han Li’s expression darkened.
Though he didn’t know what had happened, it was clear that events had deviated from Lady Baohua’s plan.
“Let’s go. The situation has changed. We can’t wait here—we must regroup with the others immediately,” Han Li declared decisively.
With a wave to Crab Daoist, he erupted in green light and shot away as a streak of radiance.
Crab Daoist followed without a word, transforming into a silver streak in pursuit.
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