The two giant insect phantoms were greatly alarmed, no longer maintaining any semblance of reverence. Their bodies shimmered with escaping light as they attempted to flee.
However, where the silver-robed woman pointed her finger, a black flash appeared, and two glowing runes shot out, vanishing into the bodies of the two giant insects with unimaginable speed.
The two insects let out agonized screams, writhing violently as they tried to resist the power of the black runes, but to no avail. Countless black threads emerged on their surfaces, and their bodies rapidly shrank and dissolved into light.
Within moments, only two glowing orbs remained, floating silently in the air.
The silver-robed woman casually beckoned, and the orbs flew toward her with a flash.
She opened her mouth slightly.
The two orbs spun rapidly before transforming into wisps of white light, which she inhaled directly.
Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes, her face shimmering with crystalline radiance. Her aura surged dramatically, as if doubling in intensity.
After a while, when she opened her eyes with a soft hum, her heightened aura instantly returned to normal.
Suddenly, her expression shifted. She glanced upward toward the abyss, as if sensing something. A flicker of ferocity crossed her face before she transformed into a blazing fire, shooting back into the rolling demonic flames within the eye sockets of the skeleton.
The next moment, the previously motionless skeleton abruptly raised its head and let out a piercing howl. Clusters of blood mist materialized around it, instantly transforming into countless blood threads that rapidly coiled around the bones.
Layer upon layer of dense blood threads wrapped around the skeleton, quickly becoming translucent and glowing, forming real flesh, veins, and even layers of skin and scales.
In the blink of an eye, the once pale-white skeleton transformed into a colossal, monstrous insect with three heads—one large and two small.
The central head bore a human face, unmistakably that of the silver-robed woman, while the other two were grotesque, covered in countless eyes of varying sizes and scales of iridescent hues.
The insect’s body was smooth and crystalline, as if carved from glass, with four pairs of milky-white wings on its back, shimmering with faint five-colored runes, making it eerily beautiful.
As soon as the gargantuan insect’s body reformed, the central head tilted upward, its cold eyes fixed on the sky above, silent and unmoving. The other two heads remained motionless, their eyes closed, expressionless as if lifeless.
Moments later, three streaks of light descended from above the abyss.
The light dissipated, revealing three figures hovering about a hundred feet above—Han Li, Baohua, and the Crab Daoist.
At such close range, Han Li and Baohua clearly saw the monstrous insect below and were momentarily stunned.
The reborn insect bore no resemblance to the shell they had destroyed earlier on the water’s surface—it was as if they were two entirely different creatures.
What unsettled Han Li and Baohua even more was the face on the central head, eerily similar to the girl they had encountered earlier, and its chilling gaze fixed upon them.
“This is the true form of the Mother of Soul Devouring Insects. It seems we’re too late—she’s already awakened,” Baohua murmured, her expression grim.
“Though the appearance differs, there’s no mistake,” Han Li said solemnly, staring at the human-faced head.
“If she’s unharmed, it seems our two companions have truly perished,” Baohua sighed softly.
Han Li’s gaze flickered to the broken artifacts floating near the insect. He nodded slightly but said nothing more.
“So, it’s you three little ones who injured my avatar and dared to disturb my rest,” the human-faced head of the insect spoke, its voice unexpectedly melodious, like that of a charming woman.
“So you are the Mother of Soul Devouring Insects! Did you kill our companions?” Baohua asked calmly, her mind racing.
“Giggle. Two mere lower-realm Mahayana cultivators dared to act recklessly before me—of course, they’ve become part of my flesh. Since you refuse to answer my questions, you may join them,” the insect’s face flashed a coquettish smile, but her words were icy.
As soon as she finished speaking, she opened her small mouth, releasing a burst of gray threads that expanded into a vast net, descending upon the trio.
A foul stench accompanied the net, nauseating to the extreme.
Though Han Li and Baohua appeared composed, they were already on high alert against the Mother’s true form.
As the gray net descended, Baohua shouted, “Now!”
Without hesitation, she raised a hand, flipping it to reveal a small tree glowing with emerald light. In a swirl of runes, it transformed into a massive pink tree, its petals scattering to fill the sky, forming a protective barrier.
Meanwhile, the Crab Daoist rolled into a golden crab spanning hundreds of acres, arcs of lightning crackling across its body as a colossal thunder net surged upward to intercept the gray threads.
Han Li ignored their actions, simply flicking his sleeve and grasping the air. A green light flashed as the Profound Heavenly Slaying Sword appeared in his hand.
His body swelled in size, and the three-headed, six-armed Dharmic Form of the Sacred Buddha emerged behind him, merging into his body in a golden blaze. With a low roar, purple-gold scales covered his skin, and intricate silver patterns formed arrays across his body.
With a fierce flick of his wrist, multicolored light surged from the abyss, converging into the sword.
A line of silver script on the emerald blade flared, unleashing the power of laws. Twelve green streaks slashed forth, nearly merging into a single line as they crossed the distance in an instant, striking toward the insect.
Clearly, they had planned their strategy beforehand—one defending, one restraining, and one delivering the killing blow.
Against such a flawless assault, most Mahayana cultivators would be helpless.
But the Mother merely raised an eyebrow, her body radiating an eerie force that repelled the pink petals. A human-like limb lifted, a delicate finger pointing forward.
A black flash erupted as a glowing rune shot from her fingertip, striking the foremost green streak.
With a *pfft*, the rune exploded, unleashing a terrifying wave of law power.
The twelve green streaks froze upon contact, then, impossibly, rebounded toward Han Li and the others.
Both Han Li and Baohua paled.
Without hesitation, Han Li swung his sword again, releasing another twelve streaks.
The twenty-four streaks collided midair, vanishing in a burst of destructive force that sent Han Li staggering back.
Though he absorbed the backlash with the sword’s power, his face whitened as his energy drained significantly.
Only his immense reserves spared him from exhaustion—a lesser cultivator would have been consumed by the backlash.
“This isn’t mere reflection—it’s the reversal of time law!” Baohua gasped, then snapped off a thick branch from her tree and slashed it through the air.
But the Mother sneered, her body erupting with gray-white rings of power that repelled the petals, creating a space filled with eerie runes around her.
A blast of law force struck the rings but was deflected harmlessly.
Baohua’s face twisted in disbelief.
“Heh. A Profound Heaven Domain. To think a lower-realm Mahayana could grasp even a shred of this power. But yours is but a pale imitation. Before you become my sustenance, allow me to show you a *true* Profound Heaven Domain.”
With a sinister laugh, the Mother raised her forelimbs, chanting incantations. The gray-white rings spun faster and faster, then vanished in a flash, plunging the abyss into darkness.
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