“Since I have gifted this item to you, it naturally wouldn’t make sense for me to take it back!” Baohua responded with a charming smile upon hearing this.
“With this item for protection, along with the mutually restraining Profound Heavenly Treasure you’ve borrowed, Daoist Baohua, even if the Mother Worm is ferocious, we should be able to handle it. In that case, this old man will risk his life and accompany you.” The ancient-looking elder’s eyes flickered a few times before he agreed.
As for the black-robed woman, after a moment of thought, she also nodded.
“Brother Han, what do you think?” Baohua was overjoyed but still did not forget Han Li, the one she valued most, turning her head to ask him.
“Since all of you are going, how could I possibly back out at this point?” Han Li calmly stored the item in his hand, his expression revealing nothing unusual.
With his current divine abilities and the protection of the Profound Heavenly Slaying Sword, even if he were to face a true immortal, he was confident in his ability to protect himself. Naturally, he wouldn’t be too afraid of a Mother Worm that had already suffered severe damage.
“Good! Then I’ll have the Seal Spirit send us over immediately. Over there, the two Daoists from the Night Realm should also be nearby. Once we join forces with them, our chances of success will increase.” Baohua said with a light laugh.
Without further hesitation, she flicked a spell into the gray mist with a single hand.
In an instant, the mist churned before splitting apart, revealing a passageway.
Baohua moved swiftly, drifting into the passage without hesitation.
The others hurriedly followed.
A short while later, as they stepped out of the passage, their vision brightened, revealing an empty expanse. Ahead, a pale gray teleportation array lay on the ground.
A buzzing sound echoed from the surrounding void, as if someone were speaking.
However, none of them, including Han Li, could understand a word. Only Baohua nodded slightly toward the air before stepping into the array with a solemn expression.
The others exchanged glances, hesitating briefly before following suit.
The moment the black-robed woman stepped into the array, a soft *puff* sounded as the entire array activated on its own. A swirl of radiant light enveloped them, and in the next instant, their figures blurred before vanishing without a trace.
At the same time, atop the blood-red altar in the mysterious stone forest, the black alms bowl, which had been motionless, suddenly trembled. A low male voice murmured, “So they really intend to deal with that Mother Worm. Heh, they must have a death wish! With their level of strength, they’re just seeking their own demise. But that kid can’t die yet—it seems I’ll have to find a way to save him first. Sigh, looks like I’ll have to use *that* thing after all…”
The voice carried a tone of reluctance, as if he were being forced to part with something precious.
A crisp metallic clinking echoed through the void!
A faint glow flickered above the altar, revealing eight slender silver chains.
Each chain was wrapped around the edge of the alms bowl at one end, while the other ends stretched toward the tops of eight bronze pillars, disappearing into the ancient lamps.
An obscure incantation chanted from within the alms bowl caused the thin chain connected to the sole still-glowing ancient lamp to tremble slightly.
Tiny golden runes, each the size of a grain of rice, suddenly appeared on the lamp, swiftly traveling along the silver chain toward the altar before vanishing into the black alms bowl.
The faint black mist swirling around the alms bowl gradually thickened, exuding an increasingly terrifying aura that surged at an unimaginable speed.
“So this is the lair of the Mother Worm!” Han Li’s expression turned utterly astonished as he surveyed their surroundings.
He wasn’t the only one—Baohua and the other Mahayana cultivators also wore looks of shock as they took in the scenery.
They found themselves floating above an endless ocean, surrounded by a vast expanse of pale blue water, with occasional gusts of damp sea breeze brushing past.
“This isn’t an illusion! How is this possible? Could there really be such a place within the underground palace?” The ancient-looking elder frowned and turned to Baohua.
“Of course not. The underground palace is only so large—there’s no way such a vast body of water could exist within it!” Baohua shook her head in denial.
“Then where is this place? Were we teleported out of the Origin Seal Land?” The red-faced man glanced around hesitantly.
“Probably not. Otherwise, our spiritual senses wouldn’t still be suppressed by the seal, unable to extend very far,” the black-robed woman asserted confidently.
Clearly, she had already attempted to use her spiritual power.
“Everyone, look up!” Han Li suddenly spoke calmly.
“Up? I’ve already checked—there’s nothing unusual!” The ancient-looking elder looked up at the gray, overcast sky in confusion.
The black-robed woman and the red-faced man also raised their heads, their expressions equally puzzled.
Baohua, however, let out a soft exclamation of realization as she gazed at the gray sky.
At that moment, Han Li raised his arm and slashed his finger through the air. A *shriek* sounded as a several-hundred-zhang-long sword light flashed into existence, cleaving downward through the sky.
The gray mist in the sky churned violently, accompanied by a piercing screech.
The cyan sword light was blindingly radiant, its momentum vast and overwhelming, as if it intended to split the heavens in two.
Yet, as the light vanished, the sky remained intact. Instead, a thunderous rumble echoed as a massive black rune formation, nearly covering the entire sky, materialized overhead.
The formation was pitch-black, composed of countless runes of varying sizes. At its center lay a colossal white insect, as large as a mountain.
The insect’s body was flawless, as white as jade, its head buried within its own bulk, obscuring its true appearance. From a distance, its plump, rotund form resembled that of a giant silkworm.
Strangely, the insect seemed to be in deep slumber, its body rising and falling rhythmically. Golden runes flickered in and out of existence along its form, slowly circulating.
“The Mother Worm!” the black-robed woman gasped in shock.
The red-faced man and the ancient-looking elder were equally stunned, their expressions shifting as they tensed, ready for battle.
However, Baohua remained composed.
“There’s no need to panic. The worm won’t awaken for a while yet. As long as we don’t act recklessly, we won’t disturb it. It seems this is a spatial rift it created itself. The two Daoists from the Night Realm likely won’t be able to join us here.”
“A self-created spatial rift—given the Mother Worm’s abilities, it’s certainly capable of such a feat. This also explains why the seal’s suppression still affects us here,” the ancient-looking elder said, exhaling slowly as his expression relaxed slightly.
“But without the two Night Realm Daoists, our forces are somewhat lacking. Should we first locate the exit and bring them into this space? They’re probably monitoring things from outside,” the black-robed woman suggested after another glance around.
“No. The worm is already on the verge of awakening. Any disturbance from entering or exiting would likely rouse it immediately. The Night Realm Daoists must be aware of this, which is why they haven’t entered. Unlike us, they weren’t directly transported here by the seal’s power,” Baohua firmly rejected the idea.
The others found her reasoning sound and dropped the matter.
Meanwhile, Han Li, who had been silently observing the massive rune formation in the sky, spoke slowly.
“Enough pointless talk. We should strike while the worm is still asleep. If we can deal a crippling blow in one attack, that would be ideal.”
“Daoist Han, you underestimate us too much. If all of us attack together, even a true immortal caught off guard would perish on the spot,” the black-robed woman retorted, displeased.
“Hmph. If the Mother Worm were so easy to kill, the two true immortals who sealed it wouldn’t have only managed to suppress it. I always prepare for the worst in any situation,” Han Li replied coldly.
The black-robed woman’s expression darkened, but before she could retort, Baohua raised a hand to intervene.
“There’s no need for argument. We’ll do our best, and whether we succeed will depend on fate. But caution never hurts. For the first strike, we’ll all attack together, and I’ll fully activate the Profound Heavenly Treasure I borrowed. If any of you have hidden trump cards, now’s the time to use them. We may only get one chance to strike with our full strength.”
“Daoist Baohua speaks wisely. This old man has no objections,” the ancient-looking elder nodded repeatedly in agreement.
The black-robed woman and the red-faced man naturally did not oppose.
Han Li pondered for a moment before giving a solemn nod.
Seeing this, Baohua smiled faintly. Taking a deep breath, she formed a single-handed seal, and a massive pink flower tree illusion materialized behind her.
At the same time, her lips moved silently as she raised her other hand, fingers splayed to reveal a rusted, half-foot-long yellow spike resting on her palm.
The spike was pitted and worn, its inscribed spirit patterns barely discernible, as if it had been buried underground for countless years.
Yet Baohua held it with utmost solemnity. Once her incantation ceased, she addressed the others gravely.
“This Earth Emperor Spike contains the dry earth laws of an entire realm. Once it pierces a target, all earth-attribute abilities will be completely sealed. If I recall correctly, the Mother Worm’s innate abilities are earth-based. If I succeed in striking it, over eighty to ninety percent of its powers will be nullified.”
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