Above a swamp filled with rotting sludge in the Demon Realm, a dark void suddenly rippled, and a burst of golden light shot out from within. The light then condensed, revealing several figures beneath the void.
It was Han Li and his two companions, who had once again entered the Demon Realm.
Han Li swept his gaze around and frowned slightly.
The surroundings were eerily empty, devoid of any signs of life.
After a brief moment of thought, he silently released his spiritual sense, enveloping the area.
Almost immediately, he discovered a large cluster of stone structures at the edge of the nearby swamp.
The buildings varied in height, numbering in the hundreds, with several protective formations encircling them.
However, the formations were wide open, showing no signs of activation. Scanning the interiors with his spiritual sense, Han Li found them in disarray, with no trace of any demons.
“Let’s go. We’ll head straight for the nearest demon city to figure out where we are in the Demon Realm,” Han Li said with a hint of surprise, but his mind quickly settled on a decision.
Unlike his previous entry into the Demon Realm, with his current Great Ascension-stage cultivation and the aid of Crab Daoist, he had no fear even if he were to face one of the Demon Realm’s three Ancestors.
With a flash of three streaks of light, the trio soared out of the swamp.
After flying westward for half a day, Han Li’s expression shifted slightly, and he abruptly halted mid-air.
Crab Daoist, after a glance into the distance, also stopped.
Silvermoon, seeing nothing ahead but empty skies, couldn’t help but ask in confusion,
“Brother Han, what’s the matter? Have you and Brother Crab noticed something?”
“Yes, something is approaching from ahead,” Han Li replied calmly, his expression unchanged.
Silvermoon blinked in surprise and quickly turned her gaze toward the horizon.
Moments later, a strange buzzing sound echoed from the distance, growing louder and closer by the second.
Silvermoon’s face paled in shock.
Yet, Han Li and Crab Daoist remained motionless, their expressions unreadable.
Soon after, a flash of spiritual light appeared at the horizon, followed by hundreds of streaks of light rushing toward them at breakneck speed.
It was a horde of demons and demonic beasts of varying cultivation levels, fleeing desperately as if pursued by something terrifying.
Silvermoon narrowed her eyes, wondering what could be chasing them, when the buzzing intensified. A vast gray cloud surged forth, relentlessly pursuing the fleeing figures.
Focusing her spiritual power into her eyes, Silvermoon scrutinized the gray cloud—only for her face to turn deathly pale the next moment.
The gray cloud was composed of countless grotesque insects.
The smallest were the size of fists, while the largest matched adult humans. Some were covered in spines, others with fanged maws—each more horrifying than the last, far from ordinary demonic insects.
The cloud seethed with demonic energy, the insects packed so densely their numbers were impossible to estimate.
Faced with such a terrifying swarm and their monstrous appearances, it was no wonder Silvermoon reacted so strongly.
The insects moved at varying speeds, with the larger ones overtaking the slower demons and beasts.
In moments, the stragglers were caught and entangled.
Forced to fight while fleeing, the demons and beasts let out roars, screams, and explosions of energy in the sky.
But as their speed faltered, the rest of the swarm caught up, engulfing them in the gray tide.
After a chorus of shrieks, both the snarling beasts and the demons desperately wielding their artifacts vanished into the insect sea.
Han Li’s expression flickered slightly at the sight. He turned to Crab Daoist and asked,
“Brother Crab, do these insects seem different from other demonic insects in the Demon Realm?”
“Their aura is unusual. Their demonic energy is impure, as if they weren’t native to the Demon Realm,” Crab Daoist replied impassively.
“Just as I thought. It seems these insects are connected to the Mother of Screaming Insects,” Han Li sighed.
“The Mother of Screaming Insects? The one who caused the calamity in the Demon Realm, forcing my grandfather and Senior Mo to enter?” Silvermoon gasped.
“Indeed, that very one,” Han Li confirmed with a bitter smile.
“If these insects are linked to her and are appearing so brazenly, does that mean the Mother has broken free?” Silvermoon asked, her face grim.
“Not necessarily. They might just be descendants that escaped the seal,” Han Li mused before shaking his head.
Before Silvermoon could press further, the fleeing demons had dwindled to a mere dozen, now close enough for Han Li to see their faces clearly.
The demons, spotting Han Li’s trio standing calmly in the sky, seemingly indifferent to the approaching swarm, were stunned.
A young demoness in her twenties shouted at them without hesitation,
“What are you doing just standing there? The Screaming Insects are coming! Run for your lives!”
With that, the fleeing figures shot past Han Li’s group, not daring to linger.
Han Li smiled faintly, then flicked his sleeve.
A thunderous roar erupted as three miniature mountains materialized before him. In a flash of light, they expanded into towering peaks and soared toward the insect cloud.
Simultaneously, the gray swarm surged forward, surrounding the three mountains completely.
Han Li raised a finger and pointed.
The mountains began to spin, unleashing their powers.
The black mountain released waves of gray mist, causing swathes of insects to vanish.
The azure mountain emitted a piercing hum, unleashing countless invisible sword beams that sliced the insects into pieces, raining green blood from the sky.
The five-colored mountain radiated dazzling light, its expanding halos crushing any insects they touched into pulp.
In moments, three massive voids had formed within the swarm, with the mountains devouring any insects that dared approach.
Soon, the gray cloud thinned drastically.
The remaining insects, sensing doom, let out a shrill cry from a two-headed leader and turned to flee.
Han Li’s eyes gleamed. He pointed at the black mountain, which vanished in a ripple of gray light.
Instantly, it reappeared above the two-headed insect, its base unleashing a sweeping gray mist.
The insect let out a final whimper before disappearing like the others.
The remnants of the swarm scattered in all directions, vanishing into the distance.
Han Li made no move to pursue them. With a casual wave, the three mountains shrank back to their miniature forms and disappeared into his sleeve.
From the moment he summoned the mountains to their retrieval, only a few blinks of an eye had passed.
The demoness who had been fleeing glanced back and nearly fell from the sky in shock.
“How is this possible?!” she shrieked.
The other demons, noticing her reaction, turned to look—only to gape in disbelief.
The terrifying swarm that had sent them fleeing was now gone without a trace.
Slowing their escape, they halted and stared blankly at Han Li’s trio.
It was clear to all that the swarm’s disappearance was linked to these three.
The demoness steadied herself and hesitated, unsure whether to approach.
Just then, Han Li’s voice echoed in their ears:
“Come here, fellow Daoists. I have some questions for you.”
The demoness stiffened, then obediently flew over. The others, murmuring among themselves, followed suit.
With such overwhelming power at his disposal, none dared provoke his displeasure.
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