Chapter 1876: Candidate Worm King

Under the strike of those incantations, the spirit insects immediately let out mournful cries and were forcibly separated.

Then, the three “Han Lis” began chanting under their breath, their hand seals shifting unpredictably.

A dozen or so purple-striped beetles, seemingly under some form of mental control, reluctantly flapped their wings and pounced onto the white silk threads that had been spat out earlier, voraciously devouring them.

The speed at which these beetles consumed the silk was astonishing—within moments, the densely packed white threads were completely gone.

The “Han Li” with pale green skin suddenly opened his mouth and spat out countless specks of silver light.

Each speck was no larger than a bean, but upon landing in the massive green cauldron, they transformed into dozens of silver flowers the size of palms. The petals shimmered with silver light, adorned with blood-red patterns, appearing extremely eerie.

The beetles, upon seeing these silver flowers, emitted sounds of delight and lunged forward again. In an instant, the silver flowers were devoured one after another.

However, for every silver flower that disappeared, another silently materialized in its place.

After the time it took to finish a meal, the beetles had consumed thousands of silver flowers. Their bodies, now swirling with purple patterns, had visibly grown slightly larger.

At this moment, the golden-glowing “Han Li” suddenly opened his eyes, and from his blood-red pupils erupted clusters of black flames. After a few flickers, the flames expanded into a sea of black fire, engulfing all the spirit insects.

A bizarre scene unfolded!

The insects opened their mouths wide and began devouring the black flames without pause.

With each gulp, the flames diminished, and before long, all the black fire had been swallowed by the beetles, leaving not a trace behind.

Then, the last Han Li let out a low shout and swung both sleeves. Two thunderclaps boomed, followed by a flash of golden light as two thick golden arcs shot forth. In an instant, they transformed into two golden lightning nets, one after the other, descending to trap all the beetles beneath them.

A deafening explosion erupted!

The two lightning nets shattered into countless tiny arcs, drowning the beetles in a storm of golden electricity.

Upon closer inspection, however, it became clear that despite the relentless strikes of the lightning, the purple patterns on the beetles’ bodies flickered erratically, yet they stretched out their limbs, allowing more golden arcs to strike them, appearing utterly at ease.

They remained completely unharmed amidst the lightning.

After an unknown length of time, when the golden lightning finally dissipated, the Han Li with a rotating golden halo above his head opened his eyes. Simultaneously, the seventy-two small emerald swords within the halo trembled and transformed into countless green threads, shooting forward at incredible speed, reaching the beetles in an instant.

A cacophony of metallic clangs erupted as the green threads struck the beetles, as if hitting tempered steel. Though the force sent the insects flying backward, the green light flared without leaving a single mark on their bodies.

Enraged by the attack, the beetles emitted piercing shrieks, their forms blurring as they flickered in and out of existence above the cauldron.

Despite the green threads’ lightning-fast speed, they all missed their targets, unable to strike the now-elusive insects.

However, the Han Li controlling the threads frowned, formed a hand seal with one hand, and flicked a finger toward the green cauldron.

A deep, bell-like resonance echoed as countless runes surfaced on the cauldron, and an invisible force surged forth. The beetles, which had turned into wisps of smoke, were forced back into visibility. Even as their wings blazed with dazzling golden light, their flight speed slowed to a crawl.

Meanwhile, the green threads, under the cauldron’s invisible force, not only retained their speed but accelerated further, darting through the air like fish in water.

In a flash, the space above the cauldron became a curtain of green light.

The dozen or so purple-striped beetles, trapped at the center of the green radiance, became motionless targets, simultaneously struck by hundreds of green threads.

A storm of metallic clashes erupted, relentless and deafening!

For a moment, the beetles’ bodies were engulfed in blinding green light, their shrieks growing unbearably shrill.

The three Han Lis watched this scene with unchanged expressions. Two of them rapidly formed hand seals, pouring mana into the cauldron, while the third, his face shrouded in a green aura, relentlessly drove the green sword threads forward.

For a time, the chamber was filled with nothing but the hissing of the threads and the thunderous explosions.

After an unknown duration, the Han Li controlling the green threads suddenly raised an eyebrow and beckoned with a finger.

The threads paused, reverting to seventy-two small emerald swords before shooting back to him.

The golden halo above his head, which had been pulsing erratically, spun once and mysteriously absorbed all the swords.

With a soft “pop,” the halo itself dissipated.

Simultaneously, the other two Han Lis altered their hand seals, their bodies glowing as they withdrew their techniques.

Above the cauldron, the purple-striped beetles, previously drowned in green light, reappeared.

Despite the prolonged assault, they showed no signs of fatigue—only fury. Freed from the cauldron’s restraints, they immediately spread their wings and shot toward the three Han Lis.

“**Halt!**”

The three Han Lis uttered a single command without a trace of panic.

Instantly, the beetles wobbled mid-air, unable to maintain balance.

At the same time, the green cauldron emitted a hum, and a white mist surged forth, enveloping the beetles and dragging them back into the cauldron despite their resistance.

The Han Li who had controlled the swords sighed in relief and murmured, “They’re becoming harder to control. As the secret technique warned, once they reach this stage, the old methods are no longer sufficient. A new binding ritual is necessary. But with their current strength so evenly matched, further cannibalization seems impossible. Breeding a true King seems unlikely now.”

After this soliloquy, Han Li frowned, lost in thought.

Since leaving the Netherworld River, he had spent over a century cultivating while gathering rare materials along the way before finally returning to the human race.

Knowing the demonic tribulation was imminent, he immediately summoned his three disciples, gave them instructions, and secluded himself behind layers of restrictions.

This retreat had two goals: first, to refine his physique with the Netherworld River’s milk, pushing his cultivation to the peak of mid-stage before attempting to break through to late-stage.

Second, he aimed to use the Ephemera’s insect-rearing technique to cultivate a King Beetle. If he succeeded before the tribulation, he could at least ensure his survival, if not dominate the demonic forces.

Though he suspected the Ephemera elder had ulterior motives in giving him the technique, he proceeded without hesitation.

Over the century, he had studied the technique endlessly, combining it with his own insights and unique resources to devise his own method.

Most of it aligned with the Ephemera’s teachings, but key differences existed. For instance, where the Ephemera fed rare medicines sparingly, Han Li—armed with his mysterious vial—fed his beetles frequently.

He also replaced certain lightning tempering methods with his Divine Devilbane Lightning.

Whether these modifications worked was uncertain, but Han Li believed his method surpassed the Ephemera’s.

Indeed, within two centuries, he had reduced tens of thousands of mutated beetles to these final thirteen purple-striped candidates, each powerful enough to rival a mid-stage Body Integration cultivator when united.

Yet now, despite all efforts, these beetles—equally matched—refused to cannibalize further, leaving Han Li at an impasse.