The mountains near Li City stretched on without end. In summer, they were lush and green, with coolness hidden in their shade.
On several of the peaks, grass and trees swayed as colorful Gu worms crawled everywhere, covering the slopes in dense masses. The sight was enough to make one's skin crawl.
Some of the Gu worms had grotesque appearances, while others were translucent and beautiful. Some were as large as rocks, while others were so tiny they were hard to see. Their buzzing never stopped, and vivid shades of azure, scarlet, sky blue, and ink green surged together as they searched the peaks in an overwhelming tide.
Venerable Ten Thousand Insects hovered in midair, his white hair hanging strand by strand like tiny snakes. He gazed down below, his Cinnabar Field Aperture open as his spirit spread out and enveloped the area, working with the Gu worms to search for the hidden Yuan Yang.
He sneered. "I've already sealed off all the mountains nearby. You'll be found sooner or later, and then you can enjoy the pleasure of being devoured by ten thousand worms!"
In a valley, Yuan Yang hid in a corner beneath the grass and leaves. She held a seven-colored Mani Pearl, using it to make her aura and figure hazy and indistinct, like a dream or a bubble.
It was a Buddhist treasure she had exchanged for from the Lord of Six Paths Samsara: the "True and False Mani Realm." She was relying on it now to withstand Venerable Ten Thousand Insects' search.
Yuan Yang had seen much of the world. Though she was in extreme danger, she did not panic. Her thoughts remained orderly as she tried to fake signs of a distant escape, hoping to deceive Venerable Ten Thousand Insects into abandoning his search