Battle the Ghost Moth

On the outskirts of the Sunset Forest, Qian Yun and Hu Liena sat inside their tent. Since lighting a fire was inconvenient, the two of them ate some dry rations and drank water before sitting cross-legged in silence to adjust their states.

As the Cat's Eye Stone on Qian Yun's chest flickered, a bead and a piece of gauze appeared in his hands.

Even with a bitter enemy before him, how could Qian Yun truly put himself in danger? Long before they set out, he had retrieved treasures from the Pope Hall specifically designed to counter the characteristics of the Ghost Moth, aiming for a swift and decisive battle.

The bead in his hand, about half the size of a fist, was called the "Green Bamboo Treasure Bead." Its entire body was a tender green, and even in the current pitch-black environment, it still emitted a gentle luster. Its function was to disperse filth in the surrounding area, protecting them from the intrusion of poisonous mists.

The other item, the gauze, was light and thin. Though it looked unremarkable, it was the most precious of the two. This item was called the "Goddess Gauze," and it possessed an extremely overbearing mental concealment effect. It could completely immunize the wearer against the Ghost Moth's mental probing, allowing Qian Yun to achieve the effect of a surprise attack.

In addition to these, he also carried two "Thunder-Attracting Spears." Although the Ghost Moth was not particularly afraid of lightning, all Qian Yun needed was the sharpness capable of piercing through rock.

After checking that everything was in order, Qian Yun handed the "Goddess Gauze" to Hu Liena, who was sharpening her blade. This item had been prepared for Xiao Na from the start; Qian Yun's Crown Martial Soul possessed overbearing mental power, and he was confident he could resist the Ghost Moth's mental attacks. By comparison, Hu Liena, who excelled in charm, was undoubtedly more suited to wearing the "Goddess Gauze."

Hu Liena, who had remained silent throughout, put away the dagger Bibi Dong had bestowed upon her. "I wonder what kind of Spirit Skill that Ghost Moth will give you."

Qian Yun tucked the treasure bead away and replied, "Based on my understanding of it, given its thousand-year cultivation, it likely won't give me an attack-type Spirit Skill, but it definitely won't be bad."

"Mm."

The night passed without a word.

The next day, the sun rose. Qian Yun and Hu Liena walked out of the tent. Following the same routine as the previous night, Qian Yun blew a whistle to summon the scout to lead the way.

They were still on the outermost edge of the Sunset Forest, and the Ghost Moth, which preferred dark environments, would naturally not stay here.

In the dense jungle, Qian Yun and Hu Liena followed the scout's figure, moving rapidly. With the scout leading the way, they made fast progress.

Qian Yun's golden eyes were fixed on the scout's back, his heart terrifyingly calm.

If one were to ask what the greatest gain from his years in the Enforcement Team had been, the answer would undoubtedly be the stability of his state of mind.

Now that his enemy was near, he did not reveal even a shred of killing intent. At this moment, he was merely here to take the life of the Ghost Moth; he had no other distracting thoughts.

Along the way, Qian Yun's group bypassed the territories of various Spirit Beasts and soon arrived at a gloomy cave.

This place was sheltered from the wind, surrounded by tall trees that blocked out the light. Bursts of cold air blew from the cave entrance, making one shiver.

The scout exchanged a few words with the people left behind to guard the area, then returned to Qian Yun's side and said, "My Lord, the Ghost Moth is still inside."

Qian Yun nodded. "Very well. You all stay outside. If the Ghost Moth escapes, you must kill it with all your might."

"Understood." The scout bowed and retreated. After Qian Yun's words from the previous night, he naturally wouldn't ask for trouble by trying to curry favor again.

Qian Yun turned around and looked at the dark cave, which resembled the gaping maw of some ferocious beast, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

The Ghost Moth preferred to sleep during the day and be active at night; in broad daylight, it was likely still sleeping.

Hu Liena tossed the gauze in her hand upward, and an invisible, shield-like object enveloped them. Qian Yun and Hu Liena, standing within it, felt the scenery before them distort for a moment before returning to normal.

The difference was that the cold wind in the cave could no longer affect them in the slightest.

After activating his Martial Soul Possession, Qian Yun began to step forward, and Hu Liena summoned her Martial Soul to follow closely behind.

The further they walked into the depths of the cave, the dimmer the light became. As they ventured deeper, it wasn't long before it was too dark to see the path ahead.

After walking for a long time, Hu Liena seemed to sense something ahead.

"Swish—"

A scratching sound rang out. In the blink of an eye, Qian Yun unhesitatingly lit a torch. It illuminated the previously dark cave, the flickering firelight shining upon smooth stone walls that had not seen strong light for millions of years, reflecting a faint glimmer.

By the light of the fire, Hu Liena finally saw the object not far away. Her eyes trembled, and her small hand subconsciously tightened.

Before them lay a mass of flesh gnawed into an unrecognizable state. One could only guess from the slender tail that this mass of flesh resembled the corpse of a monkey-like creature.

The ripped-open chest was shriveled, the internal organs long since vanished. Its eyes were wide open, the emotions of fear and resentment frozen forever on the monkey's face—it looked human!

Just then, Qian Yun felt the transparent shield in front of them shudder violently.

"Skree—!"

Immediately following, a piercing and rather shrill screech erupted!

Qian Yun was quick-witted and raised the torch in his hand, throwing it with all his might toward the upper diagonal.

As the torch tumbled, it continuously emitted sparks. One side reflected Qian Yun and his companion holding the torch, while the other side reflected a pair of scarlet eyes, and at this moment, another pair of eyes beneath them slowly opened...

The thrown torch stuck firmly into the rock wall, and Qian Yun finally saw exactly what they were about to face.

Four scarlet, vertical eyes were connected to a dark gray body the size of a bell. At the very top, a pitch-black claw missing a finger was deeply embedded in the stone wall.

This was the Spirit Beast they had been searching for: the Ghost Moth. At this moment, its entire body was hanging upside down. Accompanying its movements, a pair of broad, thin wings connected to its mouth and claws flapped violently.

"Hmph!"

Without the need for verbal reminders, Qian Yun and Hu Liena unleashed their Spirit Skills simultaneously.

The Spirit Roar sent out ripples, and the Fox Fire followed closely behind. They seized the moment it released its claws and had yet to spread its wings!

The Ghost Moth was suspended in mid-air. As a thousand-year Spirit Beast, its experience in suddenly encountering an enemy was not to be underestimated. Its dark gray wings first tightened on one side, while the wing on the other side flapped vigorously, its massive body displaying unexpected agility.

By this time, Qian Yun's Spirit Roar had only just arrived. With a boom, rocks flew, and a cloud of white smoke exploded. After dodging the attack, the Ghost Moth's body finally spread its wings.

Having missed the first strike, Qian Yun felt not a hint of annoyance. He placed his right hand on Hu Liena's shoulder, and his own spirit power poured into her body.

Bolstered by the Crown, Hu Liena's eyes brightened. Two fox tails swayed behind her as she raised her hand to point at the Fox Fire already drifting in the air, swiping it toward the Ghost Moth.

Following her movement, the Fox Fire, which was about to miss, suddenly veered off as if guided by some unseen force. After carving a snow-white line of fire through the air, it landed lightly upon the Ghost Moth.

"Screech—screech!"

The pale, eerie Fox Fire landed on the Ghost Moth like a spark hitting oil, exploding against its body with a loud bang.

Although Hu Liena's trick worked, it also infuriated the Ghost Moth. A sharper, more enraged shriek erupted from within its body, whistling through the cave and causing the Goddess Gauze to ripple violently.

Seeing that the Ghost Moth's attack had failed, Qian Yun felt a surge of certainty. He unleashed another Spirit Roar, this one infused with Star Power and lightning elements capable of inducing paralysis.

The Spirit Roar blasted out at high speed, striking the still-screeching Ghost Moth without fail. After a series of crackling sounds, the Ghost Moth's body suddenly stiffened. It neither dodged nor flapped its wings, hanging in the air with an eerie stillness, as if it were a painting.

Qian Yun frowned and pushed off the ground, leaping away while carrying Hu Liena. The spot where they had been standing collapsed abruptly.

Seeing this, Qian Yun muttered to himself that his suspicions were correct.

The Ghost Moth was naturally ferocious and possessed powerful mental attacks, making it a troublesome existence in the world of Spirit Beasts. Having reached a thousand-year cultivation level, it was undoubtedly even more terrifying.

Furthermore, it possessed a skill that made it extremely difficult for opponents to deal with: Clone.

After landing, Qian Yun looked at the additional Ghost Moth that had appeared in the air out of nowhere and clenched his fists. Things were getting tricky.

The Ghost Moth was worthy of being a thousand-year Spirit Beast; despite the two of them having the advantage of the first strike, it had still managed to use its skill.

The Ghost Moth's Clone skill was not the common variety that merely created an illusory shadow; it actually split into a second physical body!

This meant that both the clone and the original could attack. Although the clone's attacks only possessed thirty percent of the original's power, it was still quite formidable. Especially now, as their own numerical advantage had vanished.

Qian Yun kept his eyes locked on the Ghost Moth and said in a low voice, "Xiao Na, use your first spirit skill!"

"Right!"

Pink mist instantly permeated the area. With the enhancement of the Crown, Hu Liena's first spirit skill now served not only to disrupt the mind but also to provide a powerful boost to their own side.

Enveloped within Charm, the various attributes of Qian Yun and Hu Liena were enhanced once again.

With the Goddess Gauze masking their mental presence and Charm masking their visual presence, they had truly achieved complete concealment before the Ghost Moth.

The Ghost Moth in the air looked down at the red mist surging from the ground, feeling uncertain, as it could no longer sense the presence of its opponents at all.

However, even if the targets had vanished, they could not escape an area-of-effect attack. A fierce glint flashed in its eyes as its massive wings flapped, and a wind orb began to condense. Following its movements, the clone beside it also began to charge up.

The next moment, a storm of attacks poured down. The two Ghost Moths continuously hurled wind orbs from the air, one after another, as if there were no end to them.

As the wind orbs fell, the earth roared. Only when the rising dust covered the red mist did the Ghost Moth finally stop. It hovered in the air, slowly flapping its wings, its four vertical eyes scanning the surroundings.

Even it could not attack indefinitely, especially since it had to bear the burden of maintaining the clone and healing the wounds Hu Liena had inflicted earlier.

Everything seemed to return to silence.

"Clang—"

Accompanied by a piercing sound, another Spirit Roar tore through the dust and struck the Ghost Moth's clone.

Both Ghost Moths in the air shuddered simultaneously, and then the clone seemed to develop cracks.

A clone was just a clone; having blocked too many attacks, it was now nearing its limit.

The Ghost Moth looked toward the red mist on the ground, a flash of red light in its eyes, and the clone beside it plummeted straight toward the mist like a kite with a broken string.

If it couldn't find them, then why not probe with its physical body? The Ghost Moth's vertical eyes stared intently at the red mist, a massive wind orb gathering before it. As long as those two human brats dared to show their heads, it was confident it could kill them in one blow.

However, as the clone fell into the red mist, everything fell into an eerie silence once again. The clone was like a clay ox entering the sea; it plunged into the red mist and never made another sound.

Only then did the Ghost Moth, relying on the instinct of a beast fearing a strong enemy, realize that these two humans were beyond its comprehension, and it gradually began to consider retreating.

The massive wind orb in front of its chest began to shrink, and the frequency of its wing flaps slowed.

Suddenly, a sound so faint it was almost imperceptible rang out.

The thrown blade spun and accelerated in the air, slicing toward the Ghost Moth like a silver disc.

In the blink of an eye, at the edge of the red mist, Qian Yun caught a glimpse of a highly human-like mockery on the Ghost Moth's ferocious beast face.

The sharp blade sliced through the air without making a single sound. Then, it truly stopped...

The Ghost Moth glanced at the short blade hovering before it, flapped its wings, and Hu Liena's blade flew back along its original trajectory.

Immediately after, it locked onto a spot within the red mist, tilted its body, and dove toward where Hu Liena was located.

Inside the red mist, Qian Yun realized something was wrong the moment the short blade stopped and hurriedly jumped toward Hu Liena's position.

At this moment, Hu Liena looked at the diving Ghost Moth. Having been locked onto by its killing intent, she had nowhere to hide. As the danger approached, she chose not to flee in vain, and a burst of Fox Fire condensed in her hand.

Just as she chose to fight with all her might, a figure suddenly flashed in front of her.

"Help me!" Qian Yun shouted, blocking the path in front of Hu Liena while the second spirit ring beneath his feet flared with brilliant light.

Hu Liena didn't hesitate; she pressed her other hand against Qian Yun's back, pouring out her spirit power without reservation, while her other hand sent the Fox Fire flying to intercept the short blade in the air.

Qian Yun looked up to meet the Ghost Moth, gritting his teeth. As his second spirit skill activated, the light in his hands exploded outward, and a kaleidoscope of colors instantly swallowed everything in the cave.

Qian Yun raised the Spirit Blade in his hand and slashed down fiercely at the Ghost Moth's body!