Whoosh!
A streak of purple mist shot toward Luo Lan like lightning.
Luo Lan frantically used her movement technique, splitting into several afterimages as she tried to evade the mist's pursuit.
Just then, a furious roar rang across the night sky.
"You beast! You're asking for death!"
Eight or nine streaks of sword light came from every direction, unstoppable as they slashed toward the Man-Eating Flower Demon.
Whoosh!
The Man-Eating Flower Demon was startled. The purple mist, like an octopus's tentacle, had barely touched Luo Lan before it snapped back.
The instant the purple mist touched her, Luo Lan lost consciousness and fell from the sky.
The sword lights had appeared so suddenly that the Man-Eating Flower Demon was caught off guard. Another swath of petals fell away.
One powerful figure after another suddenly emerged from the night, hovering all around and surrounding the Man-Eating Flower Demon so thoroughly that not even a drop of water could escape.
"They're all at Foundation Establishment!"
Chen Changming watched, his expression shifting in shock.
What was going on tonight? First, a second wave of the beast tide had inexplicably appeared. Then they'd encountered a pursuit by the Blood Demon Sect. Next, the mid-tier, third-level Man-Eating Flower Demon had shown up, and now it had drawn so many Foundation Establishment cultivators.
These cultivators had come for the Man-Eating Flower Demon.
With that, the pressure on him suddenly eased. He hurried to Senior Sister's side, picked her up, and shook her. "Senior Sister, how are you?"
No matter how he called to her, Luo Lan kept her eyes closed. She wasn't breathing at all.
Was Senior Sister dead?
Chen Changming went cold all over, grief welling up inside him. Senior Sister had died saving him, killed by the Man-Eating Flower Demon.
"You're a disciple of the Lingxiao Sect, I take it? Your Senior Sister was poisoned by the Man-Eating Flower Demon. She won't survive..."
Elder Wu gazed at the grieving youth in the distance and gave a sinister smile.
In his eyes, these Qi Refining cultivators from the Yue Kingdom were as insignificant as ants.
If the Man-Eating Flower Demon hadn't struck first, he would certainly have killed this seventh-level Qi Refining girl himself, so she'd never get the chance to grow stronger.
As for the boy, he had a Five Elements Mixed Spirit Root and was far too weak. It made no difference whether he killed him or not.
With strength like his, he would be lucky to leave Cloud Mist Mountain alive.
"Attack!"
He abruptly swept out a hand, and all the Foundation Establishment cultivators attacked at once, launching another fierce assault on the Man-Eating Flower Demon.
In their previous fight, more than ten Foundation Establishment cultivators had battled the Man-Eating Flower Demon. Half their number had been lost, a terrible price, and in the end they had still let it escape.
The Spirit-Devouring Insect they were searching for was still on the Man-Eating Flower Demon and had yet to show itself.
Hiss, hiss...
Countless purple rays lit up across the flower's petals. Then, like a dense shower of arrows, they shot toward the surrounding Foundation Establishment cultivators.
Purple light collided with sword light, sending out a series of thunderous booms.
The Man-Eating Flower Demon suddenly swayed, then burrowed into the earth once more and vanished.
"Pursue it!"
Elder Wu's face darkened. The Man-Eating Flower Demon was cunning and devious; it had escaped once again.
Holding his Compass to track it, he led the others in pursuit.
Chen Changming felt as if his whole body had fallen apart. He sat dazed on the ground, holding Senior Sister in his arms, his face stricken with grief as tears streamed down.
Apart from his grandmother, Senior Sister had been the kindest woman to him since he was a child. Yet she had come to save him only to be poisoned by the Man-Eating Flower Demon, and now she seemed certain to die.
"Poison?"
Chen Changming suddenly remembered that he had learned the Detoxification Art and had already strengthened it twice.
"Detoxification Art!"
Without hesitation, he activated the art. A ray of green light fell onto Luo Lan and vanished.
The purple tint of Luo Lan's skin showed no sign of fading under the Detoxification Art.
"It didn't work..."
Chen Changming was utterly dejected, his spirits crushed to the limit.
Perhaps his Detoxification Art would need to be strengthened three or four times before it could cure the poison of a third-level Beast.
Rustle...
The soil nearby suddenly stirred, and a Purple Insect burrowed out. It was only the size of a fingernail, plump and glistening with moisture, its body wrapped in purple liquid. It beat its wings and flew out of the earth.
But it seemed to have run out of strength. It flew only a few meters before falling.
It landed right in front of Chen Changming.
"What kind of insect is this?"
Chen Changming glanced at it, then suddenly narrowed his eyes. The little insect carried the aura of the Man-Eating Flower Demon.
"Die!"
At the thought of the Man-Eating Flower Demon, fury blazed within him. He swung his sword at the insect in a flash.
The Purple Insect didn't move. Its eyes, tiny as sesame seeds, stared straight at the youth.
Chen Changming was momentarily dazed.
A mysterious feeling rose in his heart, suddenly making him think that this wasn't an ordinary little insect.
It seemed as if the insect wanted to tell him something, but couldn't.
The sword in his hand stopped.
Chen Changming suddenly calmed down and didn't kill it. The cultivation of this early first-level Beast was low, its aura weak, on par with a first-level Qi Refining cultivator. It was far too weak.
"The purple liquid on its body might be the Man-Eating Flower Demon's blood. Could it be a parasite living inside it?"
Chen Changming speculated to himself.
The Purple Insect gave a slight flutter of its wings and landed on Luo Lan's forehead.
"You're asking for death!"
Chen Changming flew into a rage, and the urge to kill welled up in him again. Just as he was about to finish off the insect, an astonishing sight unfolded before him.
The moment the purple liquid touched Senior Sister's skin, the purple tint began fading at a visible speed.
"This..."
The youth was stunned.
Could this Purple Insect be curing Senior Sister's poison?
He didn't dare act rashly. Instead, he watched the Purple Insect's next move with bated breath.
Buzz!
The Purple Insect gave a slight shudder. The layer of purple liquid on its body came off onto her skin and was quickly absorbed.
In only a few breaths, Luo Lan's skin returned to normal.
After shedding the purple liquid, the insect turned silver.
"The poison's gone!"
Chen Changming was overjoyed. He had never imagined this strange little insect would help him so much.
He hurriedly touched Senior Sister's jade-like hand. He could feel a hint of warmth; it was no longer as cold as before.
However, she was still unconscious, showing no signs of waking.
Chen Changming guessed that Senior Sister was out of danger, but her body was weak and she would need some time to wake up.
The Silver Insect suddenly made a strange sound.
Chen Changming watched it.
This little fellow wasn't a vicious Beast. It had voluntarily helped him cure Senior Sister's poison, which showed it was a kindhearted Beast with intelligence.
"Tell me, what do you need?"
Hearing the urgency in the Silver Insect's voice, Chen Changming let out a breath and asked slowly.
The Silver Insect flew over and landed on the youth's chest. It kept pawing at his clothes, apparently trying to burrow inside.
Chen Changming was a little baffled.
What was it trying to do? Was it cold and looking for warmth? Or did it feel unsafe and want to hide beneath his clothes in his arms?
After a few thoughts crossed his mind, he quickly decided what to do. He opened a gap in his clothes, and the Silver Insect darted inside, stopping over his chest.
"What?"
Chen Changming looked down and was stunned.
The Silver Insect was lying on the little green spot, wriggling gently as if it wanted to burrow inside.
Could this insect have sensed the Key's presence?
As Chen Changming stared in uncertainty, the little green spot suddenly emitted a faint glow that fell onto the Silver Insect. The latter immediately settled down, lying still and calm.
The youth watched this scene in amazement.