Ghost-Faced Insects

In the distance, shriveled human skins hung from a field of crosses.

Where human heads should have been, strange insects had taken their place.

They were densely packed, numbering over a hundred.

In the gloomy, sinister atmosphere, the sight was especially chilling.

"This-"

The black-robed middle-aged man's pupils widened. Clearly, this eerie, sinister sight had startled him too.

The girl in military attire stiffened all over as well and cried out, "What in the hell are these things?"

The guards nearby all tightened their grips on their weapons, their expressions changing noticeably for the first time.

A faint gleam flashed deep in Yin Yuandong's eyes. He shuddered all over, his face instantly turning deathly pale, and said in a trembling voice, "What a terrifying sight. How about-we just leave?"

"Don't be afraid. They're just some insects that died long ago."

Xiao Chen offered a casual word of reassurance.

After pondering for a moment, the black-robed middle-aged man said gravely, "If I remember correctly, these insects shouldn't be magical beasts, but a peculiar race: Ghost-Faced Insects!"

"Ghost-Faced Insects?"

The girl in military attire looked at the insects. They did indeed have ghostly faces.

Deathly white and twisted.

"Didn't Ghost-Faced Insects go extinct a very long time ago?" she asked in confusion.

"Miss, I'm not too sure about that either." The black-robed middle-aged man shook his head.

After a pause, he frowned. "Judging by these corpses hanging here, they clearly only died here within the past few years."

The girl's expression changed slightly. "Then you're saying there's a very good chance there are living Ghost-Faced Insects on Poison Cloud Mountain?"

The black-robed middle-aged man said gently, "There's no need to be afraid, Miss. Although Ghost-Faced Insects are a peculiar race, their strength has a limit. Even the strongest are only at the Da Dou Shi level. They can't amount to much."

The girl gritted her teeth. "Uncle Gong, I suspect someone is behind the reappearance of these supposedly extinct Ghost-Faced Insects, and it very likely has something to do with the person in the great hall ahead."

"Let's go take a look. If that really is the case, we'll kill all those people and wipe out the Ghost-Faced Insects for good, ridding the people of this scourge!"

Her words took Xiao Yi Xian somewhat by surprise.

She had never expected this willful, overbearing girl in military attire to possess such courage and breadth of spirit.

"All right."

The black-robed middle-aged man nodded in agreement.

Thus, Yin Yuandong could only "be forced" to steel himself and continue leading the way.

After passing through the crosses, they soon got a clear view of the great hall.

"Someone has indeed been coming and going here frequently of late," the black-robed middle-aged man said with a frown.

Someone had clearly cleared a walkable path in front of the hall.

"Everyone, be careful."

Although the black-robed middle-aged man was confident in his strength, he still gave them a warning before moving to the front.

"Who's there?"

Suddenly, an icy voice rang out from inside the hall.

Immediately afterward, a figure rushed out.

It was an old man draped in red robes, with rather strange gray pupils.

At the sight of Xiao Chen, the black-robed middle-aged man, and the others, the old man's expression changed drastically. He immediately thrust his thumb and forefinger into his mouth and blew hard.

A shrill, piercing whistle shattered the silence of Poison Cloud Mountain, grating on the ears.

"You're courting death!"

The black-robed middle-aged man's expression darkened. Gripping his jet-black bone saber, he lunged forward.

Whoosh!

His saber slashed down.

The red-robed old man turned to flee, but he was half a step too slow.

A brilliant flash of saber light cleaved down, tearing a long, narrow gash across his back and sending blood spraying.

Thud!

The red-robed old man collapsed to the ground, his eyes venomous as he roared, "Even if you kill me, don't dream of leaving this place alive!"

His words were still echoing when he stopped breathing.

The black-robed middle-aged man stepped forward and searched the red-robed old man's body, but found nothing.

"Was that old fellow sending a warning just now?"

The girl in military attire hurried over with the guards.

Looking at the corpse on the ground, she immediately shook her head in disappointment. "This man was far too weak. He couldn't even withstand a single slash from Uncle Gong."

"He was just a small fry, only a two-star Dou Shi."

The black-robed middle-aged man frowned. "Your guess was correct, Miss. This man may indeed have accomplices nearby."

"What's there to fear? With Uncle Gong here, there's no need to be afraid of them at all," the girl said carelessly.

Then her delicate brows furrowed slightly.

She had noticed Xiao Chen walking into the great hall on his own.

He seemed completely unconcerned about what had just happened.

An inexplicable anger immediately rose in her heart. Striding over furiously on her long, fair legs, she demanded, "Hey, don't you know we just saved your life? You won't even say thank you?"

Xiao Chen was taken aback. "Saved my life?"

"Didn't we? Would you have dared come here if you weren't following us? You probably would've been killed by those people long ago!" The girl glared with her beautiful eyes, looking as though she wished she could bite Xiao Chen to death.

Xiao Chen did not indulge her either, saying casually, "In that case, just go your own way from now on. Don't bother with me."

With that, he headed toward the other side of the hall on his own.

This girl had far too many faults. He would observe her a little longer.

If she continued to twist reason and order people around, he would not mind teaching her a lesson.

Not far away, the girl stared at Xiao Chen's figure, so angry that her chest heaved violently.

Her pretty face was icy, and her clenched fists creaked.

In the distance, the black-robed middle-aged man, who had taken in the entire scene, also felt somewhat displeased.

No matter what, Xiao Chen was undoubtedly gaining an enormous advantage by traveling with them.

After all, without their group here, who knew how many dangers he and Xiao Yi Xian would have encountered along the way on their own?

This lad looks quite clever, but he seems not to have realized even now just how exalted the young miss's status is.

Otherwise, he probably wouldn't dare argue with her like this.

The black-robed middle-aged man shook his head inwardly and thought no more of it.

Young people these days, each one with their eyes higher than the last, all so full of lofty pride.

In the black-robed middle-aged man's eyes, Xiao Chen's reaction was not particularly strange.

Without youthful arrogance, how could they be called young people?

The interior of the hall had clearly been cleaned by that man and was relatively tidy.

In the center, there was indeed a divine statue of a Dou Di with its back to the entrance. It had no head, however, and the colored clay on its body had crumbled and cracked, leaving nothing visibly special about it.

On either side of the hall, however, Xiao Chen discovered some paintings.

Although they were mottled and damaged, he could still faintly make out that this was indeed a Buddhist hall.

Figures of Buddhas and bodhisattvas stood among the boundless masses of living beings, their expressions compassionate, seemingly imparting Buddhist cultivation techniques.

Seeing all living beings as suffering, they wished to teach them Buddhist cultivation techniques so they could protect themselves? A fine idea, but sadly, the Dou Di's whereabouts are unknown, and this sanctuary has been in ruins for who knows how many years. Now it has become Poison Cloud Mountain, feared by all. How desolate.

Xiao Chen was filled with emotion.

He had once seen an entire world that followed Buddhism.

Buddhism had flourished, its disciples numerous and its incense offerings enduring.

So there had once been a Buddhist legacy on this Dou Qi Continent as well.

Meanwhile, seeing that the girl in military attire was still angry and sulking, a guard approached and asked in a lowered voice, "Miss, how about a few of us go teach this brat a lesson?"

"Or we could simply kill him. If he dies here, no one will know we were the ones who killed him anyway."