Perception

Zhang Xuezhou was unable to classify the alien insect.

The alien insect's demon core was full, so normally it would be at least a medium-sized demon, if not a great demon.

The little bird demon Lingyu, whom Zhang Xuezhou knew, had a demon core that was only the size of a soybean, far smaller than the green-haired worm they had killed before.

However, these insect-transformed demons do not inherit demonic arts; they rely more on their physical talents for development and are still in a very primitive form, making them far weaker than normal demons.

This insect demon even lacked normal intelligence, and its brain development was likely still in a dazed state, which is why it was killed by Zhang Xuezhou in one strike.

That was Zhang Xuezhou's judgment.

But when two red lights came into view from afar, Zhang Xuezhou's Yang Soul couldn't help but feel a chill.

Like an ordinary person being targeted by a tiger, he felt a chill run down his spine.

In the darkness beyond the reach of the light, Zhang Xuezhou sensed that the two red lights were located extremely high, either perched on the rocks above or possessing enormous, robust bodies.

The other party's vigilance was extremely obvious, as if they possessed an extraordinary level of perception.

Just as Zhang Xuezhou's Yang Soul Body floated and shifted position, he saw a ball of green liquid flying from afar, piercing through the illusion of his Yang Soul Body and falling behind him.

The creaking sound of the corroded rock was heard, and only then did the two red lights withdraw their attention and lower their heads.

The other party had clearly become accustomed to the unusual situation of Zhang Xuezhou's Yang Soul probing in, and after determining that this anomaly was safe, they paid no further attention to it.

This caused Zhang Xuezhou's yang spirit to drift closer.

This is the nest of the alien insects, with twelve tightly wrapped cocoons distributed around it, and various sharp, long hairs peeking out from the silk cocoons.

There were traces of blood on the ground, along with remnants of human bones, fragments of clothing, and some construction tools smeared with mud.

"It seems to be using humans as food to reproduce?"

"So what they breed are insect demons?"

"Could it be able to directly produce demons?"

"Judging from Lingyu's condition, even the Feiyu Demon King doesn't seem to have this ability..."

Zhang Xuezhou scanned the numerous cocoons.

Occasionally, he could hear the sounds of tearing and gnawing inside the cocoon.

Thinking of the green-haired worm lurking not far from the isolation wall, Zhang Xuezhou felt a complex mix of emotions.

He stared at the enormous object in the darkness.

This was not the two-meter-long white worm mentioned by Turkalando, but a giant flying insect that appeared to be wearing an exoskeleton.

As if a caterpillar had transformed into a moth and a butterfly, when Zhang Xuezhou's Yang Soul drifted by, he felt as if he were touching a gigantic moth.

"Three meters tall, with a wingspan of at least five meters, is this thing considered a ferocious beast? Or is it a developing, peerless demon, like Zhu Shiyin?"

The insect's body was much smaller than that of a normal organism, and the giant moth that appeared before Zhang Xuezhou's perception resembled the ferocious giant bird they had encountered before.

Individual strength is not measured by physical size, but a large physique inevitably brings considerable strength.

Zhang Xuezhou hovered around the giant moth, pondering how to kill the creature.

He hadn't seen the white worm yet, but he had seen swarms of strange insects, which made Zhang Xuezhou feel that this cave corridor was outrageous.

Besides examining the alien insect, Zhang Xuezhou was also searching for the reason why these alien insects had undergone such a special evolution.

The Yang Soul form was almost his best means of observation. Apart from the lack of light in the darkness, which forced him to rely on close-range touch to determine its form, there was nothing else to it.

In this situation, the low efficiency of Yangpo's patrol and investigation is also inevitable.

This is why Ren Anran was unable to know the surrounding situation during his previous Yangpo patrols.

However, one thing is certain: in this state of Yang Soul wandering, the wanderer's safety is extremely high. As long as their main body is not harmed, or their main body is suddenly taken away, they will be relatively safe. This kind of investigation is also much more convenient and efficient than investigation by walking or running.

Ignoring the cocoons and giant moths, Zhang Xuezhou drifted around, constantly groping and exploring his surroundings.

"It seems to be some kind of blessed land!"

As the time Zhang Xuezhou had agreed upon with Ren Anran drew near, and after his fruitless exploration, Zhang Xuezhou was about to return to his body when he felt a warm breath mixed with countless sulfur powders rising, and the pleasant sound of a giant moth fluttering its wings.

The aura undoubtedly contained strands of Spiritual Qi familiar to Zhang Xuezhou, but it also contained a heat-toxin resembling the sulfurous aura of volcanoes, which was not suitable for human absorption and utilization.

Zhang Xuezhou felt he had roughly figured out some of the issues.

When the appointed time arrived, he did not delay and his spirit drifted away.

In the distance from Zhang Xuezhou's Yang Soul, the giant moth raised its head again, its deep red eyes fixed on the direction Zhang Xuezhou had left.

It flapped its wings, wanting to give chase, but the warmth rising from this blessed land made it linger.

"What's the point of building such high walls inside a cave? Is our chief just making things difficult for us?"

"Don't talk nonsense!"

"Just think about it, we have nearly two thousand caves here. If the chief wants to build walls at every single one, that would be a huge problem!"

"Gulian, what nonsense are you spouting? Don't you think it's good to get paid for doing the work? The construction industry loves these high-profit projects with hardly any quality control standards!"

"I only got 80,000 yuan!"

"I'll get 10...120,000... ah~"

"You took one extra box, which adds 40,000 to my account... Ugh~"

The sound wasn't made by the construction workers, but rather by the giant moth flapping its wings, creating a kind of simulated vocalization.

It lowered its lingering gaze into the distance, and finally began to swallow and spit with great satisfaction, its huge head even swaying as if slightly tipsy.

Around it, from the twelve large cocoons came the sounds of tearing and biting, and one by one, huge, hairy insect heads emerged from the cocoons.

Like swaying ears of rice, the heads of these giant insects also swayed in the wind.

The newly formed, soft skin hardened in a short period of time.

Normally, an insect would seek out food as soon as it emerges from its cocoon, but these giant insects shook their heads as if they were feeding. As their multi-legged bodies wriggled, their entire bodies emerged from the cocoon and hardened rapidly.

The hairs on these giant insects are fine and long, but after continuous breathing, the hairs quickly harden, and colorful patterns gradually appear on their bodies.

"Hiss hiss~"

Low, sharp hissing sounds emanated from the giant moth's mouthparts, as if spreading a message.

The giant insects shook their heads for a moment, then began to break free of their cocoons and wriggle their bodies rapidly outwards.

The giant insects have enormous bodies, but their soft legs allow them to crawl quickly and silently. Even when twelve giant insects move together with their bodies hunched over, the only sound they make is the rustling of leaves in the wind.

The sound gradually faded into the distance, while the giant moth continued to shake its head and sway, remaining immersed in this hesitant and rambling transition.

It wasn't until it felt as if its body was breaking that it snapped out of its warm, moist sensation and began to emit a sharp, piercing, and enormous sound.

As if an alarm had been sounded, countless echoes reverberated through the cave, providing it with relatively accurate information.

A moment later, it flapped its enormous wings and took flight.

The wind and waves surged forth, and the giant moth, roaring like a helicopter, crashed and flew out of the cave.