‘When those who arrive later see that so many others have attempted to pluck the flower, they’ll naturally think that this flower is a rare treasure. As such, it’s extremely likely that they’ll rashly head over.’
“Such a beautiful flower!” There was a dazed look in Shui Yanyu’s eyes, and it was as if she were in a trance.
She raised her leg and was just about to walk toward the small hill.
Ling Han hurriedly pulled her back, a look of astonishment on his face. This flower could actually put one into a trance! However, the severity of this trance-like effect clearly differed from person to person. Neither he nor Hu Feiyun had been affected by it—yet.
Meanwhile, the other two people were already walking toward the flower. There was a glazed look in their eyes, yet their expressions were those of fervent excitement. It was as if they were gazing upon a supreme throne, not a mere flower. If they ascended this throne, they would become the ruler of the world, one who could control even Saints.
Swoosh!
When the two people neared the small hill, a streak of black cloud suddenly rushed out from the hill and swooped toward them. Then, the black cloud instantly scattered and retreated back into the small hill.
As for the two people?
They had already become two skeletons!
Pa, pa!
The skeletons collapsed to the ground, becoming the newest victims that adorned the surrounds of the small hill.
‘So, that’s how the people here have all died!’
Chapter 1172 - Insects
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
Piles of white bones surrounded the small hill.
Ling Han finally understood how they had died. They hadn’t died from fighting over this flower, but rather they had been silently killed by the “black cloud” after being entranced by the flower.
“Ah!” Shui Yanyu yelped in astonishment, a lingering fear still in her heart. If Ling Han hadn’t pulled her back just then, she would have also become like the other two people. She would have walked over and been killed by the black cloud.
“W-what was that?” she asked in a trembling voice.
Ling Han shook his head, and said, “It was too quick, I couldn’t see it.”
Shui Yanyu was slightly surprised. Even Ling Han hadn’t been able to see it clearly? That black cloud was truly uncanny.
Ling Han thought for a moment, and then casually tossed a black ball into the air.
“Hahaha, Little Asura has come!” The black ball expanded in the air, with arms and legs extending from its body. It eventually transformed into a large humanoid puppet.
Weng!
The black cloud flew out again, this time swooping toward the Asura Demon Emperor.
“Who are— Holy f*ck!” The Asura Demon Emperor was furious, but his angry shout quickly turned into a surprised cry. He immediately scuttled backward upon landing on the ground. The black cloud swarmed toward him as he ran away, and it eventually engulfed his body.
Shui Yanyu and Hu Feiyun both yelped in surprise. This was because numerous pits had appeared in the Asura Demon Emperor’s body. His left arm suffered the most, and it was as if it had been completely corroded. Only a tiny bit of the arm still hung from his elbow.
The other parts of his body were only slightly better off. However, they were at least still intact.
“Master!” There was an aggrieved look on the Asura Demon Emperor’s face as he gazed at Ling Han. He didn’t need to screw him over like this, did he?
Ling Han ignored him, and said, “That black cloud is formed from a swarm of countless insects. It’s just that they’re so small that they look like a black cloud when gathered together.”
“Those were insects?” The Asura Demon Emperor shook his devastated left arm as he jumped up, and shouted, “What kind of teeth do they have? What kind of human can defend against them?!”
“You’re not a human!” Hu Feiyun pointed out.
The Asura Demon Emperor, who was extremely shameless, said, “If Master’s wife says I’m not a human, then I’m not a human! I’m actually a dog! Woof! Woof!” He dropped to the ground and started barking like a dog. Hu Feiyun giggled upon seeing this, and she didn’t try to correct his way of referring to her.
“Are we still going to pluck that flower?” Shui Yanyu asked.
They had all retreated a fair distance back to avoid being entranced by the flower again. Although Ling Han and Hu Feiyun hadn’t been affected last time, perhaps their stronger resistance was due to their relatively higher cultivation level.
If they stayed near the flower for too long, it was possible that they could still be affected.
“Those insects mightn’t be very strong, and maybe that’s why they have to rely on the entrancing effects of the flower. Only after their victims are entranced do they fly out to feast on their flesh. However, their teeth are truly impressive. They devoured the two Mountain River Tier cultivators in a flash.”
Ling Han pondered for a moment before saying, “Even Level Five Godly metal isn’t strong enough to deal with them. They can still gnaw away at it, albeit with slightly more difficulty.”
The Asura Demon Emperor was proof of this. The puppet that he resided in had been forged from Level Five Godly metal, yet his left arm had almost been completely obliterated.
A confident smile appeared on Ling Han’s face, and he said, “Let me try them out!”
Shui Yanyu was given a huge fright, and she shouted, “You’re crazy!”
Couldn’t he see the wretched state of the Asura Demon Emperor?
“Let Little Asura go!” she added hurriedly.
“Milady!” the Asura Demon Emperor wailed plaintively. It made sense that his master should stay away from danger, but that didn’t mean that they should push him toward peril instead!
Ling Han smiled, and said, “There’s no need to worry. My physique is on par with Level Five Godly metal now, and coupled with my insane recovery ability, these insects might be unable to threaten me! Anyhow, I wager that these insects don’t have powerful defensive abilities.”
He hadn’t sensed any Origin Power fluctuations from the black cloud, and this signified that the insects had either never cultivated before, or had cultivation levels that were far above his. These were the only two possibilities.
However, was the latter possible?
If these insects were all at the Sun Moon Tier, perhaps even Heavenly Body Tier elites could be killed by them.
There was strength in numbers. When quantity reached a certain threshold, it would lead to a qualitative change.
These insects were astonishingly quick, and they also possessed terrifying teeth. If their defenses were also powerful, then the heavens were being far too unfair.
Shui Yanyu was familiar with Ling Han’s personality, and she knew that he wouldn’t change his mind easily. She could only nod and say, “Be careful, be careful, and be careful!” She told him to be careful three times, revealing just how concerned she was for his safety.
“I will!” Ling Han nodded, and said, “We still haven’t made a child yet, so how can I bear to die?”
“G-go die!” Shui Yanyu’s face flushed red, and she couldn’t help but push Ling Han. Ling Han clumsily charged toward the hill.
Shui Yanyu was easily embarrassed, and she was unable to endure Ling Han’s teasing even when it was just the two of them. That being the case, how could she not feel utterly embarrassed now that there were two outsiders beside them?
A look of interest appeared on Hu Feiyun’s face. Was there some “adulterous affair” between these two people? Meanwhile, the Asura Demon Emperor continued to crawl on all fours and act like a dog. He used a hand to scratch his neck, and it was as if he were afraid of being killed and silenced.
Ling Han continued to charge toward the hill.
Weng!
The hill immediately detected his presence, and the black cloud swarmed out once again.
With a thought, bursts of roaring flames surged from his body. Streaks of divine patterns were intertwined among the flames.
“Squeak!” The black cloud instantly descended into chaos. It became like a headless fly, and the insects quickly separated into numerous smaller groups.
The swarm of insects had been like a black cloud before, yet the smaller swarms were more like several squirming snakes now. However, there were also one or two swarms that found their direction and continued to swoop toward Ling Han. They eventually arrived before his body.
Ling Han could clearly see that the “black snake” before him was formed from a swarm of countless insects. Each insect was incredibly tiny, yet they all had disproportionately “humongous” teeth. Not only that, but they were also unafraid of death. They clearly knew that Ling Han was bathed in flames, yet they still continued to charge toward him wave after wave.
“Squeak, squeak, squeak!”
The insects were burned to death one after another, yet they forcefully carved a path out and allowed even more insects to swarm onto Ling Han’s body. They started to gnaw at his flesh.
Ling Han humphed and unleashed his Seven Kill Subduing Soul Technique.
Weng!
The insects that were gnawing at his flesh were instantly stunned. In fact, most of their souls were immediately shattered into pieces. Only a small number of them managed to survive.
Sure enough, these insects had very weak defenses even though they possessed incredible speed and terrifying teeth. Not only was their physical defense weak, but their divine sense defense was also weak.
The heavens were indeed fair. These insects had been bestowed with unique abilities even though they hadn’t cultivated at all. However, they also came with fatal weaknesses.
It was because of this that they used that enchanting flower as bait. They would wait until their victim was entranced, then swoop over and instantly devour their flesh.
However, Ling Han was prepared, so the outcome was completely different!
After all, he was a king tier of the Mountain River Tier.
“Gasp!” Ling Han bared his teeth in pain. Although he had killed most of the insects, there were still some that clutched onto his flesh with their “humongous” teeth, even though they were already dead or unconscious.
‘It hurts!’
Chapter 1173 - Misty Soul Capturing Flower
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
Not only were the teeth of these insects razor-sharp, but their saliva also contained a strange secretion that could induce severe pain in their victims. In fact, it could even paralyze their victims to a degree.
Ling Han discovered that his body had become a little clumsy and inflexible. Moreover, the strange substance had entered his bloodstream and spread throughout his body, causing even his nerves to become slightly paralyzed.
As a result, the might of his flames instantly dropped by a significant margin. The dazed and unconscious “black snakes” rapidly recovered and started to swoop toward him again.
Ling Han channeled the Indestructible Heaven’s Scroll, and a profound aura of heaven and earth circulated around his body. The progressing paralysis was instantly dispelled. He laughed loudly as he reignited the might of his flames.
Ling Han drew his Divine Demon Sword, and said, “Let’s see who’s more powerful, hey?”
Boom!
His Divine Demon Sword also released a boundless flame. Flames worked extremely well against these insects.
Weng!
He continued to unleash his Seven Kill Subduing Soul Technique, and after another attack, a large number of insects dropped to the ground. Ling Han stowed them into his Black Tower. Perhaps these insects could become a secret weapon of his.
Ling Han’s wounds rapidly recovered as he channeled the Indestructible Heaven’s Scroll. Although there was an occasional insect or two that breached his defenses and sunk their teeth into his flesh, such a small number of insects couldn’t trouble him at all.
They were too small, after all, and they were only terrifying if they swarmed in droves of thousands or even millions. If they did so, they would be able to devour a human in a flash.
“Master, Little Asura admires you so much!” the Asura Demon Emperor said in flattery.
He was residing in a puppet that was at the Sun Moon Tier, yet he had still been brutally defeated by the swarm of insects. However, Ling Han was currently enjoying an advantage over them. The contrast between them couldn’t be more obvious.
This wasn’t to say that Ling Han was more powerful than Sun Moon Tier elites. Rather, this result signified that his abilities were more effective against these insects. His physique was freakish, and he also possessed an impressive recovery ability thanks to the Indestructible Heaven’s Scroll. These qualities made him the most apt person to deal with these insects.
Black clouds blotted out the sky, yet these insects had a clear area of activity that they definitely wouldn’t fly out of.
It was already impossible to see Ling Han’s body. However, the others could still vaguely discern the flashes of flames among the black cloud. This signified that an intense battle was still raging on.
However, the black cloud gradually faded as the battle dragged on. This was because large swathes of the insects were being killed or thrown into the Black Tower by Ling Han. Piles or insect corpses lay by his feet.
Finally, no more insects swooped toward Ling Han. Instead, the last remaining insects all flew back to the small hill. The surroundings suddenly became silent.
Ling Han gazed at the peculiar flower. Then, he stopped his breathing, closed all of the follicles on his body, and used the Indestructible Heaven’s Scroll to guard his divine sense. His body started to emit a golden glow. Only then did he walk toward the flower.
He didn’t pluck the flower when he neared it, but instead started to dig around it.
He dug the peculiar flower up along with its roots, and then placed it into his Black Tower. He only exited the Black Tower after planting the flower in a suitable location.
“Let’s go!” He didn’t place the small hill into his Black Tower, as he had decided to give the black insects a slim chance at survival.
The three people and one puppet continued forward. They didn’t return to the bank of the Yellow Spring, as it would be fine as long as they continued in their current direction. There was no need for them to follow the riverbank. After tens of thousands of years of experience, one thing was for certain—one should definitely, definitely not enter the river. In fact, even the water in the river shouldn’t be touched.
Why was the river called the Yellow Spring?
This wasn’t simply because it looked eerie. That was genuinely a deadly river that would take one’s life. If one came into contact with the river, they would die even if they didn’t have any health complications. Meanwhile, their soul would be swallowed by the river and end up flowing through it for all eternity.
Someone had tried to collect water from the Yellow Spring before, yet they had become a soulless corpse once they neared the river.
This was a forbidden river, and it could only be used as a landmark. One definitely couldn’t near it.
Ling Han communicated through the Black Tower as he walked, and he asked Notionless Saint about the peculiar flower as well as the black insects.
“Might this be the Misty Soul Capturing Flower?” Notionless Saint pondered for a moment before saying, “This is a peculiar plant that has no benefit to humans. However, its effects are extremely terrifying. In fact, it can even affect the mind of Eternal River Tier elites.”
Ling Han nodded, and said, “This Misty Soul Capturing Flower isn’t even able to affect me at the moment. Does this mean that it’s still a fair way off from becoming mature?”
“Most likely,” Notionless Saint replied.
This Misty Soul Capturing Flower could have great effects if used properly. Ling Han had the Black Tower, so he could completely unleash this Misty Soul Capturing Flower and then hide back into the Black Tower. That way, he would be able to sow chaos among his enemies.
However, this Misty Soul Capturing Flower was still far from becoming mature, and this was reflected in the fact that it could barely affect him. As such, it would definitely be useless against Sun Moon Tier elites—even if it were somewhat effective, it would need a very long time to entrance them.
“What about those insects?” Ling Han asked.
“Those are Saintly Scarabs!” There was a hint of astonishment in Notionless Saint’s voice.
Ling Han was puzzled, and he asked, “Those flesh-eating insects are referred to as ‘Saintly’?”
Notionless Saint—or rather the light orb that he had transformed into—flickered as if it were experiencing some deep feeling. He remained silent for a while before saying, “It’s because these insects emerge from the corpses of Saints.”
“Hmm?” Ling Han was surprised to hear this. Such strange insects would emerge from the corpses of Saints?
“This doesn’t happen with every Saint,” Notionless Saint continued. “It depends on the great dao that they’ve cultivated. Some might have Saintly Firebugs emerge from them, while others might have Saintly Ice Worms emerge from them. Moreover, not all of the insects are this small in size. I’ve seen a saintly insect that was tens of thousands of meters in length. Its strength was profound, and even I didn’t dare to battle against it.”
‘Tens of thousands of meters long? Can that still be classified as an insect?’
“Since that’s the case, it’s possible that this is the abode of a Saint, then?” Ling Han asked.
“Impossible!” Notionless Saint instantly shot down Ling Han’s speculation. “If this was a Saint’s abode, how could a mere Eternal River Tier elite deal with the formations? Of course, this is unless the Saint is purposefully allowing others to enter.
“It’s more likely that the brat who owns this place found some Saintly Scarabs somewhere and slowly raised them in such a huge number. Moreover, if those were first-generation Saintly Scarabs, they would have been able to kill even Eternal River Tier elites. How could you have possibly taken them away?”
Alchemy Emperor of the Divine Dao c1-1294 Page 603