A journey through the world of martial arts

Chapter 214 Hollow Worms

Yinyue Dynasty, Holy Temple

The Heavenly Venerable of the Dragon King clutched his bleeding arm, his face grim. He had been far too careless to be so humiliated by a junior, and he had lost too much face.

"Heavenly Venerable, could this wound have been left by Yan Chixia?" The Evil Dragon Sage noticed a surge of intense yang energy emanating from the wound and couldn't help but ask.

"It wasn't Yan Chixia, but a young woman. However, this woman must have some connection with Yan Chixia, otherwise the Crimson Sun Heavenly Wheel wouldn't be in her hands. I was careless for a moment, which is why I was injured by her. It's truly hateful!"

Upon hearing this, the evil dragon said, "Your Majesty, you may not know this, but that woman is Yan Chixia's daughter, Yan Hongye. She is now an outstanding disciple of the Xuanxin Sect and her cultivation is not weak."

Looking at the bleeding wound of the Serpent Dragon Celestial, Jing Wuyuan reached out and flicked his hand, sealing the wound with a chilling aura. The Serpent Dragon Celestial immediately felt a cool current coursing through his meridians, and the burning sensation throughout his body was relieved considerably.

"Thank you, Mr. Jing."

The Heavenly Venerable of the Dragon King bowed respectfully to the mirror. This Crimson Sun Heavenly Wheel Fire was refined by the Heavenly Flame, and it was most effective at burning away yin and turbidity. His own body was yin, and being attacked by this fire, he had already consumed a lot of true energy just to maintain his original state. If no outsider wanted to help, it would take at least several months to get rid of the fierce energy.

“The Celestial Venerable is now a member of the Holy Dynasty and has no chance to be a subject of the Mirror. We should advance and retreat together. Although I have already used the Frost Powder to remove the blazing yang energy, the frost can only be dissolved by the Celestial Venerable.”

"Mr. Jing's kindness is appreciated, but I am ashamed to accept it." Huilong Tianzun listened to Jing Wuyuan's words and accepted the favor.

The Frost Powder was extremely precious, and since he was of the Yin element, it was perfect for restoring his vitality. Jing Wuyuan's gesture truly moved him.

"Heavenly Venerable, I wonder what the outcome of this trip was? What exactly is the situation in the Forest of Forgetfulness?"

The Asura Sage glanced at the evil dragon, then clasped his hands in a salute and asked the Serpent Dragon Celestial Venerable.

As soon as Shura said this, everyone else looked over. Seeing this, the Heavenly Venerable of the Dragon Dragon did not speak, but simply spread his palm, and the "hollow worm" appeared in front of everyone.

"Gentlemen, these hollow insects have already devoured a portion of the Forgetful Forest's formation. I believe that should be enough for Mr. Mirror to decipher the formation."

As he spoke, the Celestial Venerable of the Dragon chanted incantations, and the hollow insects glowed slightly. Strands of white crystalline threads emerged from their mouths, shimmering with silver light, quite beautiful. They first tangled together, then became very neat, and finally turned into a round sphere that spun around.

The hollow insects that had spat out the crystal threads seemed to have had too much energy drained away, and their spiritual light dimmed considerably. Seeing this, the Venerable Dragon King felt sorry for them and took them back, continuing to nurture them with his blood.

Upon seeing this, Jing Wuyuan reached out and summoned the round object, which landed in his hand. He then focused his mind on it. After a moment, Jing Wuyuan opened his eyes and said with a solemn expression, "So it is Sima Sanniang's Ten Thousand Banners Sealing Heaven Formation."

"The Ten Thousand Banners Sealing the Heavens Formation? Imperial Tutor, what are the mysteries of this formation?" The Sage of No End asked, looking at Jing Wuyuan's appearance with a puzzled expression.

"This formation is Sima San Niang's prized formation. It uses tens of thousands of meticulously crafted array flags to gather the purest energy of heaven and earth, suppressing all spiritual things within the formation. At the same time, it contains three divine arts: orthodox, anti-orthodox, and unorthodox. If someone enters without permission, they will be blasted to death by these three divine arts, their soul and spirit destroyed!"

Upon hearing this, the evil dragon and his companions were all startled. They had never doubted that Jing Wuyuan would exaggerate the power of the formation. Since he said so, the power of the formation must be stronger, not weaker.

However, the Heavenly Venerable of the Dragon King asked with doubt, "Mr. Mirror, I have also seen this formation, but why is its power far less than what you described? Is there something wrong with it?"

"The Celestial Venerable should be on the outer edge of the formation, not deep inside. This formation is mainly aimed at the inside, so the attack power outside will naturally be weaker. If I am not mistaken, the only attacks outside are those like the Blazing Sun Heavenly Fire."

Upon hearing this, the Heavenly Venerable of the Dragon was filled with admiration. Jing Wuyuan had never seen the formation, yet he knew it clearly. He couldn't help but exclaim, "What you said is correct, sir. There are indeed only a few fire dragons."

Jing Wuyuan stroked his beard and smiled, "That's right. The purest energy in the formation must be used to suppress the Netherworld Spring. In addition, since the Heavenly Venerable has the Void Worm in hand, Sima Sanniang will not allocate too many formation mechanisms to replenish it. If we are not careful, the Netherworld Spring will erupt, and the Ten Thousand Banners Sealing Heaven Formation will not be able to withstand this calamity."

"Moreover, with Yan Chixia taking action, using the array mechanism would be even more of a loss. Even if she still has the purest energy she has accumulated, she should use it in the most dangerous moment to deal with unforeseen circumstances."

"So that's how it is. No wonder the Hollow Worms were still able to devour the formation when I was fighting Yan Chixia. It seems that Sima San Niang couldn't see through the origin of this thing and dared not act rashly. She could only rely on her own magic power to mend the formation."

After hearing Jing Wuyuan's explanation, Huilong Tianzun suddenly realized that it was fortunate that Sima Sanniang did not know about the hollow insects, otherwise the mission would not have been completed so easily this time.

"This time we only caught them off guard, but after this experience, they will definitely be more vigilant. The Heavenly Venerable's hollow insects will only be used once or twice before the Xuanxin Sect finds out their secrets. Therefore, we don't have many opportunities to test them. It would be best to win in one battle."

Jing Wuyuan was worried about Gu Xu. This person was mysterious and unpredictable, and no one knew the extent of his cultivation. If he personally took charge of the Forget-Love Forest, it would not be good news for them.

Just as the six were discussing, a beam of emerald light suddenly fell upon the throne in the temple. When the light dissipated, Qi Ye's figure was revealed.

"Greetings, Your Majesty!"

When Qi Ye appeared, everyone bowed. Qi Ye nodded and asked everyone to sit down. After exchanging pleasantries for a while, Qi Ye learned most of the details and then moved on to another matter.

"Teacher, our scouts just reported that someone from the Xuanxin Sect went to the Forget-Love Forest."

"Is it Gu Xu?" Jing Wuyuan asked, looking at Qi Ye.

Qi Ye nodded and said in a deep voice, "This person is a major obstacle to the Yin Yue Dynasty. We must find a way to eliminate him. Teacher, how is the situation with the Venerable One?"

"The master has already refined all the items, totaling more than 20,000, which can be used at any time."

"Very good. This time, I, the Holy Lord, will completely remove the stabilizing force of the Xuanxin Orthodox Sect. Once this person is dealt with, the Xuanxin Orthodox Sect will be no threat!"
"Four Sages, select a group of assassins to accompany this Holy Lord to the Forest of Oblivion tomorrow. Teacher, go and inform Yuan Shi Shangren and Lie Mingzi that they will also go tomorrow. As for Senior Huilong..."

Qi Ye had already noticed the other party's injuries and wanted to let him rest in the Holy Dynasty. However, the hollow insects on the other party's hands were extremely powerful. With such an item in hand, perhaps the Holy Dynasty could suffer fewer losses.

But the other party had just returned injured and made great contributions, so he found it difficult to speak up.

"Your Majesty need not worry. I have only suffered some minor injuries and will recover in half a day."

Upon hearing this, the Heavenly Venerable of the Dragon King immediately stood up and bowed to Qi Ye at the head of the table. This time, he was willing to submit to the Yin Moon Dynasty. Firstly, it was because the Xuanxin Orthodox Sect was besieging the Demonic Path, and secondly, the price offered by the Yin Moon Dynasty was very tempting.

"Since you have such a kind intention, Senior, I am very pleased. You have accomplished a great deal on this trip, so I will entrust this 'Panlong Pearl' to you. I hope that your cultivation can advance even further!"

Qi Ye reached out and took out a fist-sized crimson bead. A wave of heat washed over him. Qi Ye used his magic to hold the bead and presented it to the Heavenly Venerable of the Dragon. The latter was immediately excited. This Dragon Bead was the treasure he had been dreaming of. With it, he could try to transform from yin to yang, refine all the yin energy in his body, and cultivate his primordial spirit.

"Thank you, Saint Lord!"

The Heavenly Venerable of the Dragon bowed respectfully, then took the precious pearl in his hands and examined it carefully.

Knowing that Huilong had no interest in staying here, Qiye gave him a few more instructions and then told him to leave. As expected, Huilong Tianzun left in a hurry, apparently to do some research first.

Seeing that the Holy King had no further instructions, the Four Sages bowed and left together. At this moment, only Qi Ye and Jing Wuyuan remained in the Holy Temple.

With a wave of his hand, Qi Ye activated all the restrictions on the temple, and after flashes of light, the temple returned to calm.

"Teacher, this time the Holy Dynasty has sent out all its experts, leaving its interior extremely vulnerable. Qi Ye does not want to be attacked from both sides. Does the teacher have any solutions?"

Jing Wuyuan did not understand the meaning behind Qi Ye's words. After pondering for a moment, he stroked his beard and said, "If the Holy Emperor wants to control the Empress Dowager, it is not difficult. He only needs to surround the Empress Dowager's palace with the Holy Dynasty's general ban. This will be enough to ensure that nothing goes wrong."

"As for other methods, if I may be so bold, I'm afraid hastily arranged measures are not effective against the Moon Demon."

“What the teacher says makes sense. In this extraordinary time, extraordinary measures must be taken. If the Empress Dowager wants to blame someone, then blame Qi Ye. For the sake of the Holy Dynasty’s fate, Qi Ye has no choice but to be disrespectful.”

Seven Nights had considered other ways to trap the Empress Dowager, but as Jing Wuyuan said, the Moon Demon was omnipresent, and ordinary methods were simply ineffective. Only the Holy Dynasty's total ban could ensure absolute safety. "Teacher, you should go down first and prepare yourself. What follows is going to be a tough battle."

Jing Wuyuan solemnly agreed, then left the temple, but instead of returning to his residence, he went to the Burning Immortal Pool.

"Master, Fellow Daoist Lie Ming, the Holy Lord has ordered that the army will march into the Forget-Love Forest tomorrow. You two will also be participating. Please make the necessary preparations."

Yuan Shi Shangren wasn't too surprised to hear this. When he was refining the "Mysterious Demon Thunder", he already knew that this Holy Monarch was not a peaceful person. Coupled with the Golden Light Sect Master of Xuanxin Orthodox Sect who hated evil as if it were his enemy, the two of them were evenly matched and would never give up.

"Thank you for telling me, sir. I understand now. With such a grand display, it seems that His Majesty has considerable confidence."

Yuan Shi Shangren asked tentatively, and Jing Wuyuan smiled and said, "To be honest, several months ago, Fellow Daoist Huilong had already submitted to the Holy Dynasty. This time, his personal intervention was a great gift to the Holy Dynasty, which is why the Holy Emperor made his decision."

"Oh, Huilong has come too. What great gift is it?" Upon hearing Huilong's name, Lie Mingzi stepped forward and hurriedly asked.

"The Forest of Oblivion is sealed by the Ten Thousand Banners Sealing Heaven Formation. Fellow Daoist Huilong has already used a treasure to intercept the formation's mechanism, and I am confident that I can break the formation."

"I see. Fellow Daoist Huilong, you are truly skilled. I am deeply impressed."

Lie Mingzi couldn't help but envy Huilong Tianzun. His cultivation was similar to Huilong's. Although he had long since submitted to the Yinyue Dynasty, he didn't have many real merits, unlike Huilong, who had made such great contributions right away. He would surely be highly valued by the Holy Emperor in the future.

"I have conveyed my message. See you at the temple tomorrow."

Jing Wuyuan clasped his hands in a fist salute and took his leave. Yuan Shi Shangren and the other man returned the salute and watched Jing Wuyuan leave.

"Master, will the Holy Ruler succeed this time?"

"It's hard to say. According to Mr. Jing, the cultivation of Master Gu Xu of the Xuanxin Sect is unfathomable. Although the Holy Lord is a genius, he is still young. Facing this person..."

Yuan Shi Shangren shook his head, clearly not optimistic about the operation. Lie Mingzi, however, said, "No matter what, even if we fail this time, it will be enough to cause some trouble for Xuanxin Zhengzong and let them know that we are not to be trifled with."

When Lie Mingzi thought of the White Bone True Lord dying at the hands of the righteous path, his face immediately showed anger.

“That’s true. Since the Holy Emperor has made his decision, we, as his subjects, can only obey. Instead of thinking about things that don’t matter, we should make more preparations so that we will have more options when we fight against the Xuanxin Sect in the future.”

Upon hearing this, Lie Mingzi nodded, pondered for a moment, bowed to Yuan Shi Shangren, and then went to a cliff edge of the Burning Immortal Pool. He then summoned the "Nine Yang Heavenly Flame Diagram" and, under the control of his magic power, the treasure map suddenly expanded several feet, depicting nine dark suns shining brightly, which absorbed the black and red evil energy floating up from below the Burning Immortal Pool.

Meanwhile, Yuan Shi Shangren arrived at another cliff platform and brought out the "Gathering Soul Refining Coffin," which was also constantly devouring the turbid Yin energy. As time passed, the black light on the coffin grew brighter and brighter.

In the Forest of Oblivion, Yan Chixia and his family of three were recounting the events of that day to Gu Xu.

Half an hour later, Gu Xu nodded slightly and asked Sima San Niang, "Senior Sister, are you saying that the thing in the dragon's hand is very similar to the Spirit-Eating Insect, but also somewhat different?"

“That’s right. I’ve seen spirit-eating worms before. They love to devour things that are full of spiritual energy. The array’s energy was absorbed by those things that day, which is why I made this guess. But spirit-eating worms only devour spiritual energy. Once they leave, if the array has enough array energy to replenish it, it will be repaired quickly. But look, junior brother, this array that has been gnawed seems to have been weakened a lot out of thin air.”

Sima San Niang pointed to the area gnawed by woodworms and said.

Gu Xu stared intently, his eyes gleaming with a dark light. In his eyes, this formation was extremely weak compared to other places. Any disciple could easily break through it with a full-force attack. Moreover, Gu Xu noticed that the formation energy flowing through this place would pause for a moment, as if the advancing water had encountered an obstacle.

“That’s not a spirit-eating insect. It looks more like a poisonous insect that specializes in destroying array mechanisms. The Huilong is good at raising and refining various poisons, so it’s not surprising that it has such an evil creature. However, no matter how good this thing is, it is still limited. The purest energy cannot be used up too much, so we will use the heavenly spiritual energy to make up for the deficiency.”

Upon hearing this, Sima San Niang asked, "Junior Brother, do you intend to use the power of the sun, moon, and stars?"

"Yes."

Gu Xu nodded, then spread his hand, revealing several irregularly shaped, dark crystals in front of the three of them. These crystals were dotted with a few golden spots and looked quite extraordinary.

"Could this be the essence of the stars!" Sima San Niang exclaimed in surprise.

This item is formed from the essence of celestial stars and is used to repair flaws in the heavens. Using it to repair formations would be a waste of its potential.

“Junior brother, this thing is so precious, it really shouldn’t be used here. At worst, I will stay here and guard it, and I will definitely not let the dragon get any closer.”

Yan Chixia was moved when he saw Gu Xu take out the Star Essence, and immediately objected.

"No matter how good a treasure is, it has no value if it can't be used. The dragon must have some unknown purpose in using that thing to devour the formation. In any case, it's just to break the formation. If that's the case, how can I let him succeed so easily?"

"With the essence of stars integrated into the formation, not only can the attributes of the formation be changed, but its power can also be increased. When the Yin Moon Dynasty attacks, with this formation guarding it, the disciples will suffer fewer casualties."

Upon hearing this, Yan Chixia and his wife exchanged a glance, both feeling a sense of admiration for their junior brother, and thus ceased their objections.

"Junior brother, let me help you."

"Thank you, Senior Sister."

Gu Xu melted the Star Essence into a ball of pure essence using pure Yang True Fire. Following Sima San Niang's guidance, he poured the essence into the four main flags. The moment the Star Essence merged, the sealing array immediately shone with five-colored light, and the evil energy in the array showed signs of receding. After a while, the five-colored light slowly dissipated.

"Uncle-Master, look." Yan Hongye, who had been keeping a close eye on the formation, suddenly pointed to the spot where the borers had devoured the area.

Gu Xu looked over upon hearing the sound and saw that the gap suddenly lit up, as if it was expelling some foreign object. Gu Xu reacted quickly and immediately cast a spirit-sealing seal, trapping the wisps of strange energy inside. After taking a look, Gu Xu narrowed his eyes and then handed it to Sima San Niang.

"Senior sister, look."

Seeing Gu Xu's solemn expression, Sima San Niang knew that things were not simple. She reached out and took the document, examined it for a moment, and her expression changed immediately.

"If I'm not mistaken, this should be a woodworm!"

Yan Chixia's expression changed upon hearing this, and when he stepped forward to take a look, his expression became serious.

"A hollow-toothed insect?" Yan Hongye was puzzled, but seeing the appearance of her parents and her martial uncle, she guessed that this thing must be something special.

"I didn't expect that this dragon had actually cultivated such an evil creature. This person is too much of a threat. If we encounter him, we must deal with him first. Otherwise, no matter what kind of formation we set up, with the hollow insects around, it will all be in vain."

"Mother, what exactly are these woodworms? Are they some kind of insect?"

Upon hearing this, Sima Sanniang explained to Yan Hongye, "This hollow insect is a kind of air insect, and also the most powerful evil insect in the world. It can gnaw at the void and devour spiritual energy. The demonic path once used this insect to break through the righteous path's mountain-guarding formation and destroyed many sects. It is notorious. It is said that it was extinct hundreds of years ago, but I didn't expect it to reappear now and fall into the hands of the serpent dragon. This is quite troublesome."

Sima Sanniang and Yan Chixia explained with worried expressions, but Gu Xu remained calm and said slowly, "I have also seen this insect in the treasure record. In the end, it is just a kind of strange energy. As long as its true nature is destroyed, it is nothing to worry about."

"Junior brother, do you have a solution?"

"Don't worry, Senior Sister. If the Demonic Path tries to rely on the Hollow Worm, I'll make sure they lose more than they gain!"

(End of this chapter)