Xiuxian: I studied abroad in modern times

Chapter 564 Catching a Turtle in a Jar: Who Will Be the Master of the Insects?

The Great Sun True Fire struck the Gu God's face, then splashed in all directions like falling meteors, flying into the swarm of insects at the bottom of the valley.

The dark valley was illuminated by the firelight, and the raging flames, which had been conquering the land, turned the endless worms into an inexhaustible source of fuel.

In just a few breaths, the entire mountain was ablaze, and the dim sky was now crimson.

Several Lu Clan disciples and the rogue cultivators who fled with them were in a panic, running around like madmen. Fortunately, the seemingly frightening golden flames did not seem to want to chase them and stopped behind them.

A group of people, panting heavily, looked back.

The valley was brightly lit, filled with beautiful yet dangerous golden flowers, and heat waves rose into the sky, carrying a strange smell that was a mixture of burnt fragrance and foul stench.

"Is that Zheng Fa?"

One of the Lu Clan disciples spoke up.

"It's him."

"Then Your Excellency..."

No one answered, but the expressions of the Lu clan members were not good. The Nine Mountains Sect was launching a fierce attack. If the Gu God was really burned to death by Zheng Fa, then Haori Mountain... was there any hope left?
In stark contrast to their expressions were those of the independent monks.

Their eyes shone brightly in the golden flames. The group exchanged glances and silently surrounded the Lu people.

"Do you... want to rebel?"

The middle-aged Lu clansman couldn't help but exclaim.

"We...cough." An old man clutched his chest, "We just want to live!"

"And you, Haori Mountain, won't let us live!"

The middle-aged man sneered, "With your meager cultivation..."

"That's enough to hold you off."

The middle-aged man was speechless, his face gradually turning pale, when he heard a low hum behind him.

That buzzing sound was his inner voice:

"Damn..."

"Damn..."

"Damn..."

These millions of cries finally merged into a single roar: "Damn it!"

The Gu God stepped out from the flames and stood on the mountain peak. His face was unmarked, but his eyes burned with a fury more intense than the Great Sun True Fire.

"You, damn it!"

She looked down at Zheng Fa at the bottom of the valley.

Zheng Fa and Senior Sister Zhang stood together, their expressions somewhat solemn.

They were surrounding the Gu God, but they didn't know how the Gu God managed to escape from their encirclement.

The Gu Goddess looked at the flames covering the mountain, her face growing even colder. A ceramic flute appeared in her hand, which she put to her lips and gently blew on.

The swarm of insects in front of Zheng Fa and his group suddenly surged into waves. Several silkworms, each ten feet long and entirely white, poked their heads out, their upper bodies standing upright like long snakes.

They opened their mouths and exhaled a burst of cold air in all directions.

A cold wind swept through the valley, and the once fiery mountain was now covered in silver light and white snow. Only the charred insect corpses scattered throughout the valley floor testified to the power of the Great Sun True Fire.

Zheng Fa's heart sank. He didn't usually use the Great Sun True Fire in battle, but that didn't mean the supernatural power wasn't strong.

Moreover, most Gu worms fear flames, and the Great Sun True Fire, a top-tier true fire, should be even more effective against Gu Gods.

But this person seemed to be fine.

Not only did she seem unharmed, but the surviving Gu worms in the swarm began tearing at their companions' bodies.

Soon, the countless insect corpses were devoured.

However, the insect swarms in the valley did not seem to decrease; in fact, they appeared to have become even more ferocious and powerful after having a full meal.

This scene filled the rogue cultivators with even more despair, and they gradually scattered.

The middle-aged man from the Lu clan sneered, as if mocking these people for overestimating themselves, and shouted, "Stop them!"

Outside the valley, the situation seemed to have reversed again.

The Gu God spoke: "If I ignore you, you'll think I'm afraid."

She had two compound eyes, and when she looked at Zheng Fa, there was no warmth in her eyes.

"I was trying to guard against the skeletons and the creation, but I never expected that a junior like you would dare to come to my door!"

"Even the Heavenly River wouldn't dare to bully me like this!"

It's clear that being slapped in the face by the Great Sun Fire might not have been that physically damaging to her, but it was extremely humiliating.

So powerful was the Gu God's hateful gaze that it never left Zheng Fa.

"You deserve to die!"

“Every piece of your flesh, every bone, your brain, your very soul will be devoured by my descendants!”

"Not just you, everyone in the Nine Mountains Sect will become food!"

She seemed extremely angry, and put the ocarina to her lips again, producing a series of rapid sounds like the chirping of cicadas.

The swarm of insects surged again, dividing into different groups, and surrounded Zheng Fa and his companions from all directions.

They seem to possess true intelligence, even strategizing and deploying troops.

The first one was a kind of beetle with wings like iron, reflecting a cold light. The Nine Mountains Sect had also captured this kind of Gu worm and knew that it was called the Iron Beetle. It had extremely strong natural defense and ordinary Golden Core cultivators could not kill one of them.

If they were gathered together, like now marching in formation, it would be like a jungle of impregnable walls.

Very few spells can penetrate their formation.

After the iron beetle, there are all sorts of Gu worms.

Most striking is a brightly colored toad with five-colored pustules on its back, covered in slime, and adept at spraying poisonous smoke containing deadly toxins.

And then there were the Frost Silkworm, the Spiky Scorpion, the Golden-Armed Centipede, and the Thousand-Thread Gu...

In the sky, there were also countless dream butterflies and floating Gu...

At a glance, Zheng Fa and his group could recognize about a hundred kinds of Gu worms.

Not to mention some strange Gu that they had never seen before; there are probably several hundred different kinds of Gu in this valley alone.

Yet, amidst the sound of the xun (a type of ancient Chinese wind instrument), these numerous Gu worms seemed like well-trained soldiers, obeying orders and moving in perfect unison, overwhelming Zheng Fa and his companions from all sides, leaving them completely surrounded.

Their mouthparts opened and closed, emitting a buzzing sound that subtly harmonized with the music played by the Gu God, creating a primitive yet mysterious hymn that echoed through the valley.

During the hymn, mysterious and ancient runes lit up on the bodies of these Gu worms, and the aura of each Gu worm was several times stronger than before!
Zheng Fa seemed to have failed in his first attack and was considering retreating. He grabbed the wrists of Senior Sister Zhang and the other woman, and they transformed into a rainbow, flying out of the valley.

A cold smile appeared on the face of the Gu God, and a giant butterfly flew out from his body. The butterfly's wings were as thin as cicada wings and shimmered with starlight. When it spread its wings, a starry sky appeared above the valley in an instant.

Zheng Fa's rainbow light crashed straight into the nebula, but as if it encountered an obstacle, it spun back and fell helplessly to the ground.

"You've finally found me," the Gu God's mocking voice echoed through the valley. "Why are you leaving?"

Zheng Fa's gaze fell on the strange and beautiful butterfly, and he seemed quite wary of it.

"This is the good child I raised." The Gu God reached out and stroked the butterfly's wings, his tone full of pride. "Her name is Sky-Splitting Butterfly. With her around, no one can escape!"

Zheng Fa's expression turned slightly unpleasant.

Outside the valley, the group of rogue cultivators who hadn't given up hope finally despaired when they saw this scene of being trapped like turtles in a jar. Some turned and ran, some turned back to fight back, and some knelt on the ground, staring blankly at the valley.

Zheng, Fa, and the other two fled in disarray through the swarm of insects.

They were surrounded by a ring of golden flames, blocking the attacks of various Gu worms.

The flames were incredibly powerful, but the Gu God's methods were even more mysterious:
As the rainbow light flashed, Zheng Fa's body suddenly paused, revealing his figure. His face was shrouded in black mist, as if he had been poisoned.

Even the cultivators watching from the sidelines noticed the problem:
Zheng Fa's escape techniques were extremely powerful, and his true fire could suppress the Gu worms. However, since ancient times, Gu poison and Gu poison have been inseparable. Unbeknownst to him, the poison had already entered Zheng Fa's body. The True Person Zhang seemed to have noticed this as well. Her expression was calm, and a golden light emanated from the spirit bamboo in her hand, landing on Zheng Fa.

The dark aura on Zheng Fa's face instantly vanished.

"That spirit bamboo is truly wondrous..."

"What's the use?" someone retorted with a despairing expression. "We can't escape; we'll all die eventually."

No one refuted it, because it was such an obvious fact.

This valley has become a nest of insects. No matter how strong Zheng Fa and his companions are, or how powerful their magical treasures are, they will be unable to escape and will be worn down to death.

Not to mention, the God of Gu didn't even make a move!
She stood atop the mountain, behind the Sky-Splitting Butterfly, merely directing the swarm of insects to attack Zheng Fa and his companions, without even intending to personally join the fray.

She smiled, seemingly enjoying the pleasure of toying with her enemies.

But the old man who had led the resistance suddenly shouted, "She's scared!"

"Fear?"

Everyone looked up, only to see a lingering sense of apprehension on the face of the Gu God.

This excited the rogue cultivators, but when they looked at Zheng Fa and the other two, they were doused with cold water—Zheng Fa and the others were in an even more critical situation.

They fled through the swarm of insects, but the space they could maneuver was getting smaller and smaller, and the three of them grew paler and paler.

Especially Senior Sister Zhang, who has been using the Cleansing Bamboo to treat Zheng Fa's Gu poison.

Qingjingzhu is powerful, but her magical power is ultimately limited, and her aura is already showing signs of weakening.

No matter how you look at it, none of the three seem to have a chance to turn the tide, and it's really hard to see what's so scary about the Gu God.

Even the God of Gu seemed relieved.

She remained cautious and did not approach, but instead waved her hand gently.

The Gu worms that had been attacking Zheng Fa and his companions seemed to have received a command and surged towards them without regard for their own safety.

The Great Sun True Fire around Zheng Fa grew brighter and brighter, but it couldn't stop these Gu worms.

One after another, the Gu worms were burned to death and fell from the sky, but even more Gu worms surged in.

The raging Great Sun True Fire consumed both the life of the Gu worms and Zheng Fa's spiritual power.

But the Gu worms seemed to be endless.

But a chilling dark green color spread across Zheng Fa's face—he had been poisoned again!

But at this moment, Senior Sister Zhang seemed to have no time to spare, as she was holding the Tranquil Bamboo and dealing with the Gu worms in front of her.

Everyone watched as the three were swallowed up by a tidal wave of insects.

Gradually, a small black hill appeared where they were standing—Zheng Fa and the other two were now submerged in it by countless Gu worms.

This small hill seemed to have become a tomb, burying Zheng Fa, a prodigy whose fame resounded throughout Xuanwei.

Even the God of Gu couldn't help but show a hint of joy on his face.

As for the Lu Clan members present, they were overjoyed—the Nine Mountains Sect's offensive had put immense pressure on Haori Mountain.

Now that they have seen Zheng Fa dead, how could they not feel relieved?

In contrast to them, the rogue cultivators stared at the black hill and felt that after the Great Sun True Fire was extinguished, the world had darkened.

Gradually, even the swarm of insects quieted down.

There was deathly silence in the valley.

It was the scream of the Gu God that shattered this despair:
"What did you do?"

Everyone was stunned.

Why did the God of Gu lose his composure during this moment of great victory?
But the Gu God had no time to pay attention to their doubts; instead, he stared at the small mountain.

The mountain split open, and Zheng Fa and his two companions walked out leisurely.

Strangely, many of the Gu worms that had just wanted to devour the three of them were now lined up around them.

The Ironclad Beetle led the way with its shield, followed by the Golden-Armed Centipede with its knife. The Dream Butterfly stood like a crown on their heads, while the Frost Silkworm used its chilling energy to pave a path forged from ice crystals for them.

They were as fierce as they were before, but now they seem just as loyal!
Outside the valley, the Lu Clan members and numerous independent cultivators exchanged bewildered glances. Despite their opposing allies and differing joys and sorrows, they inexplicably shared the same feeling at this moment—

Outrageous!

The three of you stole someone else's insects from the very Gu God, the ancestor of insect-playing?
The Gu God's expression turned ugly. He suddenly looked at Xie Qingxue, who had been keeping a low profile, and exclaimed, "It's her?"

It was Xie Qingxue.

Zheng Fa only brought Senior Sister Zhang and Xie Qingxue with him when he launched this surprise attack on the Gu God.

It's easy to understand why Sister Zhang brought this; the Pure Bamboo is very effective at suppressing Gu worms, especially at dispelling Gu poison.

He brought Xie Qingxue along, but with another purpose:

Essentially, Xie Qingxue is the sword spirit of the Qingping Sword. Besides being far stronger than ordinary Nascent Soul cultivators, she has another advantage:
She is not afraid of witchcraft.

Neither the sharp teeth and claws of the Gu worms nor various strange poisons can harm a top-tier flying sword like the Qingping Sword.

Therefore, although Xie Qingxue's strength was not as good as Zheng Fa's, she did not need Senior Sister Zhang's treatment just now, and was able to complete the task given to her by Zheng Fa.

"From the very beginning, you were planning to provoke me..." The Gu God seemed to understand as well, "From the very beginning, you were covering for her?"

This is true.

Zheng Fa didn't actually expect the Great Sun True Fire to harm the Gu God:

The Gu God is, after all, a top-tier True Immortal. Unless Zheng Fa uses all his trump cards, it will be difficult for him to deal with a cultivator of this level.

More importantly, the Gu God's cultivation method is extremely special. As the embodiment of the insect swarm's consciousness, she is almost immortal.

Anyone who wants to fight the Gu God is actually facing countless Gu worms, the combined power of billions of living beings.

Zheng Fa suspected that even among all the True Immortals, this Gu God was the most difficult to kill.

What's in her sleeve?

The Gu God stared intently at Xie Qingxue's long sleeves and finally discovered all of Zheng Fa's arrangements.

Nothing special. To put it bluntly, it's just the secretions from various Gu worms that Gu Chang and his group extracted.

This is the pheromone that Gu Chang and his team discovered through experiments—a pheromone that can attract, stimulate, and even manipulate various Gu worms.

He angered the Gu God, and then took Senior Sister Zhang and the other woman on a journey, using the Great Sun Golden Flame to cover for Xie Qingxue. His true purpose was only one:
This gave Xie Qingxue the opportunity to scatter these extracts throughout the valley.

Zheng Fa raised his eyes, looked at the Gu God with a grim expression, and chuckled, "The Gu God uses ten thousand insects as its Dharma body, condensing the swarm of insects into one. Its supernatural powers are vast, and its vitality is tenacious, making it unparalleled in the profound mystery."

"But the more this is the case, the easier it is for this method to be breached from within."

To put it bluntly, Zheng Fa standing among the myriad insects was no different from him entering the body of the Gu God.

Even the strongest fortress cannot keep out traitors like them.

"Do you really think you can take away my descendants?"

"Gu God gritted his teeth and said."

“No, I can’t take it away.” Zheng Fa had never thought that way. The secretions they extracted could not control the swarm of insects as well as the Gu God. “But all I need to do is make the swarm chaotic.”

The Gu God's expression changed, as if he understood Zheng Fa's meaning.

But it was too late. In the valley, all kinds of Gu worms suddenly went berserk, tearing at each other and engaging in a life-or-death struggle.

To put it simply, this is equivalent to a hormonal imbalance in a person's body, which eventually leads to various organs becoming unable to coordinate and attacking each other.

The chaos of the insect swarm seemed to affect the Gu God as well. The expression on her face began to change drastically, sometimes frantic, sometimes blank, as if she had gained countless personalities.

Suddenly, she called out to Zheng Fa, "Master..."

When these two words reached the ears of the people outside the valley, it was like a mountain collapsing and the earth splitting. They stared blankly at Zheng Fa, feeling a chill run down their spines—this man was even more sinister than the Demon Ancestor!

(End of this chapter)