I, a cultivator, have ended up in the world of tomb raiding.

Li Yue emerged from the pavilion, and the centipedes and insects scattered along the way spontaneously lined up on both sides of the road.

Like subjects kneeling before a king, they dare not block the way ahead, but silently follow behind.

The insects were so respectful that they seemed to be bowing their heads in obedience.

The bandits stood frozen in place, silent the entire time, none daring to utter a word, their hearts filled with unbearable shock.

Only after Li Yue's figure disappeared into the dark crack did they slowly come back to their senses.

Chen Yulou was in a state of turmoil, but the important matter was not yet accomplished, and he should not be troubled by it too much.

He then beckoned everyone to go up first and then make further plans.

Partridge Whistle, still bringing up the rear, stared in the direction Li Yue had left, recalling the strange phenomenon of insects following and bowing their heads along the way, and muttered to himself:

"Could this be... the return of all insects to the void?"

Chen Yulou had excellent hearing and heard this murmured self-talk.

He immediately looked bewildered, and after going up, he couldn't wait to ask Partridge Whistle, "I just heard you mention 'all insects returning to their origin,' what does that mean?"

Partridge Whistle sheathed his dagger, gathered his thoughts, and slowly explained:

"Ruins" refers to desolate valleys and mountain hollows, empty and shady places. Wild insects have their own natural hierarchy.

All ants, scorpions, centipedes, cicadas, mole crickets, and moths—all the venomous reptiles in the world—are ignorant and shallow in mind, and are born with a fear of their own kind's leader.

If the king of insects were to appear, his body would emanate a malevolent and malevolent aura. Without even causing a disturbance or unusual phenomenon, all insects from all directions would sense his oppressive power and submit to him.

He paused for a moment before continuing, "When I was traveling through the mountains of southern Xinjiang in my early years, I heard a strange story told by the local mountain people."

A century ago, their village was plagued by insect infestations year after year. For three consecutive years, the crops failed to yield a single harvest, as they were ravaged by wild insects. Ordinary methods were simply ineffective in controlling the infestation.

One farmer, unable to bear the hardship any longer, decided to go into the mountains alone to trace the source.

Finally, they discovered that deep in the mountains and forests, there was a giant insect king that had existed for ages.

This creature itself has no extraordinary abilities, yet it can command all the insects in the entire mountain area.

This farmer was a wise man who knew the principle of capturing the king first, so he set a trap to lure the insect king out.

It is said that as soon as the insect king landed on the open ground, a chilling aura instantly spread throughout the surrounding area.

In a short while, countless reptiles crawled out from the grass and crevices of the rocks.

The red ants swarmed about, and the black-shelled scorpions retracted their venomous pincers.

The tiny centipedes and centipedes of all lengths slithered close to the ground, not daring to reveal their ferocity.

All the insects remained obedient and did not cause any disturbance. Their antennae drooped, their bodies pressed against the soil, and they all gathered towards the insect king in worship, bowing their heads and obeying his commands.

At the time, I thought it was just a story exaggerated and fabricated by the mountain people suffering from insect infestations. Now, having seen it with my own eyes, I realize that there are many strange things in the world, and not all of them are false.

Partridge Whistle spoke with a touch of emotion.

The people present were all quite surprised. They looked at each other, feeling that it was all bizarre and unreal.

Chen Yulou pressed further, "So how was this pest infestation dealt with?"

"It is said that in the end, the farmer set fire to the mountain, burning the entire mountain to the ground, and only then were all the reptiles that had become spirits eradicated," Partridge Whistle said.

"The current scene is somewhat similar to what I saw back then."

Upon hearing this, Chen Yulou's mind went blank. Recalling the way the myriad insects bowed and followed Li Yue as he walked, he still found it hard to believe and blurted out:

"This... could a human really be the king of insects?"

Partridge Whistle's gaze was deep and his heart was filled with doubt.

Logically speaking, humans and insects are different species and races, and there is absolutely no reason for humans to rule over poisonous insects; this is a common sense principle in the world.

The scene of centipedes lying stiff and cowering everywhere, and yin insects following and worshipping, is still vivid in my mind and is definitely not an illusion.

For a moment, even he couldn't reach a conclusion, and could only shake his head and ponder before speaking:

"This matter is bizarre and strange, unlike anything I have ever seen before, and it is truly difficult to fathom."

The girl in red and the others who had pulled them up were baffled.

Hearing them talk about insects and kings, I was completely baffled and couldn't help but ask what had happened.

Chen Yulou was also in a state of confusion, so he briefly recounted his encounter with Li Yue and the series of changes in the underground insect swarm.

When Hong Guniang heard that she had seen Li Yue again, her heart stirred slightly.

Li Yue suddenly left the team and disappeared without a trace, which made her secretly worried, fearing that he had been harmed by the centipede venomous insect.

Upon hearing that the other party might have ulterior motives, he felt a mix of worry and slight annoyance.

This person acts arbitrarily and completely disregards them, which is infuriating!

But after hearing about all the strange phenomena Chen Yulou described, she was deeply shocked.

I felt that this whole ordeal was even more absurd and exaggerated than any story told in the folk tales.

They still harbored doubts, wondering if the head was playing a trick on them.

Seeing the lingering solemnity and shock on Chen Yulou and Partridge Whistle's faces, one knew it was no exaggeration.

A complex mix of emotions welled up inside me, and I remained silent.

Chen Yulou had already thought things through. As the leader of the Unloading Ridge Sect, he had seen countless people and knew that most people with extraordinary skills were eccentric.

Li Yue possessed unfathomable abilities, capable of commanding swarms of insects to submit, and his skills far surpassed those of ordinary people, yet he never flaunted his power.

Chen Yulou, quick-witted, secretly resolved that he would be even more cautious in the future.

At the very least, the way we address each other as "Brother Li" needs to be changed.

Partridge Whistle, standing to the side, composed himself, still in shock.

He traveled all over the country and always admired those who possessed genuine skills and had a tranquil disposition.

Li Yue possesses extraordinary skills, yet he does not act recklessly or arrogantly.

His words just now, suggesting that everyone leave, showed that he had no intention of harming anyone, which demonstrates his upright character.

Although I don't understand how a human can command yin insects, I still feel awe because of it.

However, since the other party's purpose is still unknown, we cannot blindly trust them.

Just as everyone's emotions were fluctuating and their perception of Li Yue was undergoing a dramatic change,

Following the direction of the dark currents and evening breeze in the cave, Li Yue flashed and disappeared into the deep crevice of the mountain.

Just now, while he was meditating in the Medicine King Pavilion, absorbing Yin energy to break through his cultivation level, he secretly sensed the flow of Qi.

He realized that all the Yin energy in the entire Dan Palace had been drawn by himself, except for one direction where the pulling force was slightly more difficult.

Li Yue guessed that the being with such stable Yin energy, which was difficult to be shaken by the power of devouring, was most likely the master of the Yuan Tomb hidden deep in Ping Mountain.

—The corpse of a Yuan Dynasty general.

This person cultivated an inner elixir during his lifetime, and after death, it transformed into a yin elixir, which is an extremely yin substance.

Li Yue had always intended to find it and seize its Yin Pill to replenish his own cultivation.

Now, guided by unseen forces, we conveniently save the trouble of searching, which can be considered a perfect fit.

Right now, he needs to leave this place.

This mountain fissure is a natural formation, not man-made, making it extremely difficult for people to pass through.

The terrain along the way is rugged and low, with many narrow and cramped passages where one has to squeeze sideways to pass.

Ping Mountain had already been bombed by Luo Laowai's engineers for half a day.

Li Yue worried that using too much magic to clear a path would hasten the collapse of Ping Mountain.

Therefore, they only dared to make slight repairs in places that were too low and narrow to allow themselves to pass through.

Fortunately, the route is not very long.

A moment later, the view ahead suddenly opened up, and a refreshing mountain night breeze swept over us.

Looking up, the night was as dark as ink, and the sky was still dark; it was the quietest time of the night.