The Azure Herb Backlash

Chapter 487: Storms Stir Beyond the Seas—The Golden Silk Silkworm and the Azure Herb

But before the elder could release his spirit beast and the Yin corpse, a sudden change occurred on the altar.

A massive, jade-green silkworm, still trapped within a sphere of light, suddenly began to tremble. The golden glow surrounding it dimmed rapidly.

Almost at the same instant, the golden silk thread in its mouth snapped with a sharp twang.

“No good!”

Wan Tianming and the other righteous cultivators, who had been completely focused on the retrieval, cried out in alarm, their faces turning pale.

But before they could act, the same thing happened to the other golden silkworms.

After their light dimmed just as quickly, the threads of two more giant silkworms also snapped on the spot.

Wan Tianming’s heart sank into an abyss. His body, which had been poised to rush forward, froze on the spot.

But it wasn’t over yet.

The threads of the last three giant silkworms were still intact, but having lost half their support, they were suddenly yanked forward with tremendous force, flying into the large hole with a whoosh.

A heavy thud came from inside, rattling the entire stone platform.

The blue light at the entrance of the hole faded immediately, and the chilling aura weakened considerably.

Seeing this, the faces of the righteous cultivators turned extremely ugly.

As for Extreme Yin and the other old demons, who had been just about to intervene, they stared at each other with expressions as varied and strange as they were delightful.

“Haha! Hahaha…”

Man Brutal Beard doubled over with laughter, his yellow beard trembling with sheer, unbridled glee.

Extreme Yin and the Confucian-robed elder finally snapped out of their shock, their faces shifting to schadenfreude. They turned to look at the three righteous cultivators, their grins wide.

Wan Tianming’s face turned a livid, iron-gray.

He had expended such great effort and paid such a heavy price for this expedition, only to end up being mocked by the demonic path.

The fire in Wan Tianming’s heart surged, and he could no longer suppress it.

He spun around, his eyes filled with an icy malevolence as he glared at Extreme Yin and the other two.

Extreme Yin and the elder’s smiles instantly froze.

The man before them was a mid-Nascent Soul cultivator. Even though they were of opposing righteous and demonic factions, they had no desire to form a deep enmity with Wan Tianming.

Man Brutal Beard, however, stopped his roaring laughter at the glare, but responded by staring back aggressively.

“What? Sect Master Wan wishes to spar with me here? I’ve been wanting to test the famed Heavenly Net True Art, one of the three great Confucian divine techniques,” Man Brutal Beard goaded, his face tensing.

Wan Tianming stared coldly at Man Brutal Beard for a long moment before sanity returned to his face.

“Let’s go.”

He flicked his sleeve and led the retreat from the altar, not even bothering with the few remaining useless golden silkworms. He only recalled the white flood dragon that had been facing off against the demonic cultivators.

Tian Wuzi’s expression was equally grim. After putting away his giant turtle, he followed closely behind Wan Tianming, his face dark.

The thin, dark-skinned old farmer, aside from a coldness in his eyes, appeared a bit more composed.

As the righteous and demonic parties brushed past each other, both sides were extremely vigilant.

Fortunately, despite Man Brutal Beard’s arrogance, he said nothing provocative at that moment. He only watched Wan Tianming and the others with a cold sneer as they gradually receded and finally vanished beyond the barrier.

“I will have my Green Thorn Birds lie in ambush at the entrance. If those righteous fellows return, we will know,” the Confucian-robed elder suddenly said, looking back towards the passage.

“In that case, I’ll send two of my Heavenly Capital Corpses to lie in ambush at the entrance as well. If they suddenly try to ambush us, the corpses can at least provide a brief defense,” Extreme Yin said, his eyes shifting as he let out a sinister smile.

Upon hearing this, Qing Yi Jushi was taken aback for a moment, but quickly regained his composure and said nothing.

With a flick of his scholarly sleeve, a ball of green light the size of a fist shot out, soaring into the air.

Extreme Yin, on the other hand, simply tossed something onto the ground.

Two trails of black smoke emerged, followed by a foul stench. Two tall Yin corpses materialized before everyone.

“Go,” Extreme Yin commanded, pointing solemnly toward the entrance.

The two Yin corpses twisted and blurred before vanishing without a trace.

The scene reminded Han Li of the eerie way the Yin corpse had appeared that day. A chill ran through him, and he couldn’t help but feel a bit more wary of these creatures.

Then his gaze fell on the few golden silkworms still trembling on the altar. Curiosity piqued, he began to walk over.

But before he could reach them, another person moved swiftly past him. Han Li glanced sideways and saw that it was the silent Profound Bone.

He was a bit surprised.

“What’s the meaning of this? The Golden Silk Silkworm is considered a rare and valuable spirit insect. Judging by the golden light they emitted earlier, their cultivation must have been considerable. It’s a bit strange for Wan Tianming to abandon them so readily without a shred of regret,” Man Brutal Beard said, walking over.

“They have consumed the Azure Herb. It forcibly raised their cultivation to a higher level, allowing them to lift the Void Heaven Cauldron a little. But now that the medicinal effect has worn off, these silkworms are utterly ruined,” the Profound Bone said, his tone flat after a brief examination of the giant silkworm.

“So that’s it. I wondered how these Golden Silk Silkworms could lift the Void Heaven Cauldron. So they used that stuff. Heh! Wan Tianming tried to steal a chicken but only lost his own rice this time,” Man Brutal Beard said, bursting into laughter again.

“The Azure Herb! I never thought Wan Tianming would find such an item. I considered that method myself, but I’ve never been able to find a single Azure Herb in all these years. However, this junior of yours, Brother Man, seems quite knowledgeable. He’s clearly not a nobody! I wonder if I, Wu, have ever heard of his name,” Extreme Yin said, walking over with his hands clasped behind his back. He then shifted his gaze, staring intently at the Profound Bone’s face.

“I’ve merely read a few more dead books than most. I have no great reputation. You flatter me, Senior Wu,” the Profound Bone said with a faint, relaxed smile.

“Is that so?” Extreme Yin said, his tone indifferent. Whether his suspicions were fully allayed or he was simply wary of Man Brutal Beard standing nearby, he did not press the issue. Instead, he turned and walked to the large hole, peering down into it.

The blue light at the bottom cast an eerie blue glow across his face, giving him a demonic appearance.

Han Li stood to one side, watching coldly. He couldn’t help but admire the Profound Bone’s restraint.

To face Extreme Yin directly and address him as ‘senior’ without a flicker of emotion… this old demon’s mental fortitude was truly terrifying.

But then again, everyone here, except for Wu Chou, was no fool. They were all foxes who had lived for hundreds of years, each one more cunning and treacherous than the last.

Han Li was brooding on this when he heard the Confucian-robed elder say:

“Since these silkworms are useless now, let’s just exterminate them. No point leaving them here to be an eyesore.” With that, the elder flipped his palm. A thorn-like sphere of green light materialized in his hand, ready to be aimed at the half-dead giant silkworms.

“Hold on! I’m quite interested in these golden silkworms. Leave them to me,” Han Li said suddenly, his eyes narrowing as he surveyed the three silkworms.

“You want these things? They are not only completely crippled but also won’t live much longer,” the Confucian-robed elder said, a hint of surprise and doubt in his voice.

“I’ve always had a certain interest in rare spirit insects. Since they’re not dead yet, I’d like to keep them for a while and study them. I hope you’ll oblige me,” Han Li said with a polite bow.

The Confucian-robed elder didn’t answer right away. Instead, he sized Han Li up once more, a thoughtful expression on his face.

This made Han Li feel a bit uneasy, unsure of the elder’s intentions.

“Ah. I too was once a rogue cultivator. Naturally, I know that a Core Formation rogue cultivator, unlike those from the great sects, often has a harder time of it. Since you want these useless things, Friend Han, you may take them,” the Confucian-robed elder said with a sigh, shaking his head. It was clear he had misunderstood Han Li’s motives.

Han Li rolled his eyes internally at the elder’s assumption.

But he could only go along with it, forcing an embarrassed expression and offering his repeated thanks.

He then took out an empty spirit beast pouch and put away the three Golden Silk Silkworms.

Judging by their state, Wan Tianming had already erased his own spirit-brand on them before abandoning them. They offered no resistance as Han Li put them away.

“Han Li, stop messing about with those trifles. Hurry up and release the Blood Jade Spider. Let me have another look at what rank it’s reached. Then I’ll coordinate with my Fire Pythons. We must succeed in one go!” Extreme Yin called out from by the hole, a hint of madness burning in his eyes.

Hearing this, Han Li’s brow furrowed slightly as he walked over.

Qing Yi Jushi and Man Brutal Beard also turned their gazes to Han Li upon hearing this.

“Don’t worry. As long as you retrieve the Void Heaven Cauldron, your master will not treat you unfairly,” Extreme Yin said, turning to face Han Li with a look of paternal kindness, as if afraid Han Li might not give his all.

But the moment he heard these words, a chill ran down Han Li’s spine.