The Insect Devil's Reputation

Chapter 533: Stirring Trouble Overseas; A Wicked Reputation Spreads Far

“Brother Qiu, should we act? It looks like he’s alone here,” said the fierce-looking man, his voice carrying a hint of tension.

The vulture-faced old man stared down below, a sliver of doubt crossing his features as he did not immediately answer.

But when he saw the blue-clad youth take out a black bowl and begin to extract the soul of the Glass Beast, his expression shifted dramatically, and a flicker of fear appeared in his eyes.

“This man is somewhat odd. Perhaps we should forget it. There is no need to provoke someone whose background we don’t understand.” The man surnamed Min, seeing the old man’s expression, gave a slight start, then furrowed his brow and spoke in a probing tone.

The three of them had survived this long in the Outer Star Seas precisely because each of them was exceedingly cautious.

The scene before them carried an indescribable strangeness, and Min’s instincts were telling him to retreat.

“Forget it? This is no longer a question of whether we attack. It’s a question of whether we can leave here alive.”

The vulture-faced old man’s gaze flickered uncertainly for a long moment before he let out a bitter laugh and said something completely out of the blue.

The fierce-looking man and Min were both taken aback.

They knew the old man’s character well, and they knew he would never say something like that without reason. A look of surprise appeared on their faces.

“Have you two not noticed how closely this man resembles that certain demon that’s been the talk of the region lately?” The vulture-faced old man licked his lips and spoke in a low, bitter tone.

“Demon? Could it be…?”

“What? Him!”

The two men beside him were stunned for a moment, then let out sharp cries of alarm.

Their faces were now filled with sheer terror.

“It should be correct. Look, this man is young, he can release multiple flying swords, and the sword light is green. All of this matches the rumors perfectly.” The vulture-faced old man muttered gravely, as if analyzing the situation for his own benefit.

“But isn’t that man famous for commanding swarms of insects? This one here hasn’t used any insect-controlling techniques at all. Could it be a coincidence?” The fierce-looking man’s face had gone pale, and his voice trembled slightly, as though the person the vulture-faced old man had mentioned was a being of unspeakable horror.

“Brother Qiu should be correct. That demon usually only reveals early Core Formation cultivation as well, and he also enjoys extracting the souls of demon beasts. As for not releasing any insects just now, he probably didn’t see the need,” Min said, his light-golden face beginning to take on a greenish tint, his voice-transmission involuntarily dropping a few notches.

“So you’re saying this man really might be that legendary ‘Insect Devil’? Then why aren’t we leaving immediately? If that demon catches us, none of us will survive.” The fierce-looking man’s expression was now one of panic.

“Don’t panic. If it really is him, when we arrived just now, he was focused on the Glass Beast. That’s why he didn’t notice us. Now that he’s finished with the beast, if we act rashly, we’re more likely to expose ourselves.” The vulture-faced old man managed to keep some composure and spoke calmly.

Hearing this, the other two exchanged a glance, found the logic sound, and dared not make any rash moves.

But the fierce-looking man named Xuan stared at the youth performing the soul-extraction ritual for a while, then suddenly seemed to remember something. A look of doubt crossed his face as he whispered:

“I heard that four years ago, this Insect Devil got into a conflict with a group of cultivators over a seventh-rank demon beast. He single-handedly wiped out seven or eight Core Formation cultivators, and only one late Core Formation was able to escape. Are these stories all true?”

“They should be. The one who escaped was an expert from the Azure Cloud Sect; the ones who were killed were all his sect brothers. That single battle caused the Azure Cloud Sect—one of the five major powers of Mysterious Abyss Island—to lose nearly a third of its fighting force, a severe blow to its strength. The Azure Cloud Sect’s Honorary Supreme Elder, ‘Immortal Miaohe,’ was so enraged smoke practically poured from his seven orifices. He went out alone several times to search for this Insect Devil, but each time he returned empty-handed. In fact, many suspect that even if Immortal Miaohe did find the Insect Devil, he might not be able to do anything about him. After all, a man with such power could very well be a newly emerged Nascent Soul cultivator. I’ve also heard that other forces on Mysterious Abyss Island have been keeping an eye on this Insect Devil, seemingly hoping to recruit him.” The man surnamed Min swallowed hard and explained in a low voice.

“Nascent Soul stage? That’s not certain. I’ve heard another theory: that the Insect Devil’s own cultivation isn’t much to speak of. What makes him so powerful is entirely the swarm of strange insects he possesses. According to this version, on the day of the battle, he didn’t even use a single other magic treasure; he simply released an endless sea of insects that devoured the Core Formation cultivators alive, without lifting a finger. That’s how he earned the name ‘Insect Devil.’” The vulture-faced old man fell silent for a moment, then shook his head in disagreement.

“But Brother Qiu, you saw it too. The man before us didn’t use any insects at all; he killed that Glass Beast with a single sword strike. Even a late Core Formation cultivator might not be able to do that. He’s clearly an old Nascent Soul monster in disguise,” Min insisted on his own opinion.

The vulture-faced old man was about to retort with a dismissive expression, but the fierce-looking man beside him helplessly cut him off.

“Fellow Daoists, whether the Insect Devil is a Nascent Soul cultivator or not makes no difference to the likes of us. What’s real is that he could destroy us without the slightest effort. What I’m worried about is his reputation. I’ve heard that nearly every cultivator who has encountered this Insect Devil has been fed to his bugs. He’s claimed no fewer than a hundred lives by now. In the last two years, just the mere mention of his name has made people pale.”

Min’s expression grew even worse upon hearing the fierce man’s words. He stared down at the blue-clad youth and let out a long sigh. “The Insect Devil is ruthless, murderous, and bloodthirsty. That should be true. In recent years, many incidents of cultivators being killed for their treasures have been pinned on this demon. And here we are, voluntarily delivering ourselves to his doorstep.” There was nothing but regret in his voice now.

The vulture-faced old man’s face was no better. He pressed his lips together and said nothing further.

He too was extremely wary of the Insect Devil’s fearsome reputation.

From then on, the three of them had no more heart for voice transmissions. They stared fixedly at every move the youth made, hoping only that he would finish his business with the demon beast and leave on his own.

At that moment, the blue-clad youth had already extracted the soul of the Glass Beast and stored it in the black bowl. He had also retrieved a white demon core from the beast’s corpse and placed it into his storage pouch.

Now, the youth suddenly lifted his head and surveyed his surroundings.

The three men nearby held their breath in unison, not daring to move an inch in their concealed positions.

But it was not to be.

The youth’s gaze swept across the area where the three were hiding and suddenly stopped. A trace of a mock smile appeared at the corner of his mouth, and he spoke coldly:

“The three of you have been watching for quite some time. Have you seen enough? Won’t you show yourselves and have a word?”

Hearing this, the vulture-faced old man and his companions felt a chill run down their spines.

“Run!”

No one knew who shouted it.

The three immediately transformed into streaks of rainbow light, and without another word, they fled in three different directions.

“I haven’t finished speaking. Why are you in such a hurry to leave? Are you afraid I’ll eat you or something?” The blue-clad youth frowned slightly and muttered to himself, a flicker of confusion in his eyes.

But then his expression hardened. With a wave of both hands, he tossed three spirit beast pouches into the air in quick succession. Instantly, a sky-darkening swarm of three-colored beetles poured forth in an overwhelming tide.

This blue-clad youth was none other than Han Li, who had just returned from the deep sea!

The vulture-faced old man and his companions, who had dared to glance back, saw this scene and their faces changed dramatically. Their escape light instinctively accelerated by another three parts.

But just then, a soft chant came from the youth’s mouth.

The swarm of three-colored beetles, responding to the sound, converged in the air and instantly condensed into three enormous spears, each over three meters long.

A sharp howl tore through the air. The giant spears transformed into three-colored beams of light, vanishing in a flash as they shot off in three separate directions, their speed unbelievably fast.

A tearing sound rang out, and in the blink of an eye, the spears had chased after the three men and disappeared from sight.

Han Li, however, remained standing where he was, making no move to pursue. Instead, he calmly took out a green blade of light and began to carefully slice off the Glass Beast’s crystalline hide.

The skin of a Glass Beast was an excellent material for refining defensive armor. Naturally, Han Li was not about to let it go.

After reducing the remains of the Glass Beast to ashes, Han Li turned and began to collect the formation tools he had set up nearby, as well as the Iridescent Spirit Grass on the coral island.

He had just finished when, from three different directions in the distant sky, flashes of light appeared one after another.

As they drew closer, he could make out the figures clearly. They were the vulture-faced old man and his two companions, flying back toward him. Their trajectory was aimed directly at Han Li’s position.

All three men had ashen faces. Around their necks, a three-colored collar had materialized. They looked utterly dejected, like men who had accepted their fate.

Seeing this, Han Li stroked his chin and let out a cold laugh in his heart.

The three men landed obediently in front of him. Han Li’s face broke into a smile, and he asked in an unexpectedly gentle tone:

“Could the three of you tell me why, upon seeing me, you fled in such panic? Do you recognize me from somewhere?”

(End of this chapter)