The True and False Bug Demon

Chapter 535: Storms Stir Beyond the Seas / The True and False Bug Demon

Not only the Min cultivator, but also the vulture-faced old man and the vicious-looking man felt their hearts leap into their throats. None of them knew if their words had just angered the young man before them.

There was a distinct possibility he was the Bug Demon himself!

“Interesting. It seems this Bug Demon has quite the notorious reputation. Might I ask, Fellow Daoists, do any of you know what this Bug Demon looks like? And are the flying insects he controls the same as mine?” Instead of showing any sign of anger, Han Li actually chuckled lightly.

“What he looks like? That I haven’t heard described in detail. I think his appearance is said to be quite ordinary. As for the flying insects he controls, it seems they are a kind of gold and silver-colored flying insect? Huh? Elder’s are three-colored beetles! It seems Senior truly isn’t that demon!” The Min cultivator started speaking hesitantly, only then noticing the difference between Han Li’s insects and the Bug Demon’s. He couldn’t help but cry out in pleasant surprise.

The vulture-faced old man and the vicious man, as if waking from a dream, realized this at the same time, and their spirits were likewise lifted.

If he wasn’t the Bug Demon, then their lives were likely a bit more secure.

“I thank the three of you for your honest information. I still have matters to attend to, so I won’t keep you here any longer. However, I would ask you not to speak too freely about our encounter today. I, Han, would rather not be mistaken for some Bug Demon and hunted down all over the place. I trust you Fellow Daoists can understand?”

Han Li looked up at the sky, as if pondering something. A moment later, he lowered his head and spoke words that filled the three men’s hearts with wild joy.

“Of course. We will definitely keep our mouths shut. We wouldn’t dare bring any trouble upon you, Brother Dao. Then, my brothers and I will take our leave first.” The vulture-faced old man forcefully suppressed his excitement and tested the waters with a hopeful tone.

Han Li smiled faintly and nodded. The three opposite him were secretly overjoyed. They bowed respectfully to Han Li, quickly stood up, and flew away.

After a short while, on the other end of the island, the vulture-faced old man and his two companions, along with their small squad of sect disciples, could not wait to fly out of the island and streak away into the distant sky.

Han Li had stood up at some point as well. He watched them without moving from his spot, only letting his face suddenly darken after their retreating light vanished from sight.

Though taking their lives would have been easy, Han Li had not the slightest intention of acting.

He was not a bloodthirsty butcher.

Besides, whether or not they revealed his presence here was a matter of complete indifference to him.

This stretch of sea was in the complete opposite direction from his cave dwelling. If he had encountered these three men in the sea region near the Fog Sea island, he would not have let a single one of them leave alive.

And he had already decided: he would immediately return to his cave and go into seclusion. He planned not to emerge from his cave for at least twenty or thirty years.

Let those who wished to trouble him waste their time here in the outer Star Seas.

Still, “Bug Demon”... they had given him quite an evil-sounding moniker.

But aside from that one time when he was forced to use the Gold Devourer Beetles to wipe out that group of Azure Cloud Sect cultivators, when had he ever engaged in murder and robbery for treasure?

Someone was clearly framing him!

It irritated Han Li greatly, even if he didn’t fly into a blind rage.

Thinking about his enemies in the outer Star Seas, it seemed only the Azure Cloud Sect was a possibility.

Back then, due to the danger of high-grade demon beasts, Han Li had not ventured too deep into the outer Star Seas’ deep sea regions. He had only stayed in some peripheral areas, using the Rainbow Garment Grass to continuously lure demon beasts and take their cores.

Once, he had just trapped a level-seven demon beast when he encountered a group of seven or eight high-level cultivators, all of them in the Core Formation stage. They arrogantly proclaimed themselves to be cultivators of the Azure Cloud Sect and, driven by greed, attempted to kill him and seize his treasure.

Han Li had no choice but to release over a hundred thousand Gold Devourer Beetles to eliminate the enemy.

According to his plan, since he had acted, it was best to kill them all and silence them.

But against his expectations, though he eliminated most of the cultivators, one among them—a late Core Formation cultivator—possessed a defensive ancient treasure of considerable power. Taking advantage of a moment’s inattention, he broke through the swarm of Gold Devourer Beetles and managed to escape with his life.

Han Li naturally knew that this so-called “Azure Cloud Sect” was one of the major powers on the Strange Abyss Island.

With no other choice, he risked entering the deep sea to evade this powerful new enemy he had just made.

He could count himself fortunate. During those years of wandering the deep sea, he never once encountered a demon beast at level eight or above.

The most dangerous situation was when he once attracted several level-seven demon beasts at the same time.

Though it made him flustered for a good long while, once he unleashed both his Gold Devourer Beetles and his magic treasures, he still managed to deal with them safe and sound.

After all those years of deep-sea hunting, he had finally gathered enough—several hundred level-six and level-seven demon cores. That was more than enough to refine into pills. He had also accumulated a large pile of various demon beast materials.

With this accomplished, he had resolutely returned the way he came.

As soon as he came back from the deep sea, while passing through this sea region, he had accidentally discovered a Glass Beast.

Han Li naturally had no intention of letting it go. He set up an array, trapped it, and killed it.

Unexpectedly, this had lured in the vulture-faced old man and his two companions, who, in a panic, addressed him as the “Bug Demon.”

This made Han Li understandably depressed.

The most likely culprit was obviously the Azure Cloud Sect. Unable to find him anywhere, but knowing he used insect-controlling arts and knew what his Azure Bamboo Cloudswarm Swords looked like, they had been fanning the flames everywhere, fabricating a “Bug Demon.”

There was no doubt that they wanted to ruin his reputation, making it impossible for him to stay in the outer Star Seas, while also trying to lure him out. They might have even sent someone to impersonate him, actually engaging in murder and robbery for treasure, killing two birds with one stone!

Unfortunately for them, Han Li had been in the deep sea for years, so their efforts were naturally in vain.

Still, there was one thing Han Li couldn’t quite figure out.

Finding a high-level cultivator who was equally skilled in insect-controlling arts wasn’t too difficult. Even finding flying insects similar to the Gold Devourer Beetles would be easy enough.

But if the Azure Cloud Sect really was behind this, why were the flying insects used by the imposter gold and silver-colored, instead of imitating the three-colored Gold Devourer Beetles he had used to wipe out the Azure Cloud Sect cultivators? The Core Formation cultivator who escaped couldn’t have made a mistake on this point!

Those who knew the color of his Gold Devourer Beetles before they evolved should have been people from before he came to the outer Star Seas.

Could it be... those old monsters from the Void Heaven Palace had tracked him here?

When he had carefully considered this possibility, a chill ran down Han Li’s spine, and his expression involuntarily changed drastically!

If this was truly the case, the situation was really bad.

Standing still in silence for a moment, he suddenly stamped his foot and, without the slightest warning, soared into the air.

Then, transforming into a streak of azure light, he broke through the sky towards the Fog Sea island.

In the middle of his flight, Han Li’s expression was calm, with a faint hint of cold mockery hidden in the corner of his mouth.

He had just figured it out in his mind.

This “Bug Demon” business—whether the Azure Cloud Sect was behind it or those old monsters were trying to force him to show himself—there was no need to waste his brainpower on it.

The situation in the outer Star Seas, because of the matter with the deep abyssal demon beasts, had become somewhat strange. And he had originally planned to return to his cave dwelling and go into bitter cultivation for some years without going out again.

This way, he could simultaneously kill two birds with one stone and avoid this dangerous storm.

Once his cultivation level improved, even if he really did become this infamous “Bug Demon,” who would dare do anything to him?

In the world of cultivation, strength, after all, was the only one who had the right to speak!

With this thought in mind, Han Li’s heart no longer held any doubts as he flew onward.

Meanwhile, in a certain secret chamber within the Blackstone City of the Strange Abyss Island, two people were hiding in the shadows, conversing mysteriously.

“Brother Qi, it’s been two or three years now. Is your method working or not? I can’t really waste seven or eight years here just waiting for this brat to take the bait!” a cold, clear voice said, filled with impatience.

“Fellow Daoist Wu, this matter can’t be rushed. Haven’t you been scanning every corner of Blackstone City with your divine sense every day? If that brat were to enter the city in disguise, he certainly wouldn’t be able to escape Brother Wu’s eyes.” Another, somewhat hoarse voice spoke in a deep tone.

The owner of the first voice was none other than the Extreme Yin Patriarch, who hadn’t been seen for years!

He still appeared as that pale-faced middle-aged man, but his expression was extremely dark, and a hint of displeasure was hidden in his eyes.

“Hmph! I’ve been following Brother Qi’s method, sending a few disciples to impersonate the brat everywhere, killing and stealing treasures, but has there been any effect? Brother Qi isn’t hiding something for some other purpose, is he? I, Wu, refuse to believe that such a great Azure Cloud Sect would find it this difficult to locate a mere early Core Formation cultivator.” Extreme Yin Patriarch said, his face full of displeasure.

“Aiya! Brother Wu’s words have truly wronged me. Qi has been acquainted with Fellow Daoist Wu for many years. How could I be this kind of person? Besides, our sect also has deep enmity with that brat! We have never relaxed our investigation into this person.” The owner of the hoarse voice was a middle-aged Daoist priest wearing a Daoist robe embroidered with a white crane pattern. His face was covered in white pockmarks, but there was a layer of warm jade-like luster over it, giving him an imposing appearance!

“However, Fellow Daoist Wu. I, Qi, am very curious! Just what has that brat done to offend you, that you, Brother Wu, would risk infiltrating Heaven Star City and then teleport here? You’ve always been using the excuse that your grandson died at his hands to be evasive. I find that rather hard to believe.” The Daoist monk seemed to think of something and suddenly said with a beaming smile.