Chapter 283: Chapter 162: Abandoned City, Nest Catastrophe
Translator: 549690339
“Young Master, it’s really too dangerous to go out like this. If that kid in Wanduanzhe Valley is going to die, he would have died already. If he’s not dead, then he should be fine. Going there a bit later shouldn’t make much of a difference,” Fox Elder said to Chu Mu through soul sense.
Chu Mu naturally knew that this old creature was afraid of death and wouldn’t listen to him. So, he directly added a layer of soul sense protection on the Soul Capture Ring, not giving this old thing another chance to escape.
“Young Master, don’t! You’ve forgotten that you haven’t collected your reward for getting into the top three. If you leave like this, you’ll be giving up the combined value of 10 million worth of items, ” Fox Elder immediately screamed.
If Chu Mu added a layer of soul sense protection on the Soul Capture Ring, it would be very difficult for it to escape from the soul capture space on its own.
When Fox Elder mentioned this, Chu Mu realized the oversight. He couldn’t simply ignore the prize, considering all the battles he and Ye Qingzi had fought to get it.
“In that case, you stay here. After the Zhehuang event ends, find Elder Tu and bring me the reward. Then come to Wanduanzhe Valley to find me,” Chu Mu said.
“Young Master, that’s not good. If something happens to you, how can I explain it to Her Highness the Venerate…” Fox Elder said.
Chu Mu didn’t bother to argue with Fox Elder. He sent the strange demonic spirit soul pet to Chu Qian, and asked her to keep an eye on it.
“Chu Mu, think about it again. There’s no need to rush. It’s really dangerous out there,” Chu Qian, not caring about the strange old man, pulled Chu Mu aside and expressed her worry.
“Don’t worry, I’ll be fine,” Chu Mu said, stroking her cheek and smiling.
“But…” Chu Qian still wanted to say something, but, looking into Chu Mu’s eyes, she didn’t know what to say.
“Then I’m leaving. If you encounter any trouble in the future, just go to Elder Tu, and he will help you,” Chu Mu said. After saying that, Chu Mu gave Chu Qian a gentle hug and headed towards the back of the hall.
Chu Qian could only nod her head and watch Chu Mu leave, looking lost and desolate.
In fact, besides being concerned about Chu Mu’s safety, Chu Qian also cared about his departure. She could guess that Chu Mu was going to a very far place, and she felt that she might not have a chance to see Chu Mu again after this time.
“Chu Qian, why did you let him go just like that?” Chu Qian suddenly ran behind Chu Qian and said.
Chu Qian was startled and looked at Chu Qian, “He insisted on leaving, he should be fine, right?”
“Who says so? He was able to escape from a Ninth Rank Monarch, so he should be fine. I mean, even if you don’t keep him, you should go with him. Don’t think I can’t see what you’re thinking.”
Chu Qian shook her head: “It’s impossible between us.”
Chu Mu and Ye Qingzi walked slowly up the stone steps to the back of the stone palace. The entire palace was so quiet that only their footsteps could be heard.
“I can see that she’s reluctant to part with you, but leaving without saying anything isn’t very nice,” Ye Qingzi, being a woman, could naturally see that the relationship between Chu Mu and Chu Qian was more complicated than just siblings.
“Saying too much would not be a good thing,” Chu Mu said with a bitter smile on his face.
As for his first love, Chu Mu felt that the vague kiss was enough. After all, he initially liked Chu Qian simply because she was gentle to him. Now, Chu Mu’s thoughts had matured, and he knew that what he truly needed was not a sister he admired during his teenage years. Involving her too much would only hold her back.
“What about the princess? You don’t need to say hello to her? Aren’t you her personal guard?” Ye Qingzi asked curiously.
Ye Qingzi could also see that Chu Mu and Princess Jinrou had some sort of peculiar relationship, but she couldn’t quite figure out what it was.
“I’m no longer her personal guard, and I don’t really like the Nightmare Demon Palace,” Chu Mu said.
Ye Qingzi suddenly felt that Chu Mu seemed very decisive when dealing with women, but this decisiveness was a bit too resolute…
As they approached the narrow door, Ye Qingzi immediately saw the astonishing cracks in the entire stone palace!
The defense of the stone palace was very strong, even a Ninth Stage Monarch couldn’t break through it. However, the area near the small door was full of countless cracks. How powerful must the force have been to cause this?
“This is…” Ye Qingzi looked at Chu Mu in surprise, not knowing how to describe it with words. When Chu Mu had taken back this stone palace, he must have encountered a terrifying creature!
“It was a Ten-winged Sky Demon Insect, I almost didn’t make it back.” Chu Mu saw that Ye Qingzi was staring at him and decided to casually explain.
“Ten-winged Sky Demon Insect? Isn’t that…”
“Yeah, fortunately, when I saw it, it was still quite far from me.” Chu Mu said.
Ye Qingzi was well aware of the terrifying power of the Ten-winged Sky Demon Insect. Just looking at the cracks in this incredibly solid stone palace would give one an idea of its power.
“Let’s go, Master Li said as long as we are careful, we shouldn’t encounter such high-level creatures.” Chu Mu walked ahead.
The exit was originally very narrow, but it had been torn open quite a bit by the power of the Ten-winged Sky Demon Insect. After Chu Mu pushed aside the piled-up rocks, he saw the faint light outside shining into the stone palace.
Chu Mu extended his Soul Sense, searching the surroundings to see if there were any groups of Sky Demon Insects nearby.
Chu Mu’s Soul Sense could cover an area of hundreds of meters, and as long as those soul pets did not deliberately hide, he could sense them all.
“There are only a few weak Sky Demon Insects. I’ll go out and deal with them first.” Chu Mu said.
“This is a Blood Bottle. After you kill the Sky Demon Insects, infuse your soul sense into this Blood Bottle. The Blood Bottle will automatically extract the blood from the Sky Demon Insects’ bodies.” Ye Qingzi handed Chu Mu a blood-colored bottle engraved with various strange patterns.
Chu Mu had never seen such a utensil before. He carefully examined it for a while before putting it away.
Chanting the spell, Chu Mu began to summon the Night Thunder Dream Beast.
“Night, Death Light!” Chu Mu jumped onto the back of the Night Thunder Dream Beast and immediately issued an order.
The dark light flickered on the Night Thunder Dream Beast’s dream horn, and it immediately gripped a gathering beam of Death Light in its mouth, furiously spraying it at the nearest Sky Demon Insect!
“Boom!”
The Death Light exploded on a Fifth Rank Four-winged Sky Demon Insect, instantly blasting it into pieces, with blood and flesh splattering!
“We’ll jump down and go around the city to the north of the mountain.” Chu Mu infused his soul sense into the Blood Bottle and spoke to Ye Qingzi.
“Hmm, crossing Chu Mountain directly is impossible.” Ye Qingzi nodded. She didn’t have a winged-type soul pet either, but even if she did, they wouldn’t dare to flv directlv over Chu Mountain, as thev would be more susceptible to attacks from Sky Demon Insects in the air.
Ye Qingzi had already summoned her Purple Robe Dream Beast. She jumped onto its back and rode it as it leaped down the almost vertical cliff!
After Chu Mu had dealt with the few weak Sky Demon Insects around him, he immediately kept up with Ye Qingzi, also riding the Night Thunder Dream Beast to drop off the edge.
During the daytime, the Night Thunder Dream Beast could only temporarily tread in the air. However, this kind of precipice with jagged rocks was not too difficult for the Night Thunder Dream Beast. As long as it could slow its descent when the speed was too fast, it could bounce gracefully and elegantly from the top of the high mountain to the bottom like a black elf.
Not far from the main peak of Chu Mountain was Wogu City. Looking down from a high place, the whole Wogu City was shrouded in a black insect cloud. The originally solemn and quiet ancient city looked gloomy with an air of desolation.
Both of them landed quickly, and the few Sky Demon Insects that followed from the air were quickly dealt with by the Dream Beasts of Chu Mu and Ye Qingzi, turning into insect blood and pouring into Chu Mu’s Blood Bottle.
“This is only the blood of two monsters…” Chu Mu forced a bitter smile as he shook the compressed blood that barely covered the bottom of the blood bottle, wondering when they would finish collecting the blood of 1,000 Sky Demon Worms.
“Take it slow, they’re everywhere…” Ye Qingzi consoled him.
Descending the somewhat desolate hillside, Chu Mu and Ye Qingzi entered the city. However, as they examined the vicinity near the city gate up close, their expressions changed.
They remembered that when they first entered the city, there were many people coming and going outside and inside the city gates. Many Soul Pet Masters would ride their mounts galloping on the wide streets.
But now, what unfolded before them was an incredibly desolate scene that could be described as bleak and miserable. The city gate appeared lifeless.
Although the buildings themselves had not been severely damaged, debris and trash were piled up on the chaotic streets, filling the air with a foul stench.
What sent chills down their spines were the rotting corpses and bones scattered everywhere; on streets, rooftops, and city walls, the marks of blood painted the city with a horrifying crimson color.
As the city gate was already in such a state, they wondered how many people had lost their lives to the disaster of the Zhehuang. As they entered the city, Ye Qingzi’s face became paler.
“Let’s get through this city quickly.” Ye Qingzi’s face grew increasingly pale as she spoke. Evidently, the overwhelming number of unnatural deaths weighed heavily on her.
“Yeah.” Chu Mu urged the Night Thunder Dream Beast to quicken its pace, galloping through the city’s main street.
There were still people within the city, and they often saw Soul Pet Masters riding their mounts, hurriedly passing by with a few Sky Demon Worms following behind them.
Although the Sky Demon Worms still posed a threat, many Soul Pet Masters in Wogu City had begun to eradicate the Sky Demon Worms lurking within the city, preventing these creatures from causing too much damage.
“Both of you! Both of you! Wait!” As Chu Mu and Ye Qingzi were charging, a man dressed as a Wogu City Guard riding a Wind Demon Steed chased after them from behind.
Chu Mu and Ye Qingzi glanced at their surroundings, seeing no Sky Demon Worms lurking nearby, and decided to stop.
“What’s the matter?” Chu Mu looked at the Wogu City Guard and asked.
“Both of you have considerable strength, capable of controlling a Night Thunder Dream Beast. Can you please kindly deliver these two rings to the city tower in the east?” The guard asked.
Chu Mu and Ye Qingzi both showed puzzled expressions.
“The Zhehuang attack was sudden, and many city residents didn’t have time to store food for half a month. Considering this situation, the city master asked us, the guards, to start distributing food from the warehouse to various city districts on the seventh day to prevent the residents from starving. However, we are currently understaffed and there aren’t many Soul Pet Masters who would dare to venture out on the seventh day. Hence, we started asking hunters for help. If the two of you don’t mind helping, please deliver this to the east side of the city. After all, the east is in dire need of food and water. We… we will pay you for your services.” The guard spoke earnestly, with a hint of pleading in his voice. It was apparent that he desperately hoped for Chu Mu and Ye Qingzi to help.
Chu Mountain lay in the north, occupying the entire northern route. Chu Mu and Ye Qingzi had to go east to bypass Chu Mountain and head to the northern Wanduanzhe Valley.
“Give it to us.” Ye Qingzi may have been concerned about her brother, but she would still help with such a simple task. She immediately took the Space Rings filled with food and water from the guard’s hand.
“Thank you so much!” The guard said excitedly, “I… I still have to deliver food to another district. You two, be careful. The residents of Wogu City will be grateful. ”
Chu Mu and Ye Qingzi nodded and continued riding their Dream Beasts towards the east side of the city.
As they rushed eastward, Chu Mu saw many strong city guards running up and down the desolate streets. There were also frequent encounters between their Soul Pets and the Sky Demon Worms.
“Chu Mu, wait…” Ye Qingzi suddenly stopped and called out to Chu Mu, who had been galloping forward on his Night Thunder Dream Beast.
“What’s wrong?” Chu Mu stopped and looked at Ye Qingzi.
“I think I can sense my brother nearby,” Ye Qingzi said.
“Nearby? Isn’t he supposed to be heading to the Wanduanzhe Valley? And how can you sense your brother’s presence?” Chu Mu asked immediately.
“My brother and I each have a soul pet twin; their spirits are connected and can sense each other’s presence within a certain distance. Just now, my soul pet told me that it sensed its counterpart,” Ye Qingzi explained.
Chu Mu had only heard of Xia Guanghan being able to find his White Nightmare Demon through a soul mark but had never heard of twin soul pets that could use their connection to find each other.
“No wonder your brother could leave with such assurance. I was wondering how you’d find him. If he’s still in Wogu City, maybe he was held up for some reason and didn’t make it to Wanduanzhe Valley,” Chu Mu said.
Ye Qingzi breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that if Ye Wansheng wasn’t in Wanduanzhe Valley and could still receive a signal from his soul pet here, it meant he was still safe.
“Let’s go this way. We should be able to find him,” Ye Qingzi pointed to another street and told Chu Mu.
Chu Mu nodded and followed Ye Qingzi, sprinting towards the location where Ye Wansheng was detected.
Chu Mu and Ye Qingzi had already deviated from the eastward direction and were gradually entering the city center. The abundance of demon insects in the city center made them frown. Presumably, the large number of people gathered in the city center meant many couldn’t find shelter in time, so they became food for the demon insects, allowing the insects to reproduce there.
Demon insects decompose quickly, usually hatching half a month after laying their eggs. The vast number of demon insects gathered here must be protecting the eggs they laid after gorging themselves, waiting for all the demon insects to hatch before leaving with their offspring to seek food elsewhere.
Chu Mu and Ye Qingzi quickly entered the bustling inner city area, bewildered by the many city guards they found encircling the area. These guards formed teams and fought off the expanding demon insects with their own soul pets.
“You two, don’t come any closer. If you want to hunt demon insects, go somewhere else,” a man riding a Bright Horned Beast immediately stopped Chu Mu and Ye Qingzi.
“What’s going on up ahead? Why does it look like it’s been hit by a mudslide?” Chu Mu asked, looking ahead.
Beyond the battlefront of the guards’ soul pets and the demon insects, the buildings and streets were covered in a thick and viscous black substance. It looked disgusting.
This black substance covered a vast area, turning the entire bustling city into the ugliest and most horrifying ruins.
“It’s a demon insect nest. A group of demon insects has settled here. In any case, it’s very dangerous here. Don’t come any closer,” the man said. “Qingzi, is he in there?” Chu Mu glanced at Ye Qingzi and asked.
“Yes, he’s in there,” Ye Qingzi replied with a pale face.
If it had become a demon insect nest, then the people hiding in the cellar would suffocate from the lack of air and poisonous insects. They would eventually die if not dealt with quickly.
“My friend is inside. Is there a way to rescue him?” Chu Mu asked.
“Hmph, my wife and children are inside too, but what can we do? The city master is already calling for experts, hoping to find someone who can deal with the monarch-level insect. But with so many demon insects gathered in Wogu City, there are dozens of demon insect nests in the city. It takes a lot of experts to clear each one. It’s not easy…” The man spoke with a heavy tone.
Chu Mu and Ye Qingzi furrowed their eyebrows. It was indeed difficult to defeat the powerful monarch-level insect in the demon insect nest. On top of that, there were thousands of demon insects in each nest, whose egg-laying females were of high rank and level. Even if Chu Mu were to perform his Level 9 Sky Flame Ceremony again, it might not kill many of them.
(This chapter is roughly the length of two chapters. Writing on New Year’s Eve without much inspiration, the progress was exceptionally slow. Only this much was written after the start of the New Year’s Eve party…)(To be continued. If you like this work, please come to Qidian () to vote for recommendations, monthly tickets. Your support is my biggest motivation..)