Eternal Life by Dual Cultivation

Chapter 233 169: Demise of the Insect Queen (Part 2)

Dozens of breaths later, Ling Changqing, his Magical Power on the verge of depletion, finally stopped. The ground was piled high with the carcasses of the dead worms.

The remaining scattered stragglers would be dealt with by the Heavy Armor Puppets.

Ling Changqing mentally wiped a bead of cold sweat from his brow. 'Thank goodness I cultivated the Langhuan Celestial Essence Secret Manual. The sheer volume and purity of my Magical Power far surpasses that of an ordinary genius. Otherwise, I really wouldn't have been able to withstand an assault like that.'

An ordinary Foundation Establishment Peak Cultivator fighting here wouldn't last long at all. They would collapse from exhaustion once their Magical Power ran out.

Even so, Ling Changqing still had to periodically consume Elixirs that restored his Magical Power, Essence, Qi, and Spirit to ensure he remained in his peak condition at all times.

Over an hour later, Ling Changqing had finally cleared the cavern. He followed a long, narrow tunnel and continued deeper into the subterranean world.

His ten Heavy Armor Puppets were already covered in damage. They could still fight for now, but they wouldn't last much longer.

'Just brute-forcing my way through like this is consuming way too many resources.'

Ling Changqing mused.

"Then why not use the same trick as last time? Just sneak directly into their lair, grab what you can, and get out."

Gong Ling's voice rang out.

The last time, at the peak of the Luoying Mountain Range, Ling Changqing had used this very method to make off with three Crystal Pearls, completely undetected. He had left the various groups of Cultivators, who were fighting each other to the death, with absolutely nothing to show for their efforts.

"Alright, it's settled!"

Ling Changqing agreed. He could afford the price of ten years of his Lifespan. Besides, he would have a chance to recover it in the future.

And so, in the eyes of the many distant Earth-Core Flame Worms, the figure of the foreign intruder suddenly vanished without a trace, his aura disappearing along with him.

The worms, not being particularly intelligent, milled about in a state of agitation for a moment. But after the scout worms confirmed the intruder had left, the fierce creatures finally settled down.

While invisible, Ling Changqing traveled deeper, easily passing through dozens of vast caverns and past tens of thousands of worm colonies as he advanced toward the depths of the earth.

According to some records from the Jade Scroll, during a previous opening of the Dragon Soul Valley trial, a Cultivator had once, by a stroke of luck, managed to enter the deepest part of the Earth-Core Flame Worms' lair and reaped innumerable benefits.

Ling Changqing was quite curious as to how that person had actually managed it, but unfortunately, the scroll's records were vague and glossed over the details.

After passing through another magnificent cavern, Ling Changqing discovered the ground was so completely covered with worms that it was difficult to find a place to even set his foot.

They were as large as water buckets, their carapaces a deep crimson. Their bodies radiated even greater heat, and the illusory flames flickering around them were almost tangible.

Because of this, Ling Changqing had no choice but to levitate, carefully avoiding all the Earth-Core Flame Worms as he continued to advance.

Upon entering the next adjacent cavern, Ling Changqing finally laid eyes on the Insect King.

It was a monstrous, purplish-red worm the size of a water vat. It had four pairs of translucent wings, and its hideous mouthparts opened and closed periodically as large clusters of firelight swirled and flickered around it without end.

Ling Changqing hesitated. He glanced at the numerous Flame Worm guards surrounding it and decided against attacking.

The moment he attacked, his absolute invisibility would vanish, and it would cost another ten years of his Lifespan to reapply it.

Besides, according to the Jade Scroll, this creature wasn't very valuable; there was little to be gained from killing it.

When it came to the wealthiest member of the Earth-Core Flame Worm colony, that would undoubtedly be the supreme Insect Queen. Her nest was the real treasure trove.

Ling Changqing silently skirted several stone pillars and crept toward the tunnel behind them.

As he ventured deeper underground, the ambient temperature rose higher and higher, gradually approaching the limits of what a Foundation Establishment Cultivator could endure.

Fortunately, Ling Changqing's primary cultivation was a High Rank Water Element Cultivation Technique Manual, and he also possessed several Top Grade Spiritual Artifacts, so he could still handle the heat with ease.

After passing through another cavern filled with scorching red crystals, Ling Changqing paused. He made a rough calculation of his position and realized he was now over seven thousand yards below the surface.

'...I'm still only about halfway there!'

Ling Changqing muttered. Thankfully, with no swarms of worms to block his path, sneaking the rest of the way wouldn't be too difficult.

'If I run into any real danger, it shouldn't be a problem for Gong Ling to get me out of it.'

As he continued deeper, the Earth-Core Flame Worms he encountered became progressively more terrifying.

The swarms closer to the surface had individuals that hadn't even reached the level of a Rank One Fierce Beast; Ling Changqing could have easily wiped out a large group of them.

Here, however, the strength of a single Earth-Core Flame Worm was on the cusp of reaching the level of a Second Rank Demon Beast. When they moved in swarms, they were an absolute nightmare for Foundation Establishment Cultivators.

'With my strength,' Ling Changqing thought, 'dealing with eight or ten of these worms wouldn't be an issue. But if thirty to fifty of them attacked at once, it would be a real struggle.'

If more than a hundred Earth-Core Flame Worms were to appear at once, his only option would be to retreat and avoid a direct confrontation.

A moment later, Ling Changqing passed through another natural stone archway, and the space before him opened up dramatically.

It was a vast cavern, hundreds of miles across. The ground was composed entirely of crimson sand and pebbles that radiated an oppressive heat.

Several miles away, a river of lava over a thousand feet wide meandered through the cavern, its flow emitting a low rumble like distant thunder.

Smoke swirled above the river's surface, and the acrid, lingering stench of sulfur hung heavy in the air.

Bubbles of various sizes formed randomly on the lava's surface, only to burst moments later with a ROAR, splattering molten rock a great distance.

"Those Medicinal Herbs look good; they're all ready to be picked. But be careful of sneak attacks from the native Fierce Beasts in the river."