Wandao Pro-001
Devoured by Myriad Insects – Vanessa's Judgment Part I
Southeastern Outer Mountains – Ruins of the Ancient Insect Hall.
Mists curled thickly about the mountains, jagged boulders jutted like shattered blades, and oppressive clouds loomed low across the heavens. Amid the ruins of the shattered stone temple, bones lay strewn in disarray, blood still fresh upon the rocks. An eerie chorus of insect chirps echoed like the wails of ten thousand souls, lingering faintly in the ears.
This place, once a forbidden ground of insect cultivation abandoned a thousand years prior by the Star Veil Sect, teemed with feral insect energies. Its spiritual veins ran chaotically, rendering the place fatal to mortals. Yet today, it was here that Wan Xiaochuan, Lin Qixian, Renee, and Jiang Lingshan had chosen to confront their foe. They relied not on safe ground, but on their own mastery—of Wind and Thunder Sword Arts, the arcane path of insect refinement, and the indomitable Golden Body Technique—all resonating deeply with the chaos of this cursed terrain.
Wan Xiaochuan sat cross-legged atop a broken slab of stone, beads of cold sweat dotting his brow. A dull ache throbbed within his arm bones—residual poison from his clash days ago with Sha Zhengxin, where he had suffered a strike from the Underworld Flame Finger. Today, he forcibly suppressed the venom with the third-tier body-forging essence of the Diamond Body True Art, barely keeping his vitality in check.
A faint golden-bronze hue shimmered across his skin, and within his chest flickered the shadow of six phantom arms—the nascent form of his Sixfold Mystic Vision. Unstable still, it hindered him from unleashing his full might.
Beside him sat Jiang Lingshan, the Frostfeather Spirit Sword resting across her knees. Her breath was faint but cold as deep winter. Her divine sense pulsed intermittently, the aftereffect of forcibly invoking the second stance of her Nine Forms of Frostfeather—imprint less Frozen Frost. She opened her eyes slightly, gaze soft yet tinged with worry as she looked upon Wan Xiaochuan.
"Xiaochuan... your aura is wavering. Do not force yourself too far," she whispered.
Wan Xiaochuan opened his eyes, voice resolute. "If we do not fight here with all we have, there will be no turning point. If we retreat now, the Star Veil Sect shall have no future."
Not far off, Renee leaned against a dead vine-wrapped pillar. The twin blades of wind and thunder rested silently beside her, faint arcs of electricity dancing slowly along their hilts. Her eyes were closed, mind focused inward. Sword qi surged and clashed within her, as she strove to fuse the sixth stance of her Twin Dances of Wind and Thunder—Storming Shadows and Lightning Veil—with the illusionary formation of the Phantom Blade Array, aiming to create a sword illusion that could disorient and divide the enemy's mind and soul.
"Hmph... If I'd known this forbidden ground would lead to such a battle, I should've sown more Wind-Thunder Seeds in my blade spirit beforehand... What a waste..." she murmured, eyes flickering with strange light as she cracked them open.
On the high platform stood Lin Qixian, the Danxia Flame Coffer rotating slowly in his palm. Firelight rippled within like the rising sun. His gaze was deep, spiritual sense delving into the coffer, where two insect shadows twined and merged—Qing Li and Qing Ren—locked in a devouring fusion, striving to break through the fifth-tier limit.
"Just one more step... and the King Form will be born. If this battle can trigger the array's intricacies, perhaps I can use the moment to ascend," he murmured to himself. Forming a hand seal, embers like crimson flowers bloomed faintly upon his skin.
Suddenly—
The air turned frigid. Spiritual energy stilled.
From the void emerged countless dark shadows—an endless swarm of poisonous butterflies descending like a curtain of silent death, gray mist bleeding across the sky. All looked up. A figure strode from illusion into reality.
A woman clads in flowing violet silk robes. Stunning in appearance, her eyes glinted like those of a serpent, her lips curled in a chilling smile. A single black-winged butterfly circled her finger.
"Vanessa... descendant of the Insect Cult, controller of the Seventh-Tier Insect Sovereign," Lin Qixian said lowly, voice heavy.
The woman laughed softly. "You little Foundation Realm gnats... dare stand in my way? I once erased an entire sect in the time it takes to finish a cup of tea. Today, you shall serve merely as testing mediums for my new breeds."
At her final word, the void split open.
Countless black-winged butterflies surged downward, their wings trembling with cries like mourning and lament. Venomous mist rolled like a flood, suffocating all before it.
"Soul-Devouring Abyssal Butterflies..." Jiang Lingshan whispered in dread. "An ancient forbidden species—they feast on divine sense and living souls alike!"
Wan Xiaochuan roared and drew his sword. storm break of wind and Thunder! Lightning and gale twisted into serpentine arcs, sweeping aside a swath of the venomous swarm.
Lin Qixian changed his seals, and from the Flame Coffer burst streams of alchemical fire, transforming into a host of flame-wrought insects that clashed head-on with the butterflies.
Yet within ten breaths, the flame insects were consumed. The toxic swarm surged forward.
"Lingshan! Renee! Form the defense!" Wan Xiaochuan barked.
Renee's twin blades flashed, a dance of wind and thunder splitting three waves of the butterfly swarm. Jiang Lingshan activated Mirror Frost Reflection, sword aura of icy frost coalescing around her, repelling the venom mist.
"Prolonging this... is defeat!" Lin Qixian shouted grimly. "Xiaochuan! Can Qing Li fight?!"
Wan Xiaochuan clenched his teeth, flicked his wrist, and a streak of blue-golden light burst from his sleeve, exploding into millions of green locusts wreathed in lightning, wind howling from their wings.
"Qing Li—form up!"
Lin Qixian too formed a hand seal. "Qing Ren—Insect King's Shadow!"
The twin spirit insects erupted into twin tidal forces—lightning and flame cascading as they crashed into the venomous tide like an ancient battlefield reborn.
Within the insect war, Qing Li led its swarm in Wind-Thunder War Array, shifting nine columns through eighteen variations to manifest the formation: Soul-Cleaving Wind-Thunder Array. Qing Ren conjured the Seven Rings of Alchemical Flame, entombing the enemy within fire.
Vanessa sneered, stroking the butterfly at her fingertip. She suddenly chanted in a forgotten tongue.
"Born of shadow... dance, O wretched swarm... Nightmare Butterfly Sovereign, awaken!"
The myriad butterflies suddenly converged, transforming into a three-hundred feet-long pitch-black Butterfly King. Its wings unfurled wide, blood-red patterns twisting into wrathful human-like faces; as it spread its wings, a tremor passed through ten thousand insects.
Vanessa's figure twisted and mutated like a monstrous insect, her carapace bursting apart to reveal blood-soaked flesh. Each of her lashes carried a shockwave forceful enough to fracture bone. With a furious roar, she struck out—black insect threads whipped like venomous snakes, wrapping around Jiang Lingshan's legs and nearly toppling her to the ground.
Jiang Lingshan grit her teeth through the searing pain, right hand clutching her Frostfeather Spirit Sword as she struggled to sever the threads. The icy sword energy, tinged with blood, managed to slice through part of them, but the pain that pierced her skin was like blades shredding her lungs and heart. She braced herself, barely managing to stay upright, though the qi within her churned violently—her spirit was wounded, her thoughts in disarray.
At that moment, Wan Xiaochuan was already soaked in blood, the agony of multiple fractures in his right arm burning like fire. Sweat mixed with blood dripped from his forehead. He forced his qi into motion, activating the Wind and Thunder True Art. His sword became a storm in hand, slicing through poisonous insect spikes with gusting wind and roaring thunder. Bolts of lightning and wind blades struck Vanessa's insect armor one after another.
But Vanessa moved with deadly speed. Darting and flickering, she repeatedly used insect-shadow stealth to force Wan Xiaochuan into danger. The stinger in her palm lashed out like a serpent, slicing through the air and driving deep into his shoulder. Hot blood gushed forth; the agony of flesh tearing from bone nearly made him lose consciousness.
Renee gripped her Wind-Thunder Twin Blades tightly, her movements alternating between sudden bursts and ghostlike shifts. She poured her strength into creating sword mirages of wind and thunder to disrupt Vanessa's senses. Yet her opponent's insect-spirit consciousness was overwhelming, the shifting insect array constantly dispersing her sword aura attacks.
Suddenly, an invisible venomous insect sank its fangs into Renee's left arm. Pus and blood oozed from the wound as the toxin spread rapidly. Her body convulsed in pain, yet she stubbornly pressed on with her swordplay, eyes bloodshot.
Lin Qixian's gaze was grave. His Danxia Flame Box spewed fire repeatedly, scorching the surrounding insect spirits. Flames collided violently with the insect tide, sparks and thick smoke filling the air. A stinger, hard as steel, pierced through his right arm, blood gushing from the wound. He endured the pain, intensifying the Danfire's blaze, determined to burn away Vanessa's insect formation.
Vanessa let out a bone-chilling laugh. Amid the insect swarm's ripples, a massive egg behind her split open, releasing dozens of poisonous larvae that lunged at the four of them. Though small, each larva carried a deadly toxin, and every bite brought searing pain and blood poisoning.
The four shouted to one another, fighting to suppress the larval onslaught. Gritting his teeth, Wan Xiaochuan channeled all his power into a single slash, cutting down a wave of larvae—his blade stained with blood. Jiang Lingshan's grip tightened on her sword; cold air froze the surrounding space, killing many larvae in an instant. But poison had already seeped into her veins, turning her skin a sickly blue-purple.
Renee staggered, pale and breathless as toxins coursed through her, but she continued her deadly sword dance, slaying wave after wave of venomous insects.
Lin Qixian unleashed a Danfire explosion, reducing swarms to ash. Yet the worsening wound in his right arm turned his complexion deathly pale.
— Clash Ignites: Qingli vs. Underworld Butterfly —
Wan Xiaochuan rose from his seated posture, his cloak billowing in the wind. The thunder-silver, dark-cyan sword was already resting in his palm. Three feet and seven inches long, the blade was etched with wind and lightning sigils that surged and raced across it. Twin sword chimes on either side jingled non-stop, as if sensing the imminent killing intent. The sword trembled, threads of wind-thunder qi snaking along its spine like coiled dragons and serpents, emitting a deep rumble.
His brows knit tightly. A metallic tang rose in his throat—he couldn't suppress a low cough, and blood seeped from the corner of his lips.
"Xiaochuan, the demonic energy in your body hasn't fully dispersed… don't push yourself." Jiang Lingshan flew to his side, eyes full of worry, her robes fluttering like frost-touched moon feathers. She wore a silver-blue robe embroidered with frost and moon patterns, an icy-crane jade pendant at her waist. The Frostfeather Spirit Sword lay across her fingers, its blade resonating with a crystalline chime like a celestial chill, cold enough to pierce the soul.
"It's fine… I can still hold on," Wan Xiaochuan said with a bitter smile, though his eyes were sharp as blades. "The four of us—none can retreat."
"Such noble words," came a cold, elegant voice from above the stone dais. Vanessa, clad in a flowing violet robe embroidered with silver butterflies, moved her sleeves with a flick. Her tone was laced with madness. "For mere half-blood ants, you do have a bit of spine."
Though her appearance was graceful, her aura was chilling. Her dress shimmered with the sheen of Heavenly Silk; its hem woven with the silk of a hundred venomous insects. A soft breeze stirred it, giving it a life of its own. Her dark violet eyes gleamed under a sigil-like mark between her brows: a reverse butterfly crest that shimmered like a dream—and froze the heart.
Around her fluttered a dozen strange butterflies, each the length of a grown man's arm. Their wings gleamed with a blue-black sheen, bladed like knives, their abdomens tipped with venomous spikes.
Wan Xiaochuan said nothing. With a flick of his hand, the Wind-Thunder Sword surged with lightning. A slash of Thunderwind Rift Cutter split the air, slicing three attacking soul-butterflies in half. Their black blood sprayed like ink.
Spotting another butterfly streaking toward Jiang Lingshan from the side, he darted across her flank, intercepting the strike. His blade shattered the insect's wings, but the impact rocked his chest, churning his blood.
"Xiaochuan!" Jiang Lingshan's eyes narrowed, frosty mist rising from her blade. With a sweeping arc of her Frostfeather Spirit Sword, she unleashed "Feather Moonlight Arc", sending a whirling blizzard of icy feathers to seal the breach.
Standing at his side, her voice was cold as the night: "Don't be reckless. Those butterfly blades carry soul-gnawing venom. Even a graze can pierce your mind."
He nodded, but his gaze had already locked onto Vanessa, who hovered midair like a cruel queen. "She's trying to wear us down with her soul-insects. Once our spirits are weakened, she'll strike and capture us."
"Exactly." A calm voice responded. Renee smiled faintly. Before her words finished, she spread her hands—her Twin Wind-Thunder Swords flaring into dozens of mirrored afterimages. The swords spun in a whirlwind, forming a "Storm Mirage Array" that blasted open the eastern encirclement.
"Fall back half a step. I'll take the left flank!"
With that, she dashed into the swarm like a streak of lightning. Her twin blades danced, wind and thunder roaring with every slash. Each sword arc cleaved wind, every spin burst with thunder. She moved like a war dancer in a storm, fearless and unyielding.
"She's overexerting again…" Jiang Lingshan muttered, but now wasn't the time to scold. She silently focused her breath, preparing the next strike.
Meanwhile, Lin Qixian sat cross-legged beside the Flame Coffer, eyes closed, murmuring a fire incantation under his breath.
"Refine… Alchemic Flame: Soulform Detonation—Flame Spirit, arise!"
Boom!
A surge of crimson fire burst from the coffer, coalescing into a massive flame warrior over ten feet tall. Its arms were twin flame-hammers, a six-point alchemy formation glowing on its chest, blazing with internal power.
"Guard the southeast! Clear the field!"
With a roar, the fire spirit smashed into the swarm, its hammers obliterating butterflies. Flames spread across the stone steps, purging the poisonous purple mist in a wave of heat.
"Xiaochuan! Now!"
Wan Xiaochuan got the signal. He bit his fingertip, a drop of golden blood falling onto the sword's tip. The blade pulsed, golden thunder exploding from it.
"Unity of Wind and Thunder—World-Shattering Slash!"
"With my Vajra blood, I shatter your vile domain!"
He roared, the storm within him erupting. Wind howled; thunder cracked. The ancient Insect Hall twisted in light, lightning streaked like dragons, ascending into the sky.
Vanessa's expression darkened. She waved her sleeve, summoning her butterflies back while retreating a hundred yards.
How amusing… then witness the true swarm—
Soul-Devouring Plague!"
She clenched her hand. The void behind her exploded. A colossal insect, like a mountain of flesh, writhed into view. Its countless eyes opened in unison, oozing violet-black ichor.
The ground shook. From the cracks of the ancient hall poured forth thousands upon thousands of ghost bugs, soul-maggots, bone-spined silkworms, and spectral fire mantises—an apocalyptic insect tide.
"Hold formation!" Wan Xiaochuan shouted. "Close ranks!"
"Qing Li! Swarm Formation—Cyclonic Devouring!"
In a flash, a million spirit locusts rallied, swirling together into a sky-spanning vortex. The air thundered with slicing wind and crackling lightning, the storm crashing into the tide of darkness—
(To be continued…)