The cloud of Soul-Devouring Insects that had been swirling through the air suddenly swarmed toward him all at once, their ceaseless buzzing filling his ears. Yang Kai stood in place with a grim expression, his entire body braced in readiness, prepared to strike at any moment.
Before long, he was enveloped by the insect cloud. A single Soul-Devouring Insect landed on him, fluttered its wings briefly, then settled down quietly, crawling there motionless. Then another...
Vast swathes of insects descended upon him, wrapping around him layer upon layer until his figure was completely obscured.
Yet every Soul-Devouring Insect remained perfectly still, showing not the slightest intention of attacking Yang Kai. Instead, through an invisible bond, these insects were utterly obedient to his commands.
"Ha ha ha!" Yang Kai couldn't help but burst into hearty laughter, feeling that the Insect Slave Bracelet truly was a marvelous treasure.
Back in the Shenyou Mirror world, Yang Kai had sensed that his batch of Soul-Devouring Insects was already slipping beyond his control. The second batch he'd later obtained from Tianyan had even less of a psychic connection with him.
But now, these evolved Soul-Devouring Insects obeyed his every command with perfect compliance, moving at his will like an extension of his own arm. The greatest credit for that naturally belonged to the Insect Slave Bracelet.
This Emperor Treasure possessed no offensive or defensive capabilities, yet it suppressed every manner of strange insects and exotic creatures under heaven. It was the life's work of the Insect Emperor, and it proved remarkably effective against the Soul-Devouring Insects.
With this, Yang Kai no longer had any lingering concerns. In the future, when facing powerful enemies, the Soul-Devouring Insects could serve as one of his means of combat.
After testing them out to his satisfaction, Yang Kai was greatly pleased. With a slight thought, he directed the Soul-Devouring Insects to return to the great jar to rest and recuperate.
The space inside the Insect Slave Bracelet seemed to exert a subtle nurturing effect on the survival and growth of exotic insects and strange creatures. Not only would dwellers there fail to weaken or die, they would actually grow stronger over time.
Of course, if Yang Kai wanted the Soul-Devouring Insects to grow even faster, he would need to find more Formless Mystic Grass to feed them.
Formless Mystic Grass was not particularly rare — many large sects could cultivate it themselves, so it was not hard to find. However, the quantity Yang Kai required was enormous, which would inevitably represent a significant expenditure.
In the past, Yang Kai might not have been able to afford it. But now, having come into possession of a Source Crystal mine, he had no need to worry about Source Crystals for the foreseeable future and could naturally make purchases on a grand scale.
At this thought, Yang Kai promptly withdrew his consciousness from the Insect Slave Bracelet, opened his eyes, and rose to his feet. He opened the sealed chamber, intending to head into the city to purchase some Formless Mystic Grass.
Stepping through the door, Yang Kai immediately sensed that the ambient spiritual energy was different from before. It seemed that during the time he had spent in seclusion, the density of spiritual energy in Fenglin City had increased considerably.
This surprised him greatly, because back then Lou Chi had deployed the Emperor Treasure, the Two Forms Record, to seal and suppress the Spirit Lake. Logically speaking, as time passed, the spiritual energy in Fenglin City should have gradually thinned, eventually returning to its former levels.
But after all these days, the spiritual energy had not diminished at all — in fact, there were clear signs of an increase. Yang Kai found this utterly baffling.
Just then, a graceful figure shot over from nearby and materialized before him. It was none other than Ye Qinghan.
"Young Master Yang, you've come out of seclusion!" Ye Qinghan looked him up and down, and upon noticing that his aura was steady and his divine light withdrawn inward, she couldn't help but remark with envy, "Young Master Yang seems to have gained quite a lot this time."
"So-so." Yang Kai grinned. Having already decided to go with Ye Qinghan to Thousand Leaves Sect, he no longer felt so resistant toward her. His expression shifted slightly, and he asked with surprise, "You haven't been standing guard here the whole time, have you?"
Ye Qinghan smiled sheepishly. "There wasn't really anything else for me to do anyway."
Yang Kai said, "Rest assured. Since I've already agreed, I won't run. I will definitely accompany you to Thousand Leaves Sect."
"I didn't mean to be watching over Young Master Yang..." Ye Qinghan hastily waved her hands, her expression flustered. "I was just... just..."
She stammered for a while without managing to produce a proper excuse, growing increasingly panicked lest she anger Yang Kai.
Yang Kai chuckled. "Never mind. Come with me to buy some supplies, and once we've got what we need, we'll set out."
Ye Qinghan's face lit up with delight. "Yes, of course!"
The two of them then headed toward the city.
As they walked along, Yang Kai noticed that the warriors in Fenglin City were sparse and scattered, nothing like its usual bustle. But every warrior on the streets wore a joyous expression, as though they had all struck it rich. He couldn't help but feel puzzled and said, "Every one of these fellows is grinning from ear to ear — what good fortune has everyone run into?"
Ye Qinghan covered her lips and smiled. "Fenglin City is not what it used to be. The spiritual energy here is three to five times denser than before, so naturally everyone is thrilled."
"Ah, that's actually what I wanted to ask you about." Yang Kai turned to look at her. "What's going on with this spiritual energy? How did it become even denser?"
Ye Qinghan explained, "Young Master Yang has been in seclusion for the past month, so of course you wouldn't know about the changes in Fenglin City. Here's what happened — about a month ago, several distinguished figures led by Lord Xiao of the Star God Palace deliberated for several days and decided to transform the Spirit Lake into a cultivation holy ground. They drew personnel from their respective sects, and ten days ago, all the renovation work was completed. The Spirit Lake has now become a cultivation site renowned throughout the entire Southern Region, drawing countless warriors who flock here in droves. Many people from Fenglin City have gone to see the excitement as well, which is why the city seems so deserted..."