"What? You have Star Boundary Discs and Boundary-Breaking Pearls or similar artifacts too?" Han Li asked, his thoughts turning rapidly.
"Artifacts like Star Boundary Discs alone aren't enough to accomplish this. Once we've contacted that old monster, when you next visit, I'll naturally have everything prepared in advance. However, that item is extremely precious even for the Broad Origin Pavilion, and its uses are strictly limited. Even after obtaining it, your trips back and forth to our Devil World won't be easy, Brother Han. Unless it's truly necessary, you must use it sparingly." The hemp-clothed girl added another cautionary reminder, as though she still wasn't reassured.
"Don't worry. If it really is a consumable artifact, I'll be careful with it — I won't waste it needlessly."
Upon learning he could truly acquire a treasure that allowed passage between the two realms, Han Li was naturally overjoyed and agreed at once.
Lan Ying saw the sincerity in Han Li's expression and gave a satisfied nod.
"Oh, there's one more thing that's puzzled me for some time. I wonder if the Fairy would be willing to enlighten me?" Han Li had thought of another matter and, after a moment's hesitation, asked anyway.
"Another question? Brother Han, go ahead and ask — there's no need to be so reserved." The hemp-clothed girl was slightly startled but quickly replied with a smile.
"I'd like to know why this invasion of the Spirit World by the Devil World is so different from all previous ones. It seems as though the devil clans intend to occupy it permanently. And when I entered the Devil World this time, I discovered that ordinary devil clans knew nothing about this. Those who invaded the Spirit World appeared to be entirely the direct forces of the Holy Ancestors and a number of low- and mid-grade devil beasts under their control." Han Li fixed his gaze on the hemp-clothed girl, his expression grave.
At Han Li's question, the hemp-clothed girl, as well as Zi Ling and "Aunt Zhu" beside him, all changed expression.
"Though I do know about this matter, I'm afraid the pavilion's prohibition against 'involvement in inter-realm conflicts' prevents me from telling you the full truth." After hesitating for a good while, Lan Ying finally spoke with a trace of apology.
"Since this puts Fairy Lan in a difficult position, then let's pretend I never asked." Seeing the situation, Han Li naturally couldn't press further. He merely gave a slight nod to show his understanding.
"Brother Han, if you want to know about this, there's no need to bother Sister Zi Ling. As a disciple of the Six Extremes, I happen to know some of the relevant details." Zi Ling's expression shifted several times before she finally let out a sigh and spoke.
"Oh? Is this something you can speak about freely? If it's inconvenient for you as well, then forget it. Given a little time, I could investigate the details on my own." Han Li was momentarily pleased but immediately thought of something and asked cautiously.
"Rest assured, there's no need for you to worry. Though this was originally something only those at the Holy Ancestor level were permitted to know, with the war between this realm and the Human World having raged for so many years, the news couldn't possibly remain secret for long. Now those of us who are disciples of the Holy Ancestors all know some of it, and before long, I expect the entire upper echelon of the Devil World will know about the great calamity. There's no need for secrecy anymore." Zi Ling replied with a bitter smile.
"The great calamity of the Devil World? Then I'd very much like to hear about it." Han Li's heart tightened and he spoke without any trace of casualness.
"Very well. Sister Lan Ying and Aunt Zhu already know about this, so there's no harm in discussing it here. If I say anything amiss, I hope Sister Lan Ying will correct me." After a moment's thought, Zi Ling spoke with a serious expression.
"To be honest, our pavilion doesn't know all that much about the great calamity of the Devil World — not much more than Sister Zi Ling. We only know that if it's not handled well, the Devil World could truly face destruction. The great Holy Ancestors, led by the three supreme ancestors, have devoted the greater part of their attention to this matter. Invading the Spirit World appears to be merely one of their contingency measures." The hemp-clothed girl smiled bitterly. Though she didn't say anything specific, she did manage to convey something vague.
Hearing this, Han Li couldn't help but feel a jolt of shock.
"Since Sister Lan Ying finds it difficult to elaborate in detail, then I'll be the one to explain the calamity. It's a long story — the original cause traces back to a period not long after the Devil World first opened. It's said that at that time, many of the various realms were still inhabited by races that are now long extinct. The true immortal and true devil existences from the upper realms could occasionally still communicate with their kin in the lower realms. But during that period, in one particular realm, a seemingly insignificant branch of an ancient insect race suddenly gave birth to a creature of unimaginable power — the Mother of the Moth Insects. This insect mother was not only born with a body of the Dark Element, capable of simultaneously devouring all forms of energy between heaven and earth, but what was truly terrifying was her absolutely astonishing reproductive speed. Moreover, her offspring inherited the same terrifying ability to devour energy from heaven and earth. It's said that the Gold Devouring Beetles and several other great malevolent insects that now exist across the various realms may have inherited bloodlines related to the Mother of the Moth Insects, which is why they possess the same divine ability to devour all things." Zi Ling paused here and cast a meaningful glance toward Han Li.
Han Li listened without any change in his expression, though his eyes narrowed imperceptibly.
At this point, Zi Ling continued: "It's said that in a mere thousand years, this Mother of the Moth Insects led hundreds of millions of her offspring, slaughtering every other living being in her realm clean. And after another ten thousand years or so, the entire realm collapsed because all the energy of heaven and earth had been devoured — everything withered, and the realm began to disintegrate. Just before the realm's destruction, the Mother of the Moth Insects wielded tremendous divine power and forced her way out through the void with her offspring into an adjacent realm. In only another tens of thousands of years, the same fate befell this new realm — its energy was similarly drained and it began to collapse. Thus, over the following hundred thousand years, this Mother of the Moth Insects and her offspring destroyed several realms in succession. Eventually, her rampage drew the attention of the upper realms, and through some unknown method, two true immortal beings descended in the flesh and lured the Mother of the Moth Insects and her offspring into the Devil World, where a great battle was waged. It's said that the battle of those ancient days nearly tore heaven and earth apart, devastating vast stretches of land. Many of the Devil World's dangerous territories and hidden realms were formed in the aftermath of that great war. The final outcome of the battle was that every last one of the Mother of the Moth Insects' offspring was exterminated. The insect mother herself, gravely wounded, was sealed by the two true immortals using a technique from the Immortal World into what is now known as the Sealed Ancestral Ground, where she has slumbered ever since."
"If they captured this Mother of the Moth Insects, why didn't the two true immortals simply kill her? Why go through the trouble of sealing her instead? Is the current great calamity of the Devil World because the Mother of the Moth Insects has awakened once more?" Han Li furrowed his brow slightly as he asked.
"Why the two true immortals didn't destroy the Mother of the Moth Insects — that's hard to say given how long ago it was. Perhaps this insect mother had some means of self-preservation and simply could not be completely annihilated. Or perhaps after such a titanic battle, both true immortals were gravely wounded and no longer capable of doing so. But regardless of the original reason, Brother Han, your guess is now correct. The Mother of the Moth Insects did begin to gradually awaken over ten thousand years ago, and has since reproduced countless offspring that have been ceaselessly assaulting the seal. When the three supreme ancestors were alerted to this, they continuously employed various methods from the outside to reinforce and strengthen the seal, while dispatching forces to slaughter the various low- and mid-grade moth insects that burst through the cracks. Yet all of this has merely delayed the time until the Mother of the Moth Insects fully breaks free from the seal. And once the insect mother's true body escapes, the fate of the Devil World is unimaginable. The Mother of the Moth Insects will take no prisoners and spare no slaves — every living thing will be devoured. This is the true great calamity of the Devil World." By the end of Zi Ling's account, a look of deep worry had appeared on her face.
"From what you've described, Sister Zi Ling, if the Mother of the Moth Insects truly destroys the Devil World, could the next target be our Spirit World?" Han Li's face turned grim at once as he couldn't help but ask.
"The realms adjacent to the Devil World aren't limited to the Spirit World — there are several others. But if the Devil World ceases to exist, the Spirit World does indeed have a certain probability of becoming the next victim. And even if that doesn't happen immediately, once the surrounding realms have all perished, the Spirit World will inevitably face the same doom." The hemp-clothed girl spoke in this manner.
"I see. So as long as the Mother of the Moth Insects can be eliminated, not only will the Devil World immediately withdraw its forces, but we can also avert what would be a great calamity for our Spirit World in the future!" Han Li's face was dark as he deliberated for a long while before slowly speaking.
"How could the Mother of the Moth Insects be dealt with so easily? If you could truly accomplish this, not only would the current war between the two realms vanish in an instant, but even forcing the Devil World to permanently cease its sacrificial raids on the Spirit World would be child's play. But unless a true immortal from the heavens descends in person, this notion is nothing more than a fool's dream." Zi Ling's voice was soft and distant as she spoke.
"Mm. Matters of this scale certainly aren't something I can involve myself in at present. Fortunately, from the sound of it, the seal can still hold for quite some time. I'll have to leave this for the future." After his expression shifted several times, Han Li could only shake his head and set the matter aside for the time being.
This was an affair that spanned multiple realms — better left to those great beings in the Spirit World who had reached the Mahayana stage to handle. He was, after all, only a mere Void Refining cultivator, far from capable of bearing such a tremendous responsibility.
At worst, when he returned, he would first inform Senior Mo Jianli, the Mahayana cultivator of the Human Race, about this matter!
Having settled on this course of action, Han Li brought the matter to an end and ceased raising related topics. Instead, he chatted with Zi Ling and the others about his experiences and observations in the Devil World, before finally taking his leave together with Zi Ling.
However, as Han Li accompanied Zi Ling out of the pavilion and followed the path through the dense forest to its exit, there stood no fewer than seven or eight devil warrior guards in battle armor, escorting a magnificent beast-drawn carriage.
"Brother Han, since you're heading back to the city anyway, let me give you a ride in the carriage. There are a few things I still need to tell you in detail along the way." Zi Ling paused in her steps, turned her head toward Han Li, and spoke softly.
"Good. There are some matters I need to discuss with you as well." Han Li nodded and did not decline.
Recommendation: "Mo Wen Xun Xun's" new novel *True Immortal's Fate*. Readers who are interested, feel free to check it out.
A petty street rogue stumbles into the world's greatest sect — the Heavenly Dao Sect — possessing five spirit roots of abysmal quality. With no intention of seeking the Dao, he is nevertheless nurtured as a treasure, and through sheer coincidence, fortune after fortune falls his way as he grows day by day. Is he an incurable blockhead, or will he truly cultivate immortality and attain the Dao? Find out in *True Immortal's Fate*!
(End of chapter)