High above a marsh in the Demon Realm blanketed with rotting mud, a ripple pulsed through a gaping black void, and a streak of golden light shot outward from within. The radiance contracted, coalescing into several figures beneath the opening.
It was Han Li and his two companions, entering the Demon Realm once more.
Han Li swept his gaze around the surroundings, and his brow furrowed slightly.
The area was utterly barren — not a single soul in sight.
After a brief moment of contemplation, he released his spiritual sense without a word, spreading it outward in all directions.
He immediately discovered a cluster of stone buildings lining the edge of the nearby marsh.
They varied in height, numbering several hundred in total, and multiple protective formations had been erected around the perimeter. But at this moment the formations lay wide open, with not a trace of active restrictions. When he swept his spiritual sense further into the cluster, the interiors were in complete disarray — and again, not a single demon could be found.
"Let's go. We'll head straight for the nearest demon city and figure out where exactly in the Demon Realm we are," Han Li said with a note of surprise. His thoughts turned quickly, however, and he soon made his decision.
Unlike his last incursion into the Demon Realm, with his current Mahayana-stage cultivation and Brother Crab at his side, he would not feel the slightest apprehension even if he faced one of the three great progenitors of the demon race.
Three streaks of light shot into the air, and the trio flew straight out of the marsh.
They had been heading west for no more than half a day when Han Li's expression shifted subtly. He halted abruptly, stopping in midair first.
Brother Crab's gaze flickered toward the distance, and he likewise came to a stop.
Silver Moon saw nothing but empty sky on the horizon ahead and couldn't help but feel baffled. She couldn't resist asking:
"Brother Han, what's wrong? Did you and Brother Crab both sense something?"
"Mm. Something's coming our way," Han Li replied evenly, his expression as calm as ever.
Silver Moon blinked, her beautiful eyes darting, and she hurriedly peered into the distance as well.
After a short while, a strange buzzing drone drifted from the horizon, growing louder and louder, as though whatever was producing it drew nearer with each passing moment.
Silver Moon couldn't help but show a look of surprise.
But Han Li and Brother Crab remained perfectly still, their faces betraying not the slightest hint of alarm.
Another moment later, spiritual light suddenly flashed across the horizon. Hundreds of streaks of light materialized one after another, hurtling frantically toward Han Li's position.
They were hundreds of demons and demonic beasts of varying cultivation levels, fleeing for their lives as though something truly terrifying pursued them from behind.
Silver Moon blinked rapidly, wondering what on earth could be chasing these demons and beasts, when the buzzing from the horizon surged to a tremendous roar. A vast expanse of murky gray cloud surged into view, rolling after those streaks of light without the slightest hesitation.
Silver Moon quickly channeled her spiritual power into her eyes and peered carefully at the gray cloud. The next instant, the face of this Integration-stage cultivator turned deathly pale.
That gray cloud was composed of countless grotesque insects of bizarre shapes.
The smallest among them were the size of a fist, while the largest rivaled the height of an adult human. Some bristled with barbs across their entire bodies, others bared rows of savage fangs — every single one was nightmarishly hideous, utterly unlike ordinary demonic insects.
Within the cloud, demonic energy churned as the insects swarmed in dense, uncountable multitudes — no one could tell how many there were.
Such a terrifying insect cloud, combined with the horrifying appearance of these creatures, was more than enough to drain the color from Silver Moon's face.
The insects in the cloud clearly flew at different speeds. Some of the larger specimens were noticeably faster than the rest.
In the blink of an eye, several lagging demons and demonic beasts were overtaken from behind by these larger insects, which latched onto them tenaciously.
Left with no choice, the demons and beasts fought back as they fled, and for a time the air erupted with beastly roars, frantic shouts, and thunderous booms.
But the moment their flight slowed even slightly, the trailing insects caught up and swallowed them in an instant beneath the gray cloud.
A chorus of agonized screams rang out. Whether it was a demonic beast thrashing with bared claws and fangs, or a demon desperately driving demonic artifacts to defend itself, every last one vanished into the sea of insects in the blink of an eye, as though swept away by a tide.
Watching all of this, Han Li's expression finally shifted. He turned his head toward Brother Crab and asked:
"Brother Crab, do you notice anything unusual about these insects compared to the other demonic insects native to the Demon Realm?"
"Their aura is somewhat different. The demonic energy they carry isn't quite pure — they don't appear to be the kind born naturally within the Demon Realm," Brother Crab replied in his usual flat tone after a single sweeping glance at the insect cloud.
"I thought as much. It seems these strange insects are connected to the Mother of the Devouring Insects," Han Li said with a sigh.
"The Mother of the Devouring Insects — the same one who caused the great calamity in the Demon Realm and forced my grandfather and Senior Mo to enter the Demon Realm!" Silver Moon drew in a sharp breath upon hearing this.
"That's right. I'm speaking of that very insect mother," Han Li replied with a wry smile.
"If these strange insects are connected to the Mother of the Devouring Insects, and they're appearing so brazenly in the Demon Realm like this, could it be that the insect mother has already broken free from her seal?" Silver Moon said, her face grim.
"Not necessarily. It could simply be some of the insect mother's offspring that slipped out through the seal," Han Li said after a moment's thought, shaking his head.
Silver Moon opened her mouth to ask more, but in that brief delay, more than half of the hundred-odd streaks of light fleeing in the distance had already been devoured by the gray insect cloud. Only a scant dozen or so remained, still fleeing wildly — and they had already reached the vicinity of the trio.
The figures within those streaks of light were all high-ranking demons of considerable magical power, every one of them in a wretched state, their faces twisted with abject terror.