Chapter 2336: Descent of a True Immortal — Struggle for the Spirit Domain The two phantoms of the giant insects were horrified. Abandoning all pretense of deference, escape light shimmered across their bodies as they prepared to dodge and flee.
But at the point where the silver-robed woman's finger had aimed, a flash of black light erupted and two glowing runes shot outward. After a single flicker, they plunged into the bodies of the two giant insects at inconceivable speed.
The two insects screamed in agony, twisting their bodies desperately in an attempt to resist the power of the black runes, but it was futile. Countless black threads surfaced across their bodies, and they rapidly shrank and dissolved into light.
After a brief moment, only two orbs of light remained where they had been, hovering silently in the air.
The silver-robed woman casually beckoned through empty air with one hand, and the two orbs of light flickered before shooting toward her of their own accord.
Then she opened her mouth.
After the two orbs of light spun around rapidly, they transformed into two wisps of white light and were drawn straight into the woman's mouth.
The silver-robed woman took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Crystalline light circulated across her face, and the aura emanating from her body surged to several times its former intensity.
After a long while, when the woman let a soft hum escape and opened her eyes, the surging aura about her had instantaneously returned to its original state.
Her expression suddenly shifted. She raised her head and swept her gaze across the sky above the abyss, apparently sensing something. A sinister look flashed across her face before she transformed into a streak of blazing flame and shot back, blurring as she plunged into the rolling demonic flames within the skeleton's eye sockets.
In the next instant, the skeleton that had been motionless suddenly threw back its head and let out a piercing, shrill roar. Clusters of blood mist materialized out of thin air nearby and instantly transformed into strands of blood threads that wound rapidly around the bones.
The dense blood threads wrapped around the skeleton layer upon layer, rapidly growing crystalline and luminous as they transformed into true flesh, blood, and Meridians—eventually forming layers of skin, membranes, and scales.
In the blink of an eye, the once ghastly white skeleton had transformed into a colossal, monstrous insect bearing three heads of different sizes—one large, two small—all distinct from one another.
Of these three heads, only the central one bore a human face—the very countenance of the silver-robed woman. The other two heads were exceedingly grotesque, their crowns studded with countless eyes of varying sizes, and most of their faces were concealed beneath brilliantly colored scales.
As for the insect's body, it was smooth and translucent, as if carved from crystal. But along the massive creature's back sprouted four pairs of milky-white cicada wings that shimmered with light, five-colored runes flickering in and out of visibility upon their surfaces, lending the creature an extraordinarily resplendent appearance.
The moment the giant insect's mountain-like body finished reforming, the central head tilted upward, its eyes glinting with cold, menacing light as it stared silently into the sky above.
The other two heads, however, remained perfectly still with their eyes shut tight, their faces utterly devoid of expression—as though they were lifeless things.
After a brief moment, a flash of light erupted above the abyss, and three streaks of escape light shot downward at tremendous speed.
The light condensed, and at a distance of over a hundred zhang above, three figures materialized simultaneously.
They were none other than Han Li, Bao, and Daoist Crab.
At such close range, Han Li and Bao could see the giant insect below in full, unmistakable detail, and both of them froze in their tracks.
The insect that had reconstructed its flesh and blood was completely different in appearance from the shell they had destroyed on the water's surface earlier—as though the two were entirely different creatures.
What truly unsettled Han Li and Bao even more was the face upon the central head, so eerily similar to that of the young girl from before, and the chilling gaze with which the creature now fixed upon them all.
"So this is the true body of the Mother of the Moth Insects. It seems we're a step too late—it's already awakened." Bao's expression turned unsightly as he muttered under his breath.
"The appearance is somewhat different, but it should be the right one." Han Li stared at the human-faced head in the center of the colossal insect, his expression turning grave.
"Since it's completely unscathed, it seems those two fellow Daoists have truly fallen." Bao let out another soft sigh.
Han Li's gaze flickered, and he spotted several damaged artifacts floating motionlessly beside the giant insect. His expression shifted slightly, and he gave a faint nod, but said nothing more.
"So it's you three little things—you wounded my clone and dared to disturb my recovery!" The human-faced head of the colossal insect below spoke in an indifferent tone, its voice unexpectedly pleasant to the ear, truly like that of a charming woman.
"So you truly are the Mother of the Moth Insects! Our companions who came before—have they already fallen to your hand?" Bao's mind raced, but his voice remained steady as he countered with a question.
"Hehe, two mere Mahayana cultivators from the lower realm dared to make a move before me—they naturally became part of my flesh and blood long ago. Very well, since you two are unwilling to answer my questions, then go keep them company." A seductive smile briefly flashed across the human-faced head of the giant insect, but the words it spoke were exceptionally cold.
The instant its words fell, it suddenly opened its small mouth, and a burst of gray threads shot out. As they scattered, they transformed into an enormous net that descended upon the three above.
Wherever the silk net passed, a foul stench surged forth, enough to make one retch!