Chapter 817

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Protagonist:

Xu Zhangqing

Zhao Wuxin revealed a questioning look.

Xu Zhangqing nodded lightly; he knew this person's words were not false.

The Wu Sheng Chong Mu's methods of controlling subordinates are extremely bizarre; once the Insect Gu is planted, it will deeply parasitize the other party's Divine Soul.

The slightest leak, and one will immediately suffer Backlash.

"Speak, where is the Nine-Headed Centipede?"

"The Cult Leader has been active in Dongyu, seemingly searching for something……"

"I need a specific location!"

"He went to the Rotten Moss Plain."

"Rotten Moss Plain?"

"Yes, the Rotten Moss Plain!"

"As for what he went to the Rotten Moss Plain to do, we truly do not know."

"Right right right… the Cult Leader's actions have always been secretive; he never tells us the specific purpose, only has everyone disperse and operate in Dongyu!"

Xu Zhangqing frowned slightly, always feeling the three words "Rotten Moss Plain" were exceptionally familiar to his ears.

He closed his eyes and concentrated, thinking carefully; a moment later, a trace of realization flashed in his eyes.

He really remembered; that was the name he heard from the Spirit Insect Cultivator Gu Fusheng's mouth when he first contacted the Wu Sheng Chong Mu.

At that time Gu Fusheng mentioned, three thousand li south of Fengrao Commandery lies the Rotten Moss Plain, and in its depths grows a Nine-Headed Centipede Banyan.

On the Mayfly Day, go to the Qiong Valley there, participate in the Mayfly Sacrifice, and you can see a mysterious person.

At that time he only regarded it as the Spirit Insect Cultivators' bizarre Ritual, and did not investigate deeply.

Thinking back now, that mysterious person is absolutely not ordinary; either a trusted confidant of the Wu Sheng Chong Mu, or an avatar of its true body.

Xu Zhangqing asked in a deep voice: "Any other information about the Rotten Moss Plain?"

That Spirit Insect Cultivator hurriedly shook his head: "I have only heard of the Rotten Moss Plain's name, yet never approached it, let alone know the situation inside."

Xu Zhangqing glanced at the other two Spirit Insect Cultivators; seeing both nod in unison, their expressions not looking feigned, he asked no further.

As for the Nine-Headed Centipede Banyan, Qiong Valley, and Mayfly Sacrifice, he absolutely would not disclose them to Zhao Wuxin.

It was not deliberate precaution; he feared this upright fellow might, out of curiosity, rashly intrude and end up captured or fallen, which would instead be a Loss Outweighing Gain.

Immediately, he signaled Zhao Wuxin with his eyes; the latter understood instantly, a flash of golden light from the Spiritual Sword in his hand, instantly piercing the hearts of the three Spirit Insect Cultivators, directly killing them in one move.

After handling it, Zhao Wuxin asked in puzzlement: "Why not leave survivors?"

Xu Zhangqing gave an explanation: "These Spirit Insect Cultivators were long ago planted with Insect Gu by the Wu Sheng Chong Mu; keeping them is a hidden danger. If remotely activated by it, it would instead expose our tracks."

Zhao Wuxin suddenly realized, praising: "Still you who considers things thoroughly."

To ensure the intelligence was true, the two did not go to the Rotten Moss Plain, but following previously grasped clues, successively raided three other Spirit Insect Cultivator Outposts.

Xu Zhangqing still used the Gold Pattern Trapping Spirit Array to control the field, Zhao Wuxin took the lead attacking and capturing enemies; front and back they captured five Spirit Insect Cultivators and interrogated them one by one.

The answers obtained were consistent with previously, all confirming the Nine-Headed Centipede had already entered the Rotten Moss Plain.

But as for what specifically he was doing, not a single person knew.

After confirming the intelligence was without error, Xu Zhangqing dispatched Xu Qiansui to the Rotten Moss Plain to scout the situation.

……

……

Three days later, Xu Qiansui arrived at the Rotten Moss Plain.

This place was completely different from other parts of Dongyu; the moment he stepped into the range, a thick, nausea-inducing fishy stench rushed at his face.

It was precisely that rotten vegetation mold smell, mixed with a fishy odor.

The ground was covered in several chi thick black-green rotten moss, sticky like paste; every step sank half an cun, and dark red juice seeped from the cracks.

Beneath the rotten moss, dense hissing sounds rose and fell without end, as if countless poisonous insects were shuttling and wriggling underneath, making one shiver with cold dread.

The Rotten Moss Plain's sky was perpetually veiled by black Miasma; sunlight could not penetrate, the entire area forever shrouded in gloom and oppression.

Ordinary cultivators staying here for a moment would feel mental Restlessness; over time their temperament would greatly change, even degenerating into madmen.

Fortunately Xu Qiansui is a Spirit Plant Puppet, without soul or spirit, unharassed by Yin Evil Qi.

He restrained his whole body's aura, like an inconspicuous plant.

As he went deeper continuously, the scenes seen became increasingly tragic and unbearable.

Monster corpses lay piled haphazardly everywhere: giant pythons with shattered Scale Armor, bird yaos with rotted wings.

On each corpse crawled Shen Ling Gu the size of fingernails; they frantically gnawed flesh and blood, and in merely a moment gnawed a thousand-jin heavy corpse until only white bones remained.

The poisonous insects that had finished devouring surged like a tide toward another corpse, leaving a trail of sticky Black Blood.

Occasionally one could see a few cultivator skeletons wearing robes or tight clothes; some still gripped broken Magic Tools in their hands, some skulls retained worm-eaten Holes.

Clearly, they were all unlucky bastards who intruded here, were besieged by poisonous insects, and ultimately became food.

The further inward he progressed, the thicker the Miasma, even beginning to obscure vision.

The poisonous insects also changed from scattered distribution to forming groups; among them were poisonous armored centipedes the size of millstones, and rot-bone flies with double wings on their backs.

Each wreathed in pitch-black Miasma, emitting an aura that even Golden Core Cultivators dreaded.

Relying on the Spirit Plant Puppet's disguise characteristics, Xu Qiansui cleverly avoided these poisonous insects, rapidly shuttling through the harsh environment.

Chirp~

Halfway along the road, a strange bone whistle sounded from ahead, and Xu Qiansui immediately halted, concealing his figure behind a withered ancient tree.

Only to see three evil cultivators clad in black robes surrounding a dirt mound, each holding a white bone staff, chanting toward the mound.

The surrounding Yin Evil Qi was continuously stirred, gathering into a black Qi vortex that poured into the ground beneath the mound.

Moments later, the dirt mound split open with a boom, and then a massive monster burst out of the earth.

The monster resembled a giant toad, eyeless and mouthless, its entire body covered in sticky green flesh nodules.

Green venom continuously seeped from the nodules; where it fell, it corroded dense holes in the ground.

Countless semi-transparent threads coiled around its body — it was a unique evil demon of the Rotten Moss Plain, named the "Rot Silk Chanchu".

Though it lacked sight, it could sense prey through Qi, and its body contained countless Gu insects; once the insect silk entangled a target, the Gu insects would burrow into the target's body.

Continuous flesh-gnawing and soul-devouring — therefore extremely vicious and dangerous.

The three evil cultivators seemed to be controlling the Rot Silk Chanchu; the bone whistle changed, and the thing charged toward a rock crevice not far away.

The next second, a miserable roar came from the rock crevice, followed by silence.

Xu Qiansui — or rather, Xu Changqing observing through Shared Vision — fixed his gaze; several arrow fletchings engraved with Spirit Patterns lay scattered beside the rock crevice, likely belongings of other cultivators.

One surmises this person infiltrated the Rotten Moss Plain but unexpectedly ran into these three evil cultivators, then was hunted down and killed.

After the evil cultivators controlled the Rot Silk Chanchu and left, Xu Qiansui slowly rose and continued deeper.

Xu Changqing was thoughtful: "The Rotten Moss Plain not only has Spirit Insect Cultivators, but also strange evil cultivators."

Evil cultivators' whereabouts are mysterious, their methods quite evil and bizarre; therefore they cannot be underestimated.

Usually rarely encountered, but in certain special places they gather in groups.

Xu Qiansui traveled on for a while longer; the miasma was so thick it would not disperse, and even perception suffered obvious interference.

Just then, the Yin Evil Qi ahead turned violent; he followed the Qi and looked — countless venomous insects were gathering toward a center ahead.

And in the deepest part, a towering great tree stood erect.

Its tree trunk was incomparably thick, requiring dozens of people to encircle it.

On its dark brown bark, patterns like living centipedes slowly writhed.

Nine branches coiled and intertwined, extending over a hundred li in all directions.

Dark red fruits hung among the branches; the fruits' surfaces were dense with insect eyes, and the sound of venomous insects wriggling inside was clearly audible.

A pungent fishy smell rushed over on the evil wind.

Without surprise, this is the Nine-Headed Centipede Banyan Gu Fusheng mentioned!