Chapter 1764

Hairpin touched the external sphere, a sharp corner protruded; then seeing the contact point turn green, winding green veins radiated from the Hairpin outward, Hu Xiaotian secretly wondered, but he heard a Pop! —the large sphere enveloping Xi Yan's body dissipated, turning into countless green tiny insects, which swarmed like a flood toward Hu Xiaotian; Hu Xiaotian realized something was wrong, and when he tried to dodge it was already too late.

Green tiny insects densely covered Hu Xiaotian's entire body; Hu Xiaotian enveloped himself with protective aura, trying to release true qi to shock-kill these insects, but he didn't expect that the insects, when combined, stuck to his body like sticky candy.

Xi Yan's eyes flickered with a blue light, no trace of tears remained, only coldness and killing intent; she looked at Hu Xiaotian, enveloped by the insects, with a wooden expression.

Hu Xiaotian reached out his right hand to press the wing-armor button on his left arm, but found his arm and body stuck together by the insects.

Xi Yan coldly stared at Hu Xiaotian, as if she had never seen him before, slowly raising the sharp hairpin in her hand, attempting to stab him.

Hu Xiaotian had never in his life encountered such a bizarre situation; these insects clumped together like adhesive, let alone controlling the wing-armor, now even moving a limb was impossible, and the insects grew more numerous, layer upon layer covering Hu Xiaotian's body, making him seem to wear a thick cotton coat whose thickness kept increasing. Fortunately the wing-armor's sealed protection was excellent, and combined with Hu Xiaotian's strong protective aura, it still resisted the insects breaking through the aura to attack his skin. Even so, Hu Xiaotian was trapped within. A person stuck in a mire, even with heaven-shaking strength, cannot exert it; these insects combined formed a barrier similar to adhesive, making Hu Xiaotian's predicament even more dire; he could conclude that Xi Yan must have her consciousness controlled by someone, otherwise how could she harm him, remembering her words to him: in this world, the one who treats him best is always her.

Just as the hairpin in Xi Yan's hand was about to pierce Hu Xiaotian's chest, a stern voice came from behind: "Hold on!"

It was Madam Meizhuang appearing on the shore; Xi Yan's gaze instantly became dazed, she stood there foolishly, as if she had lost her soul.

Madam Meizhuang slowly walked up to Hu Xiaotian, seeing him almost turned into a ball covered by the insects, she couldn't help but chuckle, her laughter full of smugness.

Ying Popo and Rong Shi also came up from the lake one after another; Ying Popo held in her hand that blue-transparent Skull, clearly just snatched from the Northern Marsh Old Monster.

Madam Meizhuang turned to Xi Yan, softly sighed, swept her sleeve over Xi Yan's face; Xi Yan's beautiful eyes closed, then she softly collapsed to the ground. Rong Shi's gaze fell on Xi Yan, showing reluctance.

Madam Meizhuang softly said: "As the Saintess of the Wuxian Sect, to be troubled by love—your downfall today is entirely your own doing."

Ying Popo came to her side, handed over the transparent Skull in her hand; Madam Meizhuang received the Skull, held it with both hands, gazing at it, she softly said: "My master, on his deathbed, once told me that the patriarch's remains were buried in the main altar; I never expected they were actually buried in the Bone-Dissolving Prison."

Ying Popo said: "The Bone-Dissolving Prison has been flooded; for now we cannot launch a search."

Madam Meizhuang said: "Nothing in this world can be perfect; there will always be regrets." She paused, then asked: "What about the old monster? Is he dead?"

Rong Shi apologetically said: "My disciple is incapable; after all, I failed to intercept him, letting him escape."

Ying Popo beside him consoled Rong Shi: "This is not your fault, Rong Shi; that old monster is extremely cunning, he used the Skull to divert our attention."

Madam Meizhuang gave a cold snort and said nothing.

Ying Popo's gaze fell on Hu Xiaotian: "Sect Leader, how do you intend to deal with this brat?"

Madam Meizhuang said: "His martial arts are superb, and he is immune to all poisons, so the only way is to trap him with sticky shadow insects. Hu Xiaotian, though you are full of tricks, you are still young; do you think high martial arts mean everything? Do you think being immune to all poisons means I have no way to deal with you? What Void Grand Art? Invincible under heaven, it is utterly useless before me."

Upon hearing the four words "Void Grand Art", Ying Popo's lowered eyes flashed with a hint of pain.

Madam Meizhuang said: "Rong Shi, send him into the Crimson Flame Cave."

"Yes!" Rong Shi clasped his fists and received the order.

Ying Popo exclaimed in astonishment: "The Sect Leader intends to kill him?"

Madam Meizhuang coldly replied: "Is that not allowed?"

Ying Popo said: "But he still has the Heaven-Man Myriad Forms Chart in his hand, and he might know the secret of the Creation Heart Sutra."

Madam Meizhuang smiled indifferently: "These things are not important to me. By the way, Rong Shi, send Xi Yan in as well."

Upon hearing her command, Rong Shi's handsome face instantly showed an expression of utter shock.

Madam Meizhuang gave a sinister chuckle: "Even if she lives, she's merely a walking corpse; it's better to fulfill her wish—let them be unable to sleep together while alive, and share a grave when dead; this also counts as me, as her master, completing her wish."

Rong Shi bit his lip: "Master..."

The smile on Madam Meizhuang's face vanished abruptly: "Do you really want me to repeat a second time?"

Hu Xiaotian heard everything clearly, but being trapped by the sticky shadow insects, he could not move at all; many a little makes a mickle, many grains make a tower—these sticky shadow insects, each the size of dust, clumped together actually produced such astonishing power. If not for his protective aura sealing his skin, these insects would have already begun devouring his flesh.

Rong Shi summoned four lackeys, using a large black cloth bag to stuff Hu Xiaotian together with the sticky shadow insects inside.

Hu Xiaotian felt himself being lifted; he guessed they were taking him to some Crimson Flame Cave. Although he could see nothing, from sensation he sensed first ascending then descending, the road uneven; after about half an hour, they finally stopped, and someone set him down on the ground.

Rong Shi came before Hu Xiaotian, lifted his foot and kicked the black cloth bag hard; Hu Xiaotian's body now uncontrollable, he rolled like a ball downwards with a rumbling sound.

Xi Yan was again enveloped in that transparent sphere, her beautiful eyes closed, she slept soundly. Rong Shi gazed at Xi Yan, his eyes showing reluctance; he pressed his lips together, finally nodding, and said gloomily: "Junior Sister, don't blame me..." He gently pushed the sphere, rolling it toward the cave entrance ahead.

Hu Xiaotian rolled faster and faster down a sloping passage, feeling his body grow hotter as he rolled; he was startled, thinking: Crimson Flame Cave! As the name suggests, this cave is probably filled with flames; he suddenly recalled that the Wuxian Sect's main altar lies exactly in a volcanic crater—could these people have actually thrown him straight into the volcano? Otherwise why would it get hotter? Hu Xiaotian panicked, struggling desperately, but the sticky shadow insects, when heated, did not disperse; instead they became even more adhesive, making him feel as if his whole body were coated in sticky candy; his heart sank to the depths—he possessed martial arts yet could not unleash them; his wing-armor, his light sword, all were locked tight by the insects; was he to be burned alive here? No! He still had many beauties awaiting his return, many brothers awaiting his leadership. Having come through mountains and rivers to the Wuxian Sect's main altar without yet rescuing Xi Yan, how could Hu Xiaotian resign himself?

Just when Hu Xiaotian thought death was certain today, he felt contact with something tough and elastic, blocking his further descent; they swung up and down a while before settling, still not completely calm, the sphere containing Xi Yan also rolled down and struck the black bag holding Hu Xiaotian; the two large spheres swung together—it turned out a huge spiderweb was blocking their continued rolling.

Hu Xiaotian's heart still pounded; the fleeting sense of relief vanished instantly; he immediately realized waves of heat were rising from beneath him—if he remained trapped here, he would soon become roasted meat. Hu Xiaotian sighed inwardly: "Immune to all poisons? It seems the inner core of the Five-Colored Spider King is nothing special; ordinary poisons might be avoided, but against these sticky shadow insects there is no remedy at all."

At the moment of life and death, Hu Xiaotian suddenly thought of a question: he had constantly used protective aura to form an invisible shield around his body—did it also block his internal qi? If he withdrew the protective aura, would these sticky shadow insects retreat when facing difficulty? Waves of heat surged from below; Hu Xiaotian felt scorching all over, he could not last much longer; either way meant death, so he might as well gamble boldly; with that thought, Hu Xiaotian gradually withdrew his protective aura, letting the sticky shadow insects attack him.

This risky move had an unexpected effect: after Hu Xiaotian withdrew his protective aura, the sticky shadow insects did not continue crawling onto his skin; instead they swiftly retreated from his vicinity, avoiding him like snakes and scorpions; the black cloth bag began to swell, finally a hole was broken underneath, the sticky shadow insects poured down like water, landing on the spiderweb, then quickly crawling along its silk; inside the black bag the insects turned from green to black, and once they climbed onto the silk they instantly became colorless and transparent.

Hu Xiaotian felt his limbs freed; he first tore the cloth bag apart; before him was a expanse of red; looking down, at a depth of a hundred zhang lay a lava lake, reddish-yellow magma roiling and boiling, the endless scorching heat waves came from there.

Beneath Hu Xiaotian lay a huge spiderweb; without this web he would have surely plunged straight into the lava lake below; to his right, a transparent sphere adhered to the web, inside which was the soundly sleeping Xi Yan. (To be continued~^~)