Chapter 357: Bitter Struggle

Yuan Cang Shan

The battle has already become white‑hot.

The underground cavern's space is far wider than imagined, and the twisted stalactites are stained with phosphorescence.

This is a key Node supporting the Illusion Realm, its core twisted by Huan Long's power into a nest that continuously spews filthy magical energy and mutated Insect Swarm.

Gui Naifen's Flame Spear is the brightest light source in this dim cavern.

Her faint golden‑dragon phantasmal shadow has become more solid than before; as she swings her spear with wide, sweeping motions, each slash generates a scorching gust that shatters approaching swaths of Insect Swarm.

Golden light circulates in Gui Naifen's eyes, her battle spirit soaring, yet the fine beads of sweat at her temples and her slightly rapid breathing signal the drain from sustained high‑intensity combat.

Ailisi Feier hides behind a massive crystal, her red eyes fixed on the battle, maintaining a reinforced Magic in her hand; a pale gold light continuously envelops Gui Naifen, granting her a defensive boost.

Her complexion is somewhat pale; sustaining the Magic and evading the occasional escaped Insect attacks both consume a great deal.

"These insects… never ending!"

Gui Naifen thrusts her spear to flick away a flying insect attempting a top‑down ambush; the flame instantly turns it to ash, yet more insects pour out of the nest's holes, among them a few smaller true cicada insects whose shells shimmer with strange illusory patterns; their screeches carry mental interference, unsettling everyone.

At the nest's core, a pulsating pink‑purple flesh lump seems to mock their efforts, the filthy magical energy continuously converting into new Insect Swarm.

"Lancer! The Node core is behind that flesh lump! We must break through!" Ailisi Feier shouted, her voice echoing through the underground cavern.

"Understood!" Gui Naifen gritted her teeth, sweeping her long spear to clear the area ahead, about to thrust forward—

A sudden mutation erupts!

From deep within the nest came an extremely sharp screech!

Immediately, a true cicada insect mother body, far larger than its kind—nearly the size of a small car—with a shell bearing flowing illusory patterns like a living creature, burst out of the largest hole!

Upon its appearance, a massive mental pressure surged like a tangible tide, causing Gui Naifen's surrounding flames to falter and her phantasmal shadow to quiver.

Worse, with the mother's screech, all insects instantly became orderly yet ferocious; no longer blindly charging, they moved like a well‑trained army, splitting into several groups and launching a fearless encirclement on Gui Naifen and Ailisi Feier from multiple angles!

A few true cicada insects seized the chance to emit stronger illusion waves, attempting to cloud Gui Naifen's judgment.

"Master, be careful!"

Gui Naifen's pressure spikes, her spear dancing densely, yet the defensive circle inevitably begins to shrink.

Ailisi Feier also has to cease the reinforced Magic, switching to cast a few simple shock spells to drive away the nearby stray insects.

The situation instantly falls into a bitter struggle.

The Insect Sea tactics, combined with the mother's mental suppression and the true cicada insects' illusion interference, leave Gui Naifen exhausted and unable to approach the Node.

Ailisi Feier's Magic is also rapidly draining.

Just as Gui Naifen forcefully deflects a side attack from a scythe‑shaped Insect Limb, a mental blast from the mother darkens her vision, slowing her reaction, while another true cicada insect's sharp teeth close in at a critical distance—

A gray figure, like a specter, suddenly drops from an inconspicuous crack above the cavern!

Before the newcomer even lands, her arm is already raised; a deep‑green strip, thrown in a standard trajectory, arcs precisely over the Insect Swarm, and with a "snap" lands squarely on the true cicada insect that was about to bite Gui Naifen… on the ground beside it.

It is—Immortal Salted Fish!

The Salted Fish hits the ground.

Time seems to freeze for a second.

Then—

A terrifying stench, like an invisible nuclear blast, erupts centered on the Salted Fish's impact point!

The first to bear the brunt is that true cicada insect.

It is the closest, its snarling mouth less than half a meter from the Salted Fish.

At the instant the stench erupts, its crimson compound eyes instantly lose their luster, its previously fierce motions freeze, then its entire body convulses uncontrollably, the illusory patterns on its shell flashing wildly, emitting a "ho… ho…" leaking sound, its mouth even spitting white foam, then with a "plop" it collapses, several legs flailing mindlessly, as if struck by incomprehensible mental and physical blows.

Next, the surrounding Insect Swarm.

Like a wheat field swept by a gale, all insects within five meters of the Salted Fish, regardless of size or species, freeze in unison, then stagger drunkenly, some spinning in place, others colliding, their formations in chaos.

Even the massive true cicada insect mother's screech suddenly warps, filled with pain and… nausea.

Its huge body twitches uneasily, its compound eyes fixed on the Salted Fish on the ground, yet it dares not advance further.

More astonishingly, the cavern's dense mental interference waves are also thrown into disarray by this overwhelming "odor" impact, their effect greatly diminished.

"Ugh—!!!"

A clear female voice dry‑retching broke the brief silence.

Just now the imposing Gui Naifen now props herself with one hand on her long spear, the other hand clamped tightly over her mouth and nose, her golden eyes bulging, filled with physiological tears, her fair cheeks flushed red.

"W-what… so… so stinky!!!"

Her voice muffled through her fingers, trembling with shock, "This smell… is worse than a month's worth of trash piled at the alley entrance… ugh… it's overwhelming!"

Although Ailisi Feier is a bit farther away and stands upwind, the odor still drifts toward her in thin threads.

Her red eyes widen sharply, she quickly covers her mouth and nose with her sleeve, her brows knit tightly.

The mastermind behind all this only now lands lightly.

Gray hair, golden eyes, expressionless—it's A Xing.

She doesn't even glance at the Immortal Salted Fish on the ground still emitting its "field," as if it were just a casually tossed stone.

Her gaze sweeps quickly over the battlefield, pausing a moment on the Insect Swarm, now chaotic and weakened by the stench, then turns to the stunned Gui Naifen.

At the same time, A Xing nods slightly toward Ailisi Feier, as a greeting.

"A Xing… miss?"

Ailisi Feier whispered in disbelief, her mind full of question marks.

Shouldn't A Xing be in the Illusion Realm?

How could she appear here?

A Xing offers no explanation; her gaze quickly locks onto the still‑threatening true cicada insect mother, despite its injuries.

The Mother Insect seems to recover from the initial blow, its compound eyes filled with offended fury; it screeches, ordering surrounding insects to disregard the stench and regroup for attack, while brewing an even stronger impact.

But A Xing had already moved.

She didn't use any fancy moves, she simply drew the Metal Ball Club from behind, her body leaning slightly forward, a kick from her foot—

Like an arrow loosed from a bow, she surged straight toward the true beetle mother!

Her speed was astonishing, weaving through the chaotic Insect Swarm, her movements concise and supremely efficient, each dodge precisely exploiting the insects' sluggishness caused by their foul stench.

A few insects that tried to intercept were swung away with a casual swing of her club, smashing into the rock wall where their shells shattered.

"Lancer! Coordinate with her!"