Chapter 402: Heaven-Earth Fusion Refinement

"I'm sorry for making you laugh, fellow Daoist. I'm a little lady of the Fox Tribe, yet I still fell for Illusion Art." Hu Xue'er, having come to her senses, flushed red and felt very embarrassed.

Yan Buji pinched his chin, now somewhat suspecting that Hu Xue'er was putting on a feigned frailty.

"Fellow Daoist, your injuries are just right, so it's natural your mind is unfocused; being hurried and falling for Illusion Art is understandable, no need to blame yourself," Yan Buji said with a smile.

"Yan fellow Daoist is indeed magnanimous, not holding my mistake against me." Hu Xue'er stood up; the two had already reached the bottom of the cavern.

Around them, one could not see five fingers when reaching out, yet the dense Poison Miasma still made people feel uneasy.

Yan Buji drummed his Qi and blood, blocking the Poison Miasma outside his body; waves of heat surged from his body, causing Hu Xue'er beside him to step back.

"Fellow Daoist, you… you're so hot?"

"Yan here was originally a Martial Cultivation practitioner, merely using Qi and blood to resist the Poison Miasma."

Hu Xue'er exclaimed in surprise, "Oh, it can be done like that?"

Only Yan Buji's Qi and blood are strong; the heat waves generated while drumming carry an aura uniquely masculine and domineering, which makes Hu Xue'er somewhat unaccustomed.

The Fox Tribe also has many Magical Cultivation practitioners, few of whom hone their physical bodies.

At a glance, although Yan fellow Daoist looks ugly, this aura truly is…

Yan Buji walked ahead, ignoring Hu Xue'er's thoughts, continuing to explore forward.

Caverns like this are inherently dark and damp; after a few steps one easily steps into mud water or the corpses of some Poison Insects, which is rather disgusting.

Hu Xue'er, from behind, also normally projected her spiritual sense to survey the surroundings; although there were many Poison Insects, the situation differed greatly from her first visit.

"Something's off, Yan fellow Daoist. When I came before, there was a raging conflict among Poison Insects here; how come it's suddenly much calmer now?"

"Conflict? Explain in detail."

Hu Xue'er recalled, "Those Poison Insects seemed to be triggered by something, crazily attacking nearby Poison Insects, even those of the same type; but now most have lain dormant… before it seemed as if someone was refining Gu Worms."

Yan Buji frowned, then his eyes lit up: "I get it! With such dense Poison Miasma here, how could it not spawn formidable Poison Insects? It turns out it's the Heaven‑Earth Fusion Refinement that created a Gu Worm in this place!"

"Heaven‑Earth Fusion Refinement?"

"Yes, in Nan Ting Mountain Region there's a saying: Gu Worms aren't only refined by the human race; the region naturally gives rise to Gu Worms, simply due to its environment. Moreover, in places where many Poison Insects dwell, Heaven‑Earth Fusion Refinement readily occurs; it's the natural process of Heaven and Earth refining poison into Gu Worms," Yan Buji explained.

"Is that so? But even now this little lady hasn't figured out what distinguishes a Gu Worm from ordinary Poison Insects," Hu Xue'er said with a bewildered expression.

Yan Buji thought: "The Gu Worms of Nan Ting Mountain Region are said to be unique beings born with Dao Marks, thus they possess strange abilities. Ordinary Poison Insects cannot have Dao Marks, unless they ascend to Fivefold Transformation."

"Oh, Dao Marks? So that means the Gu Worms circulating among humans are all born with Dao Marks?"

"Perhaps, maybe it's also that the Gu Worms' own abilities can mimic those of cultivators with Dao Marks. As for strength, it's hard to judge…"

Yan Buji looked around: "But the environment here is just right—so deep—and with these Poison Insects having devoured each other for countless years, now it seems the moment for a Gu Worm's birth has arrived."

"Isn't that extremely dangerous? Those few Fourfold Transformation Poison Insects were already troublesome; if they become Fivefold Transformation Gu Worms, wouldn't…"

Yan Buji shook his head: "The birth of a Gu Worm isn't that simple; it's a branch of the natural ascension of insects in Heaven and Earth, and a Gu only ascends after devouring all others."

"This differs from the Frost Centipede we encountered in the marsh; although that battle ended with only it as the victor, that wasn't Heaven‑Earth Fusion Refinement naturally refining a Gu, but rather an inherent ascension method of insects."

"The Gu Worm forged by Heaven‑Earth Fusion Refinement relies entirely on devouring its own kind, and with favorable heavenly and earthly conditions, a terrifying Gu Worm is born from the countless Poison Insect corpses."

"This process is quite lengthy, and that Gu Worm is now certainly at the critical moment of ascension!"

Yan Buji quickened his steps, his heart pounding in his chest.

This is a high‑stakes gamble!

According to Hu Xue'er, the Heaven‑Earth Fusion Refinement may have already begun before she arrived, so Yan Buji cannot guarantee that his arrival coincides precisely with the moment the Gu Worm breaks its cocoon to be reborn.

And…

"Fellow Daoist Hu, you should leave here first; the upcoming battle will likely be very dangerous."

Yan Buji issued an Expel Guest Order; first, he didn't want Hu Xue'er to interfere, as he sought the greatest benefit; second, he feared she might already know these matters and had plans to pluck the peach.

Hu Xue'er glanced at Yan Buji, her lips moving briefly, then nodded: "Yan fellow Daoist, go on your way; this little lady will not interfere with you."

That's best.

Yan Buji stepped into the darkness, Hu Xue'er with an innocent face: "Yan fellow Daoist seems to think I deliberately set a trap for him."

Fine, let's go.

Yan fellow Daoist is a capable person, and also very tough.

Just after Hu Xue'er flew out of the cavern, Yan Buji watched everything in the darkness, observed Little Chicken flutter back, chirping a few times, then nodded: "Well done."

After Little Chicken matured, it gained a way to conceal itself; even with Yan Buji's spiritual sense fully active, unless Little Chicken voluntarily revealed its form, its presence would go unnoticed, so he secretly sent it to stalk Hu Xue'er.

Until Hu Xue'er, understanding the situation, waited at the cavern entrance, Yan Buji relaxed and continued forward.

Seeing the fragments of Poison Insects around, waves of crimson foul stench wafted, and Yan Buji couldn't help but swallow a Detox Pill, feeling refreshed.

"Where exactly is it?"

After walking for a while, Yan Buji suddenly looked up, seeing a shocking scene.

He saw a massive pillar, nearly ten meters tall, formed from piled Poison Insect corpses, upon which coiled a palm‑sized white White Worm emitting a faint glow.

The White Worm was plump; the surrounding air exuded an unbelievable aura, and Yan Buji's quick sensing caused his complexion to change instantly.

"Space Power?!"

The Gu Worm seemed to notice the uninvited guest and leapt upward!

In the blink of an eye, the Gu Worm appeared before Yan Buji, a jet‑black Blade Light tearing through the void, slashing fiercely toward Yan Buji's chest!

"Damn!"

Before Yan Buji could dodge the terrifying Blade Light, the Worm vanished from his sight, reappearing around him in an instant, releasing multiple Blade Lights!

These Blade Lights, the immense terror of tearing the void, sent a chill down Yan Buji's back in an instant.