Chapter 208

Chapter 208: Second Assault on the Island

“Boom! Boom! Boom!”

The commotion shook the earth and sea, reverberating with overwhelming force that seemed to swallow the heavens!

“Crack, crack, crack!”

Countless layers of halos lit up in the sky above Wan Nest Island—auras, disks, and wheels—creating loud sounds to resist the falling Corpse Islands from above.

These could no longer be called Corpse Islands; they were thousands of massive stones burning fiercely as they fell from the sky.

A thousand-mile radius was in turmoil. The air grew scorching, and as the Corpse Islands howled downwards, they released blood energy, falling onto the sea and killing schools of fish and shrimp, soon covering the surface with a thick layer of dead fish.

“Boom, boom…” The vibrations were so violent that even with the formation’s defense, the Hongmo Sect was so relentless that it still caused the heavens to break and the earth to split.

Li Hui took a deep breath, secretly timing his movements.

“Bang! Bang! Bang!” Many Corpse Islands exploded, turning into countless fireballs that fell into the formation. The enormous sounds echoed even underground, and to the surprise of the three, the small pond ahead began bubbling vigorously, rapidly depleting the murky water.

Hundreds of cracks opened at the bottom of the pond, and vibrant fat worms crawled out.

These fat worms were as thick as an adult’s thigh, resembling caterpillars except for their exceptionally bright colors, making anyone wary and reluctant to approach.

“Damn, what kind of worms are these? There must be a bug nest under the pond,” Jin Mingyang cautiously stepped back. Normally, brightly colored worms meant high toxicity.

Li Hui examined the creatures carefully and felt a flicker of excitement.

Qian Duohai laughed heartily, “Hahaha, when luck comes, there’s no stopping it! These are the Five Element Spirit Light Worms; it’s rare to encounter even one, but they help cultivators harmonize the five elements. Their medicinal effect is unparalleled!”

As his words faded, he leaped out, taking out his large net to catch them. However, things didn’t go as planned; the colorful fat worms raised their heads and emitted blinding white light, startling Qian Duohai so much that he let out a strange cry and hurriedly jumped back.

Gone was the large net, now nothing but fragments floating away.

Li Hui spoke up: “These are the even rarer Reverse Five Element Spirit Light Worms. Although it’s just one more word, the difference is immeasurable. ‘Reverse’ doesn’t mean inverted; it means waterfalls flowing upwards, time reversing, and heavy objects soaring into the sky—everything goes in reverse. Trying to deal with them isn’t easy; just a bit of their reverse five-element mirage can disrupt the five-element structure of things.”

Qian Duohai glanced ahead with lingering fear, “There are indeed Reverse Five Element Spirit Light Worms? They look just like the ones recorded in the texts.”

Li Hui remained calm, explaining slowly, “Some say the Reverse Five Element Spirit Light Worms evolve from the Five Element Spirit Light Worms, which is why they look similar. However, upon closer observation, differences can be found. For instance, these worms have more prominent mouthparts, and their bodies are plumper compared to the Five Element Spirit Light Worms.”

“The Five Element Spirit Light Worms are treasures; then the Reverse Five Element Spirit Light Worms must be priceless—every cultivator would want to seize them!” Qian Duohai looked at Li Hui with eager eyes, believing this young man must know how to collect them since he appeared so at ease.

“Jumping out of the five elements is necessary…” Li Hui began, then fell silent.

“Jumping out of the five elements? How could that even be possible?” Qian Duohai scratched his head, unable to fathom what kind of treasure could enable such a thing.

Suddenly, a spark of inspiration struck Jin Mingyang as he waved his hand and conjured three spirit talismans, creating a clamor as they clashed. The colorful fat worms suddenly stiffened and became as easy to catch as fish on a chopping board. He laughed joyfully, “Hahaha! It’s not difficult for the knowledgeable; it’s that simple to deal with these worms. Since that’s the case, I’ll take advantage of it.”

“What’s going on?” Qian Duohai glared angrily.

“Human thoughts can jump out of the five elements! Using the Bewildering Spirit Talisman to daze them, these little guys will be easy to catch!” Jin Mingyang said proudly, unleashing a pale blue decree talisman, its gentle wind sweeping across to catch over a hundred colorful fat worms.

“Oh my! Brother Jin is magnificent! We’ve been together for quite a while; this is fate! You see, I particularly like these worms; could you bestow a few spirit talismans upon your little brother? Hahaha, a decree would be best too!” Qian Duohai’s shamelessness reached new heights.

Jin Mingyang widened his eyes in disbelief, and Li Hui nearly stumbled. This was supposed to be a sacred bond—Oath-Bound Brothers—with a face thick enough to block a heavenly disaster!

“Gugugug…” More colorful fat worms crawled out from the cracks in the bottom of the pond, and deafening booms echoed as Wan Nest Island descended into complete chaos; even underground was no longer safe.

“Boom…” Rocks and dirt flew everywhere, and light and shadow flickered.

Originally, Jin Mingyang had posted bright lantern talismans on the walls, so light had not been an issue. However, after this tremor, the talismans broke, plunging the surroundings into darkness.

The Reverse Five Element Spirit Light Worms emitted a faint glow, horrified, they clustered together, forming an increasingly massive “worm mass.”

In the next instant, a buzzing filled their minds, nearly causing the three to faint. A Corpse Island must have fallen right above them, and thick cracks appeared in the ceiling, with various-sized stones crashing down.

“Puff, puff, puff…” The mass of worms shot out blinding white light, instantly dissolving all the rocks and causing the three to be dazzled by flashes of light.

Jin Mingyang paid with a defensive treasure talisman, Qian Duohai destroyed three top-tier magical artifacts, and Li Hui threw out five sections of Prison Wood covered in Green Scale Talismans.

Each used their methods to survive the indiscriminate assault created by the worms. Looking around, not a single rock remained. The walls and ground had become incredibly smooth, as if polished to perfection.

This was only the beginning; the terrifying vibrations came in waves, penetrating deep underground.

An auspicious phantom appeared behind Li Hui, leaping into the gap created by the fat worms as they climbed up, right where the cracks had opened at the bottom of the pond.

After the impact of the mirage, these cracks widened significantly, with some places appearing very deep, leading to unknown destinations. Qian Duohai and Jin Mingyang rushed down as well, but the three maintained their rationality, not delving too deep.

It was easy to deduce that the Reverse Five Element Spirit Light Worms wouldn’t emerge for no reason—danger surely lay beneath, and finding a crevice to avoid the mirage was the best option. Right now, nowhere was safe.

The three kept their guard up and did not stay in the same gap.

Li Hui waited, anticipating the moment the shaking would decrease.

The vibrations continued for half an hour, and in a single intense jolt, hundreds of grinding stone-sized rocks crashed down; thank goodness they avoided them along with the Reverse Five Element Spirit Light Worms; otherwise, resisting those falling rocks would have taken a toll.

Finally, the noise began to lessen.

Li Hui closed his eyes; the Heavenly and Earthly Arrays accelerated their operation as he quietly chanted, “Let luck be my guide, help me escape the island.”

In a daze, he saw a tangle of roots in overlapping lights and shadows. The image shifted to a deep green scene, feeling oddly familiar.

Next, his vision plunged into an endless darkness where the abyss seemed everlasting. He had no idea when it would burst forth in a thousand beams of light, from which a single beam shot directly toward him.

“Crack…” The four Fortune Ascending Talismans within him trembled simultaneously. Li Hui rushed to stop the flow of energy, his heart racing, “In the blink of an eye, I’ve consumed ninety-five percent of my fortune; the remaining five percent has touched a red line. If I keep using it, it will affect the talismans themselves. Where is the clue?”