Chapter 355: Encountering an Attack
Jiang Chen and the others sat on their meditation cushions, awaiting their return to the Immortal Sect.
Suddenly, a faint vibration emanated from his Jade Green Gourd. He retrieved it, only to find it wasn’t a message from someone else, but a call to his own Communication Talisman.
He rarely gave these out; only a handful of friends possessed one. And at this moment, nearly everyone he knew—save for Han Xin, Zhu Fuxian, Wang Ze, and Zhao Feng—was sitting right here on this ship. The identity of the caller was obvious.
As expected, Xuan Zhu’s charming voice echoed from the talisman.
“My Royal Father wishes to meet with you. When might you be free?”
“My apologies,” Jiang Chen replied, his tone flat. “I have already departed Mystic Heart City and am en route back to the sect. We will have to arrange this for my next visit.”
He ended the communication and stowed the talisman.
From Xuan Zhu’s tone, he could tell the matter was as good as settled. It was just unfortunate timing. He couldn’t afford a prolonged stay in Mystic Heart City; a mountain of responsibilities awaited him back at the sect.
First, the third-quarter planting on the Spirit Farm’s outer perimeter was about to begin, which meant another round of inspections, supervision, and instruction.
Second, the Return to Ruins Secret Realm was opening soon. This was a major event that required thorough preparation.Abruptly, the air around them began to thrum with a deep vibration, like the sound of a thousand beehives stirring to life.
At first, no one paid it much mind. While the open skies were generally safe, they weren’t entirely without their own strange phenomena.
However, the sound grew steadily louder, the vibrations more distinct. They could now clearly sense that something was approaching—and fast.
Jiang Chen’s eyebrow twitched. He rose from his cushion in a single fluid motion, casting out his spiritual sense.
Initially, his senses returned nothing. The sky was empty.
But moments later, spiritual sense was no longer necessary. With the naked eye, they could all see a vast cloud of insects swarming toward the Shattered Moon Flowing Frost.
It was Long Ao who finally broke the stunned silence. “What’s going on?” he asked, his voice laced with disbelief.
“Wait, that’s not a normal swarm…”
“How strange. What are creatures like that doing this high up?”
Though it wasn’t their first time traveling by air, none of them had ever encountered a situation like this. The Shattered Moon Flowing Frost was a superior-grade transport vessel. While its true speed was unleashed in water, it still far outpaced ordinary flying artifacts in the sky. Forget insects; most birds couldn’t even keep up.
Yet these bizarre creatures were not only catching up, but they were also beginning to form an encirclement.
The implication was chillingly clear: they were faster than the Shattered Moon Flowing Frost.
Jiang Chen narrowed his eyes, his mind racing as he cross-referenced the image before him with the knowledge stored within. The Myriad Insects Secret Record was more than a guide on capturing, taming, and evolving insects; it was an encyclopedia of nearly every known species.
The creatures were roughly five inches long, their bodies resembling oversized rhinoceros beetles, but with two pairs of broad, hardened wing casings. The outer pair was a deep brown, etched with raised ridges. The inner pair were translucent, membranous wings that, when unfurled, spanned nearly twice the width of their bodies. They beat at an incredible frequency, generating a piercing shriek as they tore through the air.
A short, thick, spiral horn protruded from the center of each insect’s head, its tip gleaming with a cold, metallic gold, its base ringed with faint red markings. Their compound eyes were a dark crimson, with pupils narrowed into vertical slits. Their mouthparts were a set of serrated, pincer-like mandibles. At the end of their abdomens, a sharp, yellow-black stinger was tucked away, its surface dotted with fine pores from which a faint yellow venom oozed.
Their flight speed was astonishing, far exceeding that of common flying insects, allowing them to weave nimbly through the high-altitude clouds. There were at least several dozen of them, and their combined mass coalesced into a small, ominous cloud on the horizon.
Jiang Chen’s brow furrowed. “If I’m not mistaken, those are Horned Flying Bugs.”
They were a rare and exceptionally fast species. Their lethality was immense; a Foundation Establishment cultivator, even one with a single Spirit Root, could easily be overwhelmed by a swarm.
Typically, Horned Flying Bugs never ventured to such altitudes, let alone deliberately approached a vessel like the Shattered Moon Flowing Frost. Such coordinated behavior could only mean one thing: it was the will of a Worm Mother.
These creatures were an anomaly, and an immediate threat.
Hearing the name, the others stared back blankly. Even Long Ao and Jin Fugui from Beast Mountain had never heard of them. Insect cultivation was, after all, a niche within a niche.
“Everyone, hold on tight!” Jiang Chen commanded, his expression grim.
Without a shred of hesitation, he activated the Shattered Moon Flowing Frost’s second ability.
A layer of silver frost instantly enveloped the entire ship, and its speed skyrocketed. The Horned Flying Bugs, which had been closing the distance, were thrown behind in the blink of an eye.
To leave nothing to chance, Jiang Chen didn’t let up. He continuously poured his spiritual power into the vessel, keeping it in a state of maximum acceleration. Even when the distant peaks of the Immortal Sect appeared on the horizon, he maintained their blistering pace.
Only after the ship touched down at the flying dock of Fire Peak did he finally exhale, a wave of relief washing over him. He had to thank the synergy of his Spirit Roots. Water nourished Wood, allowing his two spiritual energies to cycle and support each other. While it wasn’t a truly self-sustaining loop, it had significantly extended his endurance.
Once they were on solid ground, Long Ao couldn’t contain his curiosity. “Junior Brother Jiang, how did you recognize those insects?”
That a Spirit Farmer could identify a creature unknown even to disciples of Beast Mountain was, frankly, astonishing.
Jiang Chen crunched down on a Foundation Spirit Pill, replenishing his energy as he spoke. “To be honest, Senior Brother, I am now a Wood Spirit Root insect cultivator.”
The revelation stunned not only Long Ao but everyone present, including Jin Fugui.
They were unaware of the Meridian-Erosion disaster, so Jiang Chen gave them a concise account of how he had acquired the Meridian-Reversing Worm Mother and embarked on the path of an insect cultivator.
As the story unfolded, understanding dawned on their faces.
“So where are your insects?” Jin Fugui asked eagerly.
Jiang Chen glanced at his Square Inch Ring. “Resting. I’ll be sure to show you when the opportunity arises.”
Though their curiosity was piqued, no one pressed the issue. They knew they would see them eventually; there was no need to rush.
Long Ao mulled it over. “This must have been a random, one-off incident, right?”
A one-off incident? Jiang Chen scoffed internally.
Back in Mystic Heart City, he had felt the distinct sensation of being watched. The moment he left the city’s protection, he was ambushed by a swarm of Horned Flying Bugs. He had been lucky. The Shattered Moon Flowing Frost was a high-grade vessel with two special abilities, one of which doubled its speed and defense. Without it, the encounter could have ended in disaster.
Even now, safely within the sect’s borders, Jiang Chen did not let his guard down. His first instinct was to seek out Zhu Fuxian immediately.
He was now almost certain. The one who had been spying on him, the one who had commanded that swarm to attack him, was very likely the true culprit behind the Meridian-Erosion disaster: Rong Long.