Chapter 1163: Terrifying Spirit-Devouring Bug

Ye Mo and his companions remained motionless as four cultivators disembarked from a flying magic artifact. All four were in the Body Condensation state. They immediately noticed Ye Mo's group.

"Hey, the sand—you can't…" Huang Lanlan began, but Luo Fei quickly pulled her back. Since her sect's annihilation and subsequent abandonment by her lover, Luo Fei had changed. She had matured significantly. She couldn't gauge the power level of the newcomers, but it was clear they were stronger. Whether friend or foe, Luo Fei chose silence.

"Such dense spiritual energy…" a middle-aged man in yellow cultivator robes inhaled deeply.

"Such powerful female cultivators," a cultivator with triangular eyes remarked, eyeing Luo Ying and Ning Qingxue.

A thin-faced cultivator swiftly silenced his companion, then saluted Ye Mo with a fist. "Were you all sucked down as well?"

He addressed Ye Mo's group, but his gaze lingered on Lin Yiban, assuming him to be the leader.

"Yes, we were sucked down," Lin Yiban confirmed.

The triangular-eyed cultivator interjected, "Are those female cultivators with you?"

Ye Mo's expression hardened. He had considered warning them about the sand, but the way the cultivator looked at Luo Ying made him uneasy. Now this? This man was clearly trouble.

Lin Yiban's face mirrored Ye Mo's displeasure. Were it not for the four Body Condensation cultivators, he might have attacked already.

Ye Mo shook his head; attacking would be futile. They were outmatched.

The triangular-eyed cultivator attempted to speak again, but the yellow-robed cultivator stopped him. "Brother Hai, something's amiss. This place is barren except for the sand."

The implication was clear: women could wait; understanding their surroundings was paramount.

The triangular-eyed cultivator nodded. Even if the women had come with two Body Condensation cultivators, he could take them if he wanted. No one would risk their life for a woman against superior opponents.

Ye Mo's eyes turned icy, but he remained still. These four clearly didn't know him; they must have been here for a considerable time, perhaps over a year. Otherwise, even the deaf would have heard of him.

The cultivators ventured deeper.

"Something's wrong," Lin Yiban observed. "We waited three days for that crack to open. How are there others here so soon after us?"

Ye Mo attempted a spiritual sense scan but failed. After a moment's thought, he offered, "Perhaps the crack doesn't open at a fixed time. I fear it may have remained open after our arrival. They likely came because of the intense spiritual energy."

"Brother, you said this place contains an extreme-grade spirit range, even spirit marrow. Those people are ahead; should we follow?" Tang Beiwei asked anxiously.

Ye Mo shook his head. "We need to ascend, but not with them. Let's change direction. More and more people will arrive. If news spreads, the influx will be overwhelming."

The outskirts of the Ice God Forbidden Grounds were perilous, but entry was possible with high-grade flying artifacts. Which major sect lacked one or two?

Just as everyone anticipated Ye Mo using his Heaven Flame, he summoned Shadowless. Upon its appearance, Shadowless shrieked excitedly and lunged forward.

The other cultivators, seeing the sand react as if to something terrifying, retreated, but too slowly.

Ye Mo watched as Shadowless soared, engulfing a grey stream of eggs.

Everyone was stunned that such a small creature—no bigger than a green pea—devoured so many eggs.

Even Ning Qingxue was amazed. "Husband, it's so small, how can it eat so much?"

Ye Mo replied awkwardly, "I don't know. When it was born, it ate something a hundred times its size."

"That's a Shadowless Worm!" Lin Yiban exclaimed.

"You know about the Shadowless Worm?" Ye Mo was delighted.

Lin Yiban nodded. "My father spoke of it: 'Not a spirit bug, not immortal, not number one Shadowless Worm.' It's one of the cultivation realm's most precious creatures, yet the City Lord possesses it. Congratulations!"

Ye Mo waved a hand. "Brother Lin, tell me what that means. I need to know."

Lin Yiban explained without hesitation, "The Shadowless Worm isn't a spirit bug and doesn't originate in the cultivation realm. I don't know how the City Lord obtained it, but it's certainly not native. It resembles a spirit bug, but all spirit bugs, even the rare ones, fear it."

"Then isn't it the top-ranked bug? Why isn't it?" Huang Lanlan questioned.

Lin Yiban shook his head. "Long ago, someone brought a Shadowless Worm to the cultivation realm. It quickly gained fame, and some elders ranked it first. However, they later discovered that even the most powerful spirit bugs showed fear upon seeing it. It proved to be unlike other bugs, so it was removed from the rankings."

"Then why isn't it immortal?" Huang Lanlan pressed.

Lin Yiban shrugged. "That, I don't know."

Ye Mo suddenly asked, "Brother Lin, your father must be quite powerful, correct?"

Lin Yiban's eyes flickered with remembrance and sadness. "Yes, my father was extraordinary. It's due to my ancestor's exceptional talent. Even now, his name evokes respect."

"City Lord, I won't hide this: My ancestor was Chu Jiuyu. I am his descendant."

Everyone stared in shock, but he continued angrily, "My ancestor's Nine-Star Village was usurped by house servants. Since my great-grandfather, we've striven to reclaim our home. My father gave me the name Lin Yiban because 'Lin' is half of 'Chu.' The day I retake Nine-Star Village is the day I restore the Chu name."

Ye Mo understood; no wonder the name Lin Yiban seemed odd. He wondered if Lin Yiban, as a descendant of Chu Jiuyu, knew about Fish Jump Through Dragon Gate.

Ye Mo was about to ask when a scream pierced the air. Moments later, a cultivator—clearly a Body Condensation cultivator who had ventured inside—burst forth. He was covered in sand, specifically Spirit Devouring Bugs. He didn't travel far before collapsing into the sand, which then vanished.

Ye Mo's heart sank. The spirit bugs that consumed cultivator essence and blood must have hatched; otherwise, they wouldn't have devoured a Body Condensation cultivator so quickly.