Gong Ling spoke from within his Sea of Consciousness.
Ling Changqing looked up. Along the banks of the magma river, he could spot clumps of orchid-like Spirit dicine shimring with a dewy red glow. A faint, sweet fragrance perated the air.
These were all Fire Attribute Spirit dicine and Spiritual Herbs, and most of them had reached Rank Two Middle and Upper Grade, making them perfect for use in Alchemy.
Ling Changqing scanned his surroundings. There weren’t many Earth-Core Fla Worms near the magma river. ’It seems they’re also wary of so threat from within the magma river.’
He set his sights on a two-foot-tall Fire Feather Nine-Night Orchid and flitted lightly across the open riverbank.
With a flash of his sword, he had already dug up the Second Rank High Grade Spirit dicine, roots and all, and placed it in his Storage Pouch.
In the next instant, Ling Changqing had already left the river’s edge, retreating several tens of ters back onto the bank.
A huge head suddenly erged from the endlessly roiling and boiling magma river. Its smooth body was covered in fiery red scales, and a large, illusory fla wreathed around it.
It was a Fierce Beast resembling a giant lizard, with a half-foot-long, dark Drum Horn on its forehead.
It blinked its long, narrow, green vertical pupils and looked around in confusion, but found nothing amiss.
After a long while, the massive creature reluctantly withdrew, its bloated body sinking back into the depths of the magma river.
By now, Ling Changqing had already reached another patch of Purple Crystal Lava Flowers. With a single scoop, he uprooted them, tossed them into his Storage Pouch, and instantly fled.
The magma churned, and with an angry roar, another lizard-like Fierce Beast poked its head out.
Unfortunately, though it looked all around, it too ca up empty.
In this manner, Ling Changqing darted back and forth along the magma river, plundering every Spirit dicine and Spiritual Herb he could find.
Enraged Fierce Beasts would periodically erge from the magma, roaring as they searched for the audacious thief.
However, compared to Ling Changqing’s speed, their reactions were a little too slow, and they always missed him.
’Alright, ti to head deeper.’
After placing the last Spirit dicine in his pouch, Ling Changqing, still feeling unsatisfied, flew across the magma river toward the massive cave complex on the opposite bank.
He advanced cautiously, stopping and starting as he navigated around dense swarms of Earth-Core Fla Worms. Ignoring the rising temperature, he gritted his teeth and pressed on.
Following Gong Ling’s guidance, after several hours of trekking, Ling Changqing finally found the correct path and snuck his way to the edge of the Insect Queen’s lair.
This area was deep within the earth’s fiery veins. Countless subterranean magma rivers crisscrossed the landscape, and stone pillars hundreds of ters high supported a cavern as magnificent as a palace. Swarms of flaming orbs hovered in the air.
The floor of the stone hall where the Insect Queen resided was paved with translucent, fiery red crystals that radiated an oppressive heat. Every so often, Earth-Core Fla Worms serving as guards and servants would flutter past.
While invisible, Ling Changqing slipped into the main hall. Hundreds of Insect Kings ca into view, arranged neatly on either side of a high platform, resembling a court of officials attending to their monarch.
The Insect Queen’s throne sat atop the high platform. On it was a massive creature several ters long. The wings on its back had atrophied and vanished, and its dark, blood-red carapace was covered in pale-gold stripes.
Its throne shimred with a magnificent, iridescent halo, and its body was surrounded by piles of pale gold crystals. These were all Third Grade and Quasi Rank Four Spirit Gold Materials.
Behind the high platform, several types of unidentifiable Spirit dicine and Spiritual Herbs were also growing.
’The Insect Queen’s own combat power is nothing special, but...’
Ling Changqing frowned as he looked at the surrounding Insect Kings. Their destructive power was no joke. If they sward him, he wouldn’t stand a chance.
Even if he used every trick up his sleeve, the outco would likely be the sa. After all, within Dragon Soul Valley, one couldn’t use power beyond the Foundation Establishnt Level.
"Do you have a plan?"
Ling Changqing asked thoughtfully.
Gong Ling’s voice replied, "If you send out one of the Puppets, it should be able to deal with them."
"But we can’t use power beyond the Foundation Establishnt Level in Dragon Soul Valley, and that Puppet has the combat power of the Golden Core Stage."
"Even as a Disposable item, it still couldn’t violate the rules of Dragon Soul Valley," Ling Changqing said with a frown.
"It’s fine. Just don’t let it attack. Its only purpose is to draw the insects’ attention!"
Gong Ling explained.
"That makes sense."
Ling Changqing realized that even if the Combat Puppet didn’t fight back, its Defense was still equivalent to a genuine Late stage Golden Core cultivator.
No matter how powerful the Insect Kings’ attacks were, destroying it would take them quite so ti.
As long as their attention was on the Combat Puppet, Ling Changqing could fish in troubled waters and snatch all the treasures here for himself.
With a flicker of his thought, the last of the twelve Dark Gold Statues standing before the main hall of the Era Star Palace quietly vanished.
Imdiately, a brilliant golden radiance flared, and a ten-foot-tall Combat Puppet clad in Golden Helt and Armor appeared in the center of the hall, wielding a Long Halberd.
Instantly, the hall erupted into chaos. At the Insect Queen’s piercing shriek, swarms of Insect Kings surged forward to besiege the uninvited guest.
Hiding in the shadows, Ling Changqing controlled the Puppet with his Divine Thought, making it break through the surrounding swarm and move at high speed, but without launching any attacks.
A sowhat comical scene unfolded: the Combat Puppet darted around the hall, leaving a trail of afterimages as it dodged and weaved, with a massive swarm of insects in hot pursuit.
A cacophony of sharp and hoarse screeches rose and fell, converging into a terrifying, deafening wave of sound within the hall.
Seeing that the Combat Puppet was about to be cornered, Ling Changqing decided to go all in and released a second one to coordinate with the first.
With that, the scene in the hall descended into even greater chaos.
anwhile, Ling Changqing himself seized the opportunity to rush to the area behind the high platform, scooping up all the rare and precious dicinal Herbs.
He then charged onto the high platform and crept up to the Insect Queen, eting almost no resistance.
As the killing intent closed in, the Insect Queen on the throne seed to sense sothing. It raised its small head to look around, but saw nothing.
Within the Earth-Core Fla Worm species, the Queen’s primary function was reproduction; its personal combat ability was pathetic.
Ling Changqing waved his hand, summoning the Mysterious Jade Scroll. As its pages flipped, rows of Talismans lit up before all being activated at once.
In the next instant, dozens of blood-red lightning bolts descended upon the high platform.
Amidst a bloodcurdling shriek, Ling Changqing lopped off the Insect Queen’s small head with a single sword strike. The head was instantly incinerated by the baptism of lightning, while its bloated body continued to twist and struggle desperately.
Only then did the Insect Kings in the hall seem to snap out of their daze.
Letting out shrieks of shock and fury, they abandoned the two Combat Puppets and charged frantically toward the high platform.
But it was too late. Ling Changqing unleashed a wide-area Ice Seal Technique, causing the ambient temperature to plumt and significantly slowing the Insect Kings’ advance.
Kicking aside the Queen’s lifeless corpse, Ling Changqing stowed the entire throne in his Storage Pouch, not forgetting to grab the precious Spirit Gold Materials scattered around it.
"Alright, let’s get out of here, fast!"
Ling Changqing said urgently.
"As you wish, Master!"
As Gong Ling spoke, Ling Changqing’s figure vanished on the spot, leaving the swarming Insect Kings to grasp at nothing but air.
When Ling Changqing’s vision returned to normal, he found he had already returned to the surface.
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