C17 Insect Man

In the underground black market, within the Azure Dragon Cultivation Room.

"Pfft."

Qiao Gao violently expelled a mouthful of black blood, which corroded a massive pit into the incredibly hard ground. The stench, akin to that of a decaying corpse, invaded his nostrils, inducing a wave of revulsion.

Shock was etched across Qiao Gao's face.

This was an Azure Dragon-level cultivation room, where a single day's use cost 1000 Origin Crystals. Constructed with the finest materials available in Great Flame City, it was designed to withstand the forceful strike of any Soul Connecting Stage master!

Rumor had it that the 'Azure Dragon' cultivation room could endure the relentless assault of a Life Connecting Stage powerhouse for a span of three breaths!

Considering the Life Connecting Stage represented the elite, not just in Great Flame City but across the entire North Star Country, one could only imagine the resilience of the 'Azure Dragon' cultivation room.

Yet, it had been marred by the vile-smelling black blood.

After spewing the dark blood, Qiao Gao's complexion turned ashen, and he heaved for air as though he had been grievously wounded.

Despite the internal damage, a fierce glint shone in Qiao Gao's eyes as he fixed his gaze on the shadow within the black blood.

"Su Su ~ ~"

The shadow, drenched in the pit of black blood, surfaced, revealing a ghastly small head.

It was a palm-sized insect, gleaming with a sinister black sheen and bristling with sharp spines all over its body. The spines on its head were a dark gold, exuding an aura of lethal toxicity at a mere glance.

This repugnant being was none other than the Yin Fiend Corpse Worm that had been stealthily residing within Qiao Gao's meridians!

"Squeak squeak ~ ~"

The worm wriggled through the black blood, apparently aware of Qiao Gao's hostile stare. It defiantly raised its grotesque head, emitting a grating screech and brandishing its talons.

Witnessing this, Qiao Gao's brow furrowed. The loathsome insect was displaying a provocative demeanor, indicating a disturbingly high level of sentience!

"Shua!"

The Yin Fiend Corpse Worm suddenly sprang into action, transforming into a streak of black lightning as it bolted for the door.

"Not so fast!"

Qiao Gao's eyes blazed with intensity as he furiously channeled the Divine Demon Body Refinement technique. His physical speed soared to its peak. With a swift motion, he reached out with his large hand, attempting to snatch the repulsive Yin Fiend Corpse Worm with his bare hands.

Despite its unassuming name, the Yin Fiend Corpse Worm hailed from the formidable Yin Fiend Sect, a sect that struck fear across the Nine-Heavens and Ten-Earths!

The Yin Fiend Sect, notorious for its bloodthirsty nature, excelled in the dark arts of insect planting and beast control. In the ancient era, it was an entity that no one dared cross, an embodiment of dread itself!

Provoking the Yin Fiend Sect was a death wish—they would curse you with their insects, turning you into a bug man, leaving you clueless about your own demise!

As per the memories of the Myriad Tribulation Pill Monarch, few who crossed the Yin Fiend Sect ever met a pleasant end. Once cursed, victims would undergo a horrific transformation into bug men, a process marked by excruciating pain and a ghastly fate.

Legend has it that the Yin Fiend Sect once dared to curse a god emperor of the Nine-Heavens and Ten-Earths, Houyi, inciting the wrath of a powerful race. Consequently, the sect swiftly vanished from existence.

Unexpectedly, the Yin Fiend Sect's ace, the "Yin Fiend Corpse Worm," had resurfaced in such an obscure corner of the Lower Realm.

It appeared the Yin Fiend Sect had not been entirely wiped out.

For an average warrior, being cursed with such a bug spelled irreversible doom. They would be reduced to an 'insect man,' a lifeless husk, enslaved to the whims of the Gu worm.

As the Yin Fiend Corpse Worm reached maturity, the insect man's body would begin to decompose. Alarmingly, at this stage, the insect man would regain their senses, yet be powerless to halt the relentless decay of their flesh.

The insect man's final moments were drawn out in unbearable agony, and even a warrior at the lower Vein Connecting Stage would endure this prolonged torment for up to a year...

"Who could be so malicious? To plant a worm inside me!" Qiao Gao's face seethed with malice, his intent to kill palpable.

Clearly, the Yin Fiend Corpse Worm had been dwelling within Qiao Gao for quite some time, having developed a semblance of sentience. It recognized the danger Qiao Gao posed and hastily attempted to flee. Yet, upon witnessing Qiao Gao's attempt to capture it with his bare hands, a cruel smirk surfaced on the grotesque face of the worm.