C4 Insect Tide

Rees's intervention caused Mu Qing's expression to shift unpredictably. He had intended to seize the treasure, but things hadn't gone as planned. In a direct confrontation, no one with him could stand up to Rees. Yet, the Silent Cloud Sect boasted a wealth of masters, and any elder plucked from their ranks could easily defeat Rees.

The elder spoke calmly, "The matter is resolved. Mu Qing, let them handle it themselves. The issue with Feifeng is nobody's fault."

"Indeed, Senior. With many pressing matters awaiting us in the depths of Spirit Mountain, we should leave them to resolve this," Mu Qing said, his face briefly stiffening as he cast a glance at Feifeng before departing with his entourage.

"Let's go!" With Mu Qing gone, Feishi and the others didn't linger, well aware of Rees's presence.

Approaching Chu Haoyun, the elder extended a hand, releasing a soft energy that significantly healed the young man's wounds. He offered a warm smile, "Young man, should you ever leave these mountains, take this to the Order of the Celestial Veil."

He handed Chu Haoyun a three-inch jade medallion, then turned to leave without further comment. As he passed Rees, a grateful voice emerged, "Thank you!"

"If he chooses to venture out," the elder remarked, leading the little girl away, leaving his final words to hang in the air as they vanished from sight.

"Grandfather, why entrust the Celestial Key to such an untamed child?" the girl inquired with curiosity once they were a distance away. The elder simply laughed and shook his head, offering no reply.

As the tumult subsided, both Black Panther and Rees looked on with respect.

In Jackal's Maw, the elder said his farewells to Mu Qing and the little girl before setting off alone. He had barely settled when a follower arrived with news: the Seventh Elder had come. They were to join forces with other sects at dawn and venture into the heart of Spirit Mountain to seek their destiny.

Mu Qing's eyes sparkled at the news, a malevolent grin spreading across his face.

Like a shadow streaking through the forest, the figure darted beneath towering cliffs and into a secluded cave. Inside, a scattering of lights twinkled like glowworms.

The cave was small, just large enough for Black Panther Rees to stand upright.

Rees gently laid Chu Haoyun on a rock and produced a white jade medallion from his mouth, placing it in the boy's tiny hand. He whispered, "I once took you in here. This will also be where your journey begins. Haoyun, may you never have to recall the memories of the Blizzard of Blades."

With a sense of reluctance, Black Panther Rees breathed a blue light onto Chu Haoyun's body, bestowing a portion of his life essence. It wasn't until the first light of dawn that Rees slowly withdrew and sealed the entrance to the cave.

He walked away with a heavy heart, but suddenly, he halted in his tracks.

The familiar direction was engulfed in smoke and fog. A cold gleam flashed in Black Panther's eyes as he let out a low growl, transforming into a streak of lightning and racing towards the disturbance.

The faint glow on Chu Haoyun's body was a sign of mysterious powers at work, seemingly unlocking another layer within his dreams.

Dreams were fleeting like dew or lightning, the night filled with the dance of cold winds and snow. On a sheer cliff, countless figures clashed with blades and swords, shredding the snow. Cries of pain and roars of rage, bitter laughter, and unbridled insanity filled the air.

The visions in the dream were unsettling. Chu Haoyun tossed and turned, his body slick with sweat. The brutal carnage painted the cliff's snow crimson, the figures were indistinct, but the deadly glint of blades and the echoes of anguished screams haunted him.

Suddenly, amidst the harsh snowy night, the piercing cry of an infant broke through the silence. In Chu Haoyun's mind, a whirlwind of icy blades enveloped him...

Chu Haoyun awoke with a start. The dimly lit cave felt alien, and memories swirled in his mind. His gaze sharpened suddenly.

"Uncle Rees!" Chu Haoyun's heart skipped a beat. He pounded on the sealed entrance in a frenzy, his powerful blows sending stone chips flying until light burst forth before him.

The land was desolate and silent. Where once stood a forest, now only ashes remained. Tharannora Village had been razed to the ground, leaving behind only ruins and countless bloodstains, with not a single body in sight. Standing before the shattered statue of the Black Panther, Chu Haoyun stared blankly at the devastation around him.

The Silent Cloud Sect left nothing behind in their wake of destruction. Not a single useful thing could be found amidst the rubble," a voice lamented from within the ruins.

"It's their strength that's to blame. That Seventh Elder from the Tharannora Village simply flattened the Chu family's little black cat with a single palm strike, cracked open its skull, and extracted the Demon Core," another voice added.

"They brought it upon themselves. They refused to surrender the secret treasure they had taken from Feilong. The Seventh Elder had no choice but to claim the Demon Core as spoils of war."

Upon hearing this, Chu Haoyun's pupils narrowed. He charged forward and spotted two villagers from Jackal's Maw sifting through the debris.

"Damn it!" he bellowed in rage, launching a punch that sent one of the men flying into a wall, his head bursting upon impact. The other villager shook with fear as he stared at Chu Haoyun and stammered, "You... you're still alive?"

"Talk! What exactly happened?" Chu Haoyun demanded, his eyes blazing with fury as he crushed the man's arm. The man's agonized screams filled the air. Realizing the gravity of the situation, he hastily recounted the events.

"Jackal's Maw Village, Silent Cloud Sect, Seventh Elder, Mu Qing!" Chu Haoyun trembled with rage. His family had been slaughtered over a lie concocted by Feihu. That harrowing day had occurred over ten days ago.

"Ah!" Chu Haoyun knelt before the shattered statue, his roar of fury mingling with his cries of sorrow. A potent force seemed to swell within him, his arms emitting a faint red glow.

The sound of rustling grew louder and more urgent. Chu Haoyun looked up to see a vast, dark swarm before him. Mountain Moving Ants the size of mung beans, Flamemaw Ants as big as fists, and swarms of venomous wasps spread across the charred landscape like a tidal wave.

Slowly lifting his hand, Chu Haoyun watched the endless swarm of ants respond to his movement. He ceased his weeping as the details of the Glimmering Soul Orb surfaced in his mind. Could he control these insects?

With a wave of his glowing arms, he issued a silent command. The torrent of ants before him surged like a tidal wave. Chu Haoyun's gaze sharpened.

"Jackal's Maw!"

Feishi was extremely frustrated. The Seventh Elder of the Silent Cloud Sect had decimated the people of Tharannora and then departed in pursuit of treasure deep within Spirit Mountain. Before leaving, he burdened Feishi with a colossal problem: to locate and surrender a so-called secret treasure. It was only later, from Feihu's revelation, that Feishi learned it was all a deception, which left him seething with rage and fear.

The harrowing scenes from Tharannora Village were etched into his memory, chilling him to the core. Moreover, the whereabouts of the Guardian Beast, after catching wind of the news, remained unknown, casting a dark shadow over his spirits.

"Have you not found it yet?" Feishi asked, restless with anxiety.

The men who had just returned shook their heads. A portly one said, "Chief, that wild child has been missing without a trace since the day Tharannora was wiped out."

"No trace! Then what are you doing back here? Go out and search again! Do you want us to end up like Tharannora Village? Get out!" Feishi exploded in anger, shattering everything before him.

The men fled in a tumble of limbs, while Feishi, his face twisted with bitterness, muttered under his breath, "That damn wild brat, you better hope I don't catch you."

"Chief..." At that moment, the same group who had just scurried away returned in a state of utter disarray. Seeing this, Feishi's anger intensified. He charged at them, ready to lash out.

"Ah!" Suddenly, the entire Jackal's Maw was engulfed in a cacophony of screams. A black tide rolled across the land, with chaotic green waves swirling in the sky.

An unending horde of ants consumed everything in its path. Wherever they went, they left only bloodstained earth and mountains of bones. On this day, Jackal's Maw faced its apocalypse. Many villagers, still clueless about what was happening, were devoured by the relentless black tide.

"You bastard!" The horrific sight sent shivers down the spines of onlookers. Feishi's eyes locked onto a silhouette amidst the black tide. With a subtle glow emanating from his arms, the ant swarm churned and surged, devouring everything within reach. The insect tide, converging from all directions, besieged Jackal's Maw. Like ants consuming an elephant, they were an unstoppable force.

"Ah!" As the tide of insects surged forward, several people in front of Feishi were seized by the Flamemaw Ants and pulled into the swarming mass. After a brief struggle, they fell silent. Before long, Feishi was the only one left in the entire Jackal's Maw.