Chapter Sixty-Nine: The Taoist Performs a Ritual, Wielding the Flaming Blade

Upon seeing this stone wall, Lu Wuji nearly burst into curses. Even for him, it was the first time hearing that the Chai insects would molt and build two stone walls as well.

“Dig! Once you finish this, I’ll give each of you two more elixirs!”

The bailiffs, already exhausted to the bone, were instantly reinvigorated as if injected with new life. Earlier, Lu Wuji had given each of them a restorative pill. After taking it, their spirits revived, and the swelling in their hands seemed to subside. They wholeheartedly believed in the advertised longevity, desperate for more of these miraculous “immortal pills.”

Xu Wenshan and Xu Jing, of course, were not treated to any elixirs. One was a woman, and the other was still nursing injuries, so they merely watched the others work with cold detachment.

Suddenly, Xu Wenshan remarked, “What if, once we finish this wall, there’s yet another behind it?”

Lu Wuji retorted, “Do you think it’s so easy to build a stone wall? Just this one wall requires who knows how much oil, and the mother insect must molt—why waste so much oil just to build walls?”

Even as he spoke, he found it amusing—these mortals didn’t understand a word of what he was saying, so why bother?

Yet, Xu Wenshan’s ominous prediction came true. In the fourth hour inside the cave, they broke through the second stone wall, only to be met by a third.

Finish one wall, and there was another; finish that, and three more awaited. This demon-hunting expedition was so infuriating that even Lu Wuji could hardly bear to watch. They hadn’t even seen the demon, but his mortal subordinates were already half-dead from exhaustion.

No matter what, he could not bring himself to utter the word “dig” again.

Faced with the third stone wall, Lu Wuji’s lips parted several times but no words came. At last, with a clatter, he drew his treasured sword. “All of you, get back!”

Everyone near the wall hurriedly retreated. Lu Wuji barked, “Back farther!” The bailiffs squeezed together before the previous wall, huddling as one.

Lu Wuji formed a sword gesture, and with a cold flash, the flying sword sent a deafening boom echoing through the cave.

When the dust cleared, the third stone wall had a gaping hole pierced clean through by the flying sword. On the other side, only darkness loomed. If one listened closely, strange chittering sounds could be heard.

“Not good!” Lu Wuji’s expression changed abruptly as he shouted, “Jinghong!”

With a crash, a mass of Chai insects spilled from the hole, landing on the ground with a wet splat, resembling a heap of black viscous liquid.

Only then did everyone see with horror what was inside the hole: it was packed full of Chai insects!

They had disturbed a nest!

Lu Wuji panicked, forming one sword gesture after another, but his flying sword, Jinghong, did not respond at all.

Thinking quickly, he clasped both hands in a spell gesture and shouted, “Flame Stream!”

Dozens of fireballs gathered in the air and blasted into the nest. The insects, crammed together, tried to shield themselves with their hard backs, but to little avail. Those struck by fireballs dropped dead, their legs twitching as they expired on the ground.

But only the outermost layer perished; more insects tumbled out in clumps, soon flooding the cave like a tide.

Deprived of his flying sword, Lu Wuji snatched a small flag from his qiankun pouch, waved it twice, and a transparent membrane formed around his body, keeping the insects at bay. Then, he formed a complex Daoist incantation: “Li is the sun; the sun is light; fire above and below is fire; no night, the heavens tremble, burn, die, be discarded—Blazing Fire Blade!”

A long blade of fire materialized in his hand. He swung it, and the insects dropped like dates, roasted into little balls.

Still, these were only cannon fodder. Now, Lu Wuji’s true enemy appeared.

A Chai insect with extraordinarily developed jaw muscles crawled out, larger than the rest. Not just one—several emerged in succession, forming a circle at the front, shielded by the expendable horde.

With a strange hiss, these sharp-jawed insects spat blobs of pitch-black fluid at Lu Wuji. The venom was potent, with a hint of magical disruption. The membrane around him flickered, nearly breaking.

“Blazing Blade!” Lu Wuji swept his fire sword in a wide arc, felling half of the sharp-jawed insects.

The survivors, undaunted, spat more black venom, striking the protective barrier. This time, the membrane finally gave way with a pop, the small flag in Lu Wuji’s hand disintegrating into dust.

While Lu Wuji fought the insects, the mortals behind him suffered disaster.

“Help me!” “Master, save us!” Cries for help rang out, mingled with shouts of “Crush them! Crush them!” and “Let me through first!”

To Lu Wuji, these insects were no threat—but to mortals, they were unstoppable. The little black creatures couldn’t be squashed or crushed. Each had a slender stinger at its tail; one prick meant instant death.

Some bailiffs swung shovels, while others tried to crawl through the opening. The first one to squeeze in had a large rear and got stuck halfway. Those behind shoved furiously, but to no avail. In frustration, they yanked at the big man’s rear, only for it to come away limply—he toppled over, and looking at his hands, realized he held only the lower half. The upper half had vanished.

The big rear had split apart.

In this terrifying, hopeless chaos, Xu Wenshan suddenly shouted, “Grab your weapons and fight!”

He raised a hoe, neatly swept a Chai insect off Xu Jing’s head, smashed it, pulled Xu Jing up, and called out, “Everyone, form the assault array!”

The assault formation was a variant of the Yang Spirit Demon-Banishing Array, designed for surrounding and killing trapped monsters. The Daoist had taught it to them beforehand.

The bailiffs were no fools. Realizing the Daoist could no longer protect them, they knew their only hope was to save themselves.

They quickly took their positions. As they did, a Chai insect leapt onto a bailiff’s neck, plunging its stinger in. The bailiff’s body stiffened and he died instantly.

Xu Wenshan shouted, “Don’t panic! Floaters, keep moving! Protect the critical points!”

The formation took effect. They swung hoes and shovels, pummeling the insects. The creatures’ aggression diminished within the formation, giving everyone a fighting chance. Shovels and insects flew together, venom and blood mingled. In the end, after losing two more bailiffs, the insects were finally driven back.

Lu Wuji finished off the venom-spitting insects, turned back with a grim face to survey the survivors, and, seeing Xu Wenshan alive, couldn’t help but snort coldly.

“Keep moving,” Lu Wuji said, his tone icy.

“We’re still going in?” a bailiff cried out in despair. “Have mercy, Master!”