Awakening of Insects

Inside the Yilan Palace, chaos reigned.

The palace servants knelt on the ground, trembling, not daring to look at the emperor's furious face, nor even to glance at the fox spirit on the bed.

Murong Jin held the rapidly cooling body tightly, his dragon energy surging wildly into Yun Shu's body in an attempt to revive her almost completely lost life. However, it was all in vain. The pure and warm power was like a stone thrown into the sea; it not only failed to alleviate Yun Shu's pain but also fueled the demonic poison, forcing the unconscious Yun Shu to let out a few whimpers.

"Xiaoxue... wake up... look, look at Ajin... Ajin is here, Ajin won't let anything happen to you..." The emperor, who was above all others, called out and pleaded incoherently, his usually majestic and composed eyes now filled with childlike panic and helplessness. The cold, stiff body in his arms, the unresponsive surroundings... he vaguely felt as if he had returned to the cold palace, to the snowy night when his mother passed away, to his lonely and helpless youth.

No...don't leave me...you're all I have left...don't leave me...

"Where is the Imperial Preceptor?! Why hasn't Liu Qing arrived yet?!" He suddenly looked up, his eyes bloodshot, almost roaring at the outside of the hall. The imperial pressure and the dragon aura of the Son of Heaven poured out uncontrollably, and not a single servant or guard in the entire hall dared to answer.

The palace servant who went to deliver the message scrambled back to Yilan Palace, trembling uncontrollably: "Your Majesty, the Grand Preceptor is already outside the palace..."

"Hurry up and announce it!"

"Ah! Yes, yes!"

The man in the floor-length robe strode quickly into the hall. Liu Qing glanced at Yun Shu, who was barely breathing in Murong Jin's arms, a fleeting glint of smugness in his eyes. He bowed, his expression still respectful, but subtly tinged with worry.

"Your humble servant pays his respects..."

"No need for formalities!" Murong Jin's lips were almost bitten until they bled. "Quickly examine the fox spirit! If anything happens to him, I will not spare you!"

Liu Qing nodded and stood up without saying a word. He swiftly took two steps forward, looking down at Yun Shu's pale face. A faint light gathered at his fingertips, a light completely different from the warmth of the dragon's aura, instead cold and eerie. Yet, when this light entered the fox spirit's brow, it strangely eased the latter's condition somewhat.

“Your Majesty, please forgive my bluntness,” Liu Qing’s gloomy face showed a hint of pity and heartache, “This time… it is a sign that the demonic poison has penetrated to the bone marrow. I believe that the demon beast Jue Dong lost face during the hunt and chose this moment to make his move, intending to kill Lady Fox Fairy…”

"That's not what I want to hear!" Murong Jin's dragon robe billowed, and his sleeve nearly slapped Liu Qing. His face was grim. "I only want to know, can the fox spirit still be saved?"

Liu Qing seemed hesitant: "This... this time, the rampant demonic poison not only aggravated the old wounds of the Fox Fairy, but also compounded the unhealed backlash from the formation... the combined effects are beyond the control of dragon energy. Given this situation, the only option is... to restart the 'Twin Trees and Wings' formation, using the faith of countless families as a guide, and supplemented by His Majesty's true dragon energy... to forcibly remove the stubborn demonic poison and damaged essence from the Fox Fairy's body. In this way, the Fox Fairy's life can be temporarily saved. However..."

"Speak!" Holding the fading treasure in his arms, Murong Jin had no patience to waste time chatting with Liu Qing.

After a moment of silence, Liu Qing slowly knelt down and said with deep sorrow, "However, this method is extremely dangerous, with only a 30% chance of success... For Lord Fox Fairy, it would be a painful process of cleansing her bones and marrow. Moreover, once the formation is activated, there is no turning back. I hope Your Majesty will reconsider."

Relaunching the battle? Stripping away the original source? The pain of cleansing the marrow and tendons?

But Xiaoxue was already this weak after the last winter hunt, and now...

His mind was in complete chaos. Murong Jin looked at Yun Shu's pale face, recalling how he had collapsed by the window that night during the winter hunt, how his breathing and vitality had gradually weakened, and how he had groaned in pain when they slept in each other's arms in the middle of the night... His heart felt as if it were being soaked in alum, aching so badly that he almost suffocated.

Why...did it come to this?

He never intended to hurt Yun Shu to this extent! He simply wanted to stay with Xiao Xue forever and preserve this peaceful and prosperous world!

The fingertips that had fallen on Yun Shu's eye curled up limply. Murong Jin closed his eyes tightly and said softly as if struggling, "Is there... no other solution?"

Liu Qing kowtowed deeply: "Forgive your incompetence! This is the only chance of survival. If we hesitate any longer, the Fox Immortal's immortal essence will dissipate, and even if the Immortal Physician came, it would be too late to save her! I beg Your Majesty to make a decision as soon as possible!"

The words "It's beyond saving" shattered Murong Jin's last hesitation. When he opened his eyes again, all that remained was an almost insane obsession and a desperate tenderness.

"Xiaoxue, don't be afraid..." He gently stroked Yunshu's cheek, unsure whether he was comforting the fox or himself. "Ajin will save you... No matter what, Ajin will not let you leave..."

Ah Jin and Xiao Xue, may you be together forever...

When Murong Jin looked at Liu Qing again, all that remained in his eyes was the coldness and decisiveness of an emperor.

"allow."

"Your Majesty is wise." Liu Qing bowed deeply, his tone becoming increasingly respectful. "Your Majesty, please move to the secret chamber of Yilan Palace. I will use dragon blood as a guide to trace the array patterns. I will use a secret method to fuse Your Majesty's dragon energy with the fox spirit's immortal essence. There may be some discomfort during this process, but for the fox spirit's recovery, Your Majesty only needs to focus on the fox spirit."

Demon Realm.

Almost at the same moment that Yun Shu was poisoned and Murong Jin was trembling with fear, Mo Yiheng, who was recuperating in the Demon Palace, suddenly felt a tearing pain in his heart that spread throughout his body, and he coughed up blood without warning.

The broken jade on his chest was burning hot, and an extremely ominous premonition coiled around his heart like a poisonous vine, making it hard for him to breathe.

Backlash? No… this feeling is far more terrifying than the surge of demonic energy when I killed my father… Master? Something happened to Master?!

He immediately focused his mind, probing the imperial city with his divine sense, attempting to sense that familiar aura, but he failed. Above the entire imperial city's barrier, something far more powerful and even more repulsive to him now clung to!

"Night Asura!"

The dark figure arrived in response: "Your Excellency?"

"The palace... in that scoundrel Murong Jin's lair! What's the situation there right now?!"

"...Unable to perceive."

Undetectable!

Night Asura's perception far surpasses that of Mo Yiheng! Yet at this moment, even Night Asura cannot perceive him!

The demonic energy went berserk out of control. Mo Yiheng threw his sleeves and stood up: "Immediately summon all the demonic troops! Regardless of the cost, follow me to break through Murong Jin's barrier!"

He was nearly out of his mind, his eyes filled only with a destructive madness.

Ye Xiuluo was weighing the pros and cons of this move, but Mo Yiheng couldn't wait for them. He immediately decided to rush out of the Demon Realm regardless of the consequences and kill Murong Jin and that damned Liu Qing.

A divine consciousness, as cold as an icy spring, suddenly entered his frantic mind, its majesty unquestionable.

"Mo Yiheng, calm down."

It's Yunhe!

"Master Uncle! Master, he..."

"I know," Yun He interrupted calmly, his clear voice concealing a chilling killing intent.

"Although the flame of his soul lamp has weakened suddenly, it has not been extinguished. Murong Jin and Liu Qing have already activated the formation, and I have arrived outside the imperial city. The plan remains the same, only the location has changed to the imperial palace." Her voice was quick and clear as she swiftly assigned Mo Yiheng the task, "Immediately have your men infiltrate all the fox spirit temples around the capital. When the time is right, they will await my command to destroy all the formation points simultaneously! Leave no one alive among Liu Qing's men!"

"Then Master..."

"Leave the palace to me. You provide support outside. Don't let Liu Qing's snakes cause any more trouble," Yun He said decisively. "Remember, absolutely no array points must be left. Otherwise, the consequences will be dire!"

Forcibly suppressing his worry and surging killing intent, Mo Yiheng finally loosened his bloodied fist and squeezed out a few words through gritted teeth: "This junior obeys!"

As Yunhe's divine sense receded, Mo Yiheng suddenly stood up, with the Soul-Suppressing Golden Lotus beneath his feet blazing with demonic flames.

"Night Asura!"

"Your subordinate is here."

"Pass down the order: The entire demon army assembles! Target—all fox spirit temples! Once the Immortal Venerable's signal arrives, I will... raze them all to the ground!"

"yes!"

Outside the imperial city, Yunhe stood atop the clouds, overlooking the myriad lights below, and... that magnificent yet murky palace. In her hand, within a small jade lamp, a nearly extinguished white flame flickered silently, as if it might dissipate at any moment with the wind.

"Qiuqiu... wait a little longer," she said, her gaze particularly gentle as she turned back to the Soul Lamp, "Senior Sister is here... Senior Sister will take you home."

Yunhe removed her bamboo hat, revealing a face of ethereal beauty, yet cold as ice. Silently, she raised her fingertips, and a vast, terrifying immortal power, far beyond the comprehension of this world, slowly coalesced. Beside the figure in green, clouds and lightning surged, and the spiritual energy of heaven and earth trembled.

Inside the secret chamber of Yilan Palace, Murong Jin's severed wrist hung above the array's core. Drops of dragon blood, imbued with the emperor's fortune, fell to the ground, merging into the intricate array patterns drawn with gold powder and cinnabar. In a short while, the array glowed with an eerie light, like countless writhing snakes slowly coiling around the unconscious Yun Shu.

Liu Qing stood outside the formation, chanting incantations. From within his wide sleeves, an almost transparent snake swam out and merged into the formation's light.

On the bed, Yun Shu's body began to tremble violently, and fine beads of cold sweat appeared on her forehead, quickly soaking through the black gauze.

Murong Jin instinctively wanted to rush over to interrupt the formation and hug Yun Shu, but Liu Qing stopped him.

"Your Majesty, no! If we interrupt this now, the formation will suddenly stop, the spirit snake will dissipate, and the fox spirit will surely die!" His voice had a morbid fanaticism. "I beg Your Majesty to endure this momentary pain, so that you may live with the fox spirit for eternity!"

"absurd!"

After the clear, cold female voice, the heavens and earth shook. The stone door to the secret chamber, heavily guarded with protective spells, was instantly breached from the outside. Within the array, countless spirit snakes cried out in anguish as lightning and fire engulfed them and the array's foundation. Outside the palace gates, all the once-thriving fox spirit temples in the world were reduced to ruins in an instant.

Immediately, Yun Shu quieted down. His tightly furrowed brows slowly relaxed, and his almost translucent face regained some radiance—though still pale, he was much, much better.

Amidst the swirling dust and debris, a figure in green stood proudly. Yunhe lightly waved his folding fan, and a sharp blade instantly extinguished all the candlelight in the room, as well as Liu Qing's arms.

Liu Qing lost two limbs, but what flowed from the severed wounds was not blood, but millions of Gu worms of various sizes! These sinister creatures rolled and hissed, but in the end, they turned into ashes in the vast immortal energy, with no ability to be reborn.

Yunhe's gaze immediately fell on Yunshu. Seeing that the little fox ball she had held in her hands was so badly injured, the pity she had shown instantly turned into a raging fire, which burned straight at Murong Jin and Liu Qing.

"Murong Jin!" Her voice could almost freeze the soul, her gaze like a sword piercing the emperor, whose body was stiff and whose wrists were bleeding. "Is this how you treat the person who saved you, protected you, raised you, and pitied you?!"

"Yunhe... Immortal Venerable..." Seeing the disappointment and killing intent in his eyes, Murong Jin felt a chill run down his spine and a sense of retreat arose in his heart. He was too ashamed to look him in the eye.

Liu Qing stepped forward and said with a sinister smile, "Who do we have here... It turns out to be the esteemed Sect Leader Yunhua. This is a helpless act by His Majesty to save the life of the Fox Fairy. I thought the Immortal Venerable was of high moral character and prestige, but I never expected that he would do something like this, barging into the palace without distinguishing right from wrong. It has truly opened my eyes."

"A desperate measure?" Yun He sneered, pressing closer step by step. His vast immortal aura and the folding fan in his hand pointed directly at the evil array. "Using the Soul-Devouring Evil Array to steal immortal essence, disregarding Yun Shu's wishes and damaging his life foundation! Is this what you call 'saving'?! Liu Zhijun, your parents were expelled from Yunhua back then because of their evil intentions and practice of evil arts, but I didn't know that you would reach the pinnacle of this path! Truly, the student has surpassed the teacher!"

Upon hearing this old story, Liu Qing's face instantly twisted like a snake: "Yun He! How dare you slander me! This is an array that helps His Majesty and the fox spirit share in immortality! How dare you falsely accuse it of being such an array? What are your intentions!"

"Shared immortality?" Yun He's eyes were full of sarcasm. "With this stolen power, stained with his blood? Murong Jin, open your eyes and take a look! Your so-called 'immortality' almost cost Yun Shu her life!"

These words were like a red-hot silver needle, instantly shattering Murong Jin's self-deceiving illusions. He looked sharply at that pure white, yet incredibly fragile figure, and staggered back a step, revealing a few streaks of white hair embedded in his disheveled temples.

He covered his face, leaning on the table and muttering to himself, "No...it's not like that...I just...I just...wanted to be with Xiaoxue...wanted to be with Yunshu...forever...to see the vast land together...to enjoy eternal prosperity...I didn't hurt him...yes, I didn't want to hurt him!"

Seemingly remembering the origin of this formation, he whirled around, drawing his Emperor's Sword: "Liu Qing! You clearly said that this formation was harmless to him! You dare to deceive the Emperor!"

Seeing that his scheme had been exposed, Liu Qing's face contorted with madness, and the broken bones of his arms transformed into snake-like shapes. The ugly snake heads shot out, their target Yun Shu!

The moment he moved, Yunhe had already made his move!

The clear light of the fan blade clashed violently with the ruthless and evil light, causing the entire imperial city to tremble!

In this moment of extreme chaos—

A demonic aura, darker than the night and fiercer than thunder and fire, burst through the secret chamber from another direction, like lightning tearing through the sky!

Mo Yiheng's eyes were bloodshot, and his demonic energy surged like a raging sea. The Soul-Suppressing Golden Lotus tirelessly burned everything that came near it, but when it touched Yun Shu, it instantly softened into soft petals. In his eyes, only that pale and fragile figure remained.

"Master—!"