Nameless Region Arc Chapter Forty-Nine: Schemes from All Sides

Inside the room atop the Sect Master's Peak, Zhou Xuanhong sat cross-legged on the bed, eyes closed, quietly circulating the cultivation method known as the "Form Derivation Art." Outwardly, nothing seemed amiss, but the truth was that Zhou Xuanhong was no longer himself; his body was now controlled by a bloodthirsty insect.

At that moment, Zhou Xuanhong had exchanged souls with a bloodthirsty insect inside the World Pearl. The insect, following the Mother Insect's command, remained perfectly still, maintaining a meditative posture and quietly circulating the technique. Unless someone used spiritual sense to carefully probe, no one could detect anything out of the ordinary.

Within the World Pearl, while all the cultivators explored their surroundings and clashed with the native inhabitants upon sensing danger, none realized that fifteen hundred bloodthirsty insects had already cast a vast net, silently brewing a scheme of staggering proportions.

In a lush forest brimming with spiritual energy, the young heir of the Five Spirit Pill Valley—the very youth who had recently purchased a young Azure-scaled Eagle in Carefree City—was horrified to discover that the eagle, with whom he had formed a master-servant immortal contract, had escaped!

The contract had been severed without warning. The Azure-scaled Eagle, sent on a high-altitude scouting mission, never returned, leaving its master in a state of panic.

“Damn it, what’s going on?”

Meanwhile, far away in the Beast Pavilion of Carefree City, Gu Zhen, like Zhou Xuanhong, had fallen into a deep, unnatural slumber. Beside him, the seductive fox-maiden vigilantly monitored for threats with her spiritual sense.

“Young Master is far too reckless. That Azure-scaled Eagle is only at the Qi Refinement stage. Should anything happen, the damage to the soul is no trivial matter. Now the body is ownerless and completely defenseless. Who knows how many ancient monsters would covet it for possession? Truly, what a careless heart…”

A blush crept over her cheeks at her own thoughts. “Since the Young Master trusts me so, I will certainly keep him safe!”

Within the World Pearl, among the bloodthirsty insect army, one specimen—its strength equivalent to a mid-stage Qi Refinement cultivator—was the strongest of its kind, and it was this one that had swapped souls with Zhou Xuanhong.

“What a pity. If only I’d found a beast in Carefree City to serve as the host for my soul and had Xiao Ri send it in, my soul’s abilities would be much stronger. Still, this will suffice. The true winner is the one lying in wait, unseen.

Gu Zhen wants to plot for the Minor World, the Five Spirit Pill Valley covets it as well, and even the Ghost Sect’s ultimate goal is the Minor World. Yet in the end, you’ll all be left drinking my bathwater. When the grand battle of the Form Derivation Sect erupts, and you discover the Minor World you fought for so hard is already in my grasp, I wonder what expressions you’ll wear?”

The Minor World teemed with myriad beasts, including dangerous hordes; even Foundation Establishment cultivators often found themselves fleeing in disgrace. If luck failed, and a beast horde contained one or two Foundation Establishment-level monsters, even those cultivators would find their lives in peril.

Great danger, yes, but the rewards were equally rich. The spiritual veins and herbs here far surpassed those of the main world’s most perilous beast territories. Treasures of heaven and earth were commonplace, and the bodies of slain beasts themselves were veritable troves.

In short, as long as one survived and made it out, their worth would multiply many times over—instant wealth in a single month!

Yet for cultivators, the greatest threat was not the beasts but each other. Inter-cultivator slaughter claimed lives far faster than any monster, and it was the quickest path to riches.

As days slipped by, the World Pearl lost its former clarity and tranquility. From above, one could see a faint red mist in the air—the murderous aura born of mass slaughter of both cultivators and beasts.

Such malevolent energy is common in war, where uncountable corpses fill the air with bloodlust and death, and the madness of the battlefield breeds an invisible force that stirs a desire to kill in every sentient being.

Now, the World Pearl was saturated with this aura. Even formerly docile, herbivorous beasts had turned savage, attacking humans on sight with frenzied aggression, unrecognizable from their former selves.

Instability also played a part. The cultivators of the Corpse Sect and Ghost Sect, who advanced through slaughter, could hardly resist the temptation of so many beasts ripe for the killing.

The disciples of the Corpse Sect, united in purpose, set aside the pursuit of treasures to focus solely on killing—expanding their undead armies with every corpse, while also gathering their allies.

They were not alone. Disciples of the Five Spirit Pill Valley, led by several newly advanced Foundation Establishment cultivators, were also steadily gathering their forces.

Massacres played out in every corner of the World Pearl. The once clear sky grew overcast for no apparent reason, and a fine rain began to fall.

Only the cultivators of the Songshan Sword Pavilion maintained their solitary ways. Even when meeting allies, they merely exchanged information before parting. This was a trial, after all—no need for groups. When encountering the main forces of the Corpse Sect or Five Spirit Pill Valley, they relied on keen senses to slip away at a distance, keeping casualties to a minimum.

But for the hosts of the event, the Form Derivation Sect, disaster had struck. Surrounded, betrayed, and hunted, their numbers dwindled at an alarming rate. In just ten days, fewer than fifteen disciples remained.

The culprit was clear: the Corpse Sect and Five Spirit Pill Valley had joined forces, catching the Form Derivation Sect’s veterans off guard and crushing them between two armies, with devastating losses.

Those who remained understood the situation was dire. To band together, as the Corpse Sect did, would be suicide; they would only be surrounded and destroyed. The trap was obvious—a scheme targeting the Form Derivation Sect, with its disciples as the unfortunate sacrifices.

Now, there was only one path: endure. Avoid confrontation with the Corpse Sect and Five Spirit Pill Valley, hide in the vastness of the Minor World, and survive. So long as they escaped alive, they would still profit.

In a certain forest, Kong Xiaori and Kong Xiaoyue were battered and bloodied, their clothing tattered, and their auras weak, but their eyes shone with newfound sharpness.

Having survived a baptism of blood, the siblings now qualified as true cultivators. Both had advanced to the eighth layer of Qi Refinement.

“Let’s find somewhere to rest.”

“Mm.”

By a small lake, Kong Xiaori began to dress the corpse of a beast they had hunted, while Kong Xiaoyue arranged warning formations nearby, ready to react to any threat.

Soon, the fragrant aroma of spirit cuisine filled the air. Suddenly, the bloodthirsty insect hidden in Kong Xiaori’s hair paused and was replaced by Zhou Xuanhong’s soul.

“Oh? Xiaori, Xiaoyue—how did you get hurt?”

Kong Xiaori, sensing Zhou Xuanhong’s soul, bit off a chunk of meat and snorted coldly, “We fought a Foundation Establishment cultivator from the Corpse Sect, then got chased by more than a dozen late-stage Qi Refinement experts. They dared chase me—we killed half of them. Once I recover, I’ll make them pay!”

Kong Xiaoyue, still shaken, said, “Good thing Senior Brother Zhou warned us about the Five Spirit Pill Valley’s suspicious behavior; otherwise, we might not have survived their ambush. I wonder how many of our sectmates are left?”

“Not many, I’d wager. Almost all gone. No need to worry about them; it’s not our problem. Xiaori, I can see you’re unwilling to let this go. How about it—want revenge? Want to become the hunter?”

Kong Xiaori swallowed his meat, flashing white teeth. “I do, but only if it’s not too dangerous. I don’t want to put my sister at risk.”

“I’ve spent the last ten days expanding the territory for the bloodthirsty insects. I know the terrain for thousands of miles around—where the treasures are, where the beasts roam, even the approximate movements of the Corpse Sect and Five Spirit Pill Valley’s main forces. Hand me a jade slip.”

Kong Xiaori produced a jade slip from his storage pouch. The bloodthirsty insect landed on it, its tiny head touching the slip as it began to inscribe the geography and key locations, taking a full quarter of an hour to complete.

“Done. The insect’s soul capacity is limited—this was exhausting. Leaves mark treasures, claws mark beasts, skulls mark enemies, and I’ve noted their general movements. You’d struggle against two or three dozen enemies alone, but you can team up with sword cultivators. I’d wager they’d find hunting humans far more interesting than hunting monsters!”

“Oh, right—almost forgot to warn you: there’s a group of twenty-seven approaching from about ten miles away, including two Foundation Establishment cultivators. You’d better run. I’ve discovered something interesting, so I’ll take my leave.”

With that, the bloodthirsty insect flew back into Kong Xiaori’s hair, becoming dull and lifeless as Zhou Xuanhong’s soul departed.

“Damn, you couldn’t have said so sooner?”

Gathering up their cooking pots and bowls, Kong Xiaori and Kong Xiaoyue fled for their lives. Even with their strength, facing two Foundation Establishment cultivators plus twenty-five late-stage Qi Refinement experts was too much—how could they possibly win?

Two thousand five hundred miles away, atop a massive tree, a tiny bloodthirsty insect’s eyes flickered with human emotion.

From several kilometers away, the forest echoed with the roars and cries of beasts and birds, the trees shook, flocks of birds wheeled in the sky accompanied by flying insect-beasts, and the ground—obscured by the canopy—swarmed with unknown numbers of marching beasts.

Even beasts that had once been bitter enemies now advanced together, united by a single purpose. In their eyes, aside from madness and bloodlust, there was a deeper emotion—fear.

A fear as profound as that of villagers from a remote mountain hamlet prostrating themselves before the emperor himself, trembling in terror and obedient to every command.

At the rear of the aerial beast horde, an Azure-scaled Eagle—at the mid-stage Qi Refinement level—flew at the highest point, letting out piercing cries that made the entire horde shudder with each call, as if the sound itself carried unimaginable terror.

The eagle’s eyes gleamed with intelligence. Within its sea of consciousness, its original soul lay dormant; the body was now controlled by a human man—none other than Gu Zhen. Atop his head, a pair of ancient beast horns had appeared, radiating a power beyond words.

“This minor world is too low in level; the beasts’ bloodlines are so mixed and diluted. Just a wisp of my soul’s aura has utterly crushed their will to resist. But they are still my kin; how can I let humans slaughter them so? The calamity humans brought upon you must be repaid in full!”

Suddenly, a smile curved his lips. “I wonder how that boy will fulfill his promise to me? By what means will he join the struggle, since he can’t come himself? Will he bribe a Form Derivation Sect disciple, or use some other method? I’m truly curious!”

Unbeknownst to him, on a branch he had overlooked, a minuscule bloodthirsty insect was gazing up at him.

“So it is this Azure-scaled Eagle. Heh, Young Master Gu Zhen, I knew something was off. What a move—unleashing a beast tide. Good, the more chaotic the battle, the better. Without chaos, how can I seize the Minor World?”

Within the eagle’s consciousness, Gu Zhen frowned. “Strange, why do I feel as though I’m being watched?”

He shook his head. “This eagle’s potential is decent. In at most fifteen days, with my stimulation, it can break through to Foundation Establishment. Then, by using copious blood essence, I’ll lay a formation within the Minor World, boosting this body’s cultivation to the Golden Core stage. That way, when the great battle of the Form Derivation Sect erupts, I can fish in troubled waters.”

High above, a cultivator affixed with an invisibility talisman soared skyward. His features bore some resemblance to Wang Li, but with an added air of malice.

“Is there no end to this sky? No, I think I’m circling something. I need to change direction. Just wait—this Minor World will be the cornerstone of my ascent to the supreme throne. I will have it!”