strictlysupreme Chapter 291 The True and False Insect Valley
Chapter 291 The True and False Insect Valley
As dawn broke, Ning Xiaoxi opened her eyes to the cheerful chirping of birds, watching the graceful bluebirds hopping merrily among the branches.
Ning Xiaoxi opened her eyes slightly to watch the bird hopping happily. She noticed a faint fluctuation of spiritual energy within her body. As expected of a genius from the Azure Bird race, she really wasn't afraid of death!
She stretched out her arms and legs, the cool morning breeze making her feel much more awake.
Xiao Jiu poked her head out from beside Ning Xiaoxi's neck, all excited, "Let's go! Let's head to the Demon Insect Valley!"
Ning Xiaoxi reluctantly packed away the tent items, took out a piece of jerky from her spatial storage, and started taking a bite. "There's no need to be in such a hurry!"
"I haven't seen those little insects for over a hundred years, and I miss them terribly!" Xiao Jiu's scales began to glow. Normally, it was gray and black, but now it was shimmering with a pale blue light.
"Do they even know you think this way about them?" Ning Xiaoxi felt that being a tool was not an easy task.
"When I left last time, they found some bewitching trees and planted them at the entrance of the valley to block outsiders from peeping, thinking I didn't know. Haha, they don't know that I deliberately had them find those bewitching trees, otherwise, why would they stay there peacefully!"
Ning Xiaoxi stumbled. So, the defense that others thought was so safe was actually your scheme? That's outrageous!
Nine Domains kept its eyes closed, its slightly turned body conveying strong resistance. Little Star slumped limply beside its nest, peeking out tentatively.
With Xiao Jiu's guidance, Ning Xiaoxi only needed to lift her foot and take a step. Even with her Swift Step speed, it was past noon before she entered a valley.
Stepping into this valley is like entering a mysterious realm forgotten by time. The rolling mountains, like a sleeping giant of the earth, gently embrace the valley.
Covering the mountains and plains, the magnolia trees grow wildly, tall and straight, with thick trunks and bark bearing ancient textures. Their lush branches intertwine, forming a green ocean. A gentle breeze rustles the leaves, as if they are softly singing. Each leaf shimmers with an unusual luster, dazzling like tiny gems in the sunlight.
The flowers of the marigold are even more dazzling, with large, bell-shaped blossoms and petals in a riot of colors—fiery red, serene blue, and soft pink—layered upon layer, exquisitely beautiful. Their fragrance permeates the entire valley, attracting colorful butterflies and graceful hummingbirds that flit among the blossoms, their cheerful buzzing adding a touch of liveliness to the valley.
A clear stream meanders through the valley, its waters gurgling and leaping among the stones, splashing up sparkling droplets. The stream banks are filled with stones of various shapes, some smooth and round, others rugged and peculiar, covered with emerald green moss, damp and exuding a fresh scent.
In the distance, clouds and mist swirl around the valley, draping it in a thin veil, creating a dreamlike scene.
The valley is so clearly visible, it's truly unexpected!
"Wake up, wake up, that's just an illusion!" Xiao Jiu's tail gently patted Ning Xiaoxi's cheek.
"What do you mean?" Is this beautiful valley an illusion? Is the falling petals in front of us also fake?
"Take a branch of the marigold tree with you."
Ning Xiaoxi obediently walked to a sturdy magnolia tree. The branches were not very tall, but they were still higher than she could reach with her arms outstretched.
He leaped onto an extended tree trunk, reached out and grabbed a branch about the thickness of his little finger, and with a forceful pull, it didn't budge.
"Huh!" Ning Xiaoxi clenched her fist and tried to break it, but it still didn't break.
"Although the Bewitching Tree doesn't have much potential to become a demon, it's still a wondrous tree that can carve out a clear path in the demon realm. You demon, put in your best effort!"
Ning Xiaoxi ignored the amusement in Xiao Jiu's tone, stopped being presumptuous, and increased the pressure in her hands.
With a crisp "crack!", a small, finger-length branch broke off.
The moment the branch broke and she grabbed it, the beautiful valley before her eyes instantly changed.
The once bright and radiant valley became dark and shadowy, with dim light flickering everywhere, turning the alluring scenery into a hellish landscape.
Upon entering the edge of the Demon Insect Valley, a strong and pungent fishy stench instantly assaulted the senses, enveloping one as if it were a tangible substance, making one almost nauseous. The valley was dimly lit, and the thick fog, almost tangible, mingled with the fishy stench, slowly churning and surging within it.
The Spirit Crystal Heart Defense Shield completely covered his entire body, leaving not a single gap.
Without lingering on the perimeter, they stepped directly into the valley.
The valley walls were swarming with all sorts of monstrous insects. Some were as large as washbasins, others as small as fingernails, varying in size, yet all exuding a chilling aura. Some insects were covered in a sticky, black slime that dripped continuously, leaving disgusting streaks on the valley walls and intensifying the stench. Others possessed sharp fangs, from which flowed a foul-smelling green liquid that corroded small pits when it dripped onto the ground.
On the ground, thick layers of insect corpses piled up like mountains, indistinguishable from one another. These corpses were either mutilated or already rotting, emitting a suffocating stench that mingled with the fishy smell, creating an unbearable stench. Some smaller demonic insects burrowed among the corpses, greedily devouring their companions' bodies, their occasional chewing sounds sending chills down one's spine.
Ning Xiaoxi was almost floating in mid-air, and even the mist in the air turned aside to avoid being touched by it.
In the center of the valley lay a vast pool, its water a strange, dark red, as if stained with blood. A thick layer of insect secretions floated on the surface, emitting a pungent, fishy stench. Occasionally, a few enormous, monstrous insects would emerge from the water, their bodies covered in sharp barbs, their eyes gleaming with an eerie green light, sending chills down one's spine. They would spew forth mouthfuls of foul-smelling mist, intensifying the stench throughout the valley.
In the sky, countless demonic insects swirled and danced like dark clouds, their wings flapping and buzzing like a deathly symphony. These insects would swoop down intermittently, attacking other creatures in the valley or scrambling for food on the ground, filling the entire valley with chaos and bloodshed.
Tiny star-shaped creatures clung to the edge of the Spirit Crystal Heart's protective shield, their tentacles constantly reaching out to drag in insects of varying sizes and devour them, keeping themselves busy.
Xiao Jiu excitedly tumbled and fell to the ground, just as its body burst out of the Spirit Crystal Heart protective shield.
The entire valley paused for a moment. All the insectoids, no matter what they were doing, stopped and looked in unison at the slender body that had fallen out.