Gu Yao couldn't help but dig his ears; it was too noisy. "Can't you understand human language, or what? Don't need spirit stones? Fine, give me ten thousand spirit stones, and we'll roast for you."
"You... lunatic!"
Gu Yao's lion's mouth made the other party drop their jaws, thinking he's crazy for naming such a high price of ten thousand spirit stones.
Shi Yanyan, having lost face, was extremely unhappy. Just as she was about to get angry, a more refined-looking male cultivator walked out from behind, stopped Shi Yanyan, and apologized to Gu Yao and Chi Changye, "We were too much to trouble you with such an unreasonable request. Cousin Yanyan, I'll roast some for you later. Although my skills are not as good, after leaving here, I'll treat you to something delicious."
Shi Yanyan stared fiercely at Gu Yao, then followed her cousin to set up camp nearby. Soon, a campfire was lit.
After Chi Changye finished packing things, he said, "It turns out to be her. I didn't expect to encounter her again. Don't mind her; I'll set up a formation. Rest for the night, and we'll leave at dawn."
Gu Yao smiled, "I know. Just find it a bit too coincidental, being hit with spirit stones again, and they even mocked us for the previous incident."
Both of them didn't pay much attention to the group of people nearby. As long as these people didn't provoke them, the night would be peaceful. After parting ways the next day, who would recognize whom? If these people caused trouble, they wouldn't be polite.
After Chi Changye set up a protective formation, he and Gu Yao entered the tent at the back, thoroughly ignoring the group of people nearby.
Originally unrelated individuals, this kind of situation was common for cultivators practicing outside. Not everyone was willing to interact with strangers. In the wild, not only did they need to guard against the beasts living in the jungle, but also against fellow cultivators entering the forest. Many cultivators lost their lives at the hands of other cultivators from the same sect.
However, for those who were arrogant and self-righteous, this act of ignoring them was enough to make them explode with anger.
"These two students are too outrageous. What nonsense is this? Sister Shi, let's go teach them a lesson!"
"Sister Shi, they dared to talk back to you. Does anyone know their identity? We must deal with them when we go back!"
Although they talked tough, no one seemed to stand up and go across to deal with the two. Shi Yanyan's cousin brought over the roasted meat. She took a bite and spat it out discontentedly, "It's disgusting. Can none of you roast meat that tastes like just now? Then, what's the use of you? You're all useless!"
Several people's faces turned pale, but no one stepped forward to contradict Shi Yanyan. In the end, the scolded cousin took out prepared pastries and spirit fruits, coaxing her to eat a bit to prevent her from going hungry. Others either ate the brought dry rations or casually gnawed on some roasted meat, reminiscing about the delicious aroma they smelled earlier. No wonder Shi Yanyan wanted to eat; they were also tempted.
Some people, scolded and unable to blame Shi Yanyan, redirected their anger toward Gu Yao and Chi Changye. They annoyed Shi Yanyan, and when they got back, they would investigate their identities. Shi Yanyan planned to make them serve Shi Yanyan as attendants, roasting meat for her for the rest of their lives.
As the night deepened, Shi Yanyan's group also rested, leaving a few to keep watch. Shi Yanyan naturally stayed in the best tent.
When the camp was filled with snores, and the distant jungle echoed with various roars, suddenly, mist rose, submerging the surrounding plants and insects, as if they were being devoured. Even the original insect chirping disappeared.
The people who were still on watch suddenly fell down, seemingly entering a deep sleep. The mist crawled over them, spread towards the middle tent, and the fire flickered for a moment before turning into darkness.
However, the mist was obstructed at another tent by an array, persistently trying to advance.
Chi Changye, sitting cross-legged and meditating inside the tent, suddenly opened his eyes. Two sharp sword auras flashed. "Xiao Yao."
Gu Yao, also in meditation, immediately woke up, asking, "Big Brother Night, what's wrong? Is there anything unusual?" He listened carefully, but there was no movement outside; it was very quiet.
No, Gu Yao soon realized. He immediately jumped up. It was too quiet. Last night, they spent the night outdoors, and the roars and insect noises in the wild were particularly clear in the middle of the night. Unless blocked by an array, but now it was unnaturally silent outside.
"Pack up; we're going out," Chi Changye instructed.
Gu Yao immediately followed suit. Chi Changye knew more about survival in the wild. The two went out of the tent and found that the mist covered the starlight overhead, enveloping them in a pitch-black fog where they couldn't distinguish the direction. Gu Yao was surprised, "Big Brother Night, what is this strange thing?"
Chi Changye looked serious. "It should be Ghost Mist Insects. However, these things should be in the perilous depths of the Quqiu Mountains and shouldn't appear on the outskirts. Could something have happened in the deep parts of the Quqiu Mountains?"
People are most prone to fear the unknown. After Chi Changye mentioned Ghost Mist Insects, Gu Yao became much calmer. For the Quqiu Mountains, after entering the academy, he spent some time learning about them. Although there were many dangerous places in the depths, there were also many treasures. Gu Yao was interested in these things.
Among them was a place where Ghost Mist Insects existed. This was a peculiar creature. The mist was its companion, and the insects hid within the mist they created. Moreover, these Ghost Mist Insects were social creatures. When large numbers of insects lived together, they would form a continuous fog. People unaware of it might be corroded by the mist and devoured by the insects.
"Could these Ghost Mist Insects be manipulated by someone?" If someone controlled them, it could explain why they appeared outside.
Chi Changye wasn't an insect enthusiast, but this situation was not impossible. "Regardless, let's leave here first. The formations around us will sooner or later be corroded by the Ghost Mist Insects."
"Alright, I'll follow your lead, Big Brother Night," Gu Yao said without hesitation.
Turning to pack up the tent, Gu Yao closely followed behind. He quickly attached an advanced defensive spirit charm onto himself, a creation of Chi Changye.
Chi Changye then withdrew the protective array. The tightly packed mist outside immediately rushed in eagerly. Thinking about the countless insects hidden behind this mist, Gu Yao felt his scalp tingling. He'd rather fight with beasts than deal with these kinds of insects.
Chi Changye grabbed Gu Yao's arm. After uttering a simple "go," he unfolded a layer of lightning barrier, enveloping Gu Yao within. When this lightning barrier touched the mist, crackling sounds resonated — indeed, it was the ghost mist insects.
The mist was poisonous, with corrosive properties that could unknowingly lead to death upon inhalation. However, the ghost mist insects weren't invincible; they feared fire, lightning, and anything extremely yang. Therefore, the ghost mist insects that touched the lightning barrier were instantly killed by the lightning.
Though the mist kept churning, it refrained from advancing further. It was evident that it held some fear for the lightning barrier. However, the mist continued to thicken, obscuring the path ahead completely. Gu Yao took out a few spirit charms, saying, "Big Brother Night, let me handle this." With that, he tossed the spirit charms ahead, creating a burst of flames and thunder, unveiling a clear path. Chi Changye promptly led Gu Yao forward.
Flames flickered, thunder roared, and large swaths of ghost mist insects were incinerated. The ghost mist insects seemed to realize fear and dared not gather again. Soon, the two broke free from the misty area. At this moment, cries of alarm and screams came from the mist – obviously, from the group led by Shi Yen-yen.
"Darn it, we can't let them go; otherwise, the information might leak."
"These two aren't our targets. We don't have enough people, and the ghost mist insects can't stop them. Who are they anyway? Didn't you investigate before taking action?"
"Fine, let's capture the girl from the Stone family inside first. We'll deal with the other two later when we have time."
"Agreed."
In the mist, whispers were heard. The place where Shi Yen-yen and her group rested turned chaotic after being awakened by the thunder and lightning outside. When they climbed up, ready to scold, the scene in front of them startled them.
Initially, they had no idea what surrounded them in the mist. No one associated it with the ghost mist insects; after all, as Chi Changye mentioned, these insects originally inhabited the dangerous areas deep within the mountains. How could they appear here unscathed? However, when someone tripped over a body that had been gnawed beyond recognition, a scream of shock rang out. It was the ghost mist insects!
Shi Yen-yen was extremely displeased to be awakened, but her cousin quickly rushed over, protecting Shi Yen-yen, was the top priority. "Yen-yen, it's the ghost mist insects. Don't be afraid; Cousin will protect you!"
"What? Ghost mist insects? Quick, get rid of them! I don't want to see these terrifying bugs!"
Upon hearing that it was these insects, Shi Yen-yen screamed in fright. Just the thought of being enveloped and bitten endlessly by these creatures made her nearly faint.
"Cousin, hurry up and kill them, quickly! No, they're coming over here. Ah!"
While Shi Yen-yen might confront monsters willingly, facing these bugs, even with protective charms, turned her face pale.
Cousin Sun understood his cousin's temperament. He quickly commanded the people he brought to resist these insects, using fire and water. It finally achieved some results, bringing a bit of order to the chaotic camp. However, soon, someone screamed again. It was then they discovered that there were still people in the mist, attacking them from behind and killing one of their companions.