Chapter 37 Moment Of Crisis

• In the vast and boundless primeval forest, dozens of figures raced in pursuit, their speed as swift as lightning. Li Yue'er, her pretty face clouded with anger, flew forward wearily, barely supporting her body. On her shoulder clung a silkworm the length of an arm, chirping "zhi zhi zhi" softly. Its eyes, curious as a newborn baby's,everything around. Within its translucent body, a starry sky vision swirled, revealing bizarre and wonderful scenes, along with numerous chain-like talismans—truly a creation that seized heaven and earth's fortune. Zhang Xiufeng, Zhou Juchuan, and Shi Yan had faces as dark as storm clouds. Their robes were stained with blood, evidence of a recent fierce battle. The four hurried in silence, occasionally glancing back with murderous intent flickering in their eyes. "Li Yue'er, you can't escape! Hand over the Nine-Transformation Heavenly Silkworm, or today will be your last day!" Several figures in star-patterned robes suddenly lunged down from the sky to the side, spreading out in a line to block Li Yue'er, Zhang Xiufeng, Zhou Juchuan, and Shi Yan. Li Yue'er and the others exchanged glances, knowing escape was impossible—their spiritual sense detected people closing in from all directions. They halted, taking positions north, south, east, and west, each forming the same hand seal to activate a formation. In an instant, ripples of light surged, creating a protective shield spanning dozens of zhang. "You act so recklessly—do you not fear triggering a war between our Luoshui Sect and Starry Sky Academy?" Li Yue'er's icy gaze fixed on the Starry Sky Academy disciples. "Hmph, if we obtain the Nine-Transformation Heavenly Silkworm, what does a war matter?" The voice echoed as dozens more figures appeared from three directions, representing nearly all transcendent forces of the Eastern Region: Gods' Academy, Vault of Heaven Academy, True Dragon Academy, Fire Cloud Sect, Lunar Sect, Moon-Worshipping Sect, Divine Firmament Gate, Paradise Palace, and more—all had come. Their eyes burned with greed, fixed on the silkworm on Li Yue'er's shoulder, as if eager to snatch it immediately. The divine beast Nine-Transformation Heavenly Silkworm was renowned for its terrifying power across the Xuanhuang Continent. Tens of thousands of years ago, a mature Nine-Transformation Heavenly Silkworm appeared in the Central Region and directly slew three legendary God-Kings—a history recorded by all major sects. Such a divine beast, once it recognized a master, was enough to make any cultivator's blood boil. Moreover, the Nine-Transformation Divine Silkworm had another madness-inducing trait: its blood, the legendary Immortal Blood, could extend one's lifespan by at least tens of thousands of years if consumed. These two points alone were enough to drive all cultivators to madness. Li Yue'er and the others scanned their surroundings with sharp eyes, their hearts filled with hatred—these were the people who had slaughtered dozens of Luoshui Sect disciples. "Hmph, abandon your delusions. Do you think you can obtain the Nine-Transformation Heavenly Silkworm? We've already notified our Sect Master. If you don't retreat now, your deaths will come in moments!" Zhang Xiufeng snorted coldly, sneering at the crowd. The gathered figures' eyes turned cold, their hearts sinking. While they could notify their own elders or sect leaders, few were willing to do so. Greed drove them—reporting it would likely only earn them merit, with the silkworm forever out of their reach. Seizing it themselves, however, promised immeasurable benefits. "Then die!" Nearly all the attackers chose to strike, giving Li Yue'er no chance to stall. In an instant, the space within dozens of zhang filled with energy: blazing seas of fire, surging starlight, leaping true dragons, sacred divine arts, brilliant moonlight... These terrifying energies compressed into the limited space, repelling and entangling each other, triggering a massive explosion. Violent shockwaves swept across hundreds of li, splitting the earth and destroying the forest. A beam of energy shot into the clouds, blasting a huge circular hole in the sky. Li Yue'er, Zhang Xiufeng, Zhou Juchuan, and Shi Yan knew disaster was imminent when the attackers struck. They instantly unleashed all their defensive treasures. Zhou Juchuan even smashed a ten-meter-deep hole into the ground, and the four dived into it. Yet even this couldn't shield them from the terrifying combined attack. Their protective barrier and defensive artifacts shattered instantly, and the remaining energy continued to bombard them. At the last moment, they joined forces to cast Luoshui Sect's ultimate defense technique, transforming into a thirty-meter-radius ice sphere that neutralized two-thirds of the energy before crashing into the hole. BOOM... It took a long time for the aftershocks to subside, but the surroundings were utterly transformed. All trees had vanished, leaving a huge, barren crater. Li Yue'er, Zhang Xiufeng, Zhou Juchuan, and the others lay prone at the bottom, covered in wounds and blood. Shi Yan, a True Spirit Ninth Layer cultivator, was barely breathing, on the verge of death. The young Nine-Transformation Heavenly Silkworm, however, was unharmed, chirping curiously as it looked around. "The Nine-Transformation Heavenly Silkworm!" Kales, an inner disciple of Starry Sky Academy, stared greedily. With it, he could leap to greatness, gaining the capital to reach the peak. He was ready—once he seized it, he'd flee immediately, never returning to Starry Sky Academy. "Hand of Stars!" Striking first, he extended his palm. Vast starry mana surged along his arm, forming a ten-square-meter hand that crashed toward the silkworm. "Kales, have you forgotten us?" An arrogant youth in Fire Cloud Sect robes stamped the ground. BOOM—a vermilion fire pillar erupted from below, shattering the starlight hand. "Kales, you dare keep it for yourself?" The strongest from Gods' Academy, True Dragon Academy, Vault of Heaven Academy, Moon-Worshipping Sect, Lunar Sect, and other forces stepped forward, their cold gazes fixed on Kales, ready to attack at a word. None wanted to see others claim the silkworm. Kales' expression shifted slightly. "There's only one Nine-Transformation Heavenly Silkworm. How do you propose to divide it?" "Naturally, it's mine. What right do you have to compete?" The arrogant youth stepped up first, disdainfully scanning the crowd. "Hmph, Bu Tian, don't think your dual identity as a Fire Cloud Sect inner disciple and Bu Family makes you superior. Many here have statuses no worse than yours," a golden-haired youth from Gods' Academy said coldly. Yet most fell silent—Bu Tian's identity was indeed intimidating. "Disir, you dare compete with me? Your Disir family is one of the Western Twelve Golden Families, no worse than mine, but you're just a branch member. How dare you challenge me?" Bu Tian's voice dripped with mockery. "You..." Disir's anger flared. Golden light erupted from his body, forming ancient golden armor that made him look like an undefeated war god, majestic and imposing. "Roar!" Bu Tian snorted coldly. Two fire qilin the size of small mountains appeared beneath his feet. He stepped onto them, and they lifted him into the air. Flames blazed, searing the air until it boiled, waves of heat surging outward. The cultivators from other forces stepped back, retreating dozens of zhang under the heat. Seeing them about to fight, Kales frowned and persuaded, "Bu Tian, Disir, we haven't even obtained it yet. Why fight now? Let's seize the Nine-Transformation Heavenly Silkworm first." "Agreed. Snatching it is the priority—we can't risk delays." "Stop for now. If we drag this out, Luoshui Sect's top experts might arrive, and we'll leave empty-handed." Leaders of other forces also spoke up to stop them. "Hmph, very well, Disir. I'll spare you for now. First, let's kill these Luoshui Sect dogs!" Bu Tian snorted coldly, his eyes filled with killing intent as he stared at Li Yue'er and the others. He tapped his left foot lightly. "Roar!!!" The left qilin lunged forward, its massive body a shadow like an ancient volcano, crashing down on the four. The air exploded under its pressure. "We can't let him take the lead!" Disir, Kales, and others, fearing Bu Tian would seize the silkworm after killing Li Yue'er, attacked instantly. Li Yue'er, Zhang Xiufeng, and Zhou Juchuan exchanged bitter glances. Wounded and exhausted, they had no fighting strength left. Even at their peak, they couldn't withstand such an onslaught—especially with elites like Bu Tian, Disir, and Kales present. "Stop!" At that moment, a hundreds-zhang-long black river descended from the void, crashing into the fire qilin and other attacks. Simultaneously, a figure too fast to see appeared before Li Yue'er and the others, sweeping them up and flying away. BOOM!!! The black river blocked the attacks for only an instant before shattering, its waters nearly evaporated by the qilin's flames. But in that moment, Li Yue'er and the others had vanished. "Who dares interfere?!" Bu Tian roared in fury as his prey escaped. Flames erupted from his body, forming a sea of fire that melted surrounding rocks. Disir, Kales, and the others also wore icy expressions.