Chapter Twenty-Six: The Elder Remains the Most Swollen

“You go ahead and try first!” Long Yi gestured for Wuyun to start. The latter tossed the insect aside and said, “Strange creatures need strange food. Now it’s your time to perform.”

“But I like eating spirit leaves… I prefer gnawing metal!” The insect shuddered under Wuyun’s threatening gaze—such a powerful elder insisted it be the pioneer.

The insect morphed from large to small, from small to large, repeating seven times, until at last, a petite Gold-Eating Bug appeared on the ground, as thick as an adult’s arm. It slowly crawled to the spot Wuyun pointed, extending terrifying antennae to wrap around the hard wall layer.

Strangely, the solidified metal that could not be cut by blades or broken by spells began to gradually dissolve as the bug fused with it, just like a heated iron rod boring into ice.

After only three seconds, Wuyun erupted in anger: “Are you courting death? Too slow!”

The little bug was helpless beyond words. Barely starting, and already expected to risk its life—it was too blunt, too real. Under Wuyun’s impatient urging, a Buddhist light glowed all over the insect, speeding up the fusion tenfold.

It was using its remaining light of the Buddhist realm to burrow.

This light, every strand of it, was immensely precious. Each could bestow hope and faith upon a soul seeking goodness and enlightenment.

Yet even so, Wuyun still found it slow. Only after a long time, and after sensing someone approaching behind them, did the tunnel finally break through.

A fist-sized cavity appeared. Such a small opening that even the Dragonhawk could not transform to enter, let alone the mortal, bone-bound Wuyun.

Stopping Long Yi just as he tried to shrink and enter, Wuyun spoke coldly, “Hurry up!”

“I can’t just use magic to blast the hole wider, can I?” Long Yi retorted, revealing his true dragon head and expelling breath after breath.

With each breath, he shrank a person. Even the Dragonhawk became as small as a sparrow. After two breaths at Wuyun, Long Yi’s dragon face flushed red.

He only managed to shrink them by one size; the second attempt failed. In fact, compressing the body made Wuyun appear even fatter.

“My heavens, inside here, the elder is the chubbiest!” Bear Third exclaimed, squeezing in with his shrunken body, though the spell would not last long.

“I’ll puff, puff, puff—make you shrink, shrink, shrink!” Long Yi grew frantic, refusing to believe his Mustard Seed Immortal Art couldn’t shrink not just people, but even immortal artifacts.

Wuyun was puffed shorter and fatter, until he became immobile like a balloon.

“Shrink!” Long Yi unleashed an immortal spell directly into Wuyun’s body. Wuyun offered no resistance, letting the spell work its magic. At last, without changing his overall size, Wuyun elongated into a slender form and slipped through the opening.

As soon as his head emerged, he cried out in pain—his scalp was punctured.

“Snake spirit!”

The weakened insect shouted, terrified of its nemesis. Then the Dragonhawk pecked the snake’s head, deforming it horribly, leaving it irreparable.

“Haha.” Long Yi, following behind, burst out laughing; for once, he had gained the upper hand. The side effects, he could do nothing about.

Looking at his twisted, snake-like but not snake visage, Wuyun sighed, “Saint Tyrant is truly vicious. This body cannot serve me. Only by transferring soul and spirit and forging a new true body can I reclaim myself!”

It was easy to say, but breaking Saint Tyrant’s curse on himself would require far too many things—rarely found in this world.

Tricked by Immortal King Long Yi, Wuyun felt neither anger nor resentment, for the sight before him was utterly shocking—a mysterious, profound liquid appeared nearby.

No need to move forward; there was no pressure or gravity here. This place was a space unto itself, shielded by a thin layer of protective energy that blocked everything.

Everyone found themselves in this energy field, feeling extremely stifled, as though billions of eyes watched their every move.

The little bug, weakened, mumbled to himself, and when Long Yi transferred some spiritual energy, he fell silent, muttering, “Cannot cross, cannot cross!”

The dark silver liquid before them was no ordinary substance—it was called Void Soul Water, forged from the compression of countless souls.

Its properties were myriad; in the immortal realm, it was a rare material for crafting immortal artifacts, essential for refining shadow spirits and spiritual arrays.

Long Yi shook his head. He’d seen this material before, but never imagined an inferior space would contain so much. Could it be the handiwork of some high immortal from the celestial realm?

If so, the sin was immense.

“Indeed, it’s exactly as you guessed—a celestial realm being placed it here, harnessing the natural dangers to absorb and refine shadow souls.”

“They will reap retribution!” The bug was quick to protest, but Wuyun replied, “Not unless they return to this space.”

Regardless of the expanse of Void Soul Water, they had to proceed. Just then, from the tunnel the bug had dug, some gemstone-like antennae suddenly drilled in, but as soon as they neared, Liuyuyan destroyed them all.

“Seven-Colored Tree Demon!”

Bear Third was somewhat awed. If one ranked the strongest in Qianluo Space, this tree demon would be solidly in the top three—and the top three had never fought, so there was no first or second.

He cautiously peered through the tunnel; on the other side, a yellow web-like eye stared back.

“Doesn’t look like a tree demon!”

Bear Third saw the demonic eye receding, and even with his sharp senses, he broke into a cold sweat.

“Tiger-faced Immortal!”

Before he finished speaking, he glanced at the tunnel, where a left eye suddenly swelled. Long Yi touched it, and Bear Third’s eye bled profusely, leaving him half-blind.

Just one glance, and Bear Third lost half his sight!

The Tiger-faced Immortal had arrived, but he did not immediately confront Wuyun and the others. The nature of this feline was to play, exhaust, and then kill—only then would it be satisfied!

“The attacks are getting fiercer!” Wu Yi slanted his gaze to examine Bear Third’s wound. Suddenly, he protruded a rib from his body, carefully scraped it, and blew a pinch of bone powder into Bear Third’s eye.

Immediately, the countless black mutated insects breeding in the eye socket were cleansed. A stream of black-golden fluid flowed out. When it dried, many corroded holes remained in Bear Third’s eye socket, some shriveled.

For full recovery, time and certain items were needed. Wuyun returned the rib to its place, prompting King Dou to remark enviously, “All the treasures Saint Tyrant plundered are truly stored in your bones.”

Suppressing his pain, Wuyun wiped his brow and exhaled deeply, “Thankfully, my right fourth rib had a bit of nitro spirit. Otherwise, I’d have had to gouge my eye and replace it!”

Immortal King Long Yi kept watching the narrow opening, waiting, but nothing happened. Just as he regretted, he saw a stream of liquid flowing in from outside.

Before it could enter, Long Yi waved his dragon claw, sealing the opening and muttering. The liquid advanced not a drop.

“Heaven and earth, the Dragon is unique!” Long Yi’s voice boomed. Liuyuyan was puzzled, but when the claw became like a kaleidoscope, she could finally see everything inside the tunnel.

What entered was no mere liquid, but a weapon the color of water. Upon reaching Long Yi’s claw, it transformed into a drill, furiously battling the protective aura.

Long Yi’s aura was not infinite. He frowned, glanced at Wuyun, who shook his head. Long Yi grew enraged, roared, thrust his claw in, and the drill shattered, blocking the passage.

“Go!” Long Yi grabbed Wuyun’s squirming legs and plunged into the Void Soul Water. The bug and others followed in a panic.

Barely inside, even King Dou felt regret.

This was no escape—it was heading straight into disaster!

Entering the Void Soul Water was like stepping into another world. The sky changed, chilling winds blew—it was all a feeling. Only the broken, zombie-like souls nearby caused Liuyuyan to scream.

These souls, once drawn in, sank into a swamp or vortex, endlessly reliving the agony of death. With each cycle, the soul grew larger. When it reached a certain size, it entered the funnel vortex ahead, filtering through layer after layer.

After being ground down and returning to the start, the Void Soul Water increased by a single drop.

“Forged from the suffering of souls—undying, eternal. In the shadow realm, this is a hellish punishment.” Wuyun could not bear it; he was about to join his palms and cast a spell when suddenly, a shadow appeared amidst the chilling winds.

Drawn in, it struggled desperately. No matter the spells or incantations, its speed could not be slowed.

Once immersed in the Void Soul Water, all that remained was helpless struggle and poisonous resentment. The shadow locked onto Immortal King Long Yi and rushed straight for him.

Wuyun squinted—Snow-Feathered Eagle Yu Xiao had finally died, his soul drawn here, and strong enough to remain intact.

“I’ll make you pay with your life!” Yu Xiao’s sharp soul voice rang out, filled with resentment that wrapped itself around Long Yi.

Long Yi sneered, but halfway through his retort, he froze: “Unafraid in life, easily slain—after death, even more…”

Countless resentful thoughts coalesced into smaller forms of Yu Xiao, each a gray-black eagle biting at Long Yi’s protective aura.

The key was that this was a soul attack—requiring a powerful spirit to withstand!