Wandao 006
Three days had passed since the battle with the Soul-Rending Demon Fox.
Wan Xiaochuan and Lin Qixian were resting briefly in the hills behind Niupu Village. The wind of late summer carried a hint of autumn's coolness, and the air was turning dry and crisp. Dew still clung to the blades of grass, while birdsong and insect chirps echoed faintly through the forest. Along the mountain path beyond the village, one could still spot swaying wild chrysanthemums.
That morning, after finishing his basic body training, Wan Xiaochuan returned to their cabin, only to find Lin Qixian crouching by the window, carefully feeding a palm-sized insect.
The insect's body was deep green, its back adorned with faint golden spirit patterns. Its six legs were long and sturdy, and its compound eyes glimmered with a hidden spiritual light. As it gnawed on a stalk of spirit grass, it emitted a soft, rhythmic buzzing sound.
"Is that… a Spirit Locust?" Wan Xiaochuan exclaimed.
Lin Qixian turned his head with a slight smile. "Indeed. This is one of the 'Seven-Marked Spirit Locusts' personally bred by my master. It is a rare breed capable of spiritual communion, reconnaissance, and even combat. Cultivating one is exceedingly difficult."
He gently stroked the insect's back, his voice unusually tender. "I named this one Qingli. It's the only locust that survived my early experiments with alchemy and poison. It marks the beginning of my path in insect cultivation."
Wan Xiaochuan stepped closer and squatted down, observing intently. The Spirit Locust appeared wary of him, its hindwings twitching slightly, emitting a whisper-thin breeze. Lin Qixian lightly tapped its back in reassurance, calming it.
"I thought you said you were a disciple of Master Yaoji in the alchemical arts. How do you also know insect-cultivating techniques?"
Lin Qixian looked up, a flicker of complexity crossing his eyes. "My body constitution is unusual—my vital breath is often stagnant. Though alchemy has helped me greatly, it could not dispel the fire that plagues my heart. So my master passed on to me an ancient art known as the 'Heart-Linking Insect Method.' Through raising insects, communing souls, and circulating breath, I nurture my heart with the insect's life, and channel energy through the bond. Only then did I begin to make progress."
He paused, his tone darkening. "But this method is extremely dangerous. If the insect dies, the mind suffers too. Over the years, it is only by having Qingli at my side that I've withstood multiple poison backlashes."
Wan Xiaochuan was momentarily stunned. This version of Lin Qixian was quite unlike the jovial man he knew—he now exuded a somber steadiness born of hardship.
While the two spoke, Qingli the Spirit Locust rose into the air, circling for a moment before landing lightly on Wan Xiaochuan's shoulder, humming softly as though sensing the fluctuations of energy within his body.
"What's it doing?" Wan Xiaochuan asked.
"It senses the instability of your wind and thunder energies. It seems to resonate with that power," Lin Qixian replied cautiously. "Perhaps it could help you gain control over that volatile spiritual force."
Wan Xiaochuan was still processing this when the rustle of wind and grass came from outside the forest, followed by the frantic flapping of startled birds.
Lin Qixian's expression sharpened. With a flick of his fingers, Qingli shot off into the trees as a blur of green light.
"Someone's coming—hostile," he muttered.
"More remnants of the Demon Clan?" Wan Xiaochuan already had his sword in hand. Though his Wind and Thunder Sword remained sheathed, muffled winds and rumbles of thunder could already be heard from within.
Moments later, a figure emerged from the trees. Clad in a dark blue robe with a black cloth masking his face, the man moved silently yet swiftly. In his hand gleamed a curved blade, its edge etched with faint purple runes—clearly a spirit-breaking weapon.
"What brings you here, stranger?" Lin Qixian asked, voice cold.
The intruder gave no reply. He merely raised his blade across his chest and, without warning, slashed out—sending a surge of purple flame blade energy straight at Wan Xiaochuan!
"Wind and Thunder · Severing Sentiment Style!"
Wan Xiaochuan unsheathed his sword in a flash. Sword shadows danced like the wind, lightning erupted—the twin energies converging in a double-bladed strike that met the incoming blow head-on.
A thunderous roar rocked the forest, as spiritual energy clashed in an explosion. Leaves flew, smoke billowed, and the air quaked.
Qingli darted back from the shadows, wings vibrating as it released a faint, fragrant scent that drifted toward the enemy, whose movements instantly slowed.
"A fragrance trap?" Wan Xiaochuan's eyes lit up.
Lin Qixian nodded. "Insect poison infused with spirit scent—disrupts the enemy's mind in a single breath."
Working in seamless coordination, Lin Qixian pulled out a Spirit Explosion Talisman. Upon activation, it erupted in a blaze of thunderfire, forcing the masked attacker to retreat under its devastating force.
Wan Xiaochuan gave no pause, sword raised once more, gathering wind and thunder energy for a second strike.
Realizing the tide had turned, the assailant threw down a smoke bomb and retreated swiftly into the woods.
Wan Xiaochuan prepared to pursue, but Lin Qixian held him back. "Don't. His aura is off—this could be a deliberate lure."
"You think… he's trying to draw us away from the village?"
Lin Qixian nodded. "Let's see if Qingli can track him."
With a hum, Qingli followed the fading trail of smoke. The two remained hidden among the trees, waiting in silence for its return.
Wind stirred the branches, the forest held its breath. Fate had shifted once more—another unseen wheel had begun to turn.
——
Later that evening, Qingli returned, faint blue spectral wings flickering behind its back. Lin Qixian gasped upon seeing it. "Already showing signs of swarm evolution?"
He immediately drew out a yellowed insect-skin pouch and carefully placed Qingli within, then turned to Wan Xiaochuan. "Xiaochuan, Qingli is about to enter its 'Swarm-Birthing Phase.' Inside the spirit pouch, it can incubate its kin—but it must be fed with spirit herbs and thunder essence."
Wan Xiaochuan nodded, his expression growing solemn.
"In a few days, you may be able to form a blood pact with Qingli. Once that's done, it will no longer fight by my side alone—but with both of us, wielding the might of a living insect swarm."
Starlight shimmered overhead. The spirit locust stirred, its metamorphosis underway. Destiny, already written, had silently begun.