Witnessing the horrifying scene before him, Li Fan felt a stir in his heart. This was the essence of the bizarre! Caught between life and death, clarity and confusion, bound by obsessions, one could only follow predetermined rules, endlessly repeating in an eternal cycle. There was no escape. Qin Tang was like this, and so was the Insect Daoist.
Seeing Li Fan unresponsive, the Insect Daoist waved two golden pills in front of him. "Senior Brother, pills." He looked at Li Fan with hopeful eyes.
Li Fan, however, shook his head regretfully. "My aptitude is too poor. Even if I take these pills, my cultivation won't improve much. So, I definitely can't take them. It's better to save them for future senior brothers with better aptitude; they will have greater use."
The Insect Daoist was a bit disappointed and was about to persuade further. Li Fan continued, "However, I want to ask Junior Brother for a favor. I wonder if Junior Brother would agree."
The Insect Daoist brightened up again. "Agree, agree. Whatever request Senior Brother has, just let me know."
"I want to learn from Junior Brother the method of catching insects," Li Fan said slowly.
The bizarre has its own rules. If one does not follow these rules, they will surely perish under the bizarre. But if one understands the rules, not only can they remain unharmed, but they can also gain various benefits. Like the previous Qin Tang statue. In Qin Tang's trial, if one performed well in all three tests, they could request Qin Tang's guidance with a pot of good wine before leaving. Qin Tang would then help improve one's cultivation or impart a technique based on their performance in the trials.
As for the Insect Daoist, if one chose to swallow the golden pills, they could obtain the Insect Daoist's pill refining method. However, this pill refining method was not the normal path of alchemy but the path of insect pills. Not only were most of the ingredients sourced from various bizarre insects, but the pills themselves also took on insect forms. More crucially, the more insect pills one refined, the more they would gradually become like the Insect Daoist, becoming a being neither human nor ghost.
Thus, Li Fan did not choose the golden pills as a reward but opted for something else of equal value to the path of insect pills.
Hearing Li Fan's words, the Insect Daoist scratched the back of his head, somewhat embarrassed. "Senior Brother, the insect-catching net is just something I use for fun. Why do you want to learn it..."
Li Fan explained earnestly, "The senior brothers are fighting on the front lines, and inevitably, there will be bothersome insects disturbing them. Although my strength is weak and I cannot fight on the battlefield, if I learn your insect-catching technique, I can assist from the side, helping the senior brothers clear away these pesky insects."
The Insect Daoist suddenly realized, "I hadn't thought the insect-catching net could be used like that. Senior Brother, you are truly wise!"
Li Fan sincerely said, "I would be grateful if Junior Brother could teach me."
The Insect Daoist's face flushed with excitement. "Alright, Senior Brother, I'll teach you the method of weaving the net right away."
With that, the Insect Daoist's back buzzed, revealing four pairs of transparent wings. He reached behind, tearing off one of them. The wing, still stained with blood, was handed to Li Fan. Li Fan gently touched it, and the transparent wing transformed into streams of light, absorbed into his body.
At the same time, before Li Fan's eyes, it seemed as if countless intersecting lines appeared in the world. He felt as if he could manipulate these lines at will, weaving them into a giant net to capture all living beings in his sight.
"This is it, the innate divine ability: Insect Binding."
The illusion of the giant net gradually faded, but Li Fan knew he had acquired this extremely powerful divine ability. As long as the opponent's realm was lower than his, once he activated the Insect Binding Divine Ability, he could instantly restrain the opponent. Cultivators caught by the insect-binding would be unable to use any divine abilities or spells, rendered helpless like insects in a net, at the mercy of others.
At first glance, this Insect Binding Divine Ability seemed only useful against cultivators of lower cultivation, appearing quite trivial. But in reality, it was not. One must understand that realm does not equate to actual combat strength.
Cultivators wandering the world often have a trump card or two. In an unexpected burst, even if one's cultivation was higher, there was no guarantee of escaping unscathed. However, with this Insect Binding Divine Ability, such worries were eliminated.
As long as one's realm was higher than the opponent's, they could suppress them with ease, capturing them alive. It was most suitable for dealing with those whose realm was lacking but seemed to harbor many secrets...
The figures of Sikong Yi and Bai Li Chen flashed briefly in Li Fan's mind. Having gained the divine ability, Li Fan was unwilling to delay further. "Junior Brother Insect, I have learned the method of weaving the net. I will head to the front lines to find the senior brothers. Take care!"
The Insect Daoist was somewhat reluctant. "Senior Brother, you must be careful. Return safely!"
As Li Fan departed, the worried expression gradually faded. Who knows how much time passed before the Insect Daoist's murmurs echoed once more in the silent Demon Refining Tower. "...Without the pill refining materials, what should I do..."
Leaving the Demon Refining Tower, Li Fan sensed the location of Sikong Yi and Bai Li Chen. They were already very close to the central core area of the Cloud Water Heavenly Palace: the Taiyi Hall. Information about the Taiyi Hall flooded Li Fan's mind.
It was said that the Taiyi Hall was where the Cloud Water Heavenly Palace received distinguished guests and held sect discussions. It wasn't particularly risky, but the situation was rather unique. Observing Sikong Yi and Bai Li Chen, it seemed they had stopped for some reason, advancing at a snail's pace toward the central area.
Li Fan immediately understood. With a cold smile, he headed in their direction.
In front of the Taiyi Hall, countless broken swords were embedded in the ground. The sword blades crisscrossed, forming a forest of swords, blocking the way to the Taiyi Hall. Sikong Yi and Bai Li Chen were stepping on the sword hilts, making their way toward the Taiyi Hall.
With each step forward, a phantom corresponding to the broken sword beneath them appeared above, piercing through them. There was no blood splatter; the phantom vanished upon piercing. It caused no physical harm, only pain.
The intense pain made them tremble uncontrollably, sweat pouring from their foreheads like raindrops. After a long while, they finally eased from the indescribable pain. Taking a deep breath, they continued stepping on the sword hilts.
Another sword phantom pierced through. This was why their progress was so slow. Despite the extreme pain, there was no hint of retreat in their eyes.
What they sought was just ahead, within reach. How could they possibly give up now? With firm resolve, they gritted their teeth and pressed on.
At this moment, they sensed someone approaching from behind. Turning around, they were shocked beyond belief, unable to suppress their exclamation. "It's you?! How is this possible?"
(End of Chapter)