"Once I have bestowed this disk upon you, there is no reason for me to take it back!" Bo Hua smiled gently upon hearing this. "With this protective item, and since my friend has also borrowed a counteracting treasure—the Xuan Tian relic—there's no doubt that even the most formidable insect mother will be adequately handled. Then, I shall risk my life and go myself." The ancient, dignified elder blinked several times, then agreed. As for the black-robed woman, after a moment's thought, she also nodded. "Brother Han, what is your opinion?" Bo Hua was delighted, yet she did not forget to pay special attention to Han, and gently turned her head to inquire. "With all of you going, how could I possibly hesitate and retreat at the last moment?" Han collected the object in his hand, his expression unchanged. With his current powers and the invaluable Xuan Tian Sword safeguarding him, even if facing a true Immortal, he would feel confident in defending himself—certainly no fear in confronting an insect mother whose vital energy had been greatly diminished. "Very well. Then I shall have the sealing spirit dispatch us there immediately." Over there, the two companions from the Night Realm should also be nearby. With their joining, the chances of success would increase even further. "Bo Hua said with a light smile. Then, without further hesitation, she raised her hand and cast a seal into the gray mist. Instantly, the mist surged and parted to either side, revealing a clear path. Bo Hua moved swiftly and stepped into the passage without delay. The others followed closely behind. A short while later, when they emerged from the passage, they were greeted by a spacious, open area, with a gray-white teleportation array now standing on the ground ahead. A soft humming sound emanated from the surrounding void, as though someone were speaking in a language that was not quite clear. Yet, none of Han Li's companions could make out what was being said. Only Bo Hua nodded slightly to the sky, then took a serious expression and stepped several paces into the array. The others, seeing this, looked on with varied expressions, but after a brief pause, all eventually made their way toward the array. At the very instant the last cloaked woman set her feet firmly within the spell array, a soft "pffft" sounded, and the entire array instantly activated. A radiant glow enveloped the surroundings, and in the next moment, all the figures vanished—faintly blurred, as though they had simply stepped through the air. Each strand was wound around the rim of the basin at one end, while the other end extended directly to the tops of eight bronze pillars, plunging into the ancient lamps. A vague, incomprehensible incantation emanated from within the basin, causing the slender chain connecting the single ancient lamp still glowing to tremble gently. Suddenly, countless symbols of pale golden hue, each the size of a grain of rice, appeared on the ancient lamp and swiftly flew along the silver chain toward the altar, vanishing into the black basin one by one. The faint, dark mist swirling on the surface of the black basin gradually thickened, and from it began radiating an overwhelmingly terrifying power, expanding at an astonishing pace. "...This must be the dwelling place of the mother of the stem-borer!" Han Li exclaimed, his face expressing profound astonishment as he glanced around. Not only he, but the other great cultivators, such as Bao Hua, also stared at the surroundings, their expressions equally filled with surprise. They all stood suddenly upon a vast expanse of ocean, with an endless stretch of pale blue sea stretching out around them, occasionally brushed by gentle, damp sea breezes. "这不是幻术！怎么回事？地宫里竟然还有这样的地方？" The dignified elder furrowed his brows and asked the Bao Hua. "Of course not. The underground palace is only this size—how could there be such an extensive body of water built within it?" Bao Hua shook her head, firmly denying. "Then where are we? Have we been directly transported away from the original site?" The red-faced man looked around hesitantly. "Probably not. Otherwise, our divine awareness would still be under seal, preventing us from reaching far beyond." The black-robed woman stated firmly, clearly having already attempted to use her spiritual senses. Clearly, she had already tried. "Look up!" Han Li suddenly said calmly. "Up?" "I've just examined it, and there's nothing unusual!" The ancient, dignified elder paused, lifting his gaze toward the hazy sky. Both the black-robed woman and the red-faced man also raised their heads, expressing a moment of mild confusion. The young woman glanced at the gray sky and then murmured softly, her expression suddenly clear. At that moment, Han Li raised his arm, and with a single finger, drew a sweeping motion through the air. "Crack!" A blade of brilliant green light, stretching hundreds of zhang in length, flashed into being and plunged downward. The gray light in the sky surged wildly, and a sharp, piercing cry suddenly erupted. The green light was dazzling and powerful, as though it were about to cleave the sky in two. Yet, as the green light vanished almost instantly, the sky did not split in half. Instead, after a deep, thunderous rumble, a vast, dark seal array—nearly concealing the entire sky—emerged, and another, slightly blurred one, appeared directly above. This luminous array was as black as ink, composed entirely of countless black runes of varying sizes. Yet, at its center, a colossal white insect—its body as vast as a mountain—lay quietly, motionless. The creature was pure white, flawless in texture, like jade, with its head deeply embedded within its body, so that its true form remained unseen. From a distance, however, its broad, plump form resembled that of a giant silkworm. Even more astonishing was the fact that the insect appeared to be in deep sleep—its body gently rising and falling, and as it did, golden runes shimmered in and out, flowing and shifting slowly. "The Mother of the Silkworm!" the black-robed woman gasped, suddenly unable to speak. The red-faced man and the dignified elder, witnessing this remarkable scene, likewise grew visibly startled, their breaths steadied and their energies concentrated, instantly adopting a posture of readiness as if facing a formidable adversary. Yet, the young lady named Baohua remained calm and composed. "There's no need for alarm," she said, "This creature has still some time before it awakens. As long as we remain steady and avoid hasty actions, it will not be disturbed It seems this must be a space rift self-created by them; the two Dao friends from the Night Realm will likely be unable to join us now. "Indeed, with the divine capabilities of the Mother of the Lesser Insects, such a self-generated rift is entirely feasible—and this explains why the seal's influence still holds here," the elderly, dignified elder exhaled, his expression slightly relieved. "Yet, without the two Dao friends from the Night Realm, our strength will feel rather thin. Should we first locate the exit and bring them into this space as well? I suspect they've been monitoring the situation from outside the rift all along." The black-robed woman glanced around again before suggesting. "No. The insect has already been on the verge of awakening. Our very movements will surely rouse it immediately. I believe the two Dao friends from the Night Realm have also been mindful of this very point, which is why they haven't dared enter directly. After all, unlike us, they don't possess the seal's power that can transport them directly into this space." The blossom firmly rejected the suggestion. The others, upon hearing this, also found it reasonable, and thus no one else mentioned the matter again. Yet at this moment, the one who had been quietly observing the vast light array in the sky, Han Li, slowly spoke: "Useless words can be set aside. It's best to act now, while the creature is still unconscious. If we can strike it hard enough to severely injure the mother of this insect, that would be ideal." "Han brother, your remark seems to underestimate us greatly. Should we combine our efforts for a single strike, even a True Immortal might not be able to withstand the blow and would fall instantly." The black-robed woman glanced at Han Li, speaking with some displeasure. "Hmph. If this mother insect were truly so easy to defeat, then the two True Immortals who sealed her would not have merely managed to keep her restrained. That has always been my approach—when I plan anything, I always begin with the worst-case scenario!" Han Li replied coldly. The black-robed woman listened intently, her expression darkening. Just as she was about to say more, she was cut off by a simple gesture from Bao Hua: "Neither of you need to compete. All we need to do is give our best effort on this journey. Whether or not we ultimately succeed will ultimately depend on fate. But be cautious—there's no mistake in that. Therefore, for the first strike, not only must all of you act together, but I will fully activate the celestial treasure I have borrowed. If any of you have your reserve moves, please bring them forth. Perhaps this 'mother of the pests' will only afford us this one full-scale effort." "Bao Hua's words are sound," the ancient, dignified elder nodded repeatedly in agreement. The black-robed woman and the red-faced man naturally had no objections. Han Li, however, paused thoughtfully before finally giving a serious, slight nod. Seeing this, Bao Hua smiled gently, inhaled softly, and then, with a single hand gesture, the light behind her shimmered. Instantly, a vivid, towering pink floral tree appeared in the air. At the same time, with a subtle movement of her lips, the other hand slowly lifted and, as her fingers gently parted, a sudden flash of yellow light appeared in her palm—revealing a large, yellow spike covered in rust. Though only about half a foot long, the surface of the spike was deeply pitted, and the inscribed spiritual patterns were blurred and indistinct, as though it had been buried underground for centuries, appearing remarkably ancient and worn. Yet, with the flower-like hand now holding this object, her expression was solemn. After pausing her incantation, she directly turned to the others and said with gravity: "This earth sovereign spike contains the fundamental principle of the dry earth law of this realm. As long as it is driven into a person's body, that individual will be completely unable to use any earth-based abilities. If I'm not mistaken, the mother of this insect—this mere pest—has her original power rooted in earth attributes. Therefore, as soon as I succeed in striking her, approximately ten out of her eleven earth-based powers will be rendered useless."