All the Senior Brothers and Sisters standing in the air avoided looking at Jian Jing. Truth be told, they also wanted to cross blades with that massive black-armored insect. Such creatures, they had only ever seen described in jade slips.
Jian Dan fixed her gaze on the three giant black beetles already restrained by Senior Sister Jian Jing's sword light. A faint gleam passed through her eyes as she continued sending a voice transmission to Liu Chuan.
"Chuan, dig deeper. I don't believe it's only these three."
"Understood!"
The mountain range below began to shake even more violently. Some of the lower ridges collapsed outright. Fleeing in every direction were only low-ranked spirit beasts, not a single high-level beast in sight.
Jian Mao stood beside Jian Dan with his arms folded, his voice deep. "When you struck down that clansman of the Jian family earlier, there was something wrong with him? Is that why we were teleported here?"
"Yes, he had been possessed by a black beetle."
"If you hadn't killed him, we wouldn't have been teleported here." Jian Mao raised an eyebrow.
While the two spoke, the remaining seven Senior Brothers shifted into position with practiced precision, cutting off every route of escape for the three giant beetles and leaving them for Jian Jing to finish.
Jian Dan only smiled at Jian Mao's suspicion. "Even if I hadn't discovered it, we would still have been sent here. Whether we can escape depends on our own strength. If we were to die here, the Jian family would take the blame."
"So these vermin are constantly scheming to divide us cultivators."
With that explanation, Jian Mao understood completely. "The insect race that came through the secret realm into Lingyun Continent must have at least one intelligent leader. Judging by their behavior, they seem rather desperate."
Jian Mao had studied the matter of insect invasions, for they were destined to be mortal enemies in the future.
Suddenly Liu Chuan's anxious voice sounded. "Woman, the entire mountain range below is a breeding ground for the insect race. I've already disturbed them. Quickly, set up a barrier!"
Jian Dan immediately raised her right hand. A white magnolia bloomed in her palm, instantly expanding to encompass the entire nameless mountain range.
"Senior Brother, my plant-spirit already sensed it. There's a nest below. We've walked straight into their lair this time!"
Seeing her barrier, Jian Mao knew the situation had shifted. His life-bound sword was already in his hand.
"Team 'Heaven's Punishment', take note! Below us lies the insect nest. Wipe it out completely! Junior Sister has raised the barrier, so strike swiftly!"
"Yes!"
Jian Jing had wanted to toy with the beetles longer, but at the captain's command she acted without hesitation. Her life-bonded sword whipped out, transforming into a blazing crimson lash of fire.
The fiery whip moved as though alive. With a single strike, the first beetle's head was severed clean. A second sweep cleaved the next beetle in half. The third, realizing danger, twisted its body around, pointing its tail at Jian Jing as it launched a condensed light sphere of destructive force.
But Jian Jing blinked out of sight, reappearing on its back. One thrust pierced straight through its carapace, ending its life. With a casual wave, she collected all three corpses. Their shells were precious material.
The third beetle's light sphere, now uncontrolled, slammed into the mountainside below. Thunderous explosions echoed as a massive black pit was blasted open.
From that pit, countless black beetle larvae erupted upward like a geyser. Jian Dan responded at once, unleashing Verdant Flame that swept downward. Liu Chuan's willow leaves followed right behind.
The leaves transformed into a storm of tiny green blades, whirling in torrents as they shredded through the mass of larvae. Corpses fell in a ceaseless rain while Verdant Flame spread across the pit.
One look at Jian Dan's method was enough for Jian Mao to see she was experienced in fighting insects. With a gesture, he rallied the others. Spells of every color filled the sky, raining destruction upon the swarm.
"Brothers, Sisters, don't be fooled by their small size. They're sly. Guard your seas of consciousness carefully. Do not get overturned here," Jian Dan reminded them kindly.
Everyone nodded without words and doubled their efforts, eradicating larvae in waves.
"Chuan, drag out the bigger ones. We'll deal with them. You handle the larvae and help reinforce my barrier."
"No problem!"
An enormous willow branch, ten meters thick, rose from the depths of the mountain and swept from west to east. It ripped countless creatures from the earth: black beetles, centipede beasts, mantises with scythe-like arms.
The entire Heaven's Punishment squad lit up with excitement. Such a rare chance to go all out. With perfect coordination, the nine cultivators surged forward to slaughter.
"Junior Sister, maintain the barrier and oversee the battle. You don't need to join in. Let us stretch our blades on these insects first," Jian Mao called as he darted into formation.
Jian Dan could only press her fingers to her forehead. They had clearly been pent up far too long. Their exhilarated expressions were almost embarrassing to watch.
"Woman, these beetles are larger than the ones at Heifeng Ravine. But the mantises and centipedes are smaller than those in Ming Valley. Most of their forces here are larvae," Liu Chuan commented.
"I see it too. These beasts must have been bred after lying low in Lingyun Continent. That's why they're smaller and weaker than the ones that invaded Ming Valley. Add the cultivators' relentless extermination and they've had fewer resources to grow."
"You're right. When I dug through the ground, most of the remains I found were spirit beasts or demon beasts. Human cultivators were only one-fifth."
"They wanted to entrap us, but instead they exposed themselves. Meeting this squad of sword lunatics, they deserve to be wiped out."
"Hah, looks like you won't get a chance to make a move today. Your fellow disciples are terrifyingly strong. In no time at all, they've wiped out half."
As Jian Dan and Liu Chuan conversed through divine sense, insect corpses fell like rain, carpeting the mountainside in moments.
"That's only natural. All these Senior Brothers and Sisters are half a step into the Mahayana stage. They rarely get to strike freely. When they do, it's enough to annihilate a sect. Otherwise, why do you think the Jian family treated us so politely on their territory?"
"They wanted your cultivation method, of course. When they need something from you, politeness costs little."
"Methods are one thing, but strength is another. Once I join forces with the Heaven's Punishment squad, the Jian family would surely suffer."
"Tsk tsk. Woman, you should cultivate some grace and become a refined fairy instead."
Jian Dan rolled her eyes. She already was an elegant immortal fairy.
By now the battle was nearly over. Every larger beast had been cut down, and not a single larva still dared to rise.
"Woman, the mother is about to appear!" Liu Chuan warned.
"Brothers, Sisters, the mother beetle is coming out. Remember, collect its golden blood. That's a true treasure!" Jian Dan called with a grin.
A moment later, a colossal worm over a hundred meters long burst from the pit. Its body was so black it gleamed purple, twisting like a rope as it writhed to evade the flying willow blades. Then it plunged straight into the encirclement of the Heaven's Punishment squad.