Transmigration: The Peerless Immortal Husband - Chapter 85

Gu Yao couldn’t help but dig his ear, finding the noise unbearable. “Are you deaf, or do you just not understand human speech? Not short on spirit stones? Fine, give me 10,000 spirit stones, and we’ll roast it for you right away.”

“You… lunatic!”

Gu Yao’s outrageous demand left the opposing group in shock, their jaws nearly dropping. A price of 10,000 spirit stones was utterly absurd.

Shi Yanyan, humiliated in front of others, was furious and about to lash out when a more refined-looking male cultivator stepped forward. He blocked Shi Yanyan and offered a cupped-fist salute to Gu Yao and Chi Changye. “Apologies for our rudeness. It was unreasonable of us to make such a request. Yanyan, I’ll roast something for you later. While my skills may not compare, once we leave here, I promise to treat you to a proper feast.”

Shi Yanyan glared fiercely at Gu Yao a few more times before grudgingly following her cousin to set up camp nearby. Soon, they had their own fire going.

After tidying up their belongings, Chi Changye remarked, “So it’s her. I didn’t expect to run into her again. Don’t let it bother you. I’ll set up a formation, and we’ll leave at dawn after a good rest.”

Gu Yao chuckled. “I know. It’s just amusing how coincidental this is—getting pestered about spirit stones again. Last time, people mocked for a while.”

The two of them didn’t give the nearby group a second thought. As long as they were left alone, the night would pass peacefully. Once they parted ways the next day, neither side would likely remember the other. But if those people came looking for trouble, they wouldn’t hold back.

After setting up a protective formation, Chi Changye joined Gu Yao in the tent, completely ignoring the other party.

Encounters like this weren’t uncommon for cultivators testing their mettle in the wild. Many weren’t eager to interact with strangers. In the wilderness, it wasn’t just the beasts of the forest that needed guarding against. Fellow cultivators entering the forest could be equally dangerous. Many lives were lost not to monsters, but to betrayal by their own kind.

For people who are proud and self-centered, being ignored like this was enough to make them furious.

“These two academy students are such scum! What kind of behavior is this? Sister Shi, let us teach them a lesson!”

“Sister Shi graciously asked them to roast some meat, and they had the audacity to speak like that! Does anyone know their identities? We must deal with them when we get back!”

Though their words were harsh, none of them actually got up to confront Gu Yao and Chi Changye. Shi Yanyan’s cousin presented her with freshly roasted meat, but after just one bite, she spat it out in disgust. “Ugh! Disgusting! Can’t any of you roast meat that tastes like the one from earlier? What use are you all? Worthless, every one of you!”

Faces turned green and white with anger and embarrassment, but no one dared to say a word against Shi Yanyan. Her cousin, though scolded, brought out pre-prepared pastries and spirit fruits to appease her. She grudgingly ate some, just enough to stave off hunger. The others either nibbled on dry rations they had brought or reluctantly chewed on charred meat. While eating the overcooked meat, they couldn’t help but remember the delicious aroma from earlier. No wonder Shi Yanyan craved it—they were envious too.

Some of them, unwilling to blame Shi Yanyan for the scolding, redirected their anger toward Gu Yao and Chi Changye. They silently swore to uncover their identities back at the academy and come up with a plan to force them into servitude for Shi Yanyan—condemning them to spend the rest of their lives roasting meat for her.

—

As night deepened, Shi Yanyan’s group rested, leaving a few people on watch for safety. Naturally, Shi Yanyan slept in the most luxurious tent.

When only snores remained in the camp and beastly roars echoed from the depths of the surrounding jungle, a strange fog began to rise. It spread across the grass, trees, and insects, swallowing everything in its path. Even the chirping of insects vanished entirely, as if silenced by the mist.

The guards who had been awake suddenly collapsed as if falling into a deep slumber. The fog crept over their bodies and continued to advance toward the central tent. The campfire flickered a few times before extinguishing into the darkness.

However, when the mist reached another tent nearby, it met resistance, stopped by a formation that had been set up. The mist seemed unwilling to give up and persistently pressed against the barrier.

Inside the tent, Chi Changye, who was meditating, suddenly opened his sharp eyes, two flashes of sword-like energy glinting in them. “Xiao Yao.”

Gu Yao, who had also been meditating, snapped awake at once. “Brother Ye, what’s wrong? Is something off?” He listened carefully, but outside, it was eerily silent. Too silent.

Something wasn’t right! Gu Yao quickly realized the problem and jumped to his feet. It was far too quiet. The previous night, when they had camped in the wild, the sounds of beastly roars and insect chirping were constant. Unless isolated by a formation, such noises were unavoidable. But now, there was only dead silence—a clear sign that something was amiss.

“Pack everything. We’re going out,” Chi Changye instructed.

Gu Yao followed his orders immediately. Chi Changye was much more experienced in wilderness survival. As they stepped out of the tent, they saw the dense fog blanketing everything, even obscuring the starlight above. They were enveloped in an impenetrable cloud of mist, with no sense of direction. Gu Yao was alarmed. “Brother Ye, what is this ghostly thing?”

Chi Changye’s expression grew serious. “It should be Ghost Mist Worms. But these creatures are usually found deep in the dangerous areas of the Quiqu Mountain Range, not around the outskirts. Could something have happened deeper inside the mountains?”

Humans are most fearful of the unknown, and after Chi Changye identified it as the Ghost Mist Worm, Gu Yao calmed down significantly. After entering the academy, he had spent some time learning about the Quiqu Mountain Range. Although it contained many dangerous areas, there were also abundant heavenly treasures and natural resources, which intrigued him.

One of the places in the range was inhabited by the Ghost Mist Worms. These strange creatures produce fog as a byproduct, and the worms hide within the mist they create. The Ghost Mist Worms are a type of social creature, living in large groups. The mist they generate becomes dense and continuous, and anyone who unknowingly wanders into it might end up being corroded by the mist or devoured by the worms.

“Is it possible that these Ghost Mist Worms are being controlled by someone?” If someone were controlling them, it would explain why they appeared outside their usual habitat.

Chi Changye wasn’t one to mess with bugs, but in this case, it wasn’t impossible. “Regardless of whether they’re being controlled or not, we should leave here first. The surrounding formations will eventually be corroded by the Ghost Mist Worms.”

“Okay, I’ll follow your lead, Brother Ye.” Gu Yao immediately agreed without hesitation.

Turning around, he packed up the tent and followed closely behind Chi Changye. He activated a high-level defense talisman given to him by Chi Changye.

Chi Changye then dismissed the protective formation, and immediately, the dense mist surged forward, rushing in. Thinking about the mass of worms hidden within the mist made Gu Yao’s scalp tingle. He would rather face beasts than deal with these worms.

Chi Changye grabbed Gu Yao’s arm, and with a single word, “Go,” he unleashed a layer of thunderlight that enveloped both of them. As the thunderlight touched the mist, it crackled loudly. As expected, it was the Ghost Mist Worms.

The mist was poisonous and corrosive. Breathing it in could cause death without the victim realizing it. However, the Ghost Mist Worms were not invincible. They feared fire and lightning and were particularly scared of extreme yang forces. The thunderlight surrounding them struck down the Ghost Mist Worms upon contact.

The mist continued to churn around them but no longer dared to approach. The Ghost Mist Worms seemed to have developed a fear of the thunderlight. However, the mist grew thicker, making it impossible to see the path ahead. Gu Yao pulled out several spirit talismans and said, “Brother Ye, let me handle this.” He then threw the talismans forward. A series of flames and thunder erupted, blasting a path open. Chi Changye immediately led Gu Yao forward through the newly created route.

Gu Yao remained concerned that the Ghost mist Worms might be controlled by someone, and he didn’t know who or what might be hiding behind them, nor their level of power. For now, it was safer to rely on Chi Changye’s combat abilities.

The fire blazed, thunder rumbled, and large swaths of Ghost Mist Worms were burned to ashes. The worms, clearly afraid, no longer dared to gather together. Soon, the two of them broke free from the misty area. Just as they did, a sharp, frightened scream echoed from within the fog. It was obviously from Shi Yanyan and her group.

“Damn it, we can’t let them go, or the news will leak.”

“These two aren’t our target, right? We don’t have enough manpower, and the Ghost Mist Worms can’t stop them. Who are they? Didn’t you investigate them before the operation?”

“Forget it, let’s capture that girl from the Shi family inside first. We can deal with the two outside later.”

“Okay.”

Low whispers came from the fog. At this moment, Shi Yanyan and her group, who had been resting, were suddenly startled by the sounds of thunder and lightning outside. They quickly got up, ready to scold, but were shocked by the sight before them.

At first, they had no idea what the mist surrounding them was. No one had thought of the Ghost Mist Worms. After all, as Chi Changye had said, the Ghost Mist Worms originally inhabited the dangerous areas deep in the mountain range. How could they suddenly appear here on the outskirts? But when one person tripped over something on the ground and discovered it was a body, so mangled it was unrecognizable, they screamed in horror. It was the Ghost Mist Worms!

Shi Yanyan, who had been rudely awakened, was very displeased, but her cousin quickly led their people over to protect her, ensuring her safety was the top priority. “Yanyan, it’s the Ghost Mist Worms. Don’t be afraid, cousin will protect you!”

“What? Ghost Mist Worms? Hurry, get rid of them, I don’t want to see these horrible bugs!”

As soon as Shi Yanyan heard what kind of creatures they were, she screamed in fear. The thought of these creatures swarming her, biting her constantly, nearly made her faint.

“Cousin, hurry up and kill them! Quickly! Oh no, they’re coming closer—ah!”

If it had been a beast, Shi Yanyan would have charged forward to fight, but these worms, even with protective magic tools, still made her face turn pale with fear.

Her cousin, Sun, knew his cousin well. He immediately ordered the people to block the worms using fire and water. It seemed to be somewhat effective, and the chaotic camp began to regain some order. But soon, a person screamed in agony. It was then they realized there were others hiding in the fog, using it to launch a sneak attack from behind, killing one of their companions.