Inside the nest of the sword insects.

　　Senior White gazed at the seventeen tunnels before his eyes and fell deep in thought.

　　The nest of the invisible sword insects was like a maze, and it was made of several very complicated passages. Song Shuhang and the others had no idea which one would lead them to the eggs.

　　As if that wasn’t enough, there was another problem… the various passages were somewhat small, only big enough to let a dog in.

　　The fact that the nest had a maze-like structure wasn’t a problem. After all, as long as Senior White swept the place with his spirit sense, he could easily find the location of the eggs.

　　But, as far as crawling into those small passages was concerned… Senior White didn’t seem too interested in it.

　　After pondering for a short moment, Senior White suddenly turned his head around with a serious expression, and said, “Shuhang, do you really want those eggs?”

　　“?” Song Shuhang was confused.

　　Senior White, aren’t you the one that suggested looking for the eggs of these invisible sword insects…?

　　However, Song Shuhang still replied, “Well, if possible, I would like to get some.”

　　After all, these invisible sword insects were very valuable.

　　“Good, get behind me in that case,” Senior White said.

　　Song Shuhang followed Senior White’s instructions and got behind him.

　　Then, he saw Senior White take out a strange magical treasure. This magical treasure somewhat resembled a drill bit, but there was a circular claw attached to the end.

　　Senior White lifted his drill-bit-shaped magical treasure, and randomly chose one of the passages, starting to drill.

　　The magical treasure started to spin, and the claw attached to it spun as well. Upon contact, the hole ahead expanded several times, creating a passage big enough to allow two people to walk side by side.

　　Sure enough… Senior White is truly acting strange today, Song Shuhang thought to himself. He had a theory in mind, but he needed to confirm it first.

　　“Boom, boom, boom~”

　　Senior White raised the drill and kept advancing in the tunnel while carving out a new path. Song Shuhang followed closely behind him.

　　Drilling and drilling, Senior White suddenly stopped.

　　“Senior White, is something the matter?” Song Shuhang asked.

　　“I’ve discovered the location of the eggs. Still, it’s really annoying to have my spirit sense limited. Let’s go, we’ll take a shortcut,” Senior White said.

　　“Shortcut?” The monster bird Little Cai curiously looked all around. The only thing before them was this passageway, and there was no trace of any shortcut.

　　However, Song Shuhang immediately understood what Senior White meant. If there wasn’t a shortcut, he would simply create one.

　　Sure enough, Senior White lifted his drill bit-like magical treasure and aimed at the left wall of the passageway, starting to drill.

　　Very soon, Senior White carved out a huge tunnel. At the end of this tunnel was another passage that those invisible sword insects had dug out.

　　This passage would directly lead them to the eggs.

　　“Eh? There is someone there!” The sharp-eyed Little Cai saw another figure quickly pass through that other passageway.

　　Song Shuhang also saw the figure. When Senior White drilled to that other passageway, that figure quickly crawled forward.

　　“Hehe, I sensed his presence just now, and decided to chase after him,” Senior White said. “This guy sneaked into the nest of the invisible sword insects and is probably looking for their eggs as well. We have to catch up to him, we can’t let him run away.”

　　Thereupon, Senior White raised his drill bit-like magical treasure and kept expanding this new passage they had reached.

　　Dugu Bai was especially depressed today.

　　He was a special variety of a fox spirit, and although he was a handsome male fox, he’d decided to give up on studying the illusory and bewitching techniques that his race excelled at. In the end, he acknowledged a human cultivator as his teacher, and learned a cultivation technique suitable to him as well as an exquisite spirit beast taming skill.

　　His teacher didn’t tell him the name of this cultivation technique. Whenever he asked about the origin of this cultivation technique, his teacher would get very sad. As such, Dugu Bai stopped mentioning this matter over the course of time.

　　After reaching the intermediate level in this cultivation technique, Dugu Bai made up his mind, and decided to become a grandmaster spirit beast tamer like his teacher. Therefore, he spent most of his time in secret realms, forbidden areas, and other similar places, looking for all kinds of spirit beasts that he could bring back and raise.

　　One year ago, Dugu Bai found this ‘forbidden area’ and discovered that there were some valuable invisible sword insects inside. The cultivation technique he practiced was very special, which enabled him to use a marvelous ocular technique that allowed him to see these invisible sword insects.

　　These invisible sword insects were very precious, and possessed the bloodline of a spirit beast. If he brought back a few, his teacher would surely be happy, right?

　　As such, Dugu Bai decided to bring back with him the eggs of the invisible sword insects. To do so, he spent one year preparing a special type of medicinal powder that would make him completely undetectable by these sword insects’ senses after it was applied to his body.

　　At the same time, he researched the habits of these invisible sword insects, discovering that they would hide in a cave once every three months and start reproducing if no one alarmed them. During this period of time, they would very rarely leave the cave.

　　The new breeding season of the invisible sword insects just happened to start a few days ago.

　　The best time to crawl into those narrow passages was precisely when the sword insects were hiding in that cave and reproducing. That way, he wouldn’t have to worry about getting injured by the invisible sword insects passing through the tunnels.

　　Anyway, he was depressed because just as he was taking his time in the nest and looking for the safest passage to reach the eggs of those invisible sword insects… some bastards barged into the forbidden area.

　　After those bastards alarmed the invisible sword insects, the insects quickly whizzed out of the cave they were hiding in.

　　At that time, Dugu Bai, who was crawling through one of the passages, got a scare and almost wet himself.

　　A crowd of invisible sword insects drilled out of the cave and almost hit him in the face. If he was even a little careless, he would turn into a sieve.

　　Luckily, Dugu Bai was fast to react, and had a relatively small build.

　　He quickly dug a hole in the passage, and hid himself there, dodging the incoming invisible sword insects.

　　After evading this calamity, he kept crawling across the nest while being very careful.

　　But just as he was moving forward, he heard a rumbling sound coming from one of the nearby passages.

　　Damn, which bastard was it this time?

　　Also, this guy was unexpectedly digging a tunnel in the nest of the invisible sword insects—was he tired of living?

　　If you want to die, go die alone and don’t take me with you!

　　Just as this thought flashed through his mind, Dugu Bai discovered that there was something wrong. Was it only his misconception, or was that rumble getting closer and closer?

　　Was that person coming toward him?

　　That was bad!

　　It seemed he was the target of the opposite party!

　　Dugu Bai quickly moved through the passage, but crawling in this passage while in human form was rather troublesome. Still, he couldn’t assume his monster form, either. His monster form was as big as a multistoried building, and there was no way it would fit in this small passage.

　　Dugu Bai ran for his life, but that rumbling sound was getting closer and closer.

　　At the same time, a pleasant voice echoed. “Hehe, found you. Little thief, where do you think you are escaping?”

　　In the next moment, Dugu Bai felt that his legs were tied up. It was the work of a binding magical treasure, which even made him unable to struggle.

　　Dugu Bai’s eyes were full of tears… Teacher, it seems I’ll die today.

　　“Boom~”

　　Senior White and Song Shuhang kept drilling until they reached Dugu Bai’s position.

　　“Eh? What a beauty. I can smell the scent of a fox coming from her body. She is a monster fox,” Little Cai said cheerfully.

　　Senior Sister Ye Si drilled out of Song Shuhang’s body, looking very curious, and said, “A fox spirit! It’s my first time seeing one alive. As expected, it’s quite the beauty.”

　　Song Shuhang also gazed at Dugu Bai. An oval face, somewhat rounded brow, long and narrow eyes… undoubtedly a natural born beauty.

　　“Fellow Daoist… I don’t swing that way. Please don’t look at me with that lecherous gaze of yours,” Dugu Bai said.

　　“…” Song Shuhang. With which eyes did you see me looking at you with a lecherous gaze…?

　　Senior White said, “It’s a male monster fox. Shuhang, how do you want to deal with this guy? Anyway, he’s part of that group that attacked the Chu Family, and he doesn’t deserve any pity; we might as well kill him right now. Right… Little Cai, how is your study of soul ferrying techniques proceeding? I can keep his soul behind after I kill him and give you a chance to ferry it.”

　　“I just finished memorizing ❮Ksitigarbha’s Soul Ferrying Scripture❯, and I have yet to learn how to ferry souls,” Little Cai replied.

　　“That’s really unfortunate,” Venerable White said.

　　Dugu Bai swallowed a mouthful of saliva.

　　Teacher, the human cultivators in the outside world are truly scary.

　　After killing me, they don’t plan to let off my soul, either! Not even letting off people’s souls after killing them is going too far!

　　Actually, wait a moment! I’m part of the group that attacked the Chu Family? These guys got the wrong person!

　　“Fellow Daoists, wait a moment. I didn’t come here with those guys outside!” Dugu Bai said in a hurry. “I’m just a spirit beast tamer, and I came to this forbidden area one year ago. I don’t know any of those bastards outside. I’m just here to take a few eggs from the nest of the invisible sword insects, nothing more.”

　　After hearing these words, Senior White said, “Ah? You want to steal my eggs? As expected, it’s better to kill you right now.”

　　“…” Dugu Bai.

　　Fellow Daoist, I came to this place one year ago! If we want to talk about stealing, you are the one stealing my eggs!

　　“Senior White, wait a moment,” Senior Sister Ye Si suddenly said.

　　Then, she gazed at Dugu Bai, and said, “Young fox spirit, do you want to keep your life and get the eggs?”

　　Dugu Bai nodded his head.

　　Senior Sister Ye Si gently smiled, “In that case, do you have some money with you?”

　　“Money? Ah, yes!” Dugu Bai took out a small bag of spirit stones, and said, “These are all the spirit stones I have with me.”

　　“I don’t want spirit stones,” said Senior Sister Ye Si. “I accept RMB, USD, or GBP.”

　　Dugu Bai was confused. “Ah?”

　　“You don’t have any of those currencies?” Senior Sister Ye Si said.

　　Dugu Bai bitterly smiled and shook his head.

　　“Sigh, don’t you know the sentence ‘without money, one can’t take a single step forward’?” Senior Sister Ye Si returned to Song Shuhang’s body, very disappointed.

　　“…” Song Shuhang.

　　“How should we handle this small fox?” Senior White squatted and poked Dugu Bai.

　　“We can tie him up for now. If he really isn’t acquainted with those guys outside, we can let him go,” Song Shuhang said.

　　If this guy really wasn’t part of the attackers, he would ask Senior White to give him some of the eggs.

　　Just as he was in deep thought, Song Shuhang had a strange feeling, and he looked at Dugu Bai again…