CHAPTER 324: CHAPTER 324 FORBIDDEN LAND (1)_1

"The more they eat, the bigger they get. This is useless," Shangguan You said coldly.

"If they keep eating, they will become taller than us. What do we do when they can swallow us whole?" Shen Cheng said with concern. Staying suspended in mid-air was not a solution either.

"Shen Cheng, brace yourself!" Shen Po shouted. The Spiritual Energy in his palm swept quickly towards the largest of the bugs. RUSTLE! Another swath fell. But as soon as the largest bugs were swept aside, countless others surged forward to feast on them, growing even larger in the process.

As the number of bugs in the secret chamber kept increasing, the entire space turned pitch black. Sweat beaded on Shen Po’s forehead. His hands clenched together, the Spiritual Energy he had intended to sweep out stalled, barely moving. His previous sweep had killed three large bugs but had resulted in countless more. If he swept again, the entire space would surely be overrun. He wouldn’t have the means to deal with so many, let alone escape unscathed—especially since he was with Shen Cheng.

"Senior, what should we do?" Shen Po looked to Shangguan You for help, hoping that with her presence, they could get out safely.

"Ridiculous," Shangguan You huffed and rolled her eyes in annoyance. How would she know what to do? These bugs were multiplying, and whether they could even escape from here was questionable. She, too, was at a loss.

Looking at these bugs made her shiver. It would be manageable if they stayed here, but if they got out, it could cause chaos in Renjing City, or even the entire country.

But if they remained here and ate all their companions, they’d keep growing. Breaking through the ground would be a problem then.

"These bugs keep growing bigger the more they consume. If they escape, the whole country might fall into a world of bugs. Don’t you care at all, Senior? You can’t bear to watch the common people suffer, can you?" Shen Cheng frowned and spoke gravely.

"The suffering of the common people is none of my fucking business. These bugs were attracted by the blood on your bodies. See all those bugs piling up down there? As long as they eat you, everything will naturally resolve," Shangguan You watched coldly, observing the bugs continuously piling up below, watching them tear each other apart and devour one another in the four corners. She inexplicably shivered.

Which pervert among the Shen Family’s ancestors caught so many bugs in this secret chamber? Who was it? If she found out, she’d teach them a harsh lesson! How could they build a villa on top of something like this? She had lived here for over twenty years! Just the thought made Shangguan You feel a chill run through her body.

"Senior, that’s not a reasonable thing to say. You are highly skilled in martial arts, and you also have the Fire Spirit Pearl. Why don’t you try using fire?" Shen Po said, sweeping the bugs off the ceiling with a wave of his hand and addressing Shangguan You sternly.

"If I burn them and they grow even bigger, what then? If those bugs mutate and become even larger, will you take responsibility?" Shangguan You retorted coldly. She obviously knew about using fire, but if burning them resulted in even larger bugs appearing, what then? Her heart pounded fiercely at the thought.

"Senior, why not give it a try? The three of us, if we don’t eliminate these bugs, we won’t be able to escape. We have no other options now; we can only rely on your Fire Spirit Pearl, Senior."

"Hmph," Shangguan You snorted, a fiery red flame swirling around her index finger. The room’s temperature rose instantly as the flame surged.

"Inferno Fire!" Shangguan You commanded softly. A mighty flame composed of Fire Dragons surged, blanketing and rolling towards the bugs in the secret chamber.

SQUEAK! SQUEAK! SQUEAK! The sounds rose incessantly. A thick smell of burnt flesh filled the secret chamber. Wherever the Inferno Fire passed, everything was scorched black. SQUEAK! SQUEAK! SQUEAK! These countless cries continued until every bug in the secret chamber was charred; only then did Shangguan You retract the Inferno Fire.

Shangguan You used the Inferno Fire to incinerate all the bugs to ash. The ground was covered in a layer of black residue; not even a speck remained. She let out a sigh of relief. Thank goodness, thank goodness nothing else crawled out. She remembered watching some blockbuster movie where burning the small ones brought out a big one, and then an even bigger one after that. She really feared such a clichéd disaster happening to her.

"Senior, that was mighty impressive," Shen Po commented gravely, his relief palpable. His palm wind swept out, clearing the ground in an instant. He and Shen Cheng landed safely once more.

Shangguan You harrumphed, ignoring the two men, and floated up into the air. With a Clairvoyance Spell, she surveyed the entire secret chamber once more.

Just fire to solve the problem? She felt things weren’t that simple; this secret chamber was filled with an eerie atmosphere. The bugs devoured each other, growing bigger with each meal.

Shangguan You’s eyes pierced through the layers of the secret chamber, looking all around. Through the thick walls, she could clearly see the other side. There, a thick layer on the ground teemed with countless bugs, constantly devouring each other—the larger ate the smaller, the smaller feasted on the large, then they evolved and grew. Witnessing the scene behind the wall to the right, Shangguan You couldn’t help but gasp.

The right side was swarming with bugs—countless of them. The bugs on the ground here must have crawled out from there. But why had only one group come over? Would the others crawl out too?

"Don’t go near the right side," Shangguan You warned as she saw Shen Po and Shen Cheng drawing closer to the right.

"Why?" asked Shen Cheng, puzzled.

"If you want to be devoured by bugs again, by all means, move closer to the right. The moment they smell blood again, they’ll go into a frenzy. And these ones are several times bigger than the ones before. I guarantee they could swallow you whole in one bite," Shangguan You said coldly, casting a glance at the two men. Shen Po and Shen Cheng’s complexions changed, and they hastily retreated a few steps away from the wall. Now, more than ever, they were desperate to leave this place quickly.