"Crack, crack, crack!" The moment the Death Reaver finished speaking, every tree within the Karma Forest rose from the ground, roots and all. In an instant, the entire grove became bare earth, and massive timbers soared high above, hurtling down to strike Jun Bugu.

Ye Xiu looked up, astonished. This domineering style of combat was something he had never witnessed in the Human Realm. What mysterious power did these creatures of the Corpse Demon Forest possess? "Jun Bugu, watch out!"

Jun Bugu did not move; he even started to yawn. He merely lifted his eyes, and that strange, eerie light reappeared in his pupils. Immediately, red maple leaves swept out like a torrential rain, mingling with the giant trees.

The Death Reaver was startled at first, but he didn't take Jun Bugu seriously. He flipped the Book of Death to the next page and silently chanted, "The stone bridge beneath your feet may not truly be a bridge; life and death are inherently fickle. Jun Bugu, you will perish in the rushing stream."

"Childish!" Jun Bugu listened silently until the Death Reaver finished his pronouncement. Just then, the stone bridge beneath his feet crumbled. The formerly small stream instantly swelled into a raging torrent. Showing incredible agility, instead of being frightened, he planted one foot atop the colossal wave and shot upward, launching a heavy Fire Fist strike down toward the Death Reaver.

"Infusing the fist with Black Flame—has he reached the Body Sacrifice Realm?" Ye Xiu watched, dumbstruck. The colossal trees from the heavens were being shredded to dust by the floating maple leaves. Where Jun Bugu landed, the Death Reaver’s neck was already horribly scorched by the Black Flame. Who knew how heavy that fist, imbued with Black Flame, truly was?

"Tch. Rumors truly can't be trusted. A complete waste." Jun Bugu kicked the Death Reaver’s corpse aside as he complained. "I don't know who started saying the Death Reaver of the Karma Forest was the king of the Corpse Demon Forest's exotic arts. What garbage exotic arts—he can only control a bit of wood and nothing else. He doesn't even possess basic combat skills!"

Ye Xiu quietly walked over and picked up the Book of Death, flipping it open slightly. There were absolutely no words inside. It seemed this fellow was truly just putting on a deceptive show. "The opponent was so weak, and yet your strength didn't even seem that high."

"Hmph, should I tell you that he died before I even unleashed my full power?" Jun Bugu stomped heavily on the Death Reaver’s corpse, crushing his head completely. "If I recall correctly, the last time we fought, you managed to dodge the Blood Maple Autumn Separation Sword technique we used together."

A bad feeling washed over Ye Xiu upon hearing this. This violent Jun Bugu was certainly no good person. He hastily tried to inject some levity: "There's no need to bring up that time. I've witnessed your strength. I only have one question: do you truly not know that you are a Death God?"

"Who cares what they call themselves? I only know there are many so-called masters in the Boundless Realm waiting for me to kill them. Hmph!" Jun Bugu had no interest in answering such tedious questions. He wiped his lips and smiled. "I still need to think about the experts I’ve heard about before. Next, I’ll go kill them one by one and see who else dares to utter the word 'expert' in front of me."

"Why didn't you use your sword just now, instead opting for fire? Are your combat habits completely different from the other one?" Ye Xiu couldn't help but probe Jun Bugu’s strength. The gentle Jun Bugu seemed to wield a blood-red sword, with every move precise and deliberate. This violent brute, however, truly had the temper of a Death God—preferring reckless, overwhelming charges, caring nothing for the consequences.

Jun Bugu scoffed dismissively, "I’m not as useless as he is, grabbing weapons at the drop of a hat! You seem very concerned about my cultivation. How about we fight? We'll see who wins."

"It’s not time yet. I have more important things to accomplish," Ye Xiu cut the conversation short. This Jun Bugu truly had strange quirks, relying on his high cultivation to constantly provoke fights.

"Sigh, dealing with such a weakling is just as boring as dealing with him!" Jun Bugu was greatly irritated, pacing back and forth, unsure of where to go. After thinking for a long time, he found release. "Forget it. Let me go back and rest. You two incompetent people can chat slowly. I’ll come out to kill you when your cultivation improves!"

Ye Xiu was struggling to tolerate this extreme individual. He examined Jun Bugu closely, only to see him suddenly freeze in place, silent.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Ye Xiu called Jun Bugu’s name softly, unsure what expression the current version of him might wear.

Jun Bugu stretched mightily and yawned. "It took such a long time to wake me up after a good nap. We agreed on one day each; that guy is so irresponsible."

"You... you're awake?" For a moment, Ye Xiu truly couldn't find the right adjective to describe the situation.

Jun Bugu rubbed his eyes and looked around in confusion. "Why am I here? Did that guy run out to kill someone again? Such a sin, such a sin."

"Don't worry, he didn't kill anyone. Hurry and tell me how to get to the Demon Insect Sect," Ye Xiu was done wasting time on pleasantries. That was a minor issue; infiltrating the Demon Insect Sect was the current priority.

"He didn't kill anyone, that's good. Demon Insect Sect, Demon Insect Sect... where, where?" Jun Bugu mumbled endlessly while shaking his head. "Judging by the miasma here, this must be the Karma Forest. Wasn't that Death Reaver a high-level cultivator from the Demon Insect Sect? This should be their territory."

"Ah! This is it." Since meeting Jun Bugu, Ye Xiu had uttered countless sighs in just two days. These two personas were utterly disconnected. The one personality who knew the Demon Insect Sect's location had been forcibly put to sleep, while the other personality knew the location but refused to tell, instead dragging Ye Xiu here, killing a high-ranking member of the sect, and now the first personality wakes up to inform him this place is the Demon Insect Sect. This was harder to explain than teaching Old Liu history.

"Hiss, hiss, hiss!" Suddenly, a strange sound came from the stream. Looking closely, they saw small, minute insects crawling slowly out of the sand and mud. As the swarm approached, they all transformed into grotesque human shapes.

"Who dares trespass unauthorized into the territory of the Demon Insect Sect?" A leading figure extended his claws toward Ye Xiu. He was short, but his limbs were disproportionately wide, resembling an ant.

Ye Xiu was precisely looking for the Demon Insect Sect members. Seeing these lackeys approach, he couldn't help but smile. "I am Ye Xiu, and this is my friend, Jun Bugu. We have come to request an audience with the Sect Master, Hanba Insect Emperor."

"Who do you two think you are? Why would our Sect Master meet you!" The leader shook his head but then spotted the Death Reaver’s corpse. He retreated in surprise, brandishing the sharp claws in his hand. "You... you killed the Death Reaver!"

"No, it’s all a misunderstanding, a complete misunderstanding!" Ye Xiu didn't want this incident to derail his plan, so he lied smoothly. "We have come here to present the Ten Thousand Poison Stone to the Hanba Insect Emperor. We hope the little brother can convey our message."

"You say you possess the Ten Thousand Poison Stone!" The leader had initially intended to have his subordinates surround the pair, but the mention of the Ten Thousand Poison Stone made him immediately wave his men back. "You have the Ten Thousand Poison Stone? Can you show it to me first?"

Ye Xiu patted his pocket confidently. "You know how precious the Ten Thousand Poisons are. I naturally guard it carefully. Just lead me to your Sect Master, and everything will become clear."

"Hmm, very well... you wait here!" The leader called over a subordinate and gave rapid instructions. The subordinate immediately flipped over and stood inverted on the ground, head-down. In moments, his hands transformed into two razor-sharp claws. He began digging into the loose soil, burying his body beneath the ground.

"The Demon Insect Sect guys really know how to have fun, inventing their own digging routine, hahahaha." Jun Bugu watched happily, clapping his hands in applause, completely oblivious that the corpse beneath his feet was the one he himself had killed.

The wind blew through the green woods, and the miasma drifted away. Before long, the subordinate poked his head out of the hole, whispering something into the leader's ear for quite a while. Only then did the leader tilt his head back and smile. "The Sect Master grants an audience. Follow me, both of you."

"Mn." Ye Xiu was perfectly confident. He patted Jun Bugu's shoulder. "It seems what you knew was not wrong. The Hanba Insect Emperor's interest in the Ten Thousand Poison Stone has long since outweighed the life or death of the Death Reaver."

Jun Bugu smiled, finding some sense in that. However, when he saw the group of Demon Insect Sect members all burrowing their heads into the ground, his whole body shuddered. "Is the Demon Insect Sect underground? Do we have to dig tunnels in like them?"

Ye Xiu took a closer look. It turned out those ant-men had excavated a massive passage beneath the surface. He approached to observe; the speed at which they dug was astonishing. In just this short time, a passage of unfathomable depth had formed, encased entirely by the surrounding soil, much like a tomb corridor.

Without further ado, led by the ant-soldiers, Ye Xiu and Jun Bugu followed slowly into the depths of the tunnel. The air was thick with the scent of earth along the way. As they went deeper, they began to smell various odors of decaying flesh. When they finally reached the end of the passage, a sudden, intense light struck them. A grand and complex underground palace immediately unfolded before their eyes. The layered, magnificent architecture and the intricate network of passages were dazzling.

"The Demon Insect Sect is an underground imperial palace?" Ye Xiu exclaimed in wonder at the undulating rows of structures. "I never expected their lair to be underground. Such a massive undertaking, just like an ant nest—all paths connected, both magnificent and intricate."

Jun Bugu tilted his head back, spinning around as he immersed himself in this array of architecture, looking left and right like an excited child.

"Stop dawdling! The Sect Master has been waiting a long time in the Thousand Cave Insect Palace," the leader urged Jun Bugu impatiently. In his eyes, these two, capable of killing the Death Reaver, were not people he could easily offend.

Ye Xiu walked quietly ahead, head bowed, with Jun Bugu closely following. After passing through a narrow corridor, they arrived before a palace. The exterior of this structure was covered in the chitinous shells of various insects. Green bubbles burst in the murky pool outside the hall with a bubbling sound. The air here was thin, sending a chill down their spines.

"How disgusting," Ye Xiu gasped, a slight chill causing goosebumps to rise on his arms. The Demon Insect Sect really consisted of subterranean bugs; such a living environment was unimaginable.

In contrast, Jun Bugu smiled faintly, appreciating everything around him, showing no sign of discomfort. "Not at all. This structure is quite imaginative."

The leader walked up the steps alone, explaining their purpose to the two elite Ant-Soldier guards. He turned back and roared, "Why are you two not coming up yet?"

Ye Xiu watched everything above with a cold gaze. As he stepped onto the stairs, he felt a soft, spongy sensation underfoot. Looking up, he saw something viscous, like saliva, slowly dripping down, landing precisely in the center of the palace floor. Inscribed in that center were four characters: "Thousand Cave Insect Palace."