The enchantress sauntered up to Ye Xiu, extending a pale, slender hand to loop around his neck, laughing, "This subordinate is named Zhu Ji, here to pay my respects to Hall Master Ye."

"A spider from the Yaomeng Gate? Ye Xiu felt slightly unsettled by such an overtly intimate woman, lifting a hand tentatively as if to ward off the sensual contact."

Zhu Ji flashed a coquettish smile, pressing her crimson lips against Ye Xiu’s throat. "Naturally, I am a spider, subordinate. Not just any spider, but a Black Widow hungry for a man, perhaps?"

Ye Xiu had encountered many women, yet this Zhu Ji, with her ambiguous airs, was clearly more complex. Though her figure was curvaceous and beautiful, she was, after all, a spider. He delivered a cold reprimand. "Can you remove your hand from my neck? Otherwise, don't blame me for showing you no courtesy."

"Ugh, so lacking in romance." Zhu Ji shifted her body, rubbing her breasts back and forth against Ye Xiu's cheek. "Hall Master Ye, is it my hand making it hard for you to breathe, or my body? Or perhaps you feel this isn't quite enough?"

Afflicted by the potent venom of the Hundred Insects, Ye Xiu felt a sudden wave of weakness wash over him. Faced with this tempting, seductive creature offering herself so freely, he was at a loss as to how to respond.

"Why would Hall Master Ye favor an eight-legged monstrosity like me!" Just then, another woman's voice, enchanting and seductive, drifted up from near Ye Xiu's feet.

Ye Xiu gasped, peering down. A woman with an ashen-green complexion was licking her lips, winding herself sensuously around his waist. His body was now firmly bound by her coils, leaving him immobilized. "And who are you?"

"This subordinate is Serpent Beauty, paying respects to Hall Master Ye." As she finished speaking, Serpent Beauty’s form sinuously coiled upward, resting her face near Ye Xiu’s shoulder. "Subordinate sees how powerfully built Hall Master Ye is; why not allow me to serve you? It would surely offer a unique flavor, yes?"

"What a poisonous snake! Do you think you can win the Hall Master's favor over me?" Suddenly, Zhu Ji’s tone dripped with hatred. With a practiced leap, she sprang onto the wall, spitting out strands of silvery-white silk intended to ensnare Serpent Beauty. Serpent Beauty, with supple flexibility, twisted aside, instantly transforming into a long snake and shooting up the wall, her forked tongue flicking as she stared down Zhu Ji with fury.

"Enough, whatever you two have, direct it at me." Ye Xiu was desperate to acquire the true Soul of the Hundred Insects and held no interest in the quarrel between these two women. However, the current situation suggested that since they recognized him as Hall Master Ye, they meant no actual harm. He stepped forward. "We are all part of the Yaomeng Gate; why resort to such open conflict?"

"Did you see that? Hall Master Ye is concerned about me?" Serpent Beauty shifted back into her human form, smiling beautifully at Zhu Ji. "You Black Widow should just stay out of it."

"A joke! Why would Hall Master Ye look upon a venomous shrew like you!" Zhu Ji dropped down again, launching several more strands of silk toward Serpent Beauty. Serpent Beauty dodged the onslaught with another fluid, dazzling move. At this point, a serpent-shaped longsword materialized in her hand; with a light flourish, she sliced through all the incoming silk, leaving no trace behind.

"Alright, stop fighting." Ye Xiu advanced, intending to use his authority to quell this unnecessary confrontation. "I don't care what the two of you are fighting over, but since you both call me Hall Master Ye, you had better heed my instructions."

"So Hall Master Ye is worried about me." Zhu Ji’s voice softened as she lunged forward again, embracing him tightly against her chest. "Don't be so self-important."

Serpent Beauty also bent low, wrapping around Ye Xiu's other side. "Hall Master Ye is certainly concerned about me too. Why don't you let me serve the Hall Master properly?"

"..." Even Ye Xiu, possessed of a man's heart, could not entirely resist the close proximity of these two intensely beautiful enchantresses. He thought the venom of the Hundred Insects had been fully absorbed, and he was about to turn to leave, when he found himself pinned to the ground by the two women. Helplessly, his hands brushed against the softest parts of their bodies. A surge of vigorous energy erupted within him, sending both women flying backward with a single kick.

"Oh, Hall Master Ye, you're so wicked. Why use force here? Can't you apply your strength somewhere else?" The charming voices and shadows reappeared, and the two women rushed forward again, attempting a forceful takeover of Ye Xiu.

Rumble— a sound echoed as the gate to the Hundred Insects Fierce Den slowly swung open. The voice of the Plague Locust Emperor boomed out like a vast bell, "Zhu Ji, Serpent Beauty, cease this insolence!"

"Subordinates pay respects to the Plague Locust Emperor." Seeing the Emperor, both women immediately lowered their heads, showing no trace of disrespect. "Subordinates were merely trying to welcome and refresh Hall Master Ye."

"Hoo..." Ye Xiu let out a long breath and bowed to the Plague Locust Emperor. "Plague Locust Emperor, please do not blame them. I only felt a powerful current flowing through my body—could this be the effect of the Soul of the Hundred Insects?"

The Plague Locust Emperor scrutinized him from head to toe and nodded. "Hall Master Ye now possesses the true Soul of the Hundred Insects. From now on, you must wholeheartedly assist this seat."

"I see. Thank you, Plague Locust Emperor. What orders do you have?" Ye Xiu felt greatly relieved that the danger of the Hundred Insects was resolved. The next step was to locate the Demon Peak Sect and rescue Qi'er.

The Plague Locust Emperor gestured. "This seat is currently cultivating the Myriad Toxin Pearl and requires a substantial supply of Myriad Toxin Stones. Hall Master Ye’s task is to find these stones for me. Of course, these two individuals will be your direct subordinates, free for you to command as you wish."

"Direct subordinates? Them..." Ye Xiu glanced back. Serpent Beauty and Zhu Ji were instantly fawning again, simultaneously exposing themselves provocatively, which sent a shiver down his spine. "I wonder if the Ant Soldier Leader can follow my orders?"

"You are now a distinguished Hall Master, with authority second only to a few." The Plague Locust Emperor showed slight skepticism. "What use do you have for the Ant Soldiers?"

Ye Xiu schemed for a moment, speaking softly. "Subordinate heard the Sky Moon Hermit mention that the people of the Demon Peak Sect still possess many Myriad Toxin Stones. If the Ant Soldiers can locate the Demon Peak Sect, this subordinate will certainly go and seize them for the Insect Emperor."

"Hahahaha, Hall Master Ye indeed has foresight. Arrange things as you see fit." The Plague Locust Emperor turned, hands behind his back, and left. Any matter concerning Myriad Toxin Stones could be easily resolved for the Insect Emperor.

"Hall Master Ye." As soon as the Plague Locust Emperor departed, Serpent Beauty and Zhu Ji rushed forward again, attempting to throw themselves into his arms. However, now that they were outside the Hundred Insects Fierce Den, it wasn't so easy for them to accost Ye Xiu. "Tell us what you need, Hall Master. The two of us are very skilled at certain tasks; we guarantee to bring you to ecstasy."

Ye Xiu shot them a look and turned toward the main hall. "Finding the Myriad Toxin Stones is the priority. You two mobilize all your strength to find the whereabouts of the Demon Peak Sect."

"Hmph, Hall Master Ye..." Zhu Ji was certainly unhappy with such a minor task. Now that the Yaomeng Gate had gained such a handsome and cold-tempered figure as Ye Xiu, she certainly wasn't going to let him go so easily.

Serpent Beauty smiled proudly and pinched Zhu Ji’s breast. "You little flirt, stop fooling around. Our Hall Master has high standards; are you up to them?"

"You... Hmph!" Zhu Ji stamped her foot, transforming into her Black Widow form, and crawled away along the wall. "If I can't, can you manage to capture Hall Master Ye?"

Ye Xiu finally regained his composure and strolled into the main hall, only to find Jun Bugu was gone. He casually stopped a guard and asked, "Where is that fellow who came with me? Where did he go?"

The guard looked terrified. "Hall Master Ye, your friend was terrifying. He suddenly changed his demeanor, declared there was no one here he needed to kill, and then vanished."

"Off killing again?" Ye Xiu was helpless against Jun Bugu. Fortunately, the man hadn't caused a rampage in the Yaomeng Gate, or the place would be littered with corpses. "Where is the Ant Soldier Leader? Ant Da? Call him here quickly!"

"What does Hall Master Ye require of me?" Suddenly, a patch of earth cracked open beneath him, and two long pincers emerged. Ant Da revealed his dark face. "I am here, Hall Master Ye. Command me."

Ye Xiu glanced at him and had to squat down. "Brother, I need you to gather every member of the Myriad Insects Hall and find the location of the Demon Peak Sect within one day, understand?"

"Within one day..." Ant Da gestured, clearly finding this difficult. "Hall Master Ye, every branch of the Demon Peak Sect has its own isolated base, and these bases are all situated on sheer cliffs. The Corpse Demon Forest coastline has countless cliffs, and my Earth Clan is not adept at fighting on cliffs. Even if we find them, we might be at a disadvantage, leading to casualties..."

"Sheer cliffs?" Ye Xiu tapped his chin, pondering carefully. He couldn't easily reveal his identity as the Yaomeng Gate Hall Master; everything needed to be done covertly. "You only need to search and tell me the location."

Hearing that he was only responsible for gathering intelligence, Ant Da relaxed. "If that's the case, I guarantee my brethren will finish the task within half a day. Are there any other commands?"

Ye Xiu looked at Ant Da, thinking this fellow had no combat value for actual warfare. "Oh, right. Since you're looking for people, make sure you also gather intelligence for me on a Taoist. The fellow was called Liu... Liu what, I forget. Remember, a Taoist carrying a sword, named Old Liu!"

"Old Liu?" Ant Da looked confused. The Yaomeng Gate had never sought trouble with cultivators. "Those Taoists are not easy to provoke, Hall Master Ye..."

"Just go do as you're told!" Ye Xiu manifested his Hall Master's authority, glaring at Ant Da. "And find me a place to rest. You all hurry back!"

...

Where the sea met the sky, sunlight crowned the clouds. Within the Sky Cloud Mechanism, floating islands stretched for ten thousand li, covered in fresh green growth. Each island was tightly bound by immense iron chains. This was the territory of the Sun-Blind Clan, a lineage closest to the sun yet utterly averse to its light.

"The scout reports that the Sky Moon Hermit died at the hands of an unknown junior, and the weapon used was the long-lost Peerless Heaven Blade." An elder sat firmly upon a cloud platform, the dazzling sunlight obscuring his face. "The appearance of the Peerless Heaven Blade is certainly not a good omen. Send someone to the Corpse Demon Forest to investigate."

"Reporting to Elder Tian, let my disciple, Jing Yu, go track this killer," a black-robed elder stepped forward, radiating confidence. "Lin Jing Yu has extensive experience navigating the Mortal Realm; this task is certainly manageable for him."

The one addressed as Elder Tian stroked the white Divine Eagle beside him; the creature was larger than any other nearby. "The wielder of the Peerless Heaven Blade possesses martial power surpassing the Sky Moon Hermit. Confronting him is not something an ordinary person can accomplish. Our Sun-Blind Clan traditionally avoids entanglement in the lower realms. This action must be kept absolutely secret. The intent is to locate the whereabouts of the Heaven Sword and Peerless Blade; we must not alert the snake."

The black-robed elder bowed and smiled. "Yu'er has accompanied the Divine Eagle, Fire Phoenix, since childhood. I am confident in his strength; please rest assured, Elder Tian."

"Go. Once divine weapons emerge, the Unbounded Realm will descend into chaos. With the Heaven Ranking Holy War imminent, is this the beginning of the great tribulation?" Elder Tian shook his head and vanished into the glare. The surrounding figures, after a blinding flash, mounted their own Divine Eagles and departed from the highest peaks within the Sky Cloud Mechanism.