As Ye Xiu watched the swarming tide of insects approach in a panic, his Black Flame Nine Dragons surged again, wildly striking at the swarm. The insects shrieked miserably as they were consumed by the flames, yet the matter was far from simple; the small creatures crawling out of the four caverns were simply inexhaustible. "Old Liu, find a way to ice over those caverns, or we’ll never finish fighting these bugs."

"Glacier Dragon Qi!" Old Liu stood firm before the Great Beetle's pincers. A white mist rose from his Ghost Slaying Blade, taking the shape of a long dragon coiling around the entire cavern. As ice crystals and snow descended, all four openings were sealed in frost. "Eliminate everything on the field."

"Spiritual Consciousness Shadow Projection!" Ye Xiu’s azure eyes flared with brilliance as his form instantly covered the entire area. He swiftly swung his sword, showering the scene, and the small insects, even as they bravely crawled toward the Great Beetle, were shattered into dust before they could get close. "Hoo... that should solve the issue, right?"

Old Liu surveyed the situation; all the surrounding small insects lay dead or wounded. He finally let out a long sigh and slowly said, "I never thought you’d use such an extreme move just to deal with these bugs. The Heaven Blight Sword seems to be exhibiting the power it deserves in your hands."

"The Heaven Blight Sword has many variations in its techniques; I’ve only learned a couple," Ye Xiu replied, the sword casting a crimson glow over the surroundings. "The three Sect Masters of Desolate Bone City seem to grasp the true essence of the Heaven Blight Sword. I am only curious about all the Heavenly Bone Scriptures of the Bone Sect; I wonder how many ancient events are recorded in that singular, wondrous book."

"Heavenly Bone Scriptures?" Old Liu certainly had a memory of this. Back beneath the Yu Yu Severing Blade ruins, the Bone Sect’s Fa Liang Luo had mentioned such a remarkable book. "Shouldn't Fa Liang Luo have returned to the Boundless Realm as well? Why did his painstaking research into the Dao Profound Barrier fail to come into play when Desolate Bone City suffered disaster? Did he never actually return to Desolate Bone City?"

Ye Xiu looked up at the ceiling, where clusters of black mist drifted aimlessly, exuding a strange aura. "Impossible. Fa Liang Luo obtained Yama’s Yu Yu Severing Blade and possessed the Dao Profound Barrier; he must have set it up for the stability of the Boundless Realm. By that logic, the current disaster in Desolate Bone City shouldn't amount to anything."

"I remember him saying the Dao Profound Barrier was only for a historical moment. Could it have been specifically prepared for killing the Sovereign of Heaven?" Old Liu rubbed his hair, utterly confused by these connections. He scanned the surroundings; there was clearly no exit. "Too much thinking. Let’s focus on how to reach the second level of the Demon Quenching Pavilion."

"Krak, krak, krak..." At that moment, a brittle sound echoed through the vast cavern. The ice layers that had blocked the surrounding caverns began to continuously crack and fall, revealing the heads of several small insects poking through the ice. "Jee... jee..."

"They... they’re coming out..." Ye Xiu gasped, quickly leaping onto the Great Beetle. He stared at the approaching swarm and was momentarily stunned. Once they broke free of the ice, they surged forth like a torrential flood, overwhelming everything. "Hoo... can even things like this be stopped?"

"Swastika Curse Profound Ice." Seeing the critical situation, Old Liu unleashed his ultimate curse technique. At that moment, a Swastika formation descended from above, enveloping the entire cavern. The profound ice erupted from the magical ring and stabbed deeply into the bodies of the insects. Amidst a chorus of screams, the bugs tumbled to the ground.

Ye Xiu prepared to assist with his sword, but found that the small insects pouring out of the caverns were innumerable. Even wielding both swords, he couldn't slow the merger between the small bugs and the Great Beetle. Suddenly, the entire scene shimmered with light, and the Great Beetle beneath their feet seemed to awaken, letting out a powerful roar.

"Rumble..." The entire cavern shook under this single, prolonged howl, sending thick dust cascading down. The falling stones settled precisely, securely blocking the four corner caverns. The Great Beetle rose up, its massive body already occupying half the cavern’s space. Its pincers were raised high, as if stretching its limbs.

"Ya-oh!" Old Liu was thrown to the ground by the Great Beetle's sudden resurgence. He quickly slid away, distancing himself from the falling debris. "Damn it, this thing really woke up. Our blades seem to have no effect on it whatsoever."

Ye Xiu, having activated Hundred Insect Soul, had already leaped high, clinging to the ceiling. He looked down at the Great Beetle—it was easily the size of ten elephants. Its raised pincers could hold up the ceiling. Just as he prepared to test the creature's hardness with the Heaven Blight Sword, a mass of black mist rushed over and firmly ensnared him. "What is this thing? Old Liu, check this out quickly!"

Old Liu crept cautiously along the ground, moving with extreme lightness, daring not to startle the massive beetle. In his view, Ye Xiu was enveloped by the black mist, and the black mass floated in the air with apparent intent. "Hey, why are you shouting so loudly? Are you afraid this behemoth won't hear you?"

"Aoo-jee!" The Great Beetle finished stretching but was startled by Old Liu’s shout. It turned its head and struck furiously in Old Liu’s direction. Instantly, the entire icy floor was flipped up by its massive pincer.

"Hah!" Old Liu rolled and scrambled away, hiding in a corner, but the pincer’s power was immense. The shards of ice shot out and pierced his body, causing him to cry out in pain. "Does this thing have such good hearing? Why didn't it notice when you were talking right over its head, but it gets agitated when I’m being careful?"

"Whoosh..." Before Old Liu could finish complaining, the Great Beetle swept its pincer sideways. The pincer was incredibly hard, with long, pointed protrusions at its tip. This spike lunged forward, intending to push Old Liu into a desperate situation.

"Clang... Aah!" Old Liu couldn't dodge in time and could only raise the Ghost Slaying Blade to parry the pincer. However, the beetle’s strength was too great. The moment he held the blade vertically, he was swept from one side to the other, slamming heavily against the wall, his breathing becoming labored. "Damn it, what in the world is going on?"

The Great Beetle attacked repeatedly, appearing energized. It slowly paced and turned toward Old Liu. The creature had no eyes but possessed a body as tough as an iron wall. It roared toward the ceiling, its imposing aura breathtaking.

Ye Xiu, finally breaking free from the black mist's entanglement, shot down to the ground. He fully unleashed his Black Flame, drawing the beetle's attention. "Old Liu, run away quickly! This thing is enormous, but its movements might not be slow."

"En." While the beetle's attention was fixed on Ye Xiu, Old Liu, panting heavily, managed to move behind it. The previous strike had proven that even a divine artifact like the Ghost Slaying Blade was useless against such a hard shell. His only concern was the black mist floating in the air.

"Aoo-jee..." The Great Beetle was drawn by the firelight and immediately turned toward Ye Xiu’s position. It slightly spread its wings, stirring up a powerful wind. At that moment, it charged forward, striking at its target with its body.

"Black Flame Nine Dragons!" Ye Xiu utilized the power of the Hundred Insects to press against the wall behind him, his feet suspended as he moved along the vertical surface. This flame attack struck the beetle solidly, but upon impact, the fire instantly dispersed. "As expected, it’s useless."

"Boom..." A deafening roar shook the entire cavern. The Great Beetle slammed into the wall with full force but showed no signs of damage. It furiously beat its wings, searching for the trace of its prey.

Ye Xiu clung upside down to the ceiling. The surrounding black mist approached again. Seeing Old Liu casting a curse behind the beetle, he shouted, "Stop using those things, they’re useless against this guy!"

"Whoo!" Suddenly, a sound of rushing air was heard. The beetle located its target upon hearing Ye Xiu’s voice. It spread its wings again, blowing Old Liu off his feet below. At this moment, it lifted its body and struck the ceiling with its massive pincer, intending to knock Ye Xiu down.

"Clang!" Ye Xiu scrambled away, dodging the strike. However, the beetle moved slowly, yet its great pincer seemed to track Ye Xiu’s movement. Just as the next blow was about to land, Ye Xiu moved unexpectedly and darted into another patch of black mist.

"Hoo..." The beetle let out a soft sigh. It instantly lost its target. Its entire body dropped heavily onto the ice surface, swinging its pincers like a harmless toy.

This black mist? Ye Xiu swung his twin swords within the mist, but the vapor did not dissipate with the air currents. He had been moments from being struck by the beetle; perhaps hiding in the mist shielded him from the beetle's sight? To test this, he deliberately crawled out of the mist and yelled, "Hey, haha, big bug!"

"Are you crazy!" Old Liu, hiding in the corner, worried for Ye Xiu. "Don't you want to live anymore!"

The Great Beetle instantly turned toward the sound and lifted its massive pincer, ready to strike Ye Xiu.

Ye Xiu quickly retreated into the black mist. Consequently, the Great Beetle instantly lost sight of him and lunged for nothing. Ye Xiu was overjoyed; it seemed he had found a weakness of the Great Beetle—it couldn't see or hear what was inside the black mist. "Hey, Old Liu, come into this black mist quickly! That bug won't be able to hurt us in here!"

"What?" Old Liu ascended on his sword, startling the Great Beetle into a fierce lunge. He quickly dove into the black mist where Ye Xiu was, escaping danger just in time. "I didn't expect this black mist to have such a function; it’s truly miraculous."

Ye Xiu let out a cold sigh. The immediate safety issue was resolved, but to enter the second stage of the Demon Quenching Pavilion, they needed a way to eliminate this beetle divine beast. "This thing looks indestructible. We need a way to kill it; we can't just hide here forever."

"Look at its joints. Could the joints beneath those hard shells be its weak points?" Old Liu pointed toward the beetle's back. Beneath the hard carapace were its wings; the flesh covered by the wings should not be as tough as the exterior. "Or perhaps we need to find a way to injure the area beneath its shell."

Ye Xiu looked at the mass of red-tinged flesh and nodded in agreement. "First, we need to find a way to make it spread its wings. You shout from the ceiling, and I'll circle behind it to find an opportunity."

"En." Their cooperation was seamless. As soon as Old Liu finished speaking, he flew out of the black mist on his sword. He didn't even need to shout; the Great Beetle instantly sensed the killing intent above its head and instantly spread its wings, preparing to spring upward.

Ye Xiu flashed behind the beetle. As the hard outer shell of its wings lifted, its crimson wings were exposed to the air. He saw a section of muscle, capable of contracting and expanding, tightly connecting the wing to the body. That piece of muscle was intensely bloody and looked terribly vulnerable. "This is it!"

"Ye Xiu, quickly!" Old Liu swept his palm, intending to trap the beetle with the ice crystal curse. However, the beetle’s pincer strike nullified the entire ice ring formation. Seeing Ye Xiu with the Heaven Blight Sword ready, he retreated toward the black mist.

"Heavenly Blight Spiritual Perception!" Ye Xiu’s azure eyes shone brightly, and the Heaven Blight Sword pulsed with a red light. That single cut carried the force of shaking the heavens, aimed directly at the muscle behind the beetle’s back.