The Ascension of Contracted Spirits

Chapter 710 - 296: Jin Xuanzi

"Fortune and misfortune come by turns."

"Ultimately, the misfortune that comes flying after a breakthrough in rank will be even more dangerous."

"But the energy accumulated in the fortune bags will also see a huge increase in both quality and quantity..."

Ye Yin considered the past and present, pondering for a long time until his gaze gradually firmed.

"Let’s gamble once more."

"Lord Han, you can also take the gamble."

"Relying solely on daily accumulation, the entry of fortune’s power is actually quite feeble."

"The Clock of the Era is different. If it casts a curse upon us and we get hit but survive, maybe the energy of all six fortune bags will fill up instantly. We could skip the accumulation process and go straight to receiving blessings."

Ye Hanjun’s thoughts concentrated. In his dimly lit eyes reflecting the flickering candlelight, he slowly nodded and said:

"Go ahead."

"Since ’Miracle Disassembly’ can trigger twice in succession, taking risks to maximize benefits... I agree with such a plan."

"Good!"

Ye Yin exhaled forcefully.

As he breathed out, energies both righteous and evil, cold and hot, tumbled within him.

The two human-faced cockroaches beneath his feet, serving as footstools, stirred to life with rustling sounds.

They crawled out from under the table, inch by inch growing larger, soon reverting to their true size of twenty-five meters in length.

"Tsk tsk, so ugly."

Ye Liuying floated up, gazing down from above. She could see the human faces on the backs of the cockroaches, as if twisted human faces were affixed to their carapaces.

They had noses, ears, and distinctive facial features.

As the insects’ limbs moved, those faces seemed to come to life, displaying extremely human-like panic and desperation.

"Gua~~"

GuaGua, who had slipped over from the next room to play, watched the scene with relish.

The big bugs with human faces, what nickname shall be given to them?

Got it! Call it ’Big Face Bug,’ simple and vivid!

"Pfft!"

A sound like a shattering jade vase came from within Ye Yin, and his withered hair began to flutter.

For some reason, he appeared even older, and the opening and closing of his eyes revealed heart-wrenchingly desolate scenes of life withering away, deeply troubling.

"Before sealing myself away, returning to the clan in haste, I accidentally fell into a chaotic graveyard and was bitten by an immeasurable level ’Aging Insect’."

Ye Yin touched his face, not really minding:

"As my strength grows stronger, my appearance will become increasingly older."

"This curse is too peculiar, yet it lacks lethality, so I didn’t seek a way to remove it; I let nature take its course."

"It’s fine; being unattractive occasionally lowers my presence, giving me more chances to be alone..."

"So that’s why." Ye Liuying suddenly understood.

She had always thought that aging was the accompanying effect of Ye Yin’s responsibilities, not expecting it to be an ancient insect species from the Near Ancient Era.

If Aegifura knew such creatures existed in the world, she would probably regard them as archenemies, wouldn’t she?

"Big Face Bug is evolving!"

GuaGua pointed at the writhing pair of large cockroaches, standing on tiptoes, spirited and eager.

True enough, having just ascended to the 6th rank, the Insect Fond Spirits named ’BugBug’ and ’RoachRoach’ emanated golden light from within.

They evolved rapidly, as if they had rolled through a storm and emerged as two vast creatures over thirty-five meters long, glimpsing a new form of life for the first time.

"Undying cockroach?"

Lord Han turned his head, his gaze flickering.

The human-faced cockroaches had a natural evolutionary form, ascending to the Heaven and Earth Stage without the interference of external forces, allowing things to follow their natural course.

Apart from the expansion in size, the human face on the carapace seemed to be cleaved down the middle, leaving a sunken scar, severely disfiguring it.

On the six legs of the cockroach, thorny spikes grew, their cold, gleaming appearance akin to six razor-sharp blades.

"Such an astonishing life fluctuation is like a vast ocean, bottomless."

"Ye Yin, my brother, even if you lose the blessing effect of your previous rank, these two undying cockroaches should be able to block a great deal of damage for you, right?" Ye Liuying had been learning to observe and curiously inquired.

Since she was bound as the third Taoist, they were companions on the same battle line, sharing life and death. It was necessary to know each other well.

"From the perspective of playing ’scapegoats,’ BugBug and RoachRoach have indeed saved me countless times."

"But that is far from enough. I was once sent flying by an ’Evil Dragon’ that emerged from deep within the earth’s core. Just one hit, and all three of us were on the brink of death."

"If it weren’t for that Evil Dragon just coming out for some fresh air and sunbathing, we would have been done for on the spot."

Ye Yin didn’t know what self-satisfaction was, always bearing a serious expression. He shifted the topic and said:

"Liuying, I’ve just realized a very serious problem, which I feel I should remind you about."

"Hmm?" Ye Liuying, suddenly called out, was greatly puzzled.

"We are in Without-Sun City, within the Deep Black Wheel, greatly suppressing the chances of misfortune occurring to the point where you cannot personally experience or feel the true danger of ’flying misfortunes.’

"But compared to before, we now face not only stronger versions of misfortunes, but also, with two of us together, the chances of misfortune double."

"Do you think I’m more unlucky, or is Lord Han more unlucky?"

"Moreover, you, caught in the middle without a fortune bag or protective abilities, how will you avoid your own misfortune?"

The most concerning is when the air suddenly becomes tense, and the three fell silent for a while, until Lord Han solemnly said:

"This is indeed a problem that cannot be underestimated."

"Liuying, unless necessary, we should probably keep our distance."

"Especially when facing advancement or breakthroughs, or in the midst of battle, if you become too intertwined with us, even a slight misfortune could put you in great danger."