Chương 115: The Golden-Backed Demon Mantis Advances! An Uninvited Guest!

An Uninvited Guest!

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An Uninvited Guest!

Time flies, and several more months have passed.

Inside the cave dwelling on Lingmu Peak, life was peaceful and serene, yet not a single day was spent in complacency.

On this day, in the main hall of the cave, sunlight filtered through a special crystal in the ceiling, casting warm patches of light on the floor covered with soft animal hides.

Zhou Ding and Xin Ruyin sat facing each other, with the heavy first volume of "Tian Yuan Array Canon" spread out on the stone table between them.

The pages are yellowed, tanned from some kind of ancient animal hide, and feel warm to the touch. The array patterns and ancient scripts recorded on them are mysterious and difficult to understand.

Zhou Ding pointed to a complex array node on the page that nested "spatial superposition" and "five elements transformation," his brows furrowing slightly and his eyes showing a thoughtful expression.

This ancient formation inheritance, obtained from the core of the Crimson Forbidden Land and closely related to the "Tianyuan Pagoda," is far more exquisite and profound than he initially imagined.

The more you delve into it, the more you realize how shallow your knowledge is.

He was no longer the cultivator who knew nothing about formations. Under Xin Ruyin's tutelage and through his own study, he had become quite proficient in formations. However, he still found many of the core principles in the "Tianyuan Formation Manual" obscure and difficult to understand.

"Here, the 'Xun Wind' formation eye is connected to the 'Kun Earth' vein, using wind to draw in earth energy, and then using earth energy to stabilize the wind eye, forming an internal cycle...

The concept is clear, but the conversion of the 'affinity' node between wind and earth, the required ratio of 'Wind-Stabilizing Jade' and 'Thick Earth Essence,' and the timing of embedding the runes seem to differ slightly from the currently used 'Five Elements Generation and Restraint Conversion Technique' recorded in the classics..." Zhou Ding pondered, pointing out the doubts.

Upon hearing this, Xin Ruyin leaned over to take a closer look.

Her delicate brows furrowed slightly, her clear gaze slowly moving across the ancient rune lines, her slender fingers unconsciously tracing the flow of energy in the air.

After a moment, a look of understanding flashed in her eyes, and she said softly, "Zhou Lang's feeling is not wrong."

"The difference here is not that the records are wrong, but that the ancient cultivators' understanding of formations is slightly different from that of today. They focused more on 'borrowing momentum' and 'integration' rather than forcibly 'converting' them."

Look here, there is a very subtle 'loop' at the turn of the rune. This is not redundant, but to buffer the fierceness of the rising earth energy, so that it can better blend with the relatively light wind spirit power.

The ratio of "Wind-Stabilizing Jade" to "Earth Essence" might also need a slight adjustment. Adding one part "Earth Essence" and reducing half a part "Wind-Stabilizing Jade" would allow the earth element to dominate, with the wind element playing a supporting role. This might better achieve the effect described in the classic text: "The earth surges and the wind arises, continuous and unending."

Her voice was soft, yet clear and incisive, often pointing out details and key points that Zhou Ding had overlooked.

Her talent and comprehension in array formations are truly admirable.

As Zhou Ding listened to her explanation and compared it with the array diagram, he suddenly understood and laughed, "So that's how it is! I was being too rigid in my understanding of current array principles."

"Ruyin, with you by my side, studying this classic will be twice as effective with half the effort."

He was also filled with emotion, for the Heavenly Origin Pagoda within the Crimson Forbidden Land contained the more core second volume of the "Heavenly Origin Array Scripture," and even more of its inheritance. Only by truly mastering the first volume could one one day break through the more profound restrictions within the pagoda and obtain the complete inheritance. Therefore, whenever he had free time, he would study this scripture with Xin Ruyin, complementing each other's strengths and weaknesses.

Xin Ruyin smiled faintly and was about to speak again when Zhou Ding suddenly changed his expression, his smile faded slightly, and his gaze turned towards the direction of the spirit beast cave on the east side of the cave.

"What's wrong, Zhou Lang?" Xin Ruyin keenly noticed the change in his expression.

"It's a golden-backed mantis."

Zhou Ding stood up, his brows furrowed slightly.

"Its aura has suddenly become extremely agitated and unstable, its demonic power fluctuating wildly... This is a sign that it's about to advance!"

When a demon beast advances to level five, it is equivalent to the early stage of Core Formation in humans. The resulting celestial phenomena and energy fluctuations will be significant!

Although the Golden-backed Demon Mantis is not as well-established as Little Golden, it is still a fearsome and unusual insect, and its advancement will surely cause quite a stir.

If it is allowed to advance on Spiritwood Peak, its soaring demonic aura and strange phenomena will surely not escape the notice of other cultivators on the island, especially those at the Core Formation stage such as True Person Wood Dragon.

At that time, his secret of possessing a high-level spirit beast will likely be exposed, attracting unnecessary covetousness and trouble.

"You cannot advance here."

Zhou Ding made a decision instantly and said to Xin Ruyin, "Ruyin, I'll be right back. You guard the cave."

"Zhou Lang, be careful." Xin Ruyin didn't ask any further questions, but simply gave him a concerned reminder.

She knew that Zhou Ding was meticulous in his actions and must have made a plan.

Zhou Ding nodded, and with a flicker of his figure, he appeared outside the cave where the Golden-backed Demon Mantis resided.

Inside the cave, a violent, chaotic, and sharp-cutting demonic power surged like an uncontrollable whirlwind, impacting the restrictions at the cave entrance.

Through the crack, one could see the nearly ten-foot-long, eerie green body of the Golden-backed Demon Mantis writhing in agony. The three menacing golden lines on its carapace shone brightly, as if about to burst forth from its body. Its scythe-like forelimbs slashed wildly at the cave walls, sparks flying everywhere, and its shrieks were sharp and piercing.

Without further hesitation, Zhou Ding reinforced the restriction with a wave of his hand, then flashed inside. He used his powerful divine sense to temporarily suppress and calm the almost out-of-control berserk consciousness of the Golden-backed Demon Mantis. Taking advantage of its slight calm, he quickly put it into his spirit beast pouch.

He could feel the space inside the bag trembling slightly, indicating that the demon mantis was about to advance and could not completely conceal its aura.

Without lingering, he quietly left the cave, boarded the Divine Wind Boat, and transformed into a faint, almost imperceptible stream of light, speeding straight towards the outer sea.

Having learned from Xiao Jin's previous advancement, he was adept at navigating the route, avoiding any potentially inhabited paths, and flew over a thousand miles in one go, arriving once again at that desolate and remote island where he had once housed Xiao Jin during his tribulation.

Returning to this familiar place, the deserted island remains unchanged. Jagged rocks, barren of vegetation, and howling sea winds.

Zhou Ding descended with his escape light and quickly set up an upgraded version of the "Inverted Five Elements Array". The array flags disappeared into the void, and an invisible distorting force field rose up, enveloping the entire island and isolating it from internal and external auras and spying.

Then, he released the Golden-backed Mantis.

At this moment, the Golden-backed Mantis could no longer suppress its instinct to advance and was forced to reveal its battle form.

Its nearly ten-foot-long body lay prone on the black reef. Its eerie green carapace, like a red-hot iron, exuded a scorching and violent aura. The three already conspicuous golden lines on its carapace now seemed like molten gold, slowly flowing and spreading, emitting a dazzling light.

Its massive, awe-inspiring forelimbs, resembling the scythe of death, were now trembling violently, their blades gleaming coldly and hissing as they sliced through the air, as if even space itself was being torn apart.

A chaotic, violent, yet ever-increasing demonic power, like a volcano about to erupt, surged wildly within its body.

Zhou Ding dared not delay. With a wave of his hand, hundreds of mid-grade spirit stones flew out, setting up a large spirit-gathering array. He forcibly plundered the sparse spiritual energy in the surrounding area and poured it into the golden-backed demon mantis. He then took out several bottles of specially prepared pills to soothe the beast's raging demonic energy and enhance its blood and qi to resist the heavenly tribulation, and threw them all into its ferocious maw.

Whether you can overcome this hurdle depends on your own fate.

Zhou Ding retreated to the center of the formation, maintaining the formation while silently sensing with his mind to share some of the impact of the violent energy, and at the same time preparing to deal with the heavenly tribulation.

The Goldenback Mantis's advancement was "milder" than Little Golden's on the day it was made, but its danger level was no less.

After enduring half a month of torment, the raging demonic power within him was gradually tamed and compressed, slowly approaching a certain critical point.

Time flies, and Zhou Ding has been on this deserted island for half a year.

Just past noon on this day, a sudden storm arose over the deserted island!

Zhou Ding sat cross-legged on the reef, closing his eyes and regulating his breathing.

Little Jin shrunk to a miniature form, coiled around his arm, and dozed off contentedly.

suddenly-- A sharp, piercing shriek, seemingly capable of shattering eardrums, suddenly exploded!

The sound was extremely penetrating; even with Zhou Ding's cultivation level, he felt a sharp pain in his eardrums!

Thick, leaden-gray clouds gathered from nowhere, blotting out the sky and the sun, as if the end of the world had arrived.

He suddenly opened his eyes!

Within the rocky hollow, the Golden-backed Demon Mantis's aura had reached its limit of ferocity!

Its dark golden body was rapidly expanding, its length increasing from ten zhang to fifteen zhang and then twenty zhang in the blink of an eye!

On its dark golden carapace, streaks of blood-red lines moved like living creatures, radiating a terrifying demonic energy!

Its pair of incomparably sharp forelimbs now gleamed with a chilling light, and with a gentle swipe, they left several spatial rifts in the air that lingered for a long time!

"roar--!!!"

Another earth-shattering roar!

The sound was so sharp it pierced the sky!

The sound waves shook the sea for miles around, causing towering waves to rise!

"They're here!" Zhou Ding's expression hardened, and he became fully focused.

This is a crucial moment for the Golden-backed Demon Mantis to advance, and it cannot be disturbed by the outside world. He focused his mind and concentrated on protecting it.

The pale green carapace gradually deepened in color, turning into a dark, murky green, and its texture seemed to become harder and denser.

The three golden lines on its carapace completely "melted," transforming into intricate and magnificent golden patterns, like natural armor runes, covering most of its back and chest, exuding a noble yet sharp aura.

Most astonishingly, its pair of scythe-like forelimbs had become even thicker and longer, with a restrained cold light at the blades, yet faint spatial ripples emanating from them, as if a gentle swing could cleave through the void! The sharpness emanating from them caused Zhou Ding, who was watching the battle from afar, to feel a slight stinging sensation on his skin.

This dramatic and inspiring transformation lasted for a full day and night, and the dark clouds in the sky finally began to slowly dissipate.

"roar--!!"

A roar, unlike any other sharp screech, filled with a metallic quality and boundless ferocity, resounded from the center of the gradually subsiding lightning!

As the smoke and dust cleared, the golden-backed mantis revealed its new form.

Its body is nearly 15 feet long, and its entire body is a deep dark green, like bronze that has been aged for thousands of years, or like refined gold that has been tempered by a thousand hammers.

The back armor and chest are covered with magnificent yet ferocious golden natural runes, like the armor of a war god.

The back armor and chest are covered with magnificent yet ferocious golden natural runes, like the armor of a war god.

What is most terrifying are the pair of scythe-like forelimbs, almost as long as the body, with perfectly curved blades and a flowing, eerie light. When they are still, subtle spatial ripples appear and disappear at the tips of the blades, as if they could cleave everything at any moment.

A powerful, fierce, and murderous aura belonging to a level five demon beast was released without reservation, far stronger than when it was level four!

In particular, that sharpness almost solidified, making the surrounding air feel "sharp".

"It's a success!" Zhou Ding's eyes flashed with joy as he strode forward.

The Golden-backed Demon Mantis's advancement means that Zhou Ding has gained another level 5 spirit pet!

Moreover, judging from its appearance, its potential seems to have been greatly enhanced after advancing, especially its pair of scythe-like forelimbs, whose power is probably no less than some magic weapons that specialize in attack.

This undoubtedly further strengthened his foundation and the power he could wield.

However, just as Zhou Ding was about to step forward to check on the Golden-backed Demon Mantis's condition and feed it pills to heal its injuries and stabilize its realm, his expression suddenly turned serious. He abruptly raised his head, his gaze like lightning, shooting towards the horizon where the sea met the sky in the southeast of the deserted island!

In his late-stage Nascent Soul level divine sense, three powerful auras, undisguised and even carrying a clear sense of exploration and rapid approach, were rushing toward the sea area where the deserted island was located at an extremely fast speed!

The distance is less than fifty miles!

Two of them possessed a powerful and profound aura, clearly indicating that they were at the early stage of Core Formation!

The other aura, though slightly weaker, had reached the peak of the False Core realm and seemed to be only one step away from Core Formation.

"At this time... at this location..." Zhou Ding's eyes instantly turned cold, and a murderous intent flickered in his heart.

The island was remote, which he had chosen carefully. He also set up an inverted five elements array to conceal it, making it extremely difficult for ordinary cultivators to find.

These three auras had a clear objective, heading straight for this place; they were clearly not just passing by by chance.

Recalling the strange phenomenon caused by the Golden-backed Demon Mantis's advancement, even with the array covering it, it was likely that a trace of special energy fluctuations leaked out, which was noticed by the cultivators in the nearby sea area and attracted their attention.

If the other party harbors ill intentions, coveting the newly advanced demon beast, or is simply curious about who made such a commotion here...

Zhou Ding slowly straightened up and waved to the Golden-backed Mantis, who had just advanced, whose aura was not yet fully stable, but whose eyes were already flashing with ferocity, to calm down.

He stood with his hands behind his back on the rocks at the eye of the formation, the sea breeze blowing his gray robes, making them flutter.

The vast divine sense of the late-stage Nascent Soul level slowly gathered and concentrated within himself, held back without being released, like a dormant abyss.

He calmly looked in the direction from which the three auras were coming, a cold smile curving his lips.

"Two early-stage Core Formation cultivators and one pseudo-Core Formation cultivator... they're quite a testing ground."

If the other party is just passing by out of curiosity, then observing from a distance is fine.

If anyone dares to step into the island's territory with malicious intent... Zhou Ding wouldn't mind using the lives and golden cores of these three people to celebrate his newly acquired spirit pet, and also to test the true extent of his combat power now that he is in the mid-stage of Core Formation and possesses many trump cards.

On the deserted island, the atmosphere suddenly turned grim.

The sea breeze seemed to carry a hint of chill.

What is most terrifying are the pair of scythe-like forelimbs, almost as long as the body, with perfectly curved blades and a flowing, eerie light. When they are still, subtle spatial ripples appear and disappear at the tips of the blades, as if they could cleave everything at any moment.

A powerful, fierce, and murderous aura belonging to a level five demon beast was released without reservation, far stronger than when it was level four!

In particular, that sharpness almost solidified, making the surrounding air feel "sharp".

"It's a success!" Zhou Ding's eyes flashed with joy as he strode forward.

The Golden-backed Demon Mantis's advancement means that Zhou Ding has gained another level 5 spirit pet!

Moreover, judging from its appearance, its potential seems to have been greatly enhanced after advancing, especially its pair of scythe-like forelimbs, whose power is probably no less than some magic weapons that specialize in attack.

This undoubtedly further strengthened his foundation and the power he could wield.

However, just as Zhou Ding was about to step forward to check on the Golden-backed Demon Mantis's condition and feed it pills to heal its injuries and stabilize its realm, his expression suddenly turned serious. He abruptly raised his head, his gaze like lightning, shooting towards the horizon where the sea met the sky in the southeast of the deserted island!

In his late-stage Nascent Soul level divine sense, three powerful auras, undisguised and even carrying a clear sense of exploration and rapid approach, were rushing toward the sea area where the deserted island was located at an extremely fast speed!

The distance is less than fifty miles!

Two of them possessed a powerful and profound aura, clearly indicating that they were at the early stage of Core Formation!

The other aura, though slightly weaker, had reached the peak of the False Core realm and seemed to be only one step away from Core Formation.

"At this time... at this location..." Zhou Ding's eyes instantly turned cold, and a murderous intent flickered in his heart.

The island was remote, which he had chosen carefully. He also set up an inverted five elements array to conceal it, making it extremely difficult for ordinary cultivators to find.

These three auras had a clear objective, heading straight for this place; they were clearly not just passing by by chance.

Recalling the strange phenomenon caused by the Golden-backed Demon Mantis's advancement, even with the array covering it, it was likely that a trace of special energy fluctuations leaked out, which was noticed by the cultivators in the nearby sea area and attracted their attention.

If the other party harbors ill intentions, coveting the newly advanced demon beast, or is simply curious about who made such a commotion here...

Zhou Ding slowly straightened up and waved to the Golden-backed Mantis, who had just advanced, whose aura was not yet fully stable, but whose eyes were already flashing with ferocity, to calm down.

He stood with his hands behind his back on the rocks at the eye of the formation, the sea breeze blowing his gray robes, making them flutter.

The vast divine sense of the late-stage Nascent Soul level slowly gathered and concentrated within himself, held back without being released, like a dormant abyss.

He calmly looked in the direction from which the three auras were coming, a cold smile curving his lips.

"Two early-stage Core Formation cultivators and one pseudo-Core Formation cultivator... they're quite a testing ground."

If the other party is just passing by out of curiosity, then observing from a distance is fine.

If anyone dares to step into the island's territory with malicious intent... Zhou Ding wouldn't mind using the lives and golden cores of these three people to celebrate his newly acquired spirit pet, and also to test the true extent of his combat power now that he is in the mid-stage of Core Formation and possesses many trump cards.

On the deserted island, the atmosphere suddenly turned grim.

The sea breeze seemed to carry a hint of chill.