Returning to the grand hall, Li Jingjing and Zhantai Ruomei were still cultivating. However, from the subtle auras emanating from them, it was clear that both had reawakened a portion of their memories, and their cultivation realms had significantly advanced.
Lu Fan did not disturb them and also sat down to cultivate. With a new Tongtian Sect Master by his side, Lu Fan no longer had to worry about suspicion.
*Huuu... Huuu...* Lu Fan employed the Dragon Aspect Breathing Technique. His Sea of Consciousness, Sea of Qi, and two small primordial spirits also sat down to cultivate simultaneously. *Swish...* Golden light once again appeared on Lu Fan's body. With each breath, the very air of the Biyou Palace seemed to undulate, as if he were a colossal beast swallowing and expelling the world.
Outside the Biyou Palace, countless people watched the fluctuating air, describing it as being swallowed and then expelled by a giant beast. "What is happening?" they wondered. "Even the mount of the Tongtian Sect Master, the Kui Niu, couldn't create such a commotion!"
*Swish...* A beam of golden light shot straight into the heavens from within the Biyou Palace.
"Master! It must be Master's cultivation that has reached an even higher level!" exclaimed Wudang Shengmu.
"Indeed! Apart from our Grand Ancestor, no one else could create such a spectacle," Jin Gu Xian added.
"Master is mighty...!"
"Venerable Lord is mighty...!"
Outside the Biyou Palace, cheers erupted.
Inside the Biyou Palace, Lu Fan felt the golden luminescence flowing through him, as if his entire body was being bathed from within and without. It was not only incredibly comfortable but also made him feel increasingly robust.
After a while, the golden radiance on Lu Fan's body gradually receded. He opened his eyes and stood up, clenching his fists. He felt an inexhaustible wellspring of power within him.
*Swoosh...* Suddenly, the Golden Silkworm Gu worm emerged from Lu Fan's body. Its small head swiveled around, appearing highly alert, as if searching for something.
Lu Fan's brow furrowed. He could sense the Golden Silkworm Gu worm's vigilance, as if facing a formidable enemy. "Is something attacking?" Lu Fan also became alert.
*Swish...* Abruptly, Lu Fan's gaze fell upon the Tongtian Sect Master. He noticed a mosquito perched on the Tongtian Sect Master's rear shoulder. The mosquito's body was black, but its wings were blood-red, and a faint luminescence emanated from them.
"Blood-Winged Black Mosquito!?" Lu Fan's lips twitched slightly. "When did this thing fly in? I didn't even detect it. And judging by the faint sheen on the black mosquito's body, its cultivation is not low."
*Swoosh...* The Golden Silkworm Gu worm suddenly flapped its wings and flew over. In an instant, the two small insects engaged in combat. A mosquito and a Gu worm, they transformed into two streaks of light, darting up, down, left, and right within the Biyou Palace, locked in a fierce, inseparable battle.
Lu Fan and the Tongtian Sect Master watched from the side, their brows gradually furrowing. They could sense that the Golden Silkworm Gu worm was not a match for the Blood-Winged Black Mosquito. If not for its naturally indestructible carapace and the consumption of a ten-thousand-year-old Blood Ganoderma, the Golden Silkworm Gu worm would have already been defeated.
However, it seemed difficult for others to intervene. These two tiny creatures were simply too small and too fast. It was difficult to get involved.
At this moment, Li Jingjing and Zhantai Ruomei appeared to be at a critical juncture in their cultivation. With their senses sealed and their six faculties closed, they seemed completely oblivious to the events unfolding around them.
*Swoosh...* Suddenly, a golden light shot out from Lu Fan's body. It was the little golden doll. The golden figure appeared too suddenly and, with a swift slap, struck the Blood-Winged Black Mosquito. *Thud...* The Blood-Winged Black Mosquito was knocked to the ground. The little golden figure then reached out with its small hand, grabbed the Blood-Winged Black Mosquito, and tore off one of its blood-red wings.
*Huuu...* The Golden Silkworm Gu worm seemed to seize the opportunity, pouncing forward and biting down on the black mosquito's head.
This Blood-Winged Black Mosquito was clearly not of ordinary cultivation. Even so, it struggled fiercely. The black and gold luminescence on its body flickered continuously, clashing with the golden radiance of the Golden Silkworm Gu worm. However, the Golden Silkworm Gu worm held fast to the black mosquito's head, refusing to let go.
One day, two days... The blood within the Blood-Winged Black Mosquito was gradually devoured by the Golden Silkworm Gu worm, its body's color slowly fading. Even the blood-red hue on its other wing began to turn transparent.
Finally, the Blood-Winged Black Mosquito reverted to its original mosquito form and was slowly consumed by the Golden Silkworm Gu worm.
A cold smile touched Lu Fan's lips. As the Blood-Winged Black Mosquito was refined by the Golden Silkworm Gu worm, the latter also gained some of the former's memories. Since the Golden Silkworm Gu worm was bound to Lu Fan by soul, Lu Fan naturally learned certain things.
"Hahaha! This little mosquito has an incredibly deep background!" Lu Fan laughed.
It turned out that this Blood-Winged Black Mosquito was an item belonging to Yuanshi Tianzun! Three thousand years ago, Yuanshi Tianzun had orchestrated a plan for the Blood-Winged Black Mosquito to devour the captured disciple of the Jie Sect, Linggui Shengmu. He then had it fly to the Land of Ultimate Bliss to absorb three lotuses from the Western religion's treasure, the Twelve-Grade Merit Golden Lotus, thereby assisting Yuanshi Tianzun in seizing control of the Heavenly Court.
This time, Yuanshi Tianzun had sent the Blood-Winged Black Mosquito to ascertain whether the Tongtian Sect Master had truly obtained the Innate Soul. It was said that this Innate Soul had existed since the beginning of chaos, and if one calculated, it held a status equal to Pangu. The only difference was that one was a human and the other a soul.
Of course, this was merely a legend, one that even Yuanshi Tianzun did not believe.
When the Tongtian Sect Master was sealed within the Biyou Palace, two of his three souls were destroyed. Hongjun Laozu offered him words of comfort, promising to help him find the Innate Soul and ascend to become the Heavenly Dao! Yuanshi Tianzun had always believed this to be a deceptive promise from his master.
The entire Jie Sect had been annihilated, with only a half-dead Tongtian Sect Master remaining out of over a hundred thousand disciples. This was not a mere slap in the face; it was a brutal blow followed by a sweet offering. The entire Immortal Realm considered it a joke, and no one believed it. Yet, three thousand years later, it had come true! Therefore, after the Twelve Golden Immortals were defeated and retreated, Yuanshi Tianzun sent the Blood-Winged Black Mosquito to confirm.
No wonder this mosquito possessed such powerful cultivation. Both the Gui Ling Shengmu and the three grades of the Golden Lotus were sufficient to grant it a thousand years of cultivation. However... hehe! All of this had benefited the Golden Silkworm Gu worm!
Looking at the Golden Silkworm Gu worm again, the little fellow seemed to have eaten its fill. It burrowed back into Lu Fan's body to continue refining the Blood-Winged Black Mosquito. Because the Blood-Winged Black Mosquito was so powerful, it would take some time to fully refine it.
Even Yuanshi Tianzun could not remain idle. "Hmph! It seems the Immortal Realm is becoming increasingly lively." Lu Fan's lips curved slightly upward.
Suddenly, his gaze fell upon Li Jingjing and Zhantai Ruomei. The two figures, who were cultivating, began to emit halos of black and gold light.