Chapter 350 - 250: News of the Gray Demon Whale (Part 2)

Chapter 350: Chapter 250: News of the Gray Demon Whale (Part 2)

Han Ning nodded subconsciously and continued to ask, "That’s quite impressive. What’s Cang Wu’s status in your clan?"

"Uncle Cang Wu is one of the main people in charge of daily affairs in our clan. He holds a rather high status, second only to the Clan Leader and the elders."

"You said before that your clan has 32 elders in total. So among the Insect Masters in your family, Cang Wu should be at an upper-middle level?"

Yesterday, Cang Shi had explained the internal organizational structure of the Cyan God Armor Family.

The Clan Leader wasn’t necessarily the most powerful member of the family. Instead, the role was held by someone from the middle generation who was in their prime. Their strength had to be at least at the family’s upper echelons, with a Contracted Soul Beast that had touched the Monarch realm. Moreover, their branch was always the one with the greatest overall strength in the family.

The elders were all at a similar level, with their main combat Soul Beasts more or less including one Monarch Soul Beast.

And above the Clan Leader and elders, there was the mysterious "Ancestral Association."

The members of the Ancestral Association were basically old monsters who have lived for at least a hundred years. Their Contracted Soul Beasts were, at a minimum, Middle Monarchs.

Han Ning deduced from this that the top combat power of an Ancestor Family was likely an Upper Monarch, which, according to the system’s classification, would be somewhere between Monarch III and Monarch IV.

As for Akatos, who guarded the Jade Forest, he was at the Monarch Limit, probably a Monarch IV whose Cultivation Progress was near Perfection.

A Monarch III was essentially the top-tier Soul Beast combat power for dominating the Insect Continent. Every Ancestor Family had at least one, if not several, Insect Masters who possessed such a Soul Beast.

’No wonder Akatos is so wary of the Ancestor Families, to say nothing of the even more mysterious Queen’s Divine Hall.’

"Yes, Uncle Cang Wu is already the highest-level Insect Master that we younger Insect Masters come into contact with. Aside from the elders in our own branches, we rarely see any other higher-level Insect Masters," Cang Shi affirmed.

"Is there a way to lure Cang Wu out?"

"I’ll try to think of something... but suddenly bypassing Cang Lin to invite him out would be too strange. I’m afraid it would arouse his suspicion."

"Figure something out. Don’t use official business as an excuse. Use your personal connections, like through your parents’ generation."

"Alright, I understand. Please rest assured, Master. I will give you a reply tomorrow."

After ending his communication with Cang Shi, Han Ning inwardly celebrated planting a mole inside the Cyan God Family.

Otherwise, he would have had to risk venturing into the territory of the Abyssal Rock Ant.

"Elder Qingyao, since you’re here, I must ask you not to rush back. I have something important I need your help with."

The important matter Han Ning mentioned was, of course, the plan to ambush Cang Wu.

If Cang Shi succeeded in luring Cang Wu out, the combined power of Yin Yi, Egg Pancake, and the others would, at best, only allow them to fight Cang Wu’s main force to a draw.

But with Qingyao, its overwhelming Monarch Level strength would undoubtedly raise the ambush’s success rate to nearly 100%.

"RAAA?" Qingyao looked at Han Ning in confusion, as if asking, why?

"Ahem... It’s like this..."

As Han Ning spoke, he casually picked up a waist pouch from the table and took out a blackened chain stained with specks of blood.

"That Cang Wu’s strength is formidable, and I’m not confident on my own. I can only ask for your help. Here are the Crystal Stones you lent me last time, as well as payment for this battle. Whether you decide to help or not, please, you must accept this chain."

Han Ning draped the heavy black chain in his hand over Qingyao’s claw.

This was the very Mottled Chain he had found in the Duke of Night Nether’s residence. Its full name was the Spirit-Binding Lock. Over the past few days, he had unlocked the repair steps through his panel, found some materials, and, under Hom’s guidance, fully restored it.

The Spirit-Binding Lock was a Monarch Level Soul Artifact. The Crystal Stones Qingyao had provided were nowhere near its value.

Han Ning had originally been conflicted about whether to give the Spirit-Binding Lock to Yin Yi or Qingyao. After careful consideration, he chose to give the chain to Qingyao.

First, Qingyao was more proficient in sealing, so it could unleash the chain’s greatest effect.

Second, he owed Qingyao a huge debt. Although Qingyao never mentioned it, Han Ning had always kept it in mind. Freeloading was not his style.

"RAAA~"

Qingyao idly toyed with the chain in its claw. It seemed to sense the unique sealing power contained within, growing more and more interested as it played with it.

"Do you like it? Take it," Han Ning said with a smile.

"Wooo..." Hearing Han Ning’s words, Qingyao actually hesitated.

Being intelligent, it understood that Yin Yi also had sealing abilities. It looked at Yin Yi, then at the chain in its claw, looking quite reluctant.

It thought for a moment, then finally extended its claw, tore open its Subspace, and took out a dozen or so Lord Level Wood Attribute Crystal Stones, pushing them in front of Han Ning.

"This..."

Han Ning was about to refuse, but when he saw the determined look in Qingyao’s Dragon Eyes, he silently put the Crystal Stones into his pouch.

...

Cang Shi was very efficient. By noon the next day, Han Ning received a message from him:

"Master, using my father’s name, I have invited Uncle Cang Wu to meet this evening at the Snow Dragonfly Race, 1,000 kilometers north of the Red Centipede Tribe. The location is near one of our Cyan God Armor’s resource mines, so it shouldn’t arouse his suspicion."

Han Ning, who was in the middle of a meal, put down his chopsticks and sent a message with his Spiritual Power, "Good. I understand."

Cang Shi’s father was an ordinary Insect Master of the Cyan God Armor. He had a bit of a friendship with Cang Wu in his youth—they were practically childhood playmates. Cang Wu was likely willing to come because of this old connection.

...

In the evening, Han Ning skipped his Spiritual Array class, mounted Egg Pancake, and flew to the appointed location early.

This time, he didn’t have Fei Lin come along. Fei Lin was currently in a stage of Energy accumulation, and with Hom’s guidance, Han Ning felt relatively at ease.

To be honest, at the current stage, any power below the Lord Level was basically useless in a fight of this caliber.

The accumulation of Energy created an immense gap between War Generals and Lords. A casual aftershock from Spiritual Energy that had been compressed dozens of times was enough to severely injure or even kill a War General Level Soul Beast.

As night fell, a crimson Giant Dragon pierced through the gloomy gray clouds, flashing a deep red before vanishing into the sky.

As Egg Pancake descended rapidly, a complex of buildings shimmering with a pearly white light came into Han Ning’s view.

This was the Snow Dragonfly Clan, located over 1,300 kilometers from the Red Centipede Tribe. They were rivals with the Red Centipede Tribe, and had been among those that Fei Ren was wary of.

This Insect Master Family, which specialized in controlling dragonfly and damselfly-type insects, had now also been conscripted by the Cyan God Armor.

Han Ning landed in a field of rubble a dozen or so kilometers north of the Snow Dragonfly Clan.

This was the place he had arranged to meet Cang Shi.

"Egg Pancake, activate Mimicry. Yin Yi, guard the surroundings. Elder Qingyao, I’ll have to trouble you to act at the right moment."

At this moment, Han Ning maintained the appearance of an Insect Master from the Red Centipede Tribe, protected by layers of flesh-and-blood armor created by the All-Encompassing Spiritual Silkworm.

"LING!" "CHIRP~" "RAAA!"

After giving the commands, he held his breath and focused, quietly awaiting his target’s arrival.

WHOOSH~

A sinister, cold wind blew wantonly through the empty field of rubble.

About an hour later, a turquoise halo of light appeared at the far northern edge of the sky.

The halo grew larger and larger, eventually becoming a bright meteor that came crashing down heavily in Han Ning’s direction.

’He’s here.’

Han Ning looked up toward the falling meteor and took a few subtle steps back.

BOOM!!

An earth-shattering crash echoed out.

A deep crater was smashed into the ground.

When the smoke and dust cleared, a magnificent beetle over 50 meters in size, its entire body covered in a dazzling, thunderbolt-like cyan light, suddenly appeared.

On the beetle’s halo-wreathed head stood three tall figures.

’Three people?’

When Han Ning saw the three figures, a serious expression appeared on his face.

The Cyan Light Beetle blinked its bright eyes, which were like searchlights, and in a single glance, it swept over the direction where Egg Pancake was hidden.

At the same time, two of the figures standing at the forefront snapped their gazes toward him.

In that instant, six eyes met.

A subtle wind of Spiritual Power rippled between them.

Han Ning grunted, his face paling, but he stood his ground, unmoving.

"You disgusting vermin! It was you who placed a seal on my kinsman?!" the leading Cyan God Insect Master, a man over three meters tall, roared. He stared daggers at Han Ning with his enormous eyes, his voice like a crack of thunder.