Green Underworld Streamfire was a type of firefly. 

This insect has only been recorded in books, one of which Chi Muyao glanced at once. He didn't pay it much mind then. After all, this insect was already extinct. Who would've thought that he would see them now? 

Green fires burned in the underworld, the fires were insects that flew between heaven and earth like auroras. 

Green Blue Underworld Streamfires were no different than any other flying insect during the day. Yet at night, their translucent wings would become fluorescent green and beat extremely fast, leading onlookers to mistake them for green fluorescent lights.

This was different from the common fireflies with a light on their behind.

After all, this insect was no ordinary insect. It had a couple of identifying characteristics. 

It contained a lethal poison that paralysed the area they stung. For example, if it stung your fingers, your hand would instantly stiffen and be incapable of fine motion.

Plus, the poison was very difficult to clear. Ordinary pills would not suffice. 

Fortunately, this insect was generally very laid back and would not indiscriminately attack people. They would only do so in a life-or-death situation.

Which was why Chi Muyao was a little surprised that they were helping him right now.

It was like someone as good-tempered as Yu Yanshu running into two children fighting on the side of the road and suddenly going to help one of them beat the other up. Even the child being helped would be weirded out.

But since the Green Underworld Streamfire was willing to help him, he wouldn't waste the opportunity to set an array and also attack the possessed Tang Ming. 

Tang Ming's hand was stung by the Green Underworld Streamfire, which crippled his ability to cast hand seals and hold his sword. His attacks became increasingly flimsy. 

However, he wasn't giving up. The soul left the body before it died and tried to take over Chi Muyao's body, but Chi Muyao dodged and trapped it within a barrier. Finally, Chi Muyao was able to crush this naked soul for good.

After doing all that, Chi Muyao turned warily to the Green Underworld Streamfires with his defensive artefact in hand, fearing that they would turn on him next. 

However, they did no such thing. The insects simply flew around Chi Muyao, seemingly observing him.

Seeing that these Green Underworld Streamfires had no intention of attacking him, Chi Muyao cupped his hands and thanked them, "Thank you for helping me." 

He did this despite not knowing whether these insects could understand him. Afterwards, he took another pill, and left after sensing the area with his deer antlers.

Then he abruptly turned back to the group of Green Underworld Streamfires, astonished.

The melancholy that the antlers detected came from these five Green Underworld Streamfires! 

He was a little taken aback. Putting away the things in his hands and casting some seals, a silver stream of light emerged from between his eyebrows and circled around the five Green Underworld Streamfires in an attempt to communicate with them. 

The moment his divine sense connected, the insects had yet to react. They didn't seem to think that humans could communicate with them, so they were just talking to each other.

"Something's different about the aura around this guy. Has he been possessed by a spirit beast?" 

"He probably has a spirit contract with a spirit beast, a very pure and divine one at that. That's why we don't find him annoying."

"He's pretty good looking. Are all the little kids these days this handsome?" 

"The one that just died was pretty ugly."

Chi Muyao found that he could really understand them. He couldn't help but exclaim in happiness, "Everyone, I am a disciple of the Yu Chong School. I made a spirit contract with the Colourless Yunni Deer."

The five Green Underworld Streamfires instantly fell silent. It was a long time before one of them asked, "He can understand us?”

Another one replied, "I think so. He's looking straight at us and there's no one else here."

Chi Muyao nodded. "En, I can understand you."

A Green Underworld Streamfire asked, "Spirit beast contracts can be used like this?"

Chi Muyao replied patiently, "The Colourless Yunni Deer is the most pure and holy existence in this world after all. It can communicate with all things. However, this disciple's cultivation is too low to realise such an achievement yet. Still, the spell I cast allows me to communicate with all of you. Are you ancient insects?"

Who knew that a simple question would cause them to become angry? One of the Green Underworld Streamfires even tried to attack Chi Muyao. "You're the insect!" 

Luckily, it was stopped by the other Green Underworld Streamfires.

One of the Green Underworld Streamfires with a mature female voice said, "We were originally cultivators, but our souls were detained by someone after we perished. I believe you call us ancient wandering souls." 

"All the souls are locked in a room and fight for the chance to be resurrected. A few like us weren't interested. We led glorious lives, so there's no need to take someone else's body to cling to life again for the sake of immortality."

“Unfortunately, the wandering souls who want to be resurrected are still wary of us and used a sinister method to sacrifice us into insects cursed with immortality. Our cultivations were so restricted after the transformation that we have no sense of direction and wander aimlessly through the formation. We happened to run into you today."

"The man we just killed was one of the wandering souls that did this to us, so we were just taking revenge." 

This made sense. 

Chi Muyao could only apologise, "This junior didn't know and caused offence. Please forgive me, seniors."

The female voice again replied, "No matter, it's not your fault."

Chi Muyao looked at the five Green Underworld Streamfires and pondered for a moment. "This junior came here sensing some melancholy. Is there something I can do to help you seniors?" 

The female voice was puzzled. "Melancholy? Did you use the abilities of the Colourless Yunni Deer?"

"Yes." 

The female voice sighed again. "We've been trapped here for hundreds of years, wandering around this small room. If it's not too much trouble, take us out of here. I want to meet up with our good friends who have also been transformed into Green Underworld Streamfires." 

Chi Muyao searched for something in the Thousand Treasure Bell. "To be honest, I was also separated from my...friend in this formation. I was looking for him anyway, so it would be no trouble at all. We can look for them together." Chi Muyao said, taking out a lamp from the Thousand Treasure Bell. 

The lamp was exquisitely made, the base carved from the finest spiritually-infused wood, the body a white jade carved into a very thin, even translucent hollow. It required spiritual energy to light. 

When not in use, there was a great little crook in the centre. 

Chi Muyao gestured to it. "I wonder if seniors would like to enter this lamp. You can freely enter and exit the hollow part. Would it be alright if I carry the lamp to lead you through the formation for a time?" 

The five Green Underworld Streamfires circled the lamp before finally going inside. 

Chi Muyao was still chatting with them as he carried the now glowing green lamp forward. "How may I address seniors?"

The female voice elegantly replied, "My name is Kong Qing."

"Oh, Senior Kong?"

"Cultivators back then didn't have surnames, only first names. The rare people who had surnames were all from the five great families. So ‘Kong’ is just a placeholder." 

"Then Senior Kong Qing?" 

"En." 

The Green Underworld Streamfire who nearly attacked Chi Muyao before snorted coldly. "You'll die of fright if you hear my name!" 

Kong Qing said, "This is Fu Ru. He possessed excellent aptitude and looks in life, so he was more or less spoiled by the people around him. He's still as domineering as ever now, sigh." 

Chi Muyao immediately greeted, "Oh, Senior Fu Ru."

His calmness made Fu Ru immediately exclaim, "What do you mean?? Do little kids these days not know me, Fu Ru?"

Chi Muyao really hadn't heard of him.

However, he was happy he became a 'little kid' around them.

After that, the other Green Underworld Streamfires shared their names. 

Kong Qing said at this point, "Fu Ru, I thought you remembered the map? Draw it for him so he can navigate easier."

Fu Ru grumpily muttered, "How can I draw in this state??" 

Chi Muyao hurriedly took out a piece of paper from the Thousand Treasure Bell along with some ink. "Senior, you can dip your feet in ink and walk to draw the diagram." 

Fu Ru was not happy with this. He didn't like the smell of ink, not to mention he would also have to get it on him. Still, he drew the diagram in the end.

They were familiar with the terrain here like the back of their hand in life. Unfortunately, they lost their sense of direction after becoming insects and ended up in the most confusing room of all, which was what led them to be trapped for years.

Kong Qing said while Fu Ru drew the map, "The Eighty-One Plates of the Mausoleum was not a Heavenly Punishment formation at first, but an ordinary one used for expeditions. It became what it is today after someone used and manipulated it. We are all cultivators who came to the formation for training at the Demigod and Synthesis stages...and we were at the cultivation of the stage of God Transformation and body…"

Chi Muyao was astonished, "Synthesis stage? The Demigod stage is the pinnacle right now."

"How many Demigod stage cultivators are there in the cultivation world today?” 

"So far...not one. So there are realms above the Demigod stage?" Chi Muyao asked. 

"That's right. In our time, after the Synthesis stage there was the Immortalisation stage and finally ascension." Kong Qing could not help but be surprised. "Hasn't Su You left long ago after succeeding in possession? How come he hasn't even reached the Demigod stage? How did the cultivation world end up like this? Has the spiritual energy of the world been depleted?"

Chi Muyao was shocked. He blurted out, "Su You?! He came from here??"

"That's right. He's from one of the five great families. He's also the one who organises the sacrifice of other wandering souls." 

Chi Muyao immediately cursed, "Why is this man so evil?! He's the one who orchestrated Heaven's Wrath, which brought us here."

Kong Qing was taken aback. "Su You is back?" 

Fu Ru also flew straight up in a rage. "He still has the face to come back?!" 

Kong Qing had always been level-headed. She urged Fu Ru to continue drawing the map, while speaking to Chi Muyao, "Su You's matter aside, it's too dangerous to walk around the formation with your current cultivation. It's best to be at least at the Golden Core stage. We have waited hundreds of years, so there's no rush. Why don't you first find a spiritual spring and break through to the Golden Core stage before looking? After all, safety is most important." 

Chi Muyao shook his head. "But I'm looking for my friend, and he's looking for me too!" 

Fu Ru scolded, covered in ink and drawing, "Stupid child! Do you have a death wish? Why am I still drawing if you won't take good advice? Go find a random door and die!"

Chi Muyao wasn't angry at being scolded. After all, these were great powers above the Demigod stage. A little rookie like him had no right to refute.

He immediately asked, "Seniors, I have the devil core of a heaven-grade spirit beast here that can help raise my cultivation. I also have some pills. What is the fastest I can break through to the Golden Core stage? Is three months enough?" 

Kong Qing was speechless, "..." 

Fu Ru simply shook the ink off his body and replied, "I might lack a sense of direction, but everything else is still there. Do you have any idea about how piss poor your aptitude is? Three months?! Even three years is a long shot." 

"But I'm in a hurry..." Chi Muyao replied, aggrieved. He seemed ready to cry. 

Kong Qing reassured him, "Our Sect has most likely been disbanded by now. Rather than let our cultivation methods go to waste, it's better to impart it to the right person and have it live on. I'll teach you a set of meditation techniques that can help you widen your meridians and speed up your core formation."

Chi Muyao nodded. "Thank you, Senior." 

Fu Ru said after a moment of silence, "I'm more specialised towards offence. Our paths are different, so go to the spiritual spring and fish out my treasure. Maybe it can help you out. It's at least as good as a heaven grade devil core." 

Chi Muyao gave thanks again, "Thank you too."

He came over to look at Fu Ru's drawing and pointed to one of the rooms. "This is the room we are in, right?"

Fu Ru replied, "That's right. I'm drawing the route from where we are to the spiritual spring. There are too many rooms in between so I won't finish for a while. I'll draw the rest of the map while you're in seclusion there." 

"En, all right!"

A violent explosion resounded throughout the formation. The tumbling stones sent vast clouds of smoke and dust surging forward. Soon, the air was cleansed by the Grand Washing Technique 

Xi Huai walked into the room. His breathing stopped when he spotted the body lying on the floor.

The same smoky blue as Chi Muyao's cultivator robes!

He hurried forward and squatted down to turn the body over. He was relieved to not see Chi Muyao's face. 

He circled around the room before going to examine the other bodies. After making sure none of them were Chi Muyao, he could only become agitated again.

With nothing else to do, he leaned against the wall in dismay and rested. 

This was the thirty-seventh day that he devoted every fibre of his being to finding Chi Muyao.

He deliberately passed up safe rooms to search in the death rooms, even using nearly self-destructing spells to forcefully break through the formation. A part of his life force was used up every time he brought down a stone wall. 

The veins on his arms had almost darkened to a muddy red. They ran all over his limbs like lightning bolts, proof of him using his life force as fuel. 

As time passed, Xi Huai's mood worsened. He always felt that the longer he left Chi Muyao out there, the more pain Chi Muyao would experience in this dangerous place.

He was also looking for Chi Muyao, but not like this. 

Before, he believed he didn't do anything to hurt Chi Muyao. It was just that his affection would make things difficult for Chi Muyao. 

Now, he'd hurt Chi Muyao. He couldn't bear to imagine what Su You was doing to him right now.

He regretted it more than anything in his life. So much so that he slapped himself when the guilt became overwhelming.

Still, in the end he still had to continue to look for Chi Muyao. He absolutely couldn't give up the tiniest of clues.

The Cultivation Partner Knot didn't work in the formation, so he could only search blindly. Worse case scenario, he just needed to connect all the rooms, right?

After resting for fifteen minutes, Xi Huai got up again and blasted another direction. He absolutely couldn't waste even a single moment. 

Entering this new space, he couldn't help but be disappointed to find it empty.

But soon he noticed something off. There was a pink peach blossom mark on one wall. 

He quickly walked over and saw that this mark was indeed left by Chi Muyao. Above were the words 'Deacon Hall'. It was the Deacon Hall stamp Chi Muyao used at the He Huan Sect. He was the only one who knew this in the formation.

Chi Muyao was telling him that he had chosen this gap in the wall at the time.

Since he could leave a mark, did that mean he managed to lose Su You? 

Xi Huai immediately blasted that wall. 

Wait for me, I'll be there soon.