"Golden Cicada Shedding Its Shell?"
Upon hearing Xu Fang's words, the Golden-winged Great Peng, along with the other two, looked at the squeezed and deformed husk within the cassock made of silkworm threads, astonished.
"I never expected this Six-winged Celestial Silkworm to have such a trick, being able to play the shrinking turtle and shed its shell!"
"No, Senior's magical treasure array is so powerful, yet this fellow still managed to escape?"
"Senior was just being kind for a moment; otherwise, how could this Six-winged Celestial Silkworm have escaped?"
The three Golden-winged Great Pengs were truly surprised by the Six-winged Celestial Silkworm's capabilities.
However, with the Senior's formidable magical treasure array, even with its shell-shedding trick, it shouldn't be that easy for the Six-winged Celestial Silkworm to escape the encirclement of the array, right?
Therefore, they all felt that Xu Fang had deliberately let the Six-winged Celestial Silkworm go.
Xu Fang, however, shook his head firmly and denied their assumption without taking their implied praise.
"I had no intention of showing mercy; it was a genuine oversight."
He admitted his failure, explaining to the three Golden-winged Great Pengs.
"This Golden Cicada Shedding Its Shell should be a life-saving divine ability of the Six-winged Celestial Silkworm, no, it should be the Six-winged Celestial Cicada."
Xu Fang spoke, quickly correcting himself.
He had been calling it the Six-winged Celestial Silkworm, but now it seemed inappropriate. The creature had long since emerged from its cocoon, even refining its cocoon into the silkworm thread cassock, and now employed the shell-shedding technique. Calling it the Six-winged Celestial Cicada was more fitting.
"This divine ability is powerful; it can disregard the encirclement of magical treasures, allowing the Six-winged Celestial Cicada to escape. It must possess the power to ignore spatial distance and suppress its confinement."
Xu Fang couldn't help but admire the ability's potency, as it had silently bypassed his invincible magical treasure array, an array that had once left numerous powerful beings helpless.
"However, even so, using such a divine ability must have consumed a great deal of energy. This Six-winged Celestial Cicada must have suffered fundamental damage."
Listening to Xu Fang's explanation, the expressions of the three Golden-winged Great Pengs finally eased. It seemed that forcing the Six-winged Celestial Silkworm to use such a self-damaging divine ability was a testament to the Senior's immense power.
"Senior, should we pursue and slay this Six-winged Celestial Cicada directly?"
The Golden-winged Great Peng asked, making a throat-slitting gesture.
Ao Xue and Little Qilin also nodded in agreement. The Six-winged Celestial Cicada escaping the magical treasure array could be detrimental to the Senior's reputation.
"No need."
Xu Fang waved his hand, stopping their eager movements.
"This Six-winged Celestial Cicada does not have a mortal enmity with us. It has already received its due punishment; there is no need to show no mercy."
After this failed interception, Xu Fang no longer believed he had a chance to slay these individuals who possessed destiny. It would only be a waste of time.
Moreover, with the Six-winged Celestial Silkworm leaving behind the silkworm thread cassock, he couldn't use the treasure map to track its location.
Seeing the three Golden-winged Great Pengs looking somewhat dejected, Xu Fang began to comfort them.
"Actually, think about it, we haven't lost anything this time. At least we obtained this silkworm thread cassock."
Xu Fang pointed at the silkworm thread cassock and then at the husk left behind.
"Furthermore, the husk left after shedding its shell can also be refined into a treasure similar to the silkworm thread cassock."
The three Golden-winged Great Pengs nodded. Indeed, the silkworm thread cassock was renowned for its immunity to demonic influence, resistance to the five elements, impenetrability to blades and weapons, and its ability to prevent reincarnation for the wearer. It was undoubtedly a rare treasure.
The husk left by the Golden Cicada Shedding Its Shell, once refined, could also become a treasure akin to the silkworm thread cassock.
"Alright, Ao Xue, I haven't gifted you anything for a long time. This silkworm thread cassock is for you!"
Xu Fang spoke, casually waving his hand to retrieve the cassock, wiping away the bloodstains, and putting aside the cicada molt. He then made the silkworm thread cassock float before Ao Xue.
"Senior, this!"
Ao Xue was overjoyed. She never expected the Senior to give her such a precious treasure. It was an unexpected delight!
The Golden-winged Great Peng and Little Qilin looked on with great envy. They had witnessed the performance of the silkworm thread cassock firsthand and yearned for such a treasure.
However, Xu Fang was right; he hadn't searched for any treasures for Ao Xue all this time, and as the only female member of the treasure-hunting team, she deserved such treatment. They had no objections.
Ao Xue accepted the silkworm thread cassock and bowed to Xu Fang.
"Thank you, Senior!"
She then put on the cassock. It shimmered, and the silkworm thread cassock disappeared, though Ao Xue knew it would activate whenever she was attacked.
She repeatedly touched herself, clearly enamored with her new possession.
Xu Fang nodded and said no more.
He didn't feel any heartache about giving away the silkworm thread cassock. After all, Ao Xue had followed him for so long; gifting her a treasure or two was only natural.
Moreover, if they were to compare, the treasure refined from the Six-winged Celestial Cicada's molt in his possession would undoubtedly be more powerful than the silkworm thread cassock refined from the Six-winged Celestial Silkworm's cocoon.
Since both treasures served a similar purpose, giving the already-made silkworm thread cassock to Ao Xue was the best option.
Seeing the envious looks on the faces of the Golden-winged Great Peng and Little Qilin, Xu Fang shook his head. With a thought, several treasures flew out and landed before the three followers.
"Forget it, I have plenty of treasures anyway. These few are of decent quality. Distribute them amongst yourselves! Consider them spoils of war!"
"This!"
The three followers were pleasantly surprised by the Senior's unexpected generosity. Their eyes lit up as they looked at the treasures floating before them.
Xu Fang didn't say anything more. After all, these were treasures plundered from other powerful beings. He was merely sharing what he had. Since he had gifted treasures to Sanqing and Nuwa, why would he neglect his own followers?
After thanking Xu Fang, the three Golden-winged Great Pengs enthusiastically began to divide the treasures.
Xu Fang didn't disturb them, his mind moved, and the Treasure Distribution Rock followed suit, appearing above the head of the creature that had been feigning death on the ground.
"Stop pretending to be dead. Get up quickly, Senior wants to talk to you!"
The Golden-winged Great Peng, while dividing treasures, didn't forget to shout, reminding the creature on the ground.
Hearing this, the creature on the ground could only open its eyes and look at Xu Fang, who descended gracefully, with a complex expression.
Xu Fang was addicted to treasure hunting and cherished treasures like his own life. Even the Six-winged Celestial Silkworm had to leave behind the silkworm thread cassock and suffer severe injuries to escape.
This creature had no treasures on its person. Would this great devil lose his temper and kill it directly?