At this moment, everyone felt their scalps tingle.
Shangguan Jingyi’s palm had been bitten through, leaving a bloody hole that pierced from front to back. Blood dripped profusely as he held a green beetle in his other hand, using all his strength to crush it.
However, the outcome shocked him. The thumb-sized green beetle was unexpectedly tough—even his Cloud Heaven peak-tier physique couldn’t crush it.
“Let me try!”
Tian Fan spoke, taking the beetle from Shangguan Jingyi’s hand. He exerted all his strength. Although he still couldn’t crush it, the insect trembled slightly in his grip.
“How about you give it a try, Zi Ying?” Tian Fan turned and held the beetle in front of Zi Ying.
“Go to hell!”
Seeing the beetle’s slightly trembling body and its tiny, black, hairy antennae, Zi Ying glared at him in fury. With a loud slap, she smacked the insect out of his hand.
“Be careful!”
Shangguan Yunfeng shot out a sword beam, knocking away a flying beetle. A metallic clang echoed as sparks flew from the beetle’s back upon impact.
“Squeak, squeak…”
The entire sacred mountain was covered in these green beetles. Their origins were unknown, and not even ancient records mentioned them. The eerie squeaking sounds sent chills down everyone’s spine.
Clang!
Several beetles charged forward but were swept away by Shangguan Yunfeng’s sword beams. Yet, when his attacks struck them, they merely let out a crisp “clang”, their defenses remaining unbroken.
“What the hell are these things?”
Everyone felt a growing sense of dread. What kind of existence was this? Even a sword beam from a Cloud Heaven peak-tier expert couldn’t destroy them.
“Squeak, squeak…”
One after another, the green beetles leaped, vibrating the tiny wings on their backs. In this region, they seemed unaffected by any restrictions—they could fly!
The group continuously unleashed sword beams, forming a protective barrier around Zi Ying. Her large eyes blinked rapidly; it was simply in a girl’s nature to fear insects.
“D*mn it, that hurts…”
Despite their relentless attacks, the sky was filled with interwoven sword beams, turning the area into a sea of swords. But there were simply too many green beetles, and their bodies were unbelievably tough—not inferior to the physique of someone from the Primordial Unity Realm, perhaps even stronger.
A few beetles managed to break through. The moment they landed on someone, they left behind a bloody hole. These insects were terrifying, capable of biting through even bone.
Pfft…
The situation had become dire. Even Tian Fan’s body had been wounded, with several holes piercing through him. Countless green beetles vibrated their wings, emitting a constant buzzing sound as they swarmed toward the group.
Pfft, pfft, pfft…
With no other choice, Zi Ying made her move. Golden sword Qi slashed across three thousand miles, its majestic power annihilating everything in its path. The green beetles fell in droves, but it was far from enough—tens of thousands of them surged forward in an endless wave.
Boom!
The Shangguan brothers were already covered in wounds. Exchanging a glance, they combined their strength to summon a divine disk, intricately carved from gold and jade, radiating a faint aura of oppression. It was covered in countless engravings, and as the two brothers activated it, it released a dazzling golden light. A terrifying pressure surged outward, instantly sending thousands of beetles flying.
“That d*mn old man!”
Zi Ying muttered angrily under her breath. She hadn’t expected the old relics at home to entrust such a powerful treasure to these two brothers just to capture her.
This was a secret treasure—under the Immortal Ascension Realm, no one could resist it. It could temporarily seal a person’s divine power. With this treasure in their hands, the two brothers were more than capable of taking Zi Ying back.
Pfft…
Golden light cascaded from the divine disk, forming a protective barrier around the group. The beetles charged forward, but the instant they touched the golden barrier, they were shredded to pieces—there was no suspense. This was a treasure personally refined by an Immortal Ascension Realm powerhouse, something the beetles couldn’t possibly withstand.
Everyone finally breathed a sigh of relief. But soon, their expressions froze—some of the green beetles were actually penetrating the golden barrier, absorbing the divine energy into their bodies.
“Oh my god!”
Shangguan Jingyi gasped in horror, his teeth chattering. This was an Immortal Ascension Realm treasure, yet it couldn’t block these beetles? Instead, it was becoming their food?
The group continuously infused True Qi into the golden divine disk above them. The golden barrier around them grew larger, and the overwhelming pressure of the Immortal Ascension Realm radiated outward, instantly shattering countless nearby beetles, giving them a moment of respite.
The remaining beetles crawled around the glowing barrier, letting out chilling squeaks. The group felt their scalps tingle—they were completely surrounded. There were too many of these insects, and the sheer density made their hair stand on end. Zi Ying, terrified, huddled in the middle of the group, too afraid to even look.
“What are they doing?”
The group noticed that the beetles were scuttling around them but not attacking.
“Forget it. We need to move!”
They carried the golden divine disk and slowly made their way down the mountain. The path leading to the sacred tree was completely blocked by these beetles, making it impossible to break through. They only had enough divine power to sustain the Ascension Realm treasure for a limited time. If it were destroyed, their fate would be sealed—death was inevitable.
Pfft, pfft…
But their hopes were dashed. The beetles had no intention of letting them leave. They charged forward fearlessly, blocking the group’s path. The golden barrier trembled under the relentless impact, causing everyone to panic and halt immediately. The moment they stopped, the green beetles ceased their attack, resuming their eerie circling. Countless pairs of tiny green eyes stared at them coldly.
“What’s going on? It looks like they’re waiting for something,” Shangguan Yunfeng frowned and said.
“What are we waiting for? It must be afraid of this golden light and is trying to stall until our divine power is exhausted. I don’t believe there’s another insect king here!” Shangguan Jingyi dismissed the idea with a scoff.
“Chrrrrraang…”
Suddenly, a sharp screech pierced the air, like nails scraping against glass. The sound made their hair stand on end. In the distance, the swarm of small insects churned and shifted, clearing a path. When the group saw what lay ahead, they instantly wanted to punch Shangguan Jingyi.
“D*mn jinx!”
Up ahead, a massive green-colored insect, as large as an elephant, emerged. Its cold, sinister eyes locked onto them, and its slightly opened mouth revealed numerous writhing tendrils and sharp fangs. Saliva dripped from its maw, sizzling as it hit the ground and corroded deep holes into the earth, sending a chill down the spines of the three.
“Damn it, does an insect king really have to be this terrifying? This gap… this is way too f*cking big!”
They cursed internally. This had to be a joke—sure, it was an insect king, but did it have to be this ridiculously massive? And from the looks of it, incredibly powerful as well!
Boom!
The insect king, as large as a barbarian elephant, charged forward, slamming into the golden barrier surrounding the four of them. The impact sent violent tremors through the shield, and their faces instantly paled as they channeled more divine power into the divine disk above them.
Boom!
The insect king rammed into them repeatedly. Its body was unimaginably tough, impervious even to the oppressive might of the Immortal Ascension Realm, leaving the group utterly shocked. Just what kind of creature was this?
“Chrrrrraang…”
With another deafening roar, the insect king threw its full force forward. The golden barrier shattered on impact, and the divine disk hovering above their heads was sent flying, crashing far away.
Countless insects surged toward them. The four unleashed divine radiance to fend them off, but there were simply too many. No matter how many they killed, more took their place. Some managed to slip through, sinking their fangs into Shangguan Jingyi, leaving several bloody wounds.
“Brother!”
Zi Ying cried out in alarm. Her body erupted with intense violet light, shattering hundreds of insects around her. She continuously slashed outward with sword Qi, executing the fifteenth strike of Sword Twenty-Three. Countless beetles perished under her blade, but compared to the vast sea of insects, it was nothing more than a drop in the ocean.
Pfft…
Shangguan Yunfeng was also bitten, unable to resist the terrifying horde. Zi Ying’s complexion grew paler as her divine power drained rapidly.
“I’m sorry… this is all my fault,” Zi Ying choked out, tears welling in her eyes.
“Little sister, don’t cry. We’ll be fine,” Shangguan Jingyi reassured her softly.
At this point, his legs were riddled with wounds, nearly transparent from front to back. Standing had become nearly impossible. Right now, only Zi Ying and Tian Fan were holding up a defensive barrier, but it was a futile effort. They could clearly see the smaller insects gnawing away at the shield, slowly eating through it.
It was only a matter of time before they broke through. These insects were far too terrifying—even experts of the Immortal Ascension Realm would meet their demise here.
“Chrrrrraang…”
The insect king let out another thunderous roar. Sonic waves rippled outward, shattering their last line of defense.
Countless small insects swarmed in, rushing toward the four of them.
“Ahhh!”
Shangguan Yunfeng could no longer endure. He screamed in agony as numerous thumb-sized green beetles gnawed through his defenses, riddling his body with dozens of bloody holes.
“Brother…”
Seeing the Shangguan brothers in such a miserable state, Zi Ying finally broke down in tears. Her weeping, delicate and sorrowful, made Tian Fan’s heart tremble. It was the first time he had ever seen Zi Ying cry.
“Little sister… don’t… don’t cry…”
Shangguan Jingyi looked wretched. His strength had been completely drained, his voice weak, and his eyelids fluttered as he struggled to keep them open.
“Sob… it’s my fault, it’s all my fault…”
Zi Ying’s tears streamed down her face as her frail body trembled. She continued slashing outward, golden sword Qi cutting through wave after wave of demonic insects.
“Zi Ying… I’m… sorry… we… your brothers… are useless… we… didn’t… protect… you…”
Shangguan Yunfeng coughed up blood, his gaze growing dim.
“No, don’t… don’t… brother…”
The green beetles kept surging forward. Even Tian Fan’s flesh was being torn apart, leaving gaping wounds that went clear through his body. His blood drenched him from head to toe, yet he held on tightly, shielding Zi Ying and the others from the relentless swarm.
“Please… no… brother, don’t die…”
Zi Ying sobbed uncontrollably, shaking the battered bodies of the Shangguan brothers. Tears streamed down her face like a broken dam, soaking her beautiful cheeks as despair consumed her.
“Ahhh!”
Her heart-wrenching cries echoed in Tian Fan’s ears. For the first time, he witnessed Zi Ying’s sorrow, her helpless expression stabbing deep into his soul. His body trembled violently as he threw his head back and roared in fury. The Divine Celestial Heart Sutra surged madly within him, breaking past all limits in history.
“Come out!!!”
A thunderous roar erupted from his throat. His jet-black hair stood on end, and scorching golden radiance burst from his body, shaking the void around him.
Boom!
An unparalleled, overwhelming pressure exploded from him.
A dazzling ancient character slowly manifested, hovering above his head, radiating a blinding golden light. An archaic, boundless aura surged outward.
Wherever the golden light reached, no insect was spared—all were instantly reduced to ash, vanishing into nothingness…