Blazing divine radiance erupted from Tian Fan’s body as golden ancient divine script hovered silently above his head, cascading golden brilliance that firmly shielded the four of them.
“Little Tian Tian…”
Zi Ying sobbed as she looked up at Tian Fan, her beautiful eyes flickering with a strange glow. This was the first time she had felt the power of the ancient “Divine” character up close—vast and boundless, surpassing all else.
“Arrrrrr…”
The massive Insect King, as large as a wild elephant, let out a furious roar as if issuing a command. Countless green beetles surged forward like a tidal wave, their incessant “squeak, squeak” sounds filling the air. However, it was all in vain. Any beetle that came within five steps of Tian Fan was instantly reduced to ashes.
“Hiss, hiss…”
The beetles charged forward fearlessly, yet they were unable to change their fate. The ancient divine script merely emitted a protective light barrier; it hadn’t even actively attacked. However, the moment any beetle was illuminated by the golden light, death was its only outcome.
Tian Fan carefully helped Zi Ying up, carried the Shangguan brothers on his back, and slowly made his way down the sacred mountain. Wherever he passed, the demon insects were annihilated.
“Little Tian Tian…”
Zi Ying murmured as she gazed at Tian Fan, as if she wanted to say something, but in the end, she remained silent.
“It’s okay, Zi Ying. Everything will be fine…”
At this moment, Tian Fan’s face was deathly pale, like a sheet of white paper. His body was riddled with small wounds that continued to bleed. Yet, he smiled gently at Zi Ying before turning toward a peculiar small tree ahead.
On its branches, seven luminous fruits of different shapes glistened with a dazzling rainbow-like glow, exuding an intoxicating fragrance that made one’s mouth water.
Despite being only a few dozen meters away from the sacred tree, a horde of terrifying demon insects—numbering in the tens of thousands—blocked the path. Their eerie green eyes flickered with a chilling light, emitting a sinister aura.
Zi Ying followed closely beside Tian Fan, supporting Shangguan Yunfeng, while Tian Fan carried Shangguan Jingyi. Their lives were hanging by a thread. If they could obtain the sacred fruit, there was a chance they could recover immediately.
“Aarrrrr…”
Noticing that they were heading toward the sacred tree, the Insect King let out a furious roar, and the countless beetles surrounding it charged forward at once.
“Hiss, hiss…”
The sound of the green beetles being obliterated echoed continuously. Tian Fan’s gaze was icy as he pressed forward slowly but resolutely toward the sacred tree.
Twenty meters… Nineteen meters… Sixteen meters… Eleven meters…
Step by step, Tian Fan advanced. Zi Ying followed closely at his side. Above them, the ancient divine script emitted a faint golden glow, reducing countless beetles to nothingness as they passed. However, more and more insects continued to surge forward, their eerie green eyes gleaming ominously as they relentlessly tried to block Tian Fan’s path.
At this moment, they were less than ten meters away from the sacred tree. The fragrance of the fruit grew even richer, making Tian Fan feel as if every pore in his body had opened up. His injuries seemed to be healing slightly, astonishing him. As expected of the sacred fruit—an unparalleled treasure of the heavens and earth.
However, the pressure on him also grew heavier. Countless beetles swarmed forward, among them the Insect King itself.
Boom!
A countless number of beetles crashed into him at once. Although they were all instantly destroyed, the impact made Tian Fan tremble and forced him to take a step back.
“Five Elements Seal the Heavens!”
Although Tian Fan’s face was pale, his gaze remained unwavering. He quickly moved his hands, using the power of the ancient divine script to cast a Five Elements Seal.
A sacred aura spread outward, completely enveloping the area ahead. Many beetles lost the ability to move and were pinned to the ground. Seizing this opportunity, Tian Fan and Zi Ying pressed forward.
“Arrar…”
The Insect King howled in rage. Its elephant-sized body lunged forward, its massive mouth opening as countless writhing tentacles lashed about. Saliva sprayed in all directions, melting several nearby green beetles on contact.
Boom!
The Insect King, as massive as a wild elephant, rammed forward. Its body was unimaginably tough, comparable to a cultivator at the Immortal Ascension stage. The impact sent Tian Fan stumbling back a few steps, forcing a mouthful of fresh blood from his lips. His face turned even paler.
However, the Insect King fared even worse. Its supposedly indestructible body was nearly half-ruined. Or perhaps, it was simply too strong—unlike the other beetles that were instantly reduced to ashes, it had only sustained severe injuries.
“Little Tian Tian, are you okay?!” Zi Ying asked worriedly, her face filled with anxiety.
“I’m fine, don’t worry.”
Tian Fan smiled at her, steadied Shangguan Jingyi, and pressed forward determinedly. Above them, the Five Elements Formation rotated slowly in the sky, using the power of the divine script to keep countless thumb-sized beetles firmly pinned to the ground.
“Ang…!”
The Insect King seemed to possess a trace of intelligence, its eyes flickering with fear. However, in the end, it let out a furious roar and charged toward the two.
“Get lost!”
Tian Fan bellowed as his ”Divine Spirit Heart Technique” surged wildly. The ancient divine script above his head instantly radiated dazzling divine light, and a golden beam of light shot forward.
“Hiss… hiss…”
The Insect King was sent flying on the spot, crashing onto the other side of the mountain. Its body was nearly shattered completely. For the green beetles, this was a devastating blow. A large swarm of insects in front turned to dust, with at least tens of thousands of demonic insects being annihilated under that divine light, vanishing from the world forever.
“Go!”
Tian Fan gave a low shout, used the Divine Cloud Steps and instantly appearing beneath the Sacred Tree.
Zi Ying, being a master of the Primordial Unity, was naturally not slow either.
The two arrived almost simultaneously.
The distant swarm of insects stopped advancing the moment Tian Fan and his group reached the Sacred Tree. Their eerie green eyes flickered coldly as they stared menacingly at the people below the tree, but not a single one dared to step forward.
“It smells amazing!”
Now up close, the fragrance of the fruit was even more intense, almost materializing into spiritual energy. Zi Ying’s eyes curved into crescents, intoxicated by the aroma. She carefully plucked a red fruit from the Sacred Tree, holding it gently in both hands, as if afraid that it would disappear if it fell to the ground.
“Feed it to them.”
Tian Fan spoke softly. The Shangguan brothers were on the verge of death. Each of them plucked a fruit and carefully fed it to the two. The fruit juice mixed with its pulp seeped into their mouths, and the rich fragrance filled the surroundings. Even just the scent made Tian Fan feel refreshed and clear-headed.
Visible to the naked eye, the two’s wounds healed rapidly. The transparent blood holes in their bodies closed at an astonishing speed, while black impurities were expelled from the wounds—waste being purged from their bodies. It was as if they had been reborn, their flesh exuding a faint divine glow, making them even stronger than before.
“This is…”
In just moments, all their injuries had completely healed, and their divine power was overflowing. They stared blankly at their hands, realizing that not only were they still alive, but they also felt even stronger than before. Their faces were filled with disbelief.
“Kid, you…”
Shangguan Jingyi widened his eyes, staring at the golden radiance above Tian Fan’s head. That ancient, desolate aura continuously emanated from it. Though they had heard about it before, witnessing it firsthand still left them utterly shocked.
“Let’s go!”
They plucked all seven Sacred Fruits from the tree, not leaving a single one behind. With Tian Fan protected by the ”Ancient Divine Script”, nothing could stop them. They swiftly descended from the Sacred Mountain.
“Hehehe…”
Not long after they left, a shadowy demonic figure suddenly appeared beside the Sacred Tree. Watching their departing figures, it let out a sinister, chilling laugh…