Several Great Zhou Qi Refiners stayed behind to clean up the corpse of High God Tiande. Before long, they found a jade talisman inscribed with the characters "Chuyuan."
"What kind of token is this?"
The Great Zhou Qi Refiner turned it over several times, paid it little heed, and said, "When we return, let's show it to the Grand Preceptor. Perhaps he will recognize it."
***
The Jianzhao world.
Xu Ying, the Son of Heaven of Zhou, and Grand Preceptor Jiang passed through the Cangwu Abyss and arrived in this world. Immediately, soldiers from Haojing came forward to report, "We have discovered traces of the Locust God."
He had barely spoken when dark clouds blotted out the sky and sun. Those dark clouds were swarms of locusts. Each locust bore six wings and had jaws like bronze and iron; wherever they passed, every crop was devoured clean, and even people were picked clean to the bone!
This kind of locust was also known as the six-winged heavenly locust or six-winged heavenly insect, its body incomparably hard, rivaling magic treasures.
"Lead the way at once," the Son of Heaven of Zhou said.
The soldier hastily warned, "The Locust God is exceedingly formidable. Your Majesty, please do not invoke your Primordial Spirit, or it might easily be injured by the flying locusts."
The party passed a village where the people were pulling down their former divine statues and erecting statues of the Locust God, preparing to offer sacrifices and worship.
Along the roads, throngs of refugees fled the famine.
They turned a blind eye to the ravaging locusts. Even when locusts landed on their bodies, they dared not swat them, only murmuring prayers and pleas under their breath, begging the locusts to spare them.
Unable to bear the bites, one man slapped down at one, only to see the locust's six wings vibrate like blades, slicing off all five of his fingers in an instant. The other locusts buzzed, took flight, and pounced upon him, quickly reducing a living human being to bare white bones.
Within walled cities, inside valleys, along riverbanks, and beside roads, starved corpses filled the wilderness. Bones littered the ground, reeking with foul rot.
Flying through the air, Xu Ying, the Son of Heaven of Zhou, and the others looked as far as the eye could see across the vast land, finding not a speck of green. The locusts had consumed every crop and grain, sweeping over the earth like an overwhelming tide.
In the sky, many Qi Refiners were invoking magic treasures—flying needles, flying swords, gourds, spirit banners, and the like—battling the aerial swarm.
Yet those six-winged heavenly locusts were no ordinary pests. Even the Qi Refiners' flying swords were sheared apart by their wings, chewed until not even scraps remained. The swarm crushed the flying needles, chewed through the gourds, ate the spirit banners, and devoured the Qi Refiners who sought to quell the plague until nothing was left of them.
Other sects activated their sect-guarding supreme treasures to defend their sacred mountains and protect their properties. But the locusts gathered like smoke and clouds into a deluge, assaulting the mountain gates in fierce battles. When sect-guarding supreme treasures failed to hold, the locusts invariably breached them, gnawed through the treasures, wiped out entire lineages, and eradicated their heritages. Only sects guarded by immortal artifacts to protect their fortunes were spared the infestation.
Scene after scene was harrowing to behold.
Xu Ying continued onward. Gradually, a faint touch of green reappeared across the landscape, marking areas where temples to the Locust God had been erected. Here, the people worshipped the Locust God, and incense smoke flourished. Wherever the Locust God was worshipped, there was no insect plague, and the crops grew lush.
Yet the people looked sallow and emaciated. Every day they had to enter the temple to worship, offering all manner of delicacies while going cold and hungry themselves.
"We arrived a bit late. This heavenly god has already established its foothold," the Son of Heaven of Zhou said, his expression grave.
Xu Ying nodded gently. He sensed the incense smoke qi of the common folk across the Jianzhao world converging into a vast divine power flowing toward a single location. By absorbing such tremendous incense power, the Locust God's strength was advancing by leaps and bounds!
The path of incense divine power was the hardest cultivation path, yet also the easiest.
To attain profound cultivation, a deity needed to accumulate good deeds and virtues, working for the common people; every bit of progress demanded tremendous sacrifice. But if one used terror to oppress and mortal lives to threaten, forcing people into belief, it became vastly simpler. The Locust God was doing precisely that.
Its incense smoke qi was so thick, proving that its cultivation was rising continuously!
Grand Preceptor Jiang frowned. "This Locust God's magic power is stronger than that of other heavenly gods. It will not be easy to deal with."
Xu Ying chuckled. "If it were some other expert, I might have some trouble. But if the opponent is a heavenly god, it isn't too difficult for me."
Following the flow of incense smoke qi, he pressed forward. Before long, he saw mist and clouds churning ahead, the incense smoke qi forming cloud layers, filled with the weeping and wailing prayers of the Jianzhao world's living beings like ghostly cries.
Nearing this place meant falling under the influence of the Heavenly Dao. Seen from afar, a deity sat enthroned within the mist, standing tens of thousands of feet tall with a human body and an insect head, antennae sprouting from its brow. It bore four pairs of golden wings on its back, which unfolded from time to time to reveal bizarre Heavenly Dao runes of extraordinary magnificence.
Countless six-winged heavenly locusts crawled over its body, occasionally taking flight in swarms toward distant lands.
In the distance, dark clouds flew back—countless locusts that had fed their fill, returning to channel their plundered essence qi into the Locust God's body to bolster its cultivation.
The Son of Heaven of Zhou and Grand Preceptor Jiang felt a chill in their hearts. "The Locust God does not rely on incense alone to increase its strength; it also uses the locusts to plunder the heaven and earth yuan qi. It will be even harder to defeat!"
Just then, the Locust God in the mist noticed them. Pairs of gazes shot out from the haze, locking squarely onto Xu Ying.
"You are... Xu Ying!"
The Locust God shuddered and stood up, looking at Xu Ying with sharp vigilance before laughing loudly. "So you're that troublemaker Xu Ying! I recognize you. Your crimes have come to light, and the higher-ups have a warrant out for your arrest!"
It possessed compound eyes, hundreds of lenses forming two massive orbs. The beams of light piercing the mist earlier had been divine light cast from those very eyes.
Xu Ying took a step forward, Heavenly Dao runes surfacing around him. But in the next instant, a buzzing sound arose. The Locust God vanished from its spot and materialized behind Xu Ying in a flash, sneering, "You're too slow!"
Its wings vibrated like razor-thin blades, slashing toward Xu Ying!
Unable to finish arranging his Heavenly Dao runes in time, Xu Ying turned his arm to meet the blades, but with a buzz the Locust God vanished again. A heartbeat later, it appeared before him, blade-light sweeping toward him once more with a mocking laugh: "Still too slow!"
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Without exception, the blows landed on Xu Ying, leaving only faint white marks across his skin.
The Locust God was startled. "Such a formidable physical body?"
A deafening buzz erupted as its figure darted up and down, left and right, appearing and vanishing ghostlike to dazzle the senses, making its position impossible to track. Those wings slashed from all directions like gossamer divine blades, raining blows down upon Xu Ying's body.
In a single breath, it unleashed myriad flashes of blade-light across Xu Ying's frame!
Xu Ying frowned as a single strand of hair drifted down from his temple.
*Even with the ancestral method circulating and the Mud Pill Palace Grotto-Heaven engaged, my physical body still cannot be called perfect,* he thought, lifting a hand to catch the strand and sighing softly to himself.
After so many consecutive strikes, the Locust God had managed only to sever a single hair. Knowing the situation was dire, it instantly sheathed its strikes. Abandoning its tens of thousands of scions, its eight wings beat violently, and it whistled away into the distance.
"The rebel truly has some tricks! Grandpa Locust came to the mortal realm seeking fortune, not to throw my life away against you. I won't be keeping you company!"
Its speed was astonishing. Leaving only a streak of yellow light in the sky, it had already crossed thousands of mountains and rivers.
Xu Ying circulated the ancestral method of the Mud Pill Palace Longevity Technique. Vigorous vitality erupted within him, instantly forming eight heavenly wings behind his back. They resembled the Locust God's wings, yet the Heavenly Dao runes upon them were far more complete.
In those brief moments just now, he had already seen and memorized the Heavenly Dao runes upon the Locust God's wings, awakening the corresponding runes hidden within his memories!
Buzz!
The eight heavenly wings behind him beat, and he vanished from the spot!
The Locust God glanced back, only to see Xu Ying enveloped in rainbow light, moving not a whit slower—in fact, even faster.
"My speed ranks among the finest of heavenly gods! No one can ever hope to catch me!"
The Locust God sneered. "'Those who learn from me live; those who imitate me perish.' Xu Ying, you merely mimic me—how dare you think you can catch me?"
It surged with even greater speed, sweeping past towering peaks of ten thousand feet, crossing countless rugged ranges in an instant, and arriving over an ocean.
A moment later, the sea's surface was sliced open by the hurricane whipped up by its flight, rearing into two colossal walls of waves.
Whoosh!
Xu Ying followed closely behind, whistling past.
The Locust God stole another frantic glance behind, terror seizing its heart as Xu Ying drew ever nearer. It pushed its speed to the absolute limit. The gale kicked up by its wake ripped the seawater entirely apart, baring the seabed below!
*What is going on? He clearly copied my Heavenly Dao runes, so why is his speed greater than mine? Could my runes be fake, while his copy is real?* Panic gripped the Locust God.
Soon, the two flew into the night-cloaked half of the Jianzhao world.
Gritting its teeth, the Locust God made a sharp turn and shot straight toward the bright moon overhead!
Xu Ying wheeled around just as sharply. Man and god poured all their might into soaring into the sky.
Catching up from behind, Xu Ying reached out and seized the Locust God's head. Panic-stricken, the Locust God shrieked, "Wait, wait! Let's talk this out!"
The bright moon loomed closer and closer, growing ever larger, until Xu Ying smashed its head violently into the lunar surface.
The bright moon hanging outside the world shuddered, knocked from its original orbit, as a mushroom cloud billowed from the impact.
On the moon, Xu Ying grabbed the Locust God by the leg and hauled it out of the crater.
"Let's talk this through!"
With blood streaming down its head and teeth knocked out, the Locust God babbled in terror, "Xu Ying, there is no grievance between us! I never harmed you. The heavenly gods who watched you and hunted you in the past weren't me—I was only promoted to godhood later! If you want revenge, go find those who harmed you!"
Xu Ying turned a deaf ear to its pleas. He hoisted it into midair, stimulated the Heavenly Dao runes within its body, and committed them to memory.
Enduring its pain, the Locust God offered a fawning smile. "Xu Ying, we heavenly gods have it rough too. We just work for the higher-ups; they give orders, and we carry them out. We have no quarrel with you Qi Refiners. Let's stay out of each other's way..."
Having memorized the runes, Xu Ying asked, "Do you understand the Heavenly Dao?"
The Locust God froze, then laughed. "I am the Heavenly Dao, so how could I not understand it?"
Xu Ying began wiping away the Heavenly Dao runes on its body one by one, saying, "Since you understand it, then once I wipe away the Heavenly Dao brand on your body, you should be able to cultivate it back."
The Locust God's face fell drastically. With the disappearance of each Heavenly Dao rune, its power drained away; not only was its strength leaving, but even its incense smoke qi began to scatter.
Overcome with anxiety, it screamed, "Stop! Stop at once! You bastard, what are you doing?!"
Turning a deaf ear, Xu Ying wiped away every last Heavenly Dao rune on its body. He then grabbed it and took to the air, descending back into the Jianzhao world before long.
Xu Ying tossed it onto the ground. The Locust God scrambled to its feet, only to find the overwhelming might it once wielded thoroughly gone. Flustered, it shrieked, "You stripped me of my status as a heavenly god! We are irreconcilable enemies! Where are my children?!"
It let out a shout, yet across the sky, the swarms of six-winged heavenly locusts suddenly lost control, falling to the earth one after another, their vitality extinguished.
Xu Ying's voice rang clear and calm, echoing across the Jianzhao world: "The Locust God's Heavenly Dao brand has been erased by me; it is no longer a heavenly god. If you wish to seek revenge, do as you please."
The Locust God laughed wildly, shouting, "I am a deity of the Heavenly Dao! I govern natural disasters and hold the fate of mortal lives! Who dares touch me?"
Xu Ying turned and walked away.
At that moment, several Qi Refiners flew over—the very ones who had been trying to quell the locust plague.
From a distance, one of them tentatively sent a flying sword streaking toward the Locust God. The Locust God hurried to dodge, but its body was far too enormous and cumbersome, failing to evade in time.
*Squelch!*
The flying sword struck, plunging deep into its flesh.
Paling slightly, the Locust God sneered, "Insolent scum! Defying your superiors! You have no regard for the laws of heaven! Heaven's principles will not tolerate you, and you will suffer heavenly retribution—"
Before it could finish, swarms of flying swords whistled through the air toward it.
The Locust God knew this was a matter of life and death. If these worm-like Qi Refiners grew bold, it would surely end up dead without a burial ground!
Roaring, it charged toward the Qi Refiners, swinging its fists against the incoming swords as it snarled, "Do you think that without the Heavenly Dao runes, I'm just meat on your chopping block? Keep dreaming! My body is that of a heavenly god; even without the Heavenly Dao's blessing, I still possess divine might!"
Relying on brute force, it charged forward, braving the rain of swords to slaughter the Qi Refiners.
Standing tens of thousands of feet tall like an imposing sacred mountain, with clouds drifting around its waist, its every move possessed earth-shattering power. Within a few exchanges, it struck down those Qi Refiners. Yet over a hundred wounds covered its body, bleeding incessantly. Panting heavily, it sneered down at the corpses, "Now you know Grandpa Locust's might! Even without being a heavenly god, I can easily slaughter you all!"
Just then, it sensed something amiss and looked up, only to find that at some point, countless Qi Refiners had gathered around it.
Looking at it, these Qi Refiners showed no fear; instead, their eyes burned with barely contained fury!
The Locust God laughed heartily, pointing to the wounds on its body. "You don't think these minor scratches affect my strength, do you? You puny worms. My body remains mighty; I am still the strongest being in this world..."
"Kill it!"
The crowd surged forward. Magic treasures flew and divine powers erupted, drowning the Locust God! And from behind, even more Qi Refiners arrived like a locust swarm, filled with wrath and fearlessness, throwing themselves upon the Locust God wave after wave! The heavenly god was brought low, toppled over, its head severed by the furious people, its corpse torn limb from limb.
Its Primordial Spirit attempted to flee, but the people pinned it down and blasted it into oblivion.
Watching this scene from afar, Xu Ying, the Son of Heaven of Zhou, and Grand Preceptor Jiang were each filled with emotion.
"To think an exalted heavenly god would meet such an end," Grand Preceptor Jiang sighed.
Xu Ying murmured, "In the eyes of commoners, are not those in Haojing like heavenly gods as well?"
The Son of Heaven of Zhou laughed heartily, shaking his head. "Over six thousand years have passed; the Great Zhou Dynasty is long gone. Strange, though—once a heavenly god's Heavenly Dao brand is erased, it loses its magic power. Why couldn't it cultivate the Heavenly Dao runes back?"
Xu Ying replied, "They do not understand the Heavenly Dao. They are merely powerful beings blessed by the Heavenly Dao, not true heavenly gods."
The Son of Heaven of Zhou asked, "What is a true heavenly god?"
Xu Ying thought for a moment, then said, "Take Dongyue, for instance. People offer paper money in sacrifice, believing a heavenly god guards the Netherworld, maintaining order throughout the nether realms of the myriad heavens and worlds and sheltering the departed souls of their ancestors. Or take Xiangxiang: people believe the Xiang Waters have a goddess gentle and kind, reining in the Xiang River so it does not flood during heavy rains, irrigating mulberry fields during droughts, and sheltering the people of that realm. Such may be called a heavenly god."
Hearing this, the Son of Heaven of Zhou remained silent for a moment before saying, "Brother Xu, you were born with a rebellious bone in your body, as large as..."
Grand Preceptor Jiang chuckled. "Your Majesty, I believe a person grew atop his rebellious bone. If you were to crack open his body, you would find every single bone in him grew backward."
Xu Ying looked somewhat puzzled, murmuring, "But shouldn't a heavenly god who oversees the Heavenly Dao be like that?"
Chapter 292