Plague of Insects

The immortal insects filled the sky. They surged not only toward Nalan Du and the immortal corpses, but also targeted the big bell, Hua Cuoying, and Yuan Qi. Seeing how fiercely the swarm descended, Nalan Du remained composed. He unleashed his divine abilities, summoning a sky full of immortal fire to engulf the incoming insects. Burning insects with fire was the simplest tactic imaginable; countering gu insects and similar magical treasures with immortal fire was matching the remedy to the ailment. Yet when his immortal fire billowed forth into the swarm, the insects did not diminish at all. Instead, they multiplied rapidly while the immortal fire shrank away at terrifying speed. Those immortal insects were actually devouring the immortal fire itself! After absorbing the energy within the flames, they quivered briefly and split into two, continuing to ravenously gorge upon the fire. Nalan Du’s immortal fire was a flame born of visualization, an embodiment of Dao phenomena in its own right. Augmented by Immortal Dao runes and the heritage of the Ninth Immortal King, its power was immense. Yet before these immortal insects, it was utterly useless—it merely served as nourishment for their division and breeding! Nalan Du’s expression turned grim. He hastily switched divine abilities, sweeping his arm outward. Tens of thousands of strands of sword qi flew from his Immortal Dao Jade Pool. Each slender sword was barely an inch long, dense as silver needles, flying straight into the swarm. The sword qi struck the insects with metallic clangs. But in the next breath, the insects clutched the sword qi and began gnawing on it, swelling the swarm by several tens of percent in the blink of an eye. Nalan Du’s scalp went numb. Leaping into the air, he plunged into the Jade Pool. The Jade Pool’s water swirled, coalescing around him into dragons of immortal light and water that wheeled and circled. Insects pounced, only to be swept up and spun around by the water dragons. Nalan Du breathed a sigh of relief, but his heart immediately leaped into his throat again—the insect swarm was actually clinging to the water dragons and biting into them! *What on earth are these things?* Despair gripped his heart. The immortal insects had even tried biting into the supreme treasure of the Jade Pool itself. After taking a few bites and finding it impossible to chew through, they turned to devouring the water dragons instead. Clearly, Nalan Du inside the water barrier looked far more appetizing. Nalan Du strained with all his might to maintain the host of water dragons, shielding his body and holding out desperately. But he could not sustain this for long. Once his magic power ran dry and the water barrier collapsed, the swarm would rush in and drown him! He looked outward. Total pandemonium had erupted all around. The Hua family experts battling the insects stood no chance whatsoever. Before the power of their divine abilities could even bloom, they were eaten clean. The magical treasures they raised could not harm the swarm in the slightest before being devoured until nothing was left! When the swarm swarmed over an expert, their Primordial Spirit was riddled with holes in an instant, turned into a sieve. If the insects burrowed into their physical bodies, they still appeared human at first, but in the next instant, their Realm of Xiyi would be devoured, and each of their cultivation realms would be chewed away to nothing! While still alive, they could feel things eating them from the inside. Neither Samadhi Fire nor Samadhi Divine Water could kill them; they could only suffer the torment. Fortunately, death came quickly. As Nalan Du watched, those Hua family experts quickly turned into empty skins, drifting down from the sky still wearing their clothes. The skins were thin and translucent, revealing countless minuscule shadows scurrying within. Soon, even the skins were consumed, and not even the clothes remained. All that flew out was a mist of tiny insects, rushing toward their next target. In the sky, figures fled in frantic panic, only to be overtaken by the dust-like swarms. People thrashed wildly in midair, clawing and scratching at their own bodies; some even set themselves ablaze in desperation. Yet the same fate awaited them all: to be devoured clean by the swarm! Nalan Du was appalled. He spotted several immortal corpses still lashing out at the insects—those were the corpses of Immortal Kings, bodies exceedingly tough. Countless insects clung to them and bit, but could barely pierce their flesh. Even in death, an Immortal King's corpse remained leakless, not something these insects could easily chew through. At that sight, a glimmer of hope sparked in Nalan Du’s chest. *If the corpses of the Immortal Kings can hold out, then I can still be saved. If the Hua family uses the Immortal King corpses to cast divine abilities, perhaps they can kill off this swarm...* Just as the thought crossed his mind, countless insects bored their way into an Immortal King corpse through its eyes, ears, mouth, and nose. That corpse channeled Dao methods and divine abilities, striking out at the other insects in an attempt to blast them to death. Quite a few insects were indeed crushed in its grip, but soon, its torso became translucent from front to back, hollowed out from the inside by the swarm! A moment later, all that remained of the Immortal King corpse was an inedible skin and a white skeleton inside it; everything else was gone! The swarm lingeringly ground their teeth against the white bones until sparks flew, before buzzing their wings, streaming out from the eyes, ears, mouth, and nose of the skin, and pouncing on their next target. Nalan Du felt cold all over. *Just what kind of monsters are these...* The swarm showed no loyalty to friend or foe. A portion of the insects rushed toward Yuan Qi, the big bell, Hua Cuoying, and the unconscious Fairy Gushe. Seeing this, Yuan Qi hastily gathered everyone together, curling his body to shield them in the center. The big bell hovered above, upturned over their heads to cast down a curtain of light. Yuan Qi visualized the "Prison" rune and shouted, "Lord Bug, aren't you afraid I'll seal you again?" The swarm circled tightly outside the big bell, insects constantly slamming against its bronze walls. The bell was on edge, the "Prison" runes inscribed upon its surface growing brighter and brighter. Seeing this, the swarm grew wary and whooshed away. "Lord Qi, can we still take Lord Bug back?" The bell was trembling so nervously that it produced continuous clanging chimes. Yuan Qi shook so hard his bones felt as though they were falling apart, devoid of strength. He looked toward the swarm. In just a short while, the Hua family members had been devoured clean, the immortal corpses picked clean, leaving only them and Nalan Du barely holding on. They relied on the "Prison" rune, while Nalan Du relied on the Immortal Dao Jade Pool. Having devoured so many experts, the swarm had expanded more than a hundredfold, forming clouds of insects that dove downward. "How are we supposed to take it back now..." Yuan Qi murmured. On Mount Penglai, Yuan Tiangang, Ancestor Yan Yu, and the others were fighting like trapped beasts, making a desperate last stand against the immortal corpses storming Hunyuan Palace. Just as they reached their absolute limit, all the immortal corpses suddenly turned and surged outward. Startled and uncertain, the crowd followed the corpses out. The corpses paid no heed to their attacks; once clear of Hunyuan Palace, they leaped into the air and rocketed toward the sky. Even the corpses locked in combat with the Black Tortoise divine beast abandoned it at once, soaring into the upper air. Everyone looked up, only to see the immortal corpses suddenly lose control and plummet from the sky one after another. "Look! What is that?" Because Pavilion Master Lin Tianhua had been protected by the Seven Immortals of Penglai Pavilion, he was unharmed. At this moment, he was the strongest among them and possessed the best eyesight. Pointing into the sky, he said, "Several dark clouds are coming down!" Exhausted to their limits, the others strained to look. The clouds drew closer and closer, suddenly dispersing like plumes of smoke and dust. A rustling chewing sound drifted down. Bearing the brunt of it were several floating fairy mountains of Penglai, shrinking at a speed visible to the naked eye. "Not good!" The Divine Mother's face changed drastically. She shouted urgently, "It's a plague of insects! Quick, retreat into Hunyuan Palace!" Everyone rushed back toward Hunyuan Palace. In the sky behind them, dark clouds descended, smothering the dainty fairy mountains in midair. The Divine Mother shouted, "Black Tortoise! Run! If you can't get away, remember to project your Primordial Spirit and abandon your flesh! Escaping with your Primordial Spirit is better than having your soul scattered!" Carrying the Penglai Immortal Realm, the Black Tortoise divine beast roared and galloped wildly toward the exit of the Purple Myrtle Remnant Realm. Behind it, vast clouds of insects swept toward it. The Black Tortoise looked back and hurriedly opened its maw, spewing a breath of fire—only for the swarm to instantly grow by twenty to thirty percent. The Black Tortoise took fright and bolted even harder. Yet upon its back, a substantial swarm of insects had already landed, devouring the fairy mountains, leveling peak after peak, and even stripping the immortal corpses down to bare bone. The Divine Mother rushed into Hunyuan Palace, shedding her usual calm and composed demeanor. With a stern face, she surveyed the crowd and barked, "Everyone, hear my command! Summon your Primordial Spirits! The moment a single insect gets inside, abandon your physical bodies and flee at once! Do you understand? The physical body is merely a stinking sack of skin—at worst, you can reincarnate and start anew!" Everyone was racked with dread and nervous apprehension, every pair of eyes fixed on the entrance of Hunyuan Palace. Earlier, even when the immortal corpses attacked Hunyuan Palace, the Divine Mother had not looked so anxious. Who could have thought that a mere swarm of insects would make her treat the situation like a mortal crisis? Suddenly, a familiar voice rang out from outside: "Lord Bell, let's suppress them separately!" *Clang!* A bell toll echoed, carrying an extraordinary Dao chime. Hearing it, the Divine Mother let out a breath of relief and murmured, "Soon, soon! Just hold out a little longer..." The big bell and Yuan Qi each unleashed their unrefined "Prison" seals, darting about in all directions to suppress the swarm. When they released the insect, they had known the consequences would be dire, but they had never imagined it would be so formidable, multiplying a hundredfold in the blink of an eye! Moreover, as the number of insects grew, their devouring speed accelerated, and so did their rate of reproduction. It was already teetering out of control! If these insects were left to devour Penglai, it would not take long before they ate the Ancestral Court bare, consuming this realm until nothing remained! The big bell erupted with chimes. The "Prison" seal trapped large clusters of insects within cages, and inside each cage, more cages sprouted, multiplying inward in layers, swiftly compressing the swarm to its absolute limit. Squeezed together, thousands of insects were forced to merge, ultimately becoming a single large immortal insect that gnashed its teeth, rubbed its forelegs, and viciously bit at the cage. On the other side, Yuan Qi followed suit, sealing another cluster of insects. He called out, "Lord Bell, don't seal too many at once! If the insect becomes too strong, we won't be able to hold it!" A bell and a snake flew back and forth above Penglai, putting out fires everywhere, suppressing patch after patch of insects. Suddenly, the remaining insects gathered together and charged straight at them. Yuan Qi dared not take them head-on and shouted, "Lord Bell, join forces!" The snake and bell poured out all their cultivation. One stimulated the inscribed "Prison" brand while the other visualized it, locking the swarm in confinement! Both rejoiced. Pressing their advantage, they reinforced the seals repeatedly. The seal shrank smaller and smaller, layered tight, finally locking the immortal insects inside. The swarm merged into a giant immortal insect. It tried to flap its wings within the cage but lacked the room, so it parted a pair of scissor-like mandibles and clamped down on the bars. Yuan Qi smiled. "The cage is sturdy—" *Snap!* With a crisp crack, the inner bars were sheared apart in a single bite. Yuan Qi and the big bell froze in shock as the giant insect snapped and tore, breaching layer upon layer of the "Prison" seals in an instant! Without hesitation, Yuan Qi threw the big bell outward, desperately driving the brand on its bronze wall. That brand had been carved by Xu Ying, containing profound and wondrous principles far superior to what Yuan Qi could cast himself. The big bell shouted, "Lord Qi! Quick! Quick! Cast me and suppress this bastard!" The bell tolled incessantly, pressing downward repeatedly. Whether it was the "Prison" runes or Heavenly Dao imprints, it blasted everything downward! Burying its head, the immortal insect sheared away with ever-increasing speed, finally cutting through the "Prison" seals and breaking free of the cage. Vicious and menacing, it opened its maw and flew toward Yuan Qi and the big bell. Yuan Qi hurled the big bell to meet the incoming insect. With a loud *dong*, the insect punched straight through the bell from front to back. The big bell panicked and screamed, "Stop! Lord Qi, stop! I'm leaking, I'm leaking!" The immortal insect rubbed its forelegs against its mandibles, showering sparks, then wheeled around. Suddenly, it split into tens of thousands and pounced toward them! The other cages made by Yuan Qi and the big bell were also breached by the immortal insects within. Countless insects broke free; no longer fixated on the Penglai fairy mountain, they scattered in all directions to spread and multiply! Despair filled the hearts of Yuan Qi and the big bell. *The demonic realm is finished... and so are we!* Suddenly, a figure robed in white passed beside them. Facing the swarm, he raised a palm, his voice low and solemn: "*Qiu—Imprison!*" All around the immortal insects, Immortal Dao runes danced, forming six-sided cubes that interlocked layer upon layer, sealing every single insect into a separate space! "*Yu—Confine!*" The white-robed scholar took another step forward. The Immortal Dao runes shifted again as tens of thousands of circular cages flew outward, sealing the immortal insects scattered across Penglai. "*You—Enclose!*" An Immortal Dao resonance rolled from the white-robed scholar's lips. Centered on Penglai, heaven and earth became a cage, locking the world and trapping the fleeing insects. "*Yu—Pen!*" As the fourth word was spoken, the cage of heaven and earth rapidly shrank. All the immortal insects within merged, and the seals coalesced as well, integrating into one. All the cages converged into a single square box, drifting lightly down into the white-robed scholar's palm. The ferociously vicious immortal insect was hundreds of times stronger than before, yet now it was suppressed until it could not move a muscle, still as a statue of wood or clay. Yuan Qi and the big bell stared dumbfounded. This man's mastery of the four-character seal was far more supple and versatile than Xu Ying's! Yuan Qi quickly asked, "Who might you be, sir?" The white-robed scholar turned, revealing a handsome face. With a faint smile, he said calmly, "The Ancestral Court's Little Celestial Venerable. In his first life, Xu Ying—the one you follow—was my master." Yuan Qi glanced at the big bell, which was also quite excited. The bell ventured, "Then you are our... eldest martial nephew?" The white-robed scholar froze, the smile on his face stiffening. Yuan Qi hurriedly chimed in, "My surname is Niu, and my name is Yuan Qi. You can call me Lord Qi!" "You can call me Lord Bell!" the big bell added in pleasant surprise, before hastily saying, "Oh, and there's Lord Grass! Lord Grass! Lord Grass isn't here right now... Also, don't kill that bug—it's your Lord Bug!" The white-robed scholar was none other than the Little Celestial Venerable. Having just awakened from reincarnation and received treatment from the Reincarnation Mysterious Maiden, he had not only survived, but his injuries had completely healed. During his time in the cycle of reincarnation, he had encountered his own fortunes and wondrous experiences. Upon stepping out of reincarnation, he felt far more powerful than before. With a single move, he had turned the tide and directly suppressed the insect plague that was about to engulf the Ancestral Court. Yet, while his strength had grown, his seniority seemed to have sunk lower and lower. *Master Xu, just how many sworn brothers did you take? Swearing brotherhood with people is one thing, but how is there a snake, a bell, and most importantly, even a grass and an insect?!* The Little Celestial Venerable felt somewhat dizzy, wondering if this was a lingering aftereffect of reincarnation.