Btth: Tie Xiao Xun'er at the beginning and get ten times feedback

Chapter 505: The Queen of Insects

Xiao Ze recalled the ancient insect queen of the Ancient Devouring Insects, which Xiao Xuan had refined into the "Ancient Insect Emperor Armor." According to Xiao Xuan, this unique defensive technique was highly sought after in ancient times. The importance of the insect queen to the Ancient Devouring Insects was self-evident. Without the queen, the entire insect colony would gradually decline. In those ancient times, when cultivation flourished and powerful beings were numerous, a species that could be refined into defensive techniques would face unimaginable hunting pressures. While top-tier powerhouses might not need such defenses, many would desire them for their descendants as life-saving tools. Thus, the gradual disappearance of the Ancient Devouring Insects made sense.

Xiao Ze's soul perception, at the pinnacle of the Heavenly Realm, penetrated the energy barrier. Although soul power is not omnipotent and can be obscured by complex situations, it excels in many cases. For instance, the energy storm from a battle between top-tier powerhouses would deter ordinary alchemists from probing with their soul power, lest it be shredded to pieces. However, Xiao Ze's soul power, at the pinnacle of the Heavenly Realm, was unchallenged against the Ancient Devouring Insects, whose strongest members barely reached the half-saint level. His soul power, comparable to a two-star Dou Sheng's combat power, easily detected the billions of Ancient Devouring Insects within the solidified energy barrier.

The sheer number of insects made Xiao Ze shudder, prompting him to release his grip.

"What's wrong, Brother Xiao Ze?" Xun'er asked, noticing his strange expression, wondering if something was amiss with the energy barrier.

"This energy barrier is indeed unusual," Xiao Ze replied softly, then made a grasping motion in the air. A human-head-sized energy crystal broke from the barrier, floating above his palm. Xun'er curiously looked at the crystal, her face changing drastically as she saw countless tiny white insects within. The disturbance caused by Xiao Ze made the insects wriggle, secreting a strange liquid that quickly solidified into a new energy crystal over the broken part.

"These are Ancient Devouring Insects!" Xun'er exclaimed, her face showing signs of unease.

"Yes, the legendary Ancient Devouring Insects, known for devouring everything and secreting pure energy," Xiao Ze nodded. He had read about these insects in ancient texts from the Alchemist Guild. The extinction of the Ancient Devouring Insects was partly due to the insect queen being refined into defensive techniques and their terrifying destructive power. Without restrictions, they would devour everything, from rare minerals to heavenly treasures.

In the Heaven Tomb, restrictions likely kept the insects confined between the second and third layers. In the original story, Xiao Yan took a hibernating half-saint insect queen, and the swarm tried to follow, only to perish outside the energy barrier.

Xiao Ze summoned Black Demon Lightning, annihilating the energy crystal. Xun'er watched the colossal energy barrier connecting the heavens and earth, struggling to imagine the number of insects within.

"Shall we force our way through, Brother Xiao Ze?" Xun'er asked.

"Yes, they may be numerous, but they are still just insects," Xiao Ze assured. He summoned a massive black lightning dragon, which roared and charged at the barrier, tearing through it effortlessly.

"Let's go," Xiao Ze said, leading Xun'er through the path created by the lightning dragon. The dragon carved a path several dozen feet deep before dissipating, prompting Xiao Ze to summon another to continue their advance.

Unlike in the original story, where ancient races had to work together to breach the barrier, Xiao Ze's current power made it easy. The destructive power of the Black Demon Lightning caused countless Ancient Devouring Insects to awaken and attempt repairs, secreting the strange liquid to solidify new energy crystals quickly.

"Brother Xiao Ze, if these insects swarm us, it could be troublesome," Xun'er warned.

"True, let's hurry," Xiao Ze replied, intensifying his efforts. The fearsome display of their strength seemed to deter the insects from attacking directly, perhaps due to the queen still being in hibernation.

As they approached their destination, the surrounding energy crystals became more emerald-like, filled with Ancient Devouring Insects. Despite their struggles, the Black Demon Lightning's destructive power proved overwhelming. Xiao Ze finally pinpointed the insect queen's location, smiling as he targeted it.

Without hesitation, he guided the lightning dragon towards the red-glowing cocoon. Moments later, the cocoon was ejected from the dragon's body, floating in Xiao Ze's hand, surrounded by Black Demon Lightning.

"I've got it, the queen of the Ancient Devouring Insects!" he announced.

(End of Chapter)

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