Standing on the flying disk and looking into the distance, one could see vast forests and towering mountain peaks; looking down, however, only countless stars and the pitch-black night sky were visible. No matter how hard everyone tried, they couldn't fathom how Qi Ze had managed to split a complete world into two entirely different sides.
Wolf Fang felt like his jaw was about to hit the ground. He caught it with his hand and pressed, finally able to speak normally. "Master Qi, why did the lakebed disappear? Is that a miniature Galaxy below? Am I not hallucinating?" How could a single planet accommodate a miniature universe? This defied all logic!
The others rubbed their eyes, harboring the same doubts.
Qi Ze said nothing, guiding the flying disk to land on a distant cliff and instructing, "No matter what happens, you mustn't step off this disk."
"Where are you going?" Yan Junyu, sensing the youth's intention to leave, immediately grabbed his wrist.
"Not going anywhere, just the cliff's edge." Qi Ze clasped his hand back, sternly ordering, "Remember, no matter what happens, don't move. This disk can protect you, but if you step out, I might not be able to rescue you. The result will only be failure at the last moment."
Yan Junyu still clung to his hand, letting go only after a few minutes. Li Ziqian wanted to ask more, but the noise from below the cliff interrupted him. Innumerable insect beasts crawled through the forest toward the lakebed, large and small, swarming densely. The scent of the inner core was amplified to the extreme by the formation, and the demonic aura emitted by the black crystal lured them like moths to a flame. It was a feast for the gluttonous, but also a bloody and brutal slaughter. The insect beasts were unaware as they successively entered the formation.
Arriving first at the formation's core were the smaller, faster young beasts. They fought fiercely for the inner core, coalescing into a full-grown beast in just a few minutes. Larger insect beasts arrived soon after, joining the fray. Before this battle ended, the R-type ore inside the inner core took effect, blowing the victor to pieces.
The inner core, now larger and more luminous, landed on the ground, emitting an even more intense and sweet fragrance. Another fight began, and the first to seize the inner core were again the rapidly moving young beasts, only to be devoured by the full-grown beasts that followed. They proved a timeless truth with their bloody battles â in nature, only the strong survive, and the weak are eliminated.
The R-type ore repeatedly served its purpose, the inner core, swallowed and expelled, grew larger and more radiant. But after reaching a certain size, it began to condense into a pigeon-egg-sized dark green sphere. The insect beasts that swallowed it evolved at a significantly faster rate, often inflating several or even hundreds of times in just a breath.
Yan Junyu and the others, standing atop the high cliff, saw nothing but carnage, their hearts filled with awe. Even those who had been to the Zerg battlefield had never witnessed such a terrifying scene. Some struggled to breathe, bowing their heads, while others tightly shut their eyes. The most resolute, however, watched without blinking.
"Is it going to continue at this size?" Wolf Fang, pointing to the enormous monster covering half the lakebed, asked tremulously. He was on the brink of madness, eager to flee ME219. Compared to these monsters, Master Qi was the most terrifying existence, but he had realized this too late, unable to escape now.
"Of course we continue. Young Master Qi said we need to keep feeding them until the insect beasts develop immunity to the radiation source," Li Ziqian said, his eyes fixed on the youth's slender back. He sat on the cliff's edge, facing the wind, his hands continuously forming seals. The formation on the lakebed operated in response to his changing gestures. His expression couldn't be seen from behind, but his sweat-drenched hair and clothes betrayed his exertion.
For such a young age, controlling such eerie changes in the natural world must have been a daunting task. If he lost focus, it might lead to an unpredictable disaster. Yet he chose to do this. Why? Was Yan Junyu really that important to him? Li Ziqian's eyes darkened slightly at the thought.
Yan Junyu stood motionless, his fists clenched, his gaze fixed on the youth. He had gazed at the youth's back countless times, but never like this, wanting to hold him in his arms yet also suppressing that desire with all his willpower.
Seeing Wolf Fang sneak toward the edge of the disk, he immediately shot out a vine to bind him. The insect beast in his stomach, smelling the increasingly sweet inner core, was writhing violently, but restrained by the formation, causing Yan Junyu indescribable pain.
He ignored this pain, staring at Wolf Fang and warning, "If you want to run out to die, I won't stop you. But if you disturb Qi Ze and cause him any harm, I'll throw you into the lakebed to feed the insect beasts!"
Wolf Fang argued, "I'm just worried about Master Qi. I want to go check on him. It's so windy, aren't you afraid he'll be blown away? The insect beasts are getting bigger, aren't you afraid he'll be attacked? If you really like him, you should advise him to stop!"
As he spoke, the insect beast expanded several times in size, covering three-fifths of the lakebed. Each movement of the massive fleshy pile caused the ground to shake. Wolf Fang couldn't stand steadily, his nostrils filled with the insect beasts' characteristic stench. How could he not be afraid?
"You're out of luck. My way of liking him is not stopping him from doing what he wants, but fully cooperating," Yan Junyu said with a cold smile.
"Even if it means watching him die? If this goes on, we're all doomed! With such a huge insect beast, who among us is confident we can eliminate it? Even if we send a cruiser, it might not be able to handle this monster. You're all mad, all of you! I'm damned to have run into you!" Wolf Fang roared in frustration, his mental defenses shattered by the insect beast's terrifying growth rate and unparalleled destructive power.
"He dies, I die with him. What's the big deal?" Yan Junyu pointed behind him, "If you want to leave, I won't stop you. You can circle down the mountain from behind. Anyone who dares to approach Xiao Ze will suffer this fate." With that, a vine also sprouted from his left palm, pulverizing a large rock nearby into rubble.
Some shook their heads firmly, indicating they wouldn't leave, while others showed signs of hesitation. Wolf Fang, released by the vine, immediately sprinted down the mountain but returned in two minutes, desperately climbing onto the disk.
"I can't go, it's impossible! The plants have all turned to black ash, and there's thick black smoke everywhere. One breath could kill you! Only the air inside here is fresh." Wolf Fang, a high-rank ability user, sealed his breathing system upon sensing the poisonous air and then sprinted back at full speed.
"Is Young Master Qi in no danger outside?" Li Ziqian asked anxiously.
"I also think it's about time to stop," Ouyang Ye said softly. He was most afraid of bugs, and the one in front of him shattered all his worldviews.
"Xiao Ze knows what he's doing," Yan Junyu repeated, "If you're scared, you can leave first. I'll stay here to watch over him."
Li Ziqian glanced at him calmly, his hands silently morphing into beast claws, ready to rescue. Ouyang Ye hugged Wind Forest and Fire Sea, struggling to swallow his saliva.
Qi Ze was indeed struggling, sweat beads continuously dropping from his forehead, soaking his shirt. If not for his fused spirit root, which allowed him to harness the natural energy, the Yin-Yang Nine Turns Nurturing Spirit Formation would have lost control long ago. A giant, complete insect beast filled the lakebed, probing out countless vines from its sticky flesh mountain to break the invisible force that bound it. It roared, struggled, trembled, and wildly swept everything around it.
More kindred beasts arrived, only to be captured and devoured by it. Growing to this extent, it was now unrivaled. Not just this forest, but even this planet, was under its dominion. The more of its kind it devoured, the more its size expanded, soon overflowing the lakebed.
Qi Ze pressed his palm down, then lifted it, somehow using the heat wave created by the friction of Yin and Yang energies to lift it directly into the air.
A massive fleshy mountain blocked the sky, its size comparable to a cruiser. The sky instantly darkened. Wolf Fang was already numb, only able to look up, speechless. The others involuntarily huddled together, trying to find a sense of security. But there was no security to be found. If this behemoth went out of control, their fate would only be death. They found it hard to imagine how the frail youth in front of them could kill such a beast. What did he rely on?
The R-type ore started to take effect, the giant beast's dark brown skin sprouting many festering boils. It seemed to be in extreme pain, seeking relief only by devouring more of its kind to strengthen itself. The boils slowly healed, then continued to fester after a while. In this cycle, devouring kindred beasts became the only treatment. Due to the catalyzing effect of the Nurturing Spirit Formation, this giant beast developed intelligence, clearly understanding how to escape its current dilemma.
Its eyes, hidden in the folds of flesh, scanned downward. It stopped its indiscriminate attacks and began to deliberately entwine its kind, stuffing them one by one into its mouth. It ate at an astonishingly fast rate, growing even faster. Gradually, the boils disappeared, and radioactive elements could no longer harm it. It floated above the forest, with a whole universe supporting it below. From a distance, it bore a striking resemblance to the legendary image of an interstellar behemoth.
Its size expanded several times again, its mouth capable of swallowing a cruiser whole, and countless vines extended out, capable of decimating an entire fleet.
Wolf Fang collapsed on the ground, muttering repeatedly, "It's over, it's over, utterly over! This time we're really dead!"
"Pansy!" Ouyang Ye spat, yet his own legs were trembling. Young Master Qi's ability to stir up trouble was growing stronger. If they ever made it back alive, he'd kneel and beg him to be less adventurous.
"Have you seen the Zerg queen?" Li Ziqian asked in a hoarse voice.
"I've seen her in videos, not in reality," Yan Junyu glanced indifferently at the beast, then focused on Qi Ze.
"This insect beast is far more terrifying than the Zerg queen. If I had encountered it back then, even the complete detonation of Tianzhu would have only caused a minor wound," Li Ziqian said solemnly. He was already considering the consequences if the situation spiraled out of control.
As they spoke, the entire sky was already obscured by the insect beast. Even the team members at the forest's edge could clearly see its silhouette. If its tentacles weren't restrained by the formation, but instead fully extended, they could have enveloped this entire continent.
The R-type ore could no longer harm it. Who could kill it now? This question loomed over everyone's mind, making them tremble in fear. If they had known Master Qi's plan was this crazy, they would have never agreed.
Qi Ze was drenched in sweat, his dantian empty. Due to continuously tapping into the surrounding natural energy, his meridians were on the verge of bursting. When he was about to give out, the insect beast finally developed intelligence and developed resistance to radioactive elements. He tapped his fingers, removing the outermost barrier formation. The natural laws, sensing the aura of the immortal insect and the cultivator, immediately descended with thunderous extermination.
A naturally born spirit beast could have room for growth, but artificially cultivated aberrations were not tolerated by heaven and earth. A dense mass of calamity clouds surged from the horizon, accompanied by the rumbling of thunder. Compared to the vast calamity clouds and purple lightning, the giant insect beast seemed small.
"What's happening? Is it going to rain?" The group was more terrified.
"What's the panic? Rain won't kill you," Ouyang Ye supported his weakened legs with Wind Forest and Fire Sea, his mouth as hard as ever.
"Stay where you are, don't move," Yan Junyu ordered sternly.
The calamity clouds piled up, soon enveloping the giant beast. The first bolt of lightning struck, hitting the insect beast and also splitting a small portion to strike Qi Ze on the head. As the insect breeder, he naturally had to endure the heavenly punishment.
"Struck by, by, by lightning!" Wolf Fang stared in disbelief.
"This isn't an accident!" Li Ziqian quickly deduced, "They seem to be the target of this thundercloud. The second bolt of lightning is coming..." Before he could finish, the second bolt of lightning struck from the sky, accurately hitting the insect beast and Qi Ze again.
Yan Junyu lunged forward but remained firmly rooted in place. It was because he saw Qi Ze raise his right hand and make a dismissive gesture toward him.
"Is this really alright? The thundercloud is so thick, who knows how many more lightning strikes will come. You just sit here, doing nothing?" Li Ziqian approached the youth, his eyes full of determination to sacrifice everything for him.
"Don't go!" Yan Junyu lashed out a vine to bind him, saying word by word, "Without Xiao Ze's permission, no one can move."
"Are you going to listen to him like that? Even if you watch him seek his own death?" Li Ziqian broke the vine and continued forward.
"If Xiao Ze wants to do something, he will spare no effort to achieve it. If failure is caused by external factors, even if you save his life, he won't thank you. Your 'good for him' may not be what he wants. I'm worried, I'm anxious, but I won't hinder his path," Yan Junyu stopped him again, speaking calmly. "If he moves forward, I'll go with him; if he falls, I'll fall with him. I'll always be by his side no matter what. For me, this is the best outcome."
The vines entwined tighter as he continued, "Being able to reunite with Xiao Ze alive, I have no regrets."
Hearing this, Li Ziqian, who was about to snap the vine, had no choice but to let go, sighing despondently. Qi Ze was free-spirited, uninhibited, and loved freedom. The best way to treat him was to accompany and indulge him, not to restrict him under the guise of doing good for him.
"Let go, I won't go over." He wiped his face, his expression bitter.
Yan Junyu released him, continuing to gaze at the youth. Each bolt of lightning that struck felt like it hit his heart, causing him to bleed. The pain of being torn apart by the insect beast was less than a fraction of this pain at this moment.
Qi Ze, not hearing footsteps behind him, breathed a sigh of relief. His biggest concern wasn't weathering the lightning calamity, but Yan Junyu's rash charge that would ruin all his efforts. The insect beast in Yan Junyu's belly couldn't withstand even a fraction of the lightning calamity. If it died, his body would immediately deteriorate. What was the point of refining this immortal insect? This wasn't the Qianyuan Continent, with a higher realm for him to ascend to.
Free of that worry, Qi Ze devoted himself to refining the energy within the lightning calamity. He was fortunate to have a fused spirit root, allowing him to assimilate part of the heavenly calamity's power. Otherwise, with his peak Foundation Establishment period cultivation, he would have turned to ashes when the first bolt of lightning struck. Of course, the bulk of the lightning calamity being attracted by the insect beast was also a reason.
After seven consecutive bolts of lightning struck, the lightning became thicker. The insect beast screeched in chaos, many of its densely packed tentacles severed, but they didn't split into new insect beasts. They turned to ashes in the lightning. Seven more bolts of lightning struck, the lightning thickening again. Qi Ze's clothes were tattered, his skin charred, his original appearance unrecognizable.
Yan Junyu bit through his gums but remained stationary, stopping Ouyang Ye from rushing out several times.
"You fucking bastard, just watching Young Master Qi suffer? Without him, you would have been dead long ago!" Ouyang Ye bellowed with bloodshot eyes. In the face of the cruel lightning calamity, he had forgotten his fear, his entire focus on the youth trembling in the lightning.
Yan Junyu remained silent, using vines to tightly bind him. Finding him too noisy, he threw a punch, knocking him out.
The lightning calamity continued, increasing in thickness every seven strikes. The insect beast was already riddled with wounds and barely alive, but Qi Ze sat straight on the spot, his hands continuously forming seals and his mouth reciting, clearly a countermeasure.
No wonder he insisted on nurturing insect beasts, it turned out he was well-prepared, and this thundercloud was likely something he deliberately summoned. The might of heaven and earth versus an aberration, the victor should be heaven and earth, right? With this thought, everyone's tightened nerves relaxed. However, reality was contrary to their expectations. After seven consecutive sets of lightning strikes, the calamity clouds began to disperse. The insect beast, though barely clinging to life, still weakly waved its tentacles. It was alive, its charred skin rapidly peeling to reveal a more resilient body. The scattered vines sprouted blade-like leaves, saw-toothed flowers, and needle-like spines at a visible rate.
It had evolved again!
"It's not dead!" Wolf Fang's heart couldn't endure such dramatic ups and downs, already throbbing with pain. He truly wished Yan Junyu would knock him out too, so he wouldn't have to face the impending massacre. To run? Where could they run? That behemoth was several times larger than before!
Success! Qi Ze stood up, his eyes bright. If the insect beast had been struck dead, it would mean his refinement had failed. An inner core left after being struck by the lightning calamity would be a flawed product, how could it compare to an inner core of an immortal insect that had successfully weathered the lightning calamity? The path of refining tools emphasized the pursuit of perfection. If one had a mentality of settling for second best, one would never experience the heights.
Qi Ze only pursued improvement, never aiming for perfection. Surpassing one's predecessors was an achievement, surpassing oneself a realm. He stretched his arms, feeling the reborn body refined by lightning. It was filled with surging power. His cultivation, which hadn't advanced for a long time, had already leaped to the pinnacle of the Golden Core period, a step further than before he was stranded in this strange world.
He raised his palms slightly, making a lifting gesture, then suddenly slapped them down. The formation, which had already died out, was filled with lightning power and started to illuminate from the innermost layer outward. Yin and Yang instantly reversed, the Nurturing Spirit Formation turned into an Extinguishing Spirit Formation in the blink of an eye. The condensed, orderly rotating miniature universe suddenly exploded. Countless stars were flung out by the immense force, piercing through the insect beast above like meteors.
Plop, plop, plop, the muffled sound of stars penetrating flesh. The giant beast, which couldn't be killed by forty-nine consecutive bolts of lightning, finally exploded under the impact of countless meteors, leaving only a dark green, luminous inner core. The shattered flesh plopped onto the lakebed, not turning into new insect beasts, but into stone blocks. This scene seemed like the Milky Way pouring down, or meteors raining from the sky, a breathtaking sight.
Qi Ze, drained of his natural energy, collapsed on the ground laughing. The Yin-Yang Nine Turns Nurturing Spirit Formation, reversed, was the Yin-Yang Nine Turns Extinguishing Spirit Formation, one of the top ten forbidden techniques of the Qianyuan Continent, specifically for nurturing divine beasts and killing divine beasts. If not for his special constitution and the assistance of the supreme treasure, the Yin-Yang Five Elements Disk, Qi Ze wouldn't have been able to activate the great formation, let alone complete the formation.
So he was overjoyed. If he were still on the Qianyuan Continent, how could he have enjoyed such exhilaration?
"Haha... Uh..." Soon, laughter turned into muffled groans. It was Yan Junyu who pounced over, kissing him without a word, prying open his teeth, and entwining wildly. He vented all his fear, suppression, and aftereffects in this kiss.
Qi Ze froze for a few seconds, then wrapped his arms around the man's neck, responding passionately. It seemed pretty good to kiss heartily after a breakthrough in his realm. But his technique was inexperienced, and he was soon left dizzy and disarmed by the other's kiss. Yan Junyu held him tightly, kissing him fiercely, his fingers inserting into his fine, soft hair, caressing wildly. It was as if after this kiss, there would be no tomorrow for the two of them. He was truly frightened, the feeling of being powerless worse than death.
"Okay, we still have business to attend to." Li Ziqian killed the mood by speaking.
Yan Junyu cupped the youth's dirty cheeks and kissed him passionately and possessively for several minutes before stopping. "Let's go, let's find that inner core." He pulled the youth up, bending down to peck his swollen lips, once, twice, three times... seemingly unable to kiss enough.
This person loved adventure so much. Who knew when he would find himself in the same situation again? If he still hesitated and didn't dare to make a move, he would be too stupid.