chsdbacks 811. The Terrifying Insect Sea
811. The Terrifying Insect Sea
The insects were only about half the size of a human palm, their bodies a chilling, snow-white color. Their bodies were slightly bloated, covered with a sticky, keratinous layer that could isolate some of the fighting spirit and soul power. They had three pairs of small, white wings like cicada wings, and the first sound they made was the flapping of those wings.
What evokes the most physical aversion is their head. Tiny black eyes, a mouth that takes up most of the skull and is covered with densely packed, tiny, sharp fangs, and other than that, there are no other organs.
If there were only a few of them, these insects wouldn't even catch the eye of these semi-saint level experts, but there were just too many of them!
As far as the eye could see, everything was covered, blotting out the sky!
Moreover, their advance was extremely rapid, surging forward in a mighty torrent, their target being the group of geniuses and powerful figures from the eight clans.
Everyone who saw this scene gasped in astonishment. It was their first time entering the Heavenly Tomb, and the sight before them was completely different from what they had imagined.
"Brother Xiao Yan, let's go quickly! These are ancient devouring insects that can absorb battle qi. Ordinary defenses are like paper in front of them. Once we're surrounded, we might even be trapped here and die!"
Xiao Yan didn't know what the Ancient Devouring Insects were, but judging from their sheer number and the fact that the eight clans' experts all ran away as soon as they saw them, this thing was something that even a half-saint or a Dou Sheng wouldn't be able to deal with easily!
Subsequently, all sixteen people present immediately evacuated!
"Damn it, how could there be so many of these things on the first floor!" Soul Cliff exclaimed in horror.
The youths of the eight clans all knew that this thing existed in the ancient heavenly tomb, but they were clearly just as surprised as Xiao Yan.
"Did our fight attract this thing?" Huo Xuan asked. Since the one currently occupying this body isn't the real Huo Xuan, his knowledge of such secrets, usually only known to Dou Di families, is quite limited.
Soul Jade shook his head, but then a hint of doubt appeared in his eyes: "Logically speaking, this shouldn't be the case. These things are usually located deeper than the third level, but the commotion we've caused is indeed unprecedented..."
Clearly, no previous Heavenly Tomb Gathering had seen such a fierce, life-or-death struggle among the prodigies of each race from the moment they entered. Whether this was the reason or not, the Soul Clan members weren't sure. However, there was no point in pursuing that now; escaping was the most important thing.
"There are too many of them, don't stop, we absolutely cannot get surrounded!" Gu Qingyang explained to Gu Hua, who was following closely behind, while speeding along without turning his head.
"Brother, you can't do anything about this thing either?" Gu Hua asked with some surprise. Gu Qingyang's strength had reached the Dou Sheng level, but he and Lei Dong were not slow at all, and they seemed to be very afraid of this ancient devouring insect.
Gu Qingyang quickly turned his gaze to Xun'er, who was not far away. After seeing her catch up safely, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief and then answered Gu Hua's question.
"According to the clan's records, the ancient Devouring Insects can devour battle qi. I also specifically sought out several seniors to learn about them. These insects usually only appear on the third level of the Heavenly Tomb. Their appearance here must have a reason. I am naturally not afraid of a normal scale, but there are too many of them here, and they are in an awakened state. Once I get entangled with them, it will be a big problem."
Looking at the overwhelming white sea of insects, Gu Hua finally understood the gravity of the situation, and his heart sank even further. As a prodigy of the ancient clan, he naturally knew that such creatures existed within their territory. However, he hadn't expected to encounter so many on the very first level. He could only sigh, "It seems we have no choice but to run. Fortunately, the first level of this ancient tomb is incredibly vast; we should be able to shake them off in a few days."
Gu Qingyang nodded in agreement. This Heavenly Tomb was divided into four levels, with the first level being the most expansive. In fact, previous generations had felt that the other three levels combined were not as large as the first. So, this was a stroke of luck amidst misfortune, as the first level was just right for hiding from these ancient devouring insects.
However, the worst news for these prodigies was the unique energy pressure within the Heavenly Tomb. Even though they were all semi-saint level experts, their speed was restricted by nearly half.
In contrast, the ancient swarm of insect-devouring creatures seemed to be naturally adapted to the rules of this celestial tomb. Their wings flapped at an astonishing frequency, creating a combined force that propelled the entire sea of insects forward like an avalanche, their speed in no way inferior to the suppressed members of the eight races!
In fact, because everyone started a little slower, the edge of the snow-white wave was gradually closing in!
Currently, the eight clans' prodigies are only barely keeping pace with these ancient devouring insects; it will still take some time to shake them off.
The good news is that every single one of these geniuses who are descendants of Dou Di cultivates the most core Heaven-rank techniques of their clan, so they can withstand even long periods of flight.
Ahead lay the boundless, desolate, and deathly gray expanse of the Heavenly Tomb. Behind them surged a nauseating swarm of snow-white insects. Sixteen figures, representing the pinnacle of the younger generation on the Dou Qi Continent, were now fleeing like frightened birds through this ancient graveyard, engaged in a life-or-death race against the insect horde. Their pride and joy paled in comparison to the sheer vastness of this swarm.
Looking at the ancient devouring insects behind him, which resembled a flood, Xiao Yan was well aware of their danger; anyone who got caught in them would be in serious trouble. However, Xiao Yan's numerous life-and-death experiences had forged his incredibly calm mindset, and the more critical the situation, the more composed he became.
Xiao Yan's soul power never left his group of four from the very beginning, ensuring everyone's safety at all times.
In Xiao Yan's hand lay a crystal-clear, beautiful four-colored flame lotus, exquisitely beautiful yet radiating a terrifying aura of destruction. The flame lotus emitted terrifyingly high temperatures, which Xiao Yan protected within his sleeve.
He had secretly condensed this during the previous exchange, originally intending to give it to Huo Xuan. However, the ancient devouring insects arrived too quickly, attracting everyone's attention. Xiao Yan successfully brought this fire lotus to the present.
Xun'er released dazzling golden flames and flew while blocking Xiao Yan's path. Without saying a word, she perfectly coordinated to ensure that Xiao Yan's little action went unnoticed.
The ancient devouring insects arrived too quickly, and all eight clans were running in the same direction. At this moment, the distance between them was quite close, and Xiao Yan's gaze also fell on the Soul Clan and the Spirit Clan.