Chapter 28: Longevity as the Southern Mountains

Beneath the gaze of countless warriors within Upper Capital City Base, the tide of insects suddenly shifted its course. Atop the colossal centipede, Insect Ruo Ruo leapt and cursed in fury. Above, a dense swarm blotted out the sky, streaking toward the horizon like an ominous black tide.

Wang Jie turned back, his expression grim. A vast swarm of mosquitoes, each as large as an outstretched palm, hovered ominously. Their piercing proboscises gleamed with lethal intent, their numbers overwhelming.

“Strike! We deal with these mosquitoes first!” Wen Zhao commanded sharply, pivoting swiftly as she unleashed a blade arc. The sword’s radiance expanded outward, its sharp brilliance cutting through the encroaching swarm.

Beside her, Zuo Tian raised both palms, channeling his force. A vacuum-like pull formed between his hands before he thrust forward, crushing clusters of mosquitoes with every strike.

Wen Zhao’s eyes flickered in astonishment. “Empty-Grasping Hands?”

Wang Jie, standing firm, pressed a single palm downward, his fingers curling slightly. The very earth trembled as a storm of dust surged around him. With a mighty sweep of his hand, he sent the dust flying, the force behind it reducing countless mosquitoes to shredded husks. His method proved even more efficient than Wen Zhao’s swordplay or Zuo Tian’s strikes.

This was a combat technique Wang Jie had acquired from the Sky Projection.

Unlike most warriors, who could only glimpse a single or, at best, a handful of techniques, Wang Jie saw a myriad of them—an overwhelming tapestry of martial wisdom unfolding before him.

A wall of dust veiled the battlefield.

Seizing the moment, the three of them dashed forward, using the temporary reprieve to escape.

Yet, despite their alliance against the insects, Wang Jie and Zuo Tian remained wary of each other, ever prepared for treachery. Logic dictated they should join forces until the insect tide was dealt with, yet both were the kind to prioritize eliminating threats closer to home before addressing external dangers.

From beneath the earth, dull brown insects emerged—harmless in attack but clinging persistently, marking their locations for the horde to follow.

Overhead, a dazzling arc of color swept across the sky. It was not a rainbow—it was an innumerable swarm of mutated butterflies, their brilliant hues forming a vivid bridge, pointing straight at them like an arrow of fate.

Earth and sky alike were marked against them.

Back at Upper Capital City Base, Bai Yuan and the others wore grim expressions. The insect tide was vaster than any of them had imagined. Beneath the ground, within the sky, far beyond the horizon—it was clear now: Blue Star was entirely overrun.

Insect Ruo Ruo was, in every sense, a force of nature.

Zuo Tian clapped his hands together, then split them apart. A transparent mirage expanded outward, sending a rippling shockwave across the battlefield, momentarily scattering the encroaching insects.

Wang Jie extended a single finger, unleashing a spiraling force that tore through the airborne butterfly bridge. Yet, as soon as he struck it down, another formed to take its place.

From another direction, countless leaping spiders surged forth.

Spiders, innumerable spiders.

Above them, an unending wave of ladybugs descended, while below, massive ants burrowed forth.

They were surrounded.

Though Insect Ruo Ruo had not personally entered the battlefield, her influence stretched far and wide, controlling the endless legions of insects within her domain.

“What is the range of her control?” Zuo Tian asked.

“At least a hundred miles,” Wen Zhao responded coldly.

Zuo Tian’s eyes widened in shock. “That vast?”

“In cosmic warfare, battles often span across entire star systems. A mere hundred miles is insignificant.” Wen Zhao’s tone was steady, unaffected.

Wang Jie’s gaze sharpened. “Find a lake.”

Zuo Tian glanced to the right. “There’s one in that direction.”

“Move.”

Behind them, Insect Ruo Ruo cackled wildly, her shrill voice carrying over the chaos. “Little Zhao! You can’t escape! Accept your fate!”

No matter how fast they moved, the insects always found a way to encircle them. Escaping a hundred-mile radius was impossible.

As soon as Insect Ruo Ruo had laid eyes on them, a battle to the death became inevitable.

Disaster had come, and all beings were caught in the struggle for survival. Wang Jie was no exception.

Yet, compared to the nightmare of his past, this was nothing.

He would never forget the flames that nearly consumed him as a child. The hundred orphans thrown into a basement to burn alive. The taste of ash. The screams that never ceased.

And he would never forget Zuo Tian, lounging outside, leisurely sipping a drink, indifferent to the massacre.

Now, in the present, a massive wasp lunged toward him.

Wang Jie’s blade cleaved it in half.

His eyes met Zuo Tian’s, both warriors alert, their mutual hostility undiminished even in the face of unrelenting slaughter.

The sky darkened. The earth was buried beneath an ocean of writhing insects. There was no path left to see.

Time blurred. They fought ceaselessly, their blades and hands bathed in insect ichor. Beneath them, the battlefield was a thick carpet of corpses.

Wen Zhao gasped for breath, her sword trembling in her grasp, her strength nearly spent. Yet the insects did not wane.

“Leave me behind,” she said. “You’ll have a better chance of surviving.”

Wang Jie seized her without hesitation, slinging her onto his back. Wen Zhao struggled weakly. “That’s not what I meant. I can still fight.”

“Save your strength.”

Zuo Tian watched Wang Jie carry Wen Zhao, his gaze drifting to Wang Jie’s wrist. Throughout the battle, Wang Jie had fought with his own raw power, never once drawing upon his Seal Power.

Was his strength truly this monstrous?

“Hold on,” Wang Jie muttered. “The lake is near.”

The ground trembled.

From the depths, countless insects burrowed forth.

Above, a storm of moths and mutated flying insects blotted out the sky, consuming the last traces of sunlight.

Then, at long last, they reached the lake.

Though water could not truly halt the insects, it granted them visibility, forcing their foes to cross openly.

Wang Jie leapt onto a small island in the center of the lake, where an old, abandoned pavilion stood in ruin.

Zuo Tian’s voice was steady. “This lake is teeming with mutated fish. They will slow the insects for a while. We rest here. Our only concern is the creatures in the sky.”

Wang Jie set Wen Zhao down gently.

She lifted her head and looked at the heavens.

A vast ocean of insects descended, an unholy black-red tide blotting out the sky. Further beyond, the radiant bridge of butterflies formed once more, its arrow-like shape pointing directly at them.

“White Fang Strike.”

Her blade rose, and a piercing sword light erupted forth, splitting the heavens in two.

The battlefield was a vast, writhing sea of Insect Tide, stretching toward the horizon like an insurmountable chasm. Though the Upper Capital City lay not far beyond, the countless mutated insects formed a living barricade, cutting off all passage.

Wang Jie and Zuo Tian stood on opposite ends of the lake’s shore, prepared for battle. As the insects surged forward, they poured onto the lake’s surface in a frenzy. From beneath the dark waters, grotesque, mutated fish emerged, snapping up the creatures without hesitation. In moments, a brutal war erupted—a grotesque clash between the mutated insects and the ravenous fish.

The lake quickly turned black and red, reeking of decay and death.

Amidst the chaos, Wang Jie and his companions seized the opportunity to absorb the Cataclysm Materials scattered about, drawing upon their Seal Power to restore themselves. Wen Zhao did the same, replenishing her strength.

“You said we cultivate Lock Force, yet here you are absorbing Seal Power as well?” Wang Jie asked, curiosity in his voice.

Wen Zhao replied calmly, “Once we return to our sect, we can use its resources to purge Lock Force from our bodies. But you… you cannot. From the very beginning, your cultivation was rooted in Lock Force.”

Zuo Tian narrowed his eyes at her. “Talk to that woman. Stall her.”

Following his gaze, Wen Zhao spotted a massive centipede crawling closer from the distant shore. Atop its segmented back stood Insect Ruo Ruo, her presence an undeniable threat.

After a brief pause, Wen Zhao raised her voice. “Little Bug, are you scared?”

Upon hearing this, Insect Ruo Ruo was instantly incensed, stamping her foot against the centipede’s armored carapace. “Wretched woman! How dare you call me ‘Little Bug’! I won’t let this slide!”

“You are scared,” Wen Zhao called out again, her tone deliberate.

Insect Ruo Ruo gritted her teeth in frustration. “Scared? Me? Ha! If you admit that Brother Xiao belongs to me, I’ll let you go!”

With unwavering composure, Wen Zhao shouted, “Brother Xiao is yours, forever.”

Silence fell over the battlefield.

Both Wang Jie and Zuo Tian gawked at her in astonishment. They had expected a dramatic rivalry, a battle of passion and jealousy. But this? She surrendered without a fight?

Even Insect Ruo Ruo was momentarily stunned. “Say that again?”

Wen Zhao repeated, “Brother Xiao is yours, forever.”

The Insect Tide stopped its advance. Only the mutated fish beneath the water continued their gruesome feast.

“…You admit defeat?” Insect Ruo Ruo asked, voice loud and incredulous.

“Yes, I admit defeat. I swear, from this day forth, I will neither speak to nor even glance at your Brother Xiao.”

Her tone was sincere, her expression utterly devoid of deceit.

Even Wang Jie could tell she was serious.

Insect Ruo Ruo found herself at a loss. She had gone to great lengths to assemble this overwhelming force, expecting to savor the taste of victory. And yet… there was no thrill in this triumph. Surely Brother Xiao had seen this, heard this?

“You’re giving up, just like that?” Wang Jie interjected, his mind briefly wandering to his own failed proposal.

With solemn resolve, Wen Zhao responded, “I have no interest in her Brother Xiao. She created this imaginary rivalry in her own mind and turned everyone into her enemies. I cannot control her delusions.”

Zuo Tian chuckled, shaking his head. “So this was all a misunderstanding?”

Even so, Insect Ruo Ruo couldn’t shake her unease. “You’re just stalling for time, aren’t you, Little Zhao?”

“This is a trial setting,” Wen Zhao reminded her. “Your Brother Xiao is watching.”

Though the words rang true, Insect Ruo Ruo remained dissatisfied. “Hmph! But you still insulted me, saying I have a flat chest!”

“I’m not much bigger.”

“You called me ‘Little Bug’!”

“Haven’t you always called me ‘Little Zhao’?”

Insect Ruo Ruo opened her mouth but found herself speechless.

The tension in the air had completely dissipated. Even the lingering killing intent had faded.

After a long moment, Insect Ruo Ruo smirked, a mischievous glint in her eye. “Fine, Little Zhao. If you want me to let you go, it’s simple—just kiss that man who’s carrying you.”

Wen Zhao stiffened, instinctively turning toward Wang Jie.

Likewise, Wang Jie was caught off guard. This… was unexpected. Not that he minded.

“Insect Ruo Ruo, you’re going too far.”

“You were the one who tried to steal Brother Xiao from me first.”

“I told you, I have no connection to him.”

“Then prove it. Kiss him, and I’ll believe you.”

Wen Zhao grimaced. If she went through with it, how would she explain this when she returned to her sect? The elders would never forgive such an act of disgrace. Worse yet, Wang Jie would be doomed—her clan would never allow a War Slave to live after bringing them such humiliation.

“You’ll get him killed,” she warned.

Insect Ruo Ruo huffed. “Not my problem. Either kiss him, or die right here.”

As she spoke, the colossal centipede reared up, its grotesque mandibles snapping menacingly.

Wang Jie exhaled sharply. “Enough nonsense. We’ve rested long enough—let’s go.” His gaze locked onto the enemy. “Insect Ruo Ruo, was it?”

She lifted her chin arrogantly, expecting another plea.

Instead, Wang Jie smirked. “Flat-chested, flat-assed, and covered in freckles… I wish you a long life of eighty years.”

Then, without hesitation, he grabbed Wen Zhao and bolted.

Even Zuo Tian hesitated for a split second before rushing after them.

Insect Ruo Ruo stood frozen, her face turning from pale to purple with rage. Finally, she let out a furious scream. “You native bastard! You dare insult me?! I’ll kill you!”

The Insect Tide went berserk, surging after them like a tidal wave of death.

As Wang Jie pulled Wen Zhao along, she finally snapped out of her daze. “Are you trying to get yourself killed? She won’t harm me, but she will kill you!”

He spared a glance at Zuo Tian, who kept pace behind them. “I’m not that easy to kill. If I’m going to be chased, I might as well insult her while I’m at it.” Then he clicked his tongue. “It’s a pity she’s too far away, and that centipede is too strong. Otherwise, I’d end her with a single strike.”

Wen Zhao shook her head. “You can’t kill her. The Heavenly Insect People never forget a grudge. They have a thousand ways to make you suffer worse than death.”

Wang Jie’s expression darkened without responding.

This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation

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