221: The Mayfly Ancestor and Billions of Insect Soldiers

Human Race, Tianyuan City.

Since the fall of the Mother of the Ming Worms and the repulsion of the Demon Realm's vanguard, this majestic pass standing on the border of the two races had welcomed a new order known as "Qingyun."

Zhou Wannian had directly leveled the highest "Floating Island" of Tianyuan City to establish a magnificent [Qingyun Immortal Palace]. This place had become a pilgrimage site for the Human and Demon races, and even for the surrounding small dependent races.

However, a tall tree attracts the wind.

On this day, the originally cloudless blue sky suddenly turned into an eerie, ghastly white.

Countless tiny white specks of light converged in the air, transforming into an insect cloud that blotted out the sun. A suffocating, terrifying pressure ignored Tianyuan City's defensive formation and descended directly onto the plaza of the Qingyun Immortal Palace.

Mahayana Stage.

A true Peak existence of the Spirit Realm.

The insect cloud dissipated, revealing an old man dressed in a white robe with a withered face and compound eyes. He leaned on a white bone cane, with a massive insect pouch strapped to his back.

The Old Ancestor of the Mayfly Race, one of the top ten great races in the Spirit Realm—Xu Ling.

"Who is Han Li?"

Xu Ling's voice was raspy, sounding as if countless insects were rubbing together, making one's skin crawl.

"Come out."

"Hand over the 'Mother Worm Crystal Core,' and... that golden ferocious insect that devoured the Mother Worm."

"Those are sacred objects belonging to my Mayfly Race; they are not something a Human Race junior like you is worthy of possessing."

His tone was haughty, as if he were delivering a divine decree.

On the plaza, Zen Master Jin Yue and the other Body Integration Elders turned pale. Facing a Mahayana Old Ancestor, they found it difficult even to breathe.

"Mahayana Stage..."

Zen Master Jin Yue felt despair in his heart. A True Immortal Rank monster had just left, and now a Mahayana Old Ancestor had arrived? Was Tianyuan City destined to be plagued by disasters?

Just then.

*Creak.*

The gates of the Qingyun Immortal Palace slowly opened.

Zhou Wannian walked out leisurely, holding a cup of freshly brewed spirit tea. Xiang Zhili followed behind him, holding an abacus and looking like a shifty merchant.

"The Old Ancestor of the Mayfly Race?"

Zhou Wannian blew on the tea froth, not even looking directly at Xu Ling in the sky.

"You traveled all this way to my Human Race just to beg for food?"

"Presumptuous!"

Xu Ling was furious. He had lived for tens of thousands of years; which Body Integration Stage cultivator didn't kneel and beg for mercy upon seeing him? This brat actually dared to call him a beggar?

"You court death!"

Xu Ling slammed his cane down.

*Buzz—*

The insect pouch on his back opened.

Sky-blotting white mayflies flew out. These were no ordinary insects, but the Mayfly Race's unique [Void Mayflies]. Each one could devour space; once their numbers exceeded ten thousand, even those at the Mahayana Stage would have to give them a wide berth.

"Since you won't give them up, I will take them myself!"

"Destroy him!"

The billion-strong mayflies transformed into a white torrent, intending to gnaw the entire Qingyun Immortal Palace into dust.

Facing this destructive insect tide.

Zhou Wannian set down his teacup.

"Comparing who has more insects?"

A playful smile curled at the corner of his mouth.

"Tiezhu."

"Present."

"Open the 'Insect Hive Number One' bay doors."

"Release... the 'Golden Legion'."

Boom!!!

The ground behind the Qingyun Immortal Palace suddenly split open.

A golden pillar of light shot into the sky.

Following that was a jarring, uniform sound of grinding metal.

*Clack clack clack clack clack—*

From within the golden light, densely packed golden beetles flew out.

Not hundreds, not thousands.

But... one hundred thousand!

Although the majority of these hundred thousand were only "semi-mature" Gold-Devouring Insect, each one had wings and a body that looked as if it were cast in gold, radiating an invincible, ferocious Aura.

And at the very front of the swarm.

The Gold Devouring Insect King, which had devoured the Mother of the Ming Worms and evolved into its ultimate mature form, let out a Soul-shaking screech like a monarch.

"Screee!!!"

This screech carried the Bloodline suppression of a True Spirit.

The billion white mayflies that had been charging down aggressively were like mice seeing a cat, instantly slamming on the brakes in mid-air.

No matter how hard Xu Ling pushed his Divine Thought, those mayflies only dared to circle in place, not daring to cross the line by a single step.

"What?!"

Xu Ling's compound eyes were filled with shock.

"One hundred thousand... semi-mature Gold-Devouring Insect?!"

"And an insect king... comparable to a True Spirit?!"

"How is this possible?! How could this realm possibly support so many Gold-Devouring Insect?!"

Gold-Devouring Insect were known to devour everything and were extremely difficult to advance. Raising even one mature specimen could bankrupt a great race, yet this brat was raising an entire legion?!

"This is my confidence."

Zhou Wannian waved his hand.

The hundred thousand Gold-Devouring Insect formed a ten-thousand-foot-long golden giant sword in the air, its tip pointing directly at Xu Ling.

"Old man."

"Now, do you still want to steal my insects?"

Xu Ling's face turned ashen.

Fight?

He definitely couldn't win. That insect king alone could tie him down, and the remaining hundred thousand insects could devour his mayfly army until not even scraps remained.

Run?

As a Mahayana Old Ancestor, if he were scared off by a Body Integration Stage cultivator, how could he ever show his face in the Spirit Realm again?

Just as he was caught in a dilemma.

Zhou Wannian smiled.

He held up three fingers.

"Don't be nervous, I'm a businessman."

"Since you've come, I can't let you return empty-handed."

"I've been refining a spatial Magic Treasure lately and I'm short on Materials."

"I heard your Mayfly Race is rich in 'Void Crystals'?"

The blue light in Zhou Wannian's eyes flickered.

"Leave behind one ton of Void Crystals."

"And we'll consider this matter settled."

"Otherwise..."

Zhou Wannian pointed at the golden sea of insects poised to strike.

"My insects just happen to be hungry."

"A Mahayana Stage Physical Body should be quite chewy."

...The entire place fell into a dead silence.

Zen Master Jin Yue and the others' jaws nearly hit the floor.

Extorting a Mahayana expert?

Is this Elder Han's boldness?!

Xu Ling trembled all over, partly from rage and partly from fear.

One ton of Void Crystals! That was a hundred years of production for the Mayfly Race!

But looking at the insect king with its ferocious gaze, and then at the young man calmly sipping tea.

Xu Ling grit his teeth.

"Fine!"

"You win!"

He pulled out a storage bracelet from his robes and threw it harshly at Zhou Wannian.

"The mountains won't move and the rivers will keep flowing!"

"Han Li, I will remember this debt!"

After saying that.

Xu Ling didn't even dare to recall the terrified mayflies; he directly tore through space and fled in a beam of white light, looking quite pathetic.

He was afraid that if he stayed any longer, this brat would raise the price.

"Don't let the door hit you on the way out."

Zhou Wannian caught the storage bracelet, swept it with his Divine Sense, and nodded in satisfaction.

"Senior Brother Xiang, put this in the warehouse."

"With these Materials, your Crab Number One can be upgraded to the 'Void Traverse Version'."

Xiang Zhili grinned from ear to ear. "Got it! Following Junior Brother Han really means there's meat to eat!"

Zhou Wannian stood up and looked in the direction where Xu Ling had vanished, a profound look flashing in his eyes.

"Mahayana Stage..."

"It seems I should also prepare for that final step."

"Tiezhu, calculate."

"What else is needed to break through to Mahayana?"

"Calculating... Host's Physical Body has reached the standard, Divine Sense has reached the standard, magic power has reached the standard."

"The only things lacking: Perfection of Law comprehension, and... an Opportunity sufficient to trigger the 'Ascension Tribulation'."

"Suggested target: True Dragon Realm · Dragon Island."

"Obtain: vast spirit dao fruit, True Dragon Marrow."

Zhou Wannian's eyes lit up.

"Dragon Island?"

"Just as well, my Twelve Transformations of the Awakening of Insects is still missing the strongest 'True Dragon Transformation'."

"Then let's go to Dragon Island to restock."