146: Chapter 146 Locust Plague Everywhere

At this moment, a streak of golden light soared into the sky from the temple in Liuhe Village, then streaked directly toward the location of the paddy fields at the edge of the village.

This streak of golden light was so fast that just as the commoners in the village noticed the golden light and raised their heads to look, they found that the golden light had already streaked above the paddy fields.

As the golden light dissipated, a golden figure hovered in mid-air, its entire body shrouded in a faint layer of golden light.

This golden figure was precisely the avatar of Qin Ling located in Liuhe Village.

This avatar looked at the surging swarm of locusts ahead, densely packed and airtight, like a moving wall.

From the ground to mid-air, there were entirely dark-brown locusts with glossy, oily wings.

Seeing this swarm of locusts, a look of surprise flashed through the eyes of Qin Ling's avatar.

Because the formation of such a locust swarm must have a process, yet this swarm seemed to have popped up out of nowhere.

However, the avatar took action immediately; he raised his right hand, spreading his five fingers with his palm facing outward.

A circle of golden light burst from his palm and then rapidly spread outward.

Ripples spread frantically outward from the center, expanding larger and faster, enveloping the entire paddy field in the blink of an eye.

Wherever the golden light passed, the bodies of the locusts were all crushed and turned into powder.

Those powders drifted in the golden light, like gray snow, falling into the paddy fields and onto the ridges.

The crisp sounds of shattering rose one after another, as the bodies of countless locusts disintegrated simultaneously, turning into nothingness in the golden light.

The vanguard of the locust swarm was forced to a stop by the golden light.

Those locusts still rushing forward collided with the circle of light, like moths flying into a flame.

They didn't even have time to struggle before their bodies disintegrated in the golden light, turning into powder.

The circle of light continued to expand, wrapping in the locusts that had already landed on the rice seedlings and grinding those still gnawing on the leaves into powder.

A vacuum zone was cleared above the entire paddy field—a vacuum zone devoid of locusts.

Those men collapsed in the muddy water raised their heads and saw the golden figure suspended in mid-air.

They saw the expanding golden circle of light and watched those locusts turn into powder within the light circle.

They knew that Lord Qinling had come to protect the paddy fields.

"It's Lord Qinling!"

A man shouted with his head tilted back.

"Lord Qinling has come! Lord Qinling has come to save us!"

An old man knelt in the muddy water with his head raised, his turbid eyes reflecting that golden figure.

His forehead touched the muddy water, and he kowtowed three times, his face smeared with mud.

One man after another knelt on the field ridges, shouting the name of Lord Qinling toward the golden figure in mid-air.

Meanwhile, Qin Ling's avatar did not look down at the men kneeling and kowtowing in the muddy water.

He reached out his hand, and a locust landed on his palm.

This locust was one that he had purposely prevented the golden light from crushing.

The locust on his palm was still struggling, its six slender legs kicking wildly in the air, and its wings buzzing as they flapped.

Qin Ling lowered his head, channeled his divine power, and his eyes flashed with a faint golden light.

Relying on the divine power infused into his eyes, he saw a trace of faint demonic qi inside the locust.

This trace of demonic qi was very faint; without careful investigation, it would be utterly undetectable.

However, this locust had not become a demon; it was just an ordinary locust, and the demonic qi within its body was not cultivated by itself.

Therefore, it meant that there was a high probability of a demon making trouble behind these locust swarms.

He clenched his palm, and that locust was ground into powder in his palm, the gray powder leaking through the gaps between his fingers and being blown away by the wind.

He raised his head and looked in the direction where the locust swarm had retreated.

Those locusts did not come to attack this paddy field again, but they did not disperse; they merely bypassed this area protected by the golden light and went elsewhere.

Qin Ling knew this matter would not end just like this; this was only the beginning.

...

Sure enough, the speed at which the locust swarm spread was extremely fast.

On the first day, the paddy fields of Liuhe Village were protected.

On the second day, a sky-blocking swarm of locusts appeared over the paddy fields of Wangjia Village.

On the third day, the paddy fields of Sun Family Village also encountered these uninvited guests.

On the fourth day, locusts also appeared in the bean fields of Hewan Village.

Locusts appeared in village after village, covering the sky and the earth!

Flying over, these locust swarms blocked the sun, and the sound of their flapping wings was like a heavy rain beating against roof tiles.

Fortunately, these villages were already under Qin Ling's jurisdiction, and Qin Ling had arranged avatars in the temples of each village.

Earlier on, he had condensed new avatars due to the expansion of his jurisdiction, and now he had a total of 12 avatars.

Whenever a locust swarm approached, golden light would burst in the temple, and the avatar would go forth to act and summon the circle of light.

The locust swarms turned into powder within the light circle, saving the fields and the food.

The commoners frightened by the locust swarms raised their heads to look at that golden figure.

Some kowtowed, while others shouted.

Shouting things like "Thank you Lord Qinling for your protection," "Lord Qinling has manifested his divine presence," and "Lord Qinling has protected our paddy fields."

The commoners did not know where these locusts came from, nor did they know if the locust swarms would return.

They only knew that Lord Qinling was here; with Lord Qinling protecting them, they had something to rely on to survive.

One of Qin Ling's avatars was suspended above Hewan Village.

He looked at the direction where the locust swarm retreated, frowning, without the slightest joy of having driven away the swarm.

He had protected the fields near all the villages, but he suddenly realized that he couldn't stop these locust swarms very well.

Because these locust swarms could completely go and devour the plants in the barren hills and remote wilderness.

Those places had grass, trees, and everything else that locusts could eat.

They would land there, devour and reproduce, and spawn even more locusts.

It was not easy for him to completely eliminate the locust swarms.

His golden light could cover one village, two villages, or ten villages.

But he couldn't cover every inch of land in Guanhai County, let alone all the barren mountains and wild ridges.

Those places were the granary of the locust swarms.

Qin Ling's avatar cast his gaze in the direction where the locust swarm disappeared, a cold gleam flashing deep within his eyes.

That demon hiding behind the locust swarm—he better not let him catch it.

Otherwise, it was definitely going to be in for a world of hurt!

Once it fell into his hands, no matter how many descendants the demon had to block knives for it, this demon was dead for sure!

The golden figure gradually faded in mid-air as the avatar streaked back to the temple, sitting cross-legged inside the shrine niche.

...

Just as Guanhai County was suffering from the locust plague, the Eastward Expedition Team located on the East China Sea Seabed had already left the offshore waters.

That radiance of Zhuguang Reef could no longer be seen.

Bengbu lay flat on the back of the Mantis Shrimp, its shell tightly shut, its tongue retracted into its shell, and its eyeballs looking out through the narrow slits of its shell.

All around was ink-blue seawater with undercurrents surging.

It rarely saw seawater of this color; the water near the coast was azure-green, and sunlight could penetrate to the seabed.

The light of the pearls and night-shining snails could illuminate Lord Qinling's entire temple brightly.

But the color of the seawater here was far more profound.