Chapter 139 Why Aren't You Cultivating?

She wore a thin gauze dress, with large patches of snow-white skin exposed. The light was very dim, yet it was still dazzlingly white.

Her long purple hair dragged to her ankles, and every strand seemed to be swallowing the light.

Insect Empress, Aphro.

She stood with one hand on her hip, her face slightly upturned.

Her purple pupils looked down, passing over the trembling members of the Fox Clan, and gazed at the golden tribulation cloud.

"Hmph."

She let out a soft hmph.

"Ancestor Tushan Yao, I have arrived."

Silence reigned before the great hall.

The elders of the Fox Clan closed their eyes upon hearing this voice.

A God Emperor Realm powerhouse.

Truly an existence of that level.

They could feel the Laws of space around the Empress shifting.

Although she was clearly standing there, the dimension in which she existed far surpassed those of them, the Immortal Emperors and God Lords.

Even if they all attacked together at their peak, they wouldn't be able to touch a single corner of her clothing in front of this Empress.

"It's over... My clan is truly going to be wiped out today..." an old elder wept in his heart.

Just as all the Fox Clan elders were preparing to meet their deaths.

"Ancestor Tushan Yao respectfully welcomes the arrival of Aphro."

A respectful voice suddenly rang out in the silent Void Realm.

Under the pressure of the insect clouds, specks of white light rain struggled to converge, and Ancestor Tushan Yao appeared.

At this moment, his face was as white as paper, and the red mark between his brows had dimmed to the point of being almost invisible. He looked like a withered leaf, ready to be blown away by the wind at any moment.

He forced himself not to kneel before that God Emperor Realm pressure and bowed to Aphro.

Insect Empress, Aphro, fixed her gaze upon him.

Her indifferent expression suddenly froze.

Her purple pupils constricted, and the hand on her hip dropped.

She stared at the dying old fox before her, then turned her head to look at the golden tribulation cloud in the distance, which was frantically devouring the Universe Origin with such momentum that even she felt alarmed.

"You..."

Aphro opened her mouth slightly, her face full of astonishment. "Ancestor Tushan Yao, are you not the one breaking through?"

She had been asleep for half an epoch.

Upon waking, she immediately sensed Law fluctuations in the Demon God Domain indicative of a Breakthrough to the God Emperor Realm, with the source being the ancestral land of the Nine-Tailed White Fox. She had naturally assumed that this old fox had finally taken the final step.

But now, not only had this old fox not broken through, but he was in a miserable state, his Origin exhausted, looking as if he were about to die.

Then who was it that triggered the resonance of the Universe Origin over there?

Ancestor Tushan Yao met Aphro's shocked gaze, nodded bitterly, and a helpless smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.

"Just as Your Majesty sees with your own eyes..." Ancestor Tushan Yao said wearily, "The one who triggered this God Emperor tribulation is not this old one."

"And as for the agreement between you and me back then..."

As soon as these words were spoken.

The Fox Clan elders below, who had been closing their eyes waiting for death, opened them one after another.

They looked at each other.

Their cloudy eyes were filled with confusion.

An agreement?

What agreement?

Could there be an unknown agreement between the Progenitor and this notorious Insect Empress?

Supreme Elder Tushan Xuan struggled to lift his head, his gaze shifting back and forth between the Progenitor and the Insect Empress.

Gradually, his pupils dilated as a bolt of lightning flashed through his mind.

He remembered the records in the clan's ancient books.

Half an epoch ago, when Insect Empress, Aphro, was attempting to break through to the God Emperor Realm, she suffered a backlash from the Heavenly Dao and nearly perished. Later, she miraculously stabilized her injuries, successfully broke through, and then fell into a long slumber.

"Could it be..."

Supreme Elder Tushan Xuan looked at the Progenitor's almost dried-up Origin and understood immediately.

Mid-air.

Insect Empress, Aphro, looked at Ancestor Tushan Yao. The astonishment in her eyes slowly faded, replaced by a complex expression.

She slightly raised her chin, her purple eyes flashing with the light of memories, and spoke slowly, "Back then, if you hadn't unhesitatingly offered those few drops of Origin Essence Blood containing the Laws of Heavenly Secrets to help me sort out my chaotic Laws, I wouldn't have been able to safely survive that death tribulation and break through to the God Emperor Realm."

Aphro's voice lacked its previous arrogance, replaced by a trace of solemnity.

"According to the agreement between us, you helped me break through, and I owe you a massive favor. When you, old fox, one day attempt to break through to the God Emperor Realm, I would naturally wake up to act as your Protector and ensure you are absolutely safe."

Speaking of this, Aphro's brows knitted tightly together. Her gaze swept across Ancestor Tushan Yao's pale face like a knife. "Now, not only have you not broken through, but you have brought yourself to this state. What exactly are you planning?"

Ancestor Tushan Yao swayed, gritting his teeth as he struggled to steady himself.

A trace of struggle flashed in those phoenix eyes. But soon, this struggle turned into a desperate resolve.

He had no way back.

The Essence Blood had already been offered. Gu Heng was in the midst of breaking through. The fate of the Nine-Tailed White Fox Clan was now completely tied to that Youth in White.

"Your Majesty."

Ancestor Tushan Yao bowed once more, his voice firm and decisive. "I dare not forget the agreement from back then. But the situation has changed, and I implore Your Majesty to transfer this favor of protection to someone else."

"Please... act as the Protector for that esteemed person who is currently breaking through."

Ancestor Tushan Yao raised his head and looked solemnly toward the endless Void Realm outside the Demon God Domain.

"The commotion of this Breakthrough is too great, causing the Heavenly Dao Laws to tremble. I fear that those old things sleeping in the Demon God Domain have already caught wind of it and are on their way. In my current state, I cannot stop them alone."

Aphro looked at him in surprise upon hearing this.

In those purple pupils, anger and confusion were intertwined, but what was more prominent was the curiosity that had been piqued.

"Oh?"

Aphro raised her brows high, a cold smile of interest appearing at the corners of her mouth.

"Esteemed person?"

"You, an old fox who is arrogant and has lived for countless epochs, would actually address someone else as 'Esteemed Person'? And you would even go so far as to exhaust your own Origin to protect him?"

She took a step forward, and the terrifying pressure of the God Emperor Late Stage instantly shattered the surrounding Void Realm inch by inch.

"Who exactly is this person? Why is he worth you risking your life like this? Why must you even use my favor on him?"

Ancestor Tushan Yao shook his head.

He did not explain further.

As for Gu Heng's background, even he could not see through it, and he dared not make wild guesses. He simply turned his head silently and looked toward the depths of the ancestral land.

Aphro looked in the direction of Ancestor Tushan Yao's gaze.

Her gaze pierced through layers of spatial barriers, crossed the star valleys composed of billions of galaxies, and landed directly in the center of the Origin Divine Pool.

There.

The white figure was wrapped in intensely concentrated golden Law light, sitting cross-legged.

Purple-gold lightning roared across the sky above, and the power of the Universe Origin poured into his body like a vortex.

The moment Aphro's gaze landed on that figure, her brows furrowed slightly.

"Interesting..."

She said softly, a strange look flashing in her purple eyes.

As a supreme existence at the God Emperor Late Stage, there were very few things in these Three Thousand Great Worlds that she could not see through. But at this moment, when her Divine Sense attempted to probe the background of that Youth in White, it felt as if it had fallen into a void of Chaos.

"I... actually cannot see through him."

Aphro's eyes sank completely. She realized that this Breakthrough was by no means an ordinary God Emperor tribulation.

She turned her head to look at a giant Demon Spider standing respectfully by her side; this was the strongest Insect Leader under her command.

"Briefly tell me what has happened in the outside world during the time I was asleep," Aphro commanded coldly.

The Insect Leader shuddered.

It immediately transmitted the massive changes that had occurred in the Three Thousand Great Worlds over this half-epoch, especially in recent times, into Aphro's mind via the Insect Race's unique mental network.

The exchange of these thoughts took only a split second.

Aphro closed her eyes, digesting this massive amount of information.

A moment later, she opened her eyes abruptly.

"So that's how it is..."

She took a deep breath, her towering chest rising and falling slightly. "Demon God Emperor has awakened? The Dragon Ancestor is in seclusion. The Original Realm has appeared, and the heaven-reaching tower has been forcibly refined and taken by someone?"

Aphro couldn't help but chuckle. "I didn't expect that in such a short time, so many interesting things would happen in this lifeless Universe."

"In one year, the Dragon Clan Divine Treasury will fully open. My waking up this time is truly timely."

As she spoke,

Aphro released her Divine Sense, keenly perceiving the turbulence on the outskirts of the Demon God Domain.

She sneered, "Are some God Lords and Divine Venerables from other races already on their way, unable to wait? A bunch of clowns."

Suddenly,

Her eyes narrowed.

"Hmm? And... it seems there is also a fully erupted Demon Race Aura? Has a Demon God Emperor come as well?" Battle Intent rose in Aphro's eyes. "Which of those two is it? Brahma, or Di Shitian?"

After contemplating for a moment.

Aphro turned to look at the tottering Ancestor Tushan Yao beside her.

"Old fox, since it is an agreement you exchanged with your Essence Blood, I will naturally fulfill what I promised you."

She waved her hand casually, and the boundless God Emperor Laws instantly enveloped the entire Nine-Tailed White Fox ancestral land.

"Transmit my decree! The Insect Race army is to fully station themselves in the Nine-Tailed White Fox Domain!"

Following Aphro's command.

"Hiss, hiss, hiss—"

The sound of insects instantly rose by several octaves. A tsunami of sound waves swept across the entire Star Domain.

An endless sea of insects surged frantically, completely blocking out the sun.

The ancestral land of the Nine-Tailed White Fox, which could originally still reveal a few rays of starlight, was now completely plunged into pitch-black darkness. Only the eerie green light flickering on the carapaces of those high-level Insect Race beings, like ghost fires from Hell, flickered in the Void Realm.

The Insect Leader's eight sharp articulated limbs bent slightly in the Void Realm as it reported to Aphro,

"Great Your Majesty. During the long years of your slumber, the highest directive of the Insect Race, 'Infinite Proliferation,' has been carried out without compromise."

"At present, the regular armored army that our clan can mobilize at any time has reached thirty thousand trillion."

"Among them, there are three hundred Lords who have reached the Immortal Emperor Realm. There are ten Great Lords at the Immortal Emperor Realm. There are two Insect Generals at the God Lord Realm. And..."

The Insect Leader paused, its tone filled with a trace of fanatical pride.

"Your subordinate was fortunate enough to break through to the Divine Venerable Realm one hundred thousand years ago. Now, I am willing to sweep away all obstacles for Your Majesty!"

As soon as these words were spoken.

The Fox Clan elders below, who were still lying on the ground playing dead, felt their hearts twitch violently.

An army of thirty thousand trillion!

Three hundred Immortal Emperors...

Ten Immortal Emperors! Two God Lords! And one supreme powerhouse at the Divine Venerable Realm!

Such terrifying heritage, such a hair-raising rate of reproduction. It was no wonder that after the Insect Empress fell into a slumber back then, the major powerful races of the Demon God Domain still dared not lay a finger on the Insect Race's territory.

As long as this army existed, the Insect Race was a tireless meat grinder of the Universe!

Listening to the Insect Leader's report, there was no major emotional fluctuation on Aphro's face.

"Hmm..."

She only responded faintly, and not even a ripple appeared in those purple eyes.

"Not bad."

These four simple words were the entire evaluation of this terrifying army by this God Emperor Late Stage powerhouse. In her view, as long as they had not reached the God Emperor Realm, no matter how many there were, they were just slightly tougher cannon fodder.

After ordering the army's deployment.

Aphro stretched lazily, her perfect curves fully revealed.

She sat down cross-legged directly in the Void Realm, entering a state of Cultivation, and began to absorb the Universe Origin that was dissipating due to Gu Heng's insights and Cultivation.

Just after completing one cycle, Aphro seemed to remember something.

She opened one eye and looked at Ancestor Tushan Yao not far away.

He stood in the Void Realm, his body swaying, as if a gust of wind could blow him away.

"Old fox." A trace of confusion flashed in Aphro's eyes. "The power of the Origin is so rich, why aren't you Cultivating?"

Ancestor Tushan Yao: "..."

On Ancestor Tushan Yao's paper-white face, the corners of his mouth twitched a few times.

The Origin within his body was currently like an extremely weak candle flame in a storm, flickering to and fro, ready to be completely extinguished at any moment.

How could he not want to Cultivate? He didn't even have the strength to circulate his Cultivation Technique!

He had just forcibly extracted a drop of Essence Blood to pave the way for Gu Heng. Now, if he were to use even a little bit more Immortal power, this decaying shell of his would instantly collapse and disintegrate.

Seeing Ancestor Tushan Yao's aggrieved expression, where he had suffering but couldn't speak of it, Aphro was taken aback.

Subsequently, she realized.

"Ahem..."

This high and mighty Insect Empress revealed a rare trace of embarrassment.

She coughed dryly, subconsciously reaching out her hand, intending to pat Ancestor Tushan Yao's shoulder to offer comfort.

Just at the moment her hand was about to touch Ancestor Tushan Yao's shoulder.

The extended hand stopped in mid-air.

She thought that even if she tapped him lightly, this old fox would probably shatter into a pile of dregs on the spot.

Subsequently, she retracted it very naturally and, as if nothing had happened, tucked a strand of purple hair that had fallen onto her chest behind her ear.

She turned her head away, looked elsewhere, and said in an understated tone, "Ahem, anyway... you old fox, don't die so quickly."

Aphro raised her chin.

"After all... you still have two drops of Essence Blood in your body. If you die just like this, it would be too much of a waste."

The clan elders: "..."

Below, in front of the great hall, the dozen or so Fox Clan elders had black lines all over their faces, their mouths twitching wildly.

Listen to that, is that something a person would say?

The man just exhausted his Origin and gave the good opportunity of being a Protector to someone else. As a result, not only are you not grateful, but you are also coveting the last bit of his coffin money remaining in his body?

This Insect Empress's personality is truly just like the rumors, extremely vile!

However,

Facing Aphro's almost curse-like teasing.

Ancestor Tushan Yao was not angry.

On his young face, which was weak to the extreme, a relieved smile appeared instead.

"Your Majesty is joking." Ancestor Tushan Yao bowed slightly. "This old one's old bones will not fall apart just yet. After all, I still have to see with my own eyes that Esteemed Person... rule over the world."

Ancestor Tushan Yao said he was fine, then closed his eyes.

He stood silently in the Void Realm like a statue of withered wood, and no matter how the surrounding insect clouds rolled, he remained unmoved.

Meanwhile.

Demon God Domain, outer starry sky.

The silent and deep starry sea had now been completely torn apart by countless terrifying Auras.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Abandoned stars were turned into powder under the collision of these pressures.

God Lords and Divine Venerables from various alien races were frantically rushing toward the Nine-Tailed White Fox ancestral land.

"Hurry! That old fox triggered the God Emperor tribulation, but the Heavenly Dao Laws are extremely chaotic; he must be forcing the Breakthrough!"

A black giant crocodile, its size comparable to a star, rampaged through the Void Realm.

"Take his life while he's sick! We absolutely cannot let the Nine-Tailed White Fox Clan produce another God Emperor!"

"Correct! The Fox Clan has occupied too many resources; today is the day of their extermination!"

A red-haired old man, his whole body burning with red magma, stepped on a sea of fire, following closely behind.

These Yao Race powerhouses, who usually suspected each other, had now surprisingly reached a consensus—strangle the soon-to-be-born God Emperor and divide the heritage of the Nine-Tailed White Fox Clan!

However.

When they tore through space aggressively and were about to reach the edge of the Nine-Tailed White Fox Domain.

The black giant crocodile and the red-haired old man, who were charging at the forefront, suddenly stopped.

"What is going on?!"

The red-haired old man looked at the scene in front of him, his eyeballs almost popping out.

He saw that the Star Domain in front, which originally belonged to the Nine-Tailed White Fox Clan, was now completely enveloped by a frighteningly thick layer of black insect clouds.

That dense formation, that spatial blockade, did not look like an attack at all!

"That Insect Empress..."

The black giant crocodile opened its large mouth, bewildered, "Why has she stopped attacking?!"

In their expectations, the Insect Empress had come to snatch the God Emperor Origin of the Breakthrough and would fight the Nine-Tailed White Fox Clan to the death. They could just sit back and reap the benefits.

But now, this overwhelming Insect Race army, not only was it not attacking the Fox Clan ancestral land, but instead... instead, like an impenetrable wall, it was tightly protecting the Fox Clan ancestral land inside!

"This formation... is she defending?"

"Crazy... the Insect Empress is actually acting as a Protector for that old fox!?"