Eternal Heavenly Emperor-Chapter 468 - 458 Infiltrating the Insect Nest
It was Chu Hao’s turn, and after searching for half an hour, he found a line composed of countless red dots leading deep into the ground, and at the end of it, a clearly larger red dot.
The Fire Cockroach Queen!
The queens of swarms are always significantly larger than ordinary insects, and the fire cockroaches should be no exception.
That must be it.
Tu Dong took out a horn and sounded it, woo—the sound startled heaven and earth.
This was done on purpose, on one hand to notify the Copper Valley Tribe that they had completed the first step, and on the other hand to have the Copper Valley Tribe launch an attack, to divert the fire cockroach’s attention, creating an opportunity for their infiltration.
Just after a while, the remaining sixteen War Venerates of the Copper Valley Tribe all took action in unison, and the external War Kings also charged out on their War Chariots, launching a fierce attack on the mountain body.
Instantly, countless fire cockroaches poured out from their holes, turning into a sea of fiery red, as they surrounded the War Venerates and War Chariots.
The Copper Valley Tribe fought while retreating, continuously drawing the fire cockroaches further away.
"Now’s the time, go!" Two War Venerates simultaneously grabbed Chu Hao, whoosh, and their speed was so fast that they had entered a cave.
Boom, a wave of heat struck them, and the two War Venerates both opened up their Star Force shields, but Chu Hao felt extremely comfortable, as if he had been soaking in a hot spring—he possessed an extreme yang attribute, and as long as the temperature did not exceed the upper limits his body could withstand, this would only be beneficial to him.
The place was empty, there was nothing here.
Although the cave was not large, it was spacious enough for an adult male to run freely, but jumping was out of the question, as one could touch the cave walls just by raising their hands. Therefore, if they encountered fire cockroaches, there would be absolutely no chance for evasion; they could only fight head-on.
Seizing the gap when a large number of fire cockroaches chased out, the trio continuously went deeper.
The entire underground insect nest was as complex as a labyrinth, but luckily they had the golden pupil eye. After walking a certain distance, they would take it out to check, ensuring that they wouldn’t lose their way as they kept moving toward the Insect Nest Queen’s direction.
Within the cave, even War Venerates could not fully speed up. A full three days had passed, and they had only covered half the distance, still with half the distance to go before reaching the Insect Nest Queen.
The High Priest and his team, to buy time for the trio, kept launching feints, luring the insects out to kill, trying their best to maintain a relaxed state of defense within the nest. This infuriated the swarm, and the number of fire cockroaches mobilized reached as many as a million.
In theory, in front of War Venerates, the advantage in numbers should be completely ineffective, but the "saliva" of these fire cockroaches was truly terrifying. With a million heads spraying together, even War Venerates would break a cold sweat!
—Otherwise, these fire cockroaches wouldn’t be placed here to guard the third barrier.
After a few times, four War Venerates were injured, and three War Chariots were severely damaged, unable to be used for a short period; they needed repairing.
At this time, Chu Hao and the three others were also getting closer and closer to the center of the insect nest.
They had already encountered a few fire cockroaches on the narrow paths, but the sporadic appearance of fire cockroaches was no match for the War Venerates. Without even having the chance to react, they were shattered by the shockwaves from the two War Venerates.
However, from here on, the caves became wider, and the to and fro fire cockroaches also became more numerous. Many were seen clutching a piece of fiery red crystal in their claws, hurriedly heading to the center of the nest. In contrast, the fire cockroaches returning were "empty-handed."
Clearly, this fiery red crystal was the food of the Fire Cockroach Queen.
Chu Hao showed a look of surprise, it was the Fire Spirit Crystal.
He had obtained a few when he was with the He Family, though they were small and not very pure. This was the crystallization of fire elements in the world, and for martial artists with a fire attribute, refining Fire Spirit Crystals not only could enhance their cultivation but also improve their physique to a certain extent, leading to great achievement.
This was a true treasure.
Yet here, Fire Spirit Crystals were being continuously provided to the Fire Cockroach Queen as food in such an extravagant manner?
Was there a super vein of Fire Spirit Crystals beneath the Flame Mountain?
Chu Hao’s heart pounded with excitement. If he could obtain this vein, how much could his physique improve?
To break into the top ten levels?
Unfortunately, Fat Cat had not come along, otherwise, it would be possible to ask.
No matter what, Chu Hao had already made up his mind that he must take down that Fire Cockroach Queen and claim those Fire Spirit Crystals for himself.
With Qi Luck on his side, it truly wasn’t for nothing!
He could hardly conceal his excitement, and Tu Xi along with the two War Venerates saw this in his eyes, thinking he was excited about soon meeting the Fire Cockroach Queen, and found nothing strange about it.
This was indeed a great achievement, perhaps even greater than forming an alliance with the golden centipede or defeating the Blood Bone Tribe.
They concealed their breath, crawling on the cave walls, while below was a relentless "food" army. One fire cockroach after another was focused on their journey, none looking around, or else just one glance upward would reveal the trio’s presence and they would have to start a battle prematurely.
The three of them slowly approached, and a bright red light appeared in front of them, with the temperature also rising sharply, to the point where even Chu Hao felt a hint of heat.
They crawled to the end of this passage, where a huge space appeared.
It was ridiculously large, almost on the scale of a small city, with boiling magma everywhere. Only the central area was made of rock, on which lay a giant creature.
It was a hundred meters long, grotesquely fat, and its skin was nearly transparent, revealing eggs that were expelled through a thin tube from its body. Meanwhile, it constantly devoured Fire Spirit Crystals delivered by fire cockroaches at an alarming rate.
Another team of fire cockroaches was responsible for transporting the insect eggs out, heading toward another passage.
Fire Cockroach Queen!
The supreme leader of the entire insect nest, dedicated not to war but to "production."
By appearances, this fat and ugly being bore no semblance to a fire cockroach. This was similar to the queens of bee or ant colonies, creatures that had evolved specifically for breeding.
With such a terrifying rate of reproduction, the Copper Valley Tribe would lose if it came to a war of attrition.
"Not good!" The two War Venerates scanned the area and showed grave expressions as they noticed four large fire cockroaches near the Fire Cockroach Queen, with their forelegs evolved into razor-sharp blades.
Venerable Level!
Two against four, they were already at a disadvantage. Besides, Tu Dong and Tu Xi, the two low-tier War Venerates, were at an even greater disadvantage against ferocious beasts that followed the path of Body Cultivation. Thus, their chances of winning were even slimmer.
"We can only retreat and summon more War Venerates!" Tu Xi conveyed telepathically through his Divine Sense.
Although Chu Hao felt it was a pity, acting recklessly could cost them their lives. He had no choice but to nod in agreement.
"Squeak!" But just then, a fire cockroach suddenly lifted its head and discovered the three of them. It let out a short cry, then spewed a red beam of light, attacking them.
Damn!
The three of them cursed in their hearts at the same time.
"Stick to the original plan. Tu Xi and I will handle those four Venerable Level cockroaches. Chu Hao, you go and take down the Queen. This is our only way out. We must seek life amidst danger!" Tu Dong punched out, his incredible force instantly annihilating over a dozen fire cockroaches below.
"Alright!" Chu Hao nodded.
At that moment, at least several hundred fire cockroaches looked up at them. In the depths of the cave, the four Venerable Level fire cockroaches began sharpening their claw blades, releasing a terrifying killing intent.
"Go!" Tu Xi grabbed Chu Hao and the three of them charged toward the Insect Nest Queen.
"Squeak!" The four Venerable Level fire cockroaches let out cries, rising on their hind legs, swinging their claw blades.
"Fight!" With a powerful swing, Tu Xi threw Chu Hao towards the Fire Cockroach Queen and met the charge of two Venerable Level fire cockroaches. Tu Dong also let out a battle cry and faced the other two Venerables.
Whisk, whisk, whisk, countless fire cockroaches dropped their Fire Spirit Crystals and swarmed towards Chu Hao. The ones responsible for moving the insect eggs also abandoned their loads, surrounding the Insect Nest Queen and lifting the colossal creature, clearly intending to evacuate the dangerous area.
Chu Hao’s eyes turned icy; he didn’t have much time. Once the Queen left the area, it would be completely overrun by a sea of insects. By then, even a War Venerate would be buried under endless corrosion.
"Kill!"
Now was not the time for mercy or hesitation, or else they would be doomed without redemption.
Chu Hao unleashed his full combat power, displaying Dragon Fist and Sky Wind Eight Styles simultaneously. He fought his way through the sea of insects, pursuing the Queen. This was the only path to survival for all three of them! Moreover, if they missed this opportunity, the Queen’s defenses would surely be greatly fortified, leaving almost no chance for another attempt.
Pupu pupu pupu, hundreds of red beams struck, and Chu Hao stretched his Derivation abilities to the utmost, weaving through an onslaught of attacks and carving out an almost impossible pathway as he pressed closer to the Queen. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮
Swish, swish, swish, dozens of fire cockroaches leaped into the air, using their flesh as barriers.
"Get out of my way!" Chu Hao bombarded with fists and palms, boom, boom, boom, blasting large swathes of insects away. But in relentless waves, more of the creatures leaped out, fearless and resolute, using their bodies as walls to prevent Chu Hao from reaching the Queen.
For the fire cockroaches, they too were fighting desperately. The Queen was everything; without her, the swarm would fall into chaos and disorder until a new Insect King emerged.
It was a battle to the death!
Chu Hao erupted, sparing no effort in his array of techniques. With Chaos Intent Realm summoned, even those insects, loyal only to the Queen, were stunned for a moment by its impact.
"Squeak—" More fire cockroaches were surging over, their cries echoing from afar.
Chu Hao bellowed, charging forward recklessly, launching an all-out assault. He activated Elemental Transformation to tough out the incoming corrosive liquid, handling it directly; there was so much of it that even though he avoided vital hits, his body was still marred with numerous wounds. Even his Body Cultivation couldn’t withstand it, his skin corroding rapidly, exposing raw flesh.
Unfazed, he slashed his way to the Fire Cockroach Queen’s side. (To be continued. If you like this work, I invite you to come to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read on m.qidian.com.)
