Chapter 502: Shattering Like Dry Grass and Rotting Wood

Among these six Cosmic Lords in the Zhenzu Secret Realm, the Blood Needle Lord and the Dung Beetle Lord both possess clone abilities, so the Catfish Ash Lord and the other four Cosmic Lords are our targets!

Lu Qing soon spoke again: “Now we divide into four squads, with me and the Axe Founder as the spearhead—our combined power can surely annihilate the Catfish Ash Lord and others in a short time!”

“Although the beast race has several more Cosmic Lords than our human race, losing four directly would be a crippling blow!”

“Even if the Dream Demon Ancestor arrives later, our four squads together will still hold absolute superiority!”

“Wanjie is right!”

After hearing Lu Qing’s words, the Axe Founder beside him quickly spoke: “Once we ignite war with the beast race, the news will leak out quickly—then the insect race and the machine race will surely intervene!”

“So this first battle must shock all sides!”

“If we can hurt the beast race severely—or even cripple them—our future pressure will drop significantly!”

“Exactly!”

“Right! Cripple the beast race outright!”

“Destroy the beast race’s Cosmic Lords completely—so they dare not fight our human race again!”

Immediately, the many strong ones of the human race clenched their teeth and spoke.

Although Lu Qing’s actions have given our human race a major advantage in overall strength, if the beast race, insect race, and machine race unite, our human race will inevitably fall into disadvantage.

In a war of this scale, losing several Cosmic Lords is perfectly normal for our human race.

If the war drags on, even the Prison Race, Crystal Race, or the Northern Frontier Alliance might intervene.

After all, the four peak races control the most central territories of the Original Universe, and countless other races across the cosmos are undoubtedly envious.

Therefore, only by striking hard from the very beginning can we make all sides fear and dare not act rashly!

“Good!”

Lu Qing quickly ordered: “We depart immediately—head for the beast race’s Zhenzu Secret Realm!”

“Yes!”

“Depart!”

“Hahaha, I’ve been waiting for this!”

“Exactly! I’ve battled that Catfish Ash Lord for eons—now it’s finally time to end it!”

The strong ones of the human race were all thrilled.

After all, over countless eons, the human race and the beast race have been locked in ceaseless conflict, accumulating endless hatred between them.

But the beast race’s overall strength has always been stronger; since the Primordial Ancestor was suppressed, our human race has always been at a slight disadvantage in these struggles.

Now that the chance to deliver a crushing blow to the beast race has arrived, these strong ones of the human race are naturally ecstatic!

Thus, the vast majority of the human race’s top combat forces immediately left the Original Secret Realm and swiftly headed for the beast race’s Zhenzu Secret Realm.

At the same time as the human race’s Cosmic Lords moved, the Chaos City Master quickly sent word to the human race’s Cosmic Masters, ordering them to bring the human race’s Immortal Gods and prodigious young talents to the Axe Universe and the Origin Universe.

During the preparation phase, only a tiny number of Cosmic Masters knew this news—there was no chance of leakage.

But now, with such a massive operation, word quickly reached other factions across the Original Universe.

……

In the insect race’s core territory, within a special secret realm.

This place nurtures countless insect warriors, and at its core lies a majestic, crystalline palace.

This golden palace is the insect race’s supreme magic treasure—the Empress Palace!

At this moment, several slender, alluring figures stood respectfully inside the Empress Palace—all were insect Empresses of Cosmic Lord rank.

Upon the crystalline throne at the front of the hall sat a figure capable of plunging countless lives into ruin—the supreme being of the insect race, the Insect Empress.

“Empress!”

Below, the Feather Coating Lord quickly spoke: “That human race’s Wanjie Lord is too cunning—he revealed the existence of the supreme magic treasure and then retreated into the human race’s core territory!”

“No matter!”

The Insect Empress quickly replied: “All other humans must now know Wanjie Lord possesses the supreme magic treasure—perhaps they’re even debating it right now…”

Before the Insect Empress could finish speaking, she froze in place.

Because one of her soul slaves had just sent her a message.

“Master!”

A gentle voice echoed directly in the Insect Empress’s mind: “The Chaos City Master has suddenly ordered us to transport all Immortal Gods and prodigious talents within the human race’s territory to the Origin Universe and the Axe Universe. My current mission is to assist Yanfeng Lord in gathering all Immortal Gods and talents within the Yanfeng Universe!”

This individual was a human Cosmic Master whom the Insect Empress had accidentally enslaved, unknown to any other strong ones—so she had hidden him deep within human territory.

Normally, to avoid exposure, this Cosmic Master never sent any messages to the Insect Empress—even when the insect race planned assassinations of the human race’s once-in-a-million-year prodigies.

“Hmm?”

Upon receiving the soul slave’s message, the Insect Empress paused, then her expression changed: “Such a massive move by the human race—could they be planning something major?”

After all, even when the Northern Frontier Alliance was formed, the human race had never taken such action.

“Only a conflict at the Cosmic Lord level could prompt such a move by the human race!”

The Insect Empress thought inwardly: “But what exactly are the humans planning?”

At that moment, the soul slave’s voice echoed again in her mind: “Master, what should I do next?”

“Continue acting as a loyal member of the human race!”

The Insect Empress quickly ordered: “Immediately report any new information to me!”

“And… the Origin Universe and the Axe Universe are fully controlled by the human race—once you enter, be extremely cautious. Do not under any circumstances expose yourself!”

“Yes, Master!” the soul slave replied promptly.

……

On the other side, other factions across the cosmos also learned of the human race’s movement through their spies embedded within human territory.

But except for the insect race, the highest-ranking spies in other factions were only at the King level, so the information they obtained was extremely limited.

They hadn’t even had time to consolidate all the intelligence when Lu Qing and the Axe Founder had already led the human race’s strong ones into the beast race’s Zhenzu Secret Realm.

……

In the Original Universe, within the beast race’s core territory—the Zhenzu Secret Realm.

Hum!

Amid dazzling golden light, four distinct palaces swiftly materialized via divine realm teleportation—inside them were Lu Qing, the Axe Founder, and the human race’s many Cosmic Lords.

As one of the beast race’s core strongholds, the Zhenzu Secret Realm was normally off-limits to all intruders.

But the human race had long embedded numerous Immortal Gods within the beast race, and some had left behind divine power relics within the Zhenzu Secret Realm.

After deciding to target the Zhenzu Secret Realm, the Chaos City Master had quickly arranged the teleportation points.

Now, via divine realm teleportation, Lu Qing and the others immediately arrived at the core region of the Zhenzu Secret Realm.

This core region had been fortified by the beast race into an impregnable fortress—many areas were immune to teleportation.

So as soon as Lu Qing and the others appeared, they swiftly moved toward their target under the cover of the Axe Founder’s Word-as-Law ability.

Teleport! Teleport! Teleport…

Flight…

Lu Qing and the others moved with incredible speed.

Within a towering palace in the core region of the Zhenzu Secret Realm.

At this moment, a figure nearly ten thousand kilometers tall, clad in a blood-red battle armor and enveloped in a thick aura of slaughter, sat cross-legged in meditation.

This figure was the beast race’s fifth-rank Cosmic Lord—the Blood Needle Lord.

As one of the beast race’s core strongholds, the Zhenzu Secret Realm naturally required a powerful guardian; the Blood Needle Lord possessed clone abilities and was the second-strongest of the Zhen Tian Beast lineage, making him the ideal choice to guard this place.