Chapter 1752: Rebellion 8

+bA few seconds later.

He looked at his face, refusing to yield unto death, as if even his bones feared Lin An's insect mother.

Hei Di took a deep breath, suppressing his anger, and spoke again:

"Alright."

"Insect mother."

"How about this: I just need you to give me some help, do something for me. I don't need you to face Lin An, and I certainly don't need you to lift a hand! Such a simple cooperation—I'm sure you wouldn't refuse, right?"

Left with no better option, Hei Di stared coldly at the void insect mother.

If the void insect mother's power weren't crucial to his plan, he would have wanted to strike and kill this guy!

If he doesn't agree to this, then he can only…

"You don't need me to face him?"

Just before Hei Di's patience ran out, the void mother emperor finally spoke warily.

She also knew that if she truly refused completely, Hei Di would not let her go.

If she merely cooperated and did something…

"Exactly."

"You only need to give me some of your people and do as I say. I guarantee you'll survive to the end!"

"Even the final reward—I could share a portion with you, if you like!"

He simply made a promise and couldn't be bothered to talk nonsense with the void insect mother.

Hei Di suddenly stood up and bluntly stated his final bottom line.

Ten minutes later.

At the edge of the battlefield, black mist roiled.

The void empress watched silently as Hei Di led his people away.

She silently turned the crystal in her hand; in her scarlet, gem‑like eyes, a hint of another colour flashed and vanished.

"Are you scheming against him...?"

"Sounds feasible, but..."

Hesitation, doubt, struggle.

Under the crystal's icy touch, the empress dazedly seemed to see a flash of brilliant silver light.

It was a supreme colour like the galaxy itself.

"Stars—do they really fall...?"

"Beep, the battlefield is about to begin its sixth contraction!"

"Boom—crack"

The terrifying, shocking sound of metal moving, as if the heavens and earth were splitting, came from every corner of the battlefield.

I don't know whether the battlefield has shrunk to some critical point.

At this very moment, the Black Lock Sky Curtain, opened for the sixth shrinkage, actually emitted a faint cracking sound.

On the battlefield, a few sensitive Star‑Destroying Level beings instinctively looked up, seeing only the same unbreakable Black Lock as before; they puzzled for a moment, then thought nothing more of it.

At the centre of the Stellar Battlefield lay a ruined fortress.

Leading fewer than ten void insects, Hei Di bowed respectfully to Lin An, who stood in the void.

"Emperor Lin, these are the newly captured War‑Star Level ones I've taken!"

"Although their numbers may not be many, they all possess some spatial traits!"

He raised his head cautiously; Hei Di's face was full of shame, as if blaming himself for capturing fewer and fewer War‑Stars behind him.

In the midst of speaking, he strained to read Lin An's expression, trying to discern something.

Intentionally or not, he especially emphasized the two words "space".

"Space‑type?"

As expected.

Upon hearing "space‑type," the inscrutable Lin An, who had been gazing skyward, suddenly turned and looked with interest at the captives behind him.

"Void Insect Clan? Hmm? Human‑Insect?"

Lin An raised his brow.

At a glance he recognized that these War‑Star Level captives seized by Hei Di were exactly the batch he had encountered before.

To be precise, they were the clansmen under Ssesman.

As for these Human‑Insects who had nearly killed him, his impression of them was not deep at all.

Whether or not there was a grudge, Lin An had also been pondering how to create a set of space‑type rules.

Space‑type beings are simply too hard to kill, and they're almost always under the command of Star‑Destroyers. He had slain countless Fifth Stage foes, yet not a single space‑type had fallen to him.

"Not bad."

Withdrawing the mental force that had been breaking the Black Lock, Lin An nodded in good spirits and casually praised Hei Di twice.

It must be said that, since his last battle, Hei Di and the Chimera Emperor have become far more obedient.

Regardless of any other plans, at least they've helped him greatly during this time.

Had he not remained wary, knowing Hei Di was no simpleton, Lin An might even have considered subduing this old fellow.

"To serve Emperor Lin is my honour."

Hei Di slowly straightened his body, the power of rules flowing sluggishly through him, presenting the appearance of one who had just survived a great battle. He gave Lin An a weary smile:

"Emperor Lin, this batch is what I left behind after chasing down another Star‑Destroyer."

"Now those Star‑Destroyers have begun to band together; perhaps you'll need to step in…"

His breath weak, Hei Di gave Lin An an apologetic glance, as if somewhat blaming himself for still needing Lin An to act personally.

Under that sincere, non-feigned expression, even the Chimera Emperor beside him looked a little dazed.

"When I need to act, I will naturally act."

"Time's about up; let them group together, which conveniently lets me deal with them all at once!"

Lin An gave a cold laugh, simply putting on an act.

Although if he truly encountered a Star-Destroying Level, he would surely be unable to defeat it; the remaining Star-Destroying Levels could no longer be as careless as Gul Hong Mo was.

But from a certain perspective, what Lin An said is also true.

The Black Lock's destruction is about done.

Considering that he might face a Star-Destroying Level at any moment, Lin An repeatedly contemplated and still decided to trigger the catastrophe as soon as possible.

Truly dragging it to the last moment, the risk is simply too great!

"I understand!"

Listening to Lin An's intentional or unintentional revelation—or rather, the first time he clearly stated when the great hunt would begin.

In an instant, a flash of cold intent flickered in Hei Di's eyes.

Will they act soon?

Heh..

He is also fast!

Lin An?

Lin Emperor?

As long as he verifies that speculation...

Silently watching Lin An lead people into the exchange point, Hei Di's gaze was resentful and icy; the killing intent hidden to an extreme depth was almost condensing into substance in his heart!

"Ding, Rule Reserve increased by 0.3%"

"Ding, currently can fuse Rule Ability: Space Corrosion, Extradimensional Shell"

Red light flashed.

Lin An gazed thoughtfully at Cain's Blade, already saturated with sacrificial power; at his feet, a pile of indistinct human-insect corpses still twitched.

"Is the Rule Reserve nearly at its limit?"

"Which of the two Space Rules should I choose?"

Rather cautious.

Upon first contact with the Space Rule, Lin An intended to absorb it.

Having long suffered from lacking a Space Rule, the several War Star Level Fifth Stage beings sent by Hei Di truly helped him greatly. Especially in the final battle, after consuming two and leaving eight, these ten Space Rules in total were even enough to save his life!

"Speaking without exaggeration, the strategic value of these two Rules at this moment is in no way inferior to the Omniscient Domain!"

Although he should be excited, at this moment Lin An's heart inexplicably gave rise to a vague unease.

It felt as if something had been forgotten by him.

"Ten Human-Insects, their Rules are all the same; it doesn't matter which one is eaten."

"As Hei Di said, they are all subordinates recruited by the Xu Kong Chong Mu; they are also all that Human-Insect's..."

Hmm?

Lin An subconsciously recalled the information, trying to find the source of his unease.

In an instant, a scene of him once being trapped in space fragments flashed before his eyes.

"That Human-Insect.."

"That Human-Insect leader?"

Instantly putting down Cain's Blade in his hand, Lin An's gaze sharpened and he immediately looked at the minced flesh at his feet.

Wait.

What about that Human-Insect Fifth Stage? If I remember correctly, that guy is also skilled in Space Rules; if I consumed his Rule, the effect should be better than these.

Soon, after Lin An instantly recalled the appearance of those corpses before death, his brows suddenly furrowed.

No.

He seemed to understand exactly where he felt something was off.

Among the Human-Insect Fifth Stage beings captured by Hei Di, that guy was not present.

"Is it because that guy is stronger and he ran away himself?"

Impossible to judge.

Recalling how Ssesman initially used Rules against him, Lin An's doubts deepened.

No, he remembered that Ssesman's ability back then was actually somewhat different from the Rules he sees now.

As the Human-Insect leader, Ssesman's Rules seem more inclined to open large-scale passages and can store Rule Fragments.

Whereas its subordinates are more skilled at deploying space on an individual basis.

Simply put, although Ssesman is strong, he may not be the best at running.

Skills have specialties; escape ability is unrelated to combat power.

If Hei Di could capture these Human-Insects, then Ssesman would actually be the easiest to catch.

Yet amidst his doubts, Lin An also couldn't be sure whether what he had seen back then was correct.

After all, back then he also lacked the Omniscient Domain, and when that Human-Insect acted against him, he had only casually used a bit of Rule.

Who knows, Ssesman might be far stronger than what he has seen.

"Forget it.."

"Even if there is any problem, it won't be in the fusing of Rules."

However, perhaps we can try converting first, wasting a rule to test the effect...

Out of absolute caution.

After faintly sensing a hint of a problem that wasn't really a problem, Lin An simply converted these two rules into fragments, planning to absorb them after confirming they were error-free.

Although it's wasteful, it can avoid problems to the greatest extent.

Half an hour later.

Edge of the battlefield.

Xu Kong Nü Huang silently watched the crystal light up in her hand, her scarlet eyes filled with struggle.

She knew, Hei Di's plan had succeeded.

That one, there really is a problem!