Chapter 269: Simulated Universe·Universal Locust Plague (4)

Green light flickered around Anzi, and in less than ten seconds it triggered three or four forced calmings. He opened his mouth and looked at the nearby Dimiugeosi: "What are they…?"

"Lord Anzi… they're probably… breeding, right?"

Dimiugeosi admitted that he had been violently struck by some indescribable mental magic.

As for cruelty, bloodshed, slaughter, he had seen them countless times… even found them amusing.

Yet where had he ever seen this scene?

"—Lord Anzi."

Ya'erbeide's cold voice sounded behind Anzi, and without even turning, he could feel the murderous aura behind him, almost solidified.

"Allow me to deal with these two unrespectful, shameless scoundrels myself. How dare they commit such filthy acts before the Supreme Sovereign! They have no right to serve Lord Anzi!"

"Let me—"

But Ya'erbeide's roar was cut short; seeing Anzi slightly raise his right hand, she immediately understood and fell silent.

Anzi snapped his fingers, and a black flame ignited on Aidoma and Kongbu Gong; the fire wasn't lethal but enough to grievously wound such low‑rank servants. Strangely, even after being injured, they refused to stop and continued their mindless breeding.

"So that's it… all the insect races are affected? No wonder Kesesites…"

Anzi slowly lifted his head; after the recent farce, the Du Xing in the sky dome had, at some point, become covered by a writhing, rolling "black cloud"—the air was filled with swarming insects, all monotonously repeating a single action—

breeding.

——

Battle of the Twin Cities.

Zu An.

Pushing open the door of Xin Ji De's laboratory, a pungent smell mixed with putrid fluid and alchemical reagents assaulted his nose.

In the dim light, the lab tables were covered with various sticky, entangled insects. Their carapaces glimmered metallicly in the dim‑green culture fluid, making Xi Er Ke feel sick.

"You've gathered these rutting insects together—are you trying to study biological weapons?" Xi Er Ke frowned, looking down at the iron cage in the lab corner—inside was a juvenile stone beetle and a holy beetle from Shurima—he truly couldn't understand how Zu An's black market could have such items.

Though both beetles, they were entirely different species—Xi Er Ke could tell at a glance—but now the two insects were pressed together in a seemingly affectionate embrace.

Xin Ji De didn't look back; his hunched silhouette swayed before the bench as his fingers toyed with two completely different insects—their abdomens surgically opened and forcibly linked by alchemical tubes. Viscous liquid coursed through the pipes, the insects convulsing in pain yet unable to break free.

"Don't you find it marvelous?" Xin Ji De's slightly hoarse voice trembled with uncontainable zeal, "Look, they're from different races, yet under the drive of 'Breeding' they fuse… creating a new species!"

Xi Er Ke stared coldly at the specimen, uninterested in the experiment. More than creating insects… he was intrigued by how to make the Upper City's lofty, self‑important bastards crawl at his feet.

"And then? You plan to use the created insects against the Upper City?"

"It's more than that." Xin Ji De looked up at the sky dome; the view was now almost entirely crowded by swarming insects, splitting and devouring in geometric multiples, a thick layer of insects covering every plant on Du Xing.

"The 【Breeding】 Star God has already manifested; though it's only a virtual product of the simulated universe, a portion of its power is genuinely affecting the insects across the entire Wa Luo Lan Da Lu continent."

"Creating insects that can serve war is indeed one of my current tasks," Xin Ji De's voice hissed like a venomous snake, "but I'm more curious about the 【Breeding】 power within these insects… what form it takes, and if it can be extracted for my use… that would be fascinating."

"Trying to lay claim to the Star God's power? Doctor, you're bold, I like that. Whatever help you need later, just ask."

Xi Er Ke turned toward the exit, his cybernetic eye in the shadows flashing crimson, "But if this power gets out of control… I'll burn this place down myself, Doctor."

——

"The sky over Du Xing is dark‑red, like a rotting scab. Yet in Xing's eyes the sky is black, dense swarms of insects mating overhead, like black blood oozing from the scab."

"After mating, the swarms give birth to new offshoots, which then combine with other offshoots, resembling a shape‑shifting rose whose petals interlock. The insects' breeding is like flowers emitting pheromones of varied honeyed scents… ugliness and sweetness piled together…"

"The wing‑beats sound like billions of hearts beating in unison; Xing feels her eardrums vibrate, as if insects have burrowed into her mind, constantly humming."

"But even in this suffocating chaos—"

"Xing also sensed a gaze."

"It's not from the insects, nor from Hei Ta. It's some older, more distant entity. That gaze seemed to pierce the dimensions of the universe, like a cold metal probe gently touching her spinal cord."

"'Xing… do you feel it?' This time Hei Ta's voice echoed directly in her mind, 'He is watching us—no, more precisely, watching the 【Breeding】 Ta Yi Zi Yu Luo Si.'"

"'Who?'"

"'【Order】—Taiyi.' Hei Ta said, 'The destiny of Order is to guide the universe into eternal harmony, which is also Taiyi's will. He observes 【Breeding】; perhaps he wants to see whether this newly‑born Star God can interfere with Order.'"

"The scene before her shifted rapidly; the sky‑filled cacophony of insects vanished, replaced by an endless ocean."

"The waves broke into white foam at Xing's feet, each retreat seeming to wash away some insect blood clinging to her soles—though this world has no insects, not even many people. In the distance an unknown seabird cried, its shrill call making her feel a strange nostalgia."

"Having stayed long on Du Xing, any animal makes her feel immensely familiar."

"'Where did you bring me from again?' Xing inhaled deeply, the warm sea breeze slightly dispelling the psychological shadows she carried from Du Xing."

"'Mandel Island of Da La Bo Er Star,' Hei Ta said lazily, 'This is the first world the 【Breeding】 ascended to after becoming a Star God.'"