Chapter 573

As Shengjilesi's hoarse, exhausted shout…

"Boom!!"

Golden radiance filled the entire space, and everything seemed as if frozen.

Shengjilesi spread its wings, gaped its mouth, rarely showing tension.

Two hundred Holy Blood Guards were preparing to use their armor as nodes for the matrix beam that releases the "Deadly Killing Formation".

The leader‑class warrior insects' belatedly enhanced biological barrier power, but Shengjilesi's speed was simply too fast, still allowing its true leader…

Explosion.

Indeed, the toad at this moment was halted, expanding and bursting from the inside out due to the arrow's explosion.

In fact, before the toad explained the origin of the Tai Luo Insect Race to Shengjilesi, presumably before entering this land‑insect's interior space, Shengjilesi had already begun continuously channeling Spiritual Energy to the Hunting Bow.

Upon reaching the toad's front, it further rapidly siphoned his Spiritual Energy.

Regarding this, Shengjilesi merely made a simple disguise, without excessive concealment or deception.

One must know that the toad is a composite of ancient saint remnants; even though it has become a "brain insect" of the Tai Luo Insect Race and the central hub of the nest's will, its use and control of Spiritual Energy far exceeds imagination.

Therefore, the toad knew that Shengjilesi was constantly poised and ready.

But when Shengjilesi offered all his Spiritual Energy as a "sacrifice"…

This sacrifice was not the usual one; instead, he made a pact with the Hunting Bow, letting the bow fully absorb and ingest nearly all his Spiritual Energy, then forcibly convert it into a purely "physical" arrow.

(Spiritual Energy depletion can be recovered through rest, but if an OriginalBody exhausts all its Spiritual Energy at once, it either must retreat to a deep pocket dimension for rapid recovery, or in the material universe requires several years of convalescence.)

This can be counted as one of Shengjilesi's self‑created spells.

Moreover, before Shengjilesi's contact with the Tai Luo Insect Race, a vague vision and perception foretold that he would one day need it; he then secretly honed this technique, reaching consummate mastery, making it his unique, unparalleled personal spell.

After all, who would trade their own Spiritual Energy with a weapon to obtain a "physical" arrow that lacks demon‑slaying or god‑slaying capabilities?

Thus, when the Hunting Bow's Spiritual Energy reaction vanished, Shengjilesi's own Spiritual Energy suddenly dwindled…

This left the former ancient saint, now the toad, momentarily unable to discern what had occurred.

Seizing this gap, Shengjilesi employed his OriginalBody‑level speed, reaction, and strength to instantly fire that "physical" arrow.

Then it successfully pierced the biological barrier, which was maxed with anti‑Spiritual Energy, anti‑energy properties, and detonated the toad.

It need not have come to this.

Because Shengjilesi, having foreseen and sensed this scene years ago, seemed to know that the instant the toad exploded would cause the nest's will to collapse and become chaotic at high speed, yet also briefly lift the land‑insect's isolation barrier.

Therefore, he used the last sliver of Spiritual Energy to ignite a light in the Sea of Souls, allowing his father, the Human Emperor, to immediately sense this place…

Thus golden light shimmered, causing time here to nearly halt indefinitely, and Sui Bian, clad in black, his left gauntlet bearing the Emperor's claw and his waist bearing the Emperor's sword, "materialized" not far in front of Shengjilesi.

"…"

Sui Bian turned slightly, looked up at his once youngest son, then shifted his gaze to the distant toad, surrounded and protected by numerous leader‑class warrior insects.

Just now, Sui Bian was in Universe 101, continuing a crushing expedition to purge the First Empire.

Suddenly, he heard Shengjilesi's call, and also sensed the Spiritual Energy Defensive Barrier in the core of Expedition‑072 being forcibly lifted in an instant.

Thus Sui Bian directly employed inter‑universal level Spiritual Energy transmission to arrive at Shengjilesi's side.

The next moment.

Even without blinking, unable to trace the motion, Sui Bian had already "flashed" from near Shengjilesi to the side of the toad.

He turned his right hand to his back, observed briefly, and understood Shengjilesi's intent.

Immediately…

He extended his left hand, fitted with the Emperor's claw, and easily pierced the toad's flesh with his fingertips, delving inside.

Then, time flow at that instant returned to normal.

But with a "whoosh—" the massive, bloated, aged, and exploding body of the toad was swiftly "absorbed".

Indeed, in less than a blink, the toad was completely "devoured" by the Emperor's claw, leaving not a trace.

However, this excludes the physical arrow shot by Shengjilesi.

Only the "ding~! ding!" of a few metallic clangs were heard, and the dark‑golden arrow was seen falling onto the platform of the toad's nest.

!!!

"Roar!!"

Seeing their leader absorbed by a human and unable to sense its existence, over five hundred leader‑class warrior insects surrounding them erupted in fury.

They roared with a howl capable of shaking the entire land‑insect, brandishing bone blades, intending to encircle and strangle Sui Bian.

One must admit, serving as the toad's guard, the over five hundred leader‑class insects' overwhelming aura and pressure rival any OriginalBody, and even give the illusion that top‑tier forces like John or Rus, if present, might stand a chance of a draw.

Like the Spiritual Energy‑depleted Shengjilesi, he now had to draw his sword and drive the blade into the bone‑made ground, to avoid being blasted away by the pressure released by the leader‑class.

The Holy Blood Guard then converted the matrix beam originally meant for attack into a Defensive Barrier, placing it around their OriginalBodies to ensure Shengjilesi would suffer no harm.

As for protecting Sui Bian?

"Puff! Puff!"

Before the Holy Blood Guard could finish constructing the Defensive Barrier, a brief yet extremely violent bodily explosion reverberated through the space.

Looking out toward the platform.

Sui Bian remained standing unchanged, but the over five hundred leader‑class warrior insects turned into piles of meat strips and chunks, blood flowing like rivers, with no whole corpse left.

"…"

Seeing this, Shengjilesi couldn't help his mouth corner twitch.

Although as a son of his father, he still didn't know just how powerful Sui Bian had become.

And those leader‑class insects, even at his prime, required the Holy Blood Guard's assistance and consumed considerable stamina and energy to eradicate them all.

After all, leader‑class possess extremely strong Spiritual Shielding, thus creating an illusion that even an OriginalBody is helpless.

However…

His father, however, simply relied on his flesh and pure strength; even using OriginalBody, no trace of the speed that completed an instant kill could be observed…

Otherwise, those alien vermin would be wary, they would be fearful.

Ordinary imperial rulers are outstanding politicians, but the human emperor fundamentally does not need to talk politics; force alone can sweep everything aside, flip the table over a disagreement, and any civilized species would have to be wary.

At this moment.

Sui Bian flashed before Shengjilesi, personally bent down and reached out to help up his son, who could be considered to have rendered great service, and said:

"I'll let Rog and Sui Meng know later, letting you temporarily withdraw from the expedition, go home to rest properly, and after fully recovering, consider fighting again; during this time, focus on your star region construction."

"Okay, father."

Shengjilesi knew this was his father's way of showing concern; after all, he now only has pure strong physique, and although he still fears no most threats in the real universe, from his father's perspective, he could be considered to have suffered a "mortal wound".

He stood up.

He hung the hunting bow at his waist, returned his sidearm sword to its sheath, Shengjilesi looked around and asked: "Father, was it successful?"

"Of course." Sui Bian smiled faintly.

——————

…

Not long ago.

Land insect ground.

"Die! Die, you vermin!"

"Whoa! Haha! Exhilarating!"

"Boom! Rumble!!"

"Clang! Clang-clang!!"

The excited, fervent battle cries, explosions and gunfire, echoed across the landing zone that had become a battlefield.

Only seen were the baiting assault troops, the Honor Iron Fist, and the Sangheili Assault Division, or relying on various units' armor as cover, exchanging fire with the endless insect sea tide.

Alternatively, they actively launched a reverse charge against the insects; for instance, after being lectured and mocked by the Iron Fist company commander, each wanted to prove they were no inferior to any veteran in the assault troops' battle squad.

However, the battle squad's numbers have now been reduced by more than half.

Moreover, the Tai Luo Insect Race seemed to have gone mad, continuously dispatching numerous chiefs and Titan-class insects, causing everyone's pressure to surge.

At this moment.

Then appeared a creature with the outline and size of a seductive demoness, but its appearance was uglier than those demons by a hundredfold, bearing a large head crest and spiky chief serpent worm that swiftly charged.

In less than the blink of an eye, this serpent worm rushed into the battle squad and into a position constructed by mixing an auxiliary army battalion.

Moreover, this creature's reaction was extremely agile, relying on its biological stance to stubbornly resist concentrated fire while vigorously swinging its tail at a squad of auxiliary troops.

"Rou!!" came tearing through the air.

!!

Several auxiliary troops successively rolled left and right to successfully evade.

But this chief serpent worm didn't think its tail-swing attack would succeed in one go; moreover, it seemed merely trying to drive back the auxiliary squad, its true target being the battle squad leader not far away.

Thus the serpent worm feigned a forward advance, appearing to want to deal with that auxiliary squad, but then suddenly turned and swiftly lunged at the squad leader who had already lost an arm.

However, the squad leader had prepared early, raising his power sword and likewise advancing to meet it.

After all, they had been sparring for over a year; the serpent worm is cunning and likes to assassinate commanders, something the squad leader could not be unaware of.

"…"

"Howl!!"

Just as the silent squad leader charged past the biological barrier, the dark red lightning of his power sword was about to touch the blade the roaring serpent worm swung forth, when the bared fangs and ferocious creature suddenly seemed to crash.

??

Although the squad leader who sensed the anomaly was puzzled, he would certainly not miss this opportunity to easily kill the enemy.

"Sizzle!!" in an instant, the beheading was completed.

"Plop!!" the serpent worm, its body severed, slid over ten meters on the ground due to inertia before stopping.

Then the squad leader deactivated the lightning stance, returned his power sword to its sheath, took out his plasma pistol, and habitually gave the serpent worm's corpse a plasma blast while also scanning the entire battlefield.

???

Just looking at it left the squad leader even more bewildered.

The cannon fire, gunfire, and nuclear explosions abruptly ceased, because all the invading insects had fallen into a crashed state, dazed and immobile.

But then.

The insect swarm again receded like a retreating tide, regardless of how the expedition forces reacted, they simply turned and left.

This…

What is this situation?

The squad leader was puzzled.

However, Sui Meng and Rog, piloting the DivineBody at the front line, could keenly sense that the land insects' shield stance had failed, as well as their father's Spiritual Energy fluctuations.

However, what slightly surprised the two OriginalBodies was that they also sensed their father's trace from the retreating Tai Luo Insect tide!?

Inside the cockpit.

Rog, via the DivineBody's sight, seeing this scene couldn't help but be stunned, opened comms: "I say… Sui Meng little brother, I don't know why, I always feel that Shengjilesi summoned father over, and then father… plundered the Tai Luo Insect Race…?"

"Hmm." Sui Meng on the other end of the comm expressed agreement with this view.

"Quiet down." At that moment, Sui Bian's voice suddenly transmitted through their private comms.

Moreover, Rog also saw a golden radiance swiftly sweeping from all directions of the land insects, in just a moment enveloping him, Sui Meng, and the entire expedition force.

No need to guess; Rog knew it was his father releasing Spiritual Energy protection, instantly healing all wounded and dying comrades.

Immediately after, Sui Bian reminded over the comm: "The Tai Luo Insect Race, including their hive will, are all mine; also, tell all the children that if they want to vent their anger, they can just fire at will."

As for those children who have already passed away, I have also guided them to the Isle of Heroes to rest in peace; there is no need for excessive sorrow or regret—turn grief into motivation and change this encounter into experience.

Finally, once the battlefield is cleared, have all units withdraw to Ark 002, then the two of you go to the meeting room of the Never-Fallen Ship; I have something to discuss with you privately.

"Yes, Father." The two spoke in unison.

———————

…

Soon after.

The inner world of the Never-Fallen Ship.

The meeting room inside the office building at the exact center of the construction zone, situated on the top floor.

Only saw Sui Bian, who had put away the Emperor's Claw and Emperor's Sword, sitting on a giant sofa fit for those three meters or taller, looking out through the floor-to-ceiling window at the artificial star.

Ancient Saints,

Star God,

Space Death Spirit…

He has, through absorbing the toad—i. e., the last survivor of the Ancient Saints—gained a more comprehensive understanding than Shengjilesi of what happened in the 03 universe tens of billions of years ago.

If the Sea of Souls is the precursor of another dimension, and the vast war erupted by the Ancient Saints, Star Gods, and Space Death Spirits also led to the birth of evil gods and demons…

Then the 03 universe might possibly be the starting point.

However, he, who has researched the universe with Magnus for two hundred years, is more inclined to believe that the multiverse erupted simultaneously and is constantly branching and expanding at every moment.

As for the Tai Luo Insect Race…

Yes, just as he told Rog and Sui Meng, the Tai Luo Insect Race and the insect nest's will now belong to him.

Everyone, please take a day off the day after tomorrow if possible.

I'm not sure if I have a fever; the thermometer in my rented place isn't prepared, and nearby stores are all sold out, and even antigen tests are T-T.

The main joints in my neck and waist are swollen and painful; likely I've been infected. Everyone must have masks and alcohol ready, and even after testing negative, we should stay vigilant, otherwise there's still a chance of relapse.

Finally, thank you all for your support—thanks for subscriptions, donations, recommendation tickets, and monthly tickets~!

(End of chapter)