Chapter 662: Power

"Ah…"

A scream erupted from beneath the ground.

The venomous insect shrieked as it cried: "Damn it, damn it… damn you, human! Today, you will die!"

From this, it was clear that the insect had been driven underground by He Pingsheng's strike—yet it had suffered only superficial damage.

Indeed!

The next instant, the ten-thousand-zhang desert around them trembled.

Boom…

A colossal column of wind and sand shot upward, hurtling straight toward He Pingsheng.

Boom… boom… boom…

Again and again, columns of wind and sand formed around him.

In an instant, countless wind-sand pillars churned across the entire ten-thousand-zhang expanse, converging to attack He Pingsheng from all sides.

"Kakakakakakakaka…"

The insect emitted an unbearable screech, then slowly rose from the sand.

It was a colossal creature over three hundred zhang in length.

Its entire body was pitch black, covered in a glossy, jet-black carapace as it crouched upon the sand.

Beyond its eight legs, it possessed two massive pincers, and at its rear, two venomous tails, each bearing two sharp, hardened stingers.

This was the insect's true form.

It resembled a scorpion—but was not one.

"Sss… sssss…"

Suddenly, the insect's tail elongated like a vine, rapidly extending into the surrounding wind-sand pillars.

Countless venomous auras were expelled.

Within a radius of ten thousand zhang, the land became a hellish poison field.

A golden light membrane surfaced atop the wind-sand pillars, trapping He Pingsheng within this confined space.

"Hahahaha…" the insect laughed loudly: "Little human, savor the full force of my poison!"

"Within three breaths, you will surely die!"

Undeniably, the insect's poison was extremely potent.

Had He Pingsheng not specifically cultivated a venom-resistant body, he would have perished within two breaths, let alone three.

Yet, unfortunately for the insect…

He Pingsheng was a master of poison.

One breath… two breaths… three breaths!

In the blink of an eye, over a dozen breaths had passed.

He Pingsheng still stood calmly amidst the wind and sand.

"What's going on?" The giant insect shuddered: "You… you're human, right? Why is my poison ineffective against you?"

He Pingsheng ignored him, raising one hand slightly; his internal magic power surged forth, coalescing into a massive lightning orb.

Technique: Thunderclap Gathering the Sun!

This technique was a Heaven-grade ability, of lightning affinity.

Yet He Pingsheng rarely used it.

"Fall…"

He swept his hand; the hundred-zhang lightning orb blazed like a silver sun, slicing through the wind and sand to strike the giant insect's back.

Boom…

Vast torrents of lightning energy exploded outward.

Boom…

The entire ten-thousand-zhang realm of wind and sand, woven from countless pillars, was instantly shredded by the lightning.

Yet what shocked He Pingsheng was that this overwhelming lightning force had not harmed the giant insect beneath the sand.

The insect had absorbed it all.

"This…" He Pingsheng froze: "So strong a defense?"

"Is its shell this hard?"

"Hahahaha…" The insect laughed triumphantly: "Lightning has no effect on me… Boy, you are indeed strong—but your cultivation base is far too low!"

"The gap in realm cannot be bridged by combat prowess alone!"

"Venomous Dragon Stinger…"

As the insect spoke, it roared sharply; its four venomous stingers shot forth like four sharp, rigid needles aimed at He Pingsheng.

Each needle measured three chi in length.

Extremely slender, and moving at blinding speed!

Clearly, each stinger carried lethal poison.

This time, He Pingsheng did not summon his crimson turtle shell; instead, he activated a spell: Yellow Turban Giant!

Boom…

Now at the tenth layer of Soul Transformation, the Yellow Turban Giant manifested instantly at a hundred zhang tall.

A hundred-zhang black giant stood before He Pingsheng.

Its sole purpose: to block the four venomous stingers.

Puff… puff… puff…

Soon, the four stingers pierced the Black Turban Giant's body.

Yet He Pingsheng soon realized he had overestimated the giant's defense—and underestimated the power of a Void Refinement expert's attack.

In less than a breath, the Black Turban Giant was obliterated.

The four stingers continued hurtling toward He Pingsheng.

Their momentum had not diminished.

He Pingsheng had no choice; even now, summoning the crimson turtle shell would not suffice.

He could only rely on his own body.

"Om… om… om…" He chanted the Nine Venom Golden Body incantation; his physical strength surged dramatically.

Puff… puff… puff…

Even so, the four stingers pierced his skin, embedding themselves into his two arms and two legs.

They passed straight through.

Puff…

The four stingers emerged from He Pingsheng's body and retreated into the insect's tail, vanishing once more.

"Hahahaha… boy… you're dead!"

The giant insect retracted its true form, reverting to a humanoid body.

Yet He Pingsheng did not collapse from poison as expected—instead, the four blood wounds on his body healed instantly.

There was no sign of poisoning whatsoever.

"What's happening?"

"How is this possible?"

"Do you have a poison-resistant magic treasure?"

"Forget it, forget it… you have poison resistance, I won't fight you anymore…"

"Leave!"

Ssshh… ssshh…

To He Pingsheng's astonishment, the insect burrowed directly into the ground and vanished.

Ran away?

Damn it…

He Pingsheng nearly cursed aloud: You ran off mid-battle because I resist poison?

You're a Void Refinement expert!

This…

He Pingsheng did not know that the primary combat method of such venomous insects was their poison—if their poison failed, their combat power dropped drastically compared to peers of the same realm.

One could only say: the insect had self-awareness!

But clearly, He Pingsheng would not let this go.

"Boom…"

"Boom boom boom…"

He hovered in midair, unleashing a barrage of strikes upon the sand below.

Yet it had little effect.

The sand layer here was far too thick—he could not reach the insect buried deep beneath.

Moreover, the insect moved with uncanny agility within the sand.

"Won't come out, eh… don't regret this!" He Pingsheng pulled out the Primordial Purple Gold Staff once more.

With a thought, the staff transformed into a purple-red spear.

Boom boom boom…

He Pingsheng's magic power surged into the spear.

Technique: Ten Thousand Annihilations Return to Origin!

Man and spear become one!

A divine spear, three hundred zhang in size, crashed down onto the sandy ground below.

During its descent, the divine spear grew another two hundred zhang, reaching five hundred zhang in length.

With a single strike, it locked the void and immobilized time!

Even deep within the hundred-zhang sandy earth, the giant insect could not escape.