Chapter 2131: Insect Emperor Realm

It must be noted that the more than ten Blood Clan members who had just deployed were all Solar-tier cultivators, one of whom was at the peak of the Solar-tier, no less powerful than the Insect Emperor himself. Yet, this formidable force, even after first activating their Blood Sea art, was still annihilated by Lu Ye with a single strike from thousands of miles away.

The Insect Emperor could not fathom how such immense power could exist in this world. Not even the legendary treasured artifacts were rumored to possess such might. Who could possibly stand against such a powerful being? His grand ambitions shattered instantly, and a sense of alarm, stronger than ever before, surged within him.

The moment he made a move, the entire fleet instantly plunged into chaos. Many cultivators from both the Insect and Blood Clans were still unaware of what was happening, continuing to follow their previous orders to advance their warships. However, those quick to react began to abandon their vessels and flee. In an instant, the once meticulously ordered colossal fleet descended into utter chaos.

But soon, the fleeing Insect and Blood Clan cultivators gasped in horror, for from all directions, immense seas of blood surged towards their positions. The sheer vastness of these blood seas was unlike anything they had ever witnessed. Nine immense blood seas surged from different directions, making it impossible for the Insect and Blood Clan cultivators to escape their engulfing reach, no matter which way they fled. Within each of these blood seas, one of Lu Ye's Blood Treasure avatars was seated, commanding its power. While his Blood Treasure avatars could not be fully utilized within the Star Abyss, their effectiveness was entirely different in the void of space. The Insect and Blood Clan fleet was, quite literally, surrounded by Lu Ye alone.

The vast numbers of Insect and Blood Clan cultivators were in a panic and terrified, dodging like a group of headless flies for a time. However, they were eventually enveloped by the slowly encroaching blood seas, completely trapped with no room to maneuver.

Lu Ye moved with unhurried ease. The enormous blood seas floated silently in the void, with intermittent flashes of light erupting from within, only to be swiftly extinguished. A moment later, Lu Ye reached the blood seas, raised his hand, and they began to recede. Countless severed limbs and lifeless corpses, their faces contorted in grimaces, floated where they lay. The more than one hundred warships remained virtually unscathed, yet the attacking Insect and Blood Clan forces had been utterly destroyed.

For this battle, the Insect Emperor had personally led the army, mobilizing the vast majority of the two clans' high-tier combatants. With their annihilation, both clans had been dealt a crippling blow and would not recover for thousands, if not tens of thousands, of years.

Lu Ye turned to look at the Reincarnation Tree behind him; its withered trunk swayed gently in response. Lu Ye nodded and then darted forward.

Two days later, at the Insect Emperor Realm.

Across the entire cosmos, this was the most unique realm. Other realms, regardless of their inherent potential, possessed their own degree of vitality, as a realm could only be truly designated as such if it harbored life. The Insect Emperor Realm was an exception; it was utterly devoid of life, with not a single trace of verdure visible throughout its expanse. This was because it was a colossal primordial magnetic planet, with nearly eighty percent of its mass composed of primordial magnetic minerals. Within a hundred thousand-mile radius of the realm, cosmic spiritual power simply could not exist, its place taken entirely by an invisible, omnipresent primordial magnetic field.

Anyone entering this domain would experience severe suppression. Even Solar-tier cultivators, as powerful as they were, could not unleash their full power here. The Insect Clan discovered this place long ago and occupied it. Utilizing their unique talents, they were able to survive here. Indeed, it was due to the unique properties of the Insect Emperor Realm that the Insect Clan managed to endure. Otherwise, considering the hostile stance of other cosmic races towards the Insect Clan, they would have been wiped out long ago.

Within the Insect Emperor Realm stood only one tree: a branch of the Reincarnation Tree. However, as the main Reincarnation Tree weakened, this branch had long since withered away. During the Reincarnation Tree Divine Sea Struggle, which Lu Ye had participated in years ago, Insect Clan members from the Insect Emperor Realm were present. Had the Reincarnation Tree been in its prime, Lu Ye could have directly transported himself into the Insect Emperor Realm by utilizing the mysterious connection between the main tree and its branch. However, this was currently impossible. The Reincarnation Tree was undergoing its cycle of reincarnation, and bringing the eleven of them back from the Star Abyss had already severely drained the Tree's energy.

Fortunately, many worm-paths had emerged across the cosmos, making travel between locations relatively easy. It took Lu Ye only two days to reach the vicinity of the Insect Emperor Realm. Gazing from a distance at the brown primordial magnetic planet, Lu Ye couldn't help but marvel at the wonders of creation.

Outside the Insect Emperor Realm, over a dozen colossal insect hives floated. Each hive was the size of a Solar-tier construct, meaning they normally housed Solar-tier powerhouses. The Insect Clan would typically pilot their insect hives as they drifted through the cosmos. Upon encountering a suitable realm, they would invade it to plunder resources essential for their growth. These resources were stored within the hives, with a portion used to sustain them, while the majority was transported back to the Insect Emperor Realm. Realms invaded by the Insect Clan were invariably left utterly devoid of life.

Beyond these dozen-plus Solar-tier insect hives, the interior of the Insect Emperor Realm housed an even greater number of lower-grade hives. From Lu Ye's vantage point, one particular area was teeming with these hives, resembling countless silkworm cocoons. In preparation for the impending grand movement, all elite forces of the Blood Clan had abandoned their respective realms to seek refuge with the Insect Clan. The Insect Clan, for their part, had recalled all their drifting hives, consolidating their power. However, neither the Blood Clan nor the Insect Clan had anticipated that Lu Ye and his companions would return from the Star Abyss wielding an unstoppable force, a turn of events that sealed their doom.

The moment he stepped into the hundred thousand-mile radius surrounding the Insect Emperor Realm, Lu Ye felt his spiritual energy circulation becoming sluggish. This was clearly the result of the primordial magnetic field's interference, an effect that would intensify the closer he got to the realm, until his spiritual energy fully congealed and could no longer be utilized. Without spiritual energy, cultivators could only rely on their physical bodies, their strength reduced to less than a tenth of its original potency. While ordinary cultivators encountering such a situation would certainly steer clear of the area, Lu Ye allowed himself to be drawn rapidly closer to the Insect Emperor Realm.

He subtly activated the power of his Talent Root Tree, and instantly, the entire surface of his body became covered with its roots. The sensation of interference vanished without a trace, and his sluggish spiritual energy resumed its smooth flow. Lu Ye felt a surge of satisfaction. He recalled how, when he was in Kyushu, the Talent Root Tree's power was still unable to negate the primordial magnetic field's interference. But at that time, the Talent Root Tree had only undergone its second transformation, a far cry from its current state. After its fourth transformation, the Talent Root Tree was clearly beyond the primordial magnetic field's ability to contend with.

After this test, he retracted the Talent Root Tree's power and instead activated his Dao energy. He discovered it was equally effective; after integrating Dao energy with his spiritual energy, the primordial magnetic field's interference was completely nullified. He descended ever faster, a fiery aura blooming around him, like a streaking meteor.

Within the Insect Emperor Realm, countless Insect and Blood Clan members looked up and watched. Under their horrified gazes, Lu Ye smashed directly into the heart of the countless converging insect hives. With a colossal impact, the entire Insect Emperor Realm seemed to tremble violently. Centered on the point of descent, a visible shockwave radiated outwards. Everything for tens of thousands of miles around was instantly razed to the ground, and the countless insect hives were completely annihilated by the violent impact.

Empowered by Dao energy, his divine consciousness surged outwards like a tide, instantly encompassing the entire Insect Emperor Realm. In that instant, every Insect and Blood Clan member with any level of cultivation felt their hearts seized with terror, as an inexplicable sense of impending doom washed over them.

"'A grand era is upon us, and the cosmos faces grave peril. The Insect and Blood Clans, whose desire to plunge the cosmos into chaos remains undying, must be purged, to serve as an example!'"

The resounding voice echoed across the realm, accompanied by a spreading crimson tide. From an aerial perspective, the entire Insect Emperor Realm appeared to be bleeding. From Lu Ye's position, a sea of blood aggressively expanded in all directions. In a short span, a vast expanse of crimson appeared across the enormous planet, and this crimson continued to spread with astonishing speed. Ten seconds later, half of the Insect Emperor Realm was engulfed in crimson. Fifteen seconds later, the entire Insect Emperor Realm had transformed into a crimson orb!

The sea of blood churned, and innumerable beings bobbed and drowned within it. Curses, shouts, pleas for mercy, and mournful screams sounded the final dirge for the cosmos' two largest clans. The Blood Clan cultivators still residing in the Insect Emperor Realm never could have imagined that after seeking refuge there, only a dozen years later, they would face utter annihilation! Had they been elsewhere, they might have had a chance to fight, but within the Insect Emperor Realm, their powers were completely nullified, leaving them only to await their demise. Conversely, some Insect Clan cultivators, sensing trouble, attempted to escape the realm, but immersed in the blood sea, they couldn't possibly ascertain their direction.

Swaths of life began to be extinguished. Even the dozen-plus Solar-tier insect hives suspended outside the Insect Emperor Realm were crushed by massive crimson hands that surged from the blood sea.

"'Destroying my clan with such acts of tyranny! Whoever you are, you shall surely face divine retribution!'" An angry, aged voice boomed from within the blood sea.

Lu Ye traced the source of the voice, finding an enraged, aged Insect Clan elder shouting from within an ancient, altar-like structure. He clutched a staff, standing hunched and gazing skyward. His garishly colored robes made him appear peculiarly outlandish.

The Insect Clan's High Priest? A thought crossed Lu Ye's mind. Just over a decade ago, he might have held some curiosity towards this Insect Clan High Priest and wished to engage in dialogue. But now, that was no longer necessary; under absolute power, all resistance and boasting were futile. Furthermore, when it came to the Star Abyss, this Insect Clan High Priest likely knew less than Lu Ye himself.

"'Divine retribution?'" Lu Ye scoffed. "'How many realms has your Insect Clan destroyed already? If divine retribution exists, then I am your clan's retribution!'"

Beside the Insect Clan High Priest, a crimson vortex materialized out of thin air, from which an ethereal figure emerged, bearing a faint resemblance to Lu Ye. With a casual strike, it struck the High Priest, utterly obliterating him. This individual wasn't even Solar-tier! In terms of cultivation, he was merely late Moon-Realm, yet it was baffling how he had become the Insect Clan's High Priest.

Countless crimson vortices churned within the blood sea, and from each, figures bearing Lu Ye's outline emerged, wreaking havoc. These crimson figures continuously dissipated and materialized elsewhere, bringing death to every location they appeared in. Within a short time, the majority of life in the Insect Emperor Realm was extinguished.