The locusts surrounded Foundation Deity City.
In the north, there was a burning valley where many locusts gathered.
Gu Hai looked over and saw a red-clad man standing at the center of the fire. However, that man did not have a human head but a locust’s. Clearly, this was the king of the locust army.
Gu Hai’s group looked down from the clouds.
The locust king suddenly turned his head to look at the sky, seeming to have noticed something.
“Oh no! We got discovered!” Ensnaring Performance’s expression changed.
“Rush towards Foundation Deity City’s gate!” Gu Hai called out.
Boom!
The flying ship shot towards Foundation Deity City.
“Huangfu Chaoge, I am Gu Hai! Open the gate!” Gu Hai shouted towards Foundation Deity City.
“Roar!” The locust king pointed to Gu Hai’s flying ship.
Buzz!
A vast locust army rushed at the flying ship.
However, the flying ship was a flying ship in the end. It moved swiftly.
The flying ship’s ritual arrays activated. Everywhere the flying ship passed, it knocked away large swarms of locusts.
Countless locusts burst, and the flying ship arrived at the gate.
Boom!
The gate opened just then, crashing into many locusts. Then, the White Cloud flying ship charged in.
Creak!
The city gates started to close once more, and loud sounds came from outside.
“Hurry! Quickly help hold the gate. The locust army went mad and is trying to knock the city gate down. We can’t let them get in!” many soldiers roared.
The locusts that managed to enter attacked the soldiers.
Boom!
Finally, a few foundation rock golems managed to shut the door tight after putting in their all.
The soldiers also managed to destroy the locusts that flew in with the White Cloud.
Whoosh!
Gu Hai put away the flying ship and looked at the soldiers, who were in a sorry state.
“Mister…Mister Gu!” the leader of these guards greeted respectfully when he saw Gu Hai, but he still showed a worried expression.
“Oh? I know you. You were there when Huangfu Chaoge and I went to destroy the Heptagold Sect.” Gu Hai recognized the general in front of him at a glance.
“Yes, this humble one was there,” that general said bitterly.
The people in the vicinity all showed worried expressions as well.
“Where’s Huangfu Chaoge? What happened? Can’t you deal with these locusts?” Gu Hai frowned.
“Mister Gu, come with me. I’ll bring you to meet His Majesty,” that general said bitterly.
Gu Hai nodded and let that general board the White Cloud. Then, they headed for the palace in the city.
The general remained worried throughout.
“What’s wrong? What happened? Is Huangfu Chaoge not going to do anything about these locusts? Where’s the Foundation Rock Deity?” Gu Hai frowned.
“The Foundation Rock Deity…already fell. His Majesty…His Majesty…” that general stammered bitterly.
Gu Hai raised his eyebrows and did not pursue the question. The flying ship quickly reached the palace.
It seemed like everyone knew of Gu Hai’s arrival. When the soldiers in the palace saw Gu Hai, they respectfully directed the flying ship to a large palace hall.
Many civil and military officials lingered anxiously outside the palace hall.
“Mister…Mister Gu, His Majesty has been waiting!” Some of the officials Gu Hai was familiar with immediately came forward.
Gu Hai frowned slightly and nodded.
He got Ensnaring Performance to remain outside with the rest while he entered the palace hall alone with the officials.
Ice filled the palace hall. Huangfu Chaoge sat weakly in a pool of ice in the center. His hair was in disarray, and his body radiated intense heat, continuously melting the ice.
“Your Majesty, Mister…Mister Gu has arrived!” the officials that lead the way said respectfully.
Within the pool of ice, Huangfu Chaoge opened his eyes. A bitter look flashed in his eyes as he said, “Gu Hai, you finally came.”
“Mister Huangfu, what…what happened to you?” Gu Hai exclaimed in shock.
“Cough! Cough! Cough! Cough! Mister Gu, the Foundation Rock Deity has fallen. He wanted me to give this to you before he died,” Huangfu Chaoge said, proffering a jade box.
Gu Hai received the jade box with a trace of bewilderment. Then, he gently opened it.
Buzz!
Suddenly, a resplendent brown light came from the box.
“This is?” Gu Hai revealed a trace of awe.
“The foundation rock golem’s deity, an earth deity. The Foundation Rock Deity wanted me to give it to you. Before he died, he asked that you take revenge for him and protect the foundation rock golems,” Huangfu Chaoge said bitterly.
“An earth deity?” Gu Hai raised his eyebrows.
“The Foundation Rock Deity knows that you need it. Ha! I can’t use it. Quickly absorb it. I’ll wait for you,” Huangfu Chaoge said bitterly.
Gu Hai frowned as he looked at Huangfu Chaoge.
Huangfu Chaoge appeared extremely weak as he looked at Gu Hai in anticipation.
“Alright!” Gu Hai nodded. He did not say anything more, feeling heavy-hearted.
Then, he reached out to the earth deity in the box.
The instant the earth deity touched Gu Hai’s hand, it entered his body. Gu Hai did not resist.
Although the Foundation Rock Deity had died, the earth deity had not. Just like with Granny Qing Hua’s wood deity, it was still conscious, so Gu Hai did not need to refine it. It took the initiative to alter Gu Hai’s spleen.
Buzz!
Surging, earth-attributed Divine Energy immediately covered Gu Hai’s spleen.
Gu Hai sat down cross-legged and sank his consciousness into his body. His spleen shone with a brown light, resonating with the golden lungs, green liver, and blue kidneys.
When the earth deity arrived, it heavily struck the spleen.
Boom!
The spleen aperture burst open, and the brown Divine Energy instantly filled the spleen.
Gu Hai sat there for four hours. After that, a whirlpool developed in his spleen. Then, a brown earth deity palace formed in the spleen aperture.
Buzz!
Gu Hai opened his eyes, and his body gave off a shock wave.
“The Golden Core Realm’s eighth layer and the spleen aperture opened,” Gu Hai said.
Although Gu Hai made a breakthrough in cultivation, he could not bring himself to smile.
“It’s good that you broke through. Hah,” Huangfu Chaoge sighed.
“Mister Huangfu, what happened?” Gu Hai stared at Huangfu Chaoge.
Huangfu Chaoge appeared slightly bitter as he said, “Mister Gu, your predictions were right. The previous Heptagold Sect, the Ravenous Wolf Sect, and the Huang Royal Dynasty were all secretly Lu Yang’s factions. We destroyed the Heptagold Sect. However, after you left, the Huang Royal Dynasty and the Ravenous Wolf Sect sent experts to destroy my Divine Foundation Royal Dynasty. As a result, the Foundation Rock Deity fell.”
“Oh?” Gu Hai raised his eyebrows.
Huangfu Chaoge explained, “It was on Lu Yang’s orders. Ha! He wanted to take revenge for the destruction of his Heptagold Sect, so he sent the experts of the Huang Royal Dynasty and the Ravenous Wolf Sect. The Foundation Rock Deity fell into their trap and…”
Gu Hai frowned slightly. “Then, the locusts outside?”
“The Huang Royal Dynasty’s national beast is the fire locust. The people from the Ravenous Wolf Sect and the Huang Royal Dynasty left not long ago, but the Fire Locust Deity and the fire locusts remained to destroy my Foundation Deity City. The results are as you see now,” Huangfu Chaoge said with a bitter smile.
“The Fire Locust Deity?” Gu Hai frowned slightly.
“Hah. I do not know why the Ravenous Wolf Sect and the Huang Royal Dynasty withdrew, but leaving behind the fire locusts was already sufficient. Right now, I am poisoned and am not a match for them. Furthermore, I am in a critical state. That’s why I handed my nation to you in hopes of calling you over to save my citizens,” Huangfu Chaoge said bitterly.
“What’s wrong with you?” Gu Hai looked at Huangfu Chaoge worriedly.
“I got inflicted with fire locust poison, the poison of the fire locusts outside. All the energy in my body is nourishing the fire poison, and this will continue until I am drained of energy and die,” Huangfu Chaoge said bitterly.
“How do I save you?” Gu Hai asked worriedly.
Huangfu Chaoge smiled bitterly and replied, “There’s no need to save me. Rescue my citizens. Right now, the fire locusts are about to drain the defensive ritual array’s energy. They will break into the city soon. Once they do, they will eat everything in the city.”
Gu Hai nodded and said, “I understand. Right now, I need everyone in the city to cooperate with me.”
“I have already given instructions. Go issue your orders. The defensive ritual array will last for ten more days at most,” Huangfu Chaoge said worriedly.
“I don’t need ten days!” Gu Hai shook his head.
Then, Gu Hai walked out of the palace hall.
Outside the palace hall, the officials bowed respectfully to Gu Hai, still feeling worried. “Salutations, Mister Gu. His Majesty ordered us to listen to Mister Gu’s instructions.”
“I need spirit stones. Immediately gather spirit stones from all the citizens. Record it all clearly. We will return them to the citizens in the future. I need spirit stones to lay a ritual array, countless spirit stones. The more, the better. Hurry! Hurry! Hurry!” Gu Hai instructed.
“Yes!” the officials answered.
The officials and citizens were already utterly anxious, like ants on a hotplate. Once the fire locusts broke into the city, they would immediately die. It was not that there were no reinforcements from the surrounding cities, but when the reinforcements arrived, the fire locusts had eaten them all. Everywhere the fire locusts went, they left nothing behind. Now, they were about to drain the ritual array. If nothing was done, it would be over for everyone in the city.
This was the entire fire locust race.
All the officials and citizens felt horrified. Now that they had instructions, it was like they found a pillar of support. When Gu Hai asked for spirit stones, the citizens gave without holding back. In the face of death, what was the point of having spirit stones?
In just one day, the spirit stones piled up like a mountain.
“Cough! Cough! Cough! Mister Gu, do you need spirit stones to lay a ritual array? However, no one can go out. Who can lay the ritual array?” Huangfu Chaoge asked worriedly.
“I’m going to release my dragon vein. I hope you don’t mind.” Gu Hai looked at Huangfu Chaoge.
“Cough! Cough! Cough! I don’t mind. Go ahead and release it. I’ll withdraw my dragon vein. Right now, I am poisoned and can’t do anything. I’ll have to rely on you,” Huangfu Chaoge said bitterly.
Gu Hai nodded.
——
Outside, the Fire Locust Deity gazed at Foundation Deity City with cold disdain flashing in his eyes.
Although the fire locusts were not comparable to some powerful animal spirit races, they had not met their match yet, no matter where they went. They consumed all their foes and multiplied extremely rapidly. It did not matter if some of them died, as endless replacements would be born.
“Faster! Break into Foundation Deity City, and you can consume everything in there!” the Fire Locust Deity said coldly.
Buzz! Countless fire locusts flapped their wings as they rushed to the city.
——
“Roar!”
On the third day after Gu Hai entered the city, a thunderous dragon roar rang out.
A gigantic golden dragon image, which seemed tens of thousands of kilometers long, suddenly consumed the pile of spirit stones at the palace.
Gu Hai held the Heaven Suppressing Divine Imperial Seal with his eyes narrowed. It seemed like he was controlling this enormous dragon released from the Heaven Suppressing Divine Imperial Seal.
“Roar!”
The dragon’s roar echoed. After Gu Hai unleashed the Han Royal Dynasty’s dragon vein, it gave a joyful cry before charging into the ground and merging with it.
Rumble…!
Foundation Deity City shook like there was an earthquake. Mountains rose, and peaks crumbled.
