The sky, the earth, the rules, everything.
The world-ending locusts, devouring all.
But fortunately, even in world-ending catastrophes, a sliver of hope can exist.
Hope lies here.
"Quake."
The immense cauldron, suspended across the firmament, shuddered once.
Ripples of rules spread outwards.
In an instant, the world-ending locusts plummeted from the sky like dumplings.
Billions of world-ending locusts, annihilated in an instant.
Billions of locusts, a staggering number, each the size of a fist.
Yet compared to the locust swarm, it was but a drop in the ocean.
"Buzz buzz buzz."
The locusts flapped their wings, their massive mandibles sinking into the great formation.
One, two, countless...
A dense array of mandibles pierced the grand formation like needle holes.
Abilities were siphoned away.
In an instant, countless energies flowed out, drawn by the mandibles.
"Quake again."
The middle-aged man commanded once more.
"Rumble."
The great cauldron trembled again.
The locusts clinging to the formation were reduced to dust.
However, more locusts descended.
"Hum."
At this moment, from the depths of Tiandang Mountain, dozens of shuttles flew out.
These colossal shuttles shot skyward with incredible speed, and ultimately, broke free of the cauldron.
"This..."
Witnessing the ascending shuttles, Chen Fan was stunned.
Such modern weaponry.
These shuttles were akin to the aircraft of the lower realms.
Indeed, they were remarkably similar.
Only the energy propulsion methods differed.
Beneath the shuttles, energy cannons appeared, and then...
"Boom, boom, boom."
The energy cannons unleashed a barrage of fire.
The dense swarm of locusts was riddled with gaping holes, suffering countless casualties.
It was worth noting that the energy dispersed from the dead world-ending locusts actually helped to mend the regions that had devolved into chaos.
The world-ending locusts devoured all, reducing everything to chaos.
Yet, after the locusts were slain, the power they had consumed would return to nourish heaven and earth, transforming the chaotic realms back to their normal state.
All things in the world, in a give and take, follow natural laws.
"Rumble rumble rumble."
The cauldron defended, the shuttles attacked.
Simultaneously...
"Kill."
A group of people, wielding weapons, charged out from the cauldron.
Their swords cleaved through the air, felling thousands of locusts with a single strike.
Giant hammers fell, causing the sky to collapse, and crushing countless locusts into paste.
Tiandang Mountain had long prepared for the onslaught of world-ending locusts.
A fierce battle, a bloody struggle.
This was a fight for survival.
But... there were too many world-ending locusts.
"Chirp chirp."
From the depths of the locust swarm, a peculiar sound suddenly emanated.
As the sound echoed, the somewhat chaotic world-ending locust swarm abruptly launched into a suicidal assault.
"Hum."
A vast expanse of locusts engulfed all the shuttles in the sky.
They charged fearlessly, one wave after another replaced by the next.
Finally... the shuttles' energy depleted.
The overwhelming horde of locusts submerged all the shuttles.
When the locusts dispersed, the shuttles were gone.
The people within the shuttles had also vanished.
"Not good."
At this moment, the group of people who had charged out of the formation turned and fled.
From the heart of the locust swarm, a crimson locust, its eyes blazing with destructive intent, fixed its gaze upon Tiandang Mountain.
"The Locust King."
"Run quickly..."
"The Locust King has arrived."
The grand formation gathered at Tiandang Mountain instantly collapsed.
At this instant, the morale of the people fractured.
No matter how the middle-aged man shouted, it was in vain.
Their faith had crumbled.
"What is that?"
Chen Fan's pupils contracted.
That crimson locust exuded a sense of threat.
The middle-aged man's eyes filled with despair: "The Locust King, a Half-Emperor cultivation. It's over..."
With the arrival of the Locust King, all would be annihilated.
"Boom."
Just then, a thunderous roar erupted from the depths of Tiandang Mountain.
A powerful aura, oppressive for eternity.
"Half-Emperor."
Chen Fan's head snapped around, his gaze fixed on the depths of Tiandang Mountain.
There, a towering figure flickered in and out of sight.
The middle-aged man's face lit up with excitement: "The Mountain Lord has acted! We..."
His words caught in his throat.
Because the figure, carrying a group of people, was fleeing.
This scene left everyone frozen in place.
Their minds had not yet processed what was happening.
"The Mountain Lord... ran away?"
Why?
They were fighting desperately here, yet the Mountain Lord had fled.
"No..."
The middle-aged man was also consumed by despair.
He watched as the Mountain Lord opened a void and departed, moving with astonishing speed.
As crises emerged along their path, they were casually smoothed over by the Mountain Lord.
This was the power of a Half-Emperor.
"Bang."
The middle-aged man stumbled and fell to the ground.
With his faith shattered, he no longer knew what to do.
And he was not alone.
Upon witnessing the Mountain Lord's escape, everyone despaired.
Tiandang Mountain, where tens of thousands had gathered.
Resistance had reached its limit.
In the sky...
"Boom."
The great cauldron shattered.
A relentless tide of locusts surged towards the mountain.
"Ah..."
Piercing screams echoed across heaven and earth.
"Why?"
"Mountain Lord, why did you abandon us?"
"We have served you for thousands of years, why?"
"..."
Unwilling to accept this fate.
This mountain was the Mountain Lord's Tiandang Mountain, his everything.
While they had received the Mountain Lord's protection, they had also made sacrifices over the years.
Over the years, surrounding forces had perished one by one, and Tiandang Mountain had managed to survive to this day due to their continuous efforts.
Over the years, had they not swept through the lands in order to survive?
They had supported the Mountain Lord for millennia, and at the brink of their existence, the Mountain Lord had fled first.
They had been abandoned.
However... there were still those who refused to accept this fate.
"Open."
The Yin Sword, with a single strike, cleaved the firmament.
The brilliance of this sword strike dazzled everyone's eyes.
The middle-aged man stared at the figure before him in disbelief.
"You..."
Looking at Chen Fan, he could hardly believe his eyes.
So powerful?
Chen Fan looked at him coldly: "The Mountain Lord is gone, and you have no power to resist? Are you waiting to die?"
These people had simply stopped resisting.
Truly...
"Boom."
Chen Fan ascended into the sky.
He faced the overwhelming world-ending locusts with utter fearlessness.
With a great roar.
A torrent of death energy surged outwards.
The Great Dao of Death, at this moment, was wielded by Chen Fan to its utmost extent.
Death energy, Yin energy, corrosion, Nether energy...
The aura swept across the world.
Countless world-ending locusts perished under the erosion of the death energy.
"Everyone, rise."
Chen Fan's voice echoed throughout Tiandang Mountain: "A bunch of useless wretches, no wonder the Mountain Lord abandoned you.
At the brink of life and death, even in death, one should die on the path of battle. As cultivators, you are a disgrace.
These words, while not revealing anything critical, were enough to make others ponder. Whether they were outsiders could not be determined from them.
"Kill."
Killing intent surged in all directions.
Concurrently, the Golden Silk Cicada Robe appeared, shielding Tiandang Mountain and temporarily repelling the world-ending locusts.
Seeing that the others still remained motionless.
Chen Fan spoke again: "Whether to resist or not is up to you. Ten breaths. If you are still waiting to die, I will leave immediately."