Everyone could clearly sense the unusual changes occurring on Giant Peak Mountain, and their expressions shifted in unison!
Lin Xiaoyao of the Xiaoyao Heavenly Palace frowned deeply. He released his full chakra and probed the earth, trying to discern the source of this strange energy.
The other powerful cultivators also used their own methods to investigate the origin of the disturbance.
Despite their varied approaches, none of them could pinpoint where this mysterious aura was coming from!
However, Senju Yukika was the first to sense something odd—there seemed to be numerous entities slumbering beneath the surface. Just then, a sudden jolt ran through him as he became fully alert.
Not far from him, the ground abruptly cracked open, and a beam of gray light shot out from within!
Encased in the light was a creature about the size of a fist. It resembled a locust, but its color was dark gray.
This locust-like beast was covered in sharp spikes, and a long, glowing blue horn protruded from its head—clearly highly toxic!
The moment this strange creature appeared, many of those present instantly recognized it, and their faces turned pale with shock!
"It's one of those legendary locust beasts that haven't appeared in a century—are we really this unlucky?!"
"These monsters never come alone. If there's one, it means an army is following. Everyone, be on your guard!"
"Legend says that once these locust beasts pass through an area, no grass will ever grow again. They devour everything in their path!"
Faced with the immense pressure of this locust beast's arrival, the crowd's faces were grim.
According to legend, the depths of this planet were home to countless locust beasts. No one knew their true origin, but they were impossible to kill and their root source couldn't be destroyed.
Each time these creatures surfaced, they brought about apocalyptic devastation.
Once, in an ancient city of the Rakshasa Kingdom, a swarm of these world-ending locust beasts emerged and overran the land.
The entire population of that city was reduced to white bones. The incident shook not only the Rakshasa Kingdom and neighboring nations but even reached the royal family of the planet, who dispatched elite cultivators to investigate.
A top cultivator tried to infiltrate the underground nest to destroy it. After three days and nights of exhausting effort, he returned to the surface utterly drained.
He reportedly found the nest, but the number of locust beasts was so overwhelming that it drove him to despair.
Even if he expended all his chakra, he likely still wouldn't have been able to eliminate the swarming beasts.
Now, the prophecy had come true. Just three breaths after the first locust beast appeared, dozens of small holes suddenly burst open around it!
Each hole emitted a gray glow, and within each hovered a fist-sized locust beast—identical in appearance.
The deadly horn on each one inspired dread. No one doubted its destructive power.
Just then, someone struck. A warrior from the Beast King Hall stepped forward, pointing a finger toward the sky. A chakra-formed sword shot out and pierced one of the locust beasts with deadly precision!
Boom!
The beast exploded like dynamite, turning into a cloud of green, toxic blood mist.
But instead of calming the situation, it acted as a signal, enraging the rest of the swarm!
Buzz buzz buzz...
All the locust beasts activated!
"No good! They're coming! Everyone, retreat now!"
Someone shouted in panic.
Once the locust beasts began their assault, it was an endless, terrifying onslaught—like the wrath of heaven and earth.
Sure enough, as the swarm approached, countless new holes began appearing all over the summit of Giant Peak.
Locust beasts poured out with lightning speed, as if the entire mountain had been waiting for this moment!
The process didn't stop. Hundreds more emerged across the peaks.
In just a dozen breaths, Senju Yukika estimated at least a hundred thousand of the beasts had appeared.
And it was far from over. More and more holes kept forming along the mountains' slopes and ridges!
In one particularly extreme case, an entire mountain collapsed under the sheer weight of the swarm—it had turned into a giant beehive, crumbling from within.
As the locust beasts spread across the sky, everything in their path was utterly destroyed.
If any other beast had existed on these mountains, regardless of its power, it would have been helpless against such an overwhelming attack.
Only now did Senju Yukika understand why he hadn't sensed any other beasts in the area when he first arrived.
With such a horrifying army of locust beasts, nothing else could survive.
The beasts were now in full swarm mode. Upon detecting humans nearby, at least two hundred thousand of them surged toward the gathering from all surrounding hills!
It was like the end of the world. People scattered in all directions, desperately seeking shelter.
Even Lin Xiaoyao's expression changed. He immediately led his followers off the mountain!
Standing on the summit made them easy targets—there was nowhere to hide. If the locust beasts used fire, they'd be the first to be incinerated.
The only option was to descend and find refuge.
Senju Yukika wasn't afraid of the swarm, but since everyone was retreating—including his own disciple, Tanaka Cub—he had no choice but to follow.
He grabbed Tanaka and flew down from the mountain, heading straight for a mysterious cave entrance he had sensed earlier.
Even spirit pressure couldn't penetrate the cave—it was incredibly well-hidden!
Meanwhile, Shangguan and the disciples from Sword Arts Hall fled in a different direction, while Yukika and Tanaka slipped into the cave.
"Master, are you sure this is safe? I'm feeling a bit scared…"
The cave's cold, dark atmosphere filled Tanaka with a deep sense of unease.
Senju Yukika shook his head. "I'm not familiar with it either. Sit down, cross your legs, and keep quiet."
He immediately released his spiritual pressure to examine their surroundings.