Originally, Little Bear Tanaka could have used his insights into Buddhist teachings to seize a great opportunity.
If everything had gone right, he might have ridden the momentum of that koi fish and leapt through the Dragon Gate, escaping the lowly world he came from once and for all.
But without even realizing it, Senju Yukika had taken his place—becoming the true "fated one" in the eyes of the ancient Buddhas.
And so, the moment Yukika arrived, the enlightenment that Tanaka had been granted was quietly taken back by the seven ancient Buddhas. In a way, this too was fate—an unseen twist of destiny.
Because of Yukika's arrival, Tanaka was spared the tragic fate of being torn apart by assassins and the master of the Wolf Fang Tower. But that same arrival also meant he lost his one chance to fundamentally change his cultivation talent.
Many things in this world are chained by cause and effect. Without the cause, there can be no outcome.
At that moment, Senju Yukika was sitting cross-legged on the ground, cultivating the power of the celestial technique. This ancient practice was incomparably profound—even with Yukika's high level of comprehension, he couldn't master it in a short time.
Sixteen ancient characters circled endlessly through his mind, revealing rules and principles he had never encountered before.
This celestial path was unlike any technique he had ever seen. It focused solely on the refinement of the physical body, not the soul.
According to the teachings of this celestial art, one could rely on belief alone to take control of their body. And if the body reached a state of ultimate toughness and resilience, it could surpass even the soul in power—shaking the cosmos and defying fate.
What kind of realm was that, exactly…?
Yukika couldn't fully grasp it. But if the teachings of this art were true, once he reached the third level, his body would be able to withstand the chaotic gravitational currents of a black hole.
In other words, the doom that waited inside a black hole would no longer hinder him from entering or exiting freely.
Only now did Yukika truly understand why the seven ancient Buddhas had told him to reach the third level before attempting to rescue them.
With just the third layer, he could ignore the cosmic distortions of a black hole.
That meant that if he succeeded, Yukika would be able to travel freely across the universe, unaffected by any restriction—something he had always dreamed of.
He'd long wished to see the countless races scattered across the stars. But he also knew that, even at his current divine level, it was impossible to move freely through the void of space.
But with this celestial technique—this Heavenly Immortal Art—he had a chance. If he could just reach the third level, that future could be his.
Holding tightly to that hope, Yukika quietly acknowledged the opportunity.
Meanwhile, outside the mountain cave, the swarm of locust beasts continued their brutal rampage. They had never once paused in their destruction. Countless people were shredded alive, reduced to nothing but bones.
Even disciples from Xiaoyao Heaven Palace couldn't survive. A single slip while hiding behind a stone was all it took. The monsters swarmed in immediately—screams echoed, and soon the ground was littered with corpses.
Lin Xiaoyao, however, managed to carve a bloody path out using an ancient cultivation method he'd inherited.
But he didn't manage to escape the Great Peak Mountain Range. All he could do was find another cave and hole up inside.
His luck was mixed—he did find a cave the locust monsters wouldn't enter, but had he gotten there just a bit earlier, he might've seen the strange murals on the stone walls and the skeletal statues on the floor. He might've uncovered the same secrets Yukika had.
But Yukika had already discovered them, had already unraveled the mystery of the mountain's caves.
The sanctuaries hidden across the Great Peak Mountain had lost their power. The ancient forces within were dormant now. The locust beasts still didn't dare approach, but only because they could sense the presence of formidable Buddhist energy sealed within.
After all, those seven ancient Buddhas had once stood at the pinnacle of existence across the galaxy.
These locust monsters, while not particularly strong, were natural summon beasts. They could instinctively sense power—especially the terrifying aura still lingering from those Buddhas.
And it wasn't just any aura. Those seven Buddhas had once fought against the Ancient Demon Ape, a beast whose strength was the stuff of legends. In the hierarchy of cosmic beasts, the demon ape's power was unmatched.
Just a whiff of that ancient aura was enough to send the locust monsters fleeing in terror. None dared approach Yukika's cave.
Elsewhere, things were no better. Not just Xiaoyao Heaven Palace, but even disciples from Sword Palace were struggling to survive.
Their strength was inferior to Lin Xiaoyao's, and they had to flee in panic alongside Shangguan Wan'er. Unfortunately, they weren't so lucky—after half a day, they still hadn't found anywhere safe to hide.
All they could do was crouch in the lower forests of the Great Peak Mountain Range, trying to avoid detection.
But that plan couldn't last. The swarm of locust beasts kept growing. Their numbers were now overwhelming, and there were no longer any good hiding places left.
Eventually, the first locust monster spotted one of the Sword Palace disciples.
The moment it did, the entire swarm surged forward like a tidal wave. In the blink of an eye, they were reduced to piles of bones.
Shangguan Wan'er narrowly escaped death.
While fleeing, he'd accidentally fallen off a cliff. But by some twist of fate, the gorge below happened to be a natural shelter. He remained unconscious while the beasts passed him by.
His fellow disciples weren't so fortunate. They had come on this mission as part of a sect task, but now not a single one would be returning alive.
The Beast King Palace didn't fare much better.
Their goals had been too ambitious. One of their members had been riding a fearsome beast, which had drawn the attention of others of its kind.
The locust horde went into a frenzy chasing them. Along the way, the Beast King Palace made the bold decision to turn and fight—killing quite a few of the monsters.
But all that did was provoke the swarm into a blood-fueled rage.
Soon, every single mount belonging to the Beast King Palace was devoured.
The disciples of the Beast King Palace stood frozen in horror, staring up at the sky, watching the endless swarm descend. They had no options left—no defenses, no escape.
Even their highest-level warriors, those in the High-Rank Martial Realm, were powerless against such a massive beast army. Let alone the many who hadn't even reached that level.
The young leader at the front hadn't reached the Ultra-Rank either. His legs were shaking uncontrollably.
"I knew it... I knew we should've borrowed a flying vessel from the Lord Commander," he muttered regretfully.
But what he didn't know was that even the three royal princes of Rakshasa Nation, despite having the most luxurious skyship in the kingdom, had still been overwhelmed by the locust and beast armies.
Against a force of that scale—so terrifying and boundless—what good would even the finest vessel do?