Chapter 0484 – Essence-Siphoning Insects

"As expected, the Insectoids truly are terrifying. No wonder the Winged Ones couldn't hold them back and had to summon all the surrounding alien races to stand a chance. These fireflies, once they explode, are even more powerful than rune bombs. If they charge in en masse, it's enough to bring down mountains and annihilate everything. That light they emit—it's pure annihilation energy, capable of obliterating anything. Truly extraordinary."

Jia Xu's expression turned grim.

These insects were bizarre—among them were even self-detonating fireflies. If someone was unaware and allowed them to get close or enter the city, the destruction would be catastrophic in an instant.

(New Element: Self-detonating fireflies with power surpassing rune bombs.)

"The only way to deal with them is to eliminate them from a distance. Do not let them get close, or disaster is guaranteed."

Ye Zhiqiu nodded in agreement.

"This isn't the Insectoid swarm I remember from the stars. These are different—stranger and perhaps even more dangerous. While they may not be as massive as mountains, each one carries its own twisted supernatural power. Fending them off won't be easy."

A thought flickered through Yi Tianxing's mind. These creatures differed from the star-born Insectoids he knew. It was obvious that these had evolved or mutated from familiar insect species. Their appearance was still recognizable, but their capabilities had been altered beyond imagination.

(Important: Insectoids are mutated forms of known Earth insects.)

These fireflies, those killer wasps—they had once been mundane creatures. But now they had undergone astounding transformations. The energy they contained was beyond belief.

"That Celestial Waterscreen barrier is powerful. Even if breached, it can quickly restore itself. But such restoration surely consumes a significant amount of its core energy."

Jia Xu's eyes fell on the barrier, which had already dimmed slightly. That fading blue light meant the barrier wasn't invincible. If depleted completely, it would fall—and the Insectoids would surge in unhindered.

From the dark clouds of insects above, fireflies kept swarming out. But under the wary attacks of the alien defenders, most were intercepted before reaching the barrier, exploding midair in bursts of radiant flames. Countless Insectoids fell like rain, painting a terrifying scene.

"Such a battlefield must not be wasted. These insect corpses are filled with vital energy, and their numbers are overwhelming. Even a mosquito is still meat."

A glimmer sparked in Yi Tianxing's eyes. Without a sound, the Hongmeng Heavenly Emperor Pagoda inside his body turned into a streak of light and vanished into the earth, completely unnoticed—even by Jia Xu who stood nearby.

(Important Item: Hongmeng Heavenly Emperor Pagoda absorbs corpses to grow stronger.)

Suddenly, on the battlefield, the mountain-like piles of insect corpses began vanishing silently. No matter how many new corpses fell, the layer on the ground never seemed to thicken.

From the outside, nothing seemed amiss. The piles remained unchanged. But in truth, every newly fallen corpse was silently devoured—turned into nourishment for the Hongmeng Pagoda.

The energy within the Insectoid corpses was impressive, and with their vast numbers, the total was considerable. Even though the pagoda had already reached the Profound Grade, progressing further required astronomical resources. To enhance the tower's core, every opportunity had to be seized—devouring all that could be devoured.

Under this steady influx, the inner space of the pagoda expanded at a visible pace. The growth might not be fast, but it was constant and relentless.

"To nurture the Hongmeng Heavenly Emperor Pagoda, one must plunder the world to nourish oneself. Only through relentless consumption can the tower evolve. Otherwise, even after ten million years, it would never reach the next grade."

Yi Tianxing smiled bitterly to himself. Even so, he didn't know how long it would take to rise from Profound Grade to Earth Grade, becoming a true Heaven and Earth Spirit Treasure. It was a difficult path—every step required seizing anything that could be seized. Nothing could be wasted.

If he had to become a scourge upon the heavens, so be it.

"Lord, look—what's that? Another kind of insect!"

Suddenly, Ye Zhiqiu exclaimed, pointing toward the Insectoid swarm in the sky.

From within the cloud of bugs, a new insect species emerged. These were transparent, dragonfly-winged, yet leech-like in body—twisting grotesquely through the air. Their appearance alone sent chills down one's spine. Their heads and mouths were nearly indistinguishable from the rest of their bodies. Unlike real fireflies, they were not the least bit cute—just deeply disturbing.

They were countless, swift, and within seconds, they surged toward the barrier.

"What the hell are those things? Whatever they are, they're not good news. Kill them all!"

"Use divine arts—blast them out of the sky!"

The sudden arrival of these new insects sent a wave of panic across the alien defenders on the wall. The fireflies had already nearly broken through. Now, something new and unknown had arrived—they dared not take chances.

Talismans flashed through the air.

One of the strange insects was engulfed in flames—but then, a terrifying sight unfolded.

The flames were absorbed rapidly, and the insect's body turned red-hot, glowing with internal fire. Instead of burning, it absorbed the spell.

Another insect was struck by an ice blade, but its soft, leech-like body absorbed the strike. The blade vanished, leaving the insect unharmed.

Wind blades met the same fate—devoured and absorbed, turning the creatures a deep green. These strange occurrences happened over and over again.

"What's going on? These things can absorb spells! Even divine arts?! What are these insects?"

"Terrifying! They swallow all elemental attacks—fire, ice, doesn't matter. And every time they absorb a spell, their color changes! What's the secret?"

"Stop them! Don't let them reach the barrier! They'll devour it!"

Panic spread. The Celestial Waterscreen was also formed from divine energy—if these insects could absorb magic, they might devour the barrier itself.

Bolts of crossbow fire rained down.

Some insects were struck and exploded immediately—fragile against physical force. But most darted swiftly, zigzagging through the air like serpents, making them hard to hit.

In the blink of an eye, they reached the barrier and latched on.

Like leeches on flesh, they began to siphon the barrier's energy, their bodies shifting from transparent to deep blue. One could see the blue light of the barrier being drained, flowing visibly into their wriggling forms.

A werewolf warrior rushed in with his battle blade and cleaved one of the insects in half.

"Blades work! They can't resist metal weapons. Swords and arrows—they're vulnerable to physical strikes!"

Someone quickly realized the pattern. These bugs were immune to spells but weak to conventional weapons. While they absorbed supernatural power, their actual bodies were incredibly fragile.

This discovery brought some relief. The defenders switched to melee combat, slashing, skewering, and shooting the insects by the dozens.

Arrows rained like hail.

"Where there's gain, there's always loss. Nothing is perfect. These creatures can absorb divine arts—but they're weak to blades. Still, in the right environment, they're incredibly dangerous."

Yi Tianxing sighed inwardly.

The Insectoids came in endless forms—each more grotesque than the last.

In the Wordless Heavenly Tome, these creatures were called Essence-Siphoning Insects (Xi Yuan Chong, 吸元虫), evolved from bloodsucking parasites. Their ability was terrifying—they could absorb all forms of elemental energy, including spells and supernatural attacks. Their bodies housed a strange internal space that acted like a vortex, consuming everything—fire, ice, lightning—nothing was spared.

(Essence-Siphoning Insect - absorbs spells/divine energy but weak to physical weapons.)