Chapter 448: Chapter 254: Everything Fears Comparison
In less than five breaths, all the black and red insects in the city were dead. Gu Zheng harvested over 18,600 Demon Points.
What a score!
With the black and red insects wiped out, not many of the city’s residents were left either.
Gu Zheng sensed that fewer than a hundred remained.
These people were either in basements or hiding in the water.
They had simply run fast and gotten lucky, surviving long enough for Gu Zheng to arrive.
Otherwise, they would have died just like the rest.
SWOOSH~
The sound of rushing wind cut through the air as a figure flew in from outside the city.
"Master!"
Mo Jiateng landed and knelt before Gu Zheng.
"Not bad. You’ve reached the peak of the Super Body realm."
Gu Zheng glanced at Mo Jiateng and spoke calmly, "Where did this Devouring Insect Race come from? Have you investigated?"
"Master, I just tracked them. This Devouring Insect Race came from the Prefecture City to the east. There are even more of them over there."
Mo Jiateng explained, "I also discovered that after devouring humans and livestock, the insects don’t immediately absorb the flesh and blood essence. Instead, they carry it with them and head northeast. Among those swarms, there are quite a few third-rank ones."
"They don’t absorb it immediately? They carry it with them?"
Gu Zheng’s brows shot up. "Are you saying there’s a Devouring Insect Mother? And the other members of the Insect Race are just gathering flesh and blood essence for it?"
"I haven’t found a Devouring Insect Mother yet, but given the circumstances, it’s likely there is one behind this," Mo Jiateng replied cautiously.
"Makes sense."
Gu Zheng considered this. "Forget the mother for now. Finding the rest of the Devouring Insect Race is the priority. You lead the way!"
"Yes!"
Mo Jiateng responded respectfully, rose, and leaped into the air, flying ahead.
Gu Zheng floated up and followed effortlessly.
WHOOSH~
WHOOSH!
The two of them first headed east in search of the Devouring Insect Race.
Soon, they found a swarm of black and red insects flying through a mountain forest.
This batch of the Devouring Insect Race was a size larger, their carapaces an even deeper red.
The aura they released was that of second-rank Demon Fiends.
CHICHICHI~!
Gu Zheng’s figure flashed as he plunged into the swarm.
"BZZZZ~"
"SPLAT! SPLAT! SPLAT!"
After a series of strange noises, the several thousand second-rank members of the Devouring Insect Race were all dead, shattered into pieces.
Spirit Capturing!
[Demon Points +2]
[Demon Points +3]
...
A second-rank member of the Devouring Insect Race provided 2 to 3 Demon Points each, with a maximum of 4.
From this wave, Gu Zheng harvested another 15,400-plus Demon Points.
Onward!
Mo Jiateng led the way with Gu Zheng following behind as they entered a county town.
They saw White Bones strewn everywhere in the town. Not a single living person, chicken, or duck remained; all were dead.
The only things left in the entire county town were members of the Devouring Insect Race, scattered all over.
With a calm expression, Gu Zheng activated his Hurricane Domain.
CHICHICHI!
Wind blades shot through the air, sweeping through every corner of the town.
After three breaths, he retracted his Domain.
He reaped over 18,700 Demon Points.
Onward!
Mo Jiateng led, Gu Zheng followed.
The two left the town and, after a period of flight, landed in a mountain valley.
In the center of the valley floor, a group of first and second-rank Devouring Insect Race members were mixed together, clustered in a huge ball.
WHOOSH~ WHOOSH!
Gu Zheng descended from the sky and activated his Burning Fire Spirit Realm. Raging flames turned into blades, engulfing the Devouring Insect Race with a crackling roar.
CHICHICHI~
BOOM~!
Accompanied by a muffled boom, the massive cluster of the Devouring Insect Race was completely annihilated, either shattered into pieces or reduced to mere residue on the ground.
Gu Zheng harvested over 23,000 Demon Points!
Another huge score!
They continued on their way.
With Mo Jiateng in front and Gu Zheng behind, they arrived at the Prefecture City.
The Prefecture City was under attack by a sky-blotting swarm of the Devouring Insect Race. Screams of pain, terror, and despair echoed throughout the city.
Mixed in were roars of fury, as well as flashes of sword light, Sword Qi, saber gleams, and Fist Seals that shot into the sky, sweeping through and slaughtering the Devouring Insect Race.
As Gu Zheng approached from the air, he saw a barrier of light holding up half the sky in the northern part of the city. Its pale golden glow covered an area of about a hundred meters.
Inside the barrier, hundreds of people were hiding, along with a dozen or so Demon Suppression Guards who were launching attacks.
Outside, a dense swarm of the Devouring Insect Race frantically assaulted the barrier.
Among them, three vehicle-sized members of the Devouring Insect Race were the strongest. They spat out pillars of Death Qi smoke that corroded the light barrier, causing it to tremble and dim rapidly.
"Hold on! Hold on!"
Li Shixing yelled, his body and face covered in sweat. His voice was hoarse, but he didn’t panic.
However, his heart was pounding so fast it felt like it would leap into his throat.
Third-rank Devouring Insect Race!
Three of them!
There were thousands of second-rank ones, and tens of thousands of first-rank ones.
With so many of the Devouring Insect Race, how long could their Array hold out?
Li Shixing didn’t know. All he could do was rally their spirits and offer encouragement.
He continuously poured out his Divine Wondrous energy, channeling it into the Array Plate to maintain the Array’s operation.
Once the Array broke, none of them would escape.
The other Demon Suppression Guards knew this as well. Each one attacked desperately, swallowing Treasure Pills and pouring in their Divine Wondrous energy.
As for the civilians, they had collapsed to the ground, staring at the sky in despair.
Although they weren’t dead yet, everyone else in the city had perished, collectively buried in the bellies of the insects.
But in this situation, they wouldn’t last much longer either.
The light barrier grew dimmer and dimmer, and cracks had even begun to appear.
Once it shattered...
VMMMM~!
The void suddenly trembled.
The civilians on the ground didn’t notice, but Li Shixing did.
’What’s happening?’
Startled, he stared nervously at the scene outside the light barrier.
Then, he saw the dense swarm of the Devouring Insect Race attacking the barrier shatter in huge swathes, falling to the ground.
This included the three third-rank members of the Insect Race. They let out terrified screeches and tried to turn and flee, only to be sliced into pieces by a storm of wind blades.
WHOOSH!
WHOOSH~~
A foul, hot wind blew through the city.
Outside the translucent light barrier, the bodies of the Devouring Insect Race fell, carpeting the ground.
’They’re dead?’
’Just like that, they’re all... gone?’
Li Shixing’s eyes widened, his jaw agape.
The other Demon Suppression Guards were the same, frozen in place, speechless with shock.
The despairing crowd of civilians was also baffled.
"W-We’re... saved?"
After a long moment, a burly man with a thick waist and broad shoulders muttered, breaking the silence. As the words left his mouth, he jolted as if waking up and began to cheer loudly, "Hahaha, we’re saved! I don’t have to die! *Sob*..."
The burly man’s excited shouts turned into sobs by the end.
"We’re saved? We’re saved!! We’re not going to die!"
"Haha, *sob*... We’re not going to die! We’re not going to die!"
"Dad, Mom, your son survived! I survived! *Sob*..."
"..."
The area erupted in a pandemonium of laughter, tears, and loud shouts.
"Who... Who saved us?" a Demon Suppression Guard asked, swallowing hard and panting to recover his strength.
"I don’t know. I didn’t see anyone."
"I didn’t see either, but it must have been a King’s Body! Only a King’s Body could annihilate the entire Devouring Insect Race so quickly. Which King’s Body from the Imperial Court came?"
"..."
The others around them discussed it, looking left and right.
The Array, no longer being infused with Divine Wondrous energy, had already stopped. The light barrier vanished, revealing the shattered corpses of the Devouring Insect Race scattered all around.
"...It was Gu King."
Li Shixing spoke, his voice hoarse. His expression was complicated.
"Who’s Gu King?" a Demon Suppression Guard next to him blurted out.
"The Demon-slaying Grand General of the Fenzhou Demon Slayer Bureau, Gu Zheng!" Li Shixing’s voice was firm. "It was Gu King who just saved us."
Li Shixing looked up to the north. He had caught a glimpse of Gu Zheng as he was leaving.
From start to finish, Gu Zheng had acted to wipe out the Devouring Insect Race and save them, but he clearly had no intention of coming down to meet them.
"What? It was Gu King?"
"Isn’t Gu King at odds with the Imperial Court...? Why would he save us?"
"Why do you think Gu King is so popular? In his eyes, the Imperial Court has never come first. The people do!"
"That’s true. The Devouring Insect Race is rampaging through the entire prefecture. We called for aid, but the Imperial Court did nothing. Gu King must have heard the news and rushed over immediately..."
"You really can’t compare some people to others."
"This Imperial Court is worse than..."
"Enough!"
Li Shixing’s sharp shout cut off his subordinate’s grumbling.
It was one thing for them to discuss this in private.
But out here, continuing to talk like this could bring disaster upon them.
However, everyone in their group was well aware.
When it came to caring for the people, there was simply no comparison between the Imperial Court and Gu Zheng!
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