Chapter 195 - Forward!
Krune and Feifei were using a roundabout route, so it took them some time longer to arrived at the borders of the central region of the Dimensional Realm. So far, they had also fought a few demon beasts, but nothing that they couldn't deal with. If anything, they had it quite easy until now.
But it seemed like their luck went just this far. Finally, they poked a hornet's nest and were swarmed by a large number of three-horned beetles! Those beetles weren't strong individually, with just a few of then barely reaching the late stages of the Foundation Establishment and even less at the middle stage. But the number alone wasn't something that the two of them could deal with anytime soon.
"There are too many of them! If we get surrounded, things might get really complicated."
Feifei used a wide range of fire attacks to keep delaying the swarm. In contrast, Krune targeted the higher cultivation ones with Tribulation Thunder Lines.
"Can you find the queen? As long as we deal with her, the swarm will disperse."
Krune then asked.
"Do you know how she looks like?"
Feifei nodded.
"She isn't much different from the normal ones, but she should have red eyes instead of black ones. Also, her cultivation is most likely in the Core Formation Realm. Otherwise, she wouldn't be accepted by the other beetles and changed into a queen."
Krune nodded and spread his Divine Sense. But there was a problem. Although Krune's Divine Sense was powerful due to his soul, there were still too many beetles. To make his Divine Sense pass through that mass of beetles and pinpoint a particular one in the middle of so many is very hard even for him.
"They are too packed, we need to get them to spread so that I can see better."
Feifei nodded and then said.
"In that case, be ready to use some strong attacks in the points that I will tell you."
Feifei couldn't use her Destiny Core to calculate the movements of so many beetles at the same time. However, she could still find the results that a few attacks would cause to the surroundings. That way, she focused on calculating where the attack would make the beetles spread the most. Of course, such a thing was also very hard to do since she was running and attacking at the same time.
After some time passed, Feifei started to sweat. Still, she kept trying to calculate the best positions. Krune decided that if things got out of control, he would immediately turn back to wisp form and charge out with Feifei using his Tribulation Lightning. Suddenly, Feifei's eyes lit up!
"Found it!"
Feifei then immediately sent the positions and time to Krune through a Divine Sense message. Krune nodded and waited for the moment that Feifei mentioned.
Krune the prepared 13 Tribulation Blazing Wind Blades. But this time, those fiery blades were also purple! Ever since Krune learned how to use Tribulation Fire, he applied it to all his attacks that used fire in the composition. As mentioned in the past, Krune's Blazing Wind Blades have the power to explode once they hit the target if Krune wishes for it. This time, it was no different. It was just that the power of the explosions far surpassed the past. Not to mention that they were also using Elemental Source Energy.
"Wait, wait... Now!"
All 13 blades shot in the directions predicted by Feifei and killed everything in the way. Once they arrived at the points selected by her, they all exploded into gigantic purple fireballs covered by purple lightning! Right after that, it seemed like a chain reaction happened, which made the beetles spread everywhere for a short while.
Feifei had selected those places because those explosions would momentarily cut the queen's connection with the swarm. That was the reason why the beetles went out of control for a short amount of time. But that was enough for Krune! With his Divine Sense power, he was finally able to pinpoint that specific red-eyed beetle. Sure enough, he could feel that that beetle was in the Core Formation Realm 2nd stage!
Krune showed a smile and said.
"Found you!"
The beetle queen obviously already had sentience. So the moment that Krune looked at her, she understood that things were not good. The queen tried to control the nearby beetles to create a living shield around her body, but that was too late!
From above, the power of the Tribulation Lightning was already gathered, just waiting for the order to come down.
"Heaven's Fall!"
Boom!
All the beetles on the way were instantly pulverized. The queen still tried to use her cultivation to defend, but that was useless. Krune could even beat late stages Core Formation Geniuses, let alone a simple beetle with cultivation lower than his!
As soon as the queen died, the beetles around lost their connection with her and started to hover on the air. After some time, they all went back from where they came as if it was an instinctual action. Without a queen to keep their race in control, the foundation establishment beetles ones immediately understood that a new one has to be found. So they gave the order to their own groups to move back to their nest.
Not long after, Krune and Feifei couldn't even see a single three horned beetle. Of course, except those who were killed or seriously injured on the ground. But even those with injuries were trying to move back to their nest.
Krune looked at that and sighed. He then used his water and wood element to create thin vines that connected to all the still alive beetles. After that, he used his spiritual energy to connect to all of them and started to heal their injuries. Soon, one beetle after another took flight and moved back to their nest too.
Feifei saw that but didn't say anything. She already knew that Krune was this type of wisp for a very long time. She, too, thought that Krune might be way too soft-hearted. If there was no need to kill, he would definitely not do so. But then again, if she asked him to change, would he still be the Krune hat she knows? In the end, she understood that this Krune is still the best one.
Feifei then used her own water and wood element to help the beetles who were still aline to recover. Around an hour later, all the beetles that could still be saved were healed and went back to their nest too. Without Krune or Feifei noticing, one of those beetles that they saved was at the 9th Stage of the Foundation Establishment. That beetle gave Krune and Feifei a final look before leaving as well.
Krune looked at the last beetle flying away and said.
"Sorry. I just couldn't let them be like that."
Krune couldn't help but think that those beetles, or at least the ones that achieved sentience, weren't having it easy too.
Without Krune noticing her approach, Feifei gave him a hub from behind. Krune was obviously taken by surprise.
"I know, but that's how their race lives, and it is not up to us to change that."
Krune then nodded and smiled.
"Anyway, we won't need to find another path, let's enter the central region!"
Feifei and Krune then left straight away.
---
Somewhere else, Hulibe Acrol and his two companions were also having a hard time. They, too, got to find one of those black-clothed men and were in the middle of a battle against him. But one thing was different about this battle, that is because of the one on the losing end was the Divine Soul Realm Assasin instead!
'What is happening here? The information said that all the participants of the Divine Path Sect exchange program were at the Core Formation Stage. But those three are obviously in the Divine Soul Realm too!'
He had the same plan as his friend, who attacked Uriu Orion back then. Get information about Feifei, and then kill those guys after. But let alone get any information, he doesn't even know if he will survive this encounter anymore.
Hulibe and his two friends were also taken aback when they got attacked by this Divine Soul Realm cultivator. But as soon as this guy had asked where Feifei was, they understood that he wasn't someone from this Dimensional Realm to start with. Most likely, he was an Assasin tasked to kill her.
Hulibe had no intention to get in his way to start with. But when he said that he didn't have any information about Feifei, the other side immediately attacked them. Hulibe and his two friends, of course, had to defend themselves.
In fact, the Assasin is wrong about Hulibe's group cultivation realm. They are still in the Core Formation Stage. But there is one thing that very few know about. Hulibe's Ancestor is one of the most influential figures in the Rasie Clan, Hulibe Ronary! Although he isn't a descendant of that Clan, he still has his voice heard in there. Not to mention that he is also one of the Semi Divinity Realm protectors of the Clan.
Ronary had high hopes in Acrol due to his Major Core and talents. So he obviously filled him to the teeth with protection measures. One of them was a treasure that had part of his will inside. Even for a Semi Divinity Realm cultivator, such a thing is very hard and expensive to make! Still, he crafted it for Acrol with caring about the costs!
It's thanks to that will that Acrol and his friends can fight at the late stage Divine Soul Realm for some time.
Although Acrol's group had an overwhelming advantage, he knew that his time was limited and that he wouldn't be able to kill that guy like that. He couldn't help but take another item out of his spatial ring. This one the power to release an attack at the Soul Forging Realm level once!
"Hmph! You can only blame yourself for having forced me to use this."