Luo Feng, the Bug Lord, the God-Eye Clan, the Skeleton Race, and the Ancestral God Cult—the five parties transformed into five streaks of light, slicing through the void as they sped toward the Tomb Lair Ship.
“Rumble~~~” The ancient vessel suspended above the vast black expanse began to tremble slowly. Following this, a massive hatch gradually emerged on one of its outer walls, slowly ascending to reveal an ever-widening passage.
“There!”
“The hatch of the Tomb Lair Ship has opened.”
“Hurry inside.”
The flight paths of the five streaks of light simultaneously shifted slightly, zeroing in directly on the gate passage in the distant expanse.
“Bug Lord, your power is the greatest, and you are the most familiar with the Tomb Lair Ship. I suggest you enter last!” A maniacal, mocking laugh erupted, and simultaneously, countless grey, misty golden shadows swept wantonly toward the Bug Lord, converging in mid-air to form a colossal, ancient cleaver.
“Bug Lord, you already possess a supreme treasure; why contend with us?” A cold, clear voice from one of the Ancestral God Cult’s members rang out. In an instant, countless butterflies materialized in the void—butterflies of every hue—flying one after another in a frenzied rush toward the Bug Lord.
“Bug Lord…”
In unspoken agreement, even the perpetually antagonistic Skeleton Race and the God-Eye Clan targeted the Bug Lord at this moment. Curiously, none directed their attacks at Luo Feng!
Clearly, the Bug Lord posed the greatest threat; his strength was supreme among them, and his knowledge of the Tomb Lair Ship was likely the most extensive. If they did not unite to obstruct him, this Tomb Lair Ship would almost certainly fall into the Bug Lord’s hands. None of the Universe Masters present were fools; they naturally understood what needed to be done.
The gigantic void cleaver, the endless dream-drunken butterflies, the white whirlwind… under this combined assault, the pyramid that had been flying at high speed instantly vanished.
“Hiss~~”
A monstrous alien beast materialized directly in the mid-air.
Its body was covered in black scales, massive in stature, appearing as if every part of it was a weapon. The joints of its hundreds of sharp claws bore wicked barbs, and its tail bore a slight resemblance to a scorpion’s, but it was segmented into nearly a thousand sections, each adorned with an eerie cyan ring.
The beast’s emergence sent a tremor through Luo Feng.
The only relatively ordinary feature of the entire beast was its head, which resembled that of a deer.
“Bug Lord!” Luo Feng murmured internally.
The Bug Lord, leveraging his supreme treasure, could transform into this heaven-defying, terrifying alien beast. Because he obtained the supreme treasure, he changed his title to Bug Lord…” Thus, this alien beast was designated the Bug—the Bug Lord.
“Roar~~~”
The Bug Lord roared through the void at high speed, while its gentle head unleashed a cry that shook the very fabric of space.
The void vibrated, producing visible ripples that spread outward in all directions. The giant void cleaver, the countless dream-drunken butterflies, the white whirlwind… all of them disintegrated, scattered, and annihilated under the force of that roar.
“Galaxy, follow me.” The Bug Lord bolted forward, and a divine power transmission reached Luo Feng’s mind.
“Understood.” Luo Feng gasped silently but did not reduce his speed.
“The Bug Lord is enraged; he used his supreme treasure right off the bat.”
“Stop him.”
“If we can’t stop him, we definitely won't obtain this Tomb Lair Ship.”
“Slow him down.”
“Lord Galaxy, why aren’t you helping to stop the Bug Lord? If he gets in first, the treasures might be lost to us.”
“Lord Galaxy, let’s stop the Bug Lord first!”
Two consecutive transmissions implored Luo Feng to intervene.
“Hmph.” Luo Feng paid them absolutely no mind.
“Lord Galaxy, do you truly believe you can acquire the Tomb Lair Ship by sticking close to the Bug Lord?”
“You’ll regret this later.”
“You chatter too much,” Luo Feng’s voice projected outward. “If you regret it, attack me if you dare!”
“Hmph.”
“Hmph.”
Several cold snorts followed. The God-Eye Clan, the Ancestral God Cult, and the Skeleton Race entirely disregarded Luo Feng. They would not spare even a fraction of their strength against Luo Feng at this juncture; their true enemy was the Bug Lord! The three factions unleashed wave after wave of attacks through their domains, relentlessly besieging the Bug Lord. It must be noted that those who dared to roam such inner territories were generally Fifth-Tier Universe Masters, with a select few being Fourth-Tier Universe Masters possessing exceptional self-preservation capabilities. Now, with the three parties joining forces, the alien beast, the Bug Lord, raced through the void, emitting roars whose sonic shockwaves were incredibly potent.
However, as the God-Eye Clan, the Ancestral God Cult, and the Skeleton Race unleashed their full might, the Bug Lord’s speed distinctly slowed.
“Whoosh!”
As the Bug Lord’s pace dropped, the streak of scarlet light immediately behind him surged past.
It was Luo Feng!
“Don’t worry about Galaxy; he has no idea about the layout within the Tomb Lair Ship.”
“As long as we stop the Bug Lord, there will be no problem…”
“Hiss!”
“Hiss!” The Bug Lord did not request Luo Feng’s aid but repeatedly shattered the attacks, charging toward the hatch entrance.
Though the distance was vast, the speed of Luo Feng and the others was immense.
A streak of scarlet light instantly shot into the hatch entrance.
Immediately following, the Bug Lord, the God-Eye Clan, the Skeleton Race, and the Ancestral God Cult, all momentarily constrained from fighting each other, charged into the hatch entrance almost simultaneously.
“Hmm?”
“Where is this…”
The interior of the Tomb Lair Ship proved quite secure. The experts emerged from their peak palace treasures; those who could reach the Blazing Ice Domain at least needed to carry one such supreme palace treasure.
“This…” Luo Feng, the first to enter, scanned his surroundings.
After rushing through the hatch passage, he soon arrived at an incomparably vast, empty plaza? Or perhaps a grand hall? In any case, this enormous square spanned perhaps a hundred million kilometers in diameter. The empty expanse contained nothing but an unbelievably smooth floor stretching to the horizon—nothing more. At the edges of the plaza, numerous passages branched off, leading in every direction.
This sight perplexed Luo Feng. He did not know which path to choose; selecting the wrong one… would waste precious time, time during which other experts might find and secure the control core, claiming ownership.
“Galaxy, follow me,” the Bug Lord suddenly transmitted telepathically.
Swish!
The Bug Lord flew straight toward a distant point. Luo Feng’s eyes lit up, and he followed almost immediately.
From the God-Eye Clan, only two Universe Masters materialized: Master Ying Ai and Master Wu Liang. From the Ancestral God Cult, only one appeared: Master Liu Jiu! The Skeleton Race also manifested just one: Master Li Hai! As the Bug Lord and Luo Feng made their move, the four naturally reacted reflexively and gave chase.
“Keep your eyes on the Bug Lord; he knows the way.”
“Keep the Bug Lord occupied!”
“And don’t let Galaxy gain any advantage!”
Immediately, the four pursuing Universe Masters launched coordinated attacks—some soul attacks, some long-range weapon strikes, others domain assaults. In a flash, the four behind engaged the two ahead, moving forward at lightning speed while exchanging blows.
“The Bug Lord wants me to draw some of the enemy’s firepower,” Luo Feng mused as he chased, watching the Bug Lord ahead.
“However, if I allied with the God-Eye Clan, Skeleton Race, and Ancestral God Cult, compared to those three factions, I am the weakest. Even if we manage to hold back the Bug Lord… when it comes to securing the real treasure, I can’t take on those three parties alone. But by following the Bug Lord, who is absorbing most of the fire, perhaps I can profit from the chaos.” Luo Feng followed closely behind.
Each party present had its own scheme.
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
Along the internal passages of the Tomb Lair Ship, six figures advanced rapidly. The Bug Lord was indeed the target of all; his speed had noticeably slackened, bringing him nearly level with Luo Feng.
“Bug Lord, if I am stopped, you might actually gain a huge advantage,” the Bug Lord said, glancing at Luo Feng.
“I am being attacked as well,” Luo Feng responded. Like a beast god, his figure was swift and agile, his right claw occasionally sweeping out… The four pursuers behind were formidable, but if their obstruction was purely at long range and not a full-effort assault, Luo Feng hardly cared.
“That’s the spot!”
The Bug Lord suddenly charged forward. With a deafening crash, one of the horns on his head slammed against the wall of a rotating corridor. Boom~~~ The patterns on the corridor wall instantly recessed violently, followed by a rushing sound—a gigantic hatch suddenly descended from above the passage, slamming to the floor with a crash.
The four figures rushing from behind saw the massive hatch and instantly roared in anger.
“Damn it!”
“I said long ago the Bug Lord was the most dangerous! Master Li Hai, you idiot, you diverted energy to attack Galaxy? That Galaxy knows nothing about this place. The crucial secrets, the Bug Lord would never share with him! So, by stopping the Bug Lord, even letting Galaxy wander inside, he won’t find anything significant anytime soon.”
“Trash from the God-Eye Clan! You only criticize after the fact. Why didn’t you mention your attacks on Luo Feng earlier?”
“Alright, alright, let’s quickly find another passage. This is the Tomb Lair Ship; there are countless passages inside the vessel, all leading to the same destination. There isn't just one path. Let’s hurry; if we delay, the Bug Lord might find some other way to seal the route.”
The God-Eye Clan woman, Master Wu Liang, kicked the hatch door with lingering resentment.
Bang!
The hatch did not move, but Master Wu Liang was forced back three steps.
“Go!” Master Wu Liang spun around and led Master Ying Ai to swiftly search for another passage.
The Bug Lord and Luo Feng flew onward in succession.
“Bug Lord, you are truly formidable; I am impressed,” Luo Feng complimented.
“I have studied two Tomb Lair Ships; is it so strange that I know a thing or two?” The Bug Lord glanced at Luo Feng, having reverted to his original form—a bald man. He spoke directly, “Galaxy, the reason I brought you along earlier was twofold: to reduce an enemy, as you were the only one I could potentially recruit. And secondly, to create an extra opponent for them. However, now… you are of little use to me.”
Luo Feng was startled.
In truth, ever since the gate in that corridor had sealed, he had been extremely cautious, knowing that without external enemies, the probability of the Bug Lord turning on him was high.
And the opponent’s strength… clearly surpassed his own.
“Relax, I’ve traversed the Sea of Universe for so long; I am not like those lunatics from the First Universe Era,” the Bug Lord said casually. “The Tomb Lair Ship is exceedingly precious. On its own, while slightly inferior to a palace supreme treasure, it is superior to any peak palace treasure! Furthermore, it grants access to the tomb, making its value even higher than a rare item, approaching that of a true supreme treasure.”
“They may act crazily, but I am not that reckless.”
“Because of my long lifespan, the most exciting part has always been the adventure; the important thing is the process of exploration. Gaining the treasure? That requires effort, but failure is inconsequential,” the Bug Lord said with ease, transforming into a streak of light and proceeding along the winding passage.
Luo Feng ignored him.
Inconsequential failure?
Indifference?
If his own race could exist eternally, and he himself could live forever, then he too could possess such detachment!
“My conjecture is correct; the core chamber is ahead. The control core should be inside,” the Bug Lord remarked, glancing at Luo Feng. He transmitted telepathically, “Considering our strengths, who do you think can seize the control core?”