The World Beast, Morosa, stood adrift in the nothingness, the divine aura it previously possessed utterly dissipated, transforming into surges of malevolent black currents. These dark flows coiled around Morosa, even as rays of light, tinged with black luminescence, arced outwards from the World Beast as their center, sweeping toward the nascent miniature universe ahead.

Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish!

Beams of black-glowing light radiated ceaselessly from the World Beast as their source, carving arcs as they stretched toward the entirety of the miniature universe. Initially visible, these light rays gradually blurred and vanished after traversing hundreds of millions of light-years, seeming to merge seamlessly with the void itself.

"Hoo!" Morosa’s entire form trembled slightly. It instinctively closed its eyes, revealing a look of pure ecstasy.

Swish-swish-swish~ M

Streams of brilliant radiance perpetually traveled back along those curved paths from distances spanning hundreds of millions of light-years, subsequently merging into the body of the 'source'—the World Beast Morosa.

"Ah, this, this is the taste of the universe's origin? It is exquisitely delicious." Morosa felt an overwhelming delight. "If Bedi knew, it would probably rush out immediately. There are only so many miniature universes in the Sea of Universe; devouring them all won't take long. There will be ample time to return to the lair afterward."

"I was so wise."

"Hahaha, absolutely no one must know this, or I won't be able to savor this delicacy all by myself." Morosa gorged itself without restraint. Streams of light, more varied in color than a rainbow, rapidly streamed back along the curves from light-years beyond count, pouring ceaselessly into Morosa's core.

Eat! Eat! Eat!

Devour with unrestrained pleasure!

Morosa even resented its own weakness. If it could devour all the other World Beasts and become the sole sovereign, surely the consumption of a miniature universe like this would proceed much faster.

"According to the intelligence from my two thralls, this miniature universe belongs to a True God from the First Reincarnation Era, named the 'Fire Bug True Master.' It's a very common type of True God in the Sea of Universe, not among the eight supreme True Gods." Morosa knew that its consumption of the universe's origin would certainly draw the attention of the Fire Bug True Master.

This is the Fire Bug True Master's miniature universe! His foundation!

If the miniature universe is shattered, while he won't perish, he will lose any hope of surpassing reincarnation, his strength will wane, and every other living being within his miniature universe will fall.

Within this miniature universe.

The Fire Bug race, in the First Reincarnation Era, was far less dazzling than the God Eye race or the Skeleton race; they had only produced a single True God.

In the Fire Bug True Master's miniature universe, numerous planes were differentiated. The most central plane housed the vast majority of Undying beings, Universe Masters, Universe Overlords, and the sole True God—the apex existence of the entire Fire Bug race: the 'Fire Bug True Master'! In the core plane, the most conspicuous location, the 'Ancestral Hall,' was the dwelling of the Fire Bug True Master.

"Hoo..."

"Hoo..." Deep within the Ancestral Hall, the Fire Bug True Master was coiled, deep in slumber. In this sleep, he could most rapidly comprehend and improve.

The Ancestral Hall was utterly silent; none dared to disturb it.

Finally, the Fire Bug True Master, whose body radiated a dull gray hue, opened its eyes. Its hundreds of clawed appendages pushed its body up. Layers of gray carapace armored sections of its segmented body.

"What is this..." The True Master’s face was deeply wrinkled, and within those creases, a single eye flickered with confusion and unease—a sensation it had never encountered before.

"The miniature universe origin!" The Fire Bug True Master quickly pinpointed the problem.

The origin of the entire miniature universe, the very essence sustaining its existence... the origin containing the most central and mysterious power—it was weakening, as if something was 'devouring' the energy within the source.

The speed was rapid.

However, how vast is a miniature universe? Although the origin was being consumed, the impact over three to five minutes was minimal. At this rate of consumption, the True Master estimated that in ten to eight days, his miniature universe origin would completely dry up, leading to the immediate collapse of the entire world.

"No, absolutely not!" Endless fury surged in the Fire Bug True Master’s mind. "Why is my miniature universe origin continuously diminishing... What in the world is causing this! No True God has ever encountered this kind of si—"

The Fire Bug True Master suddenly froze.

He remembered.

Billions of epochs ago, shortly after the Fourth Great Desolation, the 'World of Jin,' first emerged, the Will of the Origin Universe had publicly communicated through the three Ancestral Gods about a terrifying entity: the World Beast! It was mentioned that this beast could destroy everything, consume everything.

"Could it be the World Beast?" The Fire Bug True Master was stunned.

"The World Beast is devouring my miniature universe?" The Fire Bug True Master was genuinely terrified. Although he possessed numerous powerful techniques, those who reached True God status were invariably extraordinary; he was merely an ordinary member. He didn't even possess any 'Mechanical-type treasures'! After millions of epochs honing himself in the World of Jin, he fled in fear, though he did manage to secure three supreme treasures.

"I never heard the World Beast appeared in the Sea of Universe. Could it be targeting me first?" The Fire Bug True Master panicked.

He immediately calmed himself and focused on sensing the phenomenon.

Rumble!

The immense membrane wall of the miniature universe churned outward with surges of universe origin power. This potent energy surged outwards, quickly detecting the presence of 'alien energy.'

"It's in that direction!" The Fire Bug True Master instantly turned his gaze toward a distant area, his sight seeming to pierce through the Ancestral Hall, looking beyond the universe itself.

"All Universe Overlords! Hurry!" The Fire Bug True Master roared suddenly.

The voice instantly echoed in the ears of every Fire Bug Universe Overlord within the miniature universe. Immediately, the Overlords rushed toward the Ancestral Hall. Utilizing teleportation, instant movement, and other methods, within ten seconds, all the Overlords had assembled outside the Hall and then flew toward the main chamber.

Beetle-like forms of the Fire Bug Universe Overlords flooded into the Hall.

"Progenitor." The thirteen Universe Overlords showed utmost reverence. These were the true bodies, or perhaps avatars and clones, of the thirteen Overlords who remained after forging themselves in the World of Jin. Initially, the major factions entered the World of Jin, but now the vast majority had departed.

"You should all know of the existence of the World Beast." The Fire Bug True Master looked down upon them.

Below in the great hall, the Fire Bug Universe Overlords exchanged glances.

"I have no time for pleasantries. I suspect the World Beast has now emerged and is currently outside my race's miniature universe, devouring its origin," the True Master declared urgently. This news instantly terrified the group of Overlords below.

The Fire Bug True Master issued a direct command: "Chayan, you possess an energy clone, immune to soul attacks. Send that clone out on an investigation. I will transport you to the edge of the universe membrane. Once outside, you are to simply use instant movement in the direction I provide and investigate thoroughly. This is a moment of life or death for the Fire Bug race; there is no room for carelessness."

"Yes."

The Overlord Chayan below immediately responded, "Even if I die, I will find out the truth."

Another clone of the Overlord Chayan, located in a different part of its dwelling, was instantly teleported by the 'Fire Bug True Master' outside the cosmic membrane. That direction was precisely where the True Master had sensed the concentration of alien energy.

Chayan, dark and black all over, with two purple antennae sprouting from its head and encased in a carapace, rapidly drilled out of the universe membrane, entering the boundless void outside.

Whoosh!

It immediately moved along the trajectory sent by the Fire Bug True Master, proceeding outward in a straight line with long-distance instant movements. Time after time it teleported, investigating carefully. Although there were many 'curves,' the chaotic void was immense and filled with chaotic airflow; from a great distance, nothing was clearly visible.

"What a bizarre sensation." The further Chayan teleported, the more it felt an overwhelming suffocation, as if it had entered another realm of darkness. It did not realize that the World Beast Morosa was actively utilizing its innate ability to devour the origin, and Chayan was traversing the area covered by those arcs, naturally leading to an intensified sense of dread and oppression as it drew nearer.

"It's in that direction." The more suffocating it felt, the more certain it became of the precise bearing.

Finally—Clang!

Chayan's small, dark form materialized from thin air in a stretch of void. It saw a sight directly ahead: countless curves connecting to a single distant point. Upon every contorted line of light, there was a dazzling brilliance, and massive quantities of this light seemed to be flowing along the 'curves' into that point of origin.

"That is..." Chayan instantly spotted the minuscule point in the distance. It was a tall, robust, humanoid creature, resplendent in golden light, possessing a tail. The creature was opening its blood-red eyes and looking directly at it.

"Fragile and delicious food." The distant creature saw Chayan.

Chayan confirmed instantly: "The Progenitor's sense was correct; it is devouring the origin... It must be the World Beast." Chayan felt no fear; it had come here fully prepared for death. Even if this clone perished, the loss would only be some energy.

Boom!

Suddenly, a curved beam laced with black light descended without warning, fiercely enveloping Chayan. A powerful devouring force acted upon its form.

"No!" Chayan’s divine body instantly ignited, and it activated the first level of the Secret Art of Burning Divine Power it had learned, resisting with all its might. Yet, after barely a few seconds of resistance, it was entirely consumed.

"Just a Universe Overlord, far too weak. Even the so-called strongest in the Sea of Universe, the Lord of the Milky Way, is only a Universe Overlord. Even if he were thousands or tens of thousands of times stronger than this little fellow, I could annihilate him instantly. Perhaps the various races of this Sea of Universe are more fragile than I imagined." Morosa’s eyes shone with madness and avarice.

Inside the miniature universe, within the Ancestral Hall.

"Progenitor, it is the World Beast! The source in that direction is the World Beast. That World Beast is entirely golden, immensely tall, and has a tail. Centered on it, streams of curved light radiate out into the void. I believe those curved rays are what are constantly consuming the origin," Chayan reported anxiously. "My clone, even while desperately burning divine power to resist, was enveloped by one of its curved beams and was swiftly and completely devoured."

The Fire Bug True Master on the dais was greatly alarmed.

"The World Beast! It truly is it! We must notify all races of the Sea of Universe; I cannot fight this alone!" The True Master roared in anger. "You shall transmit the news of the World Beast appearing outside the Fire Bug miniature universe to every race in the Sea of Universe." He commanded his subordinates while simultaneously sending out urgent messages to every True God he could reach.

"Yes."

The Universe Overlords below also desperately began sending messages out. This time, they absolutely had to call for reinforcements!

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