Chapter 8: The Scarab Swarm

Zhang Xiao and his companions pressed forward through the pitch-black corridor. The darkness was absolute, but it posed no challenge to Zhang Xiao; his cultivation in the demonic arts granted him vision in the night that was even clearer than in the daylight. He did not waste the time spent walking, instead engaging Kama and the others in conversation. From Kama, Zhang Xiao learned that the two remaining warriors were named Doley and Monk, both of whom were rune warriors from their temple. Intrigued by the runes etched upon their bodies, Zhang Xiao subtly probed for information.

Perhaps because the secrets of these runes were not considered confidential among the temple members, Zhang Xiao found his inquiries met with surprising openness. He learned that upon joining the temple, one receives a "rune seed." Once integrated into the body, this seed evolves alongside the individual's strength, manifesting various weapons or armors while simultaneously enhancing physical capabilities. It is said that when a warrior reaches a sufficiently powerful realm, these runes undergo further transformation and upgrading, though Kama remained vague on the details, as he had yet to attain such a level himself. When Zhang Xiao asked about the origin of these seeds, Kama’s answer left him speechless: "These rune seeds were bestowed upon us by the ancient gods." Zhang Xiao quietly recorded the patterns of these runes with his divine sense, immediately setting his inner avatar to analyze them within his sea of consciousness.

"Wait, something is wrong," Zhang Xiao suddenly halted and spoke sharply. He scanned every corner with his divine sense, finding nothing, yet an encroaching sense of danger prickled at his intuition—a sensation that grew more acute with his high level of cultivation.

Seeing Zhang Xiao’s solemn expression, Kama and his companions began to scout cautiously, but found nothing. The impetuous Doley could not resist scoffing, "Hmph! What danger could there be? You Eastern coward—"

Before Doley could finish, a sudden tremor beneath their feet rendered his words moot. Zhang Xiao did not have time to argue; he projected his divine sense into the ground. What he saw made his eyes widen. He instantly summoned the Sky-Sun Sword and leapt onto it, hovering in mid-air.

Before Kama and the others could react, swarms of glowing, oversized beetles burst from the earth. "Run! It’s the scarab swarm!" Kama screamed, terror seizing him.

The endless sea of scarabs surged toward them. Abandoning his companions, Kama leapt into the air, a black mist erupting from his skull-topped staff to lift him aloft. The two rune warriors, however, were forced to flee on foot; despite their prowess, they had not yet reached the Silver Rune level required for flight.

Kama’s black mist could only carry one person. While Zhang Xiao could have provided aid, he had no intention of doing such a favor. As the swarm closed in, Monk suddenly drew his scimitar and slashed at Doley’s ankle. Doley, caught completely off guard by his comrade’s betrayal, collapsed as his tendons were severed.

"Monk, you bastard!" Doley roared, struggling to rise, but the swarm engulfed him instantly. Even with his bronze armor manifested, he was devoured by the thousands of scarabs in a heartbeat, leaving not even bones behind.

Horrified, Kama and Zhang Xiao fled at high speed. However, the situation worsened when the scarabs sprouted wings and took flight in pursuit. Zhang Xiao unleashed a volley of pure solar sword energy, but it only served to buffet the creatures aside before they resumed their relentless charge. "Save your strength," Kama shouted, "these scarabs are impervious to water, fire, and steel!"

Zhang Xiao’s expression darkened. He pushed his speed to the limit, his Sky-Sun Sword transforming into a streak of silver light that shot past Kama and vanished into the depths of the tunnel. Kama was left wide-eyed at such incredible velocity, but his shock was short-lived as the swarm began to overtake him.

In a cold-blooded turn of fate, Kama kicked the clinging Monk off his cloud of black mist. Without a sound, Monk fell into the swarm, a single scarab piercing his skull before the rest of the horde reduced him to nothing. With the weight gone, Kama increased his speed, yet he still could not shake the tide of insects. Just as despair set in, Zhang Xiao’s voice echoed from ahead: "Hurry, over here!"

Zhang Xiao was beckoning frantically. With no other choice, Kama pushed his remaining strength to reach him. Once Kama had passed, Zhang Xiao and his summoned Silver-Armored Corpse drove their hands into the ground, raising a massive stone wall that sealed the tunnel in a single breath. Zhang Xiao exhaled in relief; without the aid of the corpse, it would have been nearly impossible to manifest such a thick barrier without resorting to his heavy-duty techniques.

Kama, seeing the wall, was initially relieved, but Zhang Xiao yelled, "Watch out in front!" Before Kama could react, a dull *thud* rang out as he collided head-first with a stone door he hadn't noticed in his panic. He collapsed, bloodied and dazed.

Zhang Xiao withdrew the corpse and approached, tossing a vial of medicine to Kama. "One for external use, one for internal. That wall won't hold for long. Open this door, or we’re both dead." Zhang Xiao was not exaggerating; after witnessing the scarabs, he knew that without sufficient crystal essence to lay down a Star-Extinguishing Formation, even his Five-Colored Cloud Banner would not save him.

Kama, realizing the gravity of the situation, swallowed the medicine and began chanting, waving his staff to strike the door with black light. The runes on the stone door flickered and began to disengage like locks.

*BOOM!*

The wall shuddered as the scarabs began to tunnel through. Though eight meters thick, Zhang Xiao estimated they would breach it in less than a minute. He poured his energy into fortifying the wall, beads of sweat rolling down his forehead. "Hurry up! I can't hold them much longer!"

As the final syllable left Kama’s lips, he struck the door with a beam of green light, and it began to grind open. Zhang Xiao instantly recalled the Silver-Armored Corpse and darted through the gap like a breeze. Kama followed, scrambling through before the door was fully open, and immediately used a black light to command the door to close. Zhang Xiao’s eyes flashed—he realized that there were specific incantations for both opening and closing; had he not entered first, Kama might well have left him to his fate.

As the door sealed, both men collapsed from exhaustion. Zhang Xiao looked up to see a miniature pyramid standing in the center of the chamber, topped by a golden flame that illuminated the space.

"Hahaha! It’s here, it’s really here!" Kama laughed, moving toward it.

"Stop!" Zhang Xiao barked.

Kama froze, turning with a cold glare. "What? Are you trying to steal it from me?"

Zhang Xiao’s gaze sharpened. "Where is the Water of Rebirth?"

Kama, relieved that Zhang Xiao was only after the water, pointed to a pool surrounding the pyramid. "That is the Water of Rebirth."