The two prodigies withdrew, and the expressions of those who remained grew even more grave.

The Locust Demon Crown Prince pulled back his hands, his face devoid of expression.

From his chest, two locusts crawled out again, perching in the bloody holes with bits of flesh still hanging from their mouthparts.

“These are the prodigies of your Central Plains Human Race?” He glanced around. “You call us the Barbarian Race, yet you are all so fragile.”

“Have you forgotten? You are merely prodigies of the Third Realm. I, on the other hand, am a prodigy of all Nanyue Mianhuang—and a Great Witch!”

“If you retreat now, we can pretend none of this ever happened.”

“Your goal is Nanyue Mianhuang anyway. This has nothing to do with Zhu Ge, and nothing to do with Red River Prefecture.”

“The Central Plains are vast and Da Sheng is powerful. I’m sure losing a bit of territory and a few peasants is no great loss.”

As he spoke, the corners of the Locust Demon Crown Prince’s mouth curled up.

After these words, however, the prodigies all fell silent.

A moment later, a few more prodigies cupped their fists and bowed to Yan Liyuan.

“Brother Yan, I thought we would be facing an ordinary Great Realm expert from Nanyue Mianhuang, but I never expected to encounter a Great Witch. I cannot defy my master’s orders and must go to Nanyue Mianhuang to seek my fortune. My apologies.”

“I follow the Immortal Dao. I am alone in this world, and my cultivation is tied to Spiritual Objects, not the common folk. The people are only valued by those of the Confucian Dao. To achieve my own Great Dao, I will not take such a risk. Brother Yan, I’m leaving.”

“Farewell, Brother Yan. I walk the Business Dao. To me, making a profit is more important than saving lives.”

One by one, the prodigies departed.

The Locust Demon Crown Prince was right.

They had come at Yan Liyuan’s invitation.

Now that they realized they couldn’t defeat the Locust Demon Crown Prince, their departure was only natural.

After all, the difference in power between the Locust Demon Crown Prince and a normal Great Realm expert was like the difference between a prodigy and a normal Third Realm cultivator.

Yan Liyuan, for example, could easily fight a dozen ordinary cultivators of the same Third Realm.

So now, facing such a powerful foe, no one was willing to risk their lives, especially not after seeing the previous two forced to use up even their life-saving treasures.

‘The mental fortitude and willpower of these prodigies are so poor…’ Zhu Ge felt a wave of helplessness as he watched them leave one after another.

To be fair, these prodigies weren’t bad under normal circumstances.

Red River Prefecture was just one prefecture in Yunjiang. Even if it were completely lost, it wouldn’t affect the territories these prodigies came from.

It was understandable that they were unwilling to get involved.

Fortunately, however, a few people remained.

Yan Liyuan, Hong Xiu, Su Feibai, Guan Julan, the Wood Daoist, and a Confucian Scholar.

“My name is Wen Mo, and I cannot stand to see an outsider like you run so rampant,” Wen Mo snorted coldly.

Wen Mo was also a prodigy on the Sheji Chart.

“In that case, you can all become food for my little insects!” The Locust Demon Crown Prince wasted no more words. Two Great Realm locusts flew from his chest, shooting explosively toward the group.

Meanwhile, he himself once again condensed a Phantom of True Will and attacked Yan Liyuan.

Yan Liyuan waved his brush, and a giant word, “Slay,” flew toward the Locust Demon Crown Prince.

Hong Xiu’s Flaming Blade slashed out, creating a crimson line of fire that burned the surrounding swarm of insects.

Su Feibai’s Jade Long Saber chopped down, unleashing a blade gleam over a hundred feet long that aimed straight for the Locust Demon Crown Prince’s head.

Guan Julan’s Water Needles poured down like a torrential rain, sealing off all the Crown Prince’s escape routes.

The Wood Daoist did not attack.

He sat cross-legged in mid-air, his hands pressed together, muttering an incantation.

A dark green light emerged from his body. Within the light, the faint phantom of a towering ancient tree could be seen.

It was a giant, ink-green tree, its branches gnarled like dragons and snakes, its roots spreading through the air like pythons.

The giant tree’s roots collided with the swarm around the Locust Demon Crown Prince, emitting the HISS of corrosion.

The Gu Insects were pierced by the roots, their Demon Qi frantically drained. They shriveled and withered at a speed visible to the naked eye.

The tree’s roots wrapped tighter and tighter, tearing an opening in the swarm surrounding the Locust Demon Crown Prince.

“Hmph!” Yan Liyuan seized the opportunity. With a wave of his ruler, a golden beam shot through the opening and struck the Locust Demon Crown Prince squarely in the chest.

It was like a stone sinking into the ocean.

An attack like that would have had some effect on any other Great Realm expert.

However, the swarm of insects dancing before the Locust Demon Crown Prince simply devoured the golden light completely.

At the same time, Su Feibai, Guan Julan, Hong Xiu, and Wen Mo attacked in unison, holding back the two Great Realm locusts.

Although these two locusts had reached the Great Realm, they were mindless Gu Insects that could only tear, bite, and charge on instinct.

Thus, the group was able to hold them off, for now.

However, the cost in energy was immense.

A single casual strike from the locusts or the Crown Prince was equivalent to an all-out attack from one of the prodigies.

In this war of attrition, the Locust Demon Crown Prince had expended almost no energy, while the prodigies gradually became unable to manifest their True Will to fight.

“Hahaha, an encirclement? With just the few of you?” The Locust Demon Crown Prince’s face was slightly pale, but he was in far better shape than Yan Liyuan and the others.

Yan Liyuan and his group had already destroyed a pile of Spiritual Artifacts and were down to their last few Yuan Artifacts for protection. Their Divine Sense was nearly depleted, and it looked as if they were about to fall from the sky.

But just then, a massive dragon flew over from the distance.

Everyone was shocked at the sight.

“The Red River Dragon Python?!”

“Wait, where’s Hongmi Immortal?”

“We’re doomed!”

The faces of Yan Liyuan and the others turned grim.

The Red River Dragon Python was here, but Hongmi Immortal was nowhere to be seen. The implication was obvious!

“This is bad! Get into the array!”

Yan Liyuan waved his hand at once.

Guan Julan and the others knew the situation was dire and quickly descended toward Six Paths Valley.

At that moment, down in Six Paths Valley, Zhu Ge narrowed his eyes.

He thought about the various rumors he had heard, about what Hongmi Immortal had told him, and about the many secrets he had uncovered on this trip…

He closed his eyes and immersed his Heart Spirit in the Fungus God Destruction Array.

“Haha, the Red River Dragon Python is here!”

The Locust Demon Crown Prince laughed wildly. “After I kill you prodigies, I’ll raise a Great Demon Insect Emperor. Then I will surely step into a new realm!”

“ROAR!!!”

The Red River Dragon Python flew over, twisting its enormous body, which was covered in all sorts of wounds and bloodstains.

The most severe injury was a mature rice plant stuck in the top of its head.

Mystical energies spontaneously formed around the rice plant. Profound patterns constantly appeared on each grain of rice, which were burrowing into the Red River Dragon Python’s body.

“Hongmi Immortal has been slain.” The Red River Dragon Python’s voice boomed across the heavens and earth. “I have devoured Yuan Yang City. Locust Demon Crown Prince, join me in devouring Red River Prefecture.”

“As we agreed, four cities for you, four for me, and we leave five for the Plague God Sparrow!”

The Locust Demon Crown Prince was even more delighted to hear this. “Hahaha, excellent, excellent! In that case, let’s be on our way!”

As he spoke, the Locust Demon Crown Prince glanced down toward the valley and sneered. “Did you think I was just playing games with you here? Such petty little schemes are beneath mention.”

With that, the Locust Demon Crown Prince prepared to leave with the Red River Dragon Python.

The Red River Dragon Python also cast a seemingly nonchalant glance down below.

“Mere ants,” the Locust Demon Crown Prince said with a smile. “I was just playing with these little ones for a bit.”

The Red River Dragon Python withdrew its gaze and nodded slightly.

The Locust Demon Crown Prince smiled. “Let’s go.”

But the very next moment, just as the Locust Demon Crown Prince let his guard down, the Red River Dragon Python’s body instantly coiled around him like a great serpent.

It happened so suddenly that not only the others, but even the Locust Demon Crown Prince himself, had no time to react.

Only Zhu Ge opened his eyes and let out a faint sigh.

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