Chapter 1159: Insect-Transformed Five Elements Heaven

The abundant spiritual energy within the Five Elements Grand Grotto-Heaven proved to be the perfect breeding ground for the boundless proliferation of Dao-One Worms.

A dramatic transformation of heaven and earth was quietly unfolding within the five grotto-heavens. Ordinary creatures might not be able to perceive the fundamental changes in spiritual energy, but the highest forms of life within the grotto-heavens reacted immediately.

The most conspicuous among them was the towering giant tree in the Wood-element grotto-heaven. Its branches and leaves swayed without wind, as if trying to resist an unseen enemy. A hazy green aura emanated from the giant tree, forming a barrier in an attempt to prevent the mutated spiritual energy from infiltrating it.

Unfortunately, this giant tree had clearly not yet reached the stage where it could sustain itself in a self-contained cycle. The larger its size, the more nourishment it needed to draw from the outside world every moment. It couldn't hold on for long, and the green barrier collapsed on its own. The invisible mutated spiritual energy instantly swarmed and devoured the giant tree.

From outside the grotto-heaven, Li Ping could clearly sense the entire process of the giant tree being mutated and consumed by the Dao-One Worms. If one looked closely, they would see countless tiny worms crawling over the leaves of the giant tree in the Wood-element grotto-heaven. Furthermore, on its trunk, the wriggling of numerous Dao-One Worms formed a human face. It was grotesque and terrifying, its gaze fixed across the void on Li Ping!

"Not bad," Li Ping murmured, nodding slightly.

After struggling for a moment, the human face on the tree trunk was slowly pulled back into the tree and vanished. However, from a microscopic perspective, the giant tree had now completely transformed into a composite of countless Dao-One Worms! It wasn't just this one giant tree; everything within the five grotto-heavens was inevitably undergoing the same type of transformation. Li Ping referred to this as "Insectification!"

Up to this point, all the phenomena and changes brought about by the mutated Dao-One Worms had been within the Holy Emperor Li Ping's expectations. However, what happened next caught him somewhat off guard.

When the insectification of the entire Five Elements Grotto-Heaven exceeded one-third, a certain entity seemed to awaken abruptly. Unlike the pure Heavenly Dao consciousness of a grotto-heaven or small world, this was a collective consciousness formed by billions of Dao-One Worms, hatched by utilizing the shell of the small world's Heavenly Dao! Compared to the normal Heavenly Dao of a world, this newly born world consciousness of the Five Elements Grand Grotto-Heaven was just like the mutated Dao-One Worms. It was filled with aggression and an endless desire for greedy consumption!

Nine faint purple flying dragons suddenly appeared, guarding Li Ping. As the only Fated Holy Emperor with a small world around the Five Elements Grotto-Heaven, he felt a subtle sense of being targeted and a crisis from this "insectified grotto-heaven."

"A newborn calf dares to swallow a tiger," Li Ping scoffed, letting out a cold snort and showing no panic whatsoever. Although the overall insectification of the Five Elements Grotto-Heaven exceeded his expectations, the fact that he dared to let Daoist Baihua transport the Five Elements Grotto-Heaven here meant he had ample confidence to deal with various problems.

"The Holy Dynasty's fortune, transform into dragons! Billions of subjects, serve my will!" Li Ping chanted, and behind him, a phantom image of the prosperous scene of countless contented and thriving citizens of the Great Qi Holy Dynasty appeared. Even though the Great Qi Small World was far smaller than the Five Elements Grand Grotto-Heaven, the countless beings within it, possessing unwavering belief, allowed it to hold its own even against a colossal entity a hundred times its size!

The Holy Dynasty's vision was enveloped in a faint purple aura, almost tangible. Li Ping, bearing the faith and popular will of billions of Great Qi beings, flickered into existence and stepped onto the insectified Five Elements Grand Grotto-Heaven. He stomped down forcefully!

In the void, a piercing shriek, like that of an ancient primordial beast, suddenly erupted. It echoed for a long time without ceasing. The vast Five Elements Grand Grotto-Heaven rumbled and trembled. The mutated spiritual energy within the grotto-heaven churned and boiled, immediately manifesting into various bizarre black monstrous forms. Furious and fearless of death, they rushed out of the grotto-heaven world, attacking Li Ping. Their target was not only Li Ping but also the Great Qi Holy Dynasty behind him!

"Fated Holy Emperor, benefit all eternity!" The phantom image of the Holy Dynasty behind him suddenly burst forth with boundless faint purple light, completely enveloping Li Ping. Under the illumination of the purple light of fortune, Li Ping's body grew with the wind. In but an instant, he became even larger than the entire Great Qi Small World. He truly became like a mythical giant, standing between heaven and earth, blocking the path for countless Great Qi beings and confronting the black insectified monstrous beasts!

At that moment, Li Ping's colossal figure also appeared on the firmament above the Great Qi Holy Dynasty. Countless citizens instinctively knelt on the ground, chanting praises for the Holy Emperor's benevolence. Aided by this, Li Ping's form expanded several more times. The faint purple on his body gradually solidified, then was wielded by Li Ping, transforming into thunderbolts that violently struck the monstrous beasts.

Rumbling sounds continuously echoed in the void; the rate at which the insectified beasts propagated was far outpaced by how quickly Li Ping annihilated them. The Fated Holy Emperor, now with a free hand, raised his fist and then violently slammed it onto the Five Elements Grand Grotto-Heaven. One punch, two punches! Although it was the most basic form of attack, faint wisps of purple energy were forcefully blasted into the grotto-heaven with each blow. The ferocity of the insectified Five Elements Grotto-Heaven was gradually suppressed.

The original Dao-One Worms that had been sent into the grotto-heaven for infiltration were cultivated with a wisp of Li Ping's consciousness. In a sense, these countless mutated Dao-One Worms were all his offspring. After briefly suppressing the insectified grotto-heaven's instinctive consciousness, Li Ping gradually gained control over it through this connection. The rebellious Five Elements Grotto-Heaven slowly calmed down. The black monstrous beasts, which had previously bared their fangs and claws, intent on killing Li Ping, now circled him intimately, fawning over him as if seeking favor.

Li Ping remained in his purple giant form, sensing the Five Elements Grand Grotto-Heaven, which was now entirely different. After undergoing insectification and then being subdued, the grotto-heaven seemed to have become another one of his bodies. Not only was he fully aware of everything within the grotto-heaven, but he could even manipulate the insectified grotto-heaven to move and attack!

"World insectification..." Li Ping mused, falling into contemplation as he adapted to this new body. "If ordinary grotto-heavens and small worlds are likened to static entities like plants, then insectification grants them capabilities akin to wild beasts. Their aggressiveness greatly increases; they can even spontaneously hunt and prey. But it's not all benefits..." Li Ping frowned slightly: "After insectification, the lifespan of the Five Elements Grand Grotto-Heaven has also been greatly shortened. It might only last for less than a thousand years before inevitably falling into decline."

Heaven and earth inherently have a maximum lifespan. Measured in hundreds of millions of years, they are virtually eternal compared to mortals. However, after insectification, this lifespan was shortened by an unknown number of times.

"The drawbacks far outweigh the benefits," Li Ping, who considered himself a fated person, concluded. "This can be done once, but not again."

However, Li Fan's true self felt a stir in his heart, harboring a different idea.