Chapter 112: Gu Master is a Natural Enemy to Insects!

Chapter 112 Gu Masters Are Insects’ Natural Predators!

It’s gone.

What do you mean, gone?

The staff exchanged confused glances until they heard Sheng Qingquan's mental voice.

"The prophecy novel vanished?"

Wait, what did you say disappeared?

The prophecy novel?

Everyone couldn’t help but feel a chill run down their spines.

Though they had long anticipated this day might come, they never expected it to arrive this soon—this abruptly.

The Gu Masters, who had just been itching to prove themselves after training so hard for this moment, watched as their enthusiasm deflated like a punctured balloon.

They understood the importance of the prophecy book better than anyone.

Though Tianlanxing had faced countless world-ending disasters, it had not only survived but come out stronger each time, with humanity thriving.

Hard work alone didn’t cut it.

Weren’t the humans in those doomsday stories just as desperate? Sure, in some stories, humanity sunk into infighting and despair at first. But in most, people pulled together in the end, no matter how bad the infighting got.

You couldn’t accuse them of slacking off.

Yet no matter how hard they flailed uselessly, the outcome remained unchanged—like an insect trapped in a spider’s web, thrashing futilely.

The real difference was that prophecy book—and the fact that it had ended up with someone like Sheng Qingquan, who cared deeply for his country.

Otherwise, Tianlanxing would have followed the same doomed path as those original stories.

Such a powerful advantage—even knowing they shouldn’t rely on it—who’d pass up a chance to keep it?

With or without it, they would fight to protect their homeland. But without it, the cost of success would be far greater.

Forget the money—the lives lost would be...

Was there any way to recharge this thing?

Someone nearly blurted it out, but their throat clamped shut like a vise—not even a whisper could escape.

The choking feeling snapped them out of it.

Even if they could speak, they shouldn’t. If the advantage could be renewed, Sheng Qingquan, being who he was, would have done so already. If renewal was impossible, asking would only put him on the spot.

The prophecy book had appeared suddenly—its sudden departure was only natural. Sheng Qingquan couldn’t control it.

He had already given so much. Rather than putting him on the spot, they should report this news immediately and plan their next move.

By the time they resolved to act, Sheng Qingquan had already scoured the system for answers.

Confirming that the newly appeared book had truly vanished.

Had that book not lingered for more than a fleeting moment, he might have thought it was just his eyes playing tricks.

But the book hung there glitching before vanishing—no one’s vision blurs for that long. Besides, having consumed many nourishing supplements and being a martial artist, Sheng Qingquan’s senses were extraordinarily sharp; there was simply no chance of him misseeing things.

The moment the doomsday novel disappeared, Sheng Qingquan also thought his golden finger had vanished.

Fortunately, he soon realized the situation wasn't that bad. He could still open the golden finger.

Most importantly, the doomsday novel featuring Li Hongli as the protagonist—delayed due to her bloodline powers awakening postponed—remained. Because the crisis tied to her delayed awakening was also postponed, the novel hadn’t concluded yet, so it stayed within the golden finger.

Though it was usually forgettable—aside from Sheng Qingquan occasionally flipping through it when he had nothing better to do—it was rarely given any attention. But at this moment, seeing the book still sitting there untouched undeniably brought a sense of calm to Sheng Qingquan’s unsettled heart.

Sheng Qingquan opened the doomsday novel.

"Whew, Li Hongli’s book is still here, and I can still open it to check the contents."

"The system is still intact."

"The new book disappearing must have another reason."

The system is still here?!

He exhaled sharply.

Though they dared not show overt reactions, everyone inwardly let out a sigh of relief.

They had already braced for the worst, only to find light at the end of the tunnel.

Seeing the situation take a turn for the better, the staff paused their reports, hints of relief surfacing in their eyes.

Having calmed down, Sheng Qingquan began mulling over the specifics.

"What exactly happened when the new book appeared and then vanished?"

Mulling this over, his gaze shifted from the system to the Gu Masters gearing up for dispatch.

Though the new book had frozen upon appearing, making it impossible to read, the title on its cover had been clearly legible.

"The book was titled *Planet Lord: The Swarm Awakens*."

"Putting this together with the recent abnormal agitation of insects across Tianlanxing, the moment the new book disappeared coincided precisely with these Gu Masters being dispatched to various regions, preparing to set out."

"Gu Masters are the natural counter to insects!"

While rampant insects indeed were causing chaos in daily life and public welfare, for Gu Masters, what better opportunity could there be to cultivate their Gu arts?

The more numerous and ferocious the insects, the stronger the Gu they could cultivate.

That was why the Gu Masters had been so excited while lining up earlier—not just because they finally had a role to play, but also for this very reason.

Who wouldn’t want to grow stronger?

For power, they wouldn’t resort to unscrupulous or harmful means. But if they could alleviate the people’s suffering while enhancing their own strength, who wouldn’t jump at the chance?

Who would let such an opportunity slip by?!

"I’ve never settled on a bonded Gu. The few Gu monarchs I have just never quite measured up no matter how I look at them. This time, I specifically requested leadership to assign me to the muggy southern regions—there’ll be more insects there. Ideal conditions for forging a new Gu monarch. Maybe my bonded Gu will finally take shape," one Gu Master said with dawning understanding.

The others also caught on. Since there was nothing suspicious about Sheng Qingquan hearing, they assumed he’d simply think they were talking shop about Gu cultivation.

So everyone was relaxed.

"This trip should go smoothly. There are indeed many insects everywhere now, and they are aggressive, but they're still just ordinary insects." They haven’t reached mutation stage yet.

"It won’t be too hard for us to handle them. It’ll just be grueling."

Although the prophecy book’s brief appearance suggested the operation would succeed in solving the problem, one Gu Master cautioned, "Don’t get cocky!"

"Of course not. I packed every last Gu insect I’ve spent ages refining. This is our first operation, and with so many insects, we can’t slack off."

As the Gu Masters chatted, Sheng Qingquan listened, his conviction growing.

"Normally, a freak explosion of bugs would have led to an apocalypse. But since Tianlanxing has Gu Masters, and the authorities decided to deploy them, the crisis was no longer a crisis as soon as the new novel appeared. Detecting this, the novel naturally vanished."

"The government’s hard work finally paid off. This is clear proof!"

Sheng Qingquan felt elated and invigorated.

He didn’t even care about missing out on swag.

After hearing what he wanted, sticking around would look shady. Besides, they were eager to act. The Gu Masters grabbed their kits and set off for their assigned destinations.

Sheng Qingquan returned to Yunteng City. The Gu Master posted to Yunteng had left first but showed up later. However, the latter moved swiftly.

Early the next morning, folks were thrilled.

"I didn’t see any insects last night. No mosquito bites—finally got a good night’s sleep."

"Same here. Before, the cockroaches in my house were so bold they’d parade around in plain sight. You’d squash one with every step. But this morning, I didn’t see a single one. The house is clean, just like before summer."

"My place used to be infested with all kinds of pests—cockroaches, spiders, centipedes, you name it. It was like a damn bug zoo. Now they’re all gone. Seriously, I’d tried everything—even hiring professional exterminators didn’t help. I thought I’d be stuck living with them forever."

"Last night, the neighborhood committee knocked on doors, saying the authorities were launching an insect control campaign. I didn’t expect it to work so well—worked like a charm!"

...

The neighborhood chat blew up with celebration.

Everyone felt relieved, like they’d dodged a bullet. Sheng Qingquan knew immediately that the Gu Master posted to Yunteng had taken action. The night before, property managers and neighborhood committee members had indeed gone door-to-door, warning residents to be cautious when going out or to stay indoors if possible.

The operation was clearly a success.

"Ahhh! Bugs!"

Just as Sheng Qingquan thought this, a scream ripped through the air outside the community. He snapped his focus to the plant near the source of the scream to assess the situation.

As soon as his view changed, he understood what was happening.

A jacked, tattooed dude was desperately trying to climb a roadside tree, his legs trembling so badly he kept sliding back down, getting nowhere.

The street below was the stuff of nightmares.

It was rush hour, but unlike the usual bustling traffic, the streets were deserted—just crawling with bugs.

Sheng Qingquan had never seen so many bugs before.

Tiny to huge, everyday to exotic, fierce to cute, beautiful to hideous, poisonous or benign...

The various insects were all mixed together, some of which were even natural enemies, yet they weren’t fighting. Instead, they kept to themselves peacefully, forming orderly lines as they resolutely crawled in the same direction.

From a distance, they looked like serpentine lines inching forward.

“Wh-what’s with all these bugs?” someone else stepped out, their voice trembling at the sight.

Wait—(they shuddered)—could this mean…?

“A sudden surge of insects… could this mean an earthquake is coming?”

“Is this a sign of an earthquake?!”

“But that doesn’t make sense. If it were an earthquake, these bugs would be scattering everywhere. They wouldn’t be this orderly, like they’re following orders.”

“Besides, my phone’s got earthquake alerts on,” the person said, pulling out their device. “There’s no warning.”

As they spoke, they glanced down and saw no earthquake alert, but they did notice an unread notification.

“Due to recent abnormal weather, insect populations have surged, disrupting residents’ daily lives. To address this, authorities will conduct pest control efforts for at least a week. Unlike previous chemical treatments, this operation will employ a safer, more effective new method—Gu Masters will lure and gather the insects for centralized disposal.” The person unconsciously read the message aloud.

“During the operation, insects will gather on the streets. Don’t freak out. These relocated insects won’t actively harm humans.”

“For the time being, please avoid driving. Work from home or take leave if possible. If you must go out, remain calm, wear long sleeves and pants, avoid sandals, and wear sneakers or sturdy shoes. Walking is recommended.”

“This text came in last night, but I was already asleep and didn’t see it.”

“So that’s why the streets are so quiet today.”

With martial arts around, Gu Masters? Yeah, checks out.

Just then, a loudspeaker blared, repeating the same information as the text. Clearly, authorities were using multiple channels to ensure no one missed the warnings—unlike these poor saps who missed the memo.

Sheng Qingquan barely finished the thought when a drone noticed them, and it instantly switched to target them.

“You in the gray T-shirt under the tree—stay cool—don’t swat at ’em.”

“If you don’t provoke them, they won’t harm you. Can you walk? If not, stay put. Cops’ll be there in a sec.”

“That means you—freeze! Tattoo guy—hold still!”