Degrade from Nobility to a Humble Slave

The sound came from behind Zen as a sword sliced through the air, black-red light shimmering from it as it cleaved the blade locust's head open.

Despite the sword split its head open, the beast wielded its blades in a frenzy driven assault. Thankfully, the man-sized insect was swinging blindly and had lost both its speed and strength, giving Zen a chance to duck to safety.

"Thanks for saving me, man," Zen said to the disciple in a black robe as he found a safer spot in the corner. The disciple looked young and wore his hair long. The black-red energy on his sword wasn't constructed by using life energy but was made up of genuine life vitality! Given those facts, this young man was at the nature level!

"No worries, it was nothing. Besides, we're both disciples from the Cloud Sect," offered the young man lightly. "By the way, blade locusts have exceedingly tough abdomens. Their heads are the weak spots. Don't let them get a strike in or surround you unless you are as strong as iron," he added kindly.

Zen nodded, indicating that he got it. The young man, cold as he seemed, had not only saved him but had given him vital details about the insect's weaknesses. It was very rare to meet such a good person from the Cloud Sect.

Blade locusts began continually hurtling themselves at the flying chariot. The battle was on.

No one expected the beasts to dive onto the flying chariot as they soared on their way to the destination.

Amid the struggle, an alarmed voice shouted, "Blade locusts are tearing through the bottom of the chariot!"

The flying chariot housed its power in the bottom, so if the base was demolished, the chariot would plummet to the ground below!

It was unfortunate that no one present was able to fly like their attackers, leaving them no recourse except to watch as their fate was ripped away piece by piece like the hull of their chariot.

It wasn't long before everyone felt the floor tilt, and sure enough, the huge flying chariot began to fall!

Zen slid along the floor, smacking into a corner before grasping a beam to steady himself.

The current situation, with the insects' sudden attack and cunning maneuver to rip through the bottom of the vehicle, was wholly unexpected. 'What lousy luck!' determined Zen, laughing silently at the irony, with a wry smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. He had assumed they'd arrive at their destination and take a break to acclimate before hunting blade locusts.

The good news was that the bottom of the chariot was only half torn which meant they still had some power. So, the chariot merely tilted downward, falling slowly.

Everyone clutched any secure objects around them to keep steady as they waited for the impact of the crash.

"Crr-ssh."

A deafening, hollow sound of the chariot slamming into the ground reverberated through the passengers. The center keel snapped off, causing the chariot to separate, splintering into many pieces. The land was littered with sections of broken wood that moments ago was a mighty chariot.

The impact didn't hurt Zen, who suffered only momentary confusion. Climbing out of the wreckage, he found himself in a war-torn battle between inner disciples and blade locusts.

Many of the disciples present were at the nature level.

Aside from Zen, most of others were dominant refiners half-step into the nature level.

In the face of the crisis, everyone remained level-headed, immediately launching counterattacks against the blade locusts. For a time, lights of the life energy and the life vitality flashed, one after another on the battlefield. It was an intense battle.

Only then did Zen understand the full impact of what the insect aggression was.

Whether in an open field, in the jungle or high above in the sky, everywhere he looked was green.

When the insects flew, people couldn't see the blue sky anymore.

As soon as Zen was away from the wreck, he was set on by four blade locusts swooping down on him from three directions.

As he learned from the young man with a ponytail, Zen knew the blade locust's most reliable defense was its abdomen, and the exoskeleton grown on its body was even more robust than man-made armor. The earlier attack in the chariot was a good lesson for Zen, and he wouldn't make the same mistake twice.

Beset on by blade locusts, Zen took the offense. He fended off oncoming blades, concentrating his strength on his arm, and smashing the head with a single blow. After that, he grabbed the body and threw it behind him, blocking the two blade locusts that were rushing at him from behind.

These beasts outnumbered the refiners, and being surrounded like this was quite intimidating.

So, Zen heeded the earlier advice and tried not to get entrapped by a swarm of blade locusts.

Of the four blade locusts that attacked, he killed one with his fist and blocked two more behind him, which left just one. It would be easier to deal with the left one. Before it could strike with its blades, Zen reached out fast to its abdominal joints. With one firm yank, he ripped the two blades off.

In fact, Zen thought a single blade locust wasn't that difficult to deal with.

Disciples that were half-step into the nature level were able to kill a single blade locust with ease, as well as those at the marrow refining level. Actually, even at the organ refining level, one might be able to defeat a locust, if they put all their strength into their actions.