Some spectators’ legs were trembling from the sheer number of beetles.
“d.a.m.n, I’ve never seen so many before.” A pale one murmured.
This was the first time for s.h.i.+ Wawa as well. He hid behind Li Qiye right away.
“Crack! Crack! Crack!” The beetles then used their horns to widen the hole that they were peeking out of.
It didn’t take long before the entire valley was filled with larger holes, no longer looking like before.
“What are they doing?” A first-timer asked.
“Stuffing in the source stone.” An older cultivator didn’t find this surprising.
“They can really find or pull the source stones out?” The first-timer asked again because the beetles looked so tiny.
After all, these stones were heavy. Even a fist-sized one had some weight to it, more than enough to crush these beetles.
“Throw one and see.” Someone nearby instigated.
The first-timer actually took out a source stone from his pouch, one the size of a bowl without any carving and uncut.
He briefly estimated the throw before actually tossing it towards the beetles.
“Buzz.” One of them flew up right away.
People realized that they actually had wings. It’s just that the wings were hidden beneath their carapace.
The beetle easily caught the heavy stone despite being one-tenth the size. The stone felt as light as a flower.
“Crack!” It cut the source stone into something smaller with a thin outer layer. One could faintly see a jade light within. Next, the beetle rolled this stone towards its hole.
“My stone!” This cultivator shouted, moved forward, and reached for it.
“Buzz.” Unfortunately for him, the beetle used its wings. After a flash, blood started splattering everywhere.
“Ahh!” His hand was severed by the little creature.
“Run already!” An expert warned.
The shocked cultivator started running but the beetle didn’t let him go. He couldn’t scream this time because it decapitated him. His eyes were still wide open, not expecting to meet his end here.
Once people calmed down, the beetle was already back near its hole, not stained by a single drop of blood.
The newcomers couldn’t believe it. These beetles were far stronger than expected.
“How are we going to get the source stones?” A young one turned pale and said.
“Not all of them are so aggressive. Be lucky and pick the right one. Plus, they’re not that fast either. You just need to be quick enough to take the stone and run.” An elder imparted some experience to his juniors.
Nonetheless, some started giving up. They only wanted to watch now since they didn’t have a death wish.
“Click. Click. Click.” The beetle finally rolled the stone into its hole. Suddenly, the gap became filled perfectly without a single crack left behind.
“What is it doing, hiding the stone?” A youth wondered.
“They eat the treasures inside the stones, whether it be refined jade or something else. It’s enough to fill them for a long time.” An older cultivator answered.
The young ones finally understood why the beetles would come out for stones.
More sound waves still came from the deep cave in the valley. It sounded like a flowing river of stones.
“It’s about to start.” The veterans stared at the cave after hearing this.
“Zzz…” Fog came out from the cave, still with a petrification power. The walls of the cave had another layer added.
“Isn’t this the dangerous fog?!” Some became startled and retreated.
Fortunately, the fog only covered the cave and didn’t spread any further. The crowd heaved a sigh of relief.
They also realized why there was a belief stating the power of petrification came from this cave. There seemed to be more mysteries down there.
Since the beetles could get stones out of the cave, there might be a rich mine beneath. Alas, the presence of the fog stopped anyone from trying. This was the reason why the cave remained untouched for millions of years.
“Crack!” A hole appeared on the side of a cliff. The beetle coming out was special - it had a blinding golden radiance.
“The king!” Some spectators shouted.
This one was double the size of a regular Stonesh.e.l.l Beetle, also seemingly cast from gold.
“That’s the beetle king?” s.h.i.+ Wawa became excited.
“Such a powerful insect.” A veteran knew the value of this powerful creature.
“Wouldn’t it be nice to capture it?” Another said.
“Stop dreaming, even a Heavenly Sovereign might have trouble doing so.” An expert immediately chastised.
Those nearby immediately gave up right away and kept their mouth shut.
By this point, the beetles in the valley turned towards their king. This looked like a great army greeting their ruler.
The king looked so tiny. Others felt as if they could easily crush it. However, it exuded a regal aura as if all existences here should be bowing towards it. This wondrous aura was an obvious testament to its power.
Some experts became serious. The more powerful the king, the better the stone it could get out of the cave. This made the risk worth it.
“It’s definitely mine.” Prince Wu’s eyes became bright.
“Zi-” The king gave the order.
All the beetles started crawling towards the cave. Their sheer number made it look like a rising tide moving towards the cave.