I fabricated myths to guide the revival of spiritual energy.

[Xiangxi, entrance to Xuefeng Mountain Tunnel on G56 Expressway]

At this moment, this place has become a living hell.

The golden "mist" is not real fog, but a death symphony composed of the high-frequency flapping sounds of hundreds of millions of wings.

"Retreat! Retreat now!!"

A young SWAT officer screamed into the walkie-talkie as he ran frantically backward. His face was streaked with tears and snot, because less than fifty meters behind him, his captain—the older brother who usually took the best care of him—had just turned into a golden "statue" standing in the middle of the road.

That is not a statue made of gold.

That was the horrific scene of the Golden Silkworm Gu instantly devouring all the flesh and then attaching itself to the bones to lay eggs.

"Sizzle..."

There was no response from the walkie-talkie, only a chilling rustling sound, like countless feet rubbing against a plastic casing.

The young special police officer looked down.

A golden beetle had somehow crawled out of his walkie-talkie receiver. The beetle waved its translucent wings, seemingly mocking his helplessness.

"ah!!!"

The SWAT team shook off the walkie-talkie, but it was all in vain.

The golden mist had caught up with him.

There were no miracles, no heroes descending from the sky.

In his final moments, he saw the pale moon in the night sky, and beneath it, the "Hiveman" slowly emerging from the tunnel.

It stood amidst the corpses and abandoned vehicles, the golden insects on its body rising and falling as if breathing.

It raised its head, and its compound eyes looked toward a small mountain village not far away.

There are lights, heat sources, and what it craves most—"life".

……

[Changsha, Five-Star Hotel]

Gu Qing stood in front of the huge floor-to-ceiling window, the red wine glass in her hand reflecting the distant, non-existent firelight.

On the system interface, the progress bar for the "Ten Thousand Gu Devouring the Heavens" scenario is advancing at an astonishing speed.

Current Status: Consumption Phase

Assimilated biomass: 1.2 tons

[Warning: The swarm is moving towards the nearest human settlement (Pingshan Village).]

Gu Qing's eyes were calm, so calm that they were even somewhat cold.

"System, activate 'Divine Descent' mode."

[The host requests to take over the 'Gu Mother's Consciousness'.]

Connection successful.

The next second, Gu Qing's vision changed.

It was no longer the bustling night view of Changsha, but had become countless fragmented, compound perspectives. He saw the terrified crowds, the burning vehicles, and the trembling little mountain village.

He could feel that hunger that was enough to devour everything.

This is the instinct of "Gu".

But he didn't stop the instinct; instead, he gave it a gentle push.

"Go," Gu Qing whispered, "tell the world that gods are not all benevolent clay or wooden sculptures."

"Some gods are cannibals."

……

[Pingshan Village, village entrance land shrine]

This is a small mountain village with only a few dozen households, located just two kilometers from the highway exit.

At this moment, the village dogs were barking wildly, and many of the stray dogs even broke free of their chains and fled into the deep mountains with their tails between their legs.

In front of a dilapidated local temple at the village entrance, the village chief was leading several elderly people, holding incense, candles, and paper money, kowtowing repeatedly in that direction.

Although they didn't know what had happened, the fishy smell wafting from the direction of the tunnel made them instinctively feel that disaster was imminent.

"May the Earth God protect us... May all the gods protect us..."

"No matter what kind of wandering deity you are, please, have mercy and don't enter the village, please don't enter the village..."

The old people, their voices trembling, smeared the blood of the freshly killed rooster in front of the temple, trying to seek protection through this ancient method.

however.

"Buzz—"

Golden clouds drifted over the mountain ridge, obscuring the moonlight.

When the old people looked up, they did not see a compassionate deity, but a huge "face" made up of countless flying insects.

The face, as large as a house, hovered in mid-air, its features blurred and constantly writhing.

"A deity! A deity has appeared!"

The village chief excitedly raised the incense stick in his hand, "Great Immortal! We offer you our prayers! We beg you..."

Before he could finish speaking...

The enormous insect face suddenly disintegrated, transforming into a golden tornado that swept directly past the local temple.

Without pause, without pity, and without even a moment's hesitation.

The so-called incense, offerings, and prayers are like pieces of paper blocking a flood in the face of this pure biological instinct—utterly meaningless.

A few seconds later.

A tornado swept by.

The local temple collapsed.

The rooster on the offering table was shriveled.

And those old men kneeling on the ground... disappeared.

All that remained were a few piles of clothes scattered on the ground and a few pairs of shoes neatly arranged.

This is the true nature of the world.

Wolves eat sheep without needing a reason, and they don't accept begging for mercy.

……

[Beijing, Headquarters of Bureau 749]

On the large screen, the footage transmitted by the drone plunged the entire command center into a deathly silence.

That's an aerial view of Pingshan Village.

The once peaceful little mountain village was now covered by a golden "carpet." There were no screams, because everything happened too fast.

"This is what you call...god?"

A young female analyst covered her mouth, tears welling up in her eyes, "They don't even spare the elderly and children... They have no feelings at all!"

Li Guozhong gripped the edge of the table tightly, his knuckles turning white.

Don't be naive.

Zhao Feng's voice suddenly came through the communication channel. He was still on the front lines in western Hunan, and although he wasn't in that direction, he had also received intelligence.

"Who told you that God is necessarily the protector of mankind?"

Zhao Feng's voice was slightly hoarse and tired.

"In the eyes of ants, the human who crushes them underfoot is an indescribable 'god.' Would we stop because of the ants' pleas?"

"We won't."

"So, they won't either."

Silence fell over the hall.

This is an extremely cruel truth.

For a long time, humans have been accustomed to standing at the top of the food chain and to imagining "gods" as their protectors. But now, Gu Qing has used this insect plague to slap everyone hard in the face.

In the face of higher-dimensional forces, humanity is not a darling, but merely... biomass.

"Chief!"

The head of the technical department suddenly shouted, "Something's changed! That...that 'Hive Man' has made a move!"

On the screen, the Gu Mother vessel standing on the highway suddenly stopped.

It seemed to sense the drone's gaze.

It slowly raised its head, and its eyes, composed of countless insect eyes, looked at Li Guozhong and all of humanity through the screen.

It opened its mouth, and Gu Qing, through its mouth, conveyed the first "divine oracle" to the world via the "divine descent" mode.

But this oracle is not salvation, but judgment.

"Too weak..."

It was the sound of countless insects chirping, cold, noisy, and full of contempt.

"Your bodies... are too soft."

"Your souls... are too barren."

"This kind of inferior container doesn't even qualify as a 'breeding ground'."

The Hive Man slowly raised his hand and pointed north, towards the more prosperous city.

"You have... three days."

"Evolve or evolve."

"Either... exterminate them."

After it finished speaking, the golden cloud of insects behind it suddenly erupted, transforming into a beam of light that shot into the sky, forming a huge hourglass shape in the night sky that was counting down.

Every grain of sand is a man-eating worm.

……

[Changsha, Hotel]

Gu Qing disconnected the connection.

He was panting heavily, his forehead covered in cold sweat. Controlling that massive collective consciousness had placed an immense strain on his mental system.

But he succeeded.

He not only created fear, but also planted the seeds of "inferiority complex".

"Only when you realize your own weakness will you crave power."

Gu Qing looked out the window at the still bustling city, unaware of the impending disaster.

"Li Guozhong, Zhao Feng, and those materialists."

"I have already told you that traditional prayers are useless, and modern technology (in certain areas) is also useless."

"So, what is your only way out when faced with such an 'unmerciful god'?"

Gu Qing tapped her fingers lightly on the table, making a rhythmic sound.

"It's magic."

"Or rather... it's about cultivating immortality."

He turned his head and looked at another section of the system store.

There, a cultivation method called "Primordial Qi: Basic Chapter" was shimmering with an alluring light.

"It's time to throw a lifeline to desperate humanity."