After calling out several times in a row...

"Xiuning, what’s happening?" Dean Wu’s voice finally came through the walkie-talkie.

"We were exploring the western region when we discovered some Insect-man ruins. Now we’re being pursued by an insect swarm..."

Lü Xiuning gazed at the approaching forest as he briefly explained the current situation to Dean Wu.

Upon hearing this, Dean Wu’s tone became extremely serious. "I understand. I’m gathering combat personnel right now to support you."

As they spoke, Yin Yi carried everyone into the forest.

The Insect-men behind them were still a few kilometers away, but they showed no signs of stopping, continuing to fly toward the forest where the group was.

"Teacher Lü, Tianhe, Ah Chen, in a moment, I’ll have Yin Yi try to pin down three of the big insects to test their strength. Your three Soul Beasts will intercept the remaining three."

"The other Silver Lotus Woods will block the swarm behind them."

"We’ll hide first to avoid being spotted by the Insect-men and killed outright by their powerful Soul Beasts. We’ll bide our time and wait for an opportunity to shoot them with our firearms."

Han Ning said in a low voice to his companions, leaning against a large, dark-purple tree.

The destructive power of Soul Beasts was astounding. If they didn’t hide well, just getting grazed by the aftershocks of the battle would leave them severely injured, if not dead.

"There are so many of them. Can our small group of people and Soul Beasts really hold them back?" Liu Zhiran licked his lips, glancing at Teacher Liu Yueming, who had started struggling and roaring again.

Lü Xiuning’s tone was firm. "Whether we can hold them back or not, we have to delay them until reinforcements from the academy arrive."

Then, he turned to a student in the group whose arm was severely injured and simply wrapped in gauze. "Xiaowei," he said, "you’re injured and shouldn’t be here. Take Teacher Liu and Zou Yu and fall back. You’ll be in charge of meeting the reinforcements when they arrive."

Hearing the unquestionable authority in Lü Xiuning’s voice, the student he’d addressed didn’t dare hesitate. He nodded quickly, took the injured members and their Silver Lotus Woods, and retreated.

The remaining members of the group quickly set up their formation in the forest.

Yin Yi and the other three evolved Tree Spirits and Wood Demons hid among the large trees, silently awaiting the arrival of the Insect-men.

The few weaker Silver Lotus Woods stayed further back, responsible for blocking any of the insect swarm that might break through.

The remaining six people hid behind a slope at the very back, tightly gripping their guns.

A few minutes later, a dense buzzing sound suddenly filled the air above the forest.

Insects of all shapes and sizes swarmed around the six largest ones in the center, hovering above the forest.

These six insects were: two Blue-striped Giant Butterflies, nearly eight meters long, their wings covered in blue patterns;

three Flame Armored Beetles, each seven meters long, wreathed in faint flames and occasionally spitting sparks from their mouths;

and one silver mantis that radiated a silver-white luster, its pair of forelimbs as sharp as razors.

On the back of each giant insect stood a hideous-looking Insect-man.

Their appearance was extremely similar to the Insect-man Han Ning had encountered before: pupa-shaped bodies, wrinkled faces, and massive pupils that took up nearly a third of their faces.

All six Insect-men wore dusty gray, simple-cut clothing. They had their heads lowered, scanning the forest below.

"Hiss, hissss~"

The Insect-men seemed extremely cautious. The one in the lead, standing in the very center, took out an oddly shaped Insect Flute. He began to play it while giving a light wave of his hand toward the swarm at his side.

WHOOSH~

The massive swarm flew into the forest in unison.

"Stay hidden. Don’t attack just yet," Han Ning said in a low voice. Then he took a deep breath and spoke to the prepared Yin Yi using his Spiritual Power:

"Do you see the three Soul Beasts in the center? Go tie them up. It would be best if you could kill them or the Insect-men on top of them. If you can’t, you must still do everything you can to hold back those three Soul Beasts."

He then closed his eyes, relying entirely on his Spiritual Perception to track the swarm’s movements.

FLAP FLAP FLAP FLAP~

The sound of flapping wings grew closer.

’Fifty meters...’

’Thirty meters...’

In his mind, within his Spiritual World, the swarm’s trajectory appeared as a blurry image.

’Twenty-five meters...’

Leaves began to tremble nearby.

"Now! Target ahead, upper left! Yin Yi, attack!"

Han Ning’s eyes snapped open, a flash of green light appearing in his pupils.

The green light on Yin Yi’s body surged.

"Lingling~"

The fiery glow in Yin Yi’s pupils flickered intensely.

Its taut, vine-like limbs suddenly leaped. In an instant, like a bolt of lightning, it unleashed the Emerald Flower Thorns it had been storing, firing them like missiles at the three insects above.

At the same time, the other three’s Wood Type Soul Beasts launched their attacks on the remaining three giant insects from three different directions.

BOOM!

A deafening explosion erupted.

The three insects in the middle—two Flame Armored Beetles and one Blue-striped Giant Butterfly—were prepared, but they still hadn’t anticipated the sheer speed of the Emerald Flower Thorns. Two surging masses of crimson flame and a shimmering blue Shield hastily rose to meet them.

BANG!

The balls of flame and the Light Shield took a solid hit from several Emerald Flower Thorns and instantly shattered. As the shockwave spread, the three giant insects cried out in pain and shot rapidly upward.

The three Insect-men on top had sensed the anomaly even earlier and had already flown dozens of meters into the air. Each took out an Insect Flute and began playing a strange, unknown melody, commanding the three giant insects and the rest of the swarm to charge at Yin Yi and the others.

"Ling~" 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

Yin Yi was completely unafraid. A frost-colored shield covered in octagonal crystals materialized before it.

Over twenty resplendent, rapidly spinning Emerald Flower Thorns materialized around it. Amidst a ripple of green light, the Emerald Flower Thorns shot out like cannonballs, wrapped in a piercing shriek!

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The terrifying Emerald Flower Thorns exploded, and brilliant green light spread wantonly.

In an instant, one of the Flame Armored Beetles failed to dodge in time and brushed against the edge of a Flower Thorn. Arcs of green light immediately danced across its body, which trembled uncontrollably as if electrocuted.

"Good! They haven’t formed up yet. Attack the Insect-men!" Han Ning’s face was visibly pale as he gripped his gun, his eyes wide.

Yin Yi quickly maneuvered, flicking a few stray Flower Thorns upward.

The Flower Thorns cut through the dim light of the forest. Right under the gazes of the six Insect-men, they flew past the Flame Armored Beetles and Blue-striped Giant Butterflies, shooting with precision toward the head of the Insect-man in the very center.

"Hiss~"

The diamond-shaped silhouette of the Flower Thorn was reflected in the Insect-man’s massive pupil.

It instinctively tried to dodge.

"Curve!" A sharp glint flashed in Han Ning’s eyes as he shot the command via his Spiritual Power.

The moment before the Flower Thorn struck the Insect-man, it curved bizarrely, arcing to the right at an unexpected angle.

SPLAT!

Instantly, a sound like a watermelon bursting echoed out, and a spray of red and white liquid rained down from midair.

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Uhh... let’s just do two Chapters today. I see the traffic is a bit low. Maybe it’s better to save up the remaining Chapters from the past few days and release them all at once when the novel goes premium.

(Also happens to be a good time for this author to go hang out with some friends. _(¦3」∠)_)