TL: Etude

The battle continued.

From time to time, a forbidden insect would fall, and occasionally, a Dao Ancestor would also perish.

However, whenever a Dao Ancestor fell, their comrades would quickly collect the body to prevent it from being seized by the forbidden insects.

Due to the coordination among the Dao Ancestors and their numerical advantage, the number of fallen Dao Ancestors was far less compared to the forbidden insects.

As time passed, the number of forbidden insects dwindled, and the Dao Ancestors gained an increasing advantage.

But suddenly, the voices of the Half-Step Domain Ancestors echoed across the battlefield.

“Retreat immediately!”

The other Dao Ancestors didn’t know what had occurred, but they guessed there must have been an issue on the Half-Step Domain Ancestor battlefield. Without hesitation, they began withdrawing from the battle.

“We’re retreating!” Ye Tian called out to Xiao Yue, Ye Xingchen, Ye Xingyue, and Ye Yu.

Following Ye Tian, they quickly withdrew. If any forbidden insects pursued them, Ye Tian was able to hold them off single-handedly.

Soon, they had left the area.

“Two lord-level forbidden insects are approaching. We must also retreat!” said Dao Ancestor Divine Ruins gravely. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

He knew that the two lord-level forbidden insects must be the ones from the depths of the forbidden insect nest. He hadn’t expected them to emerge.

Alternatively, it could mean that another lord-level forbidden insect had been born, leaving one to guard the Forbidden Insect Tree, while the others advanced.

If that were the case, the forbidden insects now had at least nine lord-level forbidden insects, or even ten.

Meanwhile, the major bases had only eight Half-Step Domain Ancestors, leaving them at a severe disadvantage.

Once those two lord-level forbidden insects joined the battlefield, the tide would turn against them entirely. Countless Dao Ancestors would fall.

At this moment.

The Invincible Dao Ancestors also began to retreat, unwilling to remain on the battlefield any longer. Otherwise, even they might perish.

The eight Half-Step Domain Ancestors worked together to intercept the incoming lord-level forbidden insects. Dao Ancestor Divine Ruins abandoned his hunt for commander-level forbidden insects and turned to block the two approaching lord-level forbidden insects.

However, Dao Ancestor Divine Ruins quickly found himself at a disadvantage, being completely suppressed. These two lord-level creatures were stronger than typical lord-level creatures, and with the two of them attacking in unison, Dao Ancestor Divine Ruins could not hold them off.

Still, it seemed possible for him to delay them for a while.

While the lord-level forbidden insects were intercepted, the commander-level forbidden insects were not. Leading large groups of forbidden insects, they continued their pursuit.

Fortunately, nearly twenty commander-level forbidden insects had been killed earlier, leaving around thirty still active. Although they still outnumbered the Invincible Dao Ancestors, the gap wasn’t as wide as before.

However, the speed of the commander-level forbidden insects was astonishing. The Invincible Dao Ancestors used top-tier escape treasures to flee successfully, but weaker Dao Ancestors who lagged behind had no choice but to scatter.

If caught, those Dao Ancestors could only meet their demise.

…

At Blackwind Mountain, a group of Dao Ancestors was retreating. Ye Tian was shielding a group of Seventh Heaven and Sixth Heaven Dao Ancestors, as the Pinnacle Dao Ancestors of Blackwind Mountain were too preoccupied to attend to them.

Suddenly.

Ye Tian sensed the aura of a commander-level forbidden insect. Any Dao Ancestor it attacked fell instantly, unable to withstand its power. The creature was heading directly toward Ye Tian’s location.

“Hurry and flee! Use whatever escape treasures you have—don’t hold back!” Ye Tian reminded the Dao Ancestors of Blackwind Mountain.

“Heavenly King Nine Limits, you must go first. You are the hope of Blackwind Mountain!”

Many Dao Ancestors hurriedly responded.

“No! You should leave! We will cover for you!”

“It’s fine,” Ye Tian ordered decisively. “You all leave. I have my ways to survive. These are the forbidden insects I hunted and the Dao Ancestor corpses I collected. Take them all and don’t waste time. This is an order! As a Great Heavenly King of Blackwind Mountain, I command you to retreat immediately!”

The Dao Ancestors of Blackwind Mountain dared not disobey his command. They quickly collected the forbidden insects and Dao Ancestor corpses Ye Tian had left behind and retreated at once.

At that moment, the commander-level forbidden insect charged forward.

Ye Tian unleashed his Forbidden Domain, activating the Great Desolate Dao Body and numerous dao techniques one by one. He even activated his Forbidden Talent, Dark Spear, channeling it into the Forbidden Spear in his hand, delivering a devastating strike.

Boom!!!

This strike directly slowed the speed of the commander-level forbidden insect until it finally stopped.

Out of habit, Ye Tian used his Copy Talent to envelop the creature, only to discover something shocking.

“It has a Forbidden Talent!” Ye Tian was stunned.

Even more startling, the creature not only possessed the Forbidden Talent Dark Spear but also the Forbidden Talent Concealment.

“Copy!” Ye Tian roared in his mind.

He instantly copied both of the creature’s Forbidden Talents. However, the commander-level forbidden insect launched a counterattack. One of its long legs, sharp as a spear, struck toward Ye Tian at lightning speed, leaving him no time to dodge.

Pfft!

Ye Tian’s body was pierced through, but he had long prepared by concentrating a vast amount of Forbidden Origin Power within himself. The moment his body was pierced, he activated it to heal his injuries instantly. Although he avoided an instant death, he was gravely wounded and on the brink of collapse.

The commander-level forbidden insect seemed momentarily stunned, as if wondering why Ye Tian hadn’t died like all the other ants it had killed.

Then, it raised its leg again and stabbed toward Ye Tian.

Ye Tian healed as quickly as he could and exerted all his strength to use the Heavenly Illusory Divine Steps, shifting just enough to narrowly evade the incoming strike, surviving once more.

At this moment, the commander-level forbidden insect appeared enraged. It ceased its playful toying and launched its long legs in rapid succession. The strikes transformed into afterimages, moving too quickly for the eye to follow.

This time, Ye Tian failed to evade. He was struck directly and killed on the spot.

After slaying Ye Tian, the commander-level forbidden insect appeared delighted and prepared to take his body. However, to its astonishment, Ye Tian’s corpse dissolved into nothingness, leaving behind only a few broken dao artifacts and a small amount of resources.

Roar!!!

The commander-level forbidden insect bellowed furiously, seemingly questioning who had stolen its prey.

Moments later, it resumed its pursuit of the other Dao Ancestors.

Because of the delay caused by Ye Tian’s copied body, the group of Dao Ancestors from Blackwind Mountain successfully escaped without being overtaken by the commander-level forbidden insect. Their lives were saved.

…

A long time later, the Dao Ancestors of the various major bases gradually returned to their strongholds. Even the Half-Step Domain Ancestors made it back, though each bore injuries, clear evidence of the heavy price they had paid.

However, the forbidden insects did not fully pursue them to the end.

The forbidden insects had suffered even greater losses. If they continued their attack recklessly, their population would be at risk.

Forbidden insects could reproduce quickly, so there was no need for an all-out war. A slow, drawn-out conflict was their preferred approach.