However, there was one limitation: the Essence-Siphoning Insects could not absorb energy indefinitely. Once they reached their limit, they could not devour any more. Only after fully digesting the energy within them could they resume absorbing. Upon refining this energy, they would evolve—their bodies growing larger, and their capacity to absorb heaven and earth essence would increase accordingly.
These insects could absorb energy far beyond their physical size.
Still, there were limits. But as they evolved, those limits would expand as well. If they were allowed to grow unchecked, they would undoubtedly become terrifying entities.
"They absorb essence energy but are afraid of blades and weapons. However, there are far too many of them. Even if Rock City reacts in time, it'll be too late. That water-veil barrier will definitely collapse," Jia Xu said gravely.
The number of Essence-Siphoning Insects flying out was staggering—at least in the hundreds of thousands. The moment they latched onto the barrier, they began devouring its energy. Though the defenders continued to slaughter the insects, they couldn't eliminate them all immediately. After all, magical techniques and divine powers seemed to have little effect on them.
The barrier had become perilously unstable. If it couldn't hold, it would shatter completely.
This scenario was unfolding right before their eyes—there was no escaping it.
The insects weren't attacking the barrier directly—they were devouring the energy within it. As the source energy was drained, the power of the barrier visibly weakened.
Faced with such massive numbers, the enormous target that was the barrier stood no chance.
Shuaa!!
Just as the blue glow of the barrier dimmed to the faintest shimmer, it suddenly vanished.
In the void, the Deep Blue Star, the artifact powering the barrier, appeared extremely dim. Its once-lustrous glow had become dull and faded. The energy it had lost could not be replenished quickly.
[Deep Blue Star – Magical artifact that powers the Water-Veil Heaven Barrier.]
"The barrier is down! Quick! Kill them all! Slaughter every last insect!"
"Damn insects! Die!!"
"I can't believe the Water-Veil Heaven Barrier (水幕天华) was brought down by mere insects! What a disgrace!"
The alien warriors atop the city walls were both furious and terrified. The barrier had been their primary defense. While it stood, the insects couldn't touch them, but they could freely rain destruction down upon the swarm.
They had held a natural advantage.
Now, with the barrier gone, it was down to brutal hand-to-hand combat—bloodshed and death.The real battlefield had arrived.
"Kill!!"
As soon as the barrier disappeared, a massive cloud of insects surged forth. The Killer Bees fired volleys of sharp stingers like lightning bolts tearing through the sky.
Their numbers weren't in the thousands—but in the hundreds of thousands, possibly millions. The stingers shot forth in a torrential downpour.
"Shields!!"
Towering alien warriors roared, raising their massive shields to form a defensive wall. The stingers struck with shrill clangs. Gold light radiated from the shields, but the assault was overwhelming.
The attacks were too intense. The stingers were too fast and too powerful.
Some shields shattered instantly, pierced clean through and blown to pieces. Warriors fell, impaled by the venomous stingers—killed in an instant by their sheer power and deadly toxins.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
But the alien warriors didn't stand idle. Arrows flew in dense volleys, mowing down tens of thousands of insects. Magical abilities and divine arts surged like tidal waves.
With the barrier gone, the battle entered its most intense phase.
Kill! Kill! Kill!!
The insects were endless. Though most were weak, their numbers were overwhelming—even ants can eat an elephant alive.
Bloodsucking Demon Mosquitoes pierced into their victims, draining them of blood in an instant and leaving only husks.
Fireflies crashed into bodies and exploded—entire groups of warriors were obliterated in blinding blasts.
But breaking the defense wasn't so simple. These alien warriors were battle-hardened, and there were no weaklings among them. The slaughter was brutal and apocalyptic. Divine spells and attacks rained down endlessly, with insect casualties piling up.
"Brutal… truly brutal," muttered Ye Zhiqiu in awe. "Against an insect horde, individuals are meaningless. You'll be ground down by sheer numbers."
"The insect race's strength lies in their endless numbers and fearless assault," Jia Xu nodded grimly. "They charge without care, wave after wave. One misstep, and you're dead."
Whether beast tide or insect tide, a few at a time were no threat. But once they gathered en masse, they became terrifying.
Unless one reached the pinnacle of power, capable of reshaping the world, sheer numbers would prevail.
War was never a one-man affair.
Rumble!!
Suddenly, the sound of a distant roar grew louder—like a landslide or tsunami. The air trembled. It felt like an earthquake. Death loomed all around, and everyone felt their insignificance.
"It's the insect race again! The earlier attack came from the sky, forming a swarm cloud. Now… they're coming from the ground!" Jia Xu's expression turned grim.
Looking out past the Evergreen River, dust billowed.
That land had already been destroyed. Every living creature obliterated. The insects advanced unchallenged.
From the horizon came a tide of insects, surging forward like a black ocean.
"What a massive insect swarm… So this is the legendary Insect Cataclysm," Yi Tianxing muttered. "Truly terrifying. The momentum alone could destroy the world."
What was even more frightening: who knew what kinds of terrifying insects lurked within that swarm?
Yi Tianxing saw them clearly.
Leading the charge were giant golden spiders, each several meters tall. Their legs were like sharpened spears, gleaming with metallic light. Even the hair on their legs shimmered with cold radiance.
Most unsettling were the six pairs of glowing eyes on their backs—radiating eerie light and exuding strange power.
Their speed was incredible—each movement left blurs in the air, making it impossible to track them.
[Magic-Eyed Diamond Spiders (魔眼金刚蜘蛛) – Elite armored spiders with supernatural perception and unmatched durability.]
Most terrifying of all—they were golden in color, like beings forged from diamond and steel. These were no ordinary spiders. They were rare, top-tier monsters: Magic-Eyed Diamond Spiders.
Their bodies were immune to blades and fire. They were built for slaughter. Wherever they appeared, death followed.
And there weren't ten or a hundred of them—but thousands.
And maybe even more beyond sight.
But the spiders weren't alone.
Also charging were massive black beetles, each over a meter long. Their shells glistened like polished metal.
The sheer volume of these beetles made them appear as a black ocean on the move.
Rumble!!
In mere moments, the insect tide reached the Evergreen River.
The Diamond Spiders didn't hesitate. They dashed into the river, but bizarrely, they could run on the water's surface, gliding with lightning speed.
The black beetles surged in behind them, plunging into the river.
Those in front sank, but those behind ran atop their bodies, using them as stepping stones—forming bridges of corpses to storm the other side.
No hesitation. No fear of death.
Regardless of rivers or mountains, they would charge straight through—filling any obstacle with their bodies until it was conquered.
The number of beetles dying in the river was massive—but compared to the total swarm, it was insignificant.
They surged across the water and landed on the opposing shore.
[New Element Highlighted: Black Armor Beetles – Heavily armored ground units forming bridges of corpses to cross obstacles.]
"Terrifying… they truly care nothing for death. For their goals, they'll pay any price. What a horrifying race," Ye Zhiqiu said, sucking in a breath of cold air.
"This is bad!" Jia Xu's expression changed. "A portion of the swarm is splitting off… and heading straight for Ice City!"