At this moment.
Countless pitch-black insects surged out of the sea.
As soon as the insects appeared, they emitted a hissing sound, sharp and grating to the ears.
Their sheer numbers sent a shiver down everyone's spine.
Someone asked, "Lord City Lord, what are Soul-Devouring Insects?"
Many people didn't know what Soul-Devouring Insects were, indicating how rare they were.
City Lord Fang Jin's expression was solemn as he explained, "These are very rare insects that originate from the deep sea. They are entirely black, not large, and their calls are hoarse. These are not the things that instill fear."
He paused here, taking a deep breath. The crowd watched him anxiously, awaiting his next words.
Fang Jin exhaled a breath of stale air and sighed, "As their name suggests, they can devour soul power. Do not let them crawl onto you, or they will suck away your soul power until you are completely drained, and then lay eggs within you!"
Hiss!!
Upon hearing this, everyone gasped in unison.
What terrifying creatures!
They could directly consume souls!
"When the insects get close, do not let them get near. Remember to kill them with ranged skills," Fang Jin instructed.
Seeing their dazed expressions, he raised his voice and said,
"Remember! Do not let these monsters get close! Awakened individuals who specialize in close combat should stay back and not engage on the front lines for now!"
After a while, they finally snapped back to attention.
Even after battling with ferocious beasts, this was their first encounter with such bizarre insects.
To absorb the souls of living beings and then lay eggs within their bodies, the mere thought sent shivers down their spines.
Indeed, these were the ferocious beasts of the sea, far more unsettling than those on land.
"Did you hear me?" Fang Jin roared.
His shout jolted them back to their senses, and they shouted in unison, "We heard!"
Fang Jin said gravely, "Do not be reckless. If you cannot hold on, retreat immediately!"
"Yes!"
"Good, they are here. Go and kill them!"
"Kill!"
The crowd roared and advanced forward.
Hiss hiss hiss!!!
Chirp chirp chirp!!!!
Various ear-piercing sounds emanated from the Soul-Devouring Insects.
The sound was harsh and disgusting.
Suddenly, the Soul-Devouring Insects pounced.
Fang Jin roared, "Flame Spirit Slash!"
Boom!
A hundred-meter-long flame slash descended from the sky, aimed at the Soul-Devouring Insects.
Hiss hiss hiss!!!
Suddenly, countless Soul-Devouring Insects behind them began to stir.
The Soul-Devouring Insects coalesced, forming giants ten meters tall.
"It's an assimilation technique!" Fang Jin and the others exclaimed in surprise.
It was not strange for insectoid creatures to have assimilation techniques, but at first glance, anyone could tell that this technique was not of a low level.
This assimilation involved at least a thousand Soul-Devouring Insects.
In an instant, the previously dense swarm of Soul-Devouring Insects vanished, replaced by ten-meter-tall giants.
Roar!
The giants roared towards the sky, releasing waves of black energy to meet the Flame Spirit Slash.
Boom!
The Flame Spirit Slash broke through like a hot knife through butter, instantly shattering several giants.
Its power eventually depleted, it was dispersed by a giant's palm.
Roar!
As several giants had just perished, the scattered Soul-Devouring Insects dispersed and charged towards the others.
They swarmed in a dark mass, making the ground look as if it had been painted black.
Earth Split Slash!
Blazing Fire Slash!
White Emperor Slash!
Various slashes were unleashed from Fang Jin's hands.
The sky-obscuring slashes flew towards the Soul-Devouring Insects.
After a long while, the adjutant asked with concern, "Lord City Lord, please rest. There are too many Soul-Devouring Insects. If you continue like this, you will exhaust your energy sooner or later!"
Fang Jin unleashed several more slashes in one breath, already panting.
However, he gritted his teeth and said, "Rest? I will fight until the very last moment!"
He felt the fatigue, but it only made him more excited.
He felt as if he had rediscovered the sensation of his past days on the Guixu battlefield, that feeling of impending death, which intoxicated him!
"City Lord, you..."
"Get out of the way! Unless I die, they will not defeat me!" 138 Reading Network
Upon hearing this, the adjutant was deeply moved. He bowed and shouted, "Lord City Lord, I will accompany you!"
The two stood at the forefront, unleashing skill after skill towards the overwhelming tide of Soul-Devouring Insects.
Even though both were peak ninth-order powerhouses, they soon felt the strain.
But seeing the City Lord's exhilarated expression, the adjutant secretly blamed himself. If the City Lord wasn't complaining about being tired, how could he possibly retreat?
Kill!
Finally, the close combat began!
The East Sea Army could not stop the advance of the Soul-Devouring Insects.
The Soul-Devouring Insects surged like a tide, swarming from all directions.
They attacked the humans with utter disregard for their own lives.
"Ah! My soul is being torn apart!" Someone screamed, their piteous cries echoing through the void, sending shivers down everyone's spines.
"I... I don't want to die! You insectoid vermin, die..."
Someone was swarmed by insects and desperately tried to swat them away, finally killing one, only to be overwhelmed by more.
They finally couldn't hold on, were knocked to the ground, their souls drained, and their bodies became nesting grounds.
Similar scenes unfolded continuously.
The moment the two sides made contact, a large number of low-level awakened individuals perished under the Soul-Devouring Insects.
Their soul-devouring speed was astonishing. As long as they made contact, they could absorb soul power rapidly. Many had their souls hollowed out without even realizing it.
Fang Jin's eyes blazed with fury at this sight.
Unfortunately, he was alone. Even with all his might, he could only protect an area of a hundred meters.
The insects were not individually powerful; none of them were a match for the awakened. However, when they formed a swarm, coupled with their tough carapaces and troublesome abilities, they became incredibly difficult to deal with.
Fang Jin shouted, "Brother Fuyaozi!"
In the sky, Fuyaozi was grimly observing the giant whale and the deep-sea merman.
He searched his mind for information.
This whale should be a Deep Sea Dragon Whale, colossal in size, with thick skin and tough flesh. Compared to the御者的乌鲸 (Imperial Whale), it had a larger body and slightly weaker defense, but contained a vast amount of energy, like a mobile power source.
As for the deep-sea mermen, they inhabited depths below ten thousand meters. They were intelligent beings but rarely surfaced, as the resources in the sea far surpassed those on land, and they had no interest in land territories.
Now that they had appeared on land, there must be a reason!
Could they be intending to destroy humanity while it was weakened?
Fuyaozi's thoughts raced. Suddenly, he heard someone calling him from a distance and looked in that direction.
Fang Jin shouted, "Brother Fuyaozi, could you set up a spatial barrier to block the incoming Soul-Devouring Insects?"
Fuyaozi nodded upon hearing this and waved his hand.
Instantly, a spatial barrier thousands of meters long materialized at the boundary between land and sea.
"Thank you!"
"It's nothing, just a small effort!"