Chapter 32 - 31: Annihilation! An Unexpected Discovery

Chapter 32: Chapter 31: Annihilation! An Unexpected Discovery

*BOOM!*

Amidst the deafening roar, the Scorpion King—a massive creature measuring fully twenty feet in length and shrouded in a layer of earthy-yellow Gang Qi—was sent flying backward. It crashed through several giant scorpions before slamming brutally into the rocky mountainside and bouncing off with a heavy thud.

In a pure contest of strength, it had actually been completely crushed by the Profound Armor Barbarian Bear.

The bear continued its roaring charge! Like an ancient Fierce Beast, it plowed directly into the massive horde of scorpions behind the Scorpion King. There was no need for it to launch any specific attacks; its sheer, frenzied sprint and devastating collisions alone trampled over a dozen giant scorpions to death. They were flattened right into meat paste!

Right on its heels, the swarm of Rapid Insects trailing behind the Profound Armor Barbarian Bear clashed with the endless tide of scorpions surging across the mountains and plains. However, it was not the evenly matched battle one might have expected. It was an absolute slaughter!

How could a vanguard of fifty Bone Forging Realm Rapid Insects be stopped by a mere horde of Scorpion Demons? The Insect Swarm excelled most in large-scale warfare, and in this kind of clash, their advantages were displayed to the absolute fullest.

Roaring, the swarm of Rapid Insects charged in, sending blood and flesh flying in all directions. Under the terrifying impact, massive numbers of giant scorpions were hurled into the air.

Having undergone a complete metamorphosis, the Rapid Insects were even more robust, standing a full meter and a half tall at the shoulder. The terrifying, blade-like limbs extending from their heads could deliver cuts that even the Profound Armor Barbarian Bear couldn’t completely shrug off. Against the carapaces of these scorpions, their blades sliced through with ease, sending severed limbs and broken appendages scattering through the air.

The giant scorpions fought back desperately, but the vast disparity in both level and raw power meant their efforts were futile. Even as they frantically brandished their massive, iron-like pincers and the glossy black venomous stingers on their backs, they were simply too slow and far too weak.

Scorpion-type Demon Fiends had never been known for their physical strength. Their true weapon was poison!

Occasionally, a giant scorpion’s pincers would manage to clamp down on a Rapid Insect’s body, plunging its stinger in to inject venom, but the insect’s counterattack would remain as ferocious as ever. Even with broken limbs, the Rapid Insects would snap and bite like madmen, not showing the slightest intent of retreating. To begin with, the Rapid Insects boasted a considerably high resistance to toxins.

Up in the sky, the Black Thorn Eagle guarding Qin Yu let out a low screech and dove down. Striking at supersonic speeds, its sharp talons snatched up two of the largest giant scorpions. Its beak, curved like a Moyu Scimitar, pierced effortlessly right into their skulls before it soared back into the heavens and casually dropped the carcasses. With a resounding THUD against the earth, the bodies shattered into pieces.

"ROAR—"

The Scorpion King that had been sent flying earlier scrambled up from the ground, shaking its dizzy head. Dark green liquid oozed from the cracks in its carapace, but its eyes locked onto the wildly charging Profound Armor Barbarian Bear and the ongoing massacre of its offspring.

Completely enraged, it let out a furious hiss. Yet, it didn’t dare to clash head-on with the Profound Armor Barbarian Bear again. Instead, it swung its massive pincers at the solid bedrock. Amidst a glow of earthy-yellow light, it smashed through the ground and burrowed beneath the surface just before the bear could reach it, causing the earth to heave upward in a trailing line.

*RUMBLE!*

Bellowing, the Profound Armor Barbarian Bear slammed its paws—infused with a large amount of Profound Iron Essence—against the ground. The earth roared and caved in, forming a massive, deep crater as fissures spiderwebbed outward. The swollen ridge of dirt above the tunneling Scorpion King trembled under the impact, but in the next instant, the creature burrowed deeper with even greater speed.

"It ran away?"

Hovering in the sky atop the Black Thorn Eagle, Qin Yu gripped his Purple Vine Bow and furrowed his brows. He knew that if a Demon Fiend so skilled at Earth Escape managed to flee and play guerrilla warfare against the Insect Swarm, it would be a significant nuisance.

But the very next moment, the earth violently shattered. A pitch-black curved stinger pierced up through the ground, stabbing directly toward the Profound Armor Barbarian Bear’s back. The stinger was as black as ink, yet it was wreathed in a thick layer of earthy-yellow air currents. Evidently, this was an ability similar to the Blazing Flame Tiger Demon’s fiery protective aura.

With a screech that set one’s teeth on edge, the black stinger forcefully tore through the Profound Armor Barbarian Bear’s exoskeleton, injecting its venom. Ambushed, the bear roared and violently contracted its muscles, forcefully clamping down on the scorpion’s tail to prevent it from retreating.

Almost simultaneously, several Rapid Insects that had been following behind the bear hissed and lunged forward, sinking their jaws into the scorpion tail extending from the earth. The Insect Swarm never fought alone! 𝑓𝑟ℯℴ𝓂

Stricken with terror, the Scorpion King desperately tried to retract its tail. But it was too late.

Turning its head, the Profound Armor Barbarian Bear grabbed the tail with a paw the size of a millstone. Its entire body rippled as its muscles explosively flexed, giving a vicious yank that ripped the Scorpion King right out of the ground.

*BAM! BAM! BAM!*

Swinging wildly, the Profound Armor Barbarian Bear whipped the Scorpion King around like a meteor hammer, brutally smashing it against the ground. After just a few strikes, the earthy-yellow air currents surrounding the agonizingly shrieking Scorpion King dissipated. Copious amounts of dark green liquid poured from its massive body as it was bludgeoned to death.

Only then did the Profound Armor Barbarian Bear slump to the ground, panting heavily. The wound where the scorpion tail had pierced it had already turned pitch-black, the discoloration spreading rapidly. A wave of paralysis washed over the bear’s entire body. The extreme virulence of the toxin was truly staggering.

"Hahaha, excellent!

"Slaughter all the Scorpion Demons! Find a suitable location and establish an Insect Nest!"

Up in the sky, Qin Yu threw his head back and laughed aloud. The Profound Armor Barbarian Bear’s combat prowess was simply too formidable; its impact on the battlefield had far exceeded his expectations. The Insect Swarm was sweeping across the battlefield with such overwhelming force that he didn’t even need to lift a finger.

Although the Profound Armor Barbarian Bear had ultimately been poisoned, as long as it didn’t die on the spot, the tenacious Life Force of an Insect Race warrior would allow it to pull through. Once the Insect Nest finished its gestation, it could inject massive amounts of Energy into the bear to complete cellular regeneration, ensuring a rapid recovery.

The swarm of Rapid Insects let out a collective hiss and gave chase, hunting down the scattering Scorpion Demons. Some even charged straight into the mountain caves.

At the rear of the battlefield, twenty Worker Insects finally moved in and began harvesting the spoils of war. A few of them, escorted by Rapid Insects, marched into the mountainside through the largest cave entrance. The Insect Swarm was going to establish its third Insect Nest right here.

As a large number of Rapid Insects advanced deeper, the interior of the mountain came into view. This small mountain had been nearly entirely hollowed out, filled with a dense, labyrinthine network of tunnels. Within it lay quite a few large caverns that served as breeding grounds for the giant scorpions. Their floors were covered in thick, dark purple moss, which was clearly highly toxic but served as the primary food source for the scorpions.

Through their continued exploration and the Telepathy connecting the Rapid Insects, vast amounts of data were transmitted back. A three-dimensional map gradually took shape within the Insect Nest.

"Hm?"

Suddenly, Qin Yu’s brow furrowed. The Rapid Insects were advancing at a very fast pace, and as they reached the heart of the mountain, they surprisingly discovered a massive cavern—nearly a hundred meters tall and spanning tens of thousands of square meters. The cavern was blanketed in purple moss, with countless fist-sized scorpions scurrying chaotically across it.

But that wasn’t the focal point. At the very center of the cavern sat a raised mound. Even though it was covered in thick moss, the parts left exposed clearly revealed that it was a man-made structure!

"A structure? Some kind of ruins?

"Clear out the cavern and have the Worker Insects begin incubating the new Insect Nest. I want this entire mountain cave system thoroughly searched."

*FLAP! FLAP!*

The Black Thorn Eagle carrying Qin Yu landed on the ground. The sudden discovery of this architecture sparked a flicker of curiosity within him. He wondered who would leave behind ruins inside a mountain belly infested with scorpions. Or perhaps the scorpions were the latecomers?

Meanwhile, outside Cyan Peak County, five travel-worn figures in black profound robes appeared. Zhang Shun’s face was etched with exhaustion. Having ridden through the night over a thousand miles without a wink of sleep, even a Qi and Blood Realm Martial Artist like him was starting to find it unbearable.

"Captain Li, this is Cyan Peak County. Shall we head inside and rest for a bit?" Zhang Shun asked respectfully, cupping his hands toward the person in the center.

Surprisingly, this person was a graceful, white-haired young woman. Her features were strikingly bright yet sharp, with the ends of her eyebrows slanting upward like a snake’s tongue, and her eyes harbored pale green, vertical pupils.