Can't see it.

But if you watch carefully, you'll notice that the Living Water state eddy moves ever so slightly out of sync with the waves whipped up by the gale around it.

Dragon Cypress's thoughts spun around twice, and he worked out every doubt.

This is a plot Blue Island has been brewing for decades, maybe even laid down more than a hundred years ago, before the Eddy Scorpionfish Ant King broke into Zhibai Continent!

The Sea God Horn Beetle Warrior attacking from the east side of the island, the one that comprehended "eddy," was an accident, a power it grasped the last time the Ocean God's Scepter was activated.

It was outside the original plan, but the time to act had come, so it was hurriedly thrown into the war as well.

And with miraculous effect!

This Sea God Horn Beetle Warrior confused and provoked every Insect in the Wave Tree Bay Alliance, pulling almost all elite forces into a counterattack on the island's west coast.

…

All along, what everyone thought was "Kirin Beast Ant King" wasn't one, but two.

The two of them have been rotating training for decades on end. Because they spend most of their time hidden within the "eddy" body, and Wave Tree Bay's side can only scout visually from long range, no one has ever spotted the flaw.

On the island's west, that "Kirin Beast Ant King" whose Kirin Beast body is seven hundred meters long should indeed be the one that, under Scorching Ability scouting, received the "eddy" granted by the Ocean God's Scepter.

Right now, the one lurking on the island's east, the "Kirin Beast Ant King" with a Kirin Beast body a full kilometer long, it obtained "eddy" a long time ago, and has been disguising itself, hiding and lurking, waiting only for the critical moment to deliver a fatal blow.

"Dragon Cypress?"

Ink Orchid was a bit panicked.

"Great King, this kilometer Kirin Beast lurking on the East Coast, its intent couldn't be clearer. It's waiting for the main force on the island to be fully drawn to the west, then it'll launch a surprise strike from behind!"

"What a vicious Ant! I'm afraid their goal isn't just to capture Yu'e Island and close the encirclement from four sides, but to surround and kill the five Leaders of the Wave Tree Bay United Kingdom as well."

Cypress and Silver Cypress were also panicking.

They'd come to watch the battle, enjoy the show, learn from the experience…

How did the situation suddenly turn into this…

Ink Orchid snapped, "Something this obvious, you need to analyze it for us?"

Ink Orchid quickly calmed down, turned his head and asked, "Dragon Cypress, what do we do?"

Dragon Cypress: "…"

Dragon Cypress: "Don't panic! I'm very sure this isn't the Eddy Scorpionfish Ant King from Zhibai Continent… of course… our thirty thousand Specialized Blue Soldiers still can't beat it. We take out the seven-hundred-meter one first!"

Dragon Cypress: "Ink Orchid, get to the island's center as fast as you can and inform Dark Maple Dragonfly King, tell them to be on high alert. That kilometer Kirin Beast's target is the five Leaders."

"Ink Orchid, once you've passed the message, move by ground in a concealed advance and rush to the island's west coast. But don't show yourself lightly, don't get impatient. Observe in secret, stay sharp, look for a chance—look for a chance to kill in a single blow."

"Three Kirin Beasts: the biggest one has already taken shape, it's hard to deal with; the smallest one needs time to grow and won't be a threat in the short term; the middle one, seven hundred meters long, is the greatest latent threat. We must kill it tonight."

"Alright!"

Ink Orchid's figure blurred, wings vibrating as he took off, vanishing into the darkness.

Dragon Cypress raised his Tentacles straight up, gave them a shake, and barked in a low voice: "Cypress, Silver Cypress, battle ready! Swing south to circle around to the island's west."

"Roger!"

"Roger!"

Cypress and Silver Cypress answered with a metallic ring and sank into the thick clouds, disappearing.

Dragon Cypress guided the cloud mist to rise, slowly stirring Primordial Energy, gathering the dark clouds high above, enlarging the Whirl Beast's body, while letting it drift slowly, far away from the kilometer Kirin Beast lurking below.

The cloud mist turned into a Giant Ant, wings beating as it soared above the sea of clouds, racing toward the island's southwestern tip.

...

The island's center, the Palace where the Assistant King was seated.

A flash of crimson lightning streaked by.

Ink Orchid landed.

The warriors and ant swarms on guard around hadn't yet reacted when the crimson lightning flashed again—Ink Orchid rushed straight into Dark Maple Dragonfly King's Palace.

"Leader Dark Maple, something terrible has happened!"

Ink Orchid's emotions were unusually steady as he rippled out his spiritual power, "Bloodvine Bee King, Bee King Sedge, Azure Mica Ant King, Mountain Pepper Ant King, you four Leaders, something terrible has happened!"

"???"

The four Leaders sent over questioning waves of spiritual Mind.

Ink Orchid: "On the island's East Coast, there's another Kirin Beast a kilometer long lurking! This time the assault on Yu'e Island is with three Kirin Beasts."

—What?

—Three? Kirin Beasts?

—How is that possible?

—A kilometer Kirin Beast?

—You're certain?

—Is the intel reliable?

—Eddy Scorpionfish Ant King?

—The Eddy Scorpionfish Ant King broke through the Dragon Stride Mountain defensive line and has returned to Wanglan Continent?

—Impossible!

—No, that's not it! It's not the Eddy Scorpionfish Ant King! It appeared long ago but hid itself too well—we failed to scout it out!

...

The main hall where the five Leaders handled affairs was partitioned yet interconnected; Bloodvine Bee King, Bee King Sedge, Azure Mica Ant King, and Mountain Pepper Ant King all rushed over at top speed.

Ink Orchid spoke rapidly: "Dragon Cypress Ant King discovered it first, and I've checked and confirmed it. There's absolutely no mistake. The Stone Hunt Blue Ant Army intends to attack from west and east in a pincer, then flank from north and south, with the goal of annihilating all forces garrisoned on Yu'e Island."

"Two Kirin Beasts on the west coast to draw the elites, the kilometer Kirin Beast quietly landing from the East Coast, then thrusting in for a surprise strike—their target is likely you five Leaders."

"Let me see!"

Dark Maple Dragonfly King charged toward the outside of the Palace.

"No need to look!"

The usually taciturn Mountain Pepper Ant King growled, stopping him, and asked, "Mantis King Ink Orchid, which of the three Kirin Beasts does Dragon Cypress Ant King plan to deal with…?"

Ink Orchid: "Dragon Cypress says the seven-hundred-meter one is the greatest latent threat and must be killed first."

Mountain Pepper Ant King: "Dragon Cypress Ant King only brought thirty thousand Soldier Ants on this trip? Is that enough manpower?"

Ink Orchid: "Relax! I'm going too."

Mountain Pepper Ant King: "…"

It was obvious the Mantis was very strong, but on a battlefield of this scale, the impact a single Mantis Warrior could have was far too limited.

Mountain Pepper Ant King said heavily: "Three Kirin Beasts! Our Scouting has been an utter failure! But don't think about accountability for now. Three—no, four—Kirin Beasts appearing at once, this is something unheard of since ancient times, something we never even dared imagine."

"This battle already concerns Life and Death for the Wave Tree Bay Kingdom Alliance. But it's not a dead end yet. Everyone stay calm! There's still a way to turn this around!"

As Mountain Pepper Ant King spoke, he turned and walked to the Yu'e Island terrain map in the center of the main hall, crafted with Earth System Abilities, pointed with his Tentacle, and said:

"My suggestion is to abandon the commanding Main Nest and concentrate all remaining deployable forces of the island's Fourth and Fifth Group Armies in the center, then push west to link up with the main army."

"Bloodvine Bee King, Bee King Sedge, you personally command the aerial forces. Azure Mica Ant King and I will command the ground forces. We charge west, objective: the seven-hundred-meter Kirin Beast."

Mountain Pepper Ant King: "Dark Maple Dragonfly King, you're the fastest. You go in person and immediately notify every coastal Fortress and stronghold, muster every battle-capable force, and rush to reinforce at full speed."