Chapter 209: Chapter 175: First Battle with the Insect Master

On the slick, muddy ground of the swamp.

A young-looking Insect-man stared at the Ghost Bee on the ground, now just a puddle of purple blood, a look of profound astonishment on his face.

’A completely unfamiliar insect.’

He pinched a bit of the blood, rubbing it carefully between his fingers. His expression grew solemn as he looked toward the academy.

After carefully collecting the remaining blood, he took out a flute that resembled white jade and began to play it softly.

An endless swarm of pale blue moths broke through the wind and rain, circling a colossal, blue, moth-like insect that was over ten meters in size. They landed gently before him.

The young Insect-man gave a gentle flap of the insect wings on his back and floated gracefully onto the moth’s back.

The swarm, like a cloud of blue mist, slowly advanced in the direction of the academy.

A few minutes later, the Insect-man within the swarm suddenly sensed something. He whipped his head around to look at the pitch-black sky before him.

There was nothing there.

But he could faintly sense an invisible pressure, impeding his advance.

A brilliant flash of lightning cut through the clouds.

The Insect-man’s pupils contracted.

A crimson fire meteor suddenly tore across the sky, hurtling down violently toward him.

Accompanying the fire meteor was a thick beam of cyan Energy Particles.

The Insect-man’s expression quickly returned to calm as the air around him rippled.

Two massive insects leaped out from his Soul Beast Space. The earth before them split open, and a huge slab of rock was thrust up, firmly blocking the particle stream.

BOOM!

The Spiritual Energy light exploded, and the scattered particle stream shot off in all directions.

Long gouges were carved into the ground.

Han Ning was perched on the Gale Moth’s back, surrounded by several Puppet Insects, hovering in the dark sky. He looked down at the Insect-man, now encircled by three giant insects, and began to analyze his opponent’s strength. ’Water Smoke Moth, Flash Spirit Butterfly... and an Earth-Split Centipede.’

’I’ve seen all three of these insects in the Yinsaike Race’s Soul Beast Atlas. They’re all Longevity Species.’

’The Water Smoke Moth has broad wings over 20 meters long, covered in a wave-like pattern.’

’The Flash Spirit Butterfly is wreathed in silver light. It’s a Metal Type insect with exceptionally fierce attacks.’

’The largest of them has to be the Earth-Split Centipede. Half of its body is submerged in the swamp, but its raised upper half alone is nearly 25 meters tall.’

’To block Yin Yi’s Cyan Wood Radiance, at least one of those Soul Beasts must be at the War General Level. I’m guessing it’s the Earth-Split Centipede, the one entrenched on the ground with all those legs.’ 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

’The other two are at least Extraordinary Level.’

The sneak attack wasn’t entirely ineffective. In the swarm, nearly two-thirds of the insects were struck by the Cyan Wood Radiance, exploding into reeking, severed limbs that splattered into the mud.

The Insect-man, surrounded by his swarm, had a human-like face. Two long, slender antennae grew from his forehead, and a pair of moth-like wings sprouted from his back. His main torso was also similar to a human’s, but his pupils were like an insect’s—a full size larger than a human’s, which made him look particularly unsettling.

Han Ning glanced at the Insect Master’s appearance below and sighed inwardly. ’His form is completely different from an Insect Servant’s. It really is an Insect Master. So they did notice that the six Insect Servants disappeared...’

Down below,

The Insect-man’s huge eyes narrowed slightly as he stared at Yin Yi, who had just revealed herself in the sky. The surprise on his face didn’t fade. "A... plant? Could it be from the Cyan Rattan Race?"

"Yin Yi, Egg Pancake, keep these three Soul Beasts occupied."

The moment Han Ning sent the Spiritual Message, the fine hairs on the opposing Water Smoke Moth’s body trembled. A dense water mist instantly appeared, and its massive form vanished into the rainy haze.

The entire battlefield was instantly enveloped in a much fiercer downpour.

RUMBLE RUMBLE~

Powerful raindrops hammered the ground, creating a deafening roar like a flash flood.

Without any further orders from Han Ning, Yin Yi and Egg Pancake sized up the dangerous auras emanating from their opponents and instinctively chose their targets.

Yin Yi’s arms blurred. Countless brightly shining Flower Thorns appeared in the sky, aimed at the Earth-Split Centipede and Flash Spirit Butterfly below, and rained down in a mad torrent.

She deliberately split the battlefield to prevent Egg Pancake from being blindsided by the Earth-Split Centipede during the fight.

"LING!"

Yin Yi’s petite frame was insignificant before the colossal Earth-Split Centipede. But as the leaves on her back swayed in the wind, a brilliant Sword Stab shot out to a length of ten meters. At the same time, a dense thicket of sturdy vines erupted from her body, madly entangling the Earth-Split Centipede and Flash Spirit Butterfly below.

Meanwhile,

CLACK CLACK CLACK~

A thin layer of white ice appeared on Egg Pancake’s sturdy feet and spread rapidly upward.

Controlled by the Water Smoke Moth’s Water Manipulation Ability, the raindrops in the sky accelerated, becoming like high-speed needles as they shot down toward Egg Pancake.

Even as the ice began to spread, Egg Pancake opened its right claw, forming its Dragon Palm into a grasping gesture.

The mud on the ground churned, and a spiraling wall of dark brown earth rose just in the nick of time, enveloping Egg Pancake completely.

THWAP THWAP THWAP THWAP~

Countless Water Needles, each carrying immense kinetic energy, slammed violently against the earth wall, producing a series of muffled thuds.

In less than a second, the Water Smoke Moth had unleashed a one-two punch: freezing Egg Pancake’s body while trying to use the Water Needles to destroy its weak points.

But the Water Smoke Moth’s stealth in the rain was useless against Egg Pancake, who could control Gravity.

"ROAR!!"

Egg Pancake thrust its claws forward, its thick dragon claws shimmering with a dim, yellow halo.

THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!

At almost the exact same moment, the swamp ground in a hundred-meter radius, including the area under Egg Pancake itself, began to sink inch by inch, as if crushed by an immense, oppressive force.