Chapter 0481: Insect Swarm

No one believed that Ice City would be safer or stronger than Rock City. When facing the insect tide, reliance would naturally fall upon Rock City, where most of the foreign races had gathered. Over the past few days, the number of cultivators amassed there had already exceeded ten million. Every single one of them was a powerhouse.

Each race possessed its own unique and formidable innate talent.

Especially after several powerful races arrived in Rock City, its overall strength surged to its peak in an instant. This gave the various foreign races immense confidence. They feared the insect calamity not at all—many even believed they could suppress it the moment it began.

"It's the insect plague. That shrieking from the swarm… they must be coming,"

Jia Xu raised his gaze toward the horizon, a rare solemnity flashing in his eyes. The insect swarm was a kind of enemy he had never encountered before, yet deep down he was a little excited.To struggle against heaven was a joy.To battle against men was a joy.To fight all enemies beneath the heavens—what greater joy could there be?This was the beginning of a truly glorious life.

"No need to rush. Spread the word—seal the gates. Archers ready your bows. Divine Machine Corps to guard the walls. Wang Dahu is to hold position. The market is now closed. What we need to do… is watch like tigers from the mountain. Being rejected by the foreign races might not be such a bad thing."

Yi Tianxing took a deep breath and issued his commands calmly.

Boom!

In Ice City, all eight gates slammed shut at once, as if sealed in ice. The gates merged seamlessly with the city walls, leaving no gaps—transforming the city into a terrifying war fortress. The connection to the outside world was completely severed. Sharp ice spikes began protruding from the surface of the walls.

Condensed water turned to ice, covering every inch of the fortress.

The tips of the spikes gleamed with a deadly cold light. Their sharpness rivaled any divine weapon. Anyone crashing into them would undoubtedly be skewered like a beehive. The mere sight sent chills down the spine. This was no city—it was a slumbering beast of war.

"Brother Yi, is it the Zerg? Are they coming?"

Niu Ben had already led a large number of barbarians onto the walls. Holding a massive axe, he approached Yi Tianxing, his long hair flying wildly, radiating a feral aura. His eyes brimmed with bloodlust.

"Mhm. Most likely the Zerg. Just not sure what kind of bugs we'll face, or how many. Still, the first to bear the brunt will definitely be Rock City."

Yi Tianxing smiled.

Niu Ben had forsaken Rock City to settle in Ice City instead, a clear gesture of goodwill toward humanity. His choice showed he valued relations with humans more than with other races. This might cause a rift between the barbarian bull tribe and other foreign races, but for humanity, it was a boon. Naturally, Yi Tianxing felt warmer toward Niu Ben—he now truly regarded him as a friend.

"Heh, I've been itching to kill those bugs for ages. My axe is thirsty."

Niu Ben patted the head of his weapon and grinned.

Woooooo!!

Over Rock City, the sound of war horns once again echoed across the skies, carrying an ancient and chilling aura—a summons to battle.

Heaven and earth grew tense. Life and death would now be decided.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

One by one, foreign cultivators ascended the city walls.

Werewolves, foxfolk, lionfolk, tigerkin, minotaurs, leopardfolk, scorpionkin, cannibals, jackalfolk, elves, serpentfolk, naga, centaurs… All manner of exotic races gathered by the thousands.

Each radiated a sharp, killing intent.

Make no mistake—only races that had survived countless bloodbaths still thrived on the Eternal Continent. Not a single one feared death. Not a single powerful race shrank from battle.

The elite of the elite had all gathered at Rock City. Their collective presence instantly created a blood-soaked aura overhead. A crimson cloud of slaughter began to form in the sky. This was the force of momentum—a rising pressure like a mountain, heavy as Mt. Tai, crashing like tidal waves into the heavens.

In this moment, Rock City truly transformed into a rock in the ocean, weathered by thousands of years of storm and tide—unyielding and eternal.

This pressure surged toward the incoming insect swarm, attempting to suppress the will of the Zerg with raw dominance.

But that idea was nothing more than a fantasy.

ROAR!!

Feeling the oppressive aura from Rock City, a furious and piercing shriek erupted from the insect swarm. The insect cry carried madness—a will to annihilate everything in its path.

There was no fear. No retreat. The Zerg monarch had taken the pressure from Rock City as a direct challenge.

And in response, the Zerg made their choice:

War. Slaughter. Annihilation.

To kill all who defied them.To destroy all life.To carve out a future for the Zerg in blood.

"What a Zerg race. Not even our battle aura could suppress them. War is upon us."

"Come! I've been itching to try out the gear I got from the humans. Let's see if these weapons are as strong as they claim."

One foreign cultivator caressed his ornate Divine Machine Crossbow, eyes filled with anticipation.

"Just bugs. I refuse to believe they're all that powerful."

"Come! Rock City will not fall. No mere insects can shake us!"

Confidence lit the faces of many.

They believed in their strength. They believed that sheer numbers could not stop them. With walls defending them and divine arts and techniques raining down, the bugs would fall in droves.

They were eager. Fearless.

"The Zerg are not so simple. I wonder what type this swarm will be."

Yi Tianxing glanced at the optimistic expressions of the foreign races in Rock City and couldn't help but shake his head.

In this world, nothing outnumbered insects. Who knew what kind of broodmother led this swarm or what abilities it had? If it resembled the Zerg of his memory—like the terrifying alien species from Starship Troopers—then things would become unimaginably dangerous.

He remembered how those Zerg once overwhelmed even interstellar battleships. That kind of destructive force was terrifying. And this was the Eternal Continent—no one could predict how the insects might mutate. Any change could mean a complete power shift.

That would be very, very bad.

"Judging from their aura… the Zerg don't intend to hold back."

Niu Ben also looked grim.

The atmosphere was thick with a sense of doom.

BOOM RUMBLE RUMBLE!!

In just a few heartbeats, a terrifying rumble surged across the earth like an unstoppable wave. The ground trembled violently—like an army of thousands galloping forward.

"Look! What is that on the horizon?"

"Is it a cloud? No—it's insects. So many insects!"

"Flying insects! They can all fly! There's too many—uncountable!"

"Prepare for battle!"

Even the foreign races, confident in their might, felt a chill upon seeing the dark swarm descending. For the first time, fear crept onto their faces.

The sheer magnitude of it—it was too overwhelming.

The swarm blotted out the sun. Where it passed, the land fell into darkness.

"So fast… such a massive insect swarm. What kind of bugs are those?"

Yi Tianxing's eyes narrowed as he watched the swarm approach.

Its terrifying presence rivaled the previous beast tide. As their wings vibrated, the insects emitted a ceaseless buzzing—a deafening chorus of horror.

"They're all tiny bugs."

Even Niu Ben's expression twisted.

He realized that these insects weren't large. And that made them even deadlier. Defending against small enemies was infinitely harder. Forming into a swarm like that… the number of bugs must be unimaginable. Their arrival would be utterly catastrophic.

"So many insects—look! Venomous wasps! Giant killer bees!"

"Mosquitoes! Giant ones! Bloodsucking Demon Mosquitoes! If one of those bites you, it'll drain you dry in seconds. They're ruthless. Don't let them get close!"

"What kind of Zerg breed is this? These are disgusting!"

On Rock City's walls, foreign cultivators revealed expressions of horror.

They hadn't expected such terrifying creatures in the first wave. The Zerg Broodmother had incredible power—to gather such insects and drive them into battle.

The Killer Bees were the size of human heads, their stingers glinting with lethal poison—a single stab meant instant death.

The Bloodsucking Demon Mosquitoes, also the size of heads, could drain three times their body weight in blood and carried necrotic toxins.