Chapter 26: Giant Ant

"Alright, then General Xu, please lead the way."

"This...," Xu Rong said with a troubled expression: "This is also my first time here; I don't know where Sand Spring is. The people of Luo Ping Hai only gave me a rough direction for Sand Spring, and there are another fifteen lords to receive, so you only need to keep moving forward from here, and you will find Sand Spring."

The girls had already changed clothes, so Li Bucai could only lead everyone into the forest, advancing in the direction Xu Rong pointed.

The forest was filled with light‑red, moss‑like vegetation everywhere, with no discernible path; the light was dim, like a maze. Even those from Sky City who have been here for decades cannot determine the bearings, and it is unknown how many are still alive.

Li Bucai marked the tree trunks with his spear every so often to avoid losing direction. In the dim forest, terrifying cries occasionally came from afar, cries that even Wu Zhuoran and the others had never heard before.

Everyone sharpened their senses, constantly watching for any movement around them.

Rui Tong said, "It seems there's a sound not far ahead."

The group halted, and a faint "ka‑ka" sound came from ahead, like a hard object striking the ground.

Li Bucai gestured, and the others understood, scattering to hide behind trees. Soon, a line of milky‑white figures stood in a row and moved toward them.

Li Bucai whispered in surprise, "Ants?" That white contingent, in both shape and appearance, was identical to ants, except they were massive—about a person and a half tall—and walked only on their four hind legs, their chests held high, freeing the two front claws to wield knives, spears and other weapons. It was clear these ants had evolved into a highly intelligent species.

On Earth, a colony of ants less than a millimeter in size can dominate a jungle; to have evolved to such a size, it is no wonder that tens of thousands of Sky City soldiers have mostly perished here.

Li Bucai quickly gestured, signaling everyone to stay silent, hoping the ants would simply pass. There were over thirty of them, and if they attacked, our few people might be overwhelmed.

The ants continued the "ka‑ka" sound, marching forward in orderly steps. When they were only a dozen meters away, the lead ant suddenly halted, its two long antennae waving, as if sensing someone, and it let out a few "zhi‑zhi" cries. With a sudden "hurl", the thirty‑plus giant ants shifted from a column into a line, eight of them moving to the front, shielding the whole formation with shields.

From the tree, Li Bucai could see clearly; they had obviously spotted him, and waiting any longer would be even more passive. He gestured to Wu Zhuoran, who was hidden in another tree, then waved to the girls below; they all nodded. Li Bucai tipped his head toward Wu Zhuoran. Understanding, Wu Zhuoran drew his bow, placed three feathered arrows on it, aligned them as Li Bucai indicated toward the lead ant in the center of the formation, and released; the three arrows shot forward like lightning.

The ants stood there, only sensing scent and knowing humans were nearby, but unable to pinpoint direction. The lead ant swung its long knife, intending to send troops forward to search, when it detected three sounds coming this way. It swiped the knife, deflecting two of them, but failed to deflect the third; that one pierced deep into its chest, causing it to lift its four legs and let out a long howl, pulling the arrow from its body. Clearly the arrow was insufficient to kill it. The lead ant thrust its knife toward the direction of the incoming arrows, and instantly the thirty‑plus giant ants surged toward them.

Li Bucai saw the ant swarm approaching the base of the tree; from the tree he used the technique "Drill Cloud Leap" to lightly tap the trunk, soaring through the air into the swarm. He raised his spear with a shake, the spearhead forming a plum‑blossom pattern that shielded his head, directly targeting the ant at the front.

The giant ant sensed Li Bucai, but the countless spearheads before it made it impossible to tell which were real. It tried to use its knife to disrupt the spear formation, but Li Bucai steadied his spear, thrusting it forward forcefully; the ant could not evade, and the spear pierced its body.

Li Bucai saw the spear hit, and immediately vaulted forward with a somersault, flying over its head to the rear. He turned and pulled the spear out of its back, only to see three more ants closing in. He spun and swept, using the technique "Qinglong Tail Sweep", knocking the weapons from the three ants' hands, while the fierce spear wind forced them to stagger backward several steps. Hearing a rush of wind behind him, Li Bucai turned; the ant he had pierced with his war spear was still alive, dodging a knife. At that moment, Xianghong had already rushed to its rear, gracefully swinging a long sword at its leg. With a swift strike, two of its four legs were cleanly cut off, leaving only two legs, unable to support its massive body. It let out a howl and collapsed to the ground, still flailing its great sword in a futile attempt to resist.

Even after all that, it still didn't die. Li Bucai suddenly recalled that an ant's vital point is its tail, where its heart lies. With that in mind, he gently thrust the spear forward, the spearhead piercing its massive tail, finally ending its resistance.

"Xianghong, charge in with me and disrupt their formation; Wan'er, help Fang Ling'er block them here; Zhuoran, shoot their tails."

"Yes!"

Li Bucai immediately raised his spear and charged into the ant formation, with Xianghong close behind him.

"I'll leave the rear to you."

"Your Majesty, rest assured."

The giant ants were not as formidable as imagined; wherever Li Bucai went, the swarm fell into chaos, most being drawn toward him. At that moment a figure leapt over the heads, and Rui Tong employed deft light‑step to spring into the swarm, twisting and moving with ease. Suddenly she vaulted to the side, leaping out of the swarm while drawing a portion of the giant ants behind her.

Fang Ling'er and Wan'er stood between two trees, preventing the giant ants from moving even a step, giving Wu Zhuoran behind them ample time to aim at their tails. He fired several arrows in succession, all hitting, causing five giant ants to collapse in front of Fang Ling'er's shield. Meanwhile, around Li Bucai, a dozen giant ants lay strewn in all directions—some with legs sliced off, others with antennae torn away, confused about direction, one crashing into a tree and unable to rise. Xianghong, from behind, occasionally delivered a final sword strike to the struggling ants, ending their lives.

Rui Tong continued to casually tease seven or eight giant ants, keeping them spinning.

"Go to Rui Tong's side; we can't let any escape," Li Bucai said, knowing that ants, no matter how large, would likely have countless more behind them, and if a few hundred more arrived, it would be hard to hold them off.

Wu Zhuoran and two others immediately headed to Rui Tong. The giant ants' attention was fully on Rui Tong, their backs turned to this side. Wu Zhuoran fired three consecutive arrows, downing three ants. At that moment the swarm sensed something amiss, turned back, saw that most of their comrades behind them had already fallen, let out a howl, and seven or eight scattered, fleeing deeper into the forest.

The group gave chase, but with too few people, two ants still got away.

…