Chapter 369: Alert!

Rider stroked his chin, unusually serious: "It's hard to say. But my intuition tells me that meeting force with force isn't a good idea."

Weber crossed his arms, his face turning pale: "Do we really have to face that kind of monster? Even that golden flash…"

"We must face it."

Weigong Qiesi spoke coldly, his voice flat, "It's still in this city. If we don't deal with it, everyone will be doomed."

His gaze swept over Ailisi Feier, then quickly averted.

YinZhi nodded in agreement: "Qiesi's close friend speaks plainly, yet he has voiced the truth. The evil flower has already bloomed, and we, the sword‑wielders, have a duty to cut it away."

Gui Naifen heard half and half, but she understood the "must fight" and "the monster is strong" parts. She scratched her head: "So… how do we fight? Split into groups? Bait? Or… should I start a live stream to warm up the atmosphere?"

The last sentence was a quiet mutter.

A Xing remained silently observing the surroundings, then suddenly she lifted her head, looking toward the horizon near Liu Dong Si—there, a faint convergence of dense golden light was beginning.

"Noble Phantasm. Many," she reminded briefly.

The others instantly became alert.

A figure, swift as a black lightning bolt, darted at high speed between the buildings, each landing silent.

It was tall, clad in a matte black bio‑shell, with eight differently shaped blade limbs folded on its back to reduce drag—indeed the Assassin.

A short distance behind it, the air twisted oddly.

Immediately, a vague silhouette flickered into view like a phantom.

Huan Long was pursuing the Assassin.

Her gaze fixed on a crack in the armor's shell somewhere behind the Assassin—there, a faint breath, for her like a lantern in the night, was subtly emanating.

That fragment, for her, who possesses Breeding traits and is not yet fully formed, is an excellent supplement, possibly the key to further completeness.

The Assassin's purpose was clear: never let her obtain the fragment easily, and as far as possible draw her away from crowded zones and key figures.

Relying on its evolved ultimate speed and familiarity with the city's layout, it engaged in a dangerous retreat and harassment.

Huan Long didn't seem urgent; a faint, pleasant curve lifted her cheek, as if she were enjoying the chase.

Occasionally she raised a hand, her fingertips slicing the air; walls, streetlights, vehicles along the path would silently become covered with a rapidly growing, quickly rotting violet‑black fungal carpet, or warp outright, sprouting bizarre eyes or mouths.

Tengwan Lixiang's analysis had just concluded when the odd sensation in the air suddenly intensified.

"Alert!" the experienced young Master was the first to shout, her sharp eyes scanning the surrounding shadows.

Almost as her words fell—

"Ssshh…"

A hair‑raising, dense scraping sound surged from alley mouths on both sides of the street, sewer manholes, even cracks in the buildings!

Countless grotesque true cicadas swarmed like a black tide, instantly flooding the street!

Their target was clear; their compound eyes flashed red light of greed and Destruction, lunging straight at the few Heroic Spirits whose Magic Reaction stood out most in the arena!

"Protect the Master and non‑combatants!"

Mashu immediately raised her shield, the massive Cross Shield thudding onto the ground, blocking in front of Tengwan Lixiang, Ailisi Feier, Weber, and the currently non‑combatant Chang Ye Yue.

Weigong Qiesi had already slipped back behind an abandoned car, his sniper barrel calmly searching for high‑value targets.

"Huh! Coming straight at The King? Interesting!"

The Conquest King was unperturbed, laughing loudly; his sharp sword already in hand, scorching lightning coiled around the blade, "Then let you foot soldiers witness the thunder of conquest!"

"Evil Insect Swarm, how dare you defile the air and tranquility here!"

YinZhi thrust his Flame Spear, the shaft reflecting light; his handsome face bore solemn disdain, "In the name of purity, YinZhi stands here, swearing to cleanse all your filth!"

He stepped forward, not rashly charging into the Insect Sea, but pointing his sword tip to the ground, lightly shouting, "Bloom, pure tribute!"

On the ground beside him, three half‑person‑tall, jade‑white sculpted silhouettes silently materialized.

One was a spear‑charging knight, another a shield‑wielding guardian, and the last a blooming rose.

The sculptures emitted a soft yet resilient glow, enveloping a small area around YinZhi.

When the insects entered this zone, their speed noticeably slowed, and YinZhi's sword strokes became smoother, each thrust bearing a purifying glimmer that, when striking insect shells, left a lingering scorch mark.

He moved along the insect swarm's edge like a dancer, his sword light weaving a luminous net that, by his own strength, temporarily blocked the flank assault, while he loudly recited, "Behold this ugly stance, hear this shrill screech! Opposing the tenets of purity, it ought to be buried by starlight!"

"Gui Naifen, the right side is yours! A Xing, the left wing and any stragglers!"

Tengwan Lixiang issued rapid orders, standing behind Mashu's shield, eyes fixed on the battlefield, constantly adjusting commands, "Rider, break through the front, disrupt their formation! Mr. Weigong, prioritize sniping those abnormally sized or attempting to flank!"

"Understood!"

Gui Naifen inhaled deeply, suppressing her nerves at confronting so many monsters for the first time; her Flame Spear quivered, a dragon‑shaped phantom faintly reappearing—though not as solid as when she fought the giant insect before, its presence remained.

"Look at the spear!"

She chirped, the spear turning into a blaze of fire shadows; the flames seared the insects, making them sizzle and emit a charred odor.

A Xing said nothing, merely nodding.

Rider was the most violent crusher.

He rode the Divine Car Wheel, charging straight into the densest front of the insect swarm!

The wheel crushed, lightning roared, the massive sword swung; each strike cleared a small area, insect limbs and broken arms splattering everywhere.

His hearty laugh intertwined with the insects' screeches: "Not enough! Bring more! Let The King's blood boil!"

At the battle's outset, relying on the strength of several Heroic Spirits, they barely held the line.

But soon, trouble arrived.

"Senior! They're… splitting!" Mashu exclaimed.

Some wounded yet alive true cicadas, or certain large individuals, had their wounds rapidly swell into tumors, then burst within seconds, spawning smaller but equally ferocious offspring!

Though the offspring were weaker, their numbers compensated for everything.

The swarm's numbers not only failed to decrease, but grew at a visible rate!

Pressure surged!

"Replication... this is Breeding..."

Chang Ye Yue, holding the Black Umbrella, stands behind Mashu's shield, red eyes calmly observing, "We must prioritize killing those mother bodies or special individuals with reproductive ability, otherwise endless."

"Easy to say!"