The Army at the Gates

To the east of Shahai City lies an endless expanse of golden desert.

It resembles a giant yellow python, winding and coiling along the coastline for nearly a thousand kilometers.

This desert is so vast that it extends to a third of the way inland.

Looking out, it seemed to stretch on forever.

Standing in this vast desert, one feels as insignificant as a drop in the ocean.

This desert is thus known as the "Sea of Sand".

At this moment, this once peaceful Sea of Sand is now churning with giant waves.

Rolling yellow sand was driven towards the direction of Shahai City, obscuring the sky and the sun.

In the wind and sand, the eerie rustling and crawling sounds were deafening.

Through layers of smoke and dust, what first came into view were swarms of enormous Insect Race with sharp, predatory legs.

These insects are the vanguard of the Insect Race. They run upright at incredible speeds, and their ferocious mouthparts open and close as they devour the fattest prey.

The thin exoskeleton covering his body shimmered with a metallic sheen.

Because of their large numbers and fearlessness, they were often able to tear a gap in the enemy lines, allowing subsequent troops to gain a foothold.

Next came the heavy Ministry of War, a collaboration between the Beastfolk and Insect Race.

Each of the multi-legged Insect Race that swiftly swept across the ground had a heavily armored Beastfolk soldier at its head.

These Beastfolk soldiers were at or around the Earth Realm Eighth Realm.

With the added armor and the agile Insect Race below, who are also at least at the Earth Realm Fifth Realm, their strength is comparable to that of the Earth Realm Ninth Realm.

Then, even more Insect Race surged in.

Their cultivation levels are not high, generally at the first or Second Realm of the Earth Realm, yet their numbers are so vast that they blot out the sky.

They alone seemed capable of wiping out the enemy's ordinary soldiers.

On the ground and in the sky, as far as the eye can see, there are Insect Race soldiers working together.

One is in front, broad and flat, responsible for defense.

One of them is at the rear, with three pairs of sickle-like predatory legs and two pairs of semi-transparent membranous wings on its back, responsible for attacking.

Such a massive fighting force would take other races at least three to five years to accumulate.

But the Insect Race don't need it.

Apart from the heavy Ministry of War that require special training, the rest are offspring produced by numerous Insect Hives in a short period of time.

This is what makes the Insect Race so terrifying.

If they hadn't been on the verge of extinction a century ago, they would have evolved to be even more terrifying.

It's important to understand that other races developed navies not solely to defend against Sea Race.

A century ago, the Insect Race also had naval forces.

The insect swarm was such a big commotion that it naturally couldn't be kept secret from other races.

The first place to discover the anomaly was in Shahai City.

The sandstorm that swept in was so unusual that the Shahai City immediately dispatched reconnaissance troops to investigate.

As a result, the three groups that rushed towards the sandstorm lost contact with each other.

The top officials of Shahai City were immediately alarmed.

"Gentlemen, understand the situation! Shahai City is a crucial military port; its loss is not to be tolerated!"

In the noisy conference room, the mayor of Shahai City stopped all the pointless arguments.

"Contact the Lantiao Central Military District and have them send a unit over immediately."

He overruled the objections of others and immediately decided to notify the army.

The mayor wasn't stupid; he couldn't be bothered with the cronies planted by various aristocratic forces.

He was able to get this position because of the instructions from the higher-ups of the Demon Race.

In other words, although he did not train a private army, he was protected by the official army of the Demon Race.

That's why he could issue orders to notify nearby military regions without any hesitation.

If it's just a misunderstanding, at most a minor punishment will suffice as a warning.

But if something really happens to Shahai City during his term, his entire family will die with him.

The message was relayed through multiple levels and arrived at the Central Military Region Command of the Lantiao Continent two minutes later.

However, before the news arrived in Shahai City, a force of 20,000 Demon Race had already set off.

Their destination was Shahai City, a hundred kilometers away.

The force arrived before the insect swarm.

Just as the mayor of Shahai City was wondering why the army was moving so fast...

Standing on the city wall, he witnessed a scene he would never forget.

There's no need to investigate the causes of sandstorms anymore.

Because, amidst the rolling yellow sands, at the edge of the horizon, the black tide is slowly approaching.

Insects, countless insects, an overwhelming swarm of insects.

Even the Demon Race army that had arrived ahead of time felt their hair stand on end.

There are too many; no single city could withstand this.

A century later, the same fear as their ancestors arose once again in the hearts of these Demon Race.

"Report... Report! This is Shahai City! A swarm of insects! It's a swarm of insects! Requesting backup!"

The desperate cries for help were drowned out by the flying sand and stones, and half of the Shahai City was instantly covered by a sandstorm.

Shisui remained one kilometer outside the sandstorm.

His senses silently bypassed the swirling dust and infiltrated the vicinity of the harbor west of Shahai City.

According to the information he gleaned from the mind of the old guild master of the Beastfolk Lingyun Territory, the former site of the Shahai Laboratory was located east of Shahai City.

They have now been swept up in the sandstorm.

But the place has long been abandoned; it's only used to attract the attention of certain people.

It's like fishing bait.

The rebuilt Shahai Laboratory was nominally moved to the Ten-Thousand-Blade Mountain Range.

In fact, the Demon Race has established new Laboratories in the Ten-Thousand-Blade Mountain Range and the Shahai City to ensure that they are not wiped out in one fell swoop.

The new Laboratory in Shahai City does not need to cooperate with the Beastfolk; instead, it requires a large amount of experimental materials from all over the world.

Therefore, they moved away from the inland East District and hid near the port in the coastal West District.

In addition, the port of Shahai City is a military stronghold, and the presence of soldiers patrolling it daily is not conspicuous, making it highly secure.

However, the group of senior executives who selected the site for the new Laboratory could never have imagined this situation.

The Beastfolk and Insect Race armies are pressing in, and they're targeting Shahai City first.

The Ghouls are eyeing us covetously, directly searching our souls; their main strategy is to overcome all obstacles with sheer force.

In just two seconds, Shisui pinpointed the exact location of the Laboratory.

At this moment, the Insect Race vanguard had already rushed to the city wall and engaged in close combat with 20,000 Demon Race soldiers.

Meanwhile, commotion broke out near the Laboratory, clearly indicating that evacuation orders had been issued.

Time is running out for Shisui.

Without further delay, he drew Space Wormhole based on the location he sensed and arrived instantly.

When he appeared on the ground directly above the underground Laboratory, he was surrounded by busy Demon Race.

The Demon Race stared in stunned silence at the sudden appearance of the outsider with two pairs of enormous wings on his back, then—

"Ahhh!!"

The flying Radiant Feathers beheaded all the nearby Demon Race, forcing more civilians to scream and scatter in all directions.

They were Shisui to escape at will.

These awakened beings from the Yellow Realm are of little value; killing them would be a waste of effort.

It would be better to have them summon more Demon Race soldiers.

"Ah, I almost forgot, the Demon Race soldiers probably won't be able to come."

After he finishes looting everything inside, he'll probably come out to find the city swarming with insects.