A Beastless Forest's Astonishing Omen, Thousand Jun Ants Betray Their Kind and Defy Heaven's Way

The core region of the Star Dou Great Forest suddenly fell into an eerie silence. Lin Zhixia and Tang San walked side by side among the ancient trees. Fallen leaves lay several feet deep beneath their feet, yet made no sound when stepped upon. Even the usual chirping of insects and birds had vanished without a trace. The tracks of low-level spirit beasts, once visible everywhere, were gone as well. Only the mournful wind passing through the canopy echoed through the empty woods, carrying a sinister chill.

"Something's wrong." Tang San stopped and activated his Purple Demon Eye. A faint golden glow pierced through layers of branches as he looked deep into the forest. "The spirit beast auras in this area... have completely disappeared."

Lin Zhixia nodded. The perception of the Starfall Judgment God spread out, covering a radius of ten li, yet it detected no sign of living creatures. She only vaguely sensed a trace of panicked Spirit Power Fluctuation rapidly spreading from the northwest. At that moment, a burst of hurried hoofbeats shattered the silence. More than ten burly Gale Wolves burst out from the depths of the forest, their fur disheveled and their eyes filled with terror. Their limbs flew as they fled madly in the same direction, entirely devoid of the ferocity expected of mid-level spirit beasts.

"Gale Wolves?" Surprise flashed through Tang San's eyes as his Purple Demon Eye locked tightly onto the wolves. "They are considered formidable in this forest, living in packs and possessing tremendous speed. Why are they fleeing in such panic, as though running from some deadly threat?"

Before he could finish speaking, a faint tremor suddenly ran through the ground. It was not the vibration of spirit beasts running, but rather as if something were moving swiftly underground, accompanied by