The Insect God's rage was like a storm sweeping across the starry sky, instantly plunging the Shinobi World battlefield into a fever pitch once again.
Driven by the Insect God, countless Insect Race surged towards the Star Domain Great Wall of the Shinobi World like madmen. They disregarded casualties, some even self-destructing, attempting to use their own energy to blast a breach in the defenses. The energy shield of the giant nuclear cannon flickered under the Insect Race's frenzied attacks, its light growing dimmer and dimmer.
"Report! The energy shield of the third defensive position is about to collapse! Requesting backup!"
"Report! The White Tiger Corps has suffered heavy losses; only 30% of its fighter squadron remains!"
"Report! The insect swarm's attack is becoming increasingly fierce; its black energy has begun to erode our defenses!"
Bad news kept coming in, and the atmosphere in the command center became extremely heavy. Tsubasa stood in front of the command console, his sharp eyes fixed on the battlefield scene on the virtual screen, his fingers rapidly tapping the control panel, issuing a series of orders.
"Order the engineering corps to immediately activate Wood Release and Earth Release to reinforce the defenses of the third line of defense!"
"Command the Sealing Legion to activate the sealing array and trap the charging Insect Race elites!"
"Command the Immortal King Level experts to form a strike force to counter the Insect God's attack and restrain its power!"
Commands were rapidly relayed, and the Shinobi World army methodically responded to the Insect God's furious onslaught. The Senju Clan members exerted all their strength, cultivating numerous towering ancient trees to reinforce the defenses of the third line of defense; the Uzumaki Clan's sealing array was activated again, a purple light curtain enveloping a large area and trapping countless Insect Race; a commando team composed of dozens of Immortal King Level powerhouses charged towards the insect horde. Although their attacks could not inflict fatal damage on the Insect God, they successfully diverted some of its attention.
On the battlefield, blood and flesh flew everywhere, and corpses littered the ground. The Shinobi World warriors fought valiantly, defending the Star Domain Great Wall with their lives. In their eyes, a resolute light shone, and the Will of Fire burned in their hearts, sustaining them to continue fighting.
Just as this fierce battle reached its most critical moment, a faint energy signal appeared on the outer perimeter of the Shinobi World's defenses. This signal belonged neither to the Insect Race nor to the Shinobi World, but to an unknown force.
"Report! An unknown energy signal has been detected, approaching our lines!" came the reconnaissance team's voice. "The other side hasn't shown any hostility; they seem to be here to negotiate."
"An unknown force?" Tsubasa frowned slightly. "Who could be visiting at this time?"
Shikamaru Nara adjusted his Forehead Protector and said in a deep voice, "There are undercurrents in the universe right now, and many ancient races have already gotten involved. This signal is very likely from an envoy of one of those ancient races."
"An ancient race..." A hint of seriousness flashed in Tsubasa's eyes. "Let them approach, but prepare for defense. Attack immediately if anything unusual is detected!"
"Yes, sir!"
Soon, a small interstellar spaceship came into view of the Shinobi World's defenses. The spaceship had a unique shape, resembling a miniature dragon, with a faint dragon aura covering its hull and radiating powerful energy fluctuations. The spaceship carried no weapons and flew slowly, demonstrating considerable sincerity.
The spaceship stopped a hundred kilometers away from the " Dubhe " fortress, and a figure flew out of the spaceship, turning into a streak of light and speeding towards the " Dubhe " fortress.
This was a young man dressed in a cyan robe, with a handsome face, sharp eyes, and an aura of Immortal King Level. He carried a faint dragon's might, which, although deliberately suppressed, still allowed one to sense the powerful force behind him.
"I am Long Qing, an envoy of the Dragon Race. I pay my respects to the Saint Venerable Tsubasa." The young man landed on the deck of the " Dubhe " fortress, cupped his hands in greeting to the approaching Tsubasa, and spoke with a respectful yet arrogant tone.
" The Dragon Race?" A hint of surprise flashed in Tsubasa's eyes. Although he had heard of the legends of the Dragon Race, he had never imagined that this ancient clan would send an envoy at this time.
"Indeed." Long Qing nodded, his gaze sweeping over Tsubasa, and behind him, Flame Emperor Tenbutsu and Shikamaru Nara, a barely perceptible hint of disdain flashing in his eyes. "My Dragon Race is an ancient race of the universe, with a history spanning billions of years, and possesses many Saint Level powerhouses. We have come here to establish a temporary alliance with the Shinobi World to jointly combat the Insect Race swarm."
"A temporary alliance?" Shikamaru Nara stepped forward, his gaze sharply fixed on Ao Qing. "Why would the Dragon Race choose to cooperate with our Shinobi World? What is your purpose?"
Long Qing smiled slightly and said without any hesitation, "It's very simple. The Insect Race are the common enemy of the universe, and my Dragon Race has a blood feud with Insect Race. Now, the Insect God is being held back by your Shinobi World, leaving his rear vulnerable. This is the perfect opportunity to annihilate and suppress the Insect Race. We will cooperate with the Shinobi World. You will be responsible for holding back the Insect God and the main force of the Insect Race, while we will be responsible for harassing the Insect Race's supply lines and launching a surprise attack on the Endless Insect Domain."
He paused, then continued, "Of course, we won't let the Shinobi World work for nothing. I can provide some intelligence on the weaknesses of the Insect Race to help you better defend against the insect swarm. If necessary, my Dragon Race can also send troops to assist you in the battle."
Tsubasa stared intently at Long Qing, trying to find a flaw in his eyes. But Long Qing's gaze was open and honest, as if he was not hiding anything.
"The weaknesses of the Insect Race?" the Flame Emperor Tenbutsu asked. " The Insect Race have tough exoskeletons and extremely high reproductive rates, making them almost entirely without weaknesses. What are these so-called weaknesses?"
" The Insect Race are not without weaknesses," Long Qing said. "The core of the Insect Race is their 'Zerg Core,' from which all their energy originates. Destroying the Zerg Core will instantly kill Insect Race. The Zerg Core of lower-tier Insect Race is located in their head, while that of higher-tier Insect Race is located in their heart. In addition, the Insect Race fear a flame called ' Dragon Flame,' which can incinerate their Zerg Core and cause fatal damage."
He took out a jade slip from his robes and handed it to Tsubasa: "This jade slip records the weaknesses of various types and levels of the Insect Race, as well as part of the defensive layout of the Endless Insect Domain. Consider it a token of my Dragon Race's sincerity."
Tsubasa took the jade slip and scanned it with his divine sense. He found that it indeed contained a large amount of information about the Insect Race race. This information was very detailed and would be of great help to the Shinobi World in the upcoming battles.
"What do you want?" Tsubasa asked in a deep voice. He knew that there was no such thing as a free lunch, and the Dragon Race must have something in mind for providing such important intelligence.
"It's very simple," Long Qing said. "First, we hope that the strong members of the Shinobi World can sign a mutual Summoning Contract with our clan, and then persevere in holding back the Insect God and the main force of the Insect Race Clan, buying us enough time to launch a surprise attack on the Endless Insect Domain. Second, after the Insect Race is destroyed, the Shinobi World needs to hand over half of the treasures it seized from the Insect Race Clan to our Dragon Race. Third, in the Mirai cosmic landscape, our Dragon Race will occupy a dominant position, and the Shinobi World needs to submit to our Dragon Race and become a subordinate civilization of our Dragon Race."
These three conditions, especially the third one, enraged everyone in the Shinobi World.
"Submit?" The Flame Emperor Tenbutsu's fiery Chakra surged instantly, a murderous glint flashing in his eyes. " The Dragon Race is far too arrogant! We, the Shinobi World, fight with our own abilities. Why should we submit to you?"
"That's right!" a Immortal King Level expert roared, "If you want us to submit, first ask our celestial soldiers if they agree!"
Long Qing's expression darkened slightly, and his dragon aura emanated from him, clashing with the flame Chakra of the Flame Emperor Tenbutsu: "Although the Shinobi World is powerful, it is still far inferior to my Dragon Race. If it weren't for your ability to restrain the Insect God, my Dragon Race would never have cooperated with you. Submitting to my Dragon Race is the best choice for your Shinobi World. Otherwise, once the Insect Race is destroyed, my Dragon Race will march south and completely annihilate the Shinobi World!"
"You dare threaten us?" Flame Emperor Tenbutsu was furious and was about to attack.
" Butsu, stop!" Tsubasa raised his hand to stop Flame Emperor Tenbutsu, his gaze coldly fixed on Long Qing. "We cannot accept the Dragon Race's conditions. Submission is absolutely out of the question. As for the treasure, it was seized by our Shinobi World warriors through bloody battles. Why should we share half with you?"
He paused, then continued, "However, we can reach a temporary cooperation agreement with the Dragon Race. You will provide intelligence and necessary support, while we will be responsible for containing the Insect God. After the Insect Race is destroyed, the treasure will belong to each party. Our Shinobi World can establish equal diplomatic relations with the Dragon Race, but we will never submit to any power."
"Equal diplomatic relations?" A hint of sarcasm flashed in Long Qing's eyes. " Saint Venerable Tsubasa, you seem to have failed to grasp reality. Although the Shinobi World has risen rapidly, in the eyes of my Dragon Race, it is still an inferior civilization. You are not qualified to engage in equal dialogue with my Dragon Race."
"Qualifications?" A cold glint flashed in Tsubasa's eyes. "Qualifications are earned through strength. If the Dragon Race wants war, our Shinobi World will fight to the bitter end! But before that, let's join forces to annihilate the Insect Race. As for what happens after that, we'll wait and see."
Long Qing's expression turned grim. He hadn't expected Tsubasa to be so adamant. He had originally thought that the Shinobi World would easily agree to the Dragon Race's conditions under the pressure of the insect swarm, but the reality had exceeded his expectations.
"Alright!" Long Qing pondered for a moment, then finally nodded in agreement. "I can go back and report to the clan leader, agreeing to establish a temporary cooperative relationship with the Shinobi World. The treasures will belong to each side, and diplomacy will be based on equality. However, the intelligence and support provided by my Dragon Race will not be free. After the Insect Race is destroyed, the Shinobi World will need to pay my Dragon Race a certain amount of planetary essence as compensation."
"Alright." Tsubasa nodded. "As long as the Dragon Race's intelligence and support are effective, we are willing to pay the corresponding reward."
"Very good." Long Qing's expression softened somewhat. "I will immediately return to report to the clan leader and dispatch reinforcements as soon as possible. Also, let me remind you that besides my Dragon Race, other ancient clans have also joined in, and they are also secretly plotting. The Ōtsutsuki Clan has already led a trillion-strong army to launch a surprise attack on the Endless Insect Domain. Your Shinobi World, you'd better watch yourselves."
After saying this, Long Qing turned and left, transforming into a streak of light and returning to the small interstellar spaceship. The spaceship started up and quickly disappeared into the starry sky.
Watching the spaceship depart, the Flame Emperor Tenbutsu couldn't help but say, "Holy Venerable One, the Dragon Race is so arrogant, why should we cooperate with them? Why not just kill that envoy and teach the Dragon Race a lesson!"
"No." Tsubasa shook his head. "Currently, our main enemy is the Insect Race. Cooperating with the Dragon Race will allow us to obtain crucial intelligence and support, relieving our pressure. As for the Dragon Race ' arrogance, we'll settle that score after we wipe out the Insect Race."
He paused, his gaze fixed on the battlefield on the virtual screen. "Furthermore, Long Qing mentioned the Ōtsutsuki Clan. This clan is extremely dangerous; their surprise attack on the Endless Insect Domain will inevitably cause even greater chaos. We must speed things up, eliminate the current insect swarm as soon as possible, and then prepare to deal with other forces."
Shikamaru Nara nodded. "The Holy One is right. The intelligence provided by the Dragon Race is extremely important. We can use this intelligence to target the Insect Race, especially Insect Race core, which is their fatal weakness. We can immediately adjust our tactics and concentrate our forces to attack the Insect Race's core."
"Alright!" Tsubasa said in a deep voice, "Pass on my orders: convey the intelligence provided by the Dragon Race to every warrior. Adjust tactics, concentrate firepower, and attack the Insect Race's core! At the same time, strengthen defenses and be vigilant for any unusual movements from other forces."
"Yes, sir!"
With the order given, the Shinobi World army's tactics immediately changed. The warriors no longer blindly attacked the Insect Race ' outer shells, but instead targeted the Insect Race ' heads or hearts, attempting to destroy their cores.
The effects were immediate. The Insect Race, which were previously difficult to kill, fell one after another under the targeted attack. After the cores of the low-level Insect Race were destroyed, their bodies instantly lost vitality and turned into corpses; after the cores of the high-level Insect Race were destroyed, although they could struggle for a while, they could not escape the fate of death in the end.
The morale of the Shinobi World army soared, and their offensive became even more ferocious. The insect swarm's attack was once again contained.
The Insect God sensed the massive deaths of the Insect Race, a look of disbelief flashing in its eyes. It couldn't understand why the Shinobi World had suddenly found the Insect Race's weakness, and why their attacks had become so precise.
"Who? Who leaked my clan's secret?" The Insect God roared deafeningly, his black energy surging as he launched an even more frenzied attack on the Shinobi World's defenses.
But by this time, the Shinobi World army had grasped the weaknesses of the Insect Race, and their confidence had soared. They methodically dealt with the Insect God's attacks while continuously reaping the lives of the Insect Race.
The situation on the battlefield has once again taken a turn for the worse.
Meanwhile, in the distant, Endless Insect Domain, the trillion-strong army of the Ōtsutsuki clashed fiercely with the remaining forces of the Insect Race. The Ōtsutsuki Clan was incredibly powerful; the attacks of their Saint Level experts were devastating, and they quickly broke through the outer defenses of the Endless Insect Domain. However, the remaining Insect Race forces were not easily defeated; countless high-level Insect Race launched a frenzied counterattack, inflicting considerable losses on the Ōtsutsuki army.
The elite Dragon Race squad following behind the Ōtsutsuki army was hidden in the shadows, coldly watching the battle. They were waiting for the moment when the Ōtsutsuki army and the Insect Race were both severely weakened, so they could seize the treasures of the Endless Insect Domain.
In the universe, the struggle between various forces is becoming increasingly fierce. The Shinobi World, the Insect Race, the Ōtsutsuki, Dragon Race Phoenix Race, the Kirin Race, the Titan Giant Race... countless forces are intertwined, forming a huge network of interests.
Tsubasa gazed at the fierce battlefield outside the window, a resolute glint in his eyes. He knew this war was no longer merely a conflict between the Shinobi World and the Insect Race race; it was a cataclysmic upheaval affecting the very fabric of the universe. For the Shinobi World to survive, and even rise to prominence, it must continuously strengthen itself and defeat all its enemies. The Shinobi World would stand firm amidst this cosmic catastrophe!