The King Dies for the State

Time flew by in the blink of an eye, and the entire Primordial World was being devoured by the Devouring Ants. Jiang Ping felt waves of sorrow and pain emanating from the world's origin.

For the native creatures of the Primordial World, this pain was even more profound, filling their hearts.

"This is the suffering of our World Mother! We are all her children. The Devouring Ants are acting against the natural order, and even the world itself is being destroyed!"

Within five days of the King Ant's emergence, 80% of the world's creatures were slaughtered and annihilated. Corpses piled up by the millions, and rivers of blood flowed for thousands of miles – these descriptions couldn't even capture the true horror of the Primordial World's plight!

The once prosperous continents were devoid of life. Tens of billions of creatures were destroyed by the Devouring Ants. Great, powerful races that had existed for millions of years vanished one by one. Behemoths, Chimeras, Pegasi, and Evil God Octopuses were gone from the world forever...

On the front-line continent, tens of millions of allied forces stood ready to defend with their lives. They were either reclusive Human Race powerhouses or the last surviving members of various races, all led by Jingshan, the leader of the Holy Alliance!

"Today, there are no enemies here, no distinctions between high and low. Tens of thousands of years ago, our ancestors fought a decisive battle here against the Devouring Ants, the enemy of all beings, and the ant swarm was routed!" Leader Jingshan surveyed the allied forces before him.

"Today, we too will repel the ant army. This is a war for justice! Justice will prevail!"

"Justice will prevail!"

"Justice will prevail!"

The shouts from below echoed in unison. At this moment, there were no distinctions between friend and foe, or between different races. There was only the shared resolve to protect their homes and their nation. Behind them lay the last ancestral land, and the seeds of all races were behind them!

Soon, countless black Soldier Ants appeared on the coastline. Before the ants arrived, their piercing shrieks tore through the air.

Ten million warriors gripped their spears tightly. Despite facing terrifying enemies they could not possibly resist, they felt no fear in their hearts! All warriors capable of fighting were on the battlefield.

The elderly and young who could no longer fight were gathered together. They prayed fervently, their hearts filled with reverence as they bowed before the colossal statue of the Creation God.

"Great Creation God, please protect the fearless warriors before us. Under your guidance, we will defeat the enemy of all beings and save the world."

Countless believers prayed with devotion, and streams of faith power flowed from them, merging into the Creation God statue...

The battle ahead was on the verge of erupting. The ant army, numbering in the tens of billions, advanced like a destructive force. Their numbers were so terrifying that the land, sea, and air were all dyed a black tide.

Boom, boom, boom!

Cannons roared, but the Devouring Ants had suffered too greatly from these before. They had also evolved similar weaponry.

Strangely shaped ant species were slowly brought forward by the Soldier Ants. Their bodies were so bloated and enormous that they could barely move without assistance, yet their mouths were incredibly large.

These were the special soldier species developed by the Ant Queens after the great catastrophe – Cannon Ants!

Cannon Ants were specially created by the Ant Queens, who studied alchemical weaponry and mimicked the principles of explosion. In fact, there were still many areas for improvement.

The Ant Queens had intended to perfect this soldier species before slowly beginning another invasion. However, they had not anticipated the earth-shattering emergence of the King Ant, which had shattered the world's balance!

The Cannon Ants continuously swallowed ores fed to them by Worker Ants. After fusion and ignition within their massive abdomens, they would quickly open their huge mouths and spew forth massive fireballs.

The fireballs traced a beautiful arc through the air before landing in the allied forces with a thunderous explosion, followed by a series of intense detonations!

The aerial Cannon Ants posed an even greater threat. Attacking from above, they caught the allied forces off guard. It was only after Jingshan deployed the elite air force that they were barely able to suppress them.

Everyone's palms were sweating. They had known the Devouring Ants were formidable, but they hadn't expected them to evolve such terrifying soldier species.

Jiang Ping gulped down his soda, "I didn't expect the Devouring Ants to evolve so many powerful soldier species. They're developing in the direction of interstellar Zerg. No wonder they've been able to suppress the myriad races for so many years."

Although the allied forces fought with the resolve of certain death, able to fight one against a hundred, the enemy numbered in the tens of billions, and among them were powerful mutated variants. The allied forces were steadily retreating, and the death toll continued to rise.

If courage were enough, why would strength be needed?

If justice always prevailed, would the efforts of the wicked be in vain?

Moreover, who was truly just? And who was truly evil?

To the myriad races, the Devouring Ants were heinous criminals. To the Devouring Ants, all who were not of their kind were enemies, and nothing in the world was beyond their killing intent!

"Alliance Leader, you must leave quickly! It's too late if you don't!" The captain of the guards urged Jingshan anxiously.

The battlefield was tilting irreversibly against the allied forces. This outcome had been foreseen before the battle began. With the appearance of the King Ant, the Devouring Ants' morale had soared to unprecedented heights. The allied forces' strongest artillery and air force were destroyed by the King Ant as if they were mere toys.

Gazing at the black figure before him, which resembled a god or demon, Jingshan showed no intention of retreating.

"If I retreat, the allied forces will collapse in an instant, and there will be even less time for those behind us! Moreover, with me here, I can at least delay the King Ant's advance!"

Jingshan raised his hand to stop the captain of the guards from advising him. "Everyone has their own destiny. The warriors are fighting bravely, so how can I hide in the rear? No matter how vast the world is, we have no room left to retreat!"

His eyes fixed on the captain of the guards with immense solemnity, "I command you as the supreme leader of the Holy Primordial Alliance!"

The captain of the guards trembled and immediately knelt on one knee. "The Royal Guard Captain of the Sunset Kingdom obeys!"

"You are to retreat immediately to the ancestral land and tell Gai Feng that I have fulfilled my promise, successfully delaying the enemy for four days. Ensure he completes his mission to save the world! To save the Human Race!"

"Yes!" The captain of the guards replied tearfully, "Your Majesty, take care!"

With that, he left without hesitation.

Jingshan looked at the King Ant in the distance and, with a clang, he drew his Golden Sword.

"Warriors of all armies, follow me to kill the enemy! It is my greatest fortune in life, Jingshan, to fight alongside all of you!"

"It is our highest honor to fight alongside you!" The ten thousand warriors roared, tears welling up in their eyes.

Clang, clang, clang!

The highest commanders drew their swords one after another. "Follow the Alliance Leader to break through the encirclement and slay the King Ant!"

Kill, kill, kill!

Thousands of warriors launched a suicidal charge. Ten thousand beasts instantly went berserk, their massive bodies appearing even more ferocious. The allied forces' morale soared. Their death-defying killing intent stunned even the Soldier Ants, who knew only of battle.

King Beo's icy eyes flickered with surprise. An army that was supposed to be doomed, yet it still possessed such morale?

He stared at the approaching Alliance Leader Jingshan, a cruel smile curling his lips.

"Alliance Leader of the Holy Primordial Alliance? Let's see if you can reach me!"

Getting closer, closer to this god-like ant king, Jingshan frantically activated his cultivation technique. Blood sprayed from his body, but he paid it no mind. Pouring in all his life's strength, he hurled his sword with his right hand.

Swish!

The Golden Sword streaked across the sky like a long rainbow, piercing towards the ant king!

In Jingshan's last moments, the King's Sword, forged from countless rare treasures of heaven and earth and fused with the highest alchemical technology, snapped into two halves the instant it touched the ant king. The sword tip, due to the fierce collision, turned into wisps of golden powder that drifted into the distance.

"Not bad."

This was the last sentence Jingshan ever heard. He was then buried by elite soldier ants, and it was unknown if the ant king's praise was for his final attack or for the King's Sword that managed to leave a tiny white speck on him.

"Gai Feng, it's up to you now. I hope I am not a king who loses his kingdom, not the last leader of the alliance of all races..."

Far away in the ancestral land, Gai Feng seemed to sense something. He opened his eyes, and strands of sharp light shot out from them. In his hands, the divine artifact, after being re-forged, appeared even more radiant.

Gai Feng suddenly turned his head towards the gate. The sound of hurried footsteps from outside was rapidly approaching.

"The Alliance Leader is dead!"

Thanks to Emperor Xiling and Ning Que for their rewards. Requesting recommendation votes again!