Otherworldly Desert Dust

The tyrant tiger armor was devoid of emotions; they were like perfect machines set by high-dimensional insects—a creation born solely for combat. Regardless of how many of their own kind fell or how powerful the enemy was, it made no difference to them.

However, humans needed battlefield morale. The fierceness of the Black Python Martial Saint He Ze even became a form of battlefield art. Watching him weave through the encirclement of thousands of tyrant tiger armors, those groups of tyrant tiger armors that radiated with powerful red flames resembled numerous magnificent and terrifying volcanoes, erupting in unison with enough energy to potentially annihilate the entire human habitat.

Thousands of tyrant tiger armors formed storm after storm of the Insect Race, a massive black mass that couldn't suppress the radiance of Martial Saint He Ze, who shone through the dark masses of his foes like the blade of the dawn, bursting through the tyrant tiger armors' encirclement again and again!

Having such a supreme Crown Radiance to look up to, both the human top-level and elite fighters received an invisible power boost.

The battle gradually stabilized. Though the fortress frontline that stretched over a dozen kilometers was filled with various forms of energy blossoming both in the sky and underground, the human camp was no longer being unilaterally crushed. They began to find unique ways to deal with each tyrant tiger armor.

Because they had fallen into the Otherworldly Dust unprepared, the skills the Spirit Awakeners learned were a mixed bag. However, the diversity brought benefits: it meant that some Spirit Awakeners' abilities were very peculiar, such as Yang Qin, who unexpectedly survived. Her ability displayed significant advantages in this battle.

The golden thread released by Yang Qin was an evolved version of the Xuan Crystal Silk initially used by Wu Hen. She was like a cold and patient predator in nature. While humans might have insects as their natural enemies, insects have their predators too—often the carnivorous ones in their own species.

With their strength suppressed, the tyrant tiger armors were no more than larger, stronger insects. When huge golden silk nets began to appear in the sky, even the flying tyrant tiger armors, as witless as tiny flying bugs, were firmly trapped in these invisible webs.

As the battle continued, it quickly became apparent that mutants like Yang Qin held an absolute advantage in this fight. These Mutants had gained powers from the insect predators of the Alien Dust, powers that effectively countered the characteristics and strengths of the insects.

Moreover, such human mutants were not rare. They could morph into higher-tiered predators from the Alien Dust and use those predators' abilities to hunt the tyrant tiger armors.

That's why morale was so vital. If everyone lived in fear of the tyrant tiger armors, they would never realize that the group of mutants could hunt them, including the Silver Winged Mantis that was also one of their prey.

The battle situation stabilized because of a single individual.

Wu Hen only needed to wield the Ominous Bronze Spear, letting it absorb enough malevolent energy in the melee.

Although the Ominous Bronze Spear couldn't achieve a massive kill, it was indestructible. No matter how much the tyrant tiger armors grinded it into fragments, it could always repair itself in a short time, growing stronger after each repair. Blood, killing energy, Soul Evil—these were the perfect whetstones for it...

Moreover, the Ominous Bronze Spear knew its place as a subordinate; after every enemy it killed, it collected their soul breath. It did not digest these soul breaths itself; instead, after accumulating enough, it promptly and diligently offered them to the overseeing Little Yi.

Little Yi began to live a life where meals were provided without effort.

While the strength of the tyrant tiger armors was suppressed to near Sixth-class Heavenly Brilliance, their soul breath was solidly Third-class Heavenly Brilliance. The golden rice was plentiful and beneficial for Little Yi, who, unlike the Desert Dust Life, didn't need to climb the difficult Dragon Gate or experience the tribulations before Hua Chen.

All it needed was an ample supply of food and nutrients, along with a comfortable environment for growth and development. Time would naturally bring elevation in status. After all, its True Soul had been through countless trials and tribulations, once shining as the most brilliant First-class Star above the vast world.

Wu Hen had initially considered letting Little Yi out for a self-feeding frenzy.

But Little Yi had its own ideas. It waited lazily for the Ominous Bronze Spear's feeding, acting as if its taste buds had been spoiled, expecting someone to peel open the tyrant tiger armors' shells and feed it directly. It would deign to eat if the food was handed to it this way, but if it had to feed itself, it seemed too disdainful.

Wu Hen understood Little Yi's temperament—it was extremely proud and aloof. Once its strength reached a higher realm, it lost much of its enthusiasm for food at its current level; if given freely, it would eat. Otherwise, it adamantly refused to lift a Dragon Claw to exert itself.

Of course, there was another possibility; during Little Yi's long and lonely wanderings, it had developed a powerful Divine Sense that could detect presences lurking in the shadows and eyes hidden behind the scenes. These true predators of Desert Dust were considered a delicacy to Little Yi, and it would wait patiently for them. Until then, it wouldn't reveal a hint of its aura.

Little Yi's digestion and growth rate were extremely fast.

Basically, as soon as it finished eating, it would immediately grow.

Compared to humans, this ability was nothing short of miraculous. Even Wu Hen, whose Taste Spiritual Awakening had reached the Third Rank and who could evolve a strong Physique just by eating, still required a period of absorption and transformation.

Little Yi did not. Discover hidden stories at My Virtual Library Empire

As the Ominous Bronze Spear continued to feed more and more Heavenly Brilliance golden rice, Little Yi gained even more Red Rhombic Blades. These Red Blades not only appeared on its back scales but seemed to evolve across all its scales, turning into the rare Red Blade Scales of the tyrant tiger armor...

These red scales were like a layer of thin feathers covering Little Yi's dragon body. While their purpose was yet to be understood, when it acted in Sword Spirit form, they would surely add a new dimension to its combat abilities.

Wu Hen was also aware that after reaching the Sword Child Realm, even the Third-class Heavenly Brilliance soul breath of the tyrant tiger armors would be no more than snacks for Little Yi. It, too, was in hibernation, waiting to hunt even more powerful Red Zhe Insects!

…

The battle raged from day to night, and from night until dawn. Wang Yan devised a rotation tactic to allow the exhausted Spirit Awakeners to rest. It was important they replenish their strength and treat their injuries.

Behind the entirety of Lun Mountain City was the support of major frontline groups from around the globe. One advanced transport aircraft after another, like an assembly line, ceaselessly delivered supplies to the battlefield of Lun Mountain City. Every piece of advanced technology and advanced biological pharmaceutical that could be utilized in this fight for survival was thrown into the fray.

Those reviving injections that could snatch someone back from the brink of death at Ghost Gate were delivered by the crateful. Some pharmaceuticals designed to stimulate the potential of human genes were even consumed like water. Even the half-finished biological weapons that had not been considered for environment pollution issues were launched directly at the white wormhole.

The high-dimensional insects were exceedingly arrogant.

They could have scattered countless Red Zhe Insects to exterminate humans in major cities across the globe. If that happened, human fatalities would rise exponentially. Moreover, in some cities, out of a million people, it would be rare to find one whose strength approached Heavenly Light, let alone someone capable of stopping the massacre waged by the tyrant tiger armor and the Silver Winged Mantises.

But in the eyes of the high-dimensional insects, ordinary humans were no more than flies and moths; their deaths were meaningless to an evolving humanity.

What the high-dimensional insects sought to destroy was all of humanity's vitality, to kill every Spirit Awakener who humankind took pride in, then allow those powerless humans to become food for the Alien Insects.

They knew that all the human Spirit Awakeners were gathered in Lun Mountain City. Thus, they didn't need to search laboriously across the world. They even disdained to destroy the humans' logistic supply, continually sending Red Zhe Insects to force the human elite to reveal themselves.

Seemingly reckless and somewhat foolish, yet Wu Hen understood that this was merely a human perspective of arrogance.

The tyrant tiger armor was far from the high-dimensional insects' ultimate killer move.

Even the tyrant tiger armor was just cannon fodder; their numbers, no matter how many fell, did not seem pitiful in the eyes of the high-dimensional insects.

They were also collecting information on humans.

"Hooo hooo hooo~~~~~~~"

The fierce wind was laden with the pungent odor of the Insect Race, mixed with the scent of countless ashes.

Martial Saint He Ze descended from the sky, landing beside Wu Hen, Shen Wenhai, and Wang Yan.

"This is my limit," He Ze said succinctly, looking up at the sky. The number of tyrant tiger armor had been reduced by more than half.

Even though this was accomplished with the combined efforts of the entire human elite, everyone knew that without He Ze, Lun Mountain City would have quickly fallen into disarray.

"You go rest; leave the rest to us," Wu Hen said.

He Ze nodded and was escorted by several logistics personnel to the rear to receive treatment.

His fighting clothes were tattered, there wasn't a single piece of skin on his body that remained intact, and several areas near vital spots had charred holes exposing white bone.

As He Ze was being supported towards an underground bunker, he couldn't help but look back at Wu Hen.

He Ze, too, was seeing Wu Hen for the first time. The man was younger than he had imagined, almost like a youthful college student. He had his doubts and worries, as well.

Now that all the navigators were out of reach, entrusting this homeland to a young man was unsettling to say the least.

Seemingly catching He Ze's gaze, Wu Hen suddenly turned around, locking eyes with the still-concerned He Ze.

"If every catastrophe has to be stopped at the cost of your lives, it means we never had the right to survive in this brutally real world... Go heal in peace; it's not that time yet," Wu Hen said.

Upon hearing that, He Ze couldn't help but crack a smile.

Was the young man telling him not to be blindly heroic?

What a good mindset the young man had.

And indeed, he was brimming with confidence.

Without further hesitation, He Ze retreated to the rear.